vital functions
Aug. 25th, 2024 11:22 pmReading. *The Saint of Bright Doors*, Vajra Chandrasekera, because [Roseanna had opinions about it](https://readerofelse.wordpress.com/2023/05/22/the-saint-of-bright-doors-vajra-chandrasekera/) (only first paragraph necessary, minimal spoilers) and mentioned this again in the run-up to the Hugos, which prompted me to actually poke the library with a stick. Context: Roseanna and I have *remarkably* overlapping taste in fiction -- like, I can think of *one* book we've both read that she likes and I don't -- so while I have some quibbles so far, I'm a little shy of two thirds of the way through and am going to wait and see what happens with them before I Pass Judgement.
Writing. Is The Document any longer? I think The Document is technically longer. 605 words. I need to settle down and *write a first draft of the intro*, good grief.
Watching. ... we did not manage any *Dead Boy Detectives* this week, I think, alas.
Playing. Scrabble with my mother! A small quantity of *Never Alone* with *two* Xbox controllers.
Cooking. Passion fruit self-saucing pudding: still excellent. Bothered with the cardamom yoghurt this time and am firmly in favour. In future I should grind the cardamom seeds finer, though, perhaps using? just possible? the hand mill for spices? that I usually use when I'm making Kardamummebullar??? *Why* I thought mortar-and-pestle was the correct approach in this instance I am really not sure.
Questionable adaptation of [honeyed beetroot & carrot salad](https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/honeyed-beetroot-carrot-salad-with-feta-hazelnuts/) + French beans with garlic and chestnuts.
Observed (and did some minor sous-cheffing for) my mother making lentil moussaka. Her version definitely turns out better than mine, so I Made Notes.
Eating. SO many figs (delightful). More black mulberries. Some raspberries. More of the Eddington fig-and-ricotta pastries. Moussaka! Garlic bread! Just-picked tomatoes! More figs!
Exploring. Grantchester Meadows, with my mother's new plugs-into-a-phone entry-level-professional bat detector: EXCELLENT even though we are all still getting used to controls and therefore failed to actually record and identify all the species we observed.
Anglesey Abbey! Dahlia walk, the proximate prompt, really is running late and will be a while yet -- but nonetheless had some excellent individual specimens even as the overall effect Isn't Quite, *and also* we wound up poking around several bits I've singularly failed to ever previously visit: the rose garden; the formal garden; the pond garden; and muddling along through a lovely herbaceous border with Many Cosmos that is usually off-limits when we visit, because we usually visit in winter. Saw dragonflies. Was great.
Growing. To my very great relief, some of the beans are flowering (I probably won't get enough Greek Gigantes to *eat* any this year, but I'm hopeful I'll get enough for seed to have a better chance of that next year!). Last-ditch attempt at squash are *growing true leaves*.
Observing. SO MANY BATS including some amazing up-close soprano pip aerobatics, and some rather more distant Probable Noctules...
Also what was probably a [comb-footed spider](https://www.uksafari.com/combfooted.htm) in some beautifully coordinating foliage -- BRIGHT light green with BRIGHT red bum-spot!
Writing. Is The Document any longer? I think The Document is technically longer. 605 words. I need to settle down and *write a first draft of the intro*, good grief.
Watching. ... we did not manage any *Dead Boy Detectives* this week, I think, alas.
Playing. Scrabble with my mother! A small quantity of *Never Alone* with *two* Xbox controllers.
Cooking. Passion fruit self-saucing pudding: still excellent. Bothered with the cardamom yoghurt this time and am firmly in favour. In future I should grind the cardamom seeds finer, though, perhaps using? just possible? the hand mill for spices? that I usually use when I'm making Kardamummebullar??? *Why* I thought mortar-and-pestle was the correct approach in this instance I am really not sure.
Questionable adaptation of [honeyed beetroot & carrot salad](https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/honeyed-beetroot-carrot-salad-with-feta-hazelnuts/) + French beans with garlic and chestnuts.
Observed (and did some minor sous-cheffing for) my mother making lentil moussaka. Her version definitely turns out better than mine, so I Made Notes.
Eating. SO many figs (delightful). More black mulberries. Some raspberries. More of the Eddington fig-and-ricotta pastries. Moussaka! Garlic bread! Just-picked tomatoes! More figs!
Exploring. Grantchester Meadows, with my mother's new plugs-into-a-phone entry-level-professional bat detector: EXCELLENT even though we are all still getting used to controls and therefore failed to actually record and identify all the species we observed.
Anglesey Abbey! Dahlia walk, the proximate prompt, really is running late and will be a while yet -- but nonetheless had some excellent individual specimens even as the overall effect Isn't Quite, *and also* we wound up poking around several bits I've singularly failed to ever previously visit: the rose garden; the formal garden; the pond garden; and muddling along through a lovely herbaceous border with Many Cosmos that is usually off-limits when we visit, because we usually visit in winter. Saw dragonflies. Was great.
Growing. To my very great relief, some of the beans are flowering (I probably won't get enough Greek Gigantes to *eat* any this year, but I'm hopeful I'll get enough for seed to have a better chance of that next year!). Last-ditch attempt at squash are *growing true leaves*.
Observing. SO MANY BATS including some amazing up-close soprano pip aerobatics, and some rather more distant Probable Noctules...
Also what was probably a [comb-footed spider](https://www.uksafari.com/combfooted.htm) in some beautifully coordinating foliage -- BRIGHT light green with BRIGHT red bum-spot!
(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-26 12:50 am (UTC):piiiiiiine:
(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-26 04:40 pm (UTC)Has the cursed delivery arrived yet?
(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-27 06:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-27 08:14 am (UTC)NOPE. SOMETIME TODAY, THEORETICALLY.