tes | Reading

I hit Price Chopper, the Bakery, and Agway while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I hit Stewart’s on the way home and stopped at the library on the way to mom's to pick up books.

I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, stirred up egg salad, went on a couple of walks with the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I made a one-pot meal of kielbasa, potatoes and baby carrots for supper.

I visited mom, finished True Gretch and watched some HGTV programs.

Temps started out at 64.5(F), went down to 59.9 that I saw and topped back off at 64. It was cloudy for most of the day (a brief sighting of the sun later on) and rained several times.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing good today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I hit the Pharmacy (for myself) and Price Chopper and CVS (both for mom) while I was downtown and I got in a walk around the park.

I visited my aunt, did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher and ran another load, hard-boiled eggs, and scooped kitty litter. We had leftover ziti for supper.

I visited mom and read more in True Gretch.

Temps started out at 53.6(F) and reached 79.0. It was so dark when I left the house this morning, and foggy. Not Pitch Black, but close enough that it made me want to cry. I checked the rain gauge when I got home; we got 7/8 inch of rain overnight.

Today would’ve been my parents’ 61st Anniversary if my dad were still alive.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing pretty good today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I hit the Feed Bag while I was downtown (because Pip forgot something he’d purchased yesterday) and got in a walk around the park.

I hand-washed dishes, went on a couple walks with Pip and the dogs (including one in the rain), cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.

We had burgers and Gus’s potatoes for supper.

I finished the KJ Charles book and started True Gretch, an autobiography, and watched some HGTV programs.

Temps started out at 61.3(F) and reached 82.4 that I saw when I got home a little after 3pm. (It had already hit 70.0 by 9am, before I left to visit mom, so I knew it was going to be hot.) It got really windy (there are trees outside mom’s room and they were blowing like crazy); it looked cool, but it was not. We got rain later, but not the forecasted thunderstorms, thankfully, as they drive our dogs nuts.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing better today. Especially after they told her she might be discharged. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I heard part of this interview this morning and thought I'd share it with you. (Morning Edition; A Martínez)

On Sept. 4, 1995, "Xena: Warrior Princess" premiered on syndicated TV. Lucy Lawless, the show's star, and Rob Tapert, her husband and "Xena" co-creator, talk about its popularity and legacy.

Just in case the embed doesn't work: 'Xena: Warrior Princess' turns 30

spikedluv

I didn't have time to write up my comments on the latest finished book, which led to me completely forgetting that yesterday was Wednesday. o_O

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: The Golden One (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters and To Dwell in Darkness (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie.

What I am Currently Reading: Copper Script by KJ Charles. I keep forgetting about An Archer's Awakening (Of Crowns & Quills) by Casey Morales because I’d rather read a physical book while visiting mom; if I read on Kindle it eats up my battery.

What I Plan to Read Next: I did start something off my own shelf! But I still have a library book out, so probably that so I can return it instead of having to renew it.

Book 95 of 2025: The Golden One (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

I enjoyed this book so much!! ( spoilers )

This book was really good; I'm giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Book 95 of 2025: To Dwell in Darkness (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

This book was really good. ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and am giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

spikedluv

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park.

I did a load of laundry (washed and dried), hand-washed dishes, went to mom’s (paid her school tax and called the generator guy), hit the bank drive-thru, filled my gas tank, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs when they got home, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and cut up said chicken for said meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I started a KJ Charles book and watched an HGTV program.

Temps started out at 54.5(F) and reached 77.2. The afternoon got a bit humid and overcast.

Mom Update:

Mom was feeling more blah today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I did not go downtown today because I wanted to get some chores done before I went out to visit mom. I did two loads of laundry (washed, dried AND folded, as well as finished drying and folding yesterday’s load), hand-washed dishes, did a load in the dishwasher, pulled the crock pot pork for Pip’s supper, stopped by mom’s, and scooped kitty litter.

When I got home I hand-washed more dishes and cut up chicken for the dogs' meals (tomorrow; I like to get ahead of it).

I finished the Duncan Kincaid book and read fanfic.

Temps started out at 48.6(F) and reached 72.3. That was at 7pm when I got home, so I’m sure it was higher during the afternoon.

In stuff not about me or mom, Ian starts welding school today.

Mom Update:

Mom looked much better today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I can’t believe it’s September already! I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park.

I did a load of laundry (washed and only partially dried), hand-washed dishes, took the dogs for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, paid a bill online, placed a Chewy order, and scooped kitty litter.

I hit Price Chopper after leaving the hospital because I had an idea for tomorrow’s supper; I put pork in the crock pot on warm overnight to make pulled pork. Tonight Pip had leftover ziti.

I started the next Duncan Kincaid book.

Temps started out at 45.8(F) and reached 70.0 before I left the house. I’m sure it got several degrees warmer in the afternoon, but Pip didn’t check.

Mom Update:

Mom felt lousy today, but seemed more alert. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I did two loads of laundry (both washed, dried AND folded!), hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher and emptied it, went for several short walks, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and cut up said chicken for said meals, changed kitty litter, and showered.

I did not visit mom today as my three siblings had plans to go out, but I did check her mail and had a brief telephone conversation with her. I also hit Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s. We had the ziti I put together yesterday for supper tonight.

I finished Amelia Peabody and read some fanfic, watched an HGTV program, and got in nearly a mile and a half in walks! I haven’t gotten that much in a long time.

Temps started out at 46.8(F) and reached 76.5. It was sunny with a slight breeze.

I forgot to include this pic in yesterday’s post, but this was the sight at the bird feeder last night (Saturday). Not only the buck and two does, but a fawn!! First time I’ve seen one closer than the pumpkin patch, lol! (Yes, the mother and fawn have visited the pumpkin patch on more than one occasion; I’ve seen them from the house and Pip has passed them with the dogs on a walk.)

Mom Update:

Mom sounded good on the phone when I talked to her. (And by ‘good’, I mean she didn’t sound as exhausted as she has been; the kind where it’s hard to make yourself form words.) ( more back here )

mark posting in

dw_maintenance

Per the dw_news post regarding the MS/TN blocks, we are doing a small code push shortly in order to get the code live. As per usual, please let us know if you see anything wonky.

There is some code cleanup we've been doing that is going out with this push but I don't think there is any new/reworked functionality, so it should be pretty invisible if all goes well.

denise posting in

dw_news

A reminder to everyone that starting tomorrow, we are being forced to block access to any IP address that geolocates to the state of Mississippi for legal reasons while we and Netchoice continue fighting the law in court. People whose IP addresses geolocate to Mississippi will only be able to access a page that explains the issue and lets them know that we'll be back to offer them service as soon as the legal risk to us is less existential.

The block page will include the apology but I'll repeat it here: we don't do geolocation ourselves, so we're limited to the geolocation ability of our network provider. Our anti-spam geolocation blocks have shown us that their geolocation database has a number of mistakes in it. If one of your friends who doesn't live in Mississippi gets the block message, there is nothing we can do on our end to adjust the block, because we don't control it. The only way to fix a mistaken block is to change your IP address to one that doesn't register as being in Mississippi, either by disconnecting your internet connection and reconnecting it (if you don't have a static IP address) or using a VPN.

In related news, the judge in our challenge to Tennessee's social media age verification, parental consent, and parental surveillance law (which we are also part of the fight against!) ruled last month that we had not met the threshold for a temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law while the court case proceeds.

The Tennesee law is less onerous than the Mississippi law and the fines for violating it are slightly less ruinous (slightly), but it's still a risk to us. While the fight goes on, we've decided to prevent any new account signups from anyone under 18 in Tennessee to protect ourselves against risk. We do not need to block access from the whole state: this only applies to new account creation.

Because we don't do any geolocation on our users and our network provider's geolocation services only apply to blocking access to the site entirely, the way we're implementing this is a new mandatory question on the account creation form asking if you live in Tennessee. If you do, you'll be unable to register an account if you're under 18, not just the under 13 restriction mandated by COPPA. Like the restrictions on the state of Mississippi, we absolutely hate having to do this, we're sorry, and we hope we'll be able to undo it as soon as possible.

Finally, I'd like to thank every one of you who's commented with a message of support for this fight or who's bought paid time to help keep us running. The fact we're entirely user-supported and you all genuinely understand why this fight is so important for everyone is a huge part of why we can continue to do this work. I've also sent a lot of your comments to the lawyers who are fighting the actual battles in court, and they find your wholehearted support just as encouraging and motivating as I do. Thank you all once again for being the best users any social media site could ever hope for. You make me proud and even more determined to yell at state attorneys general on your behalf.

spikedluv

For anyone interested, my basket is HERE. (I asked for fic/art in several fandoms: 9-1-1, Hudson & Rex, MCU, Murder She Wrote, and Terminator (Genisys/Dark Fate)).

Sign-ups are open through Sept 5, so if you want to sign-up there is still time! Go HERE.

Dates and links are in the Sticky Post.

I plan on going through the baskets, but if you'd like to link to yours here, please do so!

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Bakery while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park.

I did two loads of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!), hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher, took the dogs for a short walk, browned ground beef and boiled pasta to stir up a ziti, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.

I visited mom, read more in Amelia Peabody, and watched an HGTV program.

Temps started out at 49.1(F) and reached 66.6. That I saw before I left home; it might have gotten a few degrees warmer. It was sunny with a breeze, which was lovely, but there was a definite chill in the air.

Mom Update:

Mom’s day was okay, which is about all she can expect these days. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I had a doctor appointment this morning. A ‘3-month’ (in quotes because it’s nearly impossible to actually schedule these 3-month follow-ups at the 3-month mark) check-up on my A1C numbers, among other things. ( mostly good news ) I got in a walk around the park while I was downtown.

You already know that I like schedules, so, because I knew I would be busy today between my appointment and visiting mom, I had to schedule When Things Got Done so I didn’t miss anything. Before I left the house in the morning I hand-washed dishes, washed a load of laundry, and heated up a ham steak and some peas for Pip’s supper, so he in turn just needs to heat them up like he’d do with leftovers . (I got the thick-thick ham steak this time and have already chunked up half of it and put it in the freezer for escalloped potatoes on another day.)

What I did not schedule into my morning was Grant getting skunked first thing. What a rancid smell. The house and my car smell, and I’m sure I have some residual stink. We gave him a skunk bath at the garage (because there’s light, as well as a drain and a hose, and there’s help, lol). (I use a mixture of peroxide, Dawn, and baking soda.)

I had a little bit of time after my doctor appointment and before I left to visit mom, so I: checked mom’s mail, put the load of laundry in the dryer, hard-boiled eggs, and scooped kitty litter.

The fun continued after I got home from the hospital: I folded laundry and hand-washed more dishes!! *g*

I read more in Amelia Peabody.

Temps started out at 57.2(F) and reached 64.4 (that I saw at noon). It was raining when I got up; it was supposed to rain most of the night. It stopped around 7am as forecasted, though the clouds remained, but then we got a short but mighty downpour at a little after 11am. The sun did eventually come out, so I’m sure the temps went up a little bit, but not much, I don’t think.

Mom Update:

Mom was exhausted today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

More Pumpkins!! (Photos taken 8/19 (first two behind the cut) & 8/28 (rest of them))

Oops! The deer looked at the cage and laughed. o_O

( 19 more back here )

spikedluv

I did not go downtown today. In addition to doing things online, I accomplished some things around the house before I went out to visit mom: hand-washed dishes, swept/mopped the kitchen, and scooped kitty litter. I also did some stuff for mom: checked her mail, paid bills and put them in the mailbox, and did some banking.

I got home early because my brother came out to the hospital, so I got to do some things in the afternoon/evening: cleared a pile of mail/magazines/newspapers of the counter, hand-washed more dishes, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, went on several walks, and showered.

I read more in Amelia Peabody and watched an HGTV program.

Temps started out at 51.8(F) and reached 77.5. It really was a beautiful day.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay. Kind of her new normal. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I got in a walk around the park between appointments, and headed to the hospital to visit mom after my pedicure. Since I wasn’t home very much, fewer chores got done. I managed to hand-wash dishes, run a load in the dishwasher, and cut up chicken for the dogs' meals.

I read more in Amelia Peabody while I was at the hospital and managed to handwrite ~1,100 words on my new fic!

Temps started out at 54.0(F). I don’t know what the high was. It was cloudy in the morning and looked like it would rain, though rain wasn’t in the forecast. The sun came out later and it looked nice out, but I didn’t get to experience it. It had turned chilly again by the time I left the hospital.

Mom Update:

Mom looks better and seems more alert, but otherwise is doing about the same. Probably thanks to the fluids she’s getting. ( more back here )

spikedluv

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney.

What I am Currently Reading: The Golden One (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters. I’m also still slowly working on my re-read of An Archer's Awakening (Of Crowns & Quills) by Casey Morales.

What I Plan to Read Next: Probably another library book as I’ve already had to renew them all at least once because Hatshepsut took me so long to finish.

Book 94 of 2025: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt (Kara Cooney)

I finally finished this! It was really interesting. I didn't know anything about Hatshepsut or Egyptian politics of the day, so I learned a lot. One of the things that peaked my interest was something that the author said about women in power in the cover blurb and preface. It's not spoilery, since it's in the cover blurb and preface, but I'll put it behind a cut just in case

( spoilers )

I really enjoyed this book (even though it took me forever to read; that's the way of non-fiction for me) and would recommend it if you're interested in the subject. I'm giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I had to be to mom’s by 10am because her generator guy was coming to do the annual maintenance.

I did two loads of laundry (both washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, went on three short-ish walks with Pip and the dogs, baked and cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, swept/swiffered/mopped the hallway/laundry area (getting a new throw rug for in front of the door will do wonders for my motivation), scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I started the next Amelia Peabody, watched some HGTV programs, and added ~600 more words on my SFBB fic!! I rarely break 10,000 steps these days, but today I got over 11,700!

Temps started out at 53.8(F) and reached 75.0. It was mostly sunny with quite a breeze. It was lovely until the sun went behind a cloud.

Mom Update:

There’s good news, and bad news. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I hit Stewart’s (for milk, finally) on the way home.

I did two loads of laundry (both washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes and emptied the dishwasher, went on a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, placed a couple of online orders, scooped kitty litter, and shaved.

Pip finished up the bbq chicken quarters for supper (I haven’t cooked a new meal all weekend! I love it!). And there are still enough leftovers for him to take to the garage tomorrow.

Pip had to release the dogs to save Smokey from a buck! Smokey was out hunting at the edge of our lawn/where the high grass in the field begins. Two deer were heading up to the bird feeder through the high grass. The buck realized there was ~something there and turned to check it out/stomp it to death. I called out the window to Smokey, but he just turned to look at me PUTTING HIS BACK TO THE DANGER. What a hunter. *shakes head* So the dogs chased the deer away and Smokey was saved, but he probably had no idea what the deal was.

I finally finished Hatshepsut and watched some HGTV programs. And I handwrote ~800 words on a new fic! I’m hoping that it will be my entry for

smallfandombang. If you guessed, based on the fact that I recently re-watched the movie (to take notes) that it’s in the Olympus Has Fallen fandom, you’d be right!

Temps started out at 60.4(F) and reached 81.3. It was only supposed to be 70 today! Needless to say, I changed my morning capris for shorts when I got home from downtown. We got a teeny bit of rain later on, but not much.

ETA: I forgot to say, Thank You to

kat_lair for my birthday fic! It's Primeval (Nick/Stephen) and you can read it here: Celebrate Tonight by MistressKat

Mom Update:

Mom was doing about the same today. ( more back here )

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Draft Thoughts

The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, Sept 6)

The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, Sept 5)

The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Sept 4)

'Xena: Warrior Princess' turns 30

Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 95 & 96 of 2025

The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, Sept 3)

The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Sept 2)

The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Sept 1)

The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, Aug 31)

Code deploy happening shortly

Mississippi site block, plus a small restriction on Tennessee new accounts

Pimp: Fandom Gift Basket 2025

The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, Aug 30)

The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, Aug 29)

Photos: Pumpkins, Flowers & More! (8/19 – 8/28)

The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Aug 28)

The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, Aug 27)

Wednesday Reading Meme & Book 94 of 2025: Hatshepsut

The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Aug 26)

The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Aug 25)

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