#also the pics she sends me are from studies and her materials

[warpbud]

Love when my dermatologist cousin sends me pictures of a new fucked up skin horror every other day and its always without fail while im eating

[noa-ciharu]

Hi I just send this ask to say that your shitposts mean a lot to me. I reread the twitter ones like rereading fanfics

Awwww thank you!! ❤ I'm glad people enjoy it so much

Now I'm inspired to make this one (but unfortunately I don't have appropriate material from mangas to make it): Fai gets bored one day and we all know that never bodes for anything good. So he posts a booty shorts thirst trap captioned with "don't cha wish your depressed twink was hot like this?"

Family man Kurogane is checking Twitter next morning and what's the first thing he sees? His husband's ass. He nearly choked on coffee, Syaoran rushes to help him but then he sees pic of his mom and chokes on air. Mokona is thriving on this.

"You perverted mage what if my family sees this???" - said family are 3 disaster lesbians and they're currently having a field day. Even Ashura from afterlife is like "daaaamn I taught my boy well 🥺" #proudDisasterParentalFigure

Yuuko beside him sees the pic and she'd be damned if her depressed twink isn't the hottest one. So she visits Watanuki after 100 years just to throw booty shorts over his head. She also leaves a blue bird cuz symbolismTM. Watanuki is shocked and offended by the implications but this is the first sign he got from Yuuko in a century. Maybe he wasn't being slutty enough to replace her shop keeper position? Maybe if he complies she'd come back 🥺🙏

Next day Doumekis open Twitter and see Watanuki's booty thirst trap. Pic is printed in highest resolution, hanged in the living room and worshiped like a shrine.

One morning Kamui is scrolling through social media instead of studying, sees a new trend and needs no persuasion at all.

[power-of-plot]

Iida, Mirio, and Aizawa dating hcs please

Of course! But holy cow apparently this seriously inspired me, i hope this is ok xd

I I D A

Oh yes robot boi. Iida is someone nerdy in every aspect, his language even with close friends like Midoriya is very formal and polite, the same rule would apply when it comes to his significant other. Unlike what some would think, this doesn’t give your conversations a cold touch, on the contrary, it’d make him look chivalrous.

He’s a classic gentleman, he’d be the kind who opens the door and waits for you to walk in first or gives you his jacket when it’s too cold and you don’t have anything to cover yourself with, the second one would happen often in the classroom if you’re sensitive to cold. We are talking about U.A have you seen the measures of the classrooms and the entire area? It’s impossible they don’t have those huge air conditioners.

He highly respects the rules wich means, no PDA, on a certain level, no kisses to be specific. That doesn’t mean he won’t give you any affection, though every gear of his robotic soul is having a bad time working properly inside, he’d hold your hand or put his over your shoulder pulling you close when you’re sitting together. 

He definitely would do that thing of caressing you with his thumb. As you expected it from Tenya, this is a sort of robotic motion, his finger would move like a metronome but that doesn’t make it any less nicer, he is slow and gentle.

Honestly, he’d be nervous most of the time. ALSO! Tenya is very thoughtful, he’d ask (often verbally) if you’re okay with whatever he’d do, as times goes by the questions turn non verbal, for example he’d hold his hand above yours waiting for you to give green light or grasp it. 

“..Can i hold your hand?” “Sure!” “*DEEP INHALE AND BLUSH*” He couldn’t help to blush the first times. Specially on the firsT kiss but how would it be? A clasic scenenario after classes! And after you both have grown comfortable enough to each other’s touch. Seriously, if you like to go slow he's got you.

You two would be walking around in the campus after classes and he feels the tension grow.. he is analyzing every detail, he wants to ask but what if things get extremely awkward, he’s very tall- he’d have to bend down slightly (unless you’re nearly as tall as him) to do it so what if you flinch because it was unexpected.. he stops walking, he simply manages to say your name. You stared into each other's eye and then it happened, a big smile unexplainably forms in his lips complemented by a scarlet color across his whole face, his haircut made his head look like a strawberry.

There are going to be days you don't see him as much as you'd like, Tenya is very comitted to his hero patrols, he certainly would do extra hours from time to time or if the situation called for it. Let him know you like his hero suit! He’s thankful it has a helmet otherwise his flustered face would be exposed. 

Whatever position you cuddle in Iida would wrap his arms around you, not only that, he’d interlock his fingers so he has a nice grip. His cuddles would be the classic spooning or having your head on his shoulder with your arm over his chest and in case you worry about his arm, this guy doesn’t know limb numbness- he literally tenses and holds his arms up every five minutes.

He sends good morning/good night texts often on the weekends since you're practically living together thanks to the dormitory system, they vary depending on the day, some are a reminder to get a proper amount of sleep or! To get done with homework so you can enjoy your free time and maybe ask if he can go over to study *cough spend time together*

He'd send the classic heart emoji, very detailed but easy to comprehend videos explaining any difficult lesson and history related stuff like paint restorations or facts about iconic sculptures. Please don’t send him those videos of people accidentally breaking things on museums, he’s gonna feel like something breaks inside.

M I R I O

This ray of sunshine fell for you? Your luck is so big you’d get jackpot on a slot machine on the first try-. You’re undeniably going to be good friends with Tamaki and Nejire, specially her, expect to get questions one after another without the chance to reply when she finds out you’re Mirio’s significant other, Tamaki would take it way better.

Mirio’s goofyness and confidence combined with his feelings give a unique result: he literally spoke to the boss of mafia himself twice like he was the manager in a store, but, the case is different when you’re around, he’s saying and actually good joke and suddenly.. it goes away, his mind goes blank. “So what happened after Mirio..?” “Ah.. i had practiced a lot, i don’t know what happened haha my bad!”

You’re going to get tons of his jokes and something more “intense” such as the classic “What’s in your shirt?” to make you look down so he can boop your nose with his finger, you should expect some gentle headpats as well. 

If you’re shy he’s cool about it, he knows what do and adaptates to your pace, you’d start off with hand holding or rather pinky holding, he’d interwine his pinky with yours and show a bright smile. His hugs are the warmest, he doesn’t do it half-assesly, when you hug, YOU HUG, he uses both arms and slightly lifts you up! Height or strength are not a problem he’s actually one cm taller than Iida i just found out

He seems like the kind who loses their pen or eraser despite seeing it on their desk just one minute ago, if you happen to be that kind as well you’re both going to lay down your faith on poor Tamaki’s hands, i’m sure he has all his material complete.

He hardly ever gets nervous or scared by anything, things like the first kiss would go pretty smooth, instead of blushing intensely he’d just chuckle with slight disbelief, his mind is racing like “I just did that? woah!”. The biggest trouble for him would be gifts, he wants it to be perfect but asking Nejire for advice is not a good idea, roses are too formal and they don’t last long, going to the movies seems a little cliche.. his first gift would end up being a plushie of your favorite animal and a bamboo.

He’d sneak a kiss or two, specially before the class is begginning a training session, he’d send you a text telling you to go outside the changing rooms and oop! He phases through the wall poking out his head to give you a kiss kiss. If you don’t mind a prank from time to time he’d give a little scare using his quirk.

This guy is the big spoon during cuddles, no arguing! He could switch but as time goes by he’d slowly shift into the big spoon, that’s just the way he is, the most usual position would be where you’re facing each other with your limbs wrapping around the other’s body. Waking up with him would be adorable and attractive, morning and night are the only times of the day when his hair isn’t gelled into his All Might-like hairstyle, those blonde locks would frame his face, a heavenly sight.

Would send you a pic of stray animals he rescued with a “:D!” and Sir. Nighteye 'torturing' Bubble girl (half of his head visibly on a corner of the image). If you longed for a pet badly he would bring a nice dog/cat he finds around! In his hero suit to make the moment more special. 

He uses the smiling emojis and emoticons! And shares videos of animals he finds adorable, if you sent him fails videos he'd laugh as long as the falls don't seem extreme or too severe, small trips on the beach or slips on the snow are fine. Mirio sends gifs i just know.

A I Z A W A

Have you taken a look at him? You must be a big The Walking Dead fan to like him lmao. Aizawa gives me an unexplainable gut feeling that he'd prefer a civilian (perhaps quirkless?) significant other over a hero, he wouldn't want his partner to go into the same dangerous situations he does.

His affection is tired, let me explain, he'd hug you and all that physical stuff but it'd kinda feel like his arms fall limply around you, still, even with his minuscule clingyness he loves you with all his might! He doesn't fall for anyone.

Not very fond of PDA, in public he'd preferr temple/forehead kisses and having your hand on the crook of his arm instead of hand holding (thinking about it Iida would do that too), seems more discret and! you don't let go when his hands are busy. He'd initiates it by gently resting your hand on his arm and sinking his hand into his pocket.

Surprise! He does smile, not that maniactic-looking grin he has sometimes during his shifts at U.A when a student impresses him, this one is less wide but somehow more tender and sweet, he tilts his head and for once his eyes seem relaxed, a relationship would make his cheeks hurt.. either for he's not used to smile so much or he smiles more than he thought he would.

If you give him a cat.. that's a strong blow straight to one of his weakest spots, he'd stare both at you and the kitten with a dumbfounded look before picking it up in his arm like a baby, his hand gravitates towards his it's head giving some nice pets before he shows a rare and somewhat bright smile "Thank you very much." Next time have a camera ready damnit! That smile rarely shows up.

He's practical, he wants his gifts to be nice but useful as well. He’d get you those mugs with candies inside, you get the candy and you can use the mug later for your coffee or tea; a power bank with a nice color or design and in case he choses something smaller: a bamboo, those one don’t wither away. Aizawa is fine with whatever you get for him, big or small he appreciates it. Sweaters, scarfs and blankets would be his favorite thing to get though, he likes to stay warm while working late at night

He’s sneaky, as an underground hero he’s used to work at times when the streets look disolated and the dark crime has more freedom to do as it pleases, he wouldn’t want to wake you up unless you asked him to. He’d leave a note on is pillow with the time he wrote it at and a short loving phrase like “i love you, i’ll be back soon, good morning”, before he leaves he’d always lift the sheet up to your neck or drag it away if you seem to be kicking it off you and give you a small kiss.

You’d find him passed out in his sleeping bag with his laptop besides him at random spots of his appartment, if it wasn’t because of the unatura position he adopts to fit in his sleeping bag he’d give you a death scare ‘cause let’s be honest he doesn’t look one hundred percent alive even when he’s awake. “Shota..? Shota can you hear me?!” “I’m not dead.”

Hibrid of big-small spoon. Most of the times you cuddle he’s asleep and you go snuggle him, his hair is a mess so better prepare to get tickled all night. He pull you close the best way he can when you’re behind him, not very comfortable for his arm but it’s worth it. He’d have you like a pillow over him, his chin over your head and both arms around you.

This man doesn’t bother typing when he can use his voice, the only situations he uses regular text messages are when he’s on shift or with you sleeping next to him. Send him gifs of kittens and a ‘i love you’ it instanstly gives him a good mood! He’d send pics of cats he sees around and gifts he bought you, doesn’t use emojis.

*COLLAPSES ON THE GROUND* Big oof- requests are open.

[messymonologues]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 & 𝐌𝐘 𝐀𝐃𝐇𝐃 ✿❁✾❀

—

the basics (name, age, etc.):

-> maggie; 19; she/her; february pisces. raised in the american south but currently attending college in new jersey; pursuing a degree in diplomacy + international relations, on track for a 5 yr masters :)

-> i am christian and therefore have a very strong tie to my religion/ faith. i will not shame anyone for having different beliefs and have no desire to pressure anybody with my own religious beliefs in any way; however, you may see these beliefs reflected in some of the posts i make on this blog. my dedication to my faith has made a huge impact on how i have handled having adhd throughout my life, and it has helped me to personally cope over the years in much more healthy ways than if i had not had the stability & security of these core beliefs. that being said, read on for more facts about me & adhd!

some infodumping w/ more fun facts about me:

-> i’m a freshman in college and mentioned my major above, but i’m also hoping to go for a minor in east asian studies. i’m american so english is 1st but in total i speak 4 languages: english, fluent spanish, conversationally fluent korean, and basic japanese; i’m planning to learn mandarin chinese soon too :)

-> my mbti type is enfp (“campaigner”) !!

-> my favorite color is mint green & i love winter ❄️

-> unlike a lot of adhd-ers, i actually suck at art lol; however i write fiction on the side every now & then.

-> i love to travel and have visited 5 countries so far!

-> i don’t plan on putting any pics of myself on here but for curiosity purposes, i’m pale, short, + brunette.

-> that’s enough info dumping for now hehe but feel free to send more questions to my inbox <3 <3 <3

*all about my experience with adhd: (below the cut)*

my official adhd diagnosis:

-> i was diagnosed by an adhd specialist at around 6 years old with combined-type adhd (meaning i showed a combination of having both inattentive and hyperactive types present on my chart), and quite honestly i was told that my adhd levels were highly active and more elevated than a good amount of others with the same diagnosis. so basically, my adhd is fairly severe without being totally crippling. (in case you’re wondering how i treat my adhd: i tried various treatment options throughout elementary school and found that taking a prescription medication for it was the solution that helped me function the most; the dosage of the pill has fluctuated as needed over the years but i still take it every day as it does exactly what it should do inside my brain and makes my life a bit easier. however, i want to put in a disclaimer here to make it known that medication is not the only answer + doesn’t work for everyone the same way.) also, my adhd is genetic on my dad’s side!!

my most prominent symptoms & how my adhd typically presents itself:

-> my most common visible symptom is tics (aka fidgeting in ways that mimic a psych phenomenon called stimming, which describes physical motions that seem random but inexplicably provide release of stress from symptoms for neurodivergent ppl: i.e cracking knuckles, picking at nails or skin, playing with hair, etc.) but the rest of them are internal.

-> my other most common symptoms include: executive dysfunction, emotional dysregulation, rsd (rejection-sensitive dysphoria), decision paralysis, time blindness, object impermanence (“out of sight out of mind” except about pretty much everything not just material things), hyperfixation as well as hyperactivity, distractability, sensory sensitivity issues (specifically i just have an aversion to sudden loud noises like fireworks), and there’s no medical term for it but lastly, burnout/fatigue both physically and mentally.

nobody asked for this but anyways,, here’s some stuff that has helped me cope over the years:

-> reading books was my own personal escape mechanism as a kid. i’d get lost in a book whenever i felt like i was being too much, and then get so absorbed in reading that i’d tune out the world. it was very soothing for my hyperactivity and helped me establish a healthy outlet for my creative energy.

-> i’m not sure if all adhd-ers have this issue, but for me, caffeine has absolutely no effect on me. i can drink a monster/ red bull at bedtime and still get a full night of sleep; also, it doesn’t help me wake up in the mornings either. i cope with this by substituting the caffeine cravings with tea- all kinds- and tbh, tea has a whole lot of benefits that coffee does not! :)

-> you may have noticed that i didn’t include “impulsivity” as one of my symptoms above. this is because i learned at a young age how to curb my impulsiveness through playing a sport (which is one of the top recommendations for adhd-ers actually!), and i played volleyball for many many years. sports helped me control my impulsivity by giving me a place to exert all my quick bursts of energy and also taught me various kinds of self-discipline. it helps!!

-> adhd often (but not always) comes with the challenge of having an addictive personality due to the urge to access dopamine through means that aren’t always healthy, i.e substance abuse or repetitive bad habits. what worked well for me was to combat this dilemma by putting more time into hobbies and habits that make me feel in control of my energy whenever i find myself becoming addicted to or obsessed with a bad habit. this manifested over the years in the forms of: releasing pent-up energy by joining club sports, picking up a new book series to distract myself from the urge to cope with adhd in less healthy ways, writing as much as i want to & about whatever i want to in order to shift my focus from addictive coping habits to creative habits, and surrounding myself with friends whom i feel safe sharing my thoughts and emotions with (although they don’t always understand, they still lend me an ear & it really does help). of course, practicing mindfulness has also decreased how easily i get tangled up in a bad or addictive habit, since reflecting on those habits takes away the desire to obsess over them in a destructive manner.

-> it took me a very long time to realize that my intense emotions were not my fault and that what i was feeling was sometimes all due to rsd- i didn’t figure out how to handle them until late into my high school years. now that i know that my emotions are much deeper than those of the ppl around me, i’m learning to cope in much healthier ways instead of self-destructing/ shaming myself for my reactions. these coping skills include: distracting myself from situations where my emotion or reaction is caused only by rsd and not by an external factor by focusing my energy in a creative way that soothes the pain; using poetry or writing letters to myself to better process the emotions i am feeling and reflect on them in an observational- not judgmental- way; allowing myself to feel whatever i feel in the moment without letting myself be ashamed of the emotions or viewing them negatively; and (if my emotions are caused by another person) having an open-minded and honest conversation with whoever i feel has caused these emotions, where i gently express to them how i perceived whatever happened and inform them of the consequential emotions i reacted towards them with- this includes both good emotions and negative ones, as i am often overwhelmed by either of them. i still struggle with regulating them, so check out my navigation tag for rsd on my homepage for more!!

-> feel free to use any of these skills if you find that they help you overcome your own adhd roadblocks!

— back to navi

[venicechick]

What would the first steps into sw be for a young woman so she eases into it and doesn’t get played? I’ve already studied the bowl on here and irl for over a year and I recently started freestyling, but the men in my area are lowkey stingy and I can’t be away too much bc of uni so, any other things I could try? I admire you a lot and you inspire me to start this shit out right 🤞🏽

Hi dear

Read the last @asiansiren post. She explains it so beautifully and eloquently.

Depends what you want to do in SW.

You can post ads online and start escorting. I’ve also acquired a client using my hoe IG. I was targeting rich men in my area and other places liking their pics, and then checked who they follow and one of them noticed me and is now my client. I have cash app and Venmo links on my hoe Ig and twitter and sometimes men send me money.

If you’re interested in gold digging and a rich bf, you need to place yourself right in the middle of all the action, literally in front of these men. Some men won’t be a sponsor or bf material, but they can be useful getting you into events and such. Real courtesan is always travelling to all the hot spots and events. Always network. You can also target wealthy men on LinkedIn; try messaging them asking for advice or mentorship. It can legitimately help you with you career, if anything.

For now education first. Definitely get your degree.

I’m not a fan of online sites and have absolutely no patience for online dating. But you can use tinder bumble luxy to find men who’ll maybe fly you to NYC, LA, get $$$$$ and presents and you can take it from there. Swipe in NYC and other wealthy places. But I’d also say don’t waste too much time online. The real ballers are not online. But every now and then you’ll meet men who might be beneficial to you, for the lack of better options IRL.

Read “How to date like a courtesan” by Celeste Mgboli and you’ll learn what these ladies did in order to get to the richest men. One of them, La Paiva,had absolutely no chill 😆 She would follow her targets everywhere, find ways to get into the most exclusive events and made the second most powerful man in Germany, who was also much younger than her, fall in love with her and marry her. He built magnificent castles in her name. She ended up with him in her 40s. She was also not the best looking woman out there. Escaped from Russia, was born in a Jewish family and extremely poor.

She had extreme setbacks in her courtesan career when one of her lovers kicked her out and she was forced to start over and go back to brothel.

If she could do it, there’s no excuse for us. Luckily, we don’t have to overcome such adverse conditions.

I think you’re off to a very good start. I had absolutely no idea about any of this stuff at your age. You’re smart and have more info. So the game is on.

[sofiessketches]

NASASocial experience at JPL

This is a LONG one, so I’m gonna put it under a readmore! 

This was my first ever NASA Social, so I didn’t really know what to expect when I applied, what the chances were or what other sorts of people would be there. I was surprised I even got in, because compared to some of the other people I have very few followers, but I think there’s more to it than that! As Stephanie, the head of social media at JPL, said, “You were chosen for your insatiable curiosity, and for the stories you tell”. I really appreciate that the selection process was more about being a creator of SOMETHING that you truly care about.

I’ve been to JPL several times for tours and lectures, but it’s always exciting to come up to the front..there was a really long line, I’m assuming because of the event and also traditional media that was there to interview people.

Got my badge and headed in, and said good morning to the Curiosity model! (which I wish was as detailed as the real thing..I still love her tho. I’ve just been spoiled having gone on tours and doing a lot of research on Curiosity that I was able to spot what’s missing..)

Admiring how the light hits her..er..Chemcam

I never get tired of looking at this piece, but this was the first time I actually checked out the plaque next to it, which had a helpful diagram!

An installation displaying the information from the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and GRACE Follow-on missions, which in the words of my friend Sirina, shows us how screwed we are, in a beautiful way! I also realized the reason the screens are this shape is because the spacecraft are shaped like that...!

JPL’s inspiring slogan in a beautiful geometric typeface B)

We got to the meeting/conference room, with portraits of all JPL’s past and present directors around. The last seat at the front table appeared to be taken by the Mars 2020 wheel, so I asked if I could sit there with the wheel, and my day was made! I have to admit this may have been the highlight of my day. One of the first JPL-specific drawings I did was a study of an image Curiosity had taken of her own wheels on Mars, and after that I read a lot about how the wheels worked and how the design was less than ideal..it makes me happy to see the next iteration and how it’ll work out!

No pointy grousers for the sharp Mars rocks to snag on here!!! Just this...veeeeery shallow S-curve.

Everyone hanging out and social media-ing before the event began, waiting for more people to get there. I happened to sit next to a couple people I had pre-stalked on Twitter from the list they made of participants!

LOSING MY MIND EVEN MORE THAT WE COULD TOUCH AND PICK UP THE WHEEL???!?!!? It was pretty light, since it was a 3D model and not made of actual aluminum.

Lookin cute together. This is Kevin Baird, an awesome photographer! The only patches we had in common were the NASA meatball (not even the same one, though) and the SOFIA patch, which was strangely almost in the same spot on both of our jackets.. (on the back left side)

Then Stephanie, JPL’s social media head, came and proposed to us with space grade aerogel, and of course we all said yes. 

After an introduction, Linda, another social media expert at JPL, brought over a top secret looking box, which she explained will have some cool graphics relating to Mars 2020 on the front and inside soon (excited to see that!!)

Inside were material samples of several components of Mars 2020, including the many layered thermal blanket, the ropes that will lower the rover onto the surface of Mars (which can hold the weight of 1 car EACH, and the rover will be suspended by 80 of them) as well as the parachute material (orange), which was remade for better strength and lightness. 

We also got to hold a replica of the sample cache tubes that Mars 2020 will be filling!

At 10:00, the event we were there for, the State of NASA, came on (a budget rollout explaining briefly how much money the government will be giving to NASA in 2021 and what it’s for) so we watched Jim Bridenstein in front of some incredible engines...

And I just..get excited when I see the rover on the screen ok..

There was a super cool internal view of how the Mars 2020 will be depositing sample caches! The video is below:

Anyway, the budget rollout declared 22 billion to NASA and 3.3 billion of that to the development of the human landing system, which will go toward landing humans and science on the moon for the Artemis program. You can read more here about this.

After that, Director Watkins and Dr Zurbuchen came to answer questions, and we learned a bit about Mars Sample Return, and the mission that will come before that but after Mars 2020, which will map icy areas in Mars’ poles. (Really looking forward to learning more about that!!) I gave Dr Zurbuchen some stickers I made and he gave me his card......!

Soon after, we headed to the Science building, to learn about MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) (I’ve noticed, the bigger the budget on these missions, the more effort they put into making the acronyms for everything sound cool) This technology demonstration is on Mars 2020 to prepare for larger scale carbon dioxide to oxygen conversion from Mars’ atmosphere for human use. This size of MOXIE creates only about enough oxygen to keep a small dog alive. Still impressive!!!

Wandered around the MOXIE lab a little and took a peek at the rest of what was on the walls and tables..

After that, we went to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, where Mars 2020 was not, but that’s a good thing! I’m actually not sure which part is in the box there.. but soon after we left, it left too!

Teeny tiny Mars 2020 model hidden at the end of the viewing area...

Best.

At the indoor mars yard, a couple InSight engineers talked to us about how they use this area to test software before they send it to Mars. Here from left to right are the engineering models for Mars2020, InSight, and Curiosity.

Her name is Maggie!

One of my goals in life is to be able to stand in front of the arm and draw it until I understand what the hell is going on.

Also going to insert some pics I took last week because I was lucky enough to get a tour from my friend Sirina, where there were engineers inside working on the arm:

Next, we headed to the Mars Sample Return testbed!

It makes me excited to be in the rooms with dirt regolith inside.. also SmalBoSSE is the best acronym I’ve seen all day...

The “volleyball” that Mars 2020′s sample caches will eventually be stored in, to be fetched by another rover, launched into orbit around Mars and picked up to be sent back to Earth! 

More freaking out about rover wheels. This is a prototype of one that will be on the rover to pick up the samples; the wire is slightly deformable which is great for offroad Mars action.

The rover will be a joint effort between NASA and ESA.

I love seeing these posters with hints of other projects going on. So cool!!

Last stop (cry) was Mission Control, aka The Center of the Universe, where all the data the Deep Space Network gets from spacecraft comes in.

The view from inside from my previous tour!

*eyes emoji when I see Mars 2020*

The darkroom and Curiosity’s Ace’s desk, where they send commands to Curiosity at 10:30AM Mars time.

Spitzer’s end of mission from Monday (top) vs the day after it was decommissioned (bottom).

Center of the Universe!!!

Ouagh don’t step on it! Well you can..

It was sad to say goodbye to our excellent guides, but we’ll be keeping in touch!! ;)

I also got a bunch of awesome pictures taken of me, which I was surprised by, because usually I’m the last one people take pics of..! 

My jacket, which they posted on JPL’s instagram... gosh!!!!!!

And some stickers/new business card design (did I post this here yet??) I gave to everyone I met!

Displayed at Shannon Forrey’s desk!

This was a truly amazing experience, my first time attending one of these events, I learned so much and had such a great time surrounded by inspiring and talented people. Thank you again to everyone at JPL who made it possible and to all the scientists and engineers who took the time to share their work with us! I’ll never forget this day.

Also, I want to make some art based off what I learned, so keep an eye out for that in the upcoming weeks!

[jancys-blue-bayou]

Good study sessions part 2 (Jancy smut, fluff)

Been busy with stuff and also hit a bit of a writers block so sorry about it being dry on the fic front recently. But got a few requests for more of modern AU Jancy sexting so added a second chapter to that story to try and get out of the funk. NSFW etc btw.

Also on Ao3!

Nancypants ❤️❤️: aw i will never get over how cute ur dick is y’know

Nancypants ❤️❤️: DIMPLES*!!!!

Nancypants ❤️❤️: fucking autocorrect

Nancypants ❤️❤️: srsly i meant dimples and nothing else

Nancypants ❤️❤️: they’re really really cute

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i don’t think ur dick is cute

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i mean i appreciate it VERY MUCH

Nancypants ❤️❤️: love it even

Nancypants ❤️❤️: but i don’t think cute is the right word to describe it y’know

Nancypants ❤️❤️: hm

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i wonder what is the right word?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: MAJESTIC perhaps?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: magnificent? GRAND maybe? what do you think?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: or do you not think about your dick like this?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i do

Nancypants ❤️❤️: think about your dick i mean

Nancypants ❤️❤️: a lot, periodically

Nancypants ❤️❤️: NOW for example

Nancypants ❤️❤️: studying is going well btw thank you for asking

Nancypants ❤️❤️: is it me who is a fast typer or you who is a slow one?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: remember when you BAMBOOZLED me with a dickpic when i was studying that time??

Nancypants ❤️❤️: that was a hekkin’ bamboozle, i still haven’t recovered

Nancypants ❤️❤️: but now you couldn’t bamboozle me like that y’know. now i’m prepared.

Nancypants ❤️❤️: frankly i’d appreciate one right about now

Nancypants ❤️❤️: HINT HINT

Nancypants ❤️❤️: HINT HINT HINT HINT

Nancypants ❤️❤️: joooooonaaaathaaaaaaaan i’m bored and just a lil bit horny answer pls

Nancypants ❤️❤️: also can you pick up food on your way home bc i’m also HUNGRY

Nancypants ❤️❤️:: but mostly horny

Nancypants ❤️❤️: but what a combo hey

Nancypants ❤️❤️: joooooooonaaaaaathaaaaaan

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: hey.

Nancypants ❤️❤️: HELLO THERE

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: first things first: i sent you the selfie you requested just before I entered that new chinese place you love to pick up dinner, and you sent all these texts after it in the matter of time it took me to walk in and place my order so YES IT’S YOU WHO IS A FAST TYPER

Nancypants ❤️❤️: omg yes chinese I LOVE YOU i want number 9 pls

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: i remember i got it for you

Nancypants ❤️❤️: I LOVE YOU

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: me or my dick or my dimples?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: ALL of you!!!

Nancypants ❤️❤️: but speaking of what word do you feel is most accurate? pls answer it’s for science

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: i really don’t know Nance.

Nancypants ❤️❤️: booooooooooooo

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i’m leaning towards MAJESTIC (with caps always)

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: noted

Nancypants ❤️❤️: what word do you think most accurately describes my pussy then?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: irresistible

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: and tasty

Nancypants ❤️❤️: well, you certainly typed that fast…

Nancypants ❤️❤️: and do you really think it’s tasty?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: i mean yeah

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: in its own way y’know

Nancypants ❤️❤️: no i don’t

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: yes you do you’ve already coaxed this out of me before

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i know but i wanna hear it again

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: well it’s sexy i think. and it certainly doesn’t taste bad. its you

Nancypants ❤️❤️: thank you

Nancypants ❤️❤️: btw

Nancypants ❤️❤️sent a photo

Nancypants ❤️❤️: BAMBOOZLE

Nancypants ❤️❤️: were you bamboozled?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: you were, weren’t you?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: no i wasn’t nance. you said yourself ur horny. you always send me nudes when ur horny. i was waiting for it

Nancypants ❤️❤️: hey now that is not true

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: you sent me 27 on saturday night

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i was also DRUNK tho

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: sure but mostly horny

Nancypants ❤️❤️: THE AUDACITY

Nancypants ❤️❤️: mister

Nancypants ❤️❤️: the sheer nerve

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: mmhm

Nancypants ❤️❤️: so

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: yes?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: ….?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: ?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: HOW ABOUT SOME DICKPICS GOD

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i gave you so many hints.

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: with hints you mean outright saying it and then adding hint hint?

Nancypants ❤️❤️: YES EXACTLY SO WHERE IS IT???

Nancypants ❤️❤️: I NEEDS IT, i’ve been going through my Jonathan is a studmuffin folder on my phone and touching myself for awhile now but there’s only so many pics in there i need more material

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: i’ll be home in like 15

Nancypants ❤️❤️: CAN’T WAIT THAT LONG

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: i’m waiting for our food nance

Nancypants ❤️❤️: so? they got a bathroom don’t they?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: well yes

Nancypants ❤️❤️: sooooooo go in there and give a girl what she wants damn

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i’ll make it worth your whileeeeee….

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: hang on

Nancypants ❤️❤️: !!!!

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️ sent a photo

Nancypants ❤️❤️: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancypants ❤️❤️: MAJESTIC

Nancypants ❤️❤️: fuck i love you

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: love u too

Nancypants ❤️❤️: are you still in the bathroom?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: yeah

Nancypants ❤️❤️: do you have your headphones plugged in?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: yeah why?

Nancypants ❤️❤️sent a video

Nancypants ❤️❤️: *narrator voice* MEANWHILE, AT THE LEGION OF HORNINESS

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: fuckkkkk nance

Nancypants ❤️❤️: sry its all shaky i’m not used to holding my phone in my left hand but i need my right one to jerk off

Nancypants ❤️❤️: maybe i should get a selfie stick

Nancypants ❤️❤️: to give you a better view of this stuff

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: ….i am not opposed to that idea no

Nancypants ❤️❤️: HAH bet ur not

Nancypants ❤️❤️: also this may be obvious but:

Nancypants ❤️❤️: i need you to PLOW ME as soon as you get home

Nancypants ❤️❤️: we can eat after

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: can i eat you out instead

Nancypants ❤️❤️: you really wanna spoil ur appetite before the chinese food?

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: yes

Nancypants ❤️❤️: and i am not opposed to THAT idea no

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: bet ur not

Jon-Jon aka Thumper ❤️❤️: food’s ready be home soon love you

Nancypants ❤️❤️: LOVE YOU

Nancy tackles him to the ground soon as he gets home. Thankfully he just had enough time to put the Chinese food down first, before a buck naked horny girlfriend flies into his arms and takes him with her down to the floor.

”Lil bit horny were we?” He remarks before Nancy’s lips are over his.

”Okay that may have been a litotes,” she answers when they break apart briefly for air.

”Litotes?”

”It’s the opposite of a hyperbol,” she clarifies while tugging off his jacket.

”Oh.”

”I got a bit carried away imagining this, what we’d do when you got home. And it kind of turns me on to rile you up when you’re out,” she hoarsely whispers in his ear.

”How do you think I feel knowing your waiting for me here like this…” he mumbles back before rising, picking her up with him. She lets out a pleased little noise at that and locks her legs around his waist while wrapping her arms over his shoulders to hold on.

She kisses him as he starts to carry her to their little bedroom. His hands are gripping her butt to keep hold of her and he helps himself to a squeeze which makes her yelp and giggle before she captures his lips again. She starts to tug his sweater over his head as he’s walking.

”Doorjam!” She warns as he can’t see for the moment. ”Left, left,” she guides him through to the bedroom before finally freeing him of the sweater and tosses it away. She makes quick work of his t-shirt the same way.

He gently sets her down on the bed and takes in the gorgeous sight of naked Nancy lying on the bed staring at him with fire in her eyes.

”You’re so beautiful,” he tells her and kisses her. She blushes. ”I wanna eat now,” he adds and starts to kiss his way down her body. She blushes more.

Irresistible is the word… tasty, exhilarating. It’s the biggest turn on in the world for him, this. Going down on Nancy. Feeling how wet she is. Making her wetter. Knowing he’s the cause of it. Hearing her sweet, excited moans in reaction to what he’s doing. Hearing her mumble his name and variations of ”fuck” and ”I love you”. Feeling her thighs wrap tightly around him when she gets particularly excited. Feeling her shudder and shiver and twitch. Getting her to places, making her climb higher and higher… it’s the sexiest thing in the world to him.

”Jonath…” she moans which tells him she’s close. She can never get through all the three syllables of his name when she is. Which he finds ridiculously hot. He intensifies his work with his tongue, slides another finger in and takes her over the edge.

He hovers above her, watching her as she comes back down again. She opens her eyes, sees him and pulls him down towards her and plants a big kiss on his lips.

”I love you so fucking much baby.”

”I love you too.”

Her hands slide down his body, roaming over his torso, down his stomach. She unbuttons his jeans and tugs at the hem. He quickly pulls them and his boxers off. She grasps his rock hard cock and jerks it.

”Majestic,” she giggles and winks at him.

He blushes.

”Mmmm yes… Jonathan…” she moans as he’s in her.

He really loves how vocal she is in bed. He’s not as much, he can’t really focus on forming words when they’re at it, it’s mostly just grunts and groans and moans which he thinks can’t sound good but which Nancy insists turns her on. Meanwhile she among her moans tend to ramble in an excite manner of stream of consciousness from her hazy mind at it’s the best.

”Mmm…. harder… fuck me harder… harder baby mmm… love you… harder…”

He’s increased the tempo quite a bit but her begging for him to go harder continues and he feels he can do more. So he pulls out, the sudden sensation making her let out a surprised moan. Quickly he takes her and flips her around, helping her up on her knees in the bed and positions himself behind her.

”Oh yessss Jonathan yes I love you…” she excitedly cries out and sticks her ass out further towards him.

He grips her hips and easily slides into her from behind. Usually he prefers positions where they’re face to face, because he loves to see her face when she’s like this. But they’ve done it like this a few times too, and it has it’s benefits too. The angle is different and he likes it. Normally it’s been on her initiative, this, but the thought hit him as he wanted to fuck her harder like she was pleading him to do. He doesn’t hold back and now all he hears from her is the most wonderful noises and moans.

When he cums he collapses onto her, careful not to crush her but wanting to be pressed against her, as close as possible, when he empties himself inside her. She moans and he notices she’s gripping the sheets with one hand. The other reaches back and tangles itself in his hair as they jointly come down, breathing heavily.

”Fuck I love you…” he breathes out as he rolls off her.

”I love you too,” she tells him, lifting herself up on her elbows and leaning over to kiss his cheek. ”And your dimples,” she smirks, harking back to before.

”And…?” He grins.

”Your sass,” she smacks him on the arm. ”And your dick,” she adds with a wry smile. She thinks for a second and then adds. ”And that you got Chinese food! Be right back!”

Nancy hastily gets up and he can’t take his eyes off her as she quickly puts her panties back on and throws on his t-shirt before walking out of the room to retrieve the food. He sits up and retrieves his boxers and puts them on before rearranging the pillows and sitting up against the headboard. Nancy returns with the bag full of food containers in one hand and her laptop in the other.

”Since you fucked me so good you can pick what show we’ll watch,” she smirks and waggles her eyebrows at him.

”Oh well the pleasure, the privilege is mine,” he smiles.

Nancy hands him the laptop and gets back into bed, sorting out the food containers.

”What’s this?”

”The End of the F***ing World, Derek recommended it ages ago, said it was dark but funny. It’s been on my list forever but I haven’t gotten around to it so I thought we’d check it out.”

”Sounds good.”

He presses play and sets the laptop down in a good place. Nancy hand him his food and leans into his side and god he loves his life.

[thank-you-pete-archive]

Hey, regarding my Spider-sona/spider-oc commission post, this is kinda what the drawing would look like, if you'd want one. It doesn't cost anything, and all u gotta do is dm me or send in an ask w/ the description! Also, this is my dude, not someone else's. (Click for better res. Thanks Tumblr for killing quality. Who is she? It don't know her.)

Now, lets do this one lest time. Final round:

This is Peter Philip Parker. Shut up, he knows it's all P's. In his world, he's in the year 2938 and he lives in New Fuji. He was bit by a radioactive spider 3 years ago, and has since been the one and only Spider-Man(also known as Green-Dragon Spider. This comes into play with his powers).

There was a project that was testing radioactivity on living organisms. Peter, 11 at the time, was job shadowing a scientist who was working on this, and for some reason, decided to take him in the room because he was a quiet kid who didn't get in the way. Peter was just studying what they did and how they tested, and then they brought out a spider. It had already been radiated when it was dropped and the spider was free from the cage. It bit Peter as the last thing it ever did before dying. The radiation was too much for the spider to handel, and it died.

No one saw the spider bite Peter, and he pretended like it never happened. He pretended to find it dead, and the scientists quickly got him out of there. After that, you know the rest, he gets his powers and stuff. Has to figure it out on his own. Peter actually thought he was gonna die, but he's all good.

He starts to get the hang of his powers, which are different from the others, but he does have spidey sense and supper strength. His powers come from his spit, because it's acidic. He spits in a tube every hour because if he doesn't the acid will eat away at his mouth and insides(he learned the hard way). He uses his spit to fill up these acid pockets in his suit. That mask on his suit catches acid that he spits out and puts it in the suit as well. When there's enough acid in the pockets he can trigger them to pop and burn whoever he's fighting. Whatever acid doesn't leave the surface of thesuit gets absorbed back in to be used later. His extra eyes on the suit are cameras that he uses to enhance peripheral vision while fighting. He has web wings like the one's in homecoming, where he can deploy them at will but also make them go away. He can also have acid soaked webs as well as normal webs.

Green dragon is a drug term(i think?? I saw it on synonyms for acid like the drug so) and his wings kinda make him look like a dragon. He also has the fang like shape for his mouth opening that looks like dragon fangs?? Ya, but he made the suit by himself and his current one seen in the pic is his 24th version that he plans on sticking with.

He's a big nerd, but sucks at school. He hates most of the things that they teach at his school and all the science stuff is too easy for him. The only class he has an A in is art bc he loves art. Oh, he's a Freshmen in Highschool btw(for people outside the US that means he's 14-15 years old, if ur not held back). He isn't failing any of his classes, he just doesn't do well on purpose and gets C's in his classes. He plays oboe in the school band as well. He kinda likes that class, but he isn't very passionate about it.

and, yes i have to add spideypool bc i love them sm, he's in love with this kid, oh, you might know him. His name is Wade. Wade is the goalie for their school soccer team. They have math together, and science, and literacy, and history. They're in the second to lowest classes for all of those categories. That's another reason Peter's grades suck, because he want's to be in the same class as Wade. Anyways, they're also p good friends and Wade just thinks that Pete is doing this bc they're friends. Wade IS Deadpool as well, but his suit is made of metal thats woven to look like a cloth material instead of leather. He's also more high-tech. Spidey made his suit bc tbh Wade's too stupid to do any of that.

Peter's middle name, Philip, was his grandpa's name, who died of natural causes before Peter was born. Peter's parents were killed in a car crash when he was a baby, and was given to his Grandma and Aunt to be raised. His Aunt lives with his grandma to keep her company and to take care of her.

Oof that was long, sorry. Anyways, commission me if you want!!

[luthienliveblogslately-blog]

Milestone write-up!

Since the story seems to be closing one story-arc and moving on to another, I feel this is a good place to take stock, summarize what we know and make some more or less educated guesses at what might happen in future. It got a bit away from me (”a bit” lol), so here’s a read more for your convenience. 

Players on the board

Last we left off, shit had decidedly hit the fan. We got painful confirmation that the elves successfully assassinated King Harrow, but they in turn had a painful price to pay. From what we can tell, Runaan is the only survivor, and he has been captured by Soren and Claudia. Claudia thinks he might come in “useful”, whatever that may mean. Might be they’ll interrogate him for information about Xadia, might be that Claudia has some more nefarious, magical things planned. She might ask him about Rayla and the egg, but it’s not like he can tell her anything that she doesn’t already know, aka Rayla and the boys have the egg and they plan to return it and use it to restore peace. Maybe, if they keep talking for long enough, he might actually get her to see that the egg really is just a yet to hatch baby dragon and therefore a sentient being in need of protection, and not just a powerful magical weapon to be used by whoever sees fit. If Runaan manages to escape or communicate with other elves, our heroes will have some real problems. He clearly sees Rayla as a traitor and seeks to punish her for the perceived crimes she committed, and there’s still that pesky magical bounty on Ezrans’s head… 

It’s hard to say what Claudia and Soren will do next. I think it depends very much on if Viren is sticking around the castle or not, and what his plans are. As to what his plans might be… god knows. Just how much does he want the egg back? Is he willing to go after it himself, or will he maybe send Soren? How much does Soren know about all this anyway? Five bucks says he had no idea about anything tbh. You know what still hasn’t been opened yet btw? The fucking letter. It’s still in Viren’s study. If it really has a contingency plan like “Callum becomes prince regent until Ezran is old enough to rule” I get the feeling Viren might pull some GoT-style shenanigans and try to put himself on the throne. At this point there isn’t really anything I wouldn’t put past him. In any case though the kingdom might be thrown into serious chaos for a while. After all: the King is Dead, long live the…. wait, who now? The crown prince is missing? The step-prince is missing, too? Well, guess it’s time for some good old-fashioned power grabbing! 

And then there’s our three four protagonists. We don’t know where the kingdom of Katolis is exactly, but in any case they have a long journey ahead. They will have to stick to the woods for most of it and avoid towns I think. Rayla can’t be seen by humans, the egg can’t be seen either, and Viren might try and put a bounty on all of them anyway, so the boys might not be save either. I trust Rayla will be able to get the foods from the woods though, so that should be alright. And then eventually they’ll reach the Breach and have to make their away across it and around however many standing armies manning the border from both sides. Yikes. Though we have no idea how far they’ll go in three remaining episodes. There are after all at least 5 more potential seasons in store for us, so there’s a good chance they won’t even remotely come close to the Breach in this one.  What I’m really worried about is Rayla keeping the truth about Harrow from the boys.  While it breaks my heart just thinking about them having to mourn their dad, I’m worried about Callum lashing out at Rayla in his grief. We already had a scene when he found out about the assassination plot and subsequently flipped out at Ez out of fear, and Ez hadn’t even really done anything. How much worse will that reaction be if she’s been lying to them for several days, even if it was just to spare them the pain? It might damage his trust in her, Callum might even try and make them split up and continue without her. Sounds like a really bad idea, but people do stupid things when they’re angry and sad. 

Other unresolved plot points

WHAT DOES THE FUCKING LETTER SAY

What’s up with the Mirror? For that matter, why is the mirror fishy enough to be covered up but not fishy enough to be hidden in the Lair of Dead Things? 

What’s with the picture Harrow looked at last time we saw him alive? It’s gotta be something, right? Why would they make the camera zoom in on it lying face down on the bed otherwise? Just have Harrow put it away and then forget it exists, don’t give it an extra shot!

Pip! Is he still alive? D: 

Callum still has the Storm Stone, but he might have to get his hands on a book or find himself a teacher to learn some new spells probably? 

WHAT DO THE BLACK EYES DO? DO THEY EVEN DO ANYTHING OR ARE THEY JUST FOR CREEPY EFFECT? 

Viren’s staff! Just cool historical artifact or actually relevant to the plot? 

Shameless Tin-hatting aka Foreshadowing Fucking Everywhere aka Miscellaneous Shit I Noticed While re-watching ep 1-3

Callum’s drawing of a Dragon roasting a Marshmallow Monster -> this show’s version of the Cookie Cat jingle? Possibly depicting Viren’s inevitable demise? 

Not foreshadowing, but I realized when the Narrator says “on the eve of last Winter’s Turn” in the opening what is meant with “last” is just most recent, as in “last month” or “last Christmas”. So it probably was some solstice type date after all. Makes sense with it now being spring. 

People keep pointing out how shit Bait is at hiding. I’m afraid at some point they’ll have to hide from something REALLY BAD and Bait will get them found. :/ Really, Bait being called Bait just seems super unfortunate in general. 

You know how Rayla says “My Heart for Xadia” during the ritual? Yeah, I’m getting the feeling Rayla will be instrumental in getting Ezran out of the magical contract, possibly in a super heroic way by just doing what her heart tells her to and saving the day, or possibly just… by dying in his stead. Oh god I feel like I jinxed her. :( 

You know how Callum was like “You’re so lucky, you get to learn magic!” and Claudia was like “You get to learn sword fighting!” and then Callum was like “I’d switch places in a second!”? Well, he’s doing magic now, so…. the little disaster bi that is myself is praying for Claudia in armor with a big-ass sword being a BAMF. ´

Anybody else who really wants to know what is under that OTHER, BIGGER tarp in the Lair of Dead Things? Because I really wanna know. I bet Ezran knows already. 

Harrow said about the letter that “[Callum will] understand in time.” What makes me think there’s more in there than just his last will, possibly it’s also his last confession. What terrible shit has he done over the years of his reign, how much of it did Viren have his fingers in and how much of it can Viren use against him post-mortem? And how will the boys react when they get confronted with their dad’s uglier side, possibly via what the elves or even some direct victims have to say about him? 

I’d really like to have a look at that book Callum is carrying everywhere. I figure it’s his sketch book and not relevant to anything, but it might still be fun to get to see some pages anyway. 

Stuff that I got spoilered on because there’s too many tags to block :( 

I saw some pics of the Dragon Prince after hatching! D: I’m sorry, it feels like I robbed myself of an awesome surprise and you of a genuine reaction. :( I didn’t look very closely, I just saw that he was adorable and had roughly the same color scheme as his dad. Which leads me to some more tin hatting: What with Thunder being called that and also breathing lightning, I’d like to propose that the Storm Stone still has a big role to play after all, other than just providing Callum with a magical source he can carry around. 

I saw General Amaya of the Standing Battalion being name dropped in a text post. I scrolled too fast to see any context, but considering who she is I guess we’ll get her as an upcoming character in some capacity.

I know that the elf making the MAGIC TREES amulets gets another ending slide at some point, and that people are theorizing he and Runaan are a Thing.  I’m not a super big fan of Runaan at this moment in time so I couldn’t give less of a shit about his love life tbh, and as much as I like to ship things I usually need a bit more than literally two pictures to get me going, so. I dunno, don’t expect much from me on that front until more material comes out in later seasons I guess. Like… if there isn’t enough for people to make emotional gif sets out of, can you even really call it a ship?

Netflix tried to push Chapter 4 on me when I went to re-watch the others. I got it shut down quickly enough, but I still saw the title. I think it was… Bloodthirsty? Bloodlust? Either way I think either Runaan is gonna have a REALLY bad time very soonish or our protagonists will have to run REALLY fast from people trying to catch them.  Maybe both. 

[captawesomesauce]

Thoughts at 1am

I have a lot of things on my mind but they're all a jumble

I fucking forgot about the high holydays... we'll see if I do anything.

I'm so tired, I got only a little bit of sleep last night, had a nightmare that woke me up and made me feel angry and sick.

I watched a little football today, but barely all weekend. Just wasnt feeling like watching anything or having the noise.

Tomorrow I'm shopping for a blanket (for dad, maybe me), Sheets, and going to get one of those recliner/footrest camping chairs. My ultimate goal is to be able to study outside for a few hours. I have a solar panel that i can deploy next to me to keep my phone and tablet charged, bluetooth earbuds, even vr goggles to watch documentaries and stuff. Figure I'll load up a 3L bag with ice water, and I'm good to go. I also have an OTA HDTV dongle to watch news and stuff, and an AM/FM/SDR radio dongle for that.

I keep finding cute stuff to buy for people... but it sucks that I'm not in a relationship right now. Do you know how much I miss spoiling someone that I care about?  Stuff for spooky cat backpacks, to the perfect nintendo socks, band shirts, to peanut butter and jelly things. It sucks to see so much great stuff out there, and not have anyone to spoil! So I just send them the pics instead... because rule #1... money is precious and should be spent only on those who are precious to you! Seriously though, those cat backpacks were the fucking best.

I still can't believe how useless some of you were about the sheets lol... I'm not buying sheets based on cuteness!!! lol. Thankfully one person really broke it down as far as materials, numbers, and how they relate to heat/coolness. My room is always warm, like nearly 80.... even in the dead of winter, so it helps to have really cool sheets. I'm looking for something around a 400 count, i can look at egyptian cotton if it's on sale, but microfiber and bamboo might get too warm for me. Remember I don't even have a top sheet or a blanket on my bed, thats how warm I get!

Mom is home from Alaska.... she had a good time, she is super disappointed that she didnt get to see the northern lights though :(. Biggest problem is that she DID get sick, it's in her chest bad, and her breathing gauge is below 200 (normal for her is 650). I was worried about that since she just finished a round of chemo. They lost power for a few hours, but no other problems. The battery pack/fan helped a lot, especially walking around some places that were boiling hot with the heat wave. The tiny stand i gave her for her kindle and ipad worked great too. The travel arrangements all worked out great, and I was able to call her a cab from the airport to her place and no problem there either. She's glad to be home, and I'm glad she's home. THe chicken soup trick I use did work for her too, she was able to get up to 200 and then did a breathing treatment to hit nearly 300, but has been around 150-180 between treatments and when she first wakes up. But the soup does help, just heat up a can of salty broth with fresh dill in it, do not add water, drink like tea!

Aunt sandy got home and her place is semi-ok. Still no power, but the sewage issues are all around her but NOT her place. She's still been advised not to flush the toilet or anything, just in case. She's in Delray Fl. Trees were down everywhere, a lot of debris, but her place and cars and stuff were fine.

Tomorrow I'm getting a haircut if I have time, and also going to use the pool or gym depending on how I feel. We'll see :) I'm hurting tonight (back mostly) but still trying to hit 5000 steps every day. So far I've been successful.

Also I really want to go back to the county fair but i just dont know if I have any time. I think yesterday would have been my best chance but I was just too tired/sick to do it. Fuck... i really want more of that pork belly and bacon fried chicken! It was soo damn good.

That's all I've got for now! 1am, and I'm going to bed

[yoonminist]

crush stories p3 (💕tell me about your crush 💕) 

 my crush is another girl, she's short and athletic w/ real pretty green blue eyes, tanned and asks silly questions. we're kinda friends, i talk to her once or twice a week, but she's kinda probably really straight woops 

aww she sounds cute :’( having a crush on a straight girl is,,,, not the Worst thing ever but it rlly is unfair

 My crush is a year older than jm, sje has dark brown hair and eyes and she'sfar taller than me. She's a walking talking meme (like me) and a cosplayer and whenever I message her Ialways use a very Bad pick up line. She is a sucker for it. Ah! She also plays the piano and she's very good at it! And her voice is like the best baritone voice that I've ever heard (for a girl at least)! MUSIC COUPLE FOREVA WHEEEEE~ 

PLEASE tell me you’re dating lmao in any case if she likes your bad pickup lines then she’s so into you i love this

Omg I just remembered how I got my best friend into kpop! I just send her a pic of yoongi AND SHE WAS GONE!!!! She talked non stop about him like the cute little baby she is (honestly i know NO ONE who's cuter than her I know her since she's born she's the cutest and softest and prettiest baby ever i swear) she even named her fishes yoongi and jimin BUT JIMIN ATE YOONGI LMAO I'm honestly so proud of myself for showing bts to her she adores them so much

JIMIN ATE YOONGI IS THIS A SIGN jdnkjnefjknd im jk “she's the cutest and softest and prettiest baby ever i swear” bye that’s adorable

i once had this crush on my roommate, i thought she was straight but then she came out to me and said that she has a gf and thats ok w me, the problem was shes always naked when she comes back to our room after taking a bath(this culd be ff material)

omg if you want her to stop then tell her it makes you uncomfortable but,,,,, if you don’t want her to stop then LMAO 

my crush is basically jimin. he reminds me of jimin so much- short, looks similar (even the eye smile and laugh), energetic and caring to everyone. and um. not to b conceited but one of the reasons i love ym so much is i relate to yg a Lot so it freaked me out when i realised ym interactions are so similar to ours. when we were in high school he sat in front of me in class and he wld turn to glance like 20 times in 1 hr (yea i counted) but everytime i make eye contact he’d whip his head back and act like nth happened. he’d just… like hover? Around but when i look at him he dashes off. once he happned to sit next to me while i was drawing and it seemed like he was sleeping so i didn’t look, but after abt an hour i looked up to check the time. he almost slammed his head on the table i.. he was staring at me the whole time.. anw the thing was tht everytime he talked to me i end up being blunt and kinda.. ignoring him cos feelings scare me + when i try to talk to him he suddenly seems in a hurry to get away.. were in the same college now. we saw each other a few times but didnt approach. ystd i happened to walk the same way as him. i decided to say hi,,he asked me what im studying then ran off after i answered. it’s still the same. sry if this got long ive never gotten a chance to rly talk abt my crush .///. 

ooooh god i don’t know anything about stuff like this but it sounds like your being blunt kinda scared him off ?? from this alone he seems like the type you need to be gentle with so idk if you want to be close to him but if you do i’d suggest you keep making the first move and don’t ignore him like before so that he isn’t this shy around you anymore ,,, or maybe you just wanted to vent lmao w/e happens with this guy i wish you both the best !!

My crush amazing blue eyes and black hair. When she plays with her dog it brings out the prettiest smile. She liked me back (i didnt know she was bi too) at some point we started dating. She had complete control over my emotions i thought i was starting to fall in love until she broke up with me. It was awful. after months I still can't get over her. She started talking to me again but we're not together.We're just not meant to be I think :) I'd just like to meet her one day that would be enough

no!!!! don’t talk to her !!! take this from experience, i think the best way to get over someone is to get rid of them until you’re 100% ready to bring them back into your life again, as friends,,, even if it takes months she should understand but if you can’t do that then i just hope you get over her asap so that you can go back to being friends :’)

I actually denied that I kind of have a crush on this one guy that I met through another friend and I still do deny it because he's only into Asian girls and I'm Islander so it could never happen but honestly he's really funny and I don't feel all that awkward around him but there's no way he'd go for me. My friends, including the one I met him through, kinda ship us but I could never tell him because I'm the farthest from his type there could ever be tbh lmao

ohh hopefully he isn’t that shallow not to disregard a potential r/s just because you aren't asian but i GUESS it’s understandable if he’s asian too n it’s a family/cultural thing ?? i get the ‘denying your crush’ thing though askjdnjsjgkj hang in there hun it won’t last forever :’(

my crush has red hair and she's tall and gorgeous, we match so well, i know she likes girls too but im scared to try something. i was at hers today, and we ate brigadeiro and watched sense8 ahhh

THIS IS CUTE i'm not gonna force you to go for it but i hope one day It happens and you start dating ♡

I made out with my crush once while super high and then he helped me pee and that's about how romantic my story with my crush is 👋🏻

Who Said Chivalry is Dead 

Are we still talking about this crush thing? Because lemme tell you a story. I once had this crush (years ago). He is now my best friend's boyfriend. Lol tbh I'm not bothered but I keep laughing at how freaking cliche this is, it just seems like it came out of a fiction on wattpad. Most recent crush tho, well, he nearly accidentally killed me and my friend. Let's just say I no longer have a crush lmao. But compare my stories about my crush to others make me laugh. THE CONTRAST.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE NEARLY ACCIDENTALLY KILLED YOU COME BACK AND ELABORATE

[danauysocsci-blog]

Habitus

A few months ago, I was given the chance to visit the houses in GK Shaw Keegan, and stay with the families there. During my pakikipagkwentuhan with the nanays of the family I visited, they shared that a few years ago, a nearby house caused a huge fire and the fire reached their house. During the fire, they all prayed to God to help them and a few hours later, rain poured out. The fire didn’t burn all the houses but it burnt the house of the family I visited. The nanay said that their house got completely burnt down and they were only able to save a few gadgets. They barely had anywhere to live before Gawad Kalinga came to their rescue by rebuilding their houses. My family was able to buy a lot and that’s where they are staying right now but they couldn’t fit that’s why some of their family members had to be relocated to a different place. They said that only their family was given a “titolo” amongst all of them. Some companies such as Jollibee has also helped them by donating their old cooking pots and utensils. Amidst all this, the nanay said that she is just happy that everyone was safe after all that happened. I was saddened by what happened but at the same time I admire the nanay by how she still looks at life so positively despite all the troubles she has experienced. To keep her positivity going she said that she always thinks that everyone is just the same. They may live in an area or go to a school not as nice or extravagant as others, but everyone is still the same since everyone still has a place to live and being educated. Our things may be nicer but we all are the same in the eyes of God; God looks at our heart more than anything.

I personally learned that I am really lucky and blessed compared to the families we visited in terms of material wealth and education since the things we own are nicer and of better quality. But just like nanay said, we are all just equal since they also have what we have but just not as “nice” or “luxurious.” I also learned that we should not take everything that we have for granted and not waste anything since some people don’t even have the things we just throw away. We should learn to appreciate all the things we have be it small or big. Moreover, I realized how much energy they use or how tired they feel just to earn a living and even if they work more hours than an average worker, their income is still less than what an average worker earns. I was able to see how they had to think of lots of “sidelines” to earn more. Like the family that I visited, they were a lot in one house and most of them still doesn’t work. The dad was an engineer, the oldest daughter works in an office, and the rest are either studying, babies, or helping with their mom with their “sari-sari” store. They cook and sell the whole day as their sideline. I tried cooking and preparing the food during my visit, and I can say that it was really tiring and I couldn’t imagine how they have the energy to cook and sell all day under the scorching heat.

My habitus is different from their habitus since I am privileged to have been raised in a well-off Chinese family who owns a business. Because of this, I got influenced to take a course related to business since Chinese parents expect their kids to handle their business in the future. In addition, my parents expect me to graduate with good grades and to perform good in handling our family business or to get a position in a well-known company. On the other hand, the family that I visited had a simple lifestyle. Their house is not of good quality, they lacked funds to send their kids to school, and have to work very hard and tire themselves out just to earn a living. The parents just hoped to be able to send their kids to college and be able to graduate for them to find nice jobs in the future and to improve their lifestyle.

here are some pics I took during my visit.

[musicmapglobal]

"Accidents are beautiful" - Zilla's tales of the unexpected...

From studying classical piano at a Parisian conservatoire to experimenting in London studios, Zilla’s unconventional career path has resulted in a sound that’s hard to categorise. Fond of mixing unusual recordings into the intoxicating soup of her music (Zilla’s singles have so far incorporated the sound of everything from a set of handcuffs to a bunch of oyster shells), it’s no surprise that the ever-adventurous Matthew Herbert snapped her up early for his Accidental label.

In Herbert’s own words, “I like the fact that Zilla can sit at a piano and bash out some Rachmaninov and Debussy, but chose instead to make an ahead-of-its-time record out of the ephemera of ordinary life. So many new artists want to sound like their heroes and end up diluting their own identity, but this has never been the case with Zilla.”

Her three singles to date certainly indicate an artist who is resolutely sticking to her own path. The scuttling debut single ‘Get Your Way’, first used for Elle UK’s #MoreWomen #ELLEFeminism campaign, introduced us to her enchanting yet slightly unsettling sound, and was swiftly followed by the lurching ‘Sleepwalker’ and new single ‘Whatever It Is’, which she describes as “a sensual love story with the voices living in my head, the temptation of letting go of sanity and surrendering to the crazy”.

It’s fair to say Zilla’s head sounds like an interesting place to be, so we asked her to give us a tour…

First of all, what’s behind the name Zilla?

Zilla is my real name – full name is Fawzilla Aba Yasmina. I was named after Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt also known as Queen Muluk Fawzia of Iran. The spelling is from Guinea, a country in West Africa, where my father comes from. The two LL are silent but people used to pronounce them all the time, as a child it used to upset me but later I started to love it, it’s very unique and it makes me feel special. I always tend to turn negatives into positives, it reflects in my writing and in the way I live my life in general. I also later found out that it was the name of a ’50s gospel and r&b singer from Atlanta, called Zilla Mays.

You started off playing classical piano in Paris and ended up making electronic music in London – how did that happen?

My first piano lesson changed my life. I remember just falling in love with something that seemed like a chore to other people. I loved the challenge and the sound obviously. I was never liked by my teachers at school because I always had a different way of learning things, definitely unconventional. I loved learning the piano and music theory from day one, it made more sense to me than textbook learning. It made my heart beat faster. It made me feel comfortable and it made me feel at home.

My family doesn’t have a musical background but there was always music at home. My older brother was a huge Massive Attack / Portishead fan; that’s how I discovered UK electronic music. House music is huge in Paris too so I was always around those sounds. So when my mum was appointed to work at the Ivory Coast embassy in London, I took my piano and moved there with her.

Were you mainly focused on classical music growing up or were there already other musical influences in the air?

Music at home was a huge deal. My brother played guitar and he was a huge fan of heavy metal. Our arguments were not verbal but more about who could make more noise on a sunday morning with our instruments. I loved rock [and] electronic music but classical wasn’t even a choice of music, it was just my life. I didn’t necessarily listen to it much because sometimes it made me too emotional but I did play it every single day.

Did you always plan to become a singer as well as a musician or did it take a while to find your voice?

I always wanted to express myself through art. I wanted to be a painter but when I was 6 someone told me that if I became a painter I would chop my ear off like van Gogh and die in a mental institute. Sounds silly but it really scared me! I always wanted to be a singer-songwriter and I always sang in my room as a kid.

How did moving to London influence your creative output?

Paris is one of the most beautiful artistic cities in the world and I am so proud to be French but people can be quite judgmental if you think/dress/act out of the box. Moving to London when I was 18 (I have been in London for 10 years) enabled me to be myself 100% every single day without worrying about people staring a bit too much or making comments (not that I give a shit but it could sometimes get dangerous if you dress too outrageously or if you have too many piercings or if you’re black haha).

Can you send us some pics of you in the studio?

We recently saw you performing as part of Matthew Herbert’s Brexit Big Band extravaganza at the Barbican in London. What was that experience like?

The Big Band show was really fun and very emotional too.

Are you concerned about how Brexit might affect musicians in Britain?

Thankfully nowadays music has no geographical limits, we can do sessions remotely and it might make people reach out even more than before.

What’s the best lesson that working with Herbert has taught you?

Accidents are beautiful.

Your second single ‘The Sleepwalker’ was inspired by “an intense sleepwalking experience” in Copenhagen. Can you talk us through what happened?

It was the night of Christmas Eve in Copenhagen in my mum’s huge house. It [was] cold and snowy but it was warm and fun because the house was full of people and full of childhood memories. Around 4am, I fell off the bed and it made a really loud noise because I was actually still asleep. My family came running in and found me on the floor shouting and not making any sense and pushing everyone away. I always sleep with an eye mask on because I have had insomnia since a very young age. My family was trying to take off my eye mask but I wouldn’t let anyone touch me and carried on shouting and swearing for a few minutes.

When I came to my senses, I opened my eyes and started feeling a really sharp pain in my right finger. It was really confusing because I had no idea what [had] happened. On close inspection I saw that my finger was cut in a very precise rectangular shape from the nail down to half the length of my right index finger. And my nail was missing. Till this day no one knows what happened because there was no blood on the bed or anywhere near where I was sleeping, no sharp objects, nothing.

It made me realise how incredibly magical the mind can be and it made want to celebrate my nighttime sleepwalking alter ego even more. So I started recording myself sleepwalking and sleeptalking and got even more material from it. The first verse of ‘Sleepwalking’ is purely stories from the recordings of me sleeptalking.

The track contains a lot of unusual recordings – if you could sample one sound anywhere in the world, what would it be?

It would be in a blind massage parlour in Hangzhou, one hour from Shanghai. They are incredibly skilled and they play your aches and pains like an instrument with their hands, it’s completely surreal.

Previous single ‘Get Your Way’ contains some very complex and intriguing percussive sounds. How long did it take to perfect that beat?

We were very quick, the writing is very spontaneous like an improv that turns into a song. The beat was originally called ‘Round’ because I wanted to talk about loops and things that go round and round in my head, I used to obsess over any repetitive sound or an awkward bit of a sentence and repeat in my head until it felt like the loop was closed. Until my head was satisfied.

When you write songs sometimes you will write over four seconds of a loop and layer it and layer and layer it, I love working like that, like the earth and its never ending types of layers of different textures, hot and cold, liquid and solid, soft and hard. I like to build my songs from the thought of something that doesn’t have much to do with music but translate it into the movement of my hands on a keyboard or even the way I hold my mic, the way my throat feels and what shapes and shades come to mind when I hear a particular beat.

Alongside your own work, you’ve also written for artists like Wretch 32 and Tinie Tempah. What track are you most proud of to date?

I loved working with grime/hip-hop producers, I met some amazing people and learnt a lot, I think we made some really fun experiments.

Do you think it’s easier to create a music career in London than in Paris?

It’s very different I think, Paris is more about longevity and people with more experience, London is about the latest trends when it comes to pop. But I think alternative music is incredible in London. Probably easier here because people dare more.

What’s your favourite album of all time?

I love a lot of music, I don’t have a favourite album of all time but in terms of the basis, I could listen to Fever Ray / The Knife and early Björk and early Tori Amos… all of Rachmaninov’s preludes.

There’s some notable vocal manipulation on latest single ‘Whatever It is’, what inspired that approach?

The main voice you hear in the song is actually my voice pitched down and layered with my natural voice. I wanted to write about scary voices in my head and again the theme of turning anything negative into a strength, it is a love story with that voice. It can be at times exhausting and not make much sense, but essentially it is a gift and something that one must accept and embrace. I think it would be worse to ignore it. I hate denial, I like embracing the facts and turning them into dreams with songs and videos and drawings and paintings.

You’ve said the track was partially inspired by Frida Khalo’s ‘The Wounded Deer’ – what other artists have influenced your debut album (visual or musical)?

In terms of classical music – Olivier Messiaen, Rachmaninov, Debussy and Ravel have always inspired me, in terms of documentaries The Fear of 13 [and] The Act of Killing amongst a million other crime documentaries, The Truman Show and Melancholia, Freud’s analysis of dreams, L’Étranger – Albert Camus, paintings the majority of Frida Kahlo, I love her and her life story, the mixture of pain and beauty.

Interview by Kier Wiater Carnihan Photo: Chloe Lamford

[josephkitchen0]

How Sheep Adopters Sponsor Farm Animals

By Caroline Owens

For a yearly fee, sheep adopters support animal maintenance and enjoy visits, updates, and woolly rewards.

Small sheep operations worldwide are finding “adoption” programs a viable way to attract clients and earn top returns for top products. Getting non-farming patrons to adopt a sheep (sponsor its upkeep financially for a year) builds patron loyalty and stabilizes flock expenditures. Farms define “adopt” in various ways. Some plans are vague and impersonal (multiple sponsors to a sheep) and ask $15 to $50 a year per sheep. They offer a quarterly newsletter and one group event on the farm. Others offer urban and suburban clients hands-on experiences with rural life all year long, at a cost of $120 to $240 per sheep adoption. One of the very best sheep adoption operations we found is Owens Farm, whose plan is fully described as follows.

Our Coopworth ewes at Owens Farm in Sunbury, Pennsylvania earn their keep a little differently than most sheep. They do raise lambs for meat and purebred stock. They do shear six to eight pounds of high-quality fleece. But in addition, these ewes also play a starring role in our Adopt-A-Sheep program.

There are currently more than 40 sheep on adoption, from 16 different states. We have been offering sheep adoptions since 1994, way before the internet simplified the process of niche marketing.

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Sheep Adoption Details

Each adoption lasts 12 months, starting when the adoptive family registers and pays for the program. The fee is $150, and the sheep stays here on the farm.

The first step is for me to choose the right sheep. This is based on several criteria including the sheep adopters’ plans for the wool, their reasons for joining the program, who is involved in the adoption, and where they live.

For a family with young children and no interest in fiber, for example, I might assign them a ewe lamb so they could watch her grow. A knitting club in California might get that ewe with awesome fleece, but an aloof disposition. A local Girl Scout troop would be a good candidate for that friendly ewe I can count on to bear twins, shear a nice fleece, and stand for endless photo sessions.

Based on this choice, I create a Welcome Kit and send it to the adoptive family. This hefty package contains their sheep’s life story and pedigree, photos, information about the breed—and our farm in particular—and a book about sheep. My current favorite is Storey’s Barn Guide to Sheep. This full-color spiral bound book is graphically interesting enough to appeal to children, but packed with enough hard information to satisfy adults. If the families live nearby, we arrange a visit for sheep adopters to meet their sheep.

From that point on, we communicate periodically in different ways.

It’s all-hands-on-deck at sheep sorting time.

Updating Sheep Adopters

Several times a year, a letter goes out summarizing what’s going on at the farm. The subject matter is not limited to sheep. (Our sheep share the farm with Tamworth pigs, pastured chickens, honeybees, and horses.) All our products are direct-marketed to the public. We also make our own hay, offer overnight farm stays, and grow fruits and vegetables. Our letters provide an inside view of life on a sustainable, diversified farm.

We always tuck educational material in with the letters to broaden the sheep adopter’s knowledge of sheep. The letter discussing spring deworming for example also contains an article on parasitology. The letter on breeding season includes advice on ram and ewe preparation. With the letter about lambing season comes a sheep supply catalog showcasing the wide array of products supporting the industry. A couple of times a year, I give them a copy of sheep! magazine for a special touch. And yes, sometimes we throw in something just for fun. When I first learned about SheepPoo Air Fresheners (sheep dung recycled into paper and infused with the fragrance of fresh grass) my first thought was, “I’ve got to get these for my adopt-a-sheep families!”

Workaday Farm Labors As Alluring Country Events

Our sheep adopters are invited to stop by during sheep work days. An e-mail goes out when we plan to bring the flock into the handling system for management tasks such as foot trimming, deworming, weighing, and sorting. For local families, this is a great opportunity to say hi, see their sheep, snap a photo, and help out.

Everyone gets the email, even people in other states. That way they get a real feel for the tasks involved with owning sheep, even if they cannot physically attend.

Shearing Day is a highlight of the adoption year for those whose main interest is fiber. This is an amazing effort, with lots of folks on deck to help out and learn how to shear a sheep. Each sheep is caught, her blanket removed and a “before” photo snapped just before the sheep is handed over to our patient and energetic shearer Kristin Ross. An “after” photo completes the process. That way, the folks who can’t be there get to see the results.

Lambing time is another much anticipated season for the adoptive families. Through our letters, they learn how critical this month is to our operation. From the breeding process to gathering supplies and to setting up lambing pens, they share in our anticipation.

When an adopted sheep gives birth, I email her family a photo. Local sheep adopters leap into their cars to come see the newborns. Remote families are thrilled to see the “baby pics.”

Many of the adoptive families also participate in our Lambing Time Slumber Parties.

About adoption renewals: When their 12-month adoption period had elapsed, we let the adoptive families know and ask about their future plans. The majority of families decide to re-adopt their sheep or her offspring for another year. This came as a surprise when we first began the program.

Wool: Adoption’s Crowd-Puller

Access to fiber processing is one of the key benefits to the program. Most of the adoptive families want their wool processed into roving, yarn, felt, or blankets. What we need for this is something not every mill is willing or able to do. We need each fleece kept separate and correctly identified by sheep and adoptive family and processed in a timely manner. In an industry where minimum fiber runs are often in the double digits and processing times can exceed a year, this is a tall order. Fortunately, we have a great local mill that works with us to make it happen.

Mike and Elizabeth Longstreth at Lazy Meadows Alpacas & Fiber Mill in Hughesville, Pennsylvania reserve the month of February for our fleeces. By late spring, the yarn, roving and felt is ready. Local families then pick it up at our farm and visit their sheep. (For out-of-state sheep adopters, I mail it.)

The hand-woven blankets are finished by fall. These are a special treasure. Not only is the blanket made exclusively from the adopted sheep’s fleece, but the families also get to choose the hand-dyed colors.

Our adopt-a-sheep families absolutely love knowing that their fiber products came from their actual sheep!

Wool processing isn’t included in the adoption fee, because of the variety of options, each having its own unique cost. Processing and shipping costs are paid for separately as well.

Sheep adopter Toby admires Helena the ewe’s gorgeous, freshly sheared fleece.

So Who Adopts A Sheep?

The people who seek this unique experience are creative and adventurous:

• Families—our sheep have been adopted by dozens of them. Many of them are homeschoolers looking for the ultimate unit study.

• Grandparents have adopted for their grandchildren, ensuring a year of shared activities.

• Knitting clubs have adopted either for a single member or as a group project.

• Birthdays, engagements, and anniversaries have been celebrated with a sheep adoption.

• Wool is a traditional gift for the seventh year of marriage.

• Girl Scouts have adopted sheep as a troop project with badge benefits.

• Young couples who plan to own sheep have adopted, as well as older folks looking ahead to a retirement flock.

• City dwelling fiber artists have adopted to enjoy a personal connection with their fiber source.

Our sheep have even become part of family dynasties. Coopworth ewe 238 for example, has been adopted so far by three generations of the same family—and her lamb got in on the act last year!

Challenges

Because an adoption lasts a full year, I need to be extra proactive in my culling decisions. If I anticipate a ewe’s removal from the flock, I take her out of the adoption program when she comes up for renewal. This is easy for a predictable characteristic like old age. It can be a little tricky for unexpected failures like maternal performance, foot health, or parasite resilience.

Although I do enjoy the process, there is no doubt that composing and mailing the Welcome Kits and letters is time-consuming. The same is true of the photos and “birth announcements” during lambing.

Sheep adopters meeting adopted sheep Bonnie for the first time.

Benefits: Commercial & Personal

There are many reasons we have continued this program for so many years.

The adoption fees do contribute to a money-making agriculture business.

All of our products are direct-marketed to the public, so the more people we have coming to the farm for various reasons the better.

The adopt-a-sheep families are a very interested and involved group, who not only buy our meats but also send their kids to Sheep Camp, Lambing Time Slumber Parties, and other events.

We have met fascinating people and formed long-lasting friendships through the adoption program. Above all, we find deep satisfaction in sharing a taste of the farming life with others.

I personally know how transformative such an opportunity can be. My own interest in sheep dates back to childhood, and a generous Suffolk producer who hosted our little 4-H club. The sights, sounds and fragrances of the lambing barn made an indelible impression on me, as did the sense of accomplishment from learning how to shear. I held those sensations in my memory bank for years, until I was a newlywed. As my husband and I listed the elements we wanted in our first house, “land for sheep” topped my list.

Have you ever been a sheep adopter? Tell us your experiences.

Caroline and David Owens raise Coopworth and Katahdin sheep in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Their sheep support the farm through traditional means such as freezer lambs, breeding stock and fleeces, but also through educational programs like Sheep Camp, Adopt-A-Sheep, and Lambing-Time Slumber Parties. For more information about Owens Farm, visit www.OwensFarm.com.

Originally published in the September/October 2016 issue of sheep!.

How Sheep Adopters Sponsor Farm Animals was originally posted by All About Chickens

[doodlewash]

My story is not typical of many of the artists who have been featured here. I came to art late in the game. I didn’t draw and doodle much as a child. I didn’t study art in school or college. My path was very different.

I grew up in rural northern Indiana. I love the rural Midwest landscape, especially trees and fields. I went to college in Utah, where I learned to appreciate the desert landscape and mountains. I graduated and came back to Indiana and earned a Ph.D. in linguistics from Indiana University, where I taught for 26 years. During that time, we moved to forty very rural acres in Solsberry, Indiana. We had two children, made a beautiful garden, and I learned to weave and dye.

In due time, I started a side business selling hand-dyed yarn and handwovens. In 2011, I started blogging about our rural life and all the crazy things that happen out here. Those disparate activities taught me a lot of important things. As an academic, I learned to study and ask questions. To be a better dyer, I learned everything I could about color theory and color mixing. To be a better blogger, I learned photography and composition.

One day in 2014 on Facebook, I was tagged in one of those memes where you have to answer 20 questions about yourself and one of the questions was: If I had the time I would _____________. I found myself answering: If I had the time I would study painting. I had recently turned 50 years old and it had always been a secret dream of mine to be a painter.

I thought about that for a long time and then decided that just studying painting was a great way to start. I still study all the time: many different artists, styles and mediums. I study color. I study composition. That Christmas I got myself a little ‘how to watercolor’ book and did a few of the exercises. I let myself paint a lot and didn’t worry if it was bad. I painted the same scenes again and again. I took a few online Craftsy classes in watercolor and got a lot of encouragement. I took a watercolor class offered through the local community college and again got a lot of encouragement. The instructor invited me to join the local watercolor society, which I did.

I kept painting and painting and sharing my work with others. Someone suggested that I submit one of my pieces to the juried member show of the Watercolor Society of Indiana and it was accepted. At that point I got serious about watercolor. I took multi-day workshops with nationally known artists. I painted and painted.

What I like best about watercolor is also what is most challenging about watercolor. It’s unruly. The truth is, a lot of my life is that way. Our forty acres are big and messy and vulnerable to the caprices of nature. I spent years photographing and blogging about our life out here but I could never quite express the feeling of all that sky meeting all those trees meeting all the rest of rural Indiana until I started painting it. I love it when folks look at one of my landscapes and say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of home!’ I try to put as much home as possible in every painting. Things may not be tidy out here, but they sure are interesting. That’s what I paint.

The one thing that has made the biggest difference in my art has been my choice to be confident in my approach. Sometimes this means I paint confident garbage, but mostly it means that I am painting more and more good things. Using professional quality materials is a big confidence booster. I paint on Arches 140lb cold press paper. I use tube paint from Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, Mission, M. Graham and Sennelier. A single color can differ from maker to maker. It’s OK to experiment and try several different makers. Right now I really love how M. Graham and Sennelier have such intense colors and easily wetting paint – they are both made with honey and won’t dry on your palette. (As a beekeeper myself, I love that!)

Those are my beehives and I really do paint them bright colors like that!

My process is to gather several reference photos and then start putting together thumbnail sketches of the basic large shapes in my composition. I don’t try to make my painting match any photo. I might do a notan. Then I decide what colors to use. I might do a color harmony swatch or two. Or five. Then I dive right in on a 10 x 14 inch piece of paper and do the first draft.

This first draft is just that: a DRAFT. It’s not going to be perfect. I adjust colors. I take things out. I put things in. I pencil in possible corrections to the composition. I get a lot of feedback. In the end, this draft is usually a mess.

Getting feedback from multiple sources is really important to the process. It’s necessary if you want to find out whether or not you’re communicating what you think you are in your painting. It’s easy to get really focused on something and forget what else might be there. Feedback helps remind you about the whole painting. If they all say, ‘What’s that blob?’, then perhaps you need to work on it. But if one says, ‘Oh, I love that red shed’ and another says, ‘I don’t like that red shed’, then you know it’s fine, it’s just a matter of taste.

Feedback also tells you about the person giving the feedback. I once had someone spend 15 minutes telling me why a ½ square inch of my painting ruined the whole thing for her. It was a reflection of where she was in her life, her own issues and insecurities. I listened politely and she left feeling happy that she had set me on a better path with that piece. I did not make the change she suggested.

A great way to get feedback is to start a critique group. You can meet in person or start an online group. Find people who are interested in improving their art, not just getting positive feedback on any attempt. It doesn’t have to be watercolor – all art deals with color, shapes, value and composition. Find people who can give and take suggestions with grace and tact. Learn how to give suggestions with grace and tact. A good way to suggest a possible change is, ‘What if…’ or ‘Have you considered….’ Often, when I post a piece to my crit group, I do have an idea of what I’m unsure of in the piece and I come right out and say it. That helps focus the feedback on exactly the areas I want to work on.

Once I get some feedback, I make whatever changes I need to and start the next draft. As I work, I take the time to sit and look at the piece. See how it looks from 10 feet away. If your studio space is too small for that, then snap a pic, pull it up on your computer and take a look. If the painting works SMALL, it will work BIG.

Once a piece is finished, I set it aside and move on to something else. Then I come back to it after a few days/weeks to see if something jumps out at me. I make any changes and sign it, photograph it and frame it. Framing is an important step for me. It’s a way to give the piece some polish, to send it out into world, best foot forward. I use conservation quality mats and frame myself using ‘Best Practice’ techniques that I glean from professional framers and museums. Once the piece is framed, it is ready for immediate sale, shipping or exhibition. That saves a lot of last-minute fussing later.

My personal challenges these days are around color (always) and brushes. I try to take regular, everyday type rural scenes and paint them in an innovative way using unusual colors. I’m trying to work larger and that is forcing me to try new brushes and larger ones. My favorite brushes are the Princeton Long rounds, but I just got a size 30 round Mimik and I have to say I’m loving it for the big work. Every once in a while I try a piece using only a 2 inch flat brush. That’s a real challenge for me.

I will continue to study and paint and see where the art takes me. I hope my story has given you confidence to pick up a brush or pencil and just start. Wonderful things will happen, even late in the game. There are many paths to becoming an artist. I hope you find yours. And when you do, I’d love to hear about it!

Robin Edmundson Website Blog Facebook Instagram Pinterest Google + Twitter Etsy shop (hand-dyed yarn)

#WorldWatercolorGroup - GUEST ARTIST: "Many Paths Lead To Art" by Robin Edmundson -#doodlewash My story is not typical of many of the artists who have been featured here. I came to art late in the game.