Annual Earth Day Post
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catherineldfSo I used to call this “The Greening of Our Lives” when I started it, but there is no more “our” so I think I’ll drop that part. And I haven’t done one of these for the past couple of years because, honestly, it was too depressing. But you can click through on the hashtags if you want to see what we did before this point.
Between April of 2024 and today, I’ve:
Between April of 2024 and today, I’ve:
- Had a new heat pump dryer and high efficiency washer installed (just yesterday!). Energy + water savings + reduced gas use
- Had new window treatments installed to help block drafts and increase natural light (also to make me feel less like Miss Havisham)
- Continued to work from home so less driving time.
- Got an induction hot plate and cookware set (Costco, for the win!) to reduce amount of cooking on gas stove.
- Upgraded my convection oven so I use the gas oven less.
- Had an home energy audit done and got a low flow shower head and some insulation on the basement pipes.
- Started container gardening
- Doubled down on the pollinator plants and reducing the grass. Continue to avoid pesticides and herbicides.
- Switched to buying more used/refurbished electronics
- Continued involvement with Buy Nothing Club
- Switched Queen of Swords Press to recycled/recyclable mailers from Eco Enclose and recycled paper shopping bags from Nashville Wraps.
- Switched QoSP newsletter to Buttondown, a platform that doesn’t use AI (so far) and reinvests part of the proceeds in environmental projects.
- Continued with Windsource, continue to avoid AI use wherever possible, recycling, composting, reusing, etc.
- Support local and international green projects.
Murderbot on TV
Apr. 15th, 2025 07:55 ammarthawellsIf you are planning to watch the Murderbot TV series (starting May 16!) on Apple TV, if you could add it on your watchlist, that would be a big help. It's kind of like pre-ordering a book, it tells the publisher/streaming service that you're there for our show.
There's a link here for US viewers: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03
I'm pretty sure it's different for Apple viewers in other countries.
You can also see the trailer at this link.
There's a link here for US viewers: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03
I'm pretty sure it's different for Apple viewers in other countries.
You can also see the trailer at this link.
FIC: The Golden Courtyard (Tempestuous Tours)
Apr. 15th, 2025 05:26 amduskpetersonThe best place to start your tour of the Koretian palace is in the oldest part: the courtyard of the royal residence.
These days, you will need to receive special permission to visit the courtyard; the days when commoner children played here are no more. But such permission is readily granted to visitors of peaceful intent. You may apply for permission to any guard, whereupon you will be interviewed for your motives in visiting. This is routine; do not take offense. Northern mainlanders should most assuredly not draw their blades.
The courtyard is of a surprisingly plain appearance, except for the pavement that gives the courtyard its name. Visitors to Capital Mountain will recognize that the material for the golden pavement was taken from the sacred cave there. Although the courtyard is not considered to be sacred, it has witnessed centuries of important events. It was here, for example, that the current ruler of Koretia gave his oath to look after the Koretian people.
A well in the courtyard reminds us that Koretia's place of government has long been a location for mundane domestic activities. To the east, shabby slave-quarters once stood, a shameful shadow upon Koretia's past. These quarters have since been torn down, replaced by storage areas, but a small, unmarked door leads to the former royal prison. You may enter this area; it is quite small. At the very back is a room where one of the Jackal's followers died as a result of torture, during the years when the Jackal was considered an outlaw by his own people.
To the west is the face of the royal residence. This building may not be entered by tourers, but standing here you can see the windows of some of the rooms where great events took place. This residence deserves a chapter to itself.
[Translator's note: A closer look at the courtyard and its events can be found in Death Mask.]
April has been a lot already
Apr. 13th, 2025 09:14 pmcatherineldfSunday morning, I got up, dealt with necessary kitty things, drank my keffir (my homemade goat's milk yogurt never really solidifies, but is other wise good), and went back to bed with Shu for snuggle time. Then got up again, made breakfast, started the dishes...and had a pipe break under the sink, cascading water down into the remains of Jana's studio in the basement. Frantic scrambling ensued and I managed to get everything moved or tossed and a tub under the sink for the time being, but it all took awhile.
And so far this week, I've had my annual physical (went well), my annual eye exam (went fine, but need new glasses again, which was spendy) and had a project fall through, which isn't surprising as I and the other party want different things, but I am annoyed at having my time wasted. I'll have to deal with that tomorrow, along with its related permutations. Added to that, the plumber comes on Thursday to deal with the pipe and the electrician/plumber comes on Friday to cap the gas and set up for the new washer and dryer, which will be great, but a lot.
But apart from all that, I've done a couple of fun events, one being 13 Gears Steampunk, which I always enjoy, and the other being the first HerStory Book Fair at the Midtown Global Market, which is an indoor international market in Minneapolis with lots of small restaurants, crafts and events. The other authors were very enthusiastic and I had some fun chats with folks. And it's nice that some of the vendors remember me - Jana and I were in there a lot right after it reopened after the riots in 2020. A lot of the folks who own businesses there also live in the building and they had to defend it so they're very, very committed to being there and we wanted to support them as much as we could. So lots of takeout, grocery shopping and so forth. It's harder to make time now since I have to juggle all the house stuff, plus events and Shu's shot schedule, but it was nice to see it really hopping again.
My containers for container gardening are starting to show up. I'm going to try growing potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, herbs and the starter onion my neighbor gave me. I'm also dutifully reading a book on container gardening in hopes of being successful enough at it that I can share food. I'm looking at participating in the neighborhood garage sale as well in order to move a solid chunk of Jana's memory care furniture and some other sundries out from underfoot.
And the rest of this week will include a trip to the Women's Club of Minneapolis for a evening of "Song to the Moon": music, poetry and watching the moon rise from the roof with my friend Julia. Since we met there at the Jane Austen Society meetings, it seems appropriate that we return, especially since the Women's Club is in danger of closing due to a combination of unmet expenses, reduced funding and so forth. It is a grand old pile with a lot of history and I hope there's a deus ex machina to save it. On Friday night, a friend is taking me to "Spellbound," a new play by a new queer theater company at the Phoenix Theater, and on Saturday night, another friend is taking me to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society at Crooner's.
Around all of that, I'm trying to do some useful things, but I think I'll also need to take Sunday as a recovery day and just deal with my gigantic to-do list as well as getting some writing done.
And so far this week, I've had my annual physical (went well), my annual eye exam (went fine, but need new glasses again, which was spendy) and had a project fall through, which isn't surprising as I and the other party want different things, but I am annoyed at having my time wasted. I'll have to deal with that tomorrow, along with its related permutations. Added to that, the plumber comes on Thursday to deal with the pipe and the electrician/plumber comes on Friday to cap the gas and set up for the new washer and dryer, which will be great, but a lot.
But apart from all that, I've done a couple of fun events, one being 13 Gears Steampunk, which I always enjoy, and the other being the first HerStory Book Fair at the Midtown Global Market, which is an indoor international market in Minneapolis with lots of small restaurants, crafts and events. The other authors were very enthusiastic and I had some fun chats with folks. And it's nice that some of the vendors remember me - Jana and I were in there a lot right after it reopened after the riots in 2020. A lot of the folks who own businesses there also live in the building and they had to defend it so they're very, very committed to being there and we wanted to support them as much as we could. So lots of takeout, grocery shopping and so forth. It's harder to make time now since I have to juggle all the house stuff, plus events and Shu's shot schedule, but it was nice to see it really hopping again.
My containers for container gardening are starting to show up. I'm going to try growing potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, herbs and the starter onion my neighbor gave me. I'm also dutifully reading a book on container gardening in hopes of being successful enough at it that I can share food. I'm looking at participating in the neighborhood garage sale as well in order to move a solid chunk of Jana's memory care furniture and some other sundries out from underfoot.
And the rest of this week will include a trip to the Women's Club of Minneapolis for a evening of "Song to the Moon": music, poetry and watching the moon rise from the roof with my friend Julia. Since we met there at the Jane Austen Society meetings, it seems appropriate that we return, especially since the Women's Club is in danger of closing due to a combination of unmet expenses, reduced funding and so forth. It is a grand old pile with a lot of history and I hope there's a deus ex machina to save it. On Friday night, a friend is taking me to "Spellbound," a new play by a new queer theater company at the Phoenix Theater, and on Saturday night, another friend is taking me to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society at Crooner's.
Around all of that, I'm trying to do some useful things, but I think I'll also need to take Sunday as a recovery day and just deal with my gigantic to-do list as well as getting some writing done.
Council Hill (Tempestuous Tours)
Apr. 11th, 2025 04:21 amduskpetersonKoretia's army headquarters, located near the city marketplace, are off-limits to casual visitors. Northern mainland warriors who wish to learn more about the soldiering of the Three Lands are advised to send letters of enquiry by their chieftains beforehand, in order that a special tour of the army headquarters can be arranged for them.
Squeezed between the marketplace and the army headquarters is Council Hill, the most famous location in Southern Koretia. Koretia's government is housed here, as it has been for as long as Koretia has existed.
The appearance of the hill has changed considerably, just in my own lifetime. During my childhood, the hill was covered with trees, and there were no barriers to prevent casual passersby from entering the seat of power.
Nor are there now, unless you count the Jackal's eyes and claws. Do not treat lightly the rumors you hear of how the Jackal protects himself and his people. Countless men did during his first year of power, which is why the capital of Koretia was forced to create a new cemetery.
The Jackal, however, has upheld the long Koretian tradition of permitting free access to the government buildings by the Koretian people. You will see men, women, and children wandering up and down Council Hall to a degree that shocks Daxions and Emorians. It would shock me as well, if I hadn't raced through the council courtyard so often when I was young.
Most of the trees no longer exist; they were burned down during the Midsummer Battle and never replaced. Instead, a moat encircles Council Hill, which came in handy during a Daxion attack on the city in 991. Your credentials will be checked at the end of the moat's bridge, but only lightly, to ensure that you already passed through the main checkpoints at the gates of the city.
The hill is in the process of being given steps; at the moment, the only way to reach the top is to climb on grass. Wear boots, if you possess them; the grass can be slippery.
So can the city's pickpockets. Be wary.
[Translator's note: Daxis's attack on Koretia's capital appears in Breached Boundaries. The moat plays a starring role.]
And lo, a trailer did drop
Apr. 9th, 2025 11:08 ammarthawellshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEioDeOiqEs&t=1s
And there's this bit from Alexander Skarsgard about playing the character:
https://www.empireonline.com/tv/news/murderbot-relatable-character-alexander-skarsgard-exclusive/
And there's this bit from Alexander Skarsgard about playing the character:
https://www.empireonline.com/tv/news/murderbot-relatable-character-alexander-skarsgard-exclusive/