Francesca Forrest's Blog, page 121

How does it feel?

On Marketplace, they said they have a place on their website where people can write in how the economy feels to them.

Well.

I think it's kind of dry on top, but damp underneath, and there are prickles at the edge that ooze if you break them, and that stuff gives you a hella rash if you get it on you.

How about you? What does it feel like to you?

So much to tell you, both silly and serious

A bit of silliness first. You know how cats like to sit on newspapers, or books, or that one cushion? What the ninja girl calls the Different Spot. Well, someone on Twitter suggested trying creating a Different Spot just by marking the floor. Here's the image from that tweet (tweet credit here and image source here):



So, posthaste, I tried it:



Jiji approaches!



.... and scorns it.



Maybe next time. The Spot remains, waiting.

low on words, so I've brought pictures.

Some time ago I was saying that, due to the alchemical combination of southern exposure, a metal door, and a glass door over that, I have a tiny space that gets tremendously hot, even on the coldest of days. cecile_c suggested I try using it for drying herbs. I did, and it worked:

basil

Now I'm going to try drying a few cranberries:


Unrelatedly, the semi-tattered morning glories of yesterday, rain spattered:



And here are some dandelions I drew for Little Springtime



And you see my crow icon? duccio...

A message-in-a-bottle story

This has been an amazing week for messages in bottles. I don't tend to post them here, but I had to share this most recent one because the recipient of the message has the same name (Kaya) as the recipient of the message in Pen Pal.

In Maui, Hawaii, a girl named Safina put an invitation to her birthday party, along with a little lei, into a bottle, and set it afloat. Four years later, it was found by David Wilson and his family--including 10-year-old Kaya--on Shell Beach in California. A huge...

Rebecca Solnit--Making and Breaking Stories

The other day, I caught the tail end of a lecture that Rebecca Solnit (apparently an award-winning essayist and environmental historian, though I'm not familiar with her) gave in Seattle earlier this year. It was broadcast by Alternative Radio. These words had me transfixed--I was trying to commit them to memory, and they were coming too fast, so I bought the transcript. I'm hoping that this small quotation is fair use and not an infringement:

Something wonderful happens to you, and you instan...

pictures before words

I have a word-ful post for you later, but first pictures.

It's distractingly beautiful out my window:



And did you ever wonder what a kitchen floor would look like if someone spilled cranberries over it? Here is the answer:



I think I see constellations in there. Con-cranberry-lations.

United Nations stamps, plus two messages-in-bottles stories

Did you know the United Nations issues its own stamps? It does. They're in US currency and sold only at UN headquarters. The first was sold on United Nations day (24 October) in 1951. They're also issued in euros and Swiss currency in the UN's Vienna and Geneva offices.

Human rights, the environment, endangered species and peace are all subjects of universal concern to the peoples of the world. They are also subjects which the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) has promoted on its st...

the giveaway, and a final offer

Thank you everyone who entered this last Pen Pal giveaway! I've mailed out the books to the five winners, who came from the United States, Australia, and the Philippines.

Since people from the United States, England, and Canada have been the overwhelming winners of my four giveaways, I'd like to give away three more books to folks living in Asia, Africa, continental Europe, or South America. I'd like the book to go to three different countries, so the first three people from different countries who send me a message via Goodreads, I'll send a book. Not many people see this blog, so if you know someone who meets the criteria who might like the book, let them know.

And thank you, everyone, for your interest. Happy reading!

weekend encounters, treasures

I had a lovely time with sartorias this past weekend, a consequence of which is that I haven't been online much at all, and may only slowly catch up with people's entries.

sartorias brought me cactus candy--and cactus honey--and cactus marmalade! All delicious. I AM HAPPY TO EAT CACTUS!

And she taught me some yoga, and it was so right and good, it made me cry a little.


When I took her to the bus, I ran into an acquaintance I hadn't seen in a long time, someone I'd hung around with on the sideli...

Faerie

I'll be offline for a while again this weekend, so let me offer you a walk through faerie--comments off, so when next we meet, I can start with a clean (ish) slate . . .