Blackbirds & Crows

...but what else is new? It's too hot for furry bodies to pile on me all the time, and yet....

SO! Most of you know/may remember that for the past four years I've been an AmeriCorps VISTA at my local fire department. Well, as of August 17th, that job was over. AmeriCorps only allows you to be a VISTA for a set number of years, and the fire department, unfortunately, only had that position for me because AC paid my stipend. So farewell, fire department!

As a consequence, I put in a huge number of applications all over the internet, for work-from-home stuff, and for local stuff where you have to sign onto a site to apply, etc. As a consequence of THAT...? Suddenly my 'work' email was being spammed at the rate of 200+ emails a day, some of them from the job places, but the BULK of them from hard-core XXX site.

What. The everloving. Fuck. It's tapering off, now i've unsubscribed and etc. to a lot of spots, but....jayzus.

Now, not having had a lot of jobs in my life, and no college degree, I was a little panicky, and took the first job offered, which was at a local senior/nursing center. OH boy. Not a job for me. It was an 'aide' job, but it was 99% kitchen work, and in the three days I was there, two people passed away, the got a positive COVID test on an employee, and about 1/3rd or so of the staff a) didn't wear their masks properly and b) weren't vaxxed. Also - my back and hips are no longer up to 8+ hours of standing on concrete.

I had an interview with the local Chamber of Commerce (a job I had thought already filled, since it was like almost a month since I'd applied), and about an hour later they called and offered me the job. YAY! So starting Monday, I'll be the new office manager for the CoC!

I'm excited but also nervous, but mostly glad to be done with job hunting.

On another note - the first week of August (the week I took my last sick/personal days so i could just relax), my car died. So instead of relaxing and having a holiday (I won't be getting a lot of holiday time anytime soon), I was stressed as fuck, looking for a car without actually having a car to drive around in.

VERY fortunately for my, i got a pre-approved loan from my bank. Very UNfortunately, it seems July or August was when used-car price went nuts because the computer chips for new cars are scarce right now, and used cars were going for more than new. *flails*

I got something reasonable at a reasonable price, but holy. Fuck.

ANYWAY - the weather continues hot as fuck, humid as fuck, and rainless, thought not drought-dry. And my icon is in celebration of seeing 'Free Guy', and the little Cris Evans cameo in it that made me squeak like a Beatles fan circa 1964. :D

Hope you all are good, happy, healthy, safe, and getting through! Thank gods for fanfic, AC, and sweptwaybayou!

To all my LGBTQ flisties out there - happy Pride! In our out, doesn't matter - you are loved, you are accepted, you are part of the family!

I am an out, bi-sexual woman who is proud to fly the flag and stand up for my brothers and sisters in pride!

*hugs and love*




AND - love to all our straight allies! <3 <3 <3

I've been watching a show about pandemics (called, appropriately, 'Pandemic', on Netflix), which of course covers the 1918 Influenza pandemic. The pandemic that Steve was basically born into.

So, of course, me bring me, I had to research and read up about it, and I found that...( children who had been exposed to the 'Spanish flu' in utero had a bevy of life-long physical health issues, from lung to heart to vision..... Sound familiar? Oh yes. )

So I got inspired and wrote a little something. :D Almost a drabble, but i'm over by 36 words.

( Steven Grant Rogers was born in a grave. )


I'm hoping to do more writing this weekend. I feel inspired! And omg, there's the sun! We've had nothing but grey and overcast and 'wintry mix' of rain/snow/sleet for the past five days. Just - slush and mess everywhere, and luckily the temps hovering just *above* freezing, so no ice-rink streets. Still cold as fuck, though. I wear so many layers to work, I start to feel a little like Randy from 'A Christmas Story'.

I didn't do the Snowflake Challenge this year, either. I almost did, but...it just felt a little too repetitive. I dunno. I feel like I'm being so lurky and passive here and in fandom in general, and I hate it, but i'm having a hard time engaging and i *do not like that*!!

I am, however, really enjoying Show's last season. Really am.
ALSO - reading the penultimate 'The Expanse' novel and OMFG!!! Bastards.
Also reading an amazing Downton Abbey AU all about Thomas and it is SO FUCKING GOOD. Updated fairly regularly, nice length of chapters.... The kind of fic where you see the AO3 alert in your inbox and you go 'eeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!' :D

Part one (complete): Halo Effect.
Part two (WIP but regular updates):
Soldier's Heart by Alex51324.

Hope all of you out there are well and happy and enjoying your January!
*blessings*

Merry new year, my dear friends!
Thought i'd pop in.... I'm doing the Fandom Snowflake Challenge again this year, so you'll be seeing me post daily, I hope. :D


( Posting News.... )


( Xmas Doings.... )



( Snowflake Challenge Day One )

And it's glorious!!
Sebastian Stan, our very own BUCKY, thinks fanfiction is a good way to work out your feelings and emotions - specifically over the ending of Infinity Wars. Whooo! :D

This is a Facebook link to an interview. If you can't or won't go to FB, here's the essence of it in print.

I luff this guy.
TO BE CLEAR: He is not asking for you to send him your Steve/Bucky D/s A/B/O mpreg masterpiece. Let's all have a little dignity, m'kay?

*waves*

Hullo, flist! Yes, I'm still here, still writing (holy fuck), still reading, just not talking a lot. Stupid brain.

Plus - dreadfully hot summer which makes me all...lazy. Plus, just...i dunno. Weird over-fifty brain. WHO KNOWS.

I'm going to be in Maryland, specifically Emmitsburg, in September, at the National Fire Academy. Doing a class in Community Risk Reduction. Fun times, eh? Anybody here live near there? What's it like in Maryland in September? Should I pack sweaters?

Ah, fuckit, I'm gonna pack sweaters no matter what, every building ever is so damn air conditioned, they're like meat lockers.

Love ya, flist! Hope to hear from you!

*twirls*

Look at that, another post. And I'm...really annoyed! My header image is gone, and I can't seem to get it to show again no matter what I do. I had it uploaded to 'Scrapbook' on LJ, and it's been displaying fine for ages. Suddenly, it vanishes! I re-uploaded, put it up on another site...nothing! ARRGH.

Also, Scarecrow Horses is gone. Not sure what's up with *that*, either - I don't think we forgot to pay, so.... *flails about*

I am so frustrated. Anyway. A month ago, Cat went to New York for a tattoo con, and stayed over a few days to see things like Coney Island, MOMA, etc. He had a grand time, ate some amazing food, and brought back wee gifties. :) Here's one of mine, bought from a street vendor outside MOMA: ( The Avengers...as cats! )

And on that note - I have a new ficlet to post. I loved Civil War (Avengers movie), but found the timeline hard to swallow. Bucky has been gone for *two years*? Steve (and Sam) haven't seen him in *two years*? That just seemed...wrong. So, i had to fix that. :)

On AO3



( It seemed like Steve only caught up with Bucky when Sam wasn't around.... )

Hope to have the website back up in a day or so, if anybody out there can help with the header thing....? *smooches*

( And I'm tired of it.... )


So, there's that. In better, or at least, more interesting news...I organized a donation thing at my work for a local food bank, and we raised 150 dollars, which equals 750 meals for kids, seniors, and families in the Ozarks. That was pretty cool.

I also got a dozen or so blackberry cane seedlings in the mail from the Conservation dept., and I thought i had kind of killed them (they lived on my back porch in a bucket for two weeks), but I got them in the ground last week and they're thriving! My milkweed is coming up great, too, for the monarchs.

And last but not least, I posted another bit of 'Cracktrailer' fic over at AO3 - it's a pre-Crash 'verse 'Jason and Christian in the last months of high school' thing. I...shall link that momentarily when AO3 is back up.

And it's up! Alma Mater.

Still writing, still reading, still here. *waves*

A very blessed Season to all of you out there on my flist! Whatever you're celebrating - even if it's just the end of the work week - may you be happy in it!
*smooches and blessings and hugs and love for you all*


It's been a very weird December for where I live. Up into the seventies about 2/3rds of the time, and then some nights down below freezing, only to have it go up again! We also had rain, lightning, and thunder a few days ago. The animals - and the plants - don't know what the hell is going on. But at least my heating bill is small!

I hope to have the newest chapter of the Space AU out *soon* - like, in a few days. This will be very close to the last chapter - very possibly, the penultimate chapter of the story! Thanks, everyone, for sticking with me.

I leave you with our Xmas tree this morning (the black lump is Annalee-the-dog's head) and my very favorite Xmas carol. Hope you all have a lovely weekend!
*smishes*

( Yule Tree! )

To those of you who practice, and for everyone else - Happy Halloween!

It's grey, chilly and drizzling here - a typical Missouri Halloween, heh. I have more memories of trick or treating in my winter coat than anything else.

But it's still quite lovely, and I have spicy candles burning and some candy just in case, I've lit a votive to those who've passed on and left a small offering for the Fair folk and any wandering shades. So I'm all set for a quiet night.

I am, once again, watching 'Baby', and omg, it just keeps getting better. So many tiny details, so many wonderful moments, I just.... The boys just driving, eating, talking, *laughing*. They are in their element, they are, as Sam says, *home*, and it's so wonderful to see what the life of hunter - *their* life - was and is. It's sad, but also sweet, and ultimately it's what made and shaped them, and continues to inform them. And it is lovely.

I'm also listening to the song Young!John was playing (Someday Soon, sung by Judy Collins in 1969) and the lyrics are so *very perfect*. It's like they were written for Mary. No wonder she liked that song. Plus, you know - Judy Collins. What a honeyed voice! I'm going to share the lyrics below - they're lovely.

So, my flist - what are you doing tonight? What was your favorite thing about the episode? I think my favorite was the green cooler and its multiple uses. :) Also, Sam and Dean just being *brothers*, and Castiel (off screen) in Sam's room, binge-watching 'Orange is the New Black'. Enjoy the night! Be safe! Blessed be!!

( So blow, you old Blue Northern, Blow my love to me.... )

I was rewatching Show, and decided I had to rewatch Swan Song. Our boys, riding off into glory, into death. As they do. So often.

And while I was trying not to sob uncontrollably into my pineapple juice, I had an idea for a little ficlet (only 200+ words), so...I went for it. :)

I rewatch here and there, season 1, season 7, soon season 9 and at every turn, every episode, I see some tiny thing. Some moment, some word, some promise or declaration or memory. This show - these boys - has never once stopped making me smile, frown, laugh, cry - *feel*. Never once.

Can't wait for summer to be over.

( Eucharist )


I also finally got it together enough to turn in some prompts to the Summergen challenge. And my older brother is getting handfasted this weekend, and I'll be calling one of the quarters. While dressed (to the best of my wardrobe and budget) like a pirate. :)