#And it's his pepper garden plus my strawberries

[scifigeekgirl]

Headcannon about Tech: He's the friend/partner who if he gets into a hobby with you then by next time you see him he will be am expert in that field.

[hedgehog-moss]

I finally planted my garden last week! We had a couple of days of sun which gave me hope, but it's once again raining every day. Thoughts and prayers for my tomato plants, but I couldn't keep everyone in the greenhouse forever, I had to make room for other plants.

(In the fourth picture above you can see what's inside the hügelkultur mound—it's a pile of branches + llama manure + compost + potting soil. One thing I find great about it is how well it retains moisture! Well it's not a problem this year so far but during heat waves I water these plants a lot less than non-mound plants.)

In the greenhouse my seedlings have been struggling due to lack of sun. Impossible to get courgette plants so I had to buy a few from the young couple in town who recently started a plant nursery—they didn't have many either, and I had to share with the mayor who also came looking for courgette plants because slugs devoured all of his.

He must have seen on my face that I thought my plants didn't stand a chance if slugs don't even respect municipal authority, because he kindly advised me to place crowns of bedstraw (see above) around my plants to protect them. I didn't dare to ask "If it works so well why do you have no courgette plants left?" I just said thank you, and then spent an entire evening last week weaving this sticky weed into crowns and whatsapping photos of my art to the mayor, who always replied "More! More! It needs to be thicker! Like a doughnut!"

Meanwhile 1 leek in the greenhouse suddenly grew a lot thicker while the other 3 remained skinny and fearful-looking and I'm not sure why. They share a pot, so maybe it's like vanishing twin syndrome. My bell pepper seeds had the same asynchronous development issue—one pot is just now starting to have timid seedlings while the other (right next to it) already contains a grown-up plant with baby peppers:

By far my happiest greenhouse plants are the potatoes and lettuce. They shot up so fast! I've been eating a lot of lettuce lately but I can't keep up with how quickly they grow in this cold, rainy spring. And I haven't had any slug raids in the greenhouse so that's great.

My greenhouse squash, onions and pickles are still tiny and not worth a photo (harsh, but this post already has too many photos). My strawberries in the aquaponic towers are beautiful despite the lack of sun and I've been getting mini-harvests of 2-3 strawberries a day for two weeks! They're done now, but I started more seeds so maybe I can get a second round at the end of the month.

Three more things:

1. Morille helped a lot as I was planting the garden. She kept an eye on my gardening tools so no one would steal them, and sometimes used them as cheek-scratchers. At one point I put one of my beautiful bedstraw crowns around her neck so she looked like Philip III of Spain in that painting where he wears a big ruff, but tragically she ran away in outrage before I could take a picture, and when she returned she'd got rid of her collar.

2. At the cow parade the other day there was a lady at the market who sold jars of homemade pesto sauce made from all kinds of different plants, and it opened up my mind to entirely new pesto horizons!! I always make the traditional kind with basil, but I have plants that grow much faster than basil, like my rocket, so I tried making pesto with 1/3 basil 2/3 rocket (plus garlic, olive oil, parmesan, cashews) and it was so good! I have to explore all of her recipes now, like plantain or nettle or sage pesto...

3. There's a monster in the greenhouse. It appeared practically overnight and is quickly claiming more and more territory. Unlike last year it's not a parsley monster—it's my lemon balm. One day it was growing in its vertical tower, luxuriant but tidy, like a normal plant, and the next it had quintupled in volume and was threatening to swallow the nearest planter. Look at the tiny tomato plants, they look terrified of it!

I urgently need to fight back against this giant mélisse (as we call lemon balm) but I've been really busy and I keep putting it off, and then remembering anxiously at 11pm that I still have this creature to take care of, which is ironic seeing as lemon balm is supposed to relieve stress and anxiety. This is the exact opposite of why I planted you. Anyway if you never hear from me again after this post it's because I finally engaged in battle against this year's vegetal menace, and lost.

[kariachi]

As a result of my own ‘final frost is in like a month down here so I am Planning’ shit, some follow-up to this fic from a short while back.

Finally something chill to keep Mike from being trouble.

~~

“I never should have gotten you a garden, should I?” Draping himself over the back of the couch, Kevin gazed over the mess that was his coffee table. It was normally a mess, between the three of them and Zed, but all the literature and auto mags and engineering blueprints and machine parts had been shoved aside in favor of three different gardening catalogs and several different diagrams of the backyard. Specifically, the area around the raised beds.

“It certainly wasn’t your brightest move, no. How do you feel about marigolds?” Resting his jaw in one hand, Kevin smirked down at Mike, who simply continued flipping through a fourth catalog.

“Does it matter?”

“Not particularly. Just need to know if there’s some deadly allergy I should be keeping in mind.”

“Nah,” he shook his head. “It’s just the strawberries, and if you plant peanuts I think G is allowed to kill you. Other than that? You’ve got free reign.”  Mike nodded.

“By all accounts they’re a good companion plant for a variety of things,” he said, setting his catalog down and digging up a diagram. He held it up for perusal. “The bed closer to the fence? I’m considering putting a few varieties of tomato along the west side, so I can trellis them without shading anything else. The rest of the bed might bet a mix of onions, basil, peppers, and marigolds.” Kevin took a moment, hoping it at least looked like he was giving the idea careful consideration. He didn’t know jackshit about gardening, himself. Mike wasn’t so great either, getting almost sad returns on his first and so far only growing season, but he was nothing if not one of the stubbornest guys Kevin knew and was throwing himself whole hog into doing better this next year.

For all the joking about the bastard needing a proper hobby…

“Sounds good to me,” he eventually said, then pointed at the other bed. “What about this one?”

“Originally I was thinking of trying potatoes and squash-” Kevin nodded, yes, good, get the bastard some calories- “but apparently they don’t work well together. So instead I’m considering potatoes, horseradish, peas, chives, and cilantro. I may swap the horseradish out for some sort’ve cabbage or broccoli though, I’m still researching.”

“Of course you are.” Absolute menace.

“I also,” Mike continued, throwing a Look at him, “am considering putting a third bed in, running perpendicular to the others here.” He pointed out a spot just to the north of the pre-existing raised beds. “Sunflowers along the top will keep off the worst of the sun in mid-summer, and I can put my summer and winter squashes beneath them, plus garlic.”

“What, only four in that one,” Kevin teased. Mike shot him another look and shrugged.

“I haven’t decided. I’m still looking into things. Anyway, I’m trying to keep things simple.” Of course. Of course this was his idea of simple. Who could expect less from a guy whose plan to kidnap a girl began with starting a cult?

“Yeah,” Kevin said with a melodramatic sigh, shaking his head, “I really shouldn’t have given you a garden.” Mike snorted, setting aside the diagram and returning to the catalog.

“You’d best just hope this ‘house arrest’ situation ends soon, Levin. I’ll be ripping up and repurposing the whole yard next.” Chuckling, Kevin mussed his hair, grinning at the glare he got in return.

“Expecting no less, Sparkles.”

[celestialflamesme]

| ROMEO, ROMEO, WHY ARE YOU ROMEO? | A Rowen One-shot | Fairy Tail |

Ships: Wendy Marvel x Romeo Conbolt

Tag list: @primaverafrog @luna-chan00 @biorckstudios18 @animaration-fts @cxndy-stxrs Excuse my horrible writing, I'm super drowsy coz of meds😅

Fairy Hills was the prettiest apartment ever (but maybe she was biased because she lived there) Wendy was currently out on her balcony, legs propped on the arms of her chaise and admiring the lovely hedge walls she'd help trim (Erza-nee got a little too excited with the hedge-scissors)

"I still can't believe you did that," Chelia guffawed.

Wendy replayed last week's events in her mind, wincing yet again.

...........

Working at Fairy Tail was like a dream come true. Wendy had come upon it by chance when her old Academy shut down without any warning. She blamed herself for what'd happened and was this close to giving up on theatre and dancing when Erza-nee decided to intervene.

"Work on that spin ONE MORE TIME! MORE PASSION!" Erza yelled, wielding the script as if it were a sword. (She might be scary at times, but Onee-san meant well.)

Chelia harrumphed through the call. "This is taking foreverrrrr."

"Chelia, you've been playing Among us for 2 hours." Wendy sighed, "You're one to talk about taking long."

"But I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO THIS CUTE CAFÈ!! WITH CATS!!"

"Half an hour moreee." The bluenette groaned. "Plus I still can't get this spin right!"

"Ah, that's why you've been working so hard," Wendy did not like how smug her friend sounded. "Isn't this the part where you meet the Soldier?"

Of course! Chelia, as her 'Official best-friend and Matchmaker!' would never rest until she found "love".

Unfortunately for her, Wendy, as a rule, was usually unbothered by romance of any sort.

It wasn't like she hated the idea; she found it quite adoreable that her friends growing up found 'their lobsters'. Some had their heart broken but they still tried with all they had, a fact that made it really hard to hate romance. (She was saying 'romance' way too much, wasn't she?)

The point was, she just didn't think she? was? a? well-suited? romantic? partner? In pre-school, the idea of a prince riding on a white horse and carrying her away made her:

A: Nauseous, because well, motion-sickness.

B: Wary, because "Porly-san said that if a stranger was to ever talk to her, she had to use the pepper spray in the left corner pocket of her backpack and if that didn't work, Erza-nee's pocket-knife would do just fine!" (Her teacher almost fainted that day.)

Well that and she'd never had a relationship to begin with, ever.

Crushes, sure. She'd had a few over the years. But considering her lack of courage? Or maybe it was the combined elder brother influence of Natsu-nii, Gajeel-nii and Erza-nee that scared away most boys. (Her last crush was scarred for his life....)

And it wasn't like she had time for it too, considering her full-time job at Fairy Tail.

She was daydreaming again. Moving on....

She deadpanned, "Yes. That's the only reason I need to get this right. Not because the entirety of Magnolia will watch it."

"Glad to know!" Chelia clapped her hands gleefully. "Now, as Ooba san says, 'SPIN MY LOVELIES!!" And she cut the call.

The bluenette was a little worried about her new partner. Practice for the new play had begun 3 weeks ago and there was no sight of him (or her, Erza refused to divulge any details...) Apparently they were from another Academy and were joining practice tomorrow. And despite herself, Wendy really really wanted to prove herself to them.

Being the youngest didn't mean she was any less talented than the others, and she'd be damned if she gave anyone any reason to prove otherwise.

"NOW FROM THE TOP!!"

Wendy spun back and forth on her feet and as the beat began playing, she twirled and reached her hand out in a grabbing motion-

Anndddd she just punched a guy in his face.

"SHIT!!"

"FUCK, I'M SORRY!!"

.............

Her new partner, Romeo (Romeo from theatre, lol) insisted he was fine and that it was his fault for interrupting her routine. He also complimented her punch (Who does that?!!)

Or maybe he really wanted her to stop crying. (He had a nose-bleed!! She caused it!!! Was that not reason enough to cry?!)

She sniffled. "BUT SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! CAN I GET YOU ANOTHER BAG OF ICE?! I'M SO SO SORR-"

Romeo broke into a fit of laughter, making her blush (His laughter sounded like chiming bells. Was she even supposed to get attracted to partner's voices that way?)

Once his laughter subsided, a boyish smirk stretched lazily across his face at her pout.(Dear Mavis, he looked so pretty....)

"Romeo, at your service, ma'am!" He kissed the back of her hand. (Did she accidentally punch herself too? Was this all a hallucination?)

She spluttered, "U-uh Hi Wendy! SHIT," she dragged a hand across her face, making him chortle again, "I'm Wendy!"

................

The bluenette grumbled, "It's been 2 days, get over it."

"Nahhhh. I think I'll just let you drown in embarrassment for a few weeks," Her best friend swung her legs from where she was seated on the window ledge. "Ohhhh Ohhhh cute boy alert!"

"Uh-huh, sure," Wendy was too busy petting her kitten to pay her friend any attention.

"Anywho, how's the practice coming along? Is it awkward now between you two?" Chelia teased. Wendy gave a deadpan look and stroking Carla's fur, she mumbled, "We went out for lunch yesterday."

"WENDY MARVELL!!"

"CHELIA BLENDY!!! MY EARS!!!"

"Sorry," Chelia blushed. "Why the heck didn't you tell me this GODDANGIT?!!"

"Well uh." It was now Wendy's turn to blush. "I-"

"Cute guy keeps cycling past us. I think he's looking at you." Chelia commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait what?" Wendy tilted her head toward the wall separating Fairy Hills and the garden. Which is when her eyes met his own.

And Romeo, fair Romeo, crashed into the hedges.

..........

Both girls flinched. Wendy jumped off her seat and rushed downstairs, ignoring Chelia's surprised yelling.

"What are you doing here?!" She squeaked.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Romeo groaned from where he was sprawled on the ground, "It's really not good for my lifespan and my ego."

Despite herself, she let out a giggle. "Get up, you...." Helping him up and dusting the weeds off his shoulders, she sighed. "You live nearby?"

"Well...."

"Do I even wanna know what you were doing cycling around here?" She rested her hand on her hip and raised a brow at his now perplexed expression. "Go on, I have all day."

"I was visiting a friend and uh, saw you at your balcony and wanted to say hi?" He scratched his neck, now colored pink. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

She huffed, "What am I going to do with you?" He looked at her with his little puppy dog-eyes (Drat. Foiled again!) and she gave in and smiled. "Let's get you cleaned up."

........

Seven minutes later, Romeo was sitting on her bed petting Carla, who'd taken a liking to him and ganging up on Wendy with Chelia.

"And the next second, she marches up to him and goes 'Excuse me, sir. But my friend wants a picture of your face. S-wait, WITH your face. FUCK, I MEAN WITH YOU!!' " Both were smacking the bed and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Wendy groaned, her face buried in her hands, "Getting you two together was a bad idea."

"Aww, look at the widdle bluebug." Romeo teased.

"Cute, ain't she?" Chelia cheered. "So, when's the wedding?"

Pause.

"C-CHELIA!!"

"U-UM W-WEDDING?"

Chelia had a smug look on her face that Wendy did not like. "Well duh. You're his Juliet and he's your Peter Pan. Perfect, ain't it?!" She clapped her hands in delight.

Wendy felt like she was in a sauna with the way her face was heating up. One look at Romeo and she knew he felt the same.

"WHO RUINED MY PRECIOUS STRAWBERRIES?!!" A voice bellowed.

Chelia rushed to the window and turned to look at both with a pale face. "Uh oh, Titania's angry."

Romeo was visibly confused and scared for his life. Wendy felt faint.

"Haha, gotta go now guys! Bye Wen!" Chelia escaped through the door before Wendy could register her words.

"WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?!"

"The kind that doesn't want to die!" Her voice echoed from where she was downstairs. Damn it.

She locked gazes with Romeo. "I'll go assess the damage. You stay right there."

Romeo nodded.

She tiptoes into the garden, only to find Erza wielding a katana and looking deadly as ever.

"E-Erza-nee?"

The red-head turned to look at her with a menacing aura. Wendy gulped.

"What-what happened?" She dared ask.

"My precious strawberries are ruined." (Sure enough, the bush was uprooted. Oh dear.) Erza pointed at Romeo's bike with her katana. "The culprit will return for their bike and when they do, I WILL END THEM!!"

Well, there went any chance of negotiations. O-okay Erza-nee. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Romeo had an eager look on his face when she returned. "So? What's the status?"

"Romeo," she stated calmly, "I mean this in the nicest way possible. You're dead."

He blanked. "Shit."

..........

"Operation: Run Romeo Run begins now, what's your status Little Boy Blue?" Wendy whispered through her earpiece. (Warren had given her a set for emergency situations.)

"In position, Tinker bell," Romeo's voice echoed through the other end. "You may begin!"

"ERZA-NEE, I MADE YOU SOME CAKE!!"

Sure enough, Erza rushed into the kitchen like her life depended on it, "Which kind?!!"

"Operation Stage 2 is a go, Boy Blue!" She whispered.

"This is DELICIOUS, Wendy!!" Erza nodded proudly. "I'll take it with me!'"

"NO!!!"

Erza narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why?"

"Be-because," Wendy stuttered, "I want to practice that spin once again!"

"Wendy," Erza grabbed her by her shoulders, "Dance hours are over. As a young girl, you must try socialising with your peers instead of practicing day and night. You'll tire yourself."

"I've reached the garden," Romeo said. "Is stage 3 a go?"

She hummed. Of course, both didn't anticipate-

"INTRUDER!! KILL MODE!!!" A siren rang in the distance and Wendy gulped.

She faintly registered a yelp from her earpiece.

Erza let out a war-cry and stalked outside.(Poor, poor Romeo) "THE INTRUDER IS HERE!! GET HIM!!"

Wendy shuddered, "RUN ROMEO RUN!!"

"I'M TRYING!!!" He squeaked, "SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!!"

"COME HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR, YOU FIEND!!!" Erza bellowed.

She leaned towards the window and watched as Erza chased Romeo (He was riding a bicycle and yet Erza was gaining in on him.)

"If I ever get out of this alive," Romeo groaned, "Would you go out with me?"

Wendy was grinning when she said, "Someone's gotta keep an eye on you, anyway."

...........

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 194

September 21

So I didn't get done anything that involved leaving the house today, which is not great. It was just kind of a failure to launch day, I guess. I did get stuff done inside the house though; folded the laundry, made an enormous pot of spaghetti and meatballs, dewormed the kittens, etc. I will definitely have to leave the house tomorrow because when the kiddo realized tomorrow is going to be gorgeous all day, he was sad until I told him we could try doing school outside by hotspotting off my phone. (unlimited data on the family plan ftw!) He has now come up with an elaborate plan that also involves snacks and drinks, so I may have to get up a bit earlier than usual to set stuff up. I'm nobody's Pinterest Mom, but it's nice to do something a little different and fun sometimes. 

I realized I've been falling a little behind on watering my garden because I got so used to the rain, so I gave everything a good drink and perked it up today. I also harvested some more lemongrass and some ginger leaves and made a very nice tea from them. I learned today that lemongrass is perennial, so there is a possibility it might live through the winter and come back next year. It's not certain because I planted it in the most ridiculous possible spot, one of the side pockets in a strawberry pot, but it apparently liked it there well enough to grow like crazy all through the late summer. It and the lavender both survived, the cilantro grew and flowered and died, and the dill apparently didn't like being there. I did not put any strawberries in the strawberry pot this year because the plants I bought were too big. I think we may have explored this topic in the early early days of this journal but that was a thousand years ago and I do not remember. The ginger leaves just came from some ginger root that I forgot to use and stuck in an unused pot of dirt when it got all wrinkly. It grew beautifully! (Here's the strawberry pot early this summer on its trip to North Carolina. I got it in Laredo and it is one of my favorite things.)

I explained to the kiddo that today was the autumnal equinox, the day of the year where day and night are balanced, just before the nights start getting longer. He sighed and wished it was the other way around, so I also explained the vernal equinox. He was not impressed. He spent more time outdoors today and also a lot of time in with the kittens. They are at an extremely fun age right now, though apparently Audiva nearly got him chat banned on his minecraft server for typing gibberish. I can empathize, Sebell nearly installed the Harris Teeter app on my phone this evening by sitting on it. The biggest problem with the kiddo's current kitten preoccupation is definitely his allergies, poor kid. At least we have allergy meds for him. I also gave the kittens their second dewormer this evening, to take care of any nasty little roundworms. It's only Pyrantel though, so they'll probably need Drontal as well to take care of any tapeworms. Any kitten who has had fleas might have tapeworms, yucky. Better to take care of it while they are young and in foster! 

I keep telling myself that it is almost the end of the month, but it really is not. I can put off shopping for a few more days, but not ten full days till payday. The good news is I did get paid for some mystery shops I did a few weeks ago, so that's 70 dollars in pay any reimbursement that can go towards groceries. I already told my shopping people that I'm not doing any more restaurant shops this month because I'm out of money. They understand, they don't exactly have glamorous high-paying jobs themselves. I may, I suppose, do a couple of grocery store shops because I have to get groceries anyway, may as well take the edge off by getting a little bit paid for, right? If only it weren't the most expensive grocery stores hiring mystery shoppers! I have an extensive list by now that just keeps growing and growing, but the only thing I bought today was another pack of 50 disposable masks. They're cheap on Amazon if you don't mind waiting a month for them to ship, so I have just been ordering a new pack (about six dollars) every few weeks and assuming I will be ready for them by the time they arrive. 

In the meantime, I made a huge pot of spaghetti tonight so that we will have several meals worth of leftovers. I also pulled a ham out of the freezer (buy your ham after the ham holidays, so cheap!) and by the time the spaghetti is gone, the ham should be ready to cook. My husband doesn't like ham by itself much, but ham is incredibly versatile and can go into a million things. Plus ham salad is one of my favorite lunch foods ever. Anyway, I chopped up an onion and cooked it in a little butter till it was just starting to go a little golden, then threw in garlic and a pound of ground beef and a bunch of Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle. I used my Dutch oven because I wanted to make _lots._ When the meat was cooked I sponged off some of the grease with paper towels, then added an undrained can of diced tomatoes, a couple spoonsful of sugar, some salt and pepper, and three cans of the cheapest brand of spaghetti sauce. You really can't beat the convenience and volume of just oomphing up the kind of sauce that's 88 cents for a 20 ounce can. I threw in a bunch of frozen meatballs and simmered it for twenty minutes, then added a few big handfuls of mozzarella cheese and served it over angel hair. Very popular, and so many leftovers! I am the best at dinner. 

This day’s entry is already getting long, but I really ought to remember the Punching Mattress for posterity as well. The kiddo is now happy in his new bed on his new mattress, which means the old bed is kaput. I sold the twin frame in less than a day on Facebook Marketplace for 25 dollars. I paid 90 for it in 2013, so it was a good deal for both parties.  The mattress is only about a year old, but the kiddo has had a few destructive-feelings days and kind of severely messed up the fabric on one end. So it's not likely we're going to be able to do anything with that mattress and for now it is leaning against the wall in our entrance hallway like we're expecting a human cannonball over for dinner. I don't even remember who started it now, but it has become a good place to let off some excess energy by pretending you are a superhero or a championship martial artist. Yelling "punch, punch, punch!" while punching the mattress is optional but encouraged unless somebody is in a Zoom class. It's good exercise, and cathartic, too! I'm kind of melancholy about the idea of getting rid of it already.   

[writersrealmbts]

Joining His Pack: Trials

Description: Sanctuary Series: Joining His Pack. Things have been crazy since you fell ill, and there isn’t really an end in sight.

Warnings:

Posted: 05/12/2020

Tags:  Hybrid Namjoon, Wolf Hybrid Namjoon, Wolf Hybrid Reader

Angst/Fluff: 2,845 words

A/N: Only one part left after this one!

You looked around with wide eyes, wrapped in a thicker coat than would normally be necessary for this time in May. But ever since your mini-heat reaction to the suppressants—which just meant you’d have a bigger one in a few months, that’s how you always reacted—you’d been a little temperature sensitive. You walked around Namjoon’s apartment wrapped up in blankets, and wore lots of sweaters and all of his sweatshirts (he didn’t seem to mind).

But you were starting to get better, finally. And court dates had been set.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Namjoon replied, grinning.

You huffed and leaned back.

He turned down a gravel drive.

You sat up straighter, frowning slightly, until finally a house came into view.

Your house.

Your den.

Home.

You looked at him excitedly. “Is it...?”

“It’s ours, baby. We closed the day after you were discharged, but I wanted to get the windows in before I brought you.” He parked, and turned to grin at you.

You’d still been out of it when discharged, but it wasn’t anything that the doctors were concerned about. Just more side effects from the suppressants, but it had kept you mostly bedridden and groggy and not too aware of the passing of time. The pack had been visiting to keep you company while he was at work and whatnot, especially the pack pups because they helped give you more clarity throughout the day. Plus, who wouldn’t want to cuddle pups?

But this was exciting. This explained why the past couple of days you couldn’t find things that you swore you knew the locations of. This explained why he didn’t want you going to your place to get things.

“We’ve got it fixed up enough to live in, not perfect, but enough. Enough for us to be comfortable. And we moved your stuff in already. My family has been sneaking stuff out of my place all week.” He looked pretty proud of having surprised you with this.

You squealed and threw yourself across the console to kiss him. “This is the best surprise ever. I love you. I love you. I love you.” You peppered his face with kisses, ignoring his embarrassed laughter and finishing with a quick peck on his lips before you hurried out of the car to take in the sight of your house.

Even though he said they’d only done a few things, you could tell it had to be more than that. The windows looked completely replaced, the siding looked like it had a fresh coat of paint, and the porch had temporary supports. Everything looked cleaner, and the garden beds had been cleared of weeds and carefully planted.

“You happy?” He asked softly, wrapping his arms around you.

“Aren’t you?”

He nodded, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. “I’d carry you over the threshold, but—”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort. You already re-injured yourself while taking care of me during that mess, I’m not risking your well-being now.” You hit him lightly, then bounced. “Let’s go in!”

He laughed and took your hand, leading you up the porch and to the (brand new) front door, unlocking it and letting you enter first.

You looked around, breathing in air that smelt slightly of your pack, slightly of cleaners like pine-sol, and fresh air. Then lilac, from the bouquet of lilacs on the fireplace mantle. “Just enough to live in, huh?”

He was quiet, and when you looked back, he looked just as shocked at the sight of new flooring, and freshly painted walls. “I…they…must have worked on it more since last time.”

You grinned and wrapped your arms around his waist to just take it all in for a moment before gasping and rushing through to see the kitchen again.

The thorough cleaning made your adorable kitchen even better. They’d replaced the dingy light-fixture with a new one, which was really nice because if you remembered correctly it didn’t even make it to the counter below it.

And the master bedroom had a bed in it—that you promptly flopped on—and the room smelled like you and Namjoon, with subtle undertones of the pack (especially the littlest two of the pack pups, which you figured wasn’t too surprising since this blanket was the softest one you owned.

“Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” You exclaimed into the bedding, breathing in his scent. The way it mixed with yours. The slightly milky smell of pups.

He flopped down next to you.

“But…what are you going to do about your apartment?”

“Oh, well, Jimin’s landlord actually is a jerk and he tried to rip them off, so they’re going to move in there for now. Save up for a place they actually want for a while, and then Yoongi’s said he wants it if he can manage to get a transfer.”

You made a happy sound, and wiggled closer, resting your head on his arm. “So, are we sleeping here?”

He nodded. “If that’s okay with you?”

You nodded. “Do we have clothes here?”

“You definitely do. I’ve got some clothes here. Enough to supply me for work for the next few days.” He sighed as he relaxed. “But I can also stop by after work tomorrow and get more of our stuff.”

“You’re sure they’re okay with you missing as much work as you have?” You asked quietly, resting a hand on his chest.

“They understand, and I’ve been working from home most days where I couldn’t leave you, so I’m not exactly behind. Actually, they seemed pretty happy to let me have Tuesday off because apparently I’m ahead of everyone.” He stretched, making your head drop to the bed.

You sighed, pouting slightly at the loss of your pillow before rolling back to your feet and bouncing out to the kitchen. “Do we have food here?”

“Knowing my family? Probably.”

You opened the fridge and freezer simultaneously and grinned. “Your pack is the best.”

“They’re your pack too, baby.”

“Not yet.”

“You know I couldn’t mate you while you were sick,” He called softly.

“I know. And I do consider them my pack, but it’s still more natural to call them your pack. Oooh! Ice cream!” You grabbed the container and hugged it briefly before putting it back. “So, I was thinking.”

“Uh oh.” He came in and leaned against the counter while watching you pull out one of the dishes someone left for you two.

“Preheat the oven? 375,” You told him, reading the instructions. “Anyway, Ariel mentioned that her one friend just started her own little shop where she sells jams, preserves, candies, and ice-creams and that she was looking for someone to help for the summer. Maybe I could see if she would hire me?”

“Are you sure?”

“I mean, I’m basically fired from the clothing shop, and even if it is just for the summer, it would still be some little bit of income. Enough to help us with groceries, because lets face it, we eat a lot of meat.” You went to him and kissed him gently. “Besides, how crazy do you think I would go without something to occupy my time? I mean, we’re going to have some gardens and I really do want to work on our Christmas trees, but it’s going to take some time.”

He was smiling down at you softly, and his fingers gently brushed your cheek. “This is the most rational you’ve sounded in a while, baby. It’s nice to hear.”

You hugged him. “Sorry I’ve been such a mess.”

He chuckled. “Hey, you put up with the messes I make.” Then he kissed the top of your head. “You’re my little wolf. I would cross the world for you. I can handle a little messiness.”

You relaxed, breathing him in until the oven beeped to let you both know that it had finished preheating.

He put the dish in the oven while you set a timer and got out the strawberries and started washing them.

“But the store thing, good idea or not?”

“As long as it doesn’t become too stressful for you, baby, I think you should try for it. After we settle all of this legal stuff.” He took a strawberry and popped it into his mouth.

“I didn’t take the stems off,” You said, staring at him in surprise. “I mean, they’re edible...but probably pretty bitter.”

He nodded, turning away to pull the stem from his mouth.

You smiled at your mess of a mate. “My dorky baby.”

He chuckled, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Hungry, honey bunch?” You asked, wrapping your arms around his waist. “You ready to eat?”

“Isn’t that why you’re washing the strawberries?” He countered, but he was still flustered as you pressed flirty little kisses to his neck. His hands found your waist.

“Mmhmm,” You agreed, on your toes to nibble on his ear.

“Babe…you’re still recovering.”

You nodded, humming agreement before sliding your hands over his torso and promptly turning away and running with the bowl of strawberries. “Mine!”

He sputtered, then laughed and chased after you, catching your waist and then pulling you to sit down beside him on the couch. Then he stole a berry and took a bite.

You giggled and took your own berry, looking around the room. “This is a nice couch.”

“We needed a second for this room, especially if we’re going to have family visiting. Micheal said he’d get our furniture moved this weekend. He’s got a couple of guys he needs to train, and Becca’s going to oversee it all for us. But I thought it’d be best if we weren’t around. Don’t want to wolf out on them.”

“Maybe we should go visit Yoongi and Taehyung,” You said between bites.

He smiled. “I’ll see if they’re free. We’ll have to take Eunyeong something.”

“Of course, she’s the cutest kitten and deserves all the love,” You chirped, snuggling up to him. “But maybe don’t check until after the meeting with the lawyers and the court stuff on Tuesday.”

He nodded, smile fading. “Yeah. Probably a good idea. Might want to stay home. Near the majority of the pack.”

“In which case we’re going to Emma’s and cuddling the twins.”

He nodded again, but looked distracted.

You watched him, just admiring his face while also trying to guess what he was thinking. “Are you worried about Tuesday?”

He took a deep breath and held your hand. “The last time anyone I loved was part of a court case…it was Emma. And it ended in this town giving the rights back to hybrids. Jin was the only one that went with her, he was certified as an aide-hybrid. Not because Emma really needed him, I mean, she did, but mostly because she wanted to give him as much freedom as she could. Yoongi-hyung and I were watching…but Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung couldn’t sit and listen. It was taking too long and some of it hit too close to home. They were outside, working in the garden just to avoid it.”

“I remember,” You whispered, squeezing his hand.

He squeezed it back. “That day changed our lives and…whatever the outcome on Tuesday…that will change both of our lives. Again. And I’m hoping for the better, I do trust these people. But…if we lose…I think I’ll lose more than I would have if we lost that day.”

You hummed. “You’re going to have to be on your best behavior.”

He nodded, but he didn’t seem very confident.

“But Namjoon, I think…I think you might need to stay away. Other than when you’re called upon. This is going to be…bad. It’s going to be really bad. And if either of us misbehaves we risk everything.”

He sighed, eyes closing and holding you tighter. “I know.”

“Maybe they can arrange for a separate room for you to watch in?”

“Maybe, I’ll ask Emma later.” He sounded a little relieved, and managed to relax a little as you snuggled in, scenting him a little.

You sighed softly, enjoying this moment, just in case.

His fingers lightly caressed your hair.

You frowned. “The fireplace mantle is crooked.”

He started laughing. “House still needs some improvements, baby.”

“But how is the mantle crooked!”

————

“They can’t prove it!”

“Neither can we,” The lawyer said calmly. “We can deny any false evidence they bring forward and hope our true does as well. We can only hope that the judge is as upstanding as they say and that the jury can see past the falsehoods created by the opposition.”

Emma huffed and sat down again, crossing her arms and thinking.

Jin calmly rubbed her back. “Y/n, is there any sort of concrete evidence you can provide?”

“Bank statements and pay stubs, which would show that I didn’t have any money other than what I was paid when I opened the account, and that she wasn’t originally on my account. The rental agreement with the Sanctuary. That’s about it,” You answered quietly.

Namjoon looked up. “All of these are trumped up charges. Theft? Assault? Public indecency? Disturbing the peace? Prostitution?!” He stood and went to the window, obviously angry.

“These papers will help disprove many of those charges. However, the one I’m most concerned with is the assault charge. We’re countering their charges with our own charge of defamation and wrongful arrest, but the case for the assault is fairly solid.”

“How so?” Emma asked, sounding tired.

“They have medical records from injuries incurred by here—or so they’re claiming. And they have a video of her attacking someone.”

You frowned.

“What?” Namjoon growled.

“Y/n, I need you to tell me right now, have you ever stabbed anyone in the leg?” The lawyer asked.

“No, I threatened to, but only because he was was being an asshole. I never did it and I left to make sure it would never happen.”

“And this video of you punching a security guard at the Sanctuary.”

Namjoon growled. “He understood. They’re twisting the situation.”

“Which security guard was it?” Emma asked.

“Yugyeom,” You answered. “And I gave him cookies to make up for it.”

Jin nodded and pulled out his phone.

Emma rolled her eyes. “He probably deserved it. But we can get him here and have him testify. I’m sure JB and Mark will sign off on that.”

“Is he still under their guardianship?” Namjoon asked.

Emma nodded. “All of them are, technically. But since they’re close it’s not an issue. It just means that they’ve got a safety net. Same as you all, we freed you but we also adopted you as our children.”

Micheal nodded. “They’re more like brothers so they didn’t want to go that route.”

Jin was talking lowly and you were grateful you couldn’t hear the conversation. You were stressed enough.

Emma quietly took your hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Alright, he’s on his way.”

The lawyer nodded. “I’ll go notify them that I have another witness.” He gathered his things and walked off, signaling Micheal to walk with him.

Namjoon was taking slow, deep breaths. “I hate this.”

You closed your eyes.

“I know,” Emma said softly, lightly smoothing your hair. “I know you’re both frustrated. I am too. But we’re going to take care of this, even if it takes us more time than we originally thought.”

Jin was watching Namjoon. “Sit down, Namjoon,” He ordered, a slight edge to his voice.

Namjoon did as told, only hesitating for a second before complying with the pack leader’s order.

“You’re making me anxious just watching you,” Jin explained, sounding relieved now that Namjoon was sitting. “Emma, why don’t you stay back here with Namjoon and I’ll go back out.”

She nodded. “I’m going to call and check on the kids.”

He pecked her on the lips, then met your gaze. “It’s about time to head back.”

You nodded, getting up with extreme reluctance and nuzzling Namjoon’s head before following Jin out.

Jin waited until you both were out of earshot before pausing, turning to you. “You don’t have to pretend you’re okay. You have every right to be more frustrated and upset than any of us.”

You sighed, looking at the ground. “I just want to go home. We thought this would all be settled on Tuesday. Last Tuesday.”

He reached over and adjusted your scarf—bathed in the scent of your mate to help keep you calm—then rested his hands on your shoulders. “I know it’s asking a lot, but please try to bear with us for another hour. Okay?”

You nodded, feeling safe at the very least with your pack leader looking out for you.

“But if they try to take you anywhere, you get over that barrier and behind me. They can’t legally take you anywhere, okay?”

You closed your eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

“Hey, court’s in session,” Micheal called.

You followed them back to the court, awaiting your fate.

——

Previous Part.   Next Part.

Masterlist.  Series Masterpost.

[theretirementstory]

Bonjour a tous, 22c and very sunny.

I had hoped to post this before I went to the market at Chateauvillain, to see my friend Sarah who sells the wonderful greetings cards www.flamingopaperie.co.uk/web/sarahgant(if you are in the UK). I took her a couple of my plants, hopefully one of which will be the chilli plant she was interested in and I received three aquilegia in return. I love to go to that market as there is a brocante in the same area and I go to look and see if there is anything that could be placed in my garden, as a feature. As yet no luck but no doubt one day.

Last Sunday, it was the video call with my friends in Bristol and as always, we put the world to rights! It was a long call again, but I had managed to eat my lunch, wash up and tidy up before it started so that was truly a bonus.

On Monday I didn’t feel too good and even resorted to returning to bed. I think part of the problem is, going to bed at midnight and waking as the sun rises (before 6am), then working like a “mad woman”! I just have a million and one jobs that I want to get done and sometimes I think they should all be done in one day.

I have been in the garden rather a lot, and I end up looking rather like the red beetroots I am trying to grow. I weeded a patch of the garden where the lilies and, I am praying, the agapanthus are growing, I can see this area of the garden as I sit typing so it is really lovely to keep it all clear of weeds. I got the bargain of the week when I went shopping, super Lidl were selling 6 (yes 6) osteospermum ecklonis for just one euro, they were in the gaspillage (waste) and there were some plants which still looked pretty good although the flowers had died off. I spent ages picking 6 plants and then planted them into the garden that afternoon. I managed to mow the back “lawn” then I was weeding other areas (namely under hedges). I really need a man who can do the weeding thing plus edging the lawn for me, I am unable to kneel down on the ground (I could be there for sometime if I did get down) so a lot of my gardening is done from a chair. I did message my gardener as I need the hedges trimming and I want to know if as part of his work can he mow my lawns when I am away plus can he do the weeding. I know he is a busy man but this would really be such a big help to me.

I have broad beans growing, lots and lots of them! One pot of peas, a pepper plant, and I am praying nothing else, have been got at by snails. I have been big and brave picking the offending snails out of the pots and throwing them quite some distance. I know it is the food chain and all that, but I only grow four pea plants in a pot and if I have lost a pot full I wont have very many peas at all. I have had 4 strawberries and I must just say that they are the sweetest strawberries ever.

It was the week of the Tesco order for my cousin in London, hopefully the delivery was on time yesterday. I decided to prepare a spreadsheet as I am sure that it will be easier in future.

Wednesday was the Fete day for my namesake and I received two messages from French friends wishing me a “Bonne Fete”. Anie, was one of those friends and she said she had made a crumble and would come down so that we could share it. I do like her crumbles, this time is was rhubarb, apple, red currants and plums very tasty it was too. I asked her if she would like to go to a market at a Chateau nearby, she said she had never been there and if we can organise it we will go. The market is on the last Sunday of the month.

I had an appointment to have my feet worked on by the “podologue”. She is a really lovely girl and enjoys seeing me as it gives her the opportunity to speak English. However, previously she had missed a corn between my toes which caused me such pain, plus I had noticed that the hard skin on the pad of my heel has just been getting worse and worse. I was really attentive and kept saying things like “what about between my toes and why is this so bad on my heels”? Anyway my feet are feeling a whole lot better.

Marie-Therese arrived and I had had to buy a couple of cakes as in the rush to get to the podologue, I had forgotten to take cake out of the freezer. While I was in town, I saw my friend Monica (the Estate Agent ) we chatted for a while then I left her to continue her work. I also bumped into Sara, who runs the Cinema. It has re-opened and she was telling me that the Anthony Hopkins movie “The Father” was on in the original version (English), I asked about using the card I had pre-paid on and she said it was possible so, fingers crossed, I am going this afternoon to the 16.30 session. They only have one “Salle” open at the moment but I don’t suppose that it will be full (I could be wrong of course)!

I went to the bar, decided to take the car, but was undecided whether to drive into town or just park at the supermarket. The supermarket won and I was very pleased it did as a “convoi exceptionnel” was coming through town, so all of the traffic was at a standstill. It had to come the wrong way around the one way system and then to negotiate the final corner, it really was a mammoth task. I do believe it was carrying part of a wind turbine although Yves, a friend at the bar, told me it was a boat (no way)!

Now I must explain about “The Paralegal”, I said he went to this firm, fresh from University, he was told he would be trained but as his “supervisor” seemed to take an instant dislike to him his training has become non-existent. He was given work which was just way above his capabilities (without any training it would be) he was pushed to have a caseload of 100 files in order that he could then have a secretary, a secretary arrived but only stayed a week, he is having to “share” a secretary with his supervisor and of course her work is always more important than his! Work hours on the contract state 8.30 – 5pm but you are not expected to leave at 5, oh no! You are expected to stay until 8 or 9pm with no overtime paid. Anyway, as he has been stressed beyond belief, he handed his notice in, he will finish on the 2nd July. Have things improved, has he had work taken off him? Not a chance, he will be working at full pelt until his last day.

“The Daddy” has taken a couple of weeks holiday, he has been organising a removal firm, he was “Daddy doctor” the other day as my gorgeous granddaughter was feeling under the weather. Other than that he has just been preparing lots of things for the arrival of the new baby and then the move into the new house. “The Mummy” who is getting rather large now (her words not mine) has just five more days to work before she can put her feet up and await the arrival of the baby, somehow, being a mother myself I cannot see her with her feet up, she will be so busy preparing. She has just read that the baby weighs about 6lbs now and measures about 19 inches although it was described as the size of a papaya, I think that must be a very funny shaped papaya!

Lucy has been back at work at the restaurant, so that will have kept her busy this week. I do hope "the babies", Tilly and Chester are okay and that you are taking them on nice walks.

I am now going to prepare lunch.

See you next time …………..

[solarpunkdyke]

Garden update! 💚💖🌱💖💚

Everything's growing really well!! The zucchini and cucumbers have been growing like crazy, so we moved them into some deeper containers so they'd have room to grow. The cucumbers seem to have exploded overnight, so we'll be transplanting the rest of them asap.

The bell peppers are finally starting to sprout, and we've started radishes, strawberries, tomatoes, rosemary, parsley, spearmint, and more peppers inside.

Pictured above are my brother and his daughter, helping to water! 💖

We're planning on doing a little guerilla gardening with some of the extra plants, because there's no way we'll have room for all these, plus we still have a few other things we'd like to plant. We'll also be giving away some of the extras to our neighbors in the apartment complex, since a few of them have already expressed interest in them.

All in all, it's been a good week for gardening! 😄🌱

[marshmallowbee13]

Love Like Yours Fest 2020

Ch4: Fiery Kind of Love

🍋Warning: this chapter contains spicy lemons🍋

Everything Ramona had been taught of saving herself for marriage was thrown right out the window the instant Asra's lips were on hers. His warm hands were pressed against her back, holding her impossibly close. She no longer cared that there was a party going on, she just wanted to be close to Asra. But Asra slowed their kisses, pressing soft kisses down her neck. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"Have I ever told you you look good in red?" Asra breathed against her lips. Ramona couldn't help but grin. "I... I helped enchant some of the rooms for tonight. I want to show them to you." Asra said. Ramona nodded and let Asra lead her through the garden, like they used to.

They played in the bubble room, pressed together in a cozy bubble and stealing kisses. Then there was the ocean room. You walk in and immediately feel like you're swimming. You can breathe perfectly fine and stay perfectly dry, but there are fish and other sea creatures that swim past. After that, was quite possibly Ramona's favorite: the paint room.

There were little booths tucked into one side of the darkened room and a table with a rainbow of paints. Asra chose a few he liked the most and they settled into a booth. Once the curtains were closed, the world around them disappeared. All sound from the outside world was muted. The inside of the booth was covered in star-like spots of light that glowed just enough to see the bare minimum. Despite the darkness, the paints were very visible, almost glowing in the darkness.

"These are edible paints." Asra said, laying each bowl beside the two of them.

"What are they for?" Ramona asked.

"I'll show you." Asra dipped a finger in a hot pink color and held her arm. He began to paint a little flower on her wrist. When he finished, he gave her a sultry look. He brought her wrist to his lips and licked the paint from it. Ramona's breath hitched. She watched, enthralled by the sight. Once all the paint was gone from her skin, Asra pressed a kiss there, then lowered her hand.

"Do you want to try?" Ramona chose a sparkly gold paint and dipped her finger in. She drew a heart right over Asra's lips. Before she could remove her finger, Asra took her finger into his mouth and sucked the paint away. Ramona removed her finger from his mouth and kissed him, sucking the paint from his lips. Asra parted and painted a pink line down Ramona's neck before going to town on it. This went on until Ramona's and Asra's bodies were aching for more, but ever the tease, Asra stopped.

"Why don't we grab something to eat, then we'll... retire for the night." Asra suggested. Ramona agreed and followed him into a massive dining room.

Foods from all over were piled high on golden trays. The two magicians filled their plates, then Asra took her through a secret portal that led to the gardens. He parted a bush, which revealed a hidden gazebo inside. They crawled inside, balancing their plates, only to find they had company.

She was beautiful, with dark skin and a turquoise dress made of very fine materials. She had intelligent ruby red eyes that seemed to look right through Ramona.

"Nadia, I see you had the same idea." Asra smiled.

"Great minds think alike." she commented. "And I don't believe we met. You are my husband's little miracle worker, correct?"

"Oh! You're the Countess?" Ramona asked.

"Yes, but please, call me Nadia. I am curious, how have you done what a hundred doctors could not?" Nadia asked, taking a sip from a wine glass.

"He's not cured. What I did was more like... flipping an hourglass before the last bit of sand runs out." Ramona popped a grape into her mouth.

"Asra, you two seem quite familiar. How long have you been together?" Nadia asked. Asra laughed nervously and scratched at the back of his head.

"Just tonight. But we've been friends for, what? Five years?" Asra looked to Ramona for confirmation, but she was stuffing her face. She gave him a thumbs up, though. Asra chuckled. Some things never changed.

Asra took a chocolate covered strawberry and offered it to Ramona. She let Asra feed her with a blush. Nadia just watched in silence, sipping her wine with an amused smile.

Asra was glad Ramona and Nadia got along so well. But Asra was feeling Ramona's energy dwindling. She had spent a lot of energy tonight and he didn't want her lagging when she inevitably had to deal with Lucio again.

"You look tired. Let's get you to bed. You'll need your energy for tomorrow." Asra said. Ramona sighed.

"Yeah... It was nice meeting you, Nadia."

"As was meeting you. Will I see you two at breakfast?" Ramona and Asra nodded their agreement before taking their leave. Asra escorted her to her room and once locked safely inside, he couldn't get enough of her. They kissed, moving towards the bed until Ramona fell into it. Upon parting, Asra asked for permission to continue.

"I... I want you, Asra. But this is my first time." Ramona confessed.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Unless you say otherwise." The buttons down the back of Ramona's dress were undone, slowly and with plenty of kisses to her newly exposed skin, until it pooled around her feet. Asra gently guided her to lay down on the bed and began to strip down to his underwear. With the costume removed, Ramona could see her effect on him. She almost couldn't believe this was happening.

Again, Asra asked for permission to remove her panties, which she gave willingly. Sly fingers hooked into the waistband and pulled the fabric down her legs. When she was completely bared to him, he took a moment to admire her body. He was surprised that the freckles that graced her cheeks, shoulders, and arms also covered the rest of her body. And, oh how cute! There was one right on her hip shaped a little like a heart. Asra dipped his head and lightly nipped at it.

Ramona gasped. Asra slowly moved up her body, kissing and nipping his favorite things about her body. The stretch marks crossing her hips from puberty, her cute little bellybutton, the underside of her breasts, her rosy nipples. A beautiful flush spread across her cheeks, and her darkened eyes begged for more. And so, Asra gave her more.

He took her hand and placed it on his chest.

"You can touch me, you know." Ramona's hand ran over his smooth chest. She could feel his pounding heart beating inside, keeping time with hers. She ran her hands lower, curling her fingers around the waistband of his shorts. Her brown eyes looked to his for permission, which he gave. Ramona pulled them down, revealing his body completely. His cock bobbed free and Ramona couldn't resist running her fingers over it in curiosity. In theory, she had known that boys' anatomy was different, but this was the first time seeing it in person.

Asra moaned softly at her touch. He guided her hand to wrap around it and gently stroke it. Meanwhile, he dipped his fingers into her dripping slit, spreading the wetness and rubbing the little bundle of nerves that will make her feel so good.

"Asra~" Ramona breathed. Oh, he liked the way his name sounded when she moaned like that. His dick twitched in Ramona's hand.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this," Asra breathed against her neck, peppering kisses up and down it. "You don't know how often I laid here alone, wishing it was your hands touching me. Now you're here and I almost don't know what to do with myself. Tell me what you want. I want your first time to be enjoyable."

"I don't know, I just want you." Ramona replied. She was getting drunk off Asra's aura. The love and devotion pouring off him, plus the smoky scent of his skin was intoxicating.

"You mean you never thought of me? You never laid in your bed with your hands down your panties, moaning my name?" Ramona whimpered.

"I... I admit... I wondered what it might be like. You touching me." Ramona whispered.

"Where? Where do you want me to touch you, my love?" Asra asked.

"My breasts. But what you're doing to me down there feels so much better." Ramona said. She bucked her hips into Asra's hand.

"Does it?" Asra gave a mischievous smile. "Want it to feel even better?" Ramona nodded eagerly. Asra moved down her body until he was level with her most intimate place. Ramona watched as Asra spread her legs and settled between them. He used his fingers to spread her lower lips and gave her core a lick. Ramona gasped as she watched Asra clearly enjoying himself sucking on her clit.

Asra was right. That little pearl of pleasure really made all the difference and, combined with a few of Asra's fingers slipping into her pussy and crooking to make her feel even better, Ramona was panting, moaning, calling Asra's name. She had never felt so good in her life.

A little fire in her gut blazed hotter and hotter as Asra moved. She felt feverish, like she was at the apex of a waterfall, about to tip over the edge... Then Asra stopped. Ramona opened her eyes, not having noticed she even closed them, looking at Asra in confusion. Was that it? The sparkle in Asra's eyes told her no. This was just the beginning.

Asra crawled up her body, kissing her, letting her taste herself on his tongue. He reached down between them and pressed the swollen head of his cock between her lower lips. There was a gentle pressure and Asra slowly, slowly slid inside her, until their hips were flush with each other. Asra gave her a moment to get used to the feeling. When she started to move her hips, Asra knew she was ready for more.

Asra pulled out almost all the way, then slid back in, over and over. He started slowly at first, but at Ramona's insistence, he sped up. Ramona's breasts bounced with the force of every slap of his hips. Asra couldn't help but touch, gently massaging a breast in his hand. The other was blessed with kisses and sucks from Asra's talented mouth.

They were both climbing that peak again, so close, insides burning, but this time, Asra didn't stop. Ramona cried out, her insides clenching over and over around Asra, bringing him crashing along with her and moaning each other's names.

Asra slipped out of Ramona and stood up. He wet a cloth at the basin on her dresser and returned to the bed, cleaning her slick and his seed from between her legs. He finished with a spell over her pelvis, cool and soothing. It was a precaution to prevent them prematurely becoming parents.

Once clean, Asra settled beside Ramona on the bed, pulling the blankets up around them.

"Sleep, my love. You'll need all your energy tomorrow." Asra whispered. He ran his fingers over her scalp, further relaxing her until she was fast asleep in his arms.

@lovelikeyoursfest

[iolitewitchcraft]

My boyfriend and I started our first vegetable garden today! We're growing in super limited space - a 25-gallon tub plus a strawberry pot on our apartment balcony. We were lucky enough to be gifted a growing light for the holidays, so our plants should get loads of light even in our covered balcony!

I'll be posting updates here, hopefully every day or two, under the tag "iolite's garden diary".

January 28, 2020:

Mixed our own potting soil: 1/2 cubic foot sphagnum peat, 2 quarts perlite, 1/2 pound limestone sand, 2 palmfuls each blood meal, greensand, rock phosphate, 1 palmful azomite, and 1/2 cubic foot organic compost. Possibly added too much limestone - the soil smells a little too alkaline.

The homemade potting soil was for the big tub, which we converted to a self-watering container, and we filled the strawberry pot with regular Miracle-Gro potting mix.

I'm hoping we didn't plant too early, but we shouldn't be getting any frost here in SoCal as far as I know. I left a min/max thermometer out tonight and if it gets too cold overnight I'll have to bring everything in for a couple weeks.

Today we planted "black icicle" tomatoes (red), fish peppers (white), European mesclun (purple), and bouquet dill (light green) in the tub; "tip top Alaska salmon" nasturtiums (orange), "freckles" violas (light purple), and cinnamon basil (dark green) in the strawberry pot. All the seeds are from Baker Creek.

The plan is to succession plant the mesclun in concentric circles as the tomato grows. Truthfully I have no idea if the violas or basil will sprout in their little side pockets, but I have loads of seeds left over so if I don't see any life in there over the next couple weeks I'll start some in their own pots.

We'll soon be planting some pre-started sage and chives, as well as starting some marijuana from seed for my boyfriend (his holiday gift from me, lol). Also, I suspect we'll have to prop up our growing light before too long, since it hangs just a foot above the tub right now even at its tallest setting!

Wish us luck with our first garden! I have a horrible brown thumb and usually kill everything I touch, but I'm hoping to turn that around this year and grow some tasty veggies :)

[silverstrike]

Hi everyone!

Making another status update, on what I’ve been up to for the past couple days. The quarantine is still going strong. Here in Poland we have about 4200 cases and nearly 90 deaths. However it is largely speculated by many epidemiologists here that the numbers may be at least 3-4 times higher, due to the fact that still there aren’t enough tests being done, there is a mass chaos in our healthcare system, and many people aren’t counted in as part of the statistics (for instance if you are quarantined in your home and you die of COVID-19 you aren’t being counted into the death toll by the Ministry of Health)... this is some serious bs, but we can’t do much about it.

Our government is a bunch of jackasses who care about no one but themselves (this is best exemplified by the fact that they are still hard-pressed to have presidential elections in early may, and our fucking clown of a president, instead of responding to the threat like a normal leader would do, is making fucking TikTok videos, I shit you not). But that’s a story for another day and honestly I don’t want to get angry right now, we already have enough to deal with.

Last week I spend a vast majority of my time preparing materials for students in order to make online courses for them: it was a painstaking, time-consuming and a very stressful job, plus at the end of each week I have reports to write, in order to let my higher-ups know what I have been doing with my groups.

But still, I manage. Plus, I am very much glad and thankful that in these dark times, my mom and I still have jobs and a source of income. It’s honestly quite horrifying what is currently happening right now... not only having to fear that you or your loved ones might be affected by COVID-19, but that you may also lose your job or your home... that’s frightening.

I can only hope this will end someday soon, but the official prognoses aren’t that optimistic.

In the meanwhile, I try to keep myself occupied: watching stuff on YouTube, replaying Ocarina of Time 3D and tending to my little gardening project (most chili peppers have germinated by now - now patiently waiting for the strawberries and alpine strawberries to do the same).

It also helps that I can talk to my mom and sister as well as my buddies online and my therapist. Sharing memes, talking fandom stuff, things like that. It really helps get your mind away from what’s going on right now.

I’m also slowly but surely getting back into drawing. I have this long overdue rarepair swap fan art that I plan on finishing (I wanted to do so last week, but the online course prep took way longer than it should), plus some other drawings I have ideas for that I want to get going.

Anyway, I hope you guys are all doing well despite the awful circumstances. My heart goes out to all of you (also my apologies if I don’t respond right away to any enquiries - it always takes me a bit to respond properly), wishing you all the best there is out there.

Love,

Silverstrike.

[catvicddlm]

Grenetine D’Chessur

(Riku: So, yeah, as this blog deputy, it’s my job to introduce this girls to their respective fandom... Sorry for those who may find me unbearable, but this is how the blog works. Anyway, since D’Chessur here is the one who has the most complete paperwork, she’ll be first)

Name: Grenetine Dioica D'Chessur Manjary (though she mostly goes by Grenetine D’Chessur)

(Riku: Thankfully)

Name Meaning: Grenetine comes from grenetina (Gelatin). Dioica is meant to be the Pimenta dioica (Allspice).  Manjary= Mangiare (Italian)= Eat.

(Riku: What does D’Chessur stand for?)

(Grenetine: I thought it was obvious)

(Riku: Well, no)

(Grenetine: Then we’ll leave it for them to investigate!)

Nicknames: 

Greenie (family and Dahlia)

My Lady (Jolly and servants)

Strawberry Shortcake (Mudira)

Heartslabyul's Little Duchess or the Little Duchess (Reappina, Suha and several others)

(Riku: How original...)

(Grenetine: In my defense, you don’t get to chose how others nickname you)

Twisted from: The Duchess (Alice in Wonderland)

Affiliations:

D’Chessur family

Manjary family

Lilyaceae family

Night Raven Collage

Heartslabyul Dorm

Dormitory: Heartslabyul

Year: 2nd

Age: 17

Birthday: October 6th

Likes: Sweet treats, savoury foods, literature: poetry, novels, etc, puns, puzzles, getting references.

Dislikes: Bland foods, the noble court, people messing with her things, open endings, being called pig, being mocked for the curse.

Hobbies: Reading (especially mystery), writing in her diary, baking, playing the violin and the piano, gardening, anti-stalking: learning about other persons routine to avoid them (guess why)

(Riku: You need more original hobbies)

(Grenetine: And do you have better hobbies?)

(Riku: Touche)

Occupation:

Student

Competition judge (informal)

County heiress

Personality: 

Most of the time she’s a calm person that tries to be polite as much as she can. Truth be told, most of the time she comes off as rude. This is because most people only deal with her in class wich is...not the best. Grenetine is the type of person that thinks that is crucial for one to make things by themselves. So she not only rathers to work alone but also doesn’t offers a lot of help. She also is the type that takes very seriously responsabilities and duties... and she will always insist on them. She has a really strong determination. Always keeping a regal like posture.

The only exception is if she notices that the others are hopeless, in wich she’ll be more sweeter and helpful. Right now she has a soft spot for the “poor things” that are the Heartslabyul first years.

Those who talk to her outside academic situations see a different side: a more laidback girl who likes to have really long talks about anything. Some are even surprised of how easily she can change the topics. They also notice how she overanalyzes everything and how much she mutters. She’s a much more curious person and is willing to more things. This doesn’t mean she’ll do anything, she quickly realises when they are trying to take advantage of her.

Again, this is not easy to reach, so many consider appeal to the “duchess” as a last resort. This plus her cute looks gained her certain fame.

Alligment: Lawful Neutral

Skills:

Disappearance and appearance.

Hide presence and amplify presence.

Stunner spells.

Transformation spells.

Weapon summoning: The Pepper Grinder. This weapon has two forms: a hidden form that looks like a key and the other, the true form, a pepper grinder shaped gun. It also has three modes:

Non-lethal: the target weakens phisically but the proyectiles don’t actually harm them (they do hurt though)

Magic piercer: affects only to magical manifestations (force fields, magic levels, enchanted objects, etc). Magical beings can be harmed.

Lethal: self explanatory. Acts like a normal weapon but magical.

(Riku: I just checked a picture of this...You have a fucking machine gun?!)

(Grenetine: It is not a machine gun)

(Riku: It looks like a machine gun, it behaves like a machine gun, IT’S A FUCKING MACHINE GUN! How are you even allowed to summon this?!)

(Grenetine: A lady has her secrets)

Backstory: 

Grenetine was born as the second child from the duke D'Chessur and a noble lady from the infamous Manjary family. They have curse wich would turn them into pigs at some point of their life. Grenetine and her siblings knew from an early age what was coming for them as a lot of nobles excluded them, sometimes outright mocked, for “ruining” their family. She was the biggest target as she was the one that more resembled their mother (and also was very fat). 

Out of all her siblings, she was also the one that showed more magical potencial and more learning capacity. She was a very lonely child so she spent the time reading and developing a more analytical mind. 

One day, her grandmother, the last of the Lilyaceae line, decided to educate her to make her the heir to her county. During this time, Grenetine got fed up of the humilliations and decided to end the curse that ruined her life. 

She, along with her father, spent years finding several clues of the curse’s origins. Then, they discovered that all of them lead to Night Raven College. So when she recived an invitation from the institution, she didn’t think it twice.

Theme song: “Fairytale”- Alexander Rybak

Relationships within the dormitory:

Riddle: It’s complicated. He doesn’t like her very much due her noble status, but at the same time, he kinda wants the approval of an actual noble. He’s also annoyed by the fact that she spends zero time at the dorm yet somehow became quite popular. On the other hand, she avoids him as much as she can. She thinks he hates her guts and it reminds her too much to the court at home. Still tries to please him, she has better thing to do than to face the leader’s wrath.

Ace: Not friends but not total strangers. He likes her better when she’s sweet and willing to help, especially on school problems. She thinks he’s quite likable but doesn’t trust him too much. They usually have long conversations.

Deuce: Similar to Ace’s. They do bond a lot more due their similar interests. He’s impressed by her and is very curious about the whole curse investigation. She also prefers her on her sweeter side but understands and respects her work mood. This is why Grenetine prefers him a little more over Ace.

Trey: Just like the rest of the dorm, Grenetine trusts Trey as a deputy. Surprisingly, he seems to prefer her more serious side, as she’s one of the few that can get work done right. However, they do clash a lot, mostly due to her “stay out of the dorm troubles” policy. He’s one of the responsable to drag her back.

Cater: Also complicated. Cater likes to tease her everytime he gets the chance, wich she dislikes. Nevertheless, they actually enjoy each other company, as they surprisingly discuss more mature themes. Grenetine considers their interactions as necessary break. She allows herself to be sarcastic and intentionally rude with him. Along with Trey, Cater is the other responsable for bringing her back.

Jolly: Her cat companion, her family adopted him along with his siblings when Grenetine found the abandoned as kittens. Jolly is more than a mere pet for her, is a dear friend. She’ll constantly demand respect for him. She’s one of the few people who Jolly likes to talk to as she likes to listen him.

Relationships outside the dormitory:

Dahlia (another OC): They are bests friends. They met due to a similar interest in flowers and haven’t separated since then. Dahlia is one of the few who can influence her and usually dissuades her from her more unhealthy habits. Grenetine is one of the few who knows Dahlia’s complete backstory.

Idia: Even less than acquaintances. Since she’s friends with Dahlia, she has spent a lot of time at Ignihyde. He kinda reminds her of her older brother in personality. He thinks she talks too much but sometimes makes very interesting questions.

Chausiku (another OC): Not really friends but they get along and hang a lot together. Chausiku likes that Grenetine isn’t a princess like girl or a rich spoiled brat. Grenetine admires her determination but doesn’t share her goals. She also kinda wishes to have Chausiku’s imposing presence.

Ruggie: They have a relationship totally based on favors (Grenetine pays him to do some simple jobs for her, usually in form of either money or baked pastries). On ocasions, they have worked together to keep order. They interact mostly through Chausiku. Ruggie is actually disgusted of how insanely rich her family is, but doesn’t reject being paid. She thinks he’s competent enough and a little greedy but doesn’t blame him for that.

The Tension Quartet (again, OCs): Grenetine serves as some kind of judge for them. This often translates to keep them out of trouble. Even though they hang a lot, she mostly keeps herself professional.

(Riku: Take a shot for everytime “one of the...” appears.)

Phrase: "You can't spend a day doing nothing! There's always something to do"

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 36-42

DAY THIRTY-SIX [FEB 6]

8:30 AM - Make a chemex and get to work.

10:00 AM - Pineapple!

12:45 PM - Heat up cheesy red lentil soup for lunch with a La Croix. 

4:00 PM - Do a 10-minute Peloton ride and a barre class. Barre class gets interrupted as I get text updates for the grocery order. I kind of end up half-assing it toward the end but I’m glad I got it done. 

5:45 PM - Prep the kitchen for the grocery order – incoming of bread, greens, tomatoes, onions, garlic, tempeh, tofu, tortillas, tortilla chips, pretzels, apples, jalapenos, lemons, limes, cabbage, cilantro, vegan sour cream, rice, chickpeas, pinto beans, frozen burritos, bell peppers, eggs, parsley, ginger, BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, grapes, sprouts, brussels sprouts, green beans, miso, cloves, frozen pizzas, hamburger buns, plant yogurt, cucumber, carrots, chipotle seitan sausages, tomato paste, broccoli, bananas, celery, potatoes, clementines, hashbrowns, red lentil pasta, dijon, seltzer, pineapple, dark chocolate, strawberry jam, vegetable bouillon, zucchini, mushrooms, dried oregano, radish, & snap peas. $342.39

7:00 PM - roast potatoes and make veggie sandwiches. Drink a hibiscus mezcal cocktail too. MAX RELAX for the rest of the eve. It’s Friday baby!

 DAY THIRTY-SIX: $342.39

DAY THIRTY-SEVEN

9:30 AM - Slept in weird vibes. Feel tingly when I stand which means blood pressure is bad. We are seeing friends today and I don’t want to power through it so I just drink some soy sauce. It does wonders and I’m feeling better within 30 minutes. Make a Chemex and watch an episode of dessert person.

10:30 AM - Head out to our pals’ house (If you read my last diary series, they’re the people we used to go to Suns games with) in uptown Phoenix for an outside hang. We meet their new baby and he is super cute. Hang out 10 feet apart and it feels so normal and chill. I also find out that I apparently qualify for the vaccine because I work to facilitate education, so I need to look into that.

2:45 PM - K and I haven’t eaten today and we’re starving. We split a Daiya pizza and eat snack on chips and salsa while we wait. I also eat a clementine. 

5:30 PM - Feel my body starting to fade and I’m kind of barred out. Decide to walk to the lake. I do a bad job of getting my HR up but I still enjoy my time outside. 

8:00 PM - I’m not hungry at all from all the salt. Decide to eat a small bowl of cheesy lentil soup for dinner but mostly just pound the water while working on a post for oil-free Greek dressing.

8:30 PM - I notice someone posts a sample sale for Splits 59 which is one of my favorite workout brands. I’m hitting 250 Pure Barre classes this week and use it as an excuse to celebrate. Buy 2 pairs of leggings and a cute tank. $70

10:00 PM - Definitely at that point in the day where I feel like I’m just passing time.

DAY THIRTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $70.00

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT

8:45 AM - Spend some time in bed adjusting my fantasy bball team. Still set to be undefeated in the more competitive league. Eventually make a chemex and post my oil-free greek dressing around the web. 

10:30 AM - I listen to a session on Mined, cook brunch (tofu/egg tacos with soyrizo) and and frantically get ready for M’s baby’s 1st bday. 

1:05 PM - Arrive at the party… what I thought was going to be just me, M, his wife, his mom, and his kid is actually them plus 6 other people hanging in the backyard. Not my favorite thing I’ve had to deal with this pandemic. Everyone is outside/masked. I learn that 2-3 of them have already been vaxxed but it’s still kind of a weird situation for me. I know if K was with me it would be bad news, so I am grateful he stayed behind today.

2:00 PM - Hightail it outta there once 4 more people show up. Listen to music really loud in the car and scream some lyrics on my way home. Feels good man.

2:45 PM - Continue listening to tunes at home, digging thru my Spotify discover weekly for the first time in a while and building a set that I want to record sometime next week.

3:15 PM - K’s brother and wife stop by and we do an outside masked hang with them for about an hour and a half. We haven’t seen them since December of 2019 so this is really really great.

6:00 PM - K and I keep talking about getting takeout but nothing sounds good so we just decide to do veggie sandwiches and potatoes. Drink wine.

7:00 PM - I decide to work on my tax stuff all evening instead of exercising. It takes 2 hours but I get all of my stuff together and send it to the guy. Pour myself a celebratory glass of wine after.

10:00 PM - K and I watch Beverly Hills Ninja in bed. I’d never seen it before and it was so good.

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $0

DAY THIRTY-NINE

8:00 AM - Chemex. Pure barre weekly charge. $15

10:00 AM - A local bar down the street has been closed since March and a pal posts a GFM on their behalf. I donate to it. Eat a banana and a clementine $50

11:30 AM - Prep salad for the week - greens, gochujang tempeh, miso dressing, soba noodles, snap peas, carrots, and cucumber. Finish about 2 minutes before a call and I’m scrambling to appear composed.

5:30 PM - Do a pure barre livestream while K runs to go pick up dinner from a local vegan spot. K gets a fried chicken seitan sandwich and I get a burger. It’s really really delicious and I’m super stuffed after.

DAY THIRTY-NINE TOTAL: $65

DAY FORTY

8:30 AM - Chemex. Work is still kind of wild but I make a lot of progress on my report this AM so I’m feelin’ good there.

9:30 AM - Banana and clementine.

12:00 PM - Salad.

4:30 PM - Try to do a PB live stream (my 250th class) but Zoom’s server is being weird so I do a 30 min Peloton ride instead with a 5 min stretch.

6:00 PM - Veggie sandwiches with potatoes for din again. 

8:00 PM - A friend from highschool, N, and I chat and it’s really really great. I drink 2 glasses of wine while we catch up. 

DAY FORTY TOTAL: $0

DAY FORTY-ONE

8:30 AM - Oof my quads are sore. Make a chemex.

10:00 AM - Eat a banana.

11:00 AM - We’ve been dragging on the KN95 thing but decide to go for it today. Buy a pack of 50 in assorted colors, some Healthy Blood iron from Garden of Life, and poop bags for the dog. (Counting this expense as “home”) $98.04

12:00 PM - Spend time doing an analysis that doesn’t really tell me much but it was worth looking into. Eat gochujang tempeh salad

2:00 PM - I have a zoom scheduled with a work pal who I haven’t seen in forever. She tells me (much like the few others) that we qualify for the vaccine. I decide to make the appointment based on her feedback and after 40 minutes of messing with the system was able to get in on Feb 19.

5:00 PM - Take my 250th Pure Barre class! I am sweaty and it’s great.

6:45 PM - K isn’t really hungry so I eat the last of the red lentil soup.

7:30 PM - We have plans to see a friend in town from Ohio. Meet up with him at his hotel and sit on the front patio masked up for a while. I am mostly cold and have to pee.

9:45 PM - We arrive back home. I snack on a few pretzels, drink a glass of wine, eat some grapes and some dark chocolate.

DAY FORTY-ONE TOTAL: $98.04

DAY FORTY-TWO

8:30 AM - Chemex. My allergies are bad this AM. Send emails out - looks like my tax return is going to give me $1200 but then I owe $200 on my state. I always owe on state. One day… Also send a note to the loan guy who says I’m definitely going to close tomorrow at 8AM so we shall see.

10:30 AM - Tax invoice comes in. $220

11:00 AM - Boil some more soba noodles for salads. I’m basically going to be in meetings until 4:30 PM today so I’m trying to get ahead of all my stuff. Also do a check for all of the house painting things that came over the past week. Looks like it’s all here and I can start painting this weekend!

12:00 PM - Make salad in between calls and crack open a La Croix.

4:30 PM - My calls are done, do a 10 minute Peloton climb ride and then do a Pure Barre stream.

8:00 PM - Eat the last of the veggie sandwiches for dinner. Drink 2 glasses of wine and some dark chocolate. Something about tonight is off in my brain. I don’t have the capacity to be productive so I just watch episodes of The Challenge on my laptop while K plays Rocket League.

DAY FORTY-TWO TOTAL: $220

[thesmithfamily08]

October 13th 2020

So much has happened!  Kids started school and we as of this evening have made it through the first 9 weeks of school!!! Penelope Got Mrs. Butts, I don’t think I knew yet last time I wrote on this.  Well school is going great for all three kids!  Penny is bringing home all 100% on pretty much everything her grades are all 100% of 98% haha, her teacher always tells me how sweet she is to everyone and friends with everyone!  Max’s work definitely got more difficult this year but he is doing fantastic with it!  He went head first into multiplication and division, he is learning cursive which he is soo much better at than his regular handwriting.  He is reading chapter books in one sitting just for fun at home all the time.  We just got his reportcard yesterday too and he has all high A’s!  So proud:) Lily teacher Mrs. Soto tells be weekly how much she loves lily and her little personality.  She says she is super helpful in class and friends with everyone.  She got her test results back and is well above average and got all 1′s on her report card, which is the best you can do in kindergarten.  I’m so happy they they are all getting to go to school in person and they are all doing so well.  It has been a crazy year no doubt and I’m grateful that they are getting a little bit of normalcy back in their life.

I’m not sure if I put it on her before but the girls started ballet too which has been great, they are going to have a recital in May which I am overwhelmingly excited to get to see :)  They wanted to start girl scouts but none of the troops around here are doing anything so it was easier to just skip it this year.  Max is doing scouts again, we moved him to another troop in Owasso and his best friend Mateo joined the new troop too!  It worked out super well they are actually doing things!  We went camping with them just a couple weekends ago and the weather was perfect.  They got to shoot bb guns, bow and arrows, and sling shots!  We went on a hike, and they even did a random plank contest which Penny won after 5 minutes!  We were all a little impressed with her abilities!

Rob started school virtual but they ended up switching back after 2 weeks or so.  Now he has some kids still doing virtual and some in class so he is having to keep up with both which has been a lot of extra work for him.  He seems to be managing alright though.

Max’s birthday party was last weekend!  He is turning 9 in two days!  How did that happen his last year in single digits, I’m not even ok with that.  We did a campout in the back yard.  We had 9 boys here!  Ended up only having 6 stay the night but it was really great.  They made rockets and shot them off in the back yard and Rob brought home his sling shot and they shot tennis balls with it.  We did a campfire obviously and roasted smores and we even watched Onward on the projector outside on the shed.  It was a super great party! 

So what else is going on around here, I’m kid free 7 hours a day 5 days a week.  That happened.  Which is crazy, awesome, nice, sad, but really I’m just about as busy as I always have been.  I just accomplish more because I don’t have to stop ever now and again to help someone.  I’m trying to get a few smaller projects and what not done around the house.  I still feel like there isn’t enough time in the day but I’m so very much thankful that I get to do what I do everyday so we can just have evenings filled with hanging out and not cleaning and running errands. Today I’ve been working on the garden, the weather has been wonderful lately so I’m trying to get the garden kid of cleaned up for next year.  Currently I’m spreading out the strawberry pants because they are getting too over crowded to the point they wont produce much fruit next year.  We haven’t had out first freeze yet this year but all I have left still growing is watermelon, bell pepper, jalapeno, and banana pepper plants.  Plus one random tomato plant which is doing fantastic. 

It is almost election day and I’m a total mess about it.  They are currently questioning the next supreme court justice to fill RGB’s spot before the election which will make the court 6 - 3 republican.  It is all a little overwhelming.  I have hope that Biden will pull out a win and the Nation can get some of its dignity back but I don’t know if I will be surprised at this point if Trump wins again.  A lot of people have already voted due to covid they are voting online but I’m going to wait until November 3rd and vote in person.  I feel like I need to see my vote being counted. November 3rd could be a really happy day, or not...we will just have to wait and see.

On the note of covid we have had 215000 people die in the United States since March.  It seems to be getting worse everywhere but no one is stopping doing anything.  I mean including me, we just had 9 boys over here for a birthday party last week.  Masks are required in most stores and and buildings, parks and what not are open, (except the new zoo park) :( My uncle got it but he is fine now, I know Rob has had a lot of students who have had it and recovered, I still don’t really know anyone who has died from it other than my moms neighbors in Claremore.  Disney world still isn’t back open like normal and I’m currently trying to think of a back up plan for next year just incase we decide to try something different. My grandma has canceled Christmas and Thanksgiving so that is kind of a bummer, but I think it was the right call.  I am curious what they are going to do with Mall Santa...will the kids get to sit on his lap and tell him what they want?  Maybe we will just have to write letters this year.  Weird times we are living in.

I started a fitness journey, I have stayed relatively the same weight since before I had kids.  It has been work to stay at that point but I’ve always tried to lose weight and finally get into good shape that I can be proud of.  Well I finally have made some progress, although it has been drastically slower than I would have ever imagined but still I am moving forward everyday and proud of my accomplishments.  I went from 120 to 112.2 in the past 6 weeks.  My goal is to get between 100 and 105 by Christmas.  I think I can do it it isn’t even Halloween yet.  Hopefully next time I post on this I have more good news and not “welp that didn’t last long” haha!

[benjamingarden]

This Month On The Farm: September 2020

September officially marks the end of summer and I am tomato'd out!  As noted in previous posts, it was a toasty one here this year, as it was for so much of the country, so I am very much ready to move on to the next season.  Bring on the pumpkin spice everything (yes, I am THAT person).

Starting last week our walks around the yard consist of a crisp crunching under our feet.  Our trees are not only changing to their fall colors but are also shedding them quite quickly thanks to some much needed rain.  And so, leaf raking season begins.

I am still toggling between hot and iced coffee, depending on the day.  We've two had days of almost frost and more opportunities are on their way.  I celebrated fall by ordering two new sets of our very favorite flannel sheets from LL Bean.  We replace our well used sheets every few years.  They are expensive but honestly the BEST flannel sheets we've tried.  With the bitter cold winter temps we receive for 5 months of the year, it's well worth it.

Jay also finished building both a food storage pantry space in our basement plus and large pantry shelving unit to go behind the door that leads to the basement.  This has really allowed us to stock up nicely.

Putting Food Up

With the summer garden completed the fall garden is focused on winter squash, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, greens, and beets.  Food preservation is mostly complete.  I planted way too much cabbage so I was able to shred quite a few heads, blanch and then freeze them.  It will be perfect for soups, stir fry's, and unstuffed cabbage casserole.  I've left a few heads in the garden to use up before the first freeze is on the horizon.

I was successful in getting enough green beans for plenty of fresh eating and enough leftover for the freezer.  My goal was a minimum of 20 servings in the freezer and I believe I will make it.  Good thing I planted more late summer!  I was also successful in keeping up with the tomatoes.  I think I only lost 4 or 5 to rot, getting the others either tossed in the freezer for future processing or processed on the date of picking.  We have a ton of tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, and oven-roasted cherry tomatoes for sauce, pizza, pasta dishes, etc.  I'm planning to grow greens into the winter so I haven't worried about getting those put in the freezer.  I've already roasted and froze some pie pumpkins and winter squash.    My husband's favorite stuffed jalapenos are in the freezer along with 10 bags of sliced bell peppers and 4 bags of roasted poblano peppers ready to stuff or use in soups or enchiladas.

Also in the freezer I have some bags of corn, mixed vegetables (green beans, carrots, corn and onions), corn salsa (corn, poblano peppers, and onions) as well as mirepoix (celery, onion, carrots) for soup making.  We have 6 bags of frozen strawberries, 4 bags of frozen blackberries, and 6 bags of frozen shredded zucchini for future baking.  Speaking of baking, we have many loaves of zucchini quick bread, a couple batches of chocolate zucchini cake baked as cupcakes, and quite a few batches of chocolate chip zucchini muffins and zucchini crumble muffins all in the freezer.   Those recipes are so moist that they freeze perfectly.  I've also been making a ton of homemade chicken stock.  We buy whole chickens from a local farmer friend and I cut them up and make stock with the carcass.  I freeze the stock in mason jars for use during soup and stew season.  

Good thing we now have 3 stand-alone freezers!

In the cupboard we have canned pickled jalapeno slices, cucumber relish, salsa, tomato jam, and enchilada sauce.  We dried garlic, onions, elderberries, herbs, and pumpkin seeds, and harvested over 20 pounds of sweet potatoes that are cured and stored away.

In The Coop

Feathers.  Feathers everywhere.  That's what you'll find in the coop.  We have hit molting season so every morning it looks like the Coop Girls had a pillow fight the previous night.  Unfortunately this also means they are laying very few eggs.  In the years past we would have added new girls in spring so they would be laying while the older girls are molting but not this year.  Because we're working on reducing our flock size we won't have younger girls laying during molt season for a few more years.  So, we've increased their protein to help their aging bodies with the change and wait for their new feathers to emerge.

Oliver

Oliver is acting a lot more like Emerson now.  We noticed this about 6 months after Emerson, Ollie's brother/litter mate, passed away almost 2 years ago.  He never used to be interested in food much at all whereas Emerson was obsessed with food.  Well, Oliver is now obsessed with food.  This isn't a bad thing, necessarily, because at least he eats without much effort now.  It's just very funny to see the transition.  Despite him taking on Emerson's food obsession, he's still sensitive and quirky Oliver who requires sticking right by my side, has a dislike of trash cans, shakes when the vacuum cleaner is running, and absolutely detests all white trucks and minivans (both of which the only neighbor that he can see has).

I am taking full advantage of the last of the nice days to keep my sensitive little man preoccupied.  Because he is truly glued to my side all day, I can keep him (somewhat) happy if the temps are relatively warm and there is sunshine on the deck.  So, I lure him outside whenever I can and race to get as much accomplished indoors as possible before the barking to be let in begins.

What I've Been Reading

I've actually had time to read!  I'm so happy since I absolutely adore getting lost in a book.  So my evenings and early mornings were spent with a cup of (herbal) coffee and a book.  The first few books I've read are memoirs about country living or homesteading and I've thoroughly enjoyed each of them.  

So far I've read (affiliate links):  Follow Me To Alaska, by Ann Parker, Woodswoman: Living Alone In The Adirondack Wilderness by Anne LaBastille, Homestead, by Jane Kirkpatrick, Good Husbandry, by Kristin Kimball, Mud Season, by Ellen Stimson, Winds Of Skilak, by Bonnie Rose Ward, The Feast Nearby: How I Lost My Job, Buried A Marriage, And Found My Way By Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, And Eating Locally On $40.00/Week, by Robin Mather, and Flat Broke With Two Goats, by Jennifer McGaha.  

My favorites were Good Husbandry, Follow Me To Alaska, and The Winds Of Skilak (and the follow-up book).

I also read a few fiction books in September.  My favorites have been (affiliate links): The Tourist Attraction, by Sarah Morgenthaler, The Year Of Pleasures, by Elizabeth Berg, and The City Bakers Guide To Country Living: A Novel, by Louise Miller.  I thoroughly enjoyed each of these - the writing styles, the fluidity, the characters and how they were developed, and the stories themselves.

Jackson, my meal planning assistant....

Stews, Soups, And Casseroles, Oh My!

I adore the change of season not only because of the weather but also because of food.  I've started to put soups, stews, and casseroles on the menu and am back to making bread.  These are all comfort foods for me and I happily anticipate making them every year.  Fresh corn soup, roasted tomato soup, veggie stew with biscuits (chicken added to Jay's), chili and cornbread, and oatmeal honey bread for breakfast have all made their way to our table.  

Speaking of meals, I've settled into monthly menu planning which is easiest for me since we are so well stocked up.  You can see October's meal plan (dinner only) in the photo above.  If there are 2 listed then I'm making something different for Jay and I.  You'll also see that I don't mind eating the same thing more then one day a week which also saves me time at dinner prep.  Jay is not a fan so he eats his leftovers at lunch.

What We've Been Making

Our farmer's market has remained somewhat busy as we're still getting quite an influx of locals and tourists.  So many things have changed this year that we have no idea what to expect from one week to the next.  One thing that does stay the same though are our seasonal products, and our fall line is finally out!  It's my absolute favorite group of soaps: Pumpkin Crunch Cake, Apple & Sage, Cinnamon & Raw Honey, Chai Tea Latte, and Pumpkin Cheesecake smell soooo delicious.  We've just made the winter soaps as well which will be available the beginning of November.

That's September around the homestead!

This Month On The Farm: September 2020 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[blackthumbgardenjournal]

8/18/2020

We’re in the midst of a heatwave, which sucks for us, but is great for a lot of my plants. So, I decided to give it another try and plant some seeds that were recommended for a fall harvest. 

First, I’m trying to grow pepper plants again. I planted three types of peppers (Violet Sparkle, Lipstick, and the Japanese Purple). I had failed completely when I first started gardening. All of my pepper plants died. I had one last Japanese Purple (not real name, but I can’t remember off the top of my head) one remaining, but in the last couple of days, the last of the leaves fell off. I bought this interested self-watering seedling set-up, and it’s been great since I won’t accidentally overwater the seedlings. I check the dirt everyday to see if it’s still moist, and when it starts feeling dry, I re-fill with water. I’m seeing the first of the sprouts come out. 

I’ve been trying to be more hands-off with my watering. I bought a sprinkler contraption for my front lawn plus a bluetooth faucet timer, but the hoses keep  falling off with any sort of water pressure, so I need to figure that out. Meanwhile my lawn has completely turned brown, so, frankly, I’m not terribly rushed to fix the sprinkler. 

I also bought these plastic self-watering globes for my container plants. I thought I’d just fill it up, and then it would slowly water over a few days. So, when I ever get to go on vacation again, I won’t come back to dead plants. However, I’m not sure if I’m doing it wrong or because of the heat wave, but they drain super quickly and I have to re-fill it daily. It kind of defeats the purpose, but I do notice that my plants seem healthier since the water is coming from deep in the dirt, instead of showered from on top. 

The ceramic pot in the middle is my new (kind-of-expensive) strawberry pot. Yes, I’m trying to re-grow my strawberries because none of the plants survived from the first go-around. You can see the little pockets ringing the pot where I can plant seeds as well. I think the combination of the pot and the low-splash watering from the globe is actually helping as they seem to be sprouting all over.

It was also recommended that in my region to plant squash and other vining plants, so I cleared out a space in my side yard, added potting mix to the top to help with the seeds, and planted pumpkins, watermelons, and zucchini. I wasn’t expecting too much because the soil is so-so, so I planted double seeds in case only one sprouted. But, the combo of good watering and lots of sun, and all the seeds seem to be sprouting. I have no idea if I should thin them, or hope it doesn’t interfere with each other. I guess we’ll just have to see. 

Notice the black grids around it? They’re cat-proof plastic. It has little plastic nubs to make it uncomfortable for cats to go on them but not harm them. I didn’t want our local stray cats to accidentally dig up the seeds and use this cleared area as a litter box. It actually seems to be working. This area wasn’t disturbed at all. I actually had it fully covered until the plants sprouted, and then moved them to the outer perimeter. They’re held down with earth staples. 

Close look at the sprouts. This growth is just over a week or so, which is astounding to me. However, I won’t jump for joy quite yet, because I seem to have gotten the hang of getting the seeds to sprout, but I have yet to have a huge amount of luck getting plants to fruit. Plus, once the roots hit the native dirt and me not thinning them out could kill them before anything else happens as well. 

Also, my family has really gotten into beets recently. They’re actually relatively hard to find, unless one pays farmers market prices, and Trader Joes is ALWAYS out of frozen beets. So, when I saw that it was a good plant to try for fall, I decided to get some seeds and try myself. They’re actually doing well!

I did try to thin them out a bit (yes, this is post-thinning). I just feel so bad pulling them out by their roots! Who am I to decide who gets to live and who must die for the good of the rest? Just because some grow faster and bigger than the others doesn’t mean the smaller slower ones deserve death?! Ok, yes, I need to work out some stuff here. But, anyways, I sort-of thinned them out until I felt too badly and stopped. They’re in my grow bag because I figured it’ll be easier to harvest them and then reuse it for other root veggies later without me having to really dig too hard. 

So, a couple of weekends ago, we decided to go to a local antique/gardening shop because we’ve been trying to find a good front gate that not only fits the dimensions of our fence but also fits with the style of the house, and this is really the only antique shop near us that carries outdoor stuff (most antique shops just do indoor furniture at most). Anyways, long story short, we parked in front of this house with the most gorgeous garden. The owner, an older man with his white hair in a thin ponytail, was out front watering the garden, so I said, “Your garden is beautiful! I wish I could keep plants alive the way you’re doing.” We got to talking (turns out he’s a well-traveled photographer) and it ended up with him giving us a few plants! I was so thankful, but also super intimidated. I mean, what a wonderful gift! I can’t just kill it within a few months like my other plants! Anyways, I found some nooks to plant them. I believe one is a chili plant of some sort, one is a yellow guava plant, and I can’t remember what the third is supposed to be (a curry plant?? Is that a thing?).

The chili plant

The curry (?) plant. Not pictured is the yellow guava. For some reason, its leaves got this weird burnt look right in the center of some of the leaves. So far, all three of the plants seem to be, if not thriving, at least surviving.

What isn’t surviving are these cute flowers I planted out front to try to alleviate the dreariness of my dead lawn. The photo is slightly off-center because it was taken by my toddler (I will call it artistic!), as it’s the only decent photo I have of it.

So, they were all in one pot. I split them up by ripping them away from each other, but with as much of the original dirt as possible. Yeah, they’re now just as dreary as my front lawn, if not more dreary since they were so bright and cheerful, and now they are gray and drawn, like my mood through a lot of 2020. I refuse to take a picture of them. 

My avocado plant is also getting a weird burnt-ish look:

Weirdly, other flowers seem to be thriving. It’s hilarious that I try to hard to keep some plants alive and they fail miserably (even if I buy the ones that are “suited” for my climate region) and others just pop out of nowhere and thrive without any care. It’s a metaphor for life, I swear. Anyways, at least it adds a pop of color to my yard. So, I’ll leave you with my usual flower photo.