holmes_minor | Member Posts

I forgot I had plans with my sister and the kids today, lol. I thought it was next weekend. Ah, well.

Probably obvious that I didn't get my custom done but it's actually more because my attempts to fix the warped parts fell through. Didn't really accomplish anything but at least I didn't really make it worse either. Part of me feels like I could've done it if I had more knowledge/experience but I'm actually probably going about it the wrong way and don't have the right tools on hand. Looking over everything again now that I've not touched it in a hot minute, I think I can and should just fill in the gap areas with epoxy sculpt and paint over them. There are a couple issues I can use the heat from a hair drier to fix too. Disappointed but at least I'm learning!

Didn't get to the organizing I hoped to do but that was always a maybe for today anyhow. I've blocked out what I want to do tomorrow. Yes, I'm skipping finishing the custom first. The sculpting I need to do is too precise to do quickly and I don't want to spend all day on it. I'll just move my supplies out of the way to deal with later.

On a happier note, I am just about to finish that book I'm reading! And then I'll be keeping my fingers crossed re: picking up the pace on reading next month.

stonepicnicking_okapi

May Word Count: 37,851

Writing: So I cranked out two explicit BTS fics for

super_effucktive [formerly known as Dick or Treat]. I also did a series of four short ficlets for my Yahtzee prompts in the original Dracula fandom and posted on

the_scent_of_lilacs. I managed the 10 of 20 challenge on

sweetandshort

I have another set of Yahtzee prompts, and I have three more categories I could fill before it ends (June 18/25) but I don't know if I am feeling motivated to do that. Part of me wants to cut bait.

Because in June, I am going to be focused on my case fic exchange fic. There is a certain voice I need to capture in my head, and it's tricky (not quite as tricky as Bertie Wooster but a challenge in its own right) so that takes mental bandwidth, clearing the mechanism.

Poetry: I am almost caught up on my 52 poem prompts. This week's (which I haven't done yet) is prose poem. 3 poems done in May. I liked Stacy. I think that one worked properly.

Reading: 7 books which brings me up to 30 for the year (which is fine. I have no goal with regard to number of books read).

I just realized I haven't done a Book Bingo update since the end of March so I should do that in June. I listened to The Guest List by Lucy Foley for the multiple POV square. It was okay. Nobody was especially likable and it was 'public schoolboys kill someone and finally face consequences 20 years later. lol' I have at least 3 more I can fill already so I need to sit down and update that. Also I have 2 in my TBR which fill slots. I think the hardest one is going to be the TV Movie Tie in because I don't watch TV or movies so if there are new things in this category in the mystery/detective genre, let me know. And I've already read all the Murderbots.

I am reading the Inspector Rebus in order and I've just finished #18 & #19. Unfortunately, I've already read the ones that had TV episodes about them. I read a short story collection by Tom Mead, the locked-room magician author I've mentioned before.

Crafting: 8 spreads & 6 cards and my Alma Thomas jigsaw puzzle.

June's color theme will be peach/orange as well as rainbow for pride. There is a different kind of craft I could do in June. I may break it out.

Heath & Fitness: 16 days of yoga. But my weight is up from the first of the year. I need to stop eating junk. That's most of the problem.

Personal: I turned 50! Wow! I applied for my AARP card even though I am not a retired person. I'm just old. The boys' father went to Kenya for 10 days and returned safely. Maintenace issues (leaks and mice) persist. And they are redrawing lines for schools so we will more than likely be moving by next spring.

And the big news, I got an email late on Friday saying to call the home health agency for an interview!!! I got it too late to catch the HR office open but I will be calling Monday morning!!

June is Pride! On y va!

smallhobbit

Word count for the month is about 8.6K, bringing my total for 5 months to 50K, so I'm on target for this year's goal.

whatif_au bingo continues to provide inspiration: Sports square - First Match of the Season (Hamlet/Julius Caesar); Regency - The Unexpected Invitation (The Hobbit); Crack - Madness, and Very Little Method (Hamlet - paperclip AU). The last was also written for

ushobwri New Frontiers challenge.

Also for the New Frontiers challenge, I wrote A Thrill of Hope which is also for rewrite-a-fic, a challenge in which author's rewrite older fics of theirs. In my case, I took two Spooks (MI5) ficlets, told from Lucas' POV and rewrote them from an OC's (Pamela) viewpoint.

For

intoabar I had Miss Marple meets Carabosse from Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: An Encounter in a Tea Shop

And

allbingo held a Colour Fest: The Curate's Education Part of my ACD Holmes Sussex retirement series.

dustbunny105

This week felt like a drag despite being short. More to do with the rain than anything else, tbh. I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy the ongoing rain through this weekend, rather than dreading whether I'll have to walk through it for my usual work errands.

Work was pretty okay this week, all told, so I'm also going into the weekend with a pretty clear head and a pretty decent amount of energy to spare. I'm gonna do some more tidying, maybe get to that room reorganization that I didn't manage last weekend. I really want to buckle down and finish my custom and also the book I'm reading, though, and I'm not sure what the order of operations should be there. Work before play seems like the obvious answer but I already know it's going to be a major timesink. On the other hand, if I only get the reorganizing or the custom done-- I can finish reading the book in between cleaning sessions-- then shouldn't I prioritize the former? ... Actually, maybe not. It'd sure be easier to clean up after my project if I, y'know. Finish the project.

I think what I'll do is read a little when I wake up, work on the custom with occasional reading breaks and then decide how much I want to do with my room depending on how long that takes.

smallhobbit

Despite being away for a week, crafting continued:

( May crafts )

stonepicnicking_okapi

Showing off some of the new stuff I got with my birthday. Some music paper and art paper and new washi tape.

But it wasn't purple enough for me.

Unlike many collage folks, I rarely put human figures or faces in my collages but this lady seemed liked she belonged.

dustbunny105

So, amongst my niece's birthday wishes is a new Monster High doll. Specifically, she wants a Draculaura. Okay, cool, Draculaura is apparently the main character of G3, plenty to choose from. And, hey, they even put out a birthday-themed line. I just got her sister some birthday-themed Barbies back in February, this'll be a perfect follow-up--

WHY AM I SEEING THIS THING FOR $40+ ALL OVER THE DANG INTERNET??

This is a frikkin playline doll we're talking about, one that only came out, like. I wanna say a month ago? She was twenty-five dollars on release. I can see that she's still listed for that price on Amazon but I don't want to use Amazon. I did see her for thirty at one site but that's before shipping. This is ridiculous. Niece's birthday isn't until July, so I have time to try to find this thing in stores, but I might have to go with a different doll. Which, y'know, really not at all a big deal in the grand scheme of things but why is this even an issue?

stonepicnicking_okapi

Field Guide by Tony Hoagland

Once, in the cool blue middle of a lake,
up to my neck in that most precious element of all,

I found a pale-gray, curled-upwards pigeon feather
floating on the tension of the water

at the very instant when a dragonfly,
like a blue-green iridescent bobby pin,

hovered over it, then lit, and rested.
That’s all.

I mention this in the same way
that I fold the corner of a page

in certain library books,
so that the next reader will know

where to look for the good parts.

-------

My prompt was 'insects' and technically worms aren't insects, but they are in a section of Hamlet with maggots and that's how I came by them. I tried to do a poem in the manner of the one above. The title and references are from that section of Hamlet (Act 4, Scene 3).

we fat all creatures else to fat us by okapi

worms, those that feast on beggar and on king,
Hamlet’s only emperor for diet, his certain convocation

of politic, the ones who supped on Polonius, the ones that baited
hooks so that kings might progress through the guts of beggars,

twice coated, by slime and by scale, these worms
did not note the variable service of fat and lean,

and never once did they shove a fist of too many plastic
wrappers

to the bottom of the bin
and wince

at the crinkling

stonepicnicking_okapi

This series of entries is commentary on my lifelong quest to read all of Agatha Christie's works in UK publication order. It was begun in January 2021.

Endless Night (1967) was a slog. None of the characters are likeable and because I have been consistently reading so much Christie, I recognized the plot points and guessed what was happening very early on. It's very much like Death on the Nile in some respects but without the Nile to make it interesting and intriguing and the other amusing characters to make it fun and Poirot and Race. Much of it was just tedious from a reader point of view but not, perhaps, from a ficcer point of view working out how the misdirection and manipulation is being done. The narrator's name is Michael Rogers and the poor rich girl is Ellie and the secretary/companion is Greta. And I'm not sorry I'm done with it. Here's a summary:

A newlywed couple faces a series of mysterious events and threats after building their dream house on a cursed land.

Next up: I've discovered to my great consternation that I skipped over a couple of books in the winter. So I will go back and do The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side and The Clocks, both of which I remember very well and have enjoyed.

smallhobbit

Due to the kind assistance of friends who have requested cards over the last few months, my pile of them is reduced, but there are still some available (including a further six which I found in another box), so if you would like a card, or if you've already received one and would like a second, then do let me know.

Comments will be screened, so please leave your address - unless I already have it - and cards will arrive at some point, depending on the vagaries of your and my postal systems and when I can get to the post office for non-UK cards.

dustbunny105

Oh, hey, I don't think I ever told you guys but I did end up backing that Transformers compendium set that Skybound is putting out! And about two days later, I found out I could've saved a hundred dollars if I'd waited and pre-ordered it from an online retailer I was unfamiliar with. Yeah. Would've meant missing out on the backer bonuses but I don'y care more about those bonuses than the hundred dollars I would've saved. So, y'know, that figures!

I also found out that people who have an account with Skybound get points for backing. And at first I was like, cool, good thing I joined up with them just before I signed onto the Kickstarter. And then I remembered that that didn't happen, lol. I was thinking of having signed up for their newsletter. Again, that figures! I've signed up now, though, and points haven't been awarded, so maybe...? We'll see but I'm not expecting much.

Ah, well. I guess I still don't exactly regret backing. I was in it for the books and, clearly, I was willing to pay that much for them. The bonus items are mostly tat but a few are nice and I can always move the rest along. Shame it all won't arrive until after TFcon or I could bring what I don't want to one of the merch swaps people organize there.

smallhobbit

Just to be consistent, my TBL remains at 14, so I have titles which will carry me into next year.

Maigret in Vichy by Georges Simenon read by Gareth Armstrong
Maigret and the Wine Merchant by Georges Simenon read by Gareth Armstrong
Maigret's Madwoman by Georges Simenon read by Gareth Armstrong
Which means I've now listened to all the Maigret audiobooks currently in my library - however I have three in physical copy, so I shall not be missing my Maigret fix! As always I enjoyed all three for the stories, for the way Maigret tackled the crime and for the sense of place. The latter two are set in Paris, the first, clearly takes place in Vichy where Maigret and his wife are having a holiday to enable Maigret to take the waters as he hasn't been feeling well.

The Windsor Knot by S J Bennett read by Samantha Bond
This was on offer, so I thought I'd try it as I've heard it recommended. I enjoyed the plot and how the Queen solved it, but could have done without hearing about how wonderful the queen was. I have the second in the series and, if I enjoy that, may well continue, as it's pleasant listening.

The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré read by Michael Jayston
This was long, and although I've enjoyed the previous George Smiley books, I was ultimately disappointed.

dustbunny105

Love Bullet is getting an English release! Have I talked about Love Bullet here? I feel like I have but just in case: Love Bullet is a fantastical action yuri manga. The premise is that those who have died without falling in love are given a second chance by the goddess of love; they become cupids, earning karma by making successful love matches between humans while being unable to fall in love themselves. Those who earn enough karma are returned to life, though we aren't far enough in yet to know the logistics of this process. Our main character, Koharu, is a new cupid and we follow her antics as well as those of some other cupids she meets and who help her on her journey to earn karma.

This manga was on the chopping block due to low sales-- nothing to do with the lack of promotion, I'm sure-- but was saved by the concerted efforts of its fans. Of particular note was that overseas fans bought it in droves despite most not being able to read it. (Yes, I was one of those fans.) Its future is still tenuous, as far as I understand, but the first Japanese volume selling out repeatedly certainly gave it a boost. Fans have been begging for official translations ever since and Yen Press is finally answering the call!

Pre-orders for the English release just went up and the only reason I've not pre-ordered as of this post is that it isn't available from my preferred online retailer-- yet? I'm hoping it's just not available yet, hence not ordering it from somewhere else.

I checked and the site, bookshop.org, does carry manga from the same publisher. And pre-orders for the first English language volume of another yuri manga that's having a staring contest with cancellation, A Curtain Call for You, also opened recently and I found that listing on the same site immediately. Different publisher, granted, but still. I don't think I saw the announcement for that one as quickly as I did for Love Bullet, so they may just be a little delayed in getting these titles listed. The books have the same release date, so I'd really like to get them from the same retailer. And I like Bookshop because it partners with and supports small brick and mortar stores. I'm going to give it until the weekend, then I'll try emailing them if it still isn't listed.

stonepicnicking_okapi

1. The boys' father returned from Kenya without any immigration issues. One less thing to worry about. I did laundry today, four loads with his post-trip stuff added to the boys' mountain.

2. I drove about 3 hours on Sunday back and forth across the state taking Minisculus to a soccer tournament and Minor to his track meet. Minor got another PR for the 3000 meter.

3. It's raining. Should be raining all day tomorrow.

4. Trying to organize a plot for my casefic exchange fic.

5. I need to show off some of my new collage supplies. Also, I got some new jigsaw puzzles. All courtesy of birthday gifts/gift cards.

smallhobbit

First off,

melagan is running a Plot Bunny Dust-Off Challenge, which is running from now until 31 July, here

This is the perfect opportunity to carefully remove one bunny from its hutch and let it run...

Secondly, as I mentioned in my last Book post, I like collecting the challenge bookmarks that Goodreads now do. Here's the ones for the Readers' Pick Challenge Sept-Dec 2024

And lastly, our roses have started flowering:

dustbunny105

Expecting a new nibling in November ♥

Gonna make a baby blanket but I haven't decided on a pattern yet. There is the one that I'm already working on, of course, but I'm not sure it I want that to be THE ONE, y'know what I mean? Even if only because this could be an excuse to use up some more yarn, lol.

stonepicnicking_okapi

Let's go back to the 12th century withe everyone's favorite Benedictine herbalist.

Watch on YouTube

dustbunny105

"Oh, yeah, I'll finish the living room and maybe even have time for--"

Why do you guys keep letting me embarrass myself like this, lol.

Honestly, it didn't go too terribly badly today, aside from some moments when I kept getting overwhelmed or distracted by small details that I really did not mean to be focusing on. Just goes to show how truly awful I am at estimating how long something will take, I guess. Didn't really end up taking breaks, either, except for food and a quick run to the store. At least the floors look good and so do the surfaces... Well, the surfaces look good in theory. I've got stuff piled either because I needed it off the floor or I couldn't do anything with it until the other stuff made its way back to the floor. I could do that now that I'm done with the floors and furniture has been putting back where it goes* but it's very late and I'm very tired, so it's gonna wait until tomorrow.

As for tomorrow... I think I'm gonna just pick up, change the bedding and maybe dust in my room. A full overhaul like I was planning would've needed to be worked on throughout the whole weekend, I think. It's disappointing but I'd rather not disappoint myself by setting a clearly unreasonable task in my way. I'll also finish off what's left of the living room, of course-- it'll be a little easier since sorting through some of the stuff will be something my mom and I do together-- wipe down the walls for good measure and of course take care of the bathrooms. In hindsight, I probably should've done those first to get them out of the way rather than waiting because they wouldn't take as long. Whatever. What matters is that they'll be done.

This weekend obviously hasn't gone as I hoped but at least I can look forward to a good finish :)

*Some of the furniture is not where it should be but I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what's wrong with it...

stonepicnicking_okapi

M is for May and for Mycroft, so we have "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter," which was published in The Strand in September 1893 and introduced the world to Holmes the elder and the Diogenes club.

Also I would like to reiterate that when ACD turned a phrase he turned it. One of my favorite lines in all of canon.

Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.

Here Mycroft is judging you but is also too lazy to do anything about it.

Scholars think it may be Horace Vernet who Holmes refers to as uncle. He was a French military painter.

Italian Brigands Surprised by Papal Troops

I am just going to copy two items from The Annotated Sherlock Holmes that caught my attention (for different reasons).

The sexuality of Sherlock Holmes is oft debated by scholars, whose views range from traditional (Holmes loved Irene Adler) to outlandish (Holmes was a woman). The voyeur-reader is referred to Larry Townsend's The Sexual Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for a novel-length treatment of the possibiliy of Sherlock's (and Mycroft's and Watson's!) sexual preference for other men.

[so Holmes being a woman is outlandish but recommending a hardcore leather BSDM tome is not, hmm, and the ! after Watson's is so precious.]

And referring to ineffective charcoal fumes at the rescue at the end.

D. Martin Dakin marvels: "It is an odd thing how many of the scoundrels with whom Holmes had to deal seemed unable to resist the temptation to dispose of their victims by some complicated and lingering process which left them a chance of escape."

Here is the summary of the story:

Mr. Melas, a Greek interpreter, was summoned by Harold Latimer to translate on a mysterious business matter in Kensington. On the way in a coach with papered windows, Melas was threatened with a bludgeon. Eventually arriving at a large dark house, Melas met a captive man named Kratides, who revealed that Latimer and a woman were trying to coerce him into signing over property. Paul and the woman, Sophy, recognized each other unexpectedly. Melas is taken on a long coach ride and left far from home. He seeks help from Mycroft at the Diogenes Club, leading Sherlock Holmes to investigate. Mr. Davenport provides a lead to a house in Beckenham, where Melas and Kratides are found in danger. They are saved, but Kratides dies. It is revealed that Sophy sought revenge on Latimer and Kemp for mistreating them.

smallhobbit

Six books this month, so I've read 31 so far this year.

Their Finest by Lissa Evans
Having read one of Lissa Evans WWII books last year I decided I'd see what else of hers the library had, and this is the first of two books. It tells the story of the making of a film about Dunkirk by a ragtag collection of individuals. I liked it, sympathised with the main character, but also enjoyed seeing various other characters and how they dealt with the difficulties caused by living in London during the war.

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
I didn't enjoy this book as much as many of the other Discworld stories. Very much a standalone, I really missed the regular characters. Also, while I understood where Pratchett was coming from, and would agree with a number of his thoughts, I felt it lacked some of the lightness of touch he usually has.

Plenty under the Counter by Kathleen Hewitt
Republished by the Imperial War Museum and written during WWII, this was one of the runners up for the Shedunnit wartime month. As such I liked the sense of the period, but as a detective story I didn't find it that strong.

The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs
A couple of people have recommended Bellairs to me, so I borrowed this from the library. Written in 1961, so outside the usual Golden Age period, although Bellairs started writing earlier. Chief Inspector Littlejohn is my sort of detective, sorting through all the facts and working out what happened and why. There's a definite sense of the people and the period, and although not an exciting crime, it's all very believable.

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu
Goodreads has started running some different challenges, and this is one of the books in the Heritage category of the current seasonal challenge. Having read a similar book last month, I thought it would be fun to read another (also from the library). I quite enjoyed it, but I think that will do me for this particular type - too much time on the people, too little time on the cats.

Mrs Plansky's Revenge by Spencer Quinn
This was recommended as a slightly different take on the crime genre. The basic crime is financial via the internet, and the interest comes from how Mrs Plansky deals with it. The first third of the book is quite slow, but then it improves and I was definitely cheering Mrs Plansky on by the end, which was not as I'd initially expected.

My book bingo card. Finally achieved a row and a column. I'm expecting to complete this in July/August, slowly reading books in the last few categories.

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Holmes Minor

a playground for little fics and poems

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The State of the Ficcery: May 2025

Writing - May 2025

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Crafts - May 2025

Collage Journaling: new stuff and purple

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All of Agatha: Endless Night (1967)

Last Call For Cards

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Audiobooks April and May 2025

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Music Monday: Cadfael theme

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Sherlock Sunday: The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter

Books - May 2025

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