It's the blog of a tall, incredibly sexy red-headed woman living in Melbourne, who is:

Wife of lederhosen, mother of da_norvegicus, natural mother of quatranoctal, now owned by Bilqis and Alopex

Former owner of dogorcuton and Basil. (Those two worthies are now sleeping quietly, somewhere...)

If you're looking for me on the Other site, look here.

Enjoying living on top of basaltic plains, especially after the boringness of Sydney Sandstone

Trying very hard not to buy any more knitting and sewing stuff until she uses what she has

Versed in IT, Customer Service and Cooking. Now, having turned half an engineering degree into Teaching Maths and Science to Primary-aged students, I'm a tutor for them. Alas, Chronic Fatigue means I can't work full time.

Diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, but then I've always been weird...

Writer of fanfic and currently trying to write a couple of serious novels.

I'm cool with people I don't know reading my journal - serious stuff tends to be friends-locked to various degrees. I'm also fine with people dropping me - I don't manage to keep up with as many people as I wish I could, and besides, that's your own journal and you have the right to decide who is and isn't reading stuff. But if you want me to read your stuff too, please comment on this post if you haven't elsewhere.

And for most of it there is no excuse.

Anyway -

1) My Yuletide piece is written, edited and submitted. I'm quite happy with it, and especially that I was given a prompt that matched a story I have wanted to write for years! I just hope my recipient likes it as much.

2) I've just received 4 very important letters that I've known about for years: ADHD. Yup, diagnosis confirmed. I don't have any great hope for the drugs - me and psych drugs just don't get on. Mind you, a lot of "don't get on" is probably due to the abovementioned ADHD, so ... Anyway, that makes me AuDHD now, so NeuroSpicy Plus. Yay!

Now to get on with the rest of stuff.

You will notice that you haven't been able to lately.

This is because Optus have blocked Livejournal.

You need to use another connection, or a VPN.

Optus will not say why. Just that they have.

FYI

Yesterday morning, my father George Richards died about 5 years after his massive stroke. We are sad, but not sorry.

There's an article about him on the Sydney Morning Herald site. (I may have annoyed the journalist a little - it's taken three edits for me to appear in as more than an afterthought :-) )

Hug your loved ones, tell them how much they mean to you, and as my mother is currently taking out her frustrations on me in games of Settlers, for that you may send me some sympathy.

Amazing artist mywitch is sweet enough to draw special Harry-Potter themed gifts for some lucky lucky people each year. This year I asked for Severus Snape babysitting young Weasleys or Potters in the style of the 1960s Hanna Barbera cartoons.

I got one in the style of Top Cat.

Please, go look, send love.

Were you aware that, in the plethora of various daily quizzes like Wordle and Numble and Flagle, that there's a quiz based on using logic to solve a murder mystery? It's called Murdle. It's rather fun.

My Yuletide request this year matched on my willingness to help the greater good (the greater good) and write a Hot Fuzz fic.

And then I saw they liked Murdle.

So I asked if I might write a crossover. And they said Yes.

It Takes a Village tells of the chaos that occurs at Sandford when the Rainbow Retirement Home of Former Murderers starts up.

Enjoy.

Imagine, if you would, in Sense and Sensibility, that the ending was different. Marianne succumbed to her horrid fever, and despite the Palmers leaving in great haste, Mrs Palmer and the baby also fell victim to the foul disease.

And Edward married Lucy.

So Elinor carries on, as one must. But there are two men in her circle who both regard her as intelligent and practical and a suitable wife.

So how does one decide between Colonel Brandon and Mr Palmer? Then Stirs the Feeling Infinite will tell you how.

(I have literally been hoping for this fic for 8 years. I am so blessed to receive such a beautiful answer to the question.)

This is Why We March:
The ugly reality of anti-trans hate in Australia. Because hate and non-acceptance and prejudice and intolerance lead to dark, dark places. By the lovely Maz, who used to post on LJ as crazyjane13 (not very active here any more), also known as Beanieflower on Twitter.

Three times.

Scene on a Balcony. Lord Peter Wimsey and Miss Harriet Vane have just married, and the reception is getting a little ... heated. So Eiluned Price slips out to the balcony for some fresh air, and makes a new friend.

Not My Assassination. An Assassination Bureau fic set some years after the film, where Ivan is lamenting the return of amateur assassins plying their business in Sarajevo.

A Changed World The Walker family from Swallows and Amazons are facing the beginning of World War II, and they all want to do their part - even Roger who is yet too young.

Pay it forward...as stolen from many others:

The first 5 people to comment (and more if I have the funds/time/energy) will receive a surprise from me at some point in 2023. Anything from a card, postcard, a scribble, something hand-made - really it could be anything - who knows! It will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit you and make you happy.

I'm not looking for anything in return. If you are feeling the vibe, post this in your own journal and pay it forward. Let's do more kind and loving things for each other in 2023. Without any reason other than to make each other smile and show that we think of each other.

PM me your address! Feel free to include an idea, theme, a link to a wish list! Or tell me what you collect (shiny rocks, nail polish, gum, etc etc etc)! or whatever else you love!

Please note that you can sign up for a surprise even if you choose not to put this in your own journal. I know not everyone can.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Using this card from the game Paperback as their prompt, my AMAZING Mystery Author wrote me "Dead Planet".

In the Bermuda Triangle of space, things aren't always what they seem.
Or: An archaeologist, a smuggler, and a model meet on a seemingly dead planet and become part of the resistance against the Galactic Federation.

Read it. It's amazing.

Grab stock for salmon risotto.
Add special extra-flavour stock
Grab spinach
Weigh rice
Dice pumpkin
Juice and zest lemon
Go to fridge for salmon.
Go through entire fridge for salmon
Double check shopping bags to make sure salmon didn't get left out
Check fridge a third time.
Check benchtops.
Curse.
Grab keys.
Check back of car.
Curse again.
Throw packet of salmon that's been all day in the boot into the rubbish (It's cold, but not that cold)
Head back inside and be grateful one had defrosted some pork steaks for something else.
Start preparing pork risotto.

(Cross posted from Dreamwidth)

Hello there! Covid kicked my butt, but luckily I had it at my Mum's place, and was able to isolate without too much trouble. It's the cold I caught straight afterwards that sucked. However, the lovely Lederhosen flew up to help me drive back, because there's no way I could have otherwise.

Now. The complaint. I just got the latest Spotlight catalogue, and I am not happy. So here's the email I sent them. ( Below the cut, for your sanity's sakeCollapse )
TL:DR stop putting girls and women in princess and female-dominated role costumes, and give the guys a chance to wear something different too, and, speaking of different, where's our cultural diversity in the representation of the models?

Copied from the entry on Dreamwidth

Oh look - I'm Reynardo on Dreamwidth!

Last night my dear friend Catherine had a heart attack and died. She was only 45. This is what her husband has to say so far:

This is Andrew posting. I have some devastating news. Catherine died suddenly last night in Williamstown from a heart attack. She was having a cycling holiday. We don't have much more information at the moment, and we'll let you know when we have more details, and when arrangements are being made.

If you have a special offer of help (eg knowledge of legal requirements, etc), please let Gillian Brent, Geoffrey Brent or me know.

No flowers please. There will be other ways to remember her, and I'll post when we know what's happening.

Also no visitors for the meantime please unless specifically asked, or if one of us spoke with you earlier.

It's still a dream.

And I'll wake up soon, surely.

Worthy of a post all by itself, the magnificent mywitch drew me Severus with fill in your favourite pairing here.


It's not work safe. It's not hot-flush-my-oh-my safe either. And it's sublime.

It's here. (Posted on Dreamwidth, shared to Live Journal)

Digress like a 19th-Century Novelist: a Fest for the detail-oriented -- I'm going on a tangent. Come with me! (Posted on Dreamwidth, shared to Live Journal)

I signed up for Yuletide, and wrote my gift-fic (which I'll tell you all about in January). And because the plot-bunnies WOULD NOT SHUT UP, I wrote a treat and two pinch-hits (I have a second treat simmering but it's not behaving so it might end up being a New Year's treat instead).

I saw the gift to me hitting the Gift list back in October.

Today I noticed I have another Yuletide gift there.

Someone has decided to treat me, and I couldn't be happier! In these ghastly times of plague, someone decided they'd take the extra effort and make me something special that they hadn't even signed up for.

So whoever you are, yay. Love your work. No matter what it is. (Posted on Dreamwidth, shared to Live Journal)