As of Friday I'm off work until Jan 2, and today I feel well-rested for the first time in about two weeks. And what am I doing with all this leisure, you ask? Good stuff, let me tell you!

For one thing, I'm reading stories about some of my favorite people, written by some of my favorite people, in the company of some of my favorite people. sshg_giftfest and ( Read more... )

Taken this morning :)

(click to embiggen)
( Snow problem, really )

The news has really been getting me down lately, all the hyperbole and knee-jerk reactions and frantic pace and depressingly stupid words and actions by that weird guy who's been hanging out in the Oval Office recently. When I get down, one of the things that makes me feel better is cooking, so Friday night I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies ( Read more... )

You've heard of Bluebeard of course. And, if you're a fan of Blackadder, Captain Redbeard Rumm.

Today, I present for your edification and jollification: CATBEARD!

(aka, Mr Psmith and Xena, one of our torties. She likes to hide in his beard. Freya, our other one, was off either climbing or destroying something, per her usual MO.)


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So, just to be sure we're all clear on this: That was the MOLT I was posing with, NOT the actual spider. Please don't think me braver stupider than I actually am lol (For those of you want to look at it again, which may be none of you heheh, note how stiff the legs are and the clump of tissue filling the abdomen. Those are, er, "dead" giveaways ( Read more... )

Mr Psmith's biggest tarantula, Shelob, molted last week. He asked if I would kindly allow him to pose it on my face. In a moment of insanity (or possibly due to the three glasses of wine I had had), I said yes.

( WARNING - BIG SPIDER UNDER CUT! )

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Good Thing the First: I am caught up on reading mini-fest, yay! So many wonderful little stocking stuffers, and one or two more substantial offerings. My favorite so far is a Minerva/Severus piece entitled Dark and Deep. Doesn't that title make you want to go there right now and read it ( Read more... )

We've been getting a bit bored with the same old meals (except for the homemade linguine with clam sauce, we still luuuuuuuurv that) so we've been trying to find some new recipes to try out in the Psmith Test Kitchen. This week we had two solid hits, one vegan and both vegetarian. I am sad to say I took no photos, but I can still share the ( Read more... )

Mr. Psmith has mentioned several times wanting a Gryffindor scarf, so a couple of weeks ago I commissioned irishredlass to make one (she is so talented!!) for his birthday. It arrived a couple of days ago, and although his birthday isn't until the 27th, today's forecast (18" of snow, low tonight of 8, below zero wind chill) inspired me to give it to him early ( Read more... )