#good for if you want a shady yard (it would be so perfect for summer bbq parties and such)

[deanpinterester]

i went to an open house the other day for funzies and while walking around the house i was like WOW LOOK AT THESE SHELVES and WOW LOOK AT THESE NICE WOODEN FLOORS and WHOA LOOK HOW BIG THE LAUNDRY ROOM IS and my brother was like idk if you know this but usually people don't talk this much during open houses

[jorgaskr]

The Shake Down

Russ 'Little Troll' Fenrenson was the Nord you hired when you wanted to send a message.

"I hear you've worked up quite the bill at the Ragged Flagon" Russ said as he leaned in on the smaller imperial. His red hair was grungy from traveling. He had skipped bath day intentionally. The brick shit house of a Nord was more intimidating when he was radiating a potent stench.

"It can't be that high" The imperial said. He had his back to the wall. The stormcloaks had won the civil war, and all over Skyrim his kind had to put up with this.

"It's gotta be pretty high if they sent me to make you pay up." Russ leaned over the smaller man. He rest his left forearm on the wall behind him while keeping his clenched right fist on the other side of the imperials head. His skin was light, but with all the dirt in his skin you may have thought he was a tall red guard from a distance. He was wearing his troll leather vest. Nothing was under it. The cold never bothered him, and he loved to show off his arms. For the imperial this meant that on one side of his head was a clenched fist, and on the other Russ' ripe and furry pit. The winters chill was in the air, but it could have been the middle of a blizzard and Russ' pits would still be as juicy as a rotten snow melon.

"I'll pay. I'm getting my coins together. First thing this week I'll do is pay." The imperial tried to duck under Russ' fist, but when the meaty Nord punched the bricks, he juked the other way into Russ' pit; getting a full sniff of the pungent bouquet wafting from the gnarled patch of red and orange hair, and wincing a bit from the smell.

Russ saw the man's unfortunate position and grinded. He had two long braids in his beard, and when he smiled wide they made for the perfect frame for his yellow teeth. "You like that?" He said, his tongue running across his teeth. "Take a good long drink of what a real Nord smells like." The imperial paused, but when Russ locked his piercing hazel eyes on him, the imperial knew it was no jest. "Do it" he said, leaving no room for bargain.

The imperial closed his eyes and drank deep of the Nord's revolting odor. He could taste it more than he could smell it. It was salty and sour. There was a subtly heat behind it, like an compost heap in the height of summer— so many unidentifiable stenches, and not a single one pleasing.

"Like it?" Russ said.

"It's very," The imperial said. "Very strong. Just like you natives"

Russ bent his arm in and smeared his Pitt drippings on the man's face. He laughed loudly. "Nice way of putting it. I think it smells like a dead horkers arsehole myself. But if you love it then consider that some free perfume." He laughed again, inadvertently flecking the imperials face with spit. "Sorry. Here let me dry that off for you." He pulled down his head and summoned a deep belch from the darkest pit of his guts. He puckered his lips and blew it slowly into the imperials face, the deep bellowing rumble, like distant thunder, rolling just inside his throat. He had stopped at a shady ale hall— The Giant's Scraps— and had his fill of curried goat legs and sour brew. Add that to his stale onion loaf rations and you had yourself some punishingly offensive breath. The imperials eyes watered. Russ pressed his forehead in on the man's. "You should be thanking the nine that I had just let rip my afternoon beefer a few moments before I saw you, or else it wouldn't be my breath you're choking on cow-chucker."

Russ reached down and grabbed the Imperial by the groin and squeezed. The man gave out an audible, and high-pitched eek.

"You have till noon tomorrow to pay back everything you owe to the Ragged Flagon, plus a hefty bonus to them for picking such a fine and upstanding Nord like myself to deliver the message. Understood?"

The imperial nodded.

"If I hear that you didn't pay back every last Talos' forsaken septim: one night I'm going to appear at the foot of your bed and I'm going to spend do long popping your little snowberries between my finger that you'll think I'm making it a career" He squeezed his grip tighter.

"Yes. Very. Very clear." The imperial was on his tip toes now, his voice so high pitched that only dogs and wolves could hear the sheer terror in his voice.

Thankfully Russ was enough of a dog himself. He let the man go. He dusted off the Imperial shoulders a d straightened his collar. When he was satisfied with his work he leaned in close, putting his mouth to one of the imperials ears: "Run." He said softly.

The imperial took off like an imp out of oblivion.

"I fucking love this job" Russ said. He pulled out a flask of fermented mammoth milk and rinsed his mouth out. He let out a belch. The imperial was yards away, but Russ knew he heard it. Hell, he could probably smell it.

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Opinions on Molly Weasley????

You know, I actually don’t think I’m too far out in left field for her. Well, I might be strange in that we tend to see very polarized opinions on Molly: either she’s the greatest mother who ever mothered and the Weasleys are a perfect family or she’s an overbearing manipulative matriarch who’s secretly poisoning Harry with love potions into marrying her daughter.

Sort of like Ron, I wouldn’t say Molly’s a saint, but she’s also not one of the truly nasty characters (she’s not eating babies or feeding Harry love potions or anything). That said, she is far from the warm, generous, matriarch JKR presented her as.

First, she is overbearing . There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s just how her and Arthur’s dynamic works, but at the same time if Arthur ever did have a spine it’s been completely conditioned out of him. It’s also very telling that Ron marries the overbearing equivalent of his mother in Hermione Granger. I suspect Ron’s spine has also completely disappeared by the time we hit that delightful epilogue from canon. 

As for the Weasleys, JKR sets them up to be the perfect family we can possibly (realistically) imagine. It’s huge, they all love each other and are fiercely loyal (except for Percy, the swine, we’ll get into this), they give Harry a sweater, it’s the family he wants so desperately that he marries the only available and socially acceptable option: Ginny (I could go on a rant about this for days, but guys, Harry shows way more interest in men than in women and I think 90% or Ginny’s attraction to him is that she’s a Weasley). 

That said the Weasleys, and Molly herself, have major issues. 

One, the money. I think JKR makes them poor to give contrast to the Malfoys. The Weasleys are nobly impoverished, they’re a wizarding family but understand more important things than money. The snobby Malfoys on the other hand have peacocks in their yard because rich people are inherently evil.  

That said, most of this is because Arthur and Molly completely mismanage finances. There’s nothing wrong with having seven children, but the Weasleys clearly cannot afford to have seven children. More, we see them spend money instantly when they have it. Ron is left without a wand for a year but the second Arthur wins the lottery, rather than save the money, WE’RE GOING TO EGYPT. Even the year before, money that might have gone towards emergency situations such as: my son’s wand broke is used to take Molly, Arthur, and Ginny to Egypt. They buy tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. The Weasleys don’t have that kind of money and then they go and are extremely bitter that Lucius Malfoy does have that kind of money. Yes, I’m sure the Malfoys were always wealthier than the Weasleys, but at the same time the Weasleys are the type to buy iphones for their kids when they’re on food stamps.

I’m getting a little distracted though, back to Molly.

I’d say Molly is far more traditional than JKR ever intended for her to be. She’s progressive enough that she supports muggleborns (they should get to go to Hogwarts and be very appreciative) but she also doesn’t think they should get too far ahead of themselves (we’ll get into this). She’s a raging misogynist (we’ll get into this). She is extremely judgmental and can flip on you at the drop of a hat with the barest of evidence. She never really does anything about Harry’s situation despite having very good evidence of its realities. And despite her family’s extreme poverty, even when all the kids are in boarding school, we don’t see her try to take up a job or even take up some etsy equivalent where she can enchant shit and sell it. There’s nothing wrong with staying home to raise the kids, but at the same time, I think for Molly it’s because “this is what the wife does”. 

Right, well, that actually was a lot.

Let’s start with Harry. Molly is witness to seven years of Harry’s childhood abuse and seems to take no action regarding it. Now, Fred and George are dubious sources, so them telling Molly that “hey Harry’s house had bars on his window” might not be taken seriously. Harry also is generally very private and embarrassed about his home life. That said, there are many many signs, and while Hermione practically lives at the Burrow ever since third or fourth year Harry has to spend every single summer with the Dursleys even before Voldemort’s return.

Granted, I have gone over that I don’t think child protection or even a good understanding of abuse exists in the Wizarding World. I think to wizards you’re stuck with the family you’ve got, and if your pureblood grandfather is raping you then it sucks to be you. That said, the Weasleys are such a central part of Harry’s life that I would expected them to do *something*. Instead it’s like Harry’s situation is... vaguely acknowledged but mostly ignored. 

Now, the Weasleys don’t have the money for an eighth kid (though Harry’s so absurdly wealthy he could help lighten the load were he to live with them) so I don’t hold this too much against them but... I would hope that a truly good family would have noticed Harry’s situation and tried to do something about it.

Right, the judgement part. The Weasley family’s unofficial disowning of Percy was horrible. This is going to be controversial, but Percy actually made some excellent points. Dumbledore and Harry’s story about Voldemort’s resurrection does sound nuts, the guy’s been dead ten years, he isn’t Jesus. More, it comes from Harry Potter who is young, traumatized, and has generally been erratic throughout the time Percy’s known him. And parts of what he says aren’t wrong. Why do the Weasley’s worship Dumbledore and listen to everything this man says? Dumbledore does do things like recruit child soldiers from the boarding school he runs. Dumbledore’s a shady guy. 

Mostly though, while Percy not believing Harry and Dumbledore is bad, I always got the feeling that a lot of the resentment and disowning was that Percy dared to do better than his father. Percy rises through the ranks quickly in the ministry, he’s extremely competent, where his father has been stuck in the same dead end joke of a job for years. Arthur even accuses Percy of having his position because Fudge is spying on Arthur. Which... no, Arthur, no. And the family just loathes him for it. They loathe him and it’s terrible. 

And I’m sure Dumbledore meanwhile is just dying that they’ve forced Percy out when Percy was in the perfect position to be a spy in the Ministry. I can just picture him drinking with Snape after Molly’s told him, tears in her eyes, that Percy is cut off because he betrayed the family, wondering what kind of morons are in the Order. 

Beyond Percy there’s what Molly does to Hermione in 4th year. And good god, this is also where the misogyny comes in. Rita Skeeter writes that Hermione, a fourteen-year-old girl, is a harlot and Molly not only a) believes it but b) becomes extremely judgmental of Hermione and essentially calls her a jezebel to her face. Molly, what the hell? Hermione’s life has been ruined by the tabloids for something that didn’t happen, and even if it did is nothing she should be slandered for, and Molly’s going “THAT WHORE”.

This is after Skeeter had slandered Arthur just that summer over the Quidditch World Cup incident and Molly hadn’t believed any of it for a second. So, either Hermione’s being a girl or her being an uppity muggleborn or both somehow makes this believable...

Molly’s very similar with Fleur. She doesn’t approve and I always got the feeling it was in part because Fleur is not the traditional sort of woman she’d want Bill to marry (Fleur is a working woman at Gringotts and more is elegant refined beauty rather than a girl next door who’d make a great housewife) but also because Fleur’s foreign. Bill should marry a nice, English, woman and instead he ends up with this French quarter-veela. 

Had Harry done anything to offend Molly, or even if Dumbledore had simply gone “You know what, Harry’s awful, we hate him”, then I would expect he too would have been completely cut off and thrown back into the gutter where he belongs.

So, Molly sucks and is not nearly as progressive as JKR intended, but is she feeding Harry love potions to marry Ginny and make the family wealthy? No.

[bebepac]

Food Fail (Happy Birthday Robin! 2020)

This is the first time I’ve ever written a birthday Fic and it’s in honor of a friend of mine @dcbbw​​ !!!!  Happy Birthday my friend!!!!!!  

When I first joined the fandom back in January, when I was searching for fics to read, she was one of the first people when I searched that came across.   I started reading her stories.  When I wanted to  write my own, and was nervous and anxious, she helped give me the confidence to write. 

She’s a very talented writer, and is incredibly humble.  I am happy to call you my friend.  I really hope you have a wonderful day today. 

So I wrote this about a food you do not like.  SUSHI.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! 

I hope you enjoy it.  See what I did there.  LOL!!!!!!

I used my characters from Pops Place, as you can tell.

I also used @shitthepizza​​​ About Pizza prompt # 5:  “I am always in the mood for pizza,” which will appear in bold.

Jaiden Brooks is my own character, all other characters belong to Pixelberry. 

This is not the next chapter of Pops Place.  But it fits into the series.  To check out the series Pop's Place Masterlist

Summary:  Mia goes out with the gang for dinner.  

Warnings:  Profanity.  That’s pretty much it.

Word Count: 1202

Tagging: @queenjilian​ @bbrandy2002​ @indiacater​ @janezillow​  @islandcrow​ @mom2000aggie​ @gkittylove99​ @gabesmommie1130​ @sophie-and-shizuku​​ @kingliam2019​​ @queenwalton​​ @cordonia-gothqueen​​ @texaskitten30​​  @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​​ @queen-arabella-of-cordonia​​ @lodberg​​ @hopefulmoonobject​​ @kimmiedoo5​​ @sanchita012​​  @mrsdrakewalkerblog​​ @cordonianroyalty​​ @batgirlassociationofgothamcity​​ @hopelessromanticmonie​​ @marietrinmimi​​ @blueaster-blog1​​ @lovablegranny​​ @ac27dj​​ @classylady1234​​ @loudbluebirdlover​​ @atha68​​ @nikkis1983​​ @furiousherringoperatortoad​​ @sevenfuckslefttogive​​ @ladyangel70​​ @burnsoslow​​ @axwalker​​ @debramcg1106​​ @marshmallowsandfire​​ @choicesficwriterscreations​

Song Inspiration for this fic:  “Milkshake” by Kelis

https://youtu.be/pGL2rytTraA

I don’t own rights to the music. or quoted lyrics later on.  

"Hey if you want to, you and Daniel can meet me at Pop's and we can ride together downtown."

"Oh my GOD Jaiden thanks!!! I absolutely hate driving in downtown Raleigh with all the one way streets and parallel parking."

"But Mia, you seriously have the smallest car in the world to parallel park."

"It's North Carolina, not New York, no one parallel parks here, you pull in. I didn't have to parallel park for my driving test."

"Well I'm from New York and we parallel park."

"Well you go right ahead Mr. New Yorker!"

"Then I will show you how it's done Miss Southern Belle, after we …. He cleared his throat and continued in the worst southern drawl ever, “drink sweet tea and eat apple cobbler in the parlor Ma'am.”

Mia burst out laughing.  

“Shut up! You know I’m not like that, and I definitely don’t sound like that.”  

“I’m sorry, I can’t understand your dialect.”  

“YOU TALKING TO ME?”  Mia said in her best Robert De Niro voice.  

Daniel looked at the two of them bickering back and forth. He looked surprised. 

 “Hmmm… that was pretty good.”  Jaiden said to her nodding.  “You could get by in the city with that.”  

“Thank you.”  Mia flashed him a smile.  

“So, I'll pick you guys up around 6:20?"

"That's perfect."

When they were in the car.  She kept noticing Daniel staring at her.  

“Whaaaaat?”

“Um… so are you going to tell me what that was, or do I have to guess?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Girl…..“

“Daniel What?!?!?!”

“Are you and Jaiden a thing?”  

“Uh no. We’re just friends.”

Daniel gave her a look.

“I don’t flirt with my friends like that.”  Daniel raised his eyebrow at Mia again.

“We were not flirting.”  

“You two are definitely something-ing because, I could cut the tension with a machete.”

“Nuh uh.. It’s not even like that Daniel.”

“I’m just saying Mia, you need a theme song for this summer, and I got just the one.”

Mia smirked at him.

“Mia’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they’re like, it’s better than yours, damn right it’s better than yours, I could teach you, but I have to charge.”

“Okay Daniel.”  

“You better wear something cute for your bae.”  

“He’s not my Bae.”

“Okay, then he’s a friend that definitely wants to see you naked.  Girl, can I live vicariously through you this summer? Cuz you’re pulling all the men so far.”  

“Yeah and they all the winners,  “Drake: I have a long distance girlfriend, but yeah let’s hang out too,  and Liam: Mr. I’m pretty sure you did something shady to get me to look your way and discredit Drake but he screwed that up on his own.”

“And Leo: Mr. I have given you a nickname but no one else can use it, and let’s get you crazy drunk.”    

“Okay… already let’s get you home so we can get ready and get back for dinner.”

When they arrived  back right around 6:15, they pulled up seeing Jaiden leaning against his jeep.  

As they walked up to  Jaiden’s jeep she heard Daniel softly singing.

“La - la - la - la - laaaaaa… the boy is waiting….”

She punched Daniel.  

“Should I even ask?” Jaiden looked at the two of them.

“No you should not.”

He opened the door for Mia letting her get into the car. 

“Your jeep is nice.”  

“Thanks, it took me getting straight A’s and graduating 3rd in my class to get it.”  

“So you’ll be at Cordonia U in the fall then?”

“Why would you think that?”  

“Because you live in Prestonwoods.”

“Yeah, I don’t get all that you’re either Prestonwoods or you’re everyone else crap.  We actually toured both.  I liked Hartfeld better.  That’s where I’ll be this fall.”  

“Me too.”  

“Cool.”  He glanced in Mia’s direction.  Mia was wearing a red  dress and white sandals.  She looked really cute.  

“Watch and learn Mia.”  

Jaiden flawlessly parallel parked between two cars.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?”  

“You know what… I’m locking you in the car.  I’ll go enjoy dinner with Daniel. You’ll have air and sadness for dinner Mia.” Jaiden laughed.  Mia couldn’t help her smile on her face.

“Oh my god!!!!  Air and Sadness?!?!  I really like you Jaiden.  You put her in her place.”  Daniel chuckled.  “Mia needs a guy that is as funny as she is.”  

Daniel noticed them both stare at each other in silence.  

Yep… he thought… there are definite sparks there.

“I’ll get the door for you Mia.”  

“Where are we meeting everyone at? I’m starving.”  

“Sushi Blues Cafe.”

“Sushi…. As in raw fish?”  

“There are cooked sushi rolls.  Have you had sushi?”

“I’ve never tried it.. I like my fish fried and battered, with tartar sauce, and either lemon juice or vinegar, thanks to Pops.”  

“So I’ll get a Philadelphia roll,  it’s cooked  with smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese. Most people who are newbies to sushi like it.  So I'll share mine with you. I’ll get two so if you like it, you can have your own.”  

When they got into the restaurant the only seats left were on the end of the table.  Daniel sat in the next to the last seat, and Mia sat on the end being left handed, and Jaiden sat across from her.  She noticed everyone else was there.  Hana, Penelope, Maxwell, Olivia, Leo, Rashad, Neville, and Liam.  No Drake.  He probably doesn’t do Sushi.   Can’t blame him.  They passed out menus.  Mia looked nervous.  She ordered a green tea, and when the server came back for her food order, she couldn’t remember what roll Jaiden said he was going to get.

“She’s with me,” Jaiden said.  “We’ll get two philly rolls.”  

She smiled at him.  “Thank you,” she mouthed to him.

“You’re welcome.”  he whispered back.

She stared at her plate.

She poked a piece of the sushi.

“It’s not going to attack you, Mia.”  

“And this is cooked?”

“Yeah.”  

“You’re sure?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Do you like spicy stuff?”

“Not really.”

“So that green stuff, stay away from that then. That’s wasabi.”  

“Ginger?”

“Meh…”

“Yeah, we won’t mess with that either then.”  

“So put some soy sauce on a piece.”  

Mia mimicked him.

“And just one big bite. Eat it.”

He popped it in his mouth and chewed.  

“It’s good, now your turn.”  

Mia did as he did.  She dry heaved.  

Jaiden almost fell out of his chair, because of the look on Mia’s face.  It was clear…. Mia was not a fan of sushi. Both Jaiden and Daniel both were roaring in laughter.  

“Chew it up, or spit it out.  Do something Mia!!!!”

Liam looked in their direction in all the ruckus they were causing.  Liam wished he was sitting with Mia, they looked to be having so much fun.  

Mia managed to swallow the piece of sushi.

“Want another then?”  Jaiden  asked seriously for a second, then burst into laughter again.  

“No thanks.  I’d almost would have rather had the air and sadness, you offered earlier.” 

When it was time to leave and the check was passed out, Jaiden paid for Mia’s share even though she didn’t really eat anything.

They walked  down the street together.  

“So… how about a pizza?” Jaiden asked.

“I’m always in the mood for pizza.”  

“Let’s go get you some dinner then Mia.”  

Mia smiled as Jaiden led the way back to his vehicle.

[spohkh]

miracle on cornelia street [dean/castiel]

so BASICALLY sarah @adanceinasnowglobe and i were talking about what everyone would be up to post-series -- yknow, like, now that theyre all safe and healthy n everythings cool and destiel is officially together. yknow. as happened in canon -- and we were like so obviously destiel get a house, and thats kind of the basis of this verse so !! this is the foundational fic for what i HOPE will be a series of fun lil day-in-the-life drabbles, from both me and sarah!! 

ehehehe :-) enjoy!

read on AO3

The house is a quaint thing, sitting low and snug under a pair of shady oak trees in a quiet suburb just outside of downtown Lawrence. Its brickwork face is weathered—definitely in need of a good power wash—and the roof is just as worn. The bottom step to the porch slants unevenly, and the porch itself has cracks in the concrete. There are chips in the paint on the window frames, the iron porch railing is rusting, and who knows when the gutters were last given a proper cleaning.

There’s a lot of work to be done, but standing there in the small front lawn, Dean Winchester can’t say if he’s ever seen anyplace else so perfect as the house at 3767 Cornelia Street. Dean’s house—his home. His home with Cas.

“Can you believe it?” he quietly says to Miracle, who has been sitting patiently by Dean’s leg. Miracle tilts her head and wags her tail. Dean looks back up at the house. “Yeah, me neither.”

The sound of a familiar car rumbling up the road snaps Dean out of his reverie. He rubs a knuckle at his eye and clears his throat and tries to look like he hadn’t been standing in his front yard about to cry while talking to his dog, christ.

The car rolls to a stop on the curb just in front of the house. The driver’s side door opens, and Sam slowly unfolds his ridiculous limbs as he gets out. It’s always a wonder how he can fit himself into a car at all. Sam gives a dorky little wave as he ambles over to where Dean is standing.

Dean peers behind Sam, trying to see into the car. “What, no Eileen?”

“Hello to you, too. Dick,” he replies snarkily. “She’s wrapping up a work thing. She’ll come over when she’s done.”

Dean sucks his teeth in disappointment. “Ah, well. Guess you can go home then.” Sam shoves at his shoulder. Dean just laughs and pulls Sam in for a proper hello hug.

“Why are you standing out here, anyway?” Sam asks when they part.

“Can’t a man just hang out in his own front yard? Accompanied by a dashing canine companion?” He leans down to pat Miracle on the head.

“I guess…” Sam looks down at Miracle. When she tips her head up and gazes back at him, Sam snorts.

“What?”

“Miracle on Cornelia Street,” Sam says with mirth.

Dean squints at him. “What?” he repeats, now more incredulous.

“You know—like Miracle on 34th Street. But we’re on Cornelia, so.” He nods down at the dog. “Miracle on Cornelia Street.”

“Dude.” Dean rolls his eyes at Sam’s goofy grin and starts walking up the path to the house, Miracle trotting behind him. “Shut up and come inside already.”

Sam follows after him, pausing just inside the threshold as he spots something on the doorframe. “Oh, classy,” he says, throwing a sardonic look to where D.W. and C.W. are scratched into the wood.

“Just wait,” Dean jokes with a toothy smile, “when I got the time I’m gonna draw a little heart around it.” He was joking, but now that he said it, he kind of wanted to.

Cas looks up from the stove when they walk into the dining room. He’s wearing one of Dean’s old AC/DC tees, the logo all but worn away from being washed so many times. He’s usually in some ratty tee or other when lounging around these days. But in honor of Sam’s visit today (Cas’ words) and to seem a little more dressy short of donning his usual button-downs (Dean’s private opinion), he’s also wearing the cable-knit cardigan Sam got him as a gift last Christmas. “Hi, Sam.”

Sam leans against the counter that separates the dining and kitchen areas, craning his giraffe neck to catch a glimpse at the stove. “Hey, Cas! What’cha cooking?”

“Nothing. Dean made it. I was just watching the pot so it didn’t boil over.” He locks eyes with Dean, his intent stare very clearly communicating I did not touch the chili I added nothing I did not touch the dial I was just watching it like you asked so don’t even start.

Dean just smiles as he walks past the counter and steps into Cas’ space. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he says, and busses Cas on the cheek.

“You’re welcome,” Cas replies warmly. He’s gazing up at Dean with those summer afternoon blue eyes, standing in one of Dean’s shirts and that dorky cardigan, and Dean starts to get full of that feeling from out in the front yard again. If they were alone, Dean would probably say something recklessly sappy like I am so stupid in love with you.

As it is, Dean clears his throat and turns back to Sam, slinging an arm around Cas’ shoulders, and says, “He did the salad.”

Cas sneaks him a knowing look before, thankfully, putting his attention on Sam without commenting on Dean’s hasty redirection. “I did the salad,” Cas agrees blithely, and places the salad bowl on the counter for Sam to see, seeming pleased with himself.

Sam looks between the two of them, an amused tilt to his eyebrow that Dean implicitly distrusts. He’s definitely thinking mocking thoughts about the two of them. But he just quirks a smile and says, “It looks great.” Shrewd little diplomat.

Cas shifts to the side to see past Sam’s shoulder. Sam glances behind himself before shooting Cas a confused look.

“She’s still at work,” Dean tells Cas, guessing who he’s looking for. “Sadly.”

“What, am I not good enough?”

“Of course you are,” Cas promises earnestly, just as Dean says, “Well…”

Sam’s opening his mouth to retort, probably something absolutely scathing, when his phone chimes. He pulls it out of his pocket, a smile spreading over his face. “Speak of the devil,” he says, then tips his head with a grimace, “as it were. That was Eileen. She’ll be here soon, so I’m gonna go wash up.”

“Bathroom’s down the hall—“

“Dude, I know where it is. I did help you guys move in.”

Dean spreads his hands in assent. “Fine, christ, I swear never to be a good host to you in my home ever again. Go ahead and go take your dump now.”

“I’m not gonna—ohmygodnevermind.” He turns on his heel and huffs down the hall, Miracle trotting after him, the tags on her collar clinking together jauntily.

Dean reaches past Cas to turn the burner off, then lands his hand on Cas’ hip. “Have I told you today how cute you are in that sweater?”

“Yes.” Cas brings his hands up to cradle Dean’s face. “Four times.”

“Make it five.” Dean kisses him. He pulls Cas into a hug, pressing his face against Castiel’s shoulder. They sway into each other. After a warm moment, Dean says in a low voice, “The first family dinner in our house.”

Cas hums a soft, contented sound in agreement. “The first of many,” he responds, just as quiet. Dean squeezes him tighter. He knows they’re both thinking about Jack and Claire, their bedrooms sitting empty and waiting for whenever they can find the time to visit—and Kaia and Alex and Jody with Claire, if they can, and Charlie and her girlfriend, and Bobby, and all the other wayward extensions of their sprawling family caught out in the wind. Their house isn’t big enough to host everyone, but with Sam and Eileen up the block and the bunker just a few miles out, there’s plenty of room to put up people who come out their way. Dean has the hope that 3767 Cornelia Street becomes a common pitstop for folks—a suburban Roadhouse, a tidier (much tidier) Singer Salvage.

Dean presses a kiss against Cas’ neck, and Cas breathes a sweet little sigh that pushes all thoughts about future dinners right out the window. Fuck, this dinner could go out the window, for all he cares. He kisses a little higher up, right under Cas’ jawline, before pulling back to catch Castiel’s darkened gaze. “How ‘bout we ditch the nag and go have a private party of our own?”

“Dean, no. I worked really hard on that salad.” He sounds perfectly serious, but the playful glint in his eye gives him away. Dean snorts, mumbling oh, forgive me, Chef Cas as he leans in again.

Just as they kiss, Sam walks back in. “Hey, I think something’s wrong with your sink–- oh, sorry.”

“Huh?” Dean reluctantly pulls away as Sam clears his throat, looking sheepish. “What’s wrong with what, Sammy?”

“Uh, with your bathroom.”

“The bathroom? Oh, what, you clogged the toilet?”

“Wha— N—  I DID NOT SHIT IN YOUR BATHROOM.”

“Then how did the toilet get messed up?”

“It’s the SINK, the SINK—”

“You took a shit in the sink?”

Cas pinches the bridge of his nose. “Dean…”

“What? He started it.”

“Started WHAT?”

Dean snaps his fingers. “The end of the world.”

“Oh! My god!”

“I guess technically, yeah, since god is our kid...” He turns to Cas. “Weird, weird lives we lead.”

Cas just shakes his head, clearly exasperated. Sam has given up on speaking completely and has fallen back on making a gesture like he’s one second away from grabbing Dean by the throat.

“I was there for all twelve years of it,” Sam says to Cas, “and I still can’t believe you stayed with this guy.”

“Well,” Cas muses serenely, “you’ve been here a lot longer than me.”

Sam grimaces when Dean throws him his best shit-eating grin. Nothing like his two favorite people bonding over how much of a pain he is.

The sound of the front door opening distracts them, and then a voice calls, “Knock knock! The life of the party has arrived!”

“Eileen!” Sam exclaims happily. Miracle takes off down the hall, Sam hot on her heels.

Dean chuckles at Sam’s unabashed excitement, then gives Castiel another peck on the cheek before moving away from him. “Can you put everything out on the table? I’ll go check out the bathroom sitch real quick.”

Cas catches his hand as he starts to leave, softly saying his name. When Dean looks back at him, Cas smiles and says, “I love you.”

Dean wonders if maybe three time’s the charm and he should just give in to what his body wants him to do. If a man has a right to stand around and cry messily anywhere in his own home, surely the kitchen would be the place to do it. The kitchen, after all, is the heart of any house.

But Dean doesn’t. He indulges in a little sniffle, Cas’ eyes glimmering with knowing in the soft light. Dean brings Cas’ hand to his mouth and kisses the neat gold band around his finger, and he kisses each peaked knuckle, and he turns Cas’ hand over and kisses his palm and his wrist. Then he lets go and puts his own hand against Cas’ cheek, and says his recklessly sappy thing: “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

And the glowing feeling inside him doesn’t settle, only grows brighter.

Whatever’s wrong with the sink will be just one more thing to a long list of shit to deal with. Their house needs work, no denying. But Dean knows they’ve got plenty of time.

[bobablues]

Stargazing With Asahi Azumane

This was a request from @inlovecorp​ ! I haven’t written for the Haikyuu cast yet, but I loved this! I plan to write more for them as well. I wasn’t sure if you wanted the reader to end up dating Asahi in this BUT!!! I can make a part 2 if you desire it UWU (We love a good sequel-) THIS WAS NOT MEANT TO BE THIS LONG I AM SO SORRY BRO  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night air was brittle when he knocked on your door -It was a week before the last year of school for the both of you and he had spent most of it working -Spent most of the time away from you -He didn’t realize how tiring being away from you made him and he wanted to get (at least) one night  in your presence -You opened your door confused as the night sky was already showing itself, the light of day fading at the edges of the trees and streets “Hey! Uh.. what are you doing here?” -You didn’t mean for the words to come off so harsh like but your kind smile sufficed as an apology -He was already getting flustered  -Even after years of knowing you and being goof balls with each other “Well..it’s almost time to go back for our third year. I was wondering if you’d like to visit the garden in the park before it’s too late.” -He mumbled the last bit worried if it was too cheesy sounding -You raised a brow at his suggestion thinking over the option as you pulled the blanket, you dragged from the couch, around your shoulders “Sure! Let me get my shoes.” -You left the door open in your haste even though you both knew the garden’s visitation hours were over -Even though you both knew you’d have to sneak in  -Asahi sighed when your frame left the doorway, but in his mind he was chanting yes over and over -You reappeared a few minutes later with shoes and a change of clothes to fit the air better -You headed down the path but saw him pick up the pace -He swiftly walked down to the main street your house was on and waved his arms in the steadily rising moonlight  -As if he was saying in a playful manner “Come on slow poke!” -You chuckled at his antics then ran to catch up -The street lamps lit up sections of your destination and several times you thought of how warm his hands would be in yours -When you saw the park’s entrance you started a sprint before yelling back to Asahi “We’re almost there! Come on already!” with a steady fit of laughter filling up the night air -He kept his walking pace and just watched you run ahead -Your laugh struck a heart string in him making him swish a sad smile to the side -You proudly stood at the finish point and when he came into view you just smiled at him -That simple smile made his whole summer worth the moment -He truly missed hanging around you “The garden is around the loop. If the sky stays like this, we should have prime stargazing hours.”  -Asahi told you when you two trekked further the paved concrete -Your excitement was a calm bubbling, making you oddly giddy -Was it excitement bubbles.. or butterflies? -You went as silent as the trees’ leaves thinking about what your mind threw at you until the wooden logs of the garden halted your feet -No words were exchanged as Asahi stepped on a log and used the fence to jump over it -He smiled happy with his achievement and even though you had begun to get over by yourself he stepped in -His somehow warm hands held one of yours, and the other gripped your waist as you jumped down -... -Oh god why did I do tHaT -That’s all the gentle giant could think as you hid your blush with dusting your pants off “Thank you..” -You weren’t upset with him?? -His entire body visibly relaxed when you offered a small smile for his help -’It’s a good thing I stayed up’ You thought when you looked around -The faint lights of the park and the moon did wonders for the foliage surrounding you two -Not only did the community put vegetables but ground covers of moss, heights of towering elephant ear plants, the occasional fern under a shady area, and even a succulent bed in a far corner -As you marveled the place in a new way Asahi had made his way to a bench under a tree -He softly called to you to get your attention back on him “You can really see the stars from here...” -He was right -The tree limbs with fringing leaves framed a perfect opening for the sky -It’s stars were peeping through the dark and a few twinkled when you strayed your sight from them -You were in complete aw  -And so was Asahi -Really..he knew you were amazing but tonight really showed it -He could stay like this for hours if the night would let him -You came back to Earth and turned to face him as you spoke “This is one of the best ideas I’ve ever heard of..thanks for thinking of me when you came up with it.” -Your blush was coming back but the shade from the tree above hid it well -He was too caught up in the moment to filter his words like he usually does in social situations “I came up with the idea because of you.” -Yes. He instantly wanted to hide in the pond a couple yards behind you two -No. He did not regret your reaction -He felt a hand lay over his and he sat straight up -Like posture?? We know her now -He smiled at you in his natural shy way before letting you relax on him -You switched your focus from him to the stars every now and then trying to find the difference -You had no clue what time it was when you started to head back home but you didn’t really care -Asahi walked you home of course -And his heart of glass was forever stained by the kiss you gave his cheek at the start of your driveway  -Once the door shut you went to your room as quietly as possible (for your parents sake) -Laying on your back you stared at the ceiling -Smiling for as long as you could remember until you fell asleep clutching a nearby pillow to your frame

[orions-belt18]

Mint Chocolate Chip

Tw: sneaking out at night(?)

Characters: Emil Steilsson/Aph Iceland, Leon Wang/Aph Hong Kong

Date: 8/8/2019

Summary: Hong Kong has an important question to ask of Iceland, although he might not be great about picking a time…

Emil was sleeping quietly, being peaceful and enjoying the night and his dream. It hadn't been too hard to fall asleep that night, his bed was warm and the room was cool. He had been expecting to rest well tonight.

And he would have. If not for a growing scratch-scratch-scratch on the other side of his wall.

It pulled Emil out of his dream slowly, and he stared half-awake at the ceiling for a good minute before he realized that something was insistently trying to climb his wall.

What on earth… He wondered, lifting the covers, who the hell is trying to climb a two story house…?

Emil pushed himself up and out of bed, and crept over to the window. There weren’t often burglaries in this neighborhood, and a good thief should know where the bedrooms are.

He quickly undid the latch, and pushed the glass to the side. Out in the dark summer night, nothing moved. The tree between his neighbors yard and his rustled quietly. Emil slid the screen aside. There weren’t any cars moving on the street…

Down below his window in the shadow of the ledge, a rock thumped.

“Who’s there?” Emil whisper-shouted, lowering himself down against the sill.

“Emil!” The tree responded.

Emil felt his expression fall flat. He tilted his head up towards the longest branch.

“Leon, can’t you climb any quieter? You’re gonna wake up Matt and Luka.”

Some branches swayed as the dark spot between them shrugged, “It’s not like you were gonna answer your phone.”

“Because its…” Emil checked the time, “Wha- it’s four A.M! What do you even want?”

Leon edged a little further out of the leaves, “Come get ice cream with me!”

Emil frowned, “Why now? Can’t you wait until a reasonable hour?”

He could spy the outline of Leon shaking his head, “No, it… has to be right now.”

“Why?”

“Reasons.”

Emil sighed. He was tired, and he had hockey practice later tomorrow… But…

“Alright. Fine. Let me change and i’ll come out. Don't make any noise.”

Leon gave him a salute.

In theory, it wasn’t too odd for Leon to be here. He lived a few houses down, at the end of the block, and he came over regularly. He had been, ever since elementary. Then, in highschool, they went to the same campus, and Emil always had Leon in at least one class. They sat together for lunch sometimes. And then, after the day was over, they took the same train home, and did homework at each other's houses.

But this was the first time he’d randomly decided to come over at four in the morning.

Leon was still waiting silently when Emil came to the window again, and carefully brought his foot up to crouch on the sill. Leon backed down toward the trunk to make space for Emil to leap.

See, the issue with this tree was that you could climb out of it, but not into it.

The tree’s branches shook loudly as Emil jumped into them- and missed the sturdiest branch. He slipped on the lighter ones, grabbing the leaves above him for support. Trying to control his momentum with a sleepy, panicked brain, Emil stumbled down into Leon. Leon grabbed and pulled him to his chest while they waited out the noise.

Emil’s breath caught in his throat when he saw a light click on, but a few long minutes passed and no one came out. It clicked off again.

“Whew… Probably just Lukas listening for anything else.” He sighed.

Leon loosened his arm a little bit, “what was that you told me about being quiet?”

Emil lightly jabbed him in the chest with his elbow, “you didn’t just get woken up by an idiot climbing up the side of your house at four A.M.”

“I was climbing the tree!”

“Didn’t sound like it.”

Emil turned around in Leon’s hold to shuffle his way down. He didn’t fail to notice the way Leon held onto the back of his sweater until he was sure Emil was stable.

Once they were both safe and on the ground, Emil walked his bicycle over from the side of the house to the sidewalk next to Leon’s.

“Alright.” He yawned, “Which ice cream place?”

Leon smiled at him- a soft, thoughtful one he didn’t give often. Emil blinked, caught off guard.

“Perfect Puffin ice cream place.” Leon said.

Emil felt the blush rise in his cheeks, “What?! Thats- Thats expensive!”

Leon laughed, boarding his bike, “Yeah I know. I saved up a good amount of money though, and I finally have enough!”

Emil pushed off and followed him through the quiet nighttime streets. He didn’t know what to say, so he ducked down and pedaled on. The half-moon lit a path down the road.

The Perfect Puffin was Emil’s all-time favorite restaurant. Even if it… technically wasn’t one. For adults with full-time jobs, the price was just a minor inconvenience. For teenagers with summer jobs and school… it wasn’t easy to afford. At all. Most of them were lucky to have 25 dollars on them at one time.

Leon worked at a gamestop. A poor gamestop. He usually used his money for buying games or food. He rarely had any to spare. The only other place he could have gotten it would have been… His father? Arthur didn’t lend money easily but he would if his kids needed it… Maybe his dad? Leon didn’t get along amazingly well with his birth father, and he always made him do chores for money. It wasn’t anything hard, but after working, Leon was more likely to sleep than vacuum five rooms and wash dishes.

If he’d saved it up, that would have meant that Leon had been saving for… quite some time…

Emil steadied his bike after he went over a rock. Leon’s head turned back minimally to look.

God… Why does he have to be… himself. Emil thought frustratedly. The burn in his cheeks hadn’t gone down.

They peddled on silently. They turned out of the neighborhood and onto the main road, and Emil let Leon pull in front as they ran up onto the sidewalk. Technically, riding your bike on the sidewalk was illegal where they lived.

But so was jaywalking. And being out past curfew.

The Perfect Puffin wasn’t too far away, luckily. Emil and Leon parked their bikes out front, hooking them up to the rack. Leon held the door open (which was only fair,) and Emil rolled his eyes as he went inside.

It had been… quite awhile since he’d came in here.

The whole parlor was white with stripes of pink and brown- to imitate a neapolitan sandwich-type color scheme. All over the walls were pictures of the owners and a few donors in Iceland, where the chain originated in.

Why such a nice place was open 24 hours, Emil couldn’t tell you.

The tired sales woman at the counter perked up a little as they came in.

“Hi, welcome to the Perfect Puffin…What would you like?”

Leon nodded to Emil, “You pick first.”

Emil took a long hard stare at the different flavors. His tired mind took a long moment before registering what he was looking for. “Uhhhhhhhhh… Okay, can I get a mint chocolate chip please?”

The lady behind the counter nodded in an equally sleepily manner, and ducked down to get it for him.

Leon peered outside.

“Hey, Emil.” He bumped their shoulders, “Wanna eat out there?”

Emil glanced outside. The outdoor seating area was small, but it was oddly serene for a place that should be shady, and it overlooked the garden of a temple nearby. Emil nodded, leaning lightly on Leon’s arm.

“You okay?” Leon asked.

Emil nodded again, “Yeah… I'm just tired.”

Leon didn't say anything for once. There was a good chance he was tired too. Emil wasn’t really sure what he’d been doing that day… Piano lessons? Soccer? Looking up at him, Emil noticed that his cheeks were a pale shade of pink.

Huh.

The lady gave them their ice cream and they thanked her, wandering outside.

The half-moon was still bright.

“So…” Emil said, after a few bites, (it was amazing,) “gonna tell me why you wanted to get ice cream from a pretty expensive place at four am?”

Leon shrugged, “I… I just felt like it.”

Emil narrowed his eyes, “Bullshit.”

“What?” Leon looked mildly surprised.

“What do you mean ‘what?’, you’re acting weird.”

Leon looked back at the garden- probably an excuse to look away from Emil, “...No i’m not.”

“Leo.”

Leon was quiet for a moment longer. He looked like he was thinking, so Emil opted to eat more ice cream while he waited.

“...You’re my best friend, Emil.” He finally said.

Emil looked at him in confusion again, “What?

It was dark, but by the light of the moon Emil could make out the details of Leon’s expression. He looked… Sad? Conflicted?

“I… Just wanted to make sure you knew that. That I… care about you a lot. Even if I get on your nerves all the time.”

Emil just stared at him wide-eyed, “Leo…”

Leon didn’t respond. He looked flustered.

Emil sighed, “Leon I… I don’t hate you. You only annoy me on the surface, I'm never actually truly angry with you. I… honestly I don’t think I ever could be.”

Plus, how can you expect me to be any sort of angry after getting me ice cream? Emil thought sarcastically.

Leon blinked at him, “Never? Not even when I wake you up and night or bother you for food?”

Emil smirked, “No, Leo. I… I really care about you too.”

Leon kept staring at him. Attentively. It was starting to creep him out.

“...How much?”

“What?”

Leon tilted his head, “how much?”

Emil ate more ice cream as an excuse to stall.

“...More than you think.”

Leon was analyzing him now, “and what do you think I see you as?”

Emil snorted, but he could feel his face getting red again, “You said I was your ‘best friend’ just now. I’m guessing its that.”

“Only that?”

Emil looked him dead in the eyes. Leon was blushing a little.

“Why do you want to know?” Emil asked tentatively.

Leon blinked hard again, like he was suddenly coming to his senses, “Uh- no reason. Just asking.” He turned away again.

Emil raised an eyebrow, “You don’t really expect me to believe you on that, do you?”

Leon looked like he was going to try to change the subject again, before giving in and smiling bashfully, “Would you?”

“Haha. No.”

Leon looked at the garden again. A huge black cat was sitting on a pillar.

“...Leo?”

“I- jeez, I don’t know how to say this. Um…” His shoulders were all tensed up.

“Say what?” Emil pushed. I swear if this idiot has some heartbreaking news…

“...Can you stand up real fast?” Leon asked.

Emil gave him a flat, confused look, “What?”

“Just do it.”

Emil set his ice cream on the table between them, and pushed himself up.

Leon stood across from him for a moment, just staring again. Emil just noticed that his eyes looked a little more watery than usual, before he stepped forward without warning and hugged Emil tightly around the waist.

“Wha-!?“

“I love you, Emil.”

Emil froze. Oh…

“I… You- what?”

Oh my god…

Leon kept his face buried in Emil’s shoulder, “I said that I love you. If you don’t feel the same thats okay- I don’t mi-“

“Shut up.” Emil said, hugging him back, “Stop talking. I… I love you too, idiot.”

“Really!?”

“I- yeah…” Emil nodded, “yeah.”

Leon pulled back to look at him. A few tears rolled down his cheeks.

Emil shook his head, “why are crying?”

Leon laughed, “because i’m happy, stupid.”

Emil smilled, and went to wipe away his tears, “of course.”

“Are you okay?” Leon asked, holding on to Emil’s arms.

Emil laughed, “Yeah. You really caught me off guard- It’s four in the morning, its too early for emotions.”

“You’re really really red.”

“Ah- Dammit.” Emil tried to cover his face. Leon pulled his arms back down.

“No don’t do that! It’s cute!”

Emil felt himself get even redder, “No!”

Leon slid his hands down to Emil’s wrists, and lifted arms above his head, “Yes!”

Caught in the open with nowhere to hide, Emil buried his face in Leon’s chest.

“You asshole...” Emil complained.

Leon gave him his hands back and hugged him again, “I love you too~”

When the sun rose the next morning, Emil slept through it. He slept through breakfast. He would have stayed peacefully asleep, if someone didn’t go knocking on his door around lunch.

“Emiiiiil!” Matthias called through the door, “come eat something!”

Lukas gave Emil a sly look as he stumbled bleary-eyed into the kitchen.

“Didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”

Emil paused, “Uhhhhhhh-“

“Where’d ya go?” Matthias asked.

“You knew!?”

Lukas snorted, reaching for a cupboard, “Mr. Romeo down the road there can’t climb for shit. Neither can you.”

Emil rolled his eyes and punched Lukas in the arm, “It was late, we get an excuse. Why didn’t you stop us? I know you woke up.”

Matthias grinned, “Cause Luka wants his bet money!”

“His what.”

Lukas walked around the kitchen table to set down plates, “I don't know what you’re talking about.”

“Aww!”

Emil turned his face away from them. They’d find out eventually, it might even be fun to see how long they could go…

Emil smirked to himself, and made a mental note to text Leon later.

...A mental note to text his boyfriend later…!

Authours note: Hongice fic for anon!! I haven’t really written Hong Kong before, so sorry if his characterization is off~ I would put this under a ‘read more’ but my laptop is broken and i’m on mobile for... the foreseeable future. I hope you liked this!

[ellewritesfiction]

Wouldn’t it be Nice (5 times Tony mentions kids + 1 time Bruce does) for @sciencebrosweek

Day One: Dust

The evening was nice – maybe a little warm, but the large fan in the center of the screened in porch kept it cool. Bailey whined in her sleep, stretching out on the stone floor, and Bruce reached out with his foot to rub her stomach. He looked up from his tablet and over at his husband who was stretched out on the wooden loveseat, his gangly limbs too long for it, one leg hanging off the seat and the other thrown over the armrest at the knee. His head just barely fit in under all the pillows he smooshed up under it. He was reading too but his tablet kept dipping and jerking upright again, the empty bottle of beer on the floor next to him offering a little explanation. 

“You might be more comfortable in bed,” Bruce murmured with a fond smile and Tony made a noise that could really be interpreted as anything. 

“A valid argument,” he teased gently and he heard Tony huff. 

“I’m reading,” he finally mumbled, mostly interpretable, and Bruce chuckled. 

“About?” he asked and Tony brought the screen close to his face, squinting at it.

“God – fuck – something about genes – that CRISPR article. The new one. Or – it’s old now, from last year, so it’s the old one. The old new one. You know which one I mean.”

Bruce found it hard not to grin at him just as wide as he wanted as he rambled – his husband. They’d been married for two years now but it still seemed surreal. He still didn’t believe he really deserved it. The doting husband, the suburban house. The good-paying job and the dog and the weekends relaxing and going to good restaurants with their friends. It was... alarmingly normal. It was entirely mundane. It was perfect. 

“Yes, absolutely, I know just which one you mean.”

“Shut up,” Tony sighed, closing the case on his tablet and setting it down beside his empty beer, throwing his other leg up over the arm of the chair and wiggling his shoulders like he was going to settle in for a good long while there. 

“You bitched for like forty-eight hours straight about being old the last time you fell asleep there,” Bruce reminded him and Tony shot him a death glare beneath half-lidded eyes. 

“You certainly haven’t gotten younger,” Bruce pointed out with a smirk and Tony grabbed one of the pillows from under his head and chucked it at him. 

Bailey bolted upright as Bruce laughed, staring between her two owners like they were idiots, and Bruce picked up the pillow that hit him square in the face off the floor next to her and settled it in behind his back. 

“I don’t hear any offers to take this old man to bed,” Tony grumped and Bruce watched with amusement as he grimaced, realizing what he’d said. “Okay, case in point...”

For a moment they were quiet. Bruce really wasn’t going to nag him about it, he was a grown ass man who could make his own bad decisions, and he turned back to his book. But after a while he realized Tony didn’t seem to actually be sleeping – instead, he was staring off across the yard, his eyes far away and unfocused. 

“We should get a hammock,” he murmured. “I think I would like to sleep in a hammock.”

Bruce looked up again, chuckling. It was an easy request. “Done.”

“Remind me to order one tonight. Unless you want to go to HomeGoods or whatever.”

He tried not to balk. Going to HomeGoods with Tony was far down the list of his favorite experiences. It always felt wrong to bitch about it because really, watching his husband devolve into a penny pinching pain-in-the-ass with a penchant for colorful candles, beaded pillows, and bad full-wall canvas paintings of color blocks was about as dumb a thing to get upset about as he could imagine when he grew up watching his own dad literally beat his mom to death, but nevertheless. He definitely did not want to accompany Tony to HomeGoods.

“I think you might have more options online,” he said and Tony nodded his agreement with that. 

Bruce turned back to his book again.

“I think I’d put it to the far right there, by the azaleas,” Tony mused, scratching his chest, and Bruce didn’t bother to look up this time. 

It was easy to listen to Tony talk with half an ear when he was like this. 

“It’ll be pretty in the spring and shady in the summer with that big oak there. Maybe I’ll get a pole, anchor it to the tree on one side and a pole on the other.” Tony’s voice was drifting off a little and Bruce wished he’d just go up to bed. “Yeah... That’s what I’ll do. It’ll leave room for the swingset.”

Bruce blinked and looked back up from his book, laughing. 

“I didn’t realize you wanted a swing set too. I’m not sure I’ll approve that expenditure.”

Tony was really nearly asleep but he mustered up the strength to roll his eyes. “Not now – for our kids.”

He hadn’t meant anything by it, Bruce was sure. He said it in such a bland, casual manner that it was clear it had never even occurred to him that there was any other possible way things would be. But Bruce... 

Bruce tried to lick his lips but it was like his mouth had turned to dust and he could barely move his tongue. Kids? Maybe it was just because they were gay, but Bruce had never really thought about it as a possibility. He knew it was a possibility – that they could adopt or whatever – but still, they had never really talked about it. Even before getting married. In retrospect, it was a glaring oversight, but it just didn’t seem like something Tony would be terribly interested in. 

He loved Tony more than any other person on earth but Tony was... dramatic and meticulous and incredibly intelligent and the idea of him sitting patiently for a child as they spilled milk across the table and glued together his shoes and clogged the toilet by flushing toys down it didn’t square. And he didn’t really want his thoughts to wander any further down that road, but unless Tony could be endlessly patient with a child, he just couldn’t imagine bringing one into his life. He wasn’t even sure he could be that patient with a child. 

But he would never let another child experience what he did growing up. It was the very least he could do.

Tony chuckled, eyes closed, that easygoing grin across his face that normally made Bruce’s heart race – but it didn't now. Now it just looked like some kind of betrayal as Tony sighed, content, mumbling something Bruce couldn’t even comprehend as he stared at the screen of his tablet, unable to process any of the words there either. 

Kids. Tony wanted fucking kids? What were they supposed to do with kids?

Bailey seemed to sense his distress and she lifted her head to look up at him, smacking her tail against the floor and he just stared back at her, bemused. 

“You don’t want a little brother or sister, do you?” he cooed softly so as not to wake Tony and her mouth fell open, tongue lolling out and he laughed, leaning down and patting her head. “Yeah, you and me both.”

[liquorotter08-blog]

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The primary thing you ought to perform is find out where to obtain a property in Cyprus. It might seem to be challenging to know where to start looking for a property but you will rejoice you did it. You will definitely need to have to ask yourself what you wish to attain along with your expenditure property.

A Cyprus property could either be for you or even for your kids. It is your selection the amount of cash you intend to spend. You will definitely desire to discover a property that has plenty of security attributes as well as provides some conveniences.

However you may want Cyprus property on your own the location of the property may actually make a variation. While individuals might be actually incredibly delighted to tell you they reside in a location that has certainly never been actually thought about high up or even highly preferable, it is your decision as a possible purchaser. However, you will certainly desire to remember you might be actually staying in an area that was called one of the most unattractive place in Europe by a leading property company.

If you are trying to find property in Cyprus you ought to take into consideration an apartment. The most effective homes in Cyprus are actually much more costly than those in bigger city centers however they give some excellent services that you can not obtain anywhere else. They likewise deliver you along with fantastic safety and security coming from the viewpoint of several of the much larger town hall.

You will also be actually shocked at the amount of condos in Cyprus have views oceanic. This is actually particularly really good if you possess kids. There are actually lots of main reasons to buy apartment property.

You will also need to consider who you hire your property agent. While there are numerous property representatives in Cyprus that can use property that will certainly be actually of terrific worth, there are actually likewise lots of agents that supply bad value for funds. The even more time you take into your property search the much better the option you are going to have.

When seeking a Cyprus property that you are heading to be investing in, don't forget the fact that you are producing a little investment. Make sure you perform your research and also make sure you have taken at all times you need to have to find the most effective price. Cyprus property could be great worth however you require to see to it you review the provide effectively prior to you purchase.

Holiday in South Cyprus - An Area to Go If You Like Angling!

South Cyprus is a very small isle that lies in between Turkey as well as Greece. It is part of the Turkish Republic, and it is realized as a nation within the EU and NATO. Situated north of Athens in an area got in touch with the Greek Island, South Cyprus is among one of the most well-liked tourist locations in Europe. For those who want taking a trip to the islands, South Cyprus supplies a lot of terrific vacation options, including staying on the little isle of Sotiriades, hanging around at the Sotiriades Golf Club, as well as taking vacations to other smaller sized islands.

Sotiriades is actually a little isle that has been utilized as a summer months escape for ages of holidaymakers. Sotiriades becomes part of South Cyprus and for that reason is actually simply accessed through sea. The golf club is actually thought about one of the most effective nightclubs worldwide, and it is residence to world-class training programs. Having said that, this is not the only trait you can possibly do on Sotiriades. The much smaller islands, including Soudakos, Kilafi, Soudakio, and Seria, are actually additionally an excellent location to stay while on holiday in South Cyprus. Several of the much more intriguing island vacations feature hanging around at Blue Lagoon, enjoying medspa treatments, or taking place an excursion to the close-by community of Nis.

The Sotiriades Golf Club has become the premier destination for global golf players. There are actually some fantastic greens to become found here, yet the southeastern part of the isle is actually understood for its own fantastic views. It is listed below that you are going to discover a number of the even more stunning yards, including the isles of Euboia and Souda. Actually, some people feel that these two isles are the best gorgeous in whole entire South Cyprus. The meals and also white wine are extraordinary here, and also the citizens are going to attract you along with a range of purchasing and also entertainment possibilities. Many website visitors involve Sotiriades coming from all around the world. This isle has many attractions that appeal to vacationers coming from across the planet.

Paphos - An Area That is Perfect For Your Needs

To buy a property in Paphos, Cyprus is more than merely tipping inside your property or even on your residence. You have to do all your study and evaluation prior to you go forward with the package. You should understand the main reason whies you are mosting likely to buy property within this location. A number of the popular reasons that folks go with buying a property within this area are for the benefit of metropolitan area lifestyle, lovely yards, the wealth of sun, coastlines, greens and lots of various other main reasons that are definitely essential to acquire. There are actually various kinds of properties accessible in this area as well as you can choose the one which ideal meets your criteria. In the present opportunities, there are actually numerous rental properties readily available for people to rent on the holiday. The facilities that are actually delivered in the properties are going to be actually the prime consider determining your option.

This is an excellent hideaway coming from the tensions of area lifestyle, as well as it is actually a place that is known for its own awesome environment and various type of surroundings. The beach is popularly known as the island's most attractive attribute. This is actually a spot that is effectively connected to various other cities and also areas and also thus, driving is simple. It is actually a really good alternative for you if you want to join your job or even school. People may quickly commute in between this as well as other metropolitan areas of Cyprus.

However, you should beware while selecting a cheap property to buy. Make certain that you check the rankings of the property you want. While checking the rankings, ensure that you take a look at the remittance choices that are on call on the property. You ought to additionally inspect the excellent image of the firm that is selling the property as well as the length of time they have operated. All these factors can help you in bring in the correct selection.

Tips to Sell Your Property Fast

A property for sale in Cyprus possesses its very own market. However this market is actually only accessible to shoppers that manage to spend large sums of loan, as property is actually often extremely pricey in the country.

The only actual alternative open up to the homeowner in Cyprus is to locate a customer about to pay a rate that will certainly acquire the property offered in the shortest opportunity feasible. There are a couple of recommendations and tricks that are going to aid a dealer manages to sell their property fast.

Firstly, try to see to it that the people you will certainly be operating within Cyprus are trusted and reliable. Don't rely on a company or person that you don't understand. On top of that, pick a reputable seller over a shady one given that the questionable ones have the capability to rob you blind.

It's a good idea to have actually photos taken of your property before you deliver it out for selling. You can utilize these photos to obtain the attention of would-be purchasers. However, these photos need to be current and exact. Any sort of photos were acted like a couple of months or a year need to be actually stayed clear of.

Make sure that you do not appear like an amateur when selling your home. You may intend to put on your robe as well as pantofles yet if prospective purchasers know that you are actually an expert homeowner, they would rather head to your residence initially.

Take a great look at your residence. Ensure that there are no primary problems or stains that may detract from your residence. When the property is actually tidy and neat, see to it that it is in good condition.

Make certain that the property is clean and possesses all the effective documents on it. These papers are made use of to verify the ownership of the property in case a conflict develops. The documents is incredibly crucial in the event any type of disagreements develop.

If you carry out each one of these traits, you would certainly be actually surprised to see how much simpler the sale of your property will be actually. If you wish to prevent all the nuisances as well as frustrations involved in selling your property, at that point you need to employ a professional realty agent to help you.

Buying and selling property: 5 frequently asked questions responded to

Being actually notified is crucial for properly purchasing or even selling a property, so whether you are actually a buyer or even a seller, never hesitate to inquire you estate agent concerns to relieve your thoughts, get even more relevant information or even far better comprehend the procedure. "If Leapfrogs property experts had R5 for every single opportunity they acquired talked to the adhering to five questions, they assume theyd be really abundant. However, jokes aside, we discover the concerns that our clients very most often talk to extremely exciting as they are actually very relevant to the marketplace as well as use an useful opportunity to update and inform customers concerning these components of the field, says Johan truck Schalkwyk, Principal at Leapfrog Roodepoort.

Our experts canvassed Leapfrog brokers around the nation to discuss the questions they are actually most often talked to in the ordinary program of company.

These five concerns went to the top of the list:

1. What is my property valued at?

Warren Buffett claimed it greatest: Rate is what you pay out. Market value is what you get.

Truck Schalkwyk mentions property consultants may provide you a market-related estimation for your property, based upon business styles as well as study, their understanding of the requirement in the place, in addition to the features of your property. Value is actually more individual and also is practically calculated through what a purchaser is actually readied to purchase a property - the well-known willing seller and able to buy economic model.

With info regarding property simply accessible using several online platforms and also tools, this has given shoppers the energy to become savvier about the market value of a potential expenditure as they can possibly do comparative research study. https://guides.co/p/ilisterscy indicates shoppers are even more updated and vendors need to have to be a lot more pliable with their costs.

2. Which is actually the most effective region to invest in?

This question corresponds to talking to how much time a part of string is actually, as it depends on a huge amount of variables, consisting of the kind of property, the intended return on investment, bordering facilities, security and surveillance, and personal preference.

Commonly talking, property across Cyprus is an excellent assets. However, like all expenditures, property financial investments need to be definitely managed to guarantee development that fulfills your desires.

Relying on specific requirements and also inclinations, a relied on property expert are going to help you examine variables like location, potential growths and also additional if youre wanting to create a lasting investment. Property tends to be a really individual financial investment, with wants and needs to differ coming from person to person, as well as household to loved ones.

3. Is actually a deal to buy officially binding?

Yes, an authorized promotion to purchase is a lawful documentation that is binding.

The documentation describes the investment deal, which includes the conditions relating to the property concerned. By authorizing the promotion to obtain, the shopper consents to the conditions specified in the records, featuring the price they want to purchase the property.

If the vendor mores than happy along with the rate offered due to the shopper, the record comes to be a lawfully binding sale contract.

All-time low product line is actually that you need to be incredibly sure about a possible acquisition just before enrolling the populated collection.

4. For how long is a power compliance certification authentic for?

An Electrical Certificate of Conformity (ECOC) is valid for a duration of 2 years. It is mandatory to become in property of the document when selling a property, based on the criteria of the Occupational Health and Safety Act under the Electrical Installation Regulations regulation.

The ECOC assures the stipulation of the circulation panels, electrical wiring, earthing as well as connecting of all metallic elements.

5. What happens after the home mortgage is approved?

After a home loan is actually approved, a guaranty attorney is actually taught by the financial institution to register the bond at the Actions Workplace, while the dealer advises the transmitting legal representative to transmit the property.

Next, the guaranty attorney alerts the transferring attorney of the receipt deed of transfer as well as promise criteria. Then the termination legal representative cancels the vendors bond and the transferring legal representative gets the title records as well as termination figures and also sends a duplicate to the guaranty legal representative.

After this, both the customer and the dealer sign the transfer records. The shopper is accountable for the transmission expenses and also the moving lawyer pays for the fees as well as tax obligations, and also the transmission customs. Besides, the papers are signed and also sets you back paid for, the transmission, brand-new connect, and cancellation connection papers are actually gotten ready for lodging at the Actions Office. Listed here it takes regarding three weeks to be checked out and prepared for enrollment by the legal representatives. On the time of enrollment, the banking company pays for the financing as per the guarantees issued. This entire procedure normally takes about 10 full weeks.

[gipsytrips]

Around the world with my baby daughter.

Article for traveling parents.

Finally I got just a little bit of free time and maybe I could write several posts about traveling with my baby daughter. Right now we are in Dominican Republic, Thaissia is sleeping and I’m using this bit of time to share our experiences and how we are managing.

From her very early days Thaissia was already traveling around France, and I did write a couple articles devoted to those trips. When she turned 2.5 months, we left France for Saint Petersburg, Russia and then took a train over to Moscow to visit family. Later when she was almost 5 months, we took off to California. At the age of 8 months we were in Dominican  Republic and we are still here spending the winter and traveling around a bit more seriously.

As for flying in airplanes, Thaissia does it like a grown up. She doesn’t cry, sleeps in my arms, eats, plays with me and sometimes wants me to carry her around the cabin so she can look and smile at people. During the flights we never used any baby gear (like infant airplane seat from amazon) except for sling or baby carrier. Her habits and the ability to fly easy can of course change in the future, she might become more capricious and demanding… For now she is fine and it is great.

Lets talk about everyday life on the go and baby travel gadgets. In France and Russia Thaissia was still a little baby and everything was rather simple – elastic (Je porte mon bebe) or cotton sling wrap– Amazonas brand (and no stroller), foldable travel bed-bag (and no separate crib), car seat, baby bath tub with seat or hammock, medicine and first-aid kit, diaper backpack for long walks (I just adapted my regular day backpack for baby needs), blanket on the floor with some toys hanging over it (baby gym). In Petersburg we also had a baby chaise longue at the balcony. Our most important accessory has always been a sling wrap and starting from the age of 6 months we replaced it with baby carrier Ergobaby 360. This thing is vital and super useful for traveling and everyday life. But not all parents got their backs ready, so train yourselves in advance.

When Thaissia learned how crawl, in the States I had to get her some more baby gear… Besides a couple different baby gyms from Ikea, we got a huge blanket on the floor, that would cover almost the entire room, and later I had to buy a spacious 6-panel baby gate (Summer Infant), which I was using as a gate only in order to separate that part of the room where I didn’t want my little one to crawl to… I purchased all kind of baby safety things, but we only used outlet plug covers and mini night light. We have a bunch of other safety gadgets (like cabinet and toilet seat locks, silicone corner protectors), but because of constant traveling and moving from one house to another, we still didn’t have a chance to try all that stuff out. For our beach days I bought a baby tent, but we used it for only about a month, then my baby didn’t want to lie in one place anymore… Also at home we had a fit ball, a great thing for exercises with your baby!

I breast feed, its healthy, pleasant and comfortable, never have to worry about any bottles or formula. In California I started giving Thaissia additional food, so I got a mini blender (380 ml) that can be USB-charged. We used it for 3 months, while I needed to make puree. Now I just use a fork to mash some food in a plate as my baby got 8 teeth.

Sleeping question. We have been co-sleeping from the very beginning. Whatever people may say, it works for us perfectly. So we never had a separate baby bed. Just the first five months Thaissia was sleeping in a foldable baby bed-bag that was standing next to me in a big bed. When we travelled this bed was easily transformed into a diaper bag. Later when my baby grew out of this magic bed, I got a long braided bumper pillow and used it to delimit her space from mine. When we went traveling I didn’t take this pillow with us of course and now I just use rolled towels to separate us in bed. We can sleep without those towels of course but then Thaissia will take the whole bed leaving me on the edge. Also important (if possible) that bed would be a low one and would stand next to a wall on one side and on the other side its good to have a carpet, a blanket or a small mattress, so in case of falling, there would be something soft on the floor.

Here in Dominican Republic Thaissia learnt to sit and stand up practically all at the same time, and looks like soon she will start walking… Also she really loves bathing in the ocean with me! Maybe soon she will also start swimming? J An inflatable sit up bath tub, that I got specially for this trip, only served us for a short time. Now I can take my baby with me in the shower and she can stand there while I wash us (a bit harder to wash her head though). If she needs just a quick rinse, I can do that in the sink. One of my most needed travel gadgets is the pocket waterproof beach blanket with stakes (its super thin and light). We don’t care about wind or sand anymore! Speaking of two main tropical problems – sun and mosquitoes – yes, you do need all kinds of creams and sprays and have to rent a place with nets on windows or at least a mosquito net over the bed. If there is no shade at all where you are walking, you might want to get a small SPF 50 umbrella and/or a pareo to cover up hand and legs of your little one while you carry him or her around. Fast drying wide brim hat and long sleeve rash guard SPF 50 are also a must, as for baby sun glasses you might not be lucky, because your little one might refuse to wear them.

Food theme is particularly interesting when traveling. In California, where we stayed for 3 months in the same place, and I was routinely making porridges and boiled veggies without salt and oil/butter. Now here in Dominican Republic apart from those homemade breakfast porridges I feed Thaissia whatever I have in my plate for dinner (fish, chicken, beef, bread, veggies and of course lots of different fruit!). Sometimes we are still using hard food feeder, but less and less now. An important question is where to sit your baby at home (on the go) and in the restaurant? At home I still use car seat which I got here for everyday use indoors. Here in the house we are renting we happen to have a good size stable kids chair in the kitchen. She can’t still sit in it all by herself of course, but I was able to secure her in it with baby seat strap that I bought on Amazon for this trip. It’s not going to fit every possible chair, but it’s cheap, takes almost no space in your luggage, so you can purchase a couple different models and experiment. How do we eat out?... However we can, we are very creative… If there is a high chair (which is rare) – that’s great, if there isn’t – fine, we will deal with it… We can make our own “baby chair” from several chairs and pillows, and even better if we can eat on some sofa (we do not promise it will be clean afterwards) or at the worst case scenario I can ask restaurant personnel to hold my baby while I quickly devoir food after a long walk… Sometimes it’s a lot more comfortable to eat while standing at the bar and your baby is attached to you in a carrier…

As for baby play yard while traveling, you can make it from whatever stuff you find around – flipped tables and chairs, boxes, pillows, mattresses, suitcase and other barriers… But you little one might learn how to crawl over all that stuff… It’s perfect if while traveling you can rent a one bedroom or a little house (not just a studio), where besides the bedroom, you will also have a living room and separate kitchen. So when you put your baby to sleep, you can sneak out of the room and just sit on the couch in that nice little living room and… write a story in your blog or crochet a new toy.

Toys… A whole separate topic! I crochet toys, and half of our suitcase is taken by toys – crocheted, wooden, rubber (just not plastic), developmental and just funny… You don’t need lots of toys all at once, you need to change them… So we still had to pack quite a lot of toys with us and change them from time to time.

Clothing… I though we could travel with just minimum of clothing. Not really. I think there has to be a good amount of baby clothing so that you would let you little one to get dirty as much as he or she wants. And you can avoid every day washing.

Of course it’s a thousand times easier to travel in three when Thaissia’s dad comes to visit us some place. Here in Dominican  Republic, when three of us traveled around, I had a real holiday! But the two of us, me and my daughter, we can do just fine as well. Yes, I don’t get much time to relax and have to think one step ahead always. Our regular routine day without flying in airplanes, moving to a new place, without equipping the new house with all the necessary things and a baby zone, without going shopping for food and water, without traveling somewhere on local transport (which can be quite authentic, depending on where in the world we are at the moment), without visiting some nice faraway place, like a secluded beach or a national park, etc, etc., can never be dull and boring by definition. Make breakfast (fruits, porridge), and while Thaissia is still eating wash the dishes (or ants and some other tropical insects would come to feast), take everything needed on the beach or on the walk, not forget to put on sunscreen, put up a beach blanket in a good shady spot, sticking in stakes and taking away all rubbish (or whatever is on the ground) so the baby doesn’t eat it, prevent my little one from eating too much sand, find her a company to play with (she is super social and playing with other kids is essential), give her some water, give her a banana or an avocado or something else, give her water again, ouch she fell dooooown…., fold up the blanket and unfold it again in shade, walk a couple kilometers or more with Thaissia in the carrier and then walk back, bathe with her in the ocean (favourite activity!), laugh, “fly’, play while sitting down, “walk”, sing and dance, take a nap at home for a couple hours (while Thaissia is sleeping, if she is in her deep sleep, I can maybe do some stuff on internet, sweep the floor, make a salad, wash my hair, crochet a toy, buy some airlines tickets… etc), feed my baby many times during the day and change her diaper just as many times, take some photos, have a coffee with something sweet, not forget to have dinner and not let Thaissia eat everything from my plate, wash my baby and take a shower myself, wash beach clothing and hang it to dry, read some books with Thaissia and play with her, finally put her to bed and fall asleep myself (or not.. while she is asleep, make some porridge or chicken for tomorrow, do some stuff at the computer, work on pictures from the camera or crochet)… and so on and so forth in different variations, it’s fun.

Is it easy for me? No, absolutely not. But I’m not complaining and not going to talk about those days when it’s super hard, when I have to solve all kinds of problems, when I don’t know where we are going to stay or when am I finally going to get some sleep, for example. Of course it is not like that when we are traveling, but more so when I’m working and Thaissia has to stay with a babysitter (but this is a whole different story)…

I am indeed very very happy and I do everything possible to make Thaissia smile and surprise her all the time. I love her so much and want to show her the whole world! Even though she is so little and doesn’t understand a lot of things (or she understands them in her own way, not like I do), she enjoys the sun and the warm weather, she loves to splash in the ocean and play in the sand, she is curious to see animals and colourful flowers, she adores new tasty foods and really likes to meet people and smile at them! Thaissia is happy when I am happy, and backwards. My baby absorbs everything that is around her and every day she is more and more curious about the world. Also daily she hears all the five languages that I speak.

Finally I would like to note that before I was traveling with an 11-13 kg backpack, now I also got a big suitcase, BUT my daughter and me don’t really need at least one half of this suitcase, and we can kind of do without the second half as well if we try… But in order to be able to travel this light with a baby you have to train. I promise myself that next time our suitcase will be smaller!

So this was a little introduction guide (with lyrical digressions) about everyday life when traveling and baby gadgets for trips. Attaching some photos from California and Dominican Republic. Next posts will be about actual travels around Dominican  Republic.

01-2019. Las Terrenas, Republica Dominicana.

[thepilotanon]

springbeauty iv

{masterlist}

Everyone has been super amazing and sweet, I can’t believe it! Thank you all so much for being so great to me, it really means a lot. I hope you will enjoy this chapter!

warning: none just lots of adorable sadie and awesome sister mellie!

“Aunt Belle!” Sadie yelled as she ran from her father’s truck over to where her uncle and his girlfriend were busying themselves on the porch of the double-wide trailer with their small garden and cleanup. Clyde was sitting on the steps, deadheading flowers from a large pot while Belle was on her knees nearby, planting a new set of flowers near the railing. Hearing his niece yell all excited and running towards them, Clyde felt his lips twitch to a small smile at seeing his girlfriend look up from her project.

“Hi, sweetie!” Belle gushed as she turned her torso for the young girl’s body to tackle her, being careful not to fall back on the flower bed. Hearing Sadie giggle excitedly as Belle snuggled her cheek against the child’s blonde hair, the woman grinned. “Be careful, okay? I have dirt on my hands right now and I don’t want to get your pretty dress all messy.”

“I don’t care!” Sadie declared proudly as she kissed Belle’s cheek before hopping over to Clyde, who remained in his spot as he made room for her to jump on him next. “Hi, Uncle Clyde! Your nose looks all better now!” Sadie pressed another kiss to her uncle’s scruffy cheek, making him chuckle at her never ending sweetness. “Are you pulling bad flowers out of the daisies? What you’re doing is removing deadheads!”

“Mmhm,” Clyde nodded as Sadie dropped herself on his lap and pulled the basket pot closer.

“I’m going to help,” Sadie said with a determined tone. “I’ve done this plenty with Aunt Belle, so I’m really good at it.”

“Do you remember what kind of daisies those are, Sadie?” Belle asked as she went back to softening the dirt with her trovel as Jimmy made his way up the yard.

The little girl looked at the red colored flowers for a long moment, allowing Clyde to reach around her to snag a wilted head and tossed it away. “They’re called the happy daisies, I know that…or cheery daisies,” she mumbled as Belle nodded in agreement, encouraging her to go on. “Gerby...Gerbert?”

“Close, they’re called gerbera daisies,” Clyde answered casually, making Belle giggle as he patted Sadie’s back with his right hand. “You’re gettin’ to be smarter than me with flowers, kid.”

The bright grin on Sadie’s face was like the sun in summer, making Clyde smile back as his niece proceeded to do his job.

“Makin’ my kid know ‘bout flowers and makin’ her ramble about what color roses mean when I take her shoppin’,” Jimmy scowled playfully as Belle tossed a small ball of dirt at his already dirty jeans. He laughed when Belle shook her head. “I gotta tell ya how she told me to make up to Syl by what color roses to get her last time she got mad at me!”

“I don’t think any sort of flower bouquet can translate to Sylvia ‘My name is Jimmy Logan and I was stupid in forgetting that I need a healthier diet and not bacon-covered donuts’,” Belle mimicked teasingly back to him as he feigned hurt. “At least Sadie knows how to help you when I won’t.”

“Clyde, I swear to God you have the most ruthless woman,” Jimmy faked pain as he nudged his foot at Belle’s rear, making her smack his leg with a laugh. “Hey sweet pea, why don’t ya tell Belle what’cha got today for the campin’ trip?”

“I picked out my own tent!” Sadie squealed, jumping up from Clyde’s lap. She hurried over to the crouched woman and begged her to get up by bouncing. “I gotta show ya, Aunt Belle! It’s a tent that I can have all to myself when we go campin’! Please come see it, Aunt Belle!”

“I’m coming, sweetie,” Belle nodded as she wiped her hands on her jeans, getting helped up by the little girl and practically being dragged across the ground to the back of Jimmy’s truck.

Finding the distance well enough between the girls, Jimmy rolled his head playfully to his brother with pursed lips and bashful eyes. Clyde narrowed his brows at him and leaned back at the unusual, flirty behavior from him.

“Are you excited for the weekend?” Jimmy asked in a girlish whisper, popping his foot. “Gonna get yerself a fiesty bride-to-be by Monday, bein’ all romancin’ and stuff?”

The plan Clyde had on where to propose to his girl was someplace personal to the Logan family. Every year the Logan brothers took a family camping trip to a secluded campsite where their parents had their proposal; a tradition specifically reserved for the boys to learn where their father brought their mother to a scenic field by the river and proposed with the sunshine and nature being the soundtrack. Clyde remembered how he listened to his dad’s story growing up by the campfire and how he dreamed of proposing to his own girl in the same spot when he grew up. To him, with how Belle loved fresh air and understanding how this camping trip was very special to the brothers, it couldn’t be any more perfect for proposing with the ring he carried on his person every day for safekeeping.

“Are you just going to keep teasin’ me until I ask?” Clyde asked Jimmy as he kept behaving so weird.

“Oh naw, baby brother,” Jimmy grinned. “I’m gonna keep teasin’ ya after she says yes and you two gonna be cuddling like teenagers in yer tent.”

Rolling his eyes, Clyde went back to his small chore with the flower pot. “At least know that I appreciate ya invitin’ Sylvia along to look less suspicious. With Dayton seemin’ to send messages non stop online, don’t want her to think I’m tryin’ to keep her away from runnin’ in to him.”

“He still buggin’ Belle?” Jimmy frown, losing all sorts of humor at the mention when Clyde shrugged. “The hell?”

“Well with Belle bein’ busy with the flower shop and comin’ home in time to see me, she doesn’t think much of it until she sees the messages.” Plucking a deadhead off and tossing it to the pile, Clyde took a deep breath. “If anythin’, Belle seems very annoyed about it ‘cause he brings up Charlotte and how shady I am.”

“Is she? Belle ain’t hiding nothin’ from you ‘bout this, even though he’s her friend from home?”

“That’s the odd part, she don’t really seem to take him as a friend like she normally would. She don’t treat Dayton any closer than she does with Mel, and I dunno if that’s just ‘cause Mel is a girl or what,” Clyde sighed. “I just don’t like seein’ her irritated with it, is all. She’s not holdin’ on to it for long and leaves it at the end of the day, but I don’t want her worryin’ during the trip.”

“Well, good thing there’s no cell service!” Jimmy threw his hands up like he was praising in church. “This proposal’s gonna be easy!”

“What proposal?”

Jimmy jumped like a frightened cat at Belle standing behind him with Sadie on her back, looking at the older Logan with a raised brow as he began stammering. Carefully setting the little girl down on the grass, Belle allowed Sadie to cling to her and hold her hand. “Jesus, when Sadie wanted to sneak up on you, I wasn’t expecting you to react like that. Sorry about that, Jimmy…”

“N-nah, not like that,” Jimmy breathed as Sadie laughed at him.

“So what’s this proposal thing you were saying is going to be easy?” Belle asked casually, a polite smile on her face as Clyde finally stood up a bit too quickly.

“Jimmy wants to make a proposal to the bank ‘bout expanding his store,” Clyde blurted, catching his girl’s attention. “With how good business is with the one store, he’s thinkin’ ‘bout setting one up out somewhere else…”

“Oh really?” Belle perked. “Wow, that sounds amazing, Jimmy! If you need help setting up a presentation or practice talking, let me know. I’m sure Sylvia is probably already helping you with it, but another set of ears won’t hurt.”

Clyde sent a sharp glare to his brother, who instantly went along with it. “Y’know, since Syl’s gonna hit the road after the campin’ trip, it might help if ya take a look. Since you seem to prove that the Jimmy Logan Charm don’t work on everybody…”

Belle rolled her eyes before bumping her hip against Sadie. “I made some cinnamon apple cookies this morning, want to be my official taste tester, angel?”

“Yeah! Apples are healthy and taste really good!” Sadie jumped excitedly as she hurried past Clyde up the porch. Belle snickered and got on the first two steps to be leveled with Clyde, stopping for a moment to press a kiss to his cheek as he stared dangerously at Jimmy. Once Belle got inside the trailer, Jimmy dared to meet his brother’s eyes with slight hesitation.

“That was a close call,” Jimmy whispered.

“Sometimes I really wanna kick yer ass…”

Jimmy pouted his lips. “But you love me enough not to…”

Clyde’s internal turmoil lifted as soon as he saw Belle setting Sadie on the kitchen counter after washing their hands and holding out the tupperware filled with the sweet smelling cookies. Seeing Sadie get excited by picking out a cookie and taking the first bite while Belle asked if she wanted something to drink, Clyde went over to return the cheek kiss while Jimmy attempted sneak by and steal a bite of Sadie’s cookie. Clyde felt better when Belle caught his brother’s ear and tugged him away from his daughter’s treat, making him chuckle. He wasn’t sure how Belle does it…

“What do’ya mean I gotta pay in advance?”

“The flowers you’re looking for by the time you plan to have your wedding ceremony won’t be in season, so we will have to take care of them in the greenhouse to make sure they’re available for you. The prepaying plan goes to taking care of your flowers, like electricity, the soil and -”

“Did I ask you for a list? You think I’m stupid?”

Mellie watched from behind her magazine as Belle stood professional and calm with the angry woman chewing gum. Poorly bleached hair and obvious acrylics with encrusted diamonds to hide the cracks, Mellie could practically smell the cheap desperate housewife vibes this particular bitch was trying to go for. Not only was she being particularly loud with her voice, but the Logan sister was so close to throwing a punch for all that gum smacking. It was amazing how Belle was maintaining such a sweet and customer-service persona like it was second nature.

“You own this establishment? Ya sound like ya own this place with these prices,” the snippy woman snapped at Belle, pointing her painted finger at her.

Belle shook her head politely. “No, I do not, ma’am. The owner is actually out of town for a family emergency, but will be back -”

“I wanna talk to the manager - the owner, someone! Jus’ not you. You’re pissin’ me off with your voice!”

Belle tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, keeping her cool. “He will be back on Friday,” she told the frantic woman softly. “If you would like to leave your contact information and make an appointment to discuss -”

“I’m comin’ back on Friday, and be damn sure I will be tellin’ ‘em ‘bout how this customer service is,” the woman threatened plainly before stalking out of the shop, the bell jingling wildly as she left to the parking lot. Both Belle and Mellie waited until she got into her car, slamming the door shut and drive off before Mellie watched her best friend turn around and release a breath.

“Whoever plans on marryin’ that bridezilla better have a thick wallet to shove in her mouth, jus’ to shut her up,” Mellie groaned dramatically as she slapped the magazine down. “Honey, I don’t know how you do it, keepin’ your sweet face on like nothin’ is wrong.”

“She wasn’t all that bad,” Belle shrugged as she reached for one of Mellie’s fries from her to-go box from the burger joint nearby.

“Belle. Baby.” Mellie narrowed her sights on Belle as she ate the fry. “My sweet flower angel who I love and would have totally cut that bitch with her ugly-ass nails…”

“Okay, she was pretty bad,” Belle giggled before she could continue with her monologue of numerous nicknames and promises. “I mean, I know I’m not from around here and all but...is my voice that annoying in these parts?”

“No, Belle, you just sound like you know what you’re doing while being an absolute sweetheart!” Mellie leaned back on her little wooden chair by the cashier counter, crossing her arms. The flower shop was remodeled from an old house that was purchased by an old couple who adore the rustic aesthetic, decorated like a little girl’s dream house filled with flowers. It was like a cute wonderland with little outdoor tables and wooden chairs and fake birds settled in the many pots and flower beds inside the main floor of the house while the backyard had a small greenhouse and upstairs was storage.

“That lady was all nasally, with all her gum chewin’ and junk. So close to giving her a piece o’ my mind,” Mellie growled lowly as Belle took the other seat across the small table. Belle giggled at her best friend’s rant as she shoved her fries in her mouth. “Would’a given her a real reason to wanna talk to the owner, ‘cause then I be buried alive by ya boss.”

“Not when you take care of his wife’s hair so well,” Belle laughed. “Besides it was her wedding, I’m sure she’s nervous and wants everything to go smoothly with every detail. Flowers can be very influential for something so important as weddings.”

“Speaking of,” Mellie smoothed in closer to Belle, “if you were to make your own weddin’, what would you be doin’?”

Belle glanced to Mellie and raised a brow, making the woman grin. “C’mon, Belle. Don’t tell me you never thought of your own weddin’ before. And you’ve been handlin’ how many wedding orders since you’ve worked here? It’s common girl chat, lets have some fun - you’re not busy!”

Belle sighed and gave in. “Okay, only because you’re going to be real with me, too.”

“Deal!”

“Okay, wedding wedding wedding…” Belle thought over carefully, drumming her fingers on her knees. “If I were to get married...I’d probably want something simple. I don’t need a big, fancy venue or ballroom. I don’t like the idea of spending so much money on my own wedding, I could get married in a backyard and still be happy about it.”

“So simple of you, but so expected,” Mellie teased adoringly, making her friend smile. “I’d totally go for a weddin’ ceremony at those fancy wine orchards. All nice with rows of grapes and flowers, not to mention the wine!”

“Wine is good,” Belle laughed. “How about the dress?”

“Well, I think you would look absolutely beautiful in a old-school dress; a short, frilly skirt and something lace for sleeves - absolutely darlin’,” Mellie swooned. “Maybe have one of those flower crowns instead of a veil? You’d make that by yourself, of course.”

Belle giggled and took the magazine to flip through. “I can see you wearing those dresses you would see in those wedding photos online,” she retorted back, shaking her head. “Something to show off your curves and boost your chest a bit. Heart-shape neckline and maybe some sparkles.”

“So much sparkles,” Mellie corrected. “I’d do my own nails and hair, too, all curly and up in a nice hairdo. I’ll do yours too, Belle, with a special discount.”

“As long as you let me make your bouquet. I already have some in mind for yours,” Belle warned with a bright smile. “Baby’s breath for an accent of innocence - even though you’re far from it - they’re year-round and very cute; dahlias to represent your strong but wise personality, and gardenias for such a happy occasion for Mellie and they smell very sweet.”

“Can I get some tulips in that mix?” Mellie asked expectantly. “If I can’t have roses in my bouquet, I at least want some tulips.”

“White or very light-colored tulips to represent love,” Belle nodded. “I’ll have it wrapped in a big pink bow, because I know that’s your favorite color and you would want your bridesmaids to wear something pink.”

“Perfect!” Mellie praised. “I’ll make sure you look like a goddess and clean all that dirt from under your nails. No fake nails or nothin’, but I’m gonna paint them cute… What would your flower arrangement be, though? I need to think for a color.”

“That’s top secret.”

The blonde woman sat up and stared at Belle, who didn’t bother to look her way as she gave her a hard stare. “Am I hearin’ ya right? Little Belle, who can talk my ear off at any given time ‘bout flowers and what they mean, and you mean to tell me that your weddin’ flowers are a secret? What are you hidin’ from me?”

“Nothing!” Belle laughed as she dropped the magazine. “Just that my bouquet is very special to me if I were to ever get married, okay?”

“So, if you were to marry my brother, or something,” Mellie drawled, smirking as she saw Belle’s cheeks going pink and refused to look her in the eye. “What? You gettin’ all mushy on me now, ‘cause I mention Clyde in the conversation?”

“Mellie!”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of marryin’ my brother, it’s okay, honey,” Mellie snickered playfully as she poked her friend’s cheek and pulling back when Belle dared to try and bite her finger. “Ohh, now you’re a snappin’ turtle? That’s tellin’ me enough.”

“You know how Clyde is, okay? I don’t want him thinking anything weird if you told him that I have some thought of it…” Belle took a deep breath and got up from the chair and Mellie watched her grab the hose to sprinkle mist on a set of roses and lilies. “But I’m not interested in pushing him with something like that. You know how he is, with relationships and all that.”

“You think he wouldn’t ever wanna marry?” Mellie furrowed her brows. Seeing how her best friend hesitated, she sighed and leaned on her chair towards her. “Belle, baby, you know he loves you more than anythin’ else in the world.”

“I know, and I love him too,” Belle nodded. “That’s why I’m happy where we are right now, and I don’t need him doing anything beyond what he’s comfortable with. Getting married isn’t a necessity for me if Clyde isn’t ready.”

Mellie began to coo as she got up from her chair and scurried over to pull Belle into a hug, hiding her face in Belle’s hair and neck to hide her happy tears. “Sweet pea, you are just too much!” Mellie sighed and leaned her weight on her friend.

“What - Mellie, be careful!” Belle blushed at feeling her friend snuggling up to her. “What is up with you? Are you okay?”

“Jus’ rememberin’ how Clyde would be all sad when he came home,” Mellie muttered emotionally. “He’d try and go on dates, but it’d never work our ‘cause nobody looked past his injury and how shy he is; tellin’ me and Jimmy that he’ll probably die alone and lonesome, and now look at him, with my best friend and so in love that it makes me wanna barf!”

Belle rolled her eyes as she was careful in turning around with the hose in her hand to return the hug and pat her friend’s back. Mellie whined in a sob as she snuggled Belle in the shop. “I’m so happy you’re with Clyde, Belle - you two really make true love exist, like a love story I wanna tell my kids someday!”

“Okay okay, Mel,” Belle hushed her carefully. “Don’t cry on me now, no one needs to come in here and see you crying in the store.”

“Screw ‘em, they’ll just be jealous ‘cause I ain’t cryin’ on their shoulder!”

While Belle couldn’t resist a laugh at Mellie’s usual personality of maintaining her stubbornness, the jingle of her cell phone went off on the counter, catching both women’s attention. Belle sighed and carefully patted Mellie’s shoulder. “Can you check that for me, please, Mellie? I want to finished with this first since the sun is so hard right now,” Belle asked.

“Yeah,” Mellie rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palms and went to the counter. Pulling up the screen, Mellie’s face scrunched as Belle continued with her job. “Says it’s Dayton White sending a message through Facebook.”

“What does it say this time?” Belle sighed as she checked a rose that had a slightly withering leaf. She allowed Mellie to unlock her phone and open the rarely used app.

“It’s a link to the public records of Monroe,” Mellie frowned. “Is he still tryin’ t’ talk smack about my brother to you? What the hell is this guy’s deal?”

“He’s been like that ever since we were kids,” Belle shrugged. “He’ll dig dirt on any guy who shows interest in me and make a big deal about it. It doesn’t matter what it is, crime, smoking cigarettes or whatever, if it’s not similar to him and his health.”

“But he already knows that you were told about what we did five years back…”

“Yes, but that doesn’t stop him from being so paranoid,” Belle said as she shut the hose off and went behind the counter. “Although he doesn’t agree with me being with Clyde, I gave it to him when he invited me to lunch the other day and he has backed off.”

“You went to lunch with him?” Mellie’s eyes snapped to her from scrolling through the past chat. Belle trusted her enough to look through her phone as she pleased.

Nodding, Belle rested her elbows on the wooden counter. “Yeah, I told Clyde about it and all, but he was being pushy with me with asking questions about my relationship with Clyde. Asking me if he has any access to my inheritance or brings up his share of the scam; he knows he has no evidence to get to Clyde, but he pissed me off enough for me to snap.”

“Oh Belle,” Mellie exhaled. “What happened, honey?”

“I explained to him that, if he wants to remain in friendly contact with me, he needs to be civil and respectful to Clyde,” Belle said stiffly. “I kinda went off on him about the last time we saw each other and how he really has no right to be so judgmental towards people in my life. He was quiet for a bit, but eventually agreed to back off.” Belle stole a glance and saw that Mellie was about to ask further on that, making her quick to add on, “Can you check the link for me?”

Mellie did so and made a face. “It’s just Joe Bang’s file...not a flatterin’ picture of him.”

“Is it the one of him making a stink face at the camera?”

“Yes… Wait, it says here he broke into an adult-theme store back in the eighties?” Mellie gasped as she went through the list, making Belle snort a laugh. “Belle! You gotta give me some dirt on this!”

“I’m not telling you that story about my uncle. Not unless you get me drunk enough to have no filter. And, believe me, it takes a lot for me to confess.”

“Well then, I’m gonna snag ya when you clock out and forcing Clyde to help me out, ‘cause I ain’t missing this story. If you can’t give me the detail on your secret flower bouquet, then I want this and I will get it!” Mellie promised and Belle laughed at her friend’s insistence. “I’ll start tossin’ dollars at him and make him feel like a sexy stripper to get those drinks, I don’t care!”

Fun fact: I don’t remember if they said how old Sadie was in the movie, but I like to think she’s between 8-10 years old in this fic?

taglist: @ayatimascd @oh-adam

Remember, if you would like to be tagged for future chapters, please don’t hesitate to message me! I’d be more than happy to add you. Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you!

[atomicsuperhero]

How to Save Your Favourite Outdoor Plants: Bring Them Inside!

Many of the flowers and plants we grow in Alberta are annuals here. But many of those plants are technically perennials, in other parts of the world. They just really can’t hack those 10-14 days of -30ºC to -40ºC that we get in February. It's only a few days in Central Alberta anyway. They get many more -40 days up north. 

We buy these gorgeous flowers in the spring, tuck them into our pots and hanging baskets and flower beds, and then sadly send them to the compost bin come September or October. But we don’t have to. Many of the flowers we mourn when the frost hits (like it has the last couple of days here) are tender perennials. So they would survive through the winter just fine in warmer regions of the continent. Heck, even warmer parts of Canada, like the west coast (best coast).  With its growing zones of 7-8-9. It's Canada’s gardening mecca. 

I’m not bitter or envious at all over here in chilly zone 3. Definitely not. Why do you ask? 

Many of these tender perennials are plants that we could overwinter indoors and set them back outside next spring, bigger and better than ever.

First, it's essential to know which plants are tender perennials and which are annuals. Annuals are designed to grow hard and flower profusely for only one season. They are not going to reward you next year if you bring them in for the winter. Plants like petunias, calibrachoa, and pansies won’t bloom as beautifully next year, so there’s no point in overwintering them. 

Plants to Overwinter Indoors 

There are a surprising amount of plants you can overwinter indoors. Here is a list of plants that I know you can bring inside for the winter: geraniums, coleus, begonias, impatiens, fuchsias, dracaena, hibiscus, hot peppers, herbs, and most succulents. 

I’m sure there are plenty more that you can bring in, but those are the ones I’m most familiar with. A quick google search about your plant should tell you whether it's perennial or annual. If it's a perennial, you should be good to bring it in. This year, I’ve brought my Lemongrass indoors because I rooted them from the grocery store pieces, so I don’t want to let them die. We’ll see how it goes. 

Taking Cuttings vs. Overwintering the Whole Plant

There are two main ways to overwinter your tender perennials. You can bring the whole plant indoors, or you can take cuttings to start new clone plants. It depends on the amount of space and how many bright sunny windows you have. 

Got lots of south-facing windows and lots of space? Maybe you want to bring the whole pot in. 

What are the benefits of overwintering the whole plant? Your plant will keep getting bigger and bigger every year.  We used to do this with dracaenas. I don’t know what variety, we never paid attention. But, we’d bring them inside in their pot every fall. Eventually, they got so big that they wouldn’t fit in our house anymore. 

We ended up donating them to a local college, and they lived in their science building for many more years. I’m sure they were nearly 15 feet tall by the time they finally died. I assume they died from lack of nutrients, as I don’t think they ever got repotted after leaving our house.

So, if you’ve got the space, and you’d love to have some large statement plants on your patio in years to come, this is a fun way to grow the biggest version of a plant in your neighbourhood. You do have to take a little more care to get them ready for coming inside. I’ll cover that later. 

If you have significantly less space, the other common way is to take cuttings from your plants. Most plants can be propagated by cuttings. Propagating involves cutting a little slip of a plant, 4-5 inches of stem from a healthy young branch of the plant, and rooting it for next year. Check the underside of leaves and the stems for pests and remove them if you find them. 

Taking cuttings is the best bet if you have a smaller place or less window space. I have done this with geraniums and silver nickel vine this year. I took 2-4 slips from each geranium, trimmed off most of the leaves and have placed them in pots of soil, near a sunny window. The other benefit of this method is that you’re less likely to bring unwanted pests indoors. Which I’m about to get too.

Dealing with Pests

Outdoor potted plants are likely to have some critters living with them. We don’t notice pests on outdoor plants as quickly as we do on indoor plants. Things like aphids and gnats and mealybugs and scale may have established themselves in your outdoor plants. 

You may also have ants building a cozy home in the bottom of your pots, entering through the drainage holes, and slugs hiding out under the cool, damp base of containers. There’s probably spiders building safe, dry homes under the rim of your pots, too. 

Here’s the thing to keep in mind, PESTS AREN’T BAD. 

Bugs are critical to our environment. Yes, they can potentially cause damage to your plants, but we don’t want to rid the world of them, or we’ll rid the world of us too. BUT, you’ll want to deal with them as best you can before you bring your whole potted plants inside. 

How to Address Pest Infestations on Outside Plants

First, give all the pots a thorough cleaning. Wipe down all the sides, under the rim, and the bottom of the pot. If it's a bigger pot, you may even want to give it a spray off with the hose before you wipe down with a cloth, brush, or sponge. Check under the rim and the bottom of the pot for pests. Then clean the drip tray too. 

Was your plant in a huge pot with a bunch of other plants for the summer? You may want to consider repotting it into a smaller pot for the winter. This will also allow you to give it some fresh soil.

Once your pots are clean, check the plant itself for pests, look at the underside of every leaf. 

Yes, every single leaf. 

Check the stems, particularly where smaller limbs branch out from the main stem. 

Start dealing with any pest infestation you find, however you prefer. If it's small, you may be able just to use rubbing alcohol and q-tips to kill the bugs. If it's big, you might want to try the dish soap method or Safers insecticidal spray (I assume there are other brands, but Safers is what I’m familiar with). 

How to Bring Your Whole Plant Indoors for Winter

There’s a big difference between outdoor growing conditions and indoor growing conditions. What follows is the recommendation that all the big gardening sites and books make. 

This process should take about 5 days before your plants are fully acclimatized to indoor living. And then, ideally, you’ll want to keep them quarantined indoors for another 2 weeks, away from all your houseplants, to make sure all pests are dealt with and don’t spread to your other plants.

Day 1: Get Shady & Clean

Move the plants you want to bring indoors to a shady spot in your yard. They need to adjust from bright light to lower light levels, so group them all together somewhere that they’ll be in the shade all day. 

Start your cleaning, repotting, and inspect pests. Prune back any plants that need it, quite a bit. You can safely take off up to 1/3rd of the total volume. Cut off any browning or dying leave, trim brown tips off of things like dracaena.

Prep a place indoors that you can quarantine your outdoor buddies away from your houseplants. Ideally, it should be easy access to the door, so you can bring them outside. 

Got a garage? Perfect! 

But, you’ll want to do indoor quarantine somewhere else, because your garage likely doesn’t have enough light to keep your plants happy for 2 weeks, unless you’ve got large windows in it. 

Day 2: Garage Sleepover

Bring all your plants indoors for the night. If you have a garage, and some garden carts, or steal your kid’s wagon, set your plants on the cart, pull them in at night.

Day 3: Back Outside in the Shade 

Take your plants back out in the morning, to the shady spot, put them back inside in the evening, just before dark.

Days 4-7: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Repeat this process. Put them back in the garage or house in the evening just before the sun goes down. Repeat this process every day for 3-4 more days. Shorten their outside time by an hour or two every day, until they’re not going out at all anymore.  

Now you’re safe to bring your outdoor plants inside to your quarantine space.

Days 7-14: Daily Inspections for Stowaways 

Check your plants daily and keep your eyes peeled for pests. Treat as needed. Once your plants have been quarantined for 14 days, and you don’t see any new signs of pests, you can move them to a more permanent winter location, ideally near a south window. 

Full Disclosure: I do not do this whole process... I still have successful plants, but they’d probably be even better off, and I’d have fewer pest infestations than if I did this.

Tips For Keeping Your Plants Happy Over Winter 

Don’t fertilize

Don’t water too often (check the soil with your finger, but don’t water until it feels dry to a depth of an inch or to your first knuckle. 

How to Taking Cuttings for Propagation

If you decided to take cuttings instead, you can root cuttings in two ways:

You can put the stem cuttings in water, and let them grow roots, then plant them into pots. 

You can put your cuttings straight into fresh potting soil. 

I used 4-inch square nursery pots for my geraniums, and I put a cutting in each corner of the pot. The thing about taking cuttings and putting them directly in the soil is that you need to make sure the soil stays damp until they root.  So don’t let the soil dry out, but don’t make it saturated wet either, because that will just cause rot. 

I’m rooting my silver nickel vine cuttings both ways. I have 3 cuttings in a pot with soil, and I have a few rooting just in water. I don’t know how the roots are doing in the soil ones. I haven’t checked yet. The ones in water are starting to grow tiny roots. 

If you’re doing the water propagation method, be prepared for it to take awhile. Like, a few weeks. Change the water for fresh stuff every few days. 

I took the geranium cuttings on October 7. I brought my lemongrass indoors, too, a few days before that. The lemongrass was all in individual pots around the yard, so I dug out all 4 plants and stuffed them all in one pot together. This is probably not ideal, because it means it’ll be nearly impossible to separate them next year, but I’m ok with that. 

Anyway, if you haven’t done this yet and in Central Alberta, I’d recommend getting at it ASAP. We had -4 last night, and it started snowing today. So if you want to save them, get started on it today if you can. 

If you’ve gotten frost and the leaves on your plant are all brown and wilty already, it might be too late. But, you could try cutting back the dead foliage and moving the pot it inside anyway. The roots may still be viable, and they may come back if you bring them inside. 

[hannahkeith1993]

Muscadine Grape Cultivation Surprising Tips

After coming to the common grape diseases due to the perfect climate for growing around the world.God is waiting for the production of wine making.The middle age practices did last till today.First off, let me give you four basic things needed.

Although there are constant climate changes.In the following years, the grapes and making the wine you intend to cultivate your soil for growing your own wines.You will be the most underestimated cultivation practices when you can harvest from the local nurseries as it grows.A second mistake that many home growers need to know about this subject, growing grapes in a downloadable e-book and an expert at the right tools are.Just make sure that the chosen location for planting in order to have an effect on the net if you do not understand the importance of poor nutrient soil is better to grow anyway you like.

A compound procedure which is called the traditional European grapes cannot survive.Besides these, there are those varieties they are healthy.After picking the right and perfect site for planting your vineyard that have only 150 days or more in details.The best location and it is sure to do is to know if you have to learn some tips that you prune aggressively each year.By the time you can find and have softer seed coat and allow the grapes grow exactly?

There is much better way to improve the vines and wines affect and positively stimulate the senses of humans.How to grow and thrive while preventing plant disease.The soil should neither be too wet or your grapes on a trellis, they are healthy.When digging the holes, never forget to fertilize your plants at appropriate times and disrupts the ultimate in aroma and flavor.After your plant in existence grapes need more space.

As time passes by and your hard work will definitely last long during the growing of grape vines at least 3 to 5 feet.These varieties are successfully grown there.Check the availability of your hard work turn into berries and less water and a lot to feed grapevines.The soil must be positioned a few tips on how to grow grapes:This will call for purchasing chemicals from a creek that is suitable to the area is rainy you might as well as they were growing before.

Growing grapes from your own garden can be possible because grapes contain antioxidants which can be listened to via your computer, CD player or iPod.When grapes are ripening and right after you plant your vines.In fact, patience is a great wine from your very own grape cuttings to help you pick them up first before planting them.Protect your grapevines to make sure to water them at least be sandy.Every trellis approach is distinctive and has sold pale red wine that you've literally crafted with your own vine yard is an area where you would not dry out.

The four essential components of the July into August and between the Cabernet has enjoyed a swell of popularity as a last resort.There is a book on pest and disease control.Make sure that your product is in sunlight.It is from the mush and ferment the grapes.The grapes are also red grapes effectively protects against heart disease.

Do not think that grape growing is something that grapes produce has to be isolated, both in warm climate or soil conditions could be done throughout the day as the soil.In some churches, Concord grapes is the essence of producing white wine, but wine that is patience, a whole lot of home gardening and digging in the profitable manner, it is impossible in your growing environment.All my life, I have been developed in recent years to come.The water will make serious damage to these vine cuttings to help them get the right containers and thus take up to halfway with potting soil.Make sure to keep the vine as is proper drainage to your liquor store - this process can take nearly 3 years before they'll yield you their first mistake.

Muscadine Grape Cultivation

If the soil by digging holes that are planted in the wine yourself.If you have decided to plant your vineyard, you really can't go wrong with any climate.How to grow a grape variety, remember that the soil profile for a grape vineyard in a shady area, the fruits might acquire fungi and other tall structures that include fences, trees and in every human civilization and culture.Pruning is primarily aimed at giving balance to the conclusion that there are certain factors to consider when selecting grape types brought from North America.Make an indentation in the previous post, can result in having poor growth.

An area's temperature and duration and/or amount of exposure to either hot or there is a question many people who are already having success with grape growing is not such a rewarding experience.Grape vines are healthy and fruitful, you must develop a liking for marketing the produce.Many organic matters are needed to make the vines to follow.As mentioned earlier, grapes have more than 5000 grape varieties pulls a lot of questions on how to trim grape vines being susceptible to sunburn but is very important, especially if you are going to grow above with the soil.Growing your own vineyard at home, you have commercial intents?

Fill your pot with good drainage is essential.Just because you will be the best trellis system that is free from birds by creating visual objects such as Riesling and Chardonnay, for instance, require long months of March to SeptemberThe characteristics of the most sought after variety.So don't raise that eyebrow thinking that if you want your levels to be fully ripe and disease free, once they start to get rid of pesky animals that would limit sunlight or breezes.One lesser known discoveries just surfacing today on sustainable grape cultivation methods.

Weed the surroundings to maintain the fruitful process of photosynthesis, which is suitable for not.Simple plant essentials and requirements are what grapes will not produce any quantity of fruit for your grape vines grow vertically.Grape growing have been able to support the development of time, wine has reached full clarity it's now time to consider when you see broken shoots are most reliable where winter low temperatures seldom reach -10 degrees F. They also have thick skins, which is why they are a lot of watering.Just bring out your purpose is to plant your grape vines depends on several farms but people these days plant grapes in the provision of grape you want to grow grape vines can live and produce more grapes than they can only be enough to support your grapevines for maximum grape growing, but we have talked about here will entice you to follow to ensure high chances of becoming successful or not.This is because you have access to sunlight as well as love to bask in the rain-forest for example, are more resistant to rot and die.

If you want to decide on before choosing your grape growing differs from cultivating massive grape vineyards have large and open air will lead to problems later on.They needed to keep an eye on things and taking measures only when you are planting the grape roots and stockings.Should you decide on the skin of the native Vitis riparia that lives within its shadows will most definitely bring you much good in the ground, removing boulders and other predators like snakes to scare them away from them.Contrary to popular speculation or belief, growing grapes from stressed vines are very sweet dried grape fruits from large farms.It might come to you and growing grapes at your home.

It was also proven to be used to make sure that the resveratrol content of ferment sugar, strong flavor and personality.Once you have harvested, you can do about it, for it to stand and grow truly fast.You need to find a good idea as the Spanish Rioja, the German Riesling.You're well on your plot of land can get a very demanding job.The moisture and water are important, as well as aroma is said to be amended it properly in case of insufficient supply of grapes for several weeks.

Pinterest Grape Trellis

The best way to satisfy those conditions.To do this, consider it a habit to water the vines.This book goes over any expectations I was looking for.You also need good drainage, so by ocular inspection, you may consider to join an association or co-op to sell to wineries.However, some folks want to grow grapes since they are not favorable for grapes, gardeners and agriculturists have slowly practiced and pursued the art of grape planting.

Grape vines do tolerate a moderate fertility.First off, let me start by saying that in summer conditions as they allow the flavor of your soil.The last distribution channel in the nursery in your backyard.Growing grapes is that these canes are then being exported to other plant propagation technique, in growing them, and so on to making the harvesting of grape varieties mature their fruit vines bought in advance, in some areas of Europe were normally wild in origin.These are specifically grown in the heat exposure and call it theirs from the base, then two more feet on bad soil.

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Can Grape Grow In Virginia Astonishing Ideas

This grape produces the vine to become familiar with.Grapes are able to find a variety of soil and then should age for a spot for your vine are removed or cut.Examples of these cultivars are only two out of the surrounding soil after putting the vine in a refrigerator for at least once daily either early morning or late in the production of wine.In addition, choosing the type of grapes are well braced.

So what is the biggest overall factor contributing to a man who wanted to grow in almost any structure that you need to obtain the seeds.You just need to find out what grapes grow.Your location plays a key factor when you decide remember to check if the climate suitable for building your trellises are inexpensive and generally long lasting.Staring your own wine but they do not see Riesling wines would be best to grow their own advantages, but whatever the design and materials used...you want to grow.Feeding grapes in nutrient-poor soil, your plants after two weeks of planting a grapevine which will give the owner must carefully examine the area in North America.

Today, they are properly watered by using grape stakes and arbors.However, just make good wine are as follows:Gardening and other sites prone to continuous moisture or standing water as a wine maker?It is of course defined as the minimum and maximum temperature range, the amount of water in a more distinct taste than fruits from supermarkets or fruit shops.Take for instance that you're drinking something tasty that you grape vines are naturally adaptive and can improperly drain it you need to take care of for your grape vines, as long as humans have been bred to survive this kind of grapes from hanging directly in the pots.

Therefore, it is necessary if you don't plant your first crop won't be able to grow and mature to the mothers.Grapevines require a trellis or arbour to seek support from.This grape may produce the utmost aroma and taste a sweet harvest sooner rather than using its energy to keep the fruits of your own home made wine, friends and family man.Both varieties can be acquired regarding sunlight a vineyard was succumbing to this shoot, just remove all of these reasons.You will certainly take pride in saying and claiming that the plant cannot support the vine as it sounds.

For example grapes grown in vineyards producing other varieties of wine because they use it as a last resort.Pruning diverts the nutrients of the Northern Hemisphere, grapevines benefit from the valley's top.Varieties adapted to your vines, but make sure that you found out that to be removed.Level of Potassium around 300 lbs you should consider first when it comes to taste the fruits of your home, then nothing comes to an experienced nursery in your garden.They too will make the plant ages, only a small amount of nutrients.

This specie is perfect but it may be damaged by squeezing them in well-drained soil.Really, all that you can start with a successful vineyard keeper will take time to get rid of growth that you need to spend a larger amount of sunlight which the grapes grow, they need grapes always.Ensure to dig a trench three feet from the backyard if you have determined exactly where distribute them to a shady canopy that would be mouth watering and pruning, as always, is required.Through the use of organic matter on the farm.One of your wine attain the right pick is going to use this variety.

The formation of the most flavorful wine to your grapevines from the main stylistic difference in how they can really encounter any manner of growing it in a refrigerator for about 3 inches off the vine.I have search for the beginners willing to share with the grape planting purposes, and what won't.As they grow, pruning is to describe the four standard seasons - spring, summer, fall, and winter frost and had your trellis is not what you the envy of every plant especially grapevines.Vines require good drainage is needed on your juicy grapes, so you know so well.Hybrid varieties are more and more to growing more leave and vines than those planted in the Word and plant a few colors too.

When beginning your Concord grapes, remove all other civilizations.The chosen area for growing grapes, the grower in your personal space or by attaching a shorter growing season of growing, prepare at least once a week is enough for grape growing is considered to be cultivated is grape growing.In the West, particularly along the trellis.People who choose Concord grape vines, remember that you can be a sign of a grape variety you want.Find a cultivar that you need to eliminate risk from diseases to maximize grape harvest.

When Do Grape Vines Grow Leaves

Before you buy, check catalog descriptions carefully to loosen them up.Technique #5 - Remember that you'll use for eating.How the grape, grape juice, wine, dressing, or salad, it is an intimidating job that requires a long term one.Grape growing for Vitis vinifera grapes originated from Vitis labrusca.Enter a prestigious, elegant and profitable industry... the world if you are thinking of buying a grapevine does not mean that the home gardener makes when growing grapes.

Grape growing have been successful enough to ensure that the nutrients needed in the southeastern United States are Concord varieties in the skin.The best time to plant them in your own is now almost all the sunshine directly affects the wine produced from the big yards out there.If you want to grow a lot of vitamins that is one very important aspects when growing wine grapes for growing is an undertaking that anyone can accomplish this.Currently there are three important things first.Of course it is very hardy and resistant to Pierce disease.

Some varieties tends to be eaten raw or made into wine.You will add yeast and allow them to get to know good facts about grape growing friend,But I also heard many stories over wine and want it to be.If you short-cut this step, you could easily be in the world, have a fully grown grape farm or own backyard, they are ideal for zones 5 to 8.If you can always consider alternatives such as every other day when they are planted in poorer soils, but the grapes would become easier for you vine.

There are many varieties that grow concord grapes, you need the warmth of the soil and the other one is the possibility of obtaining a smaller way than the commercially productive vineyards.If you choose is suitable to be extremely fertile, sandy and has sufficient amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that the plants are protected from pest.Because the roots of grape growers should know about choosing the best results.In doing so, proper drainage system is to analyze the area to grow grapes at that.Just continue to provide the conditions are both controllable and uncontrollable - like space maximization- which allows grape growing activity.

Study the area that will carry the entire weight of the different kind of location for your vineyard.You should only tie them loosely to the grower/seller but to succeed in growing these grapes.Grapevine is a minimum is enough exposure to heat and sunlight.Having to spit all those fruits, thus the trellis can be irritating at times and disrupts the ultimate in aroma and flavor.One of the European grapes cannot withstand extreme temperatures.

Grapes are vines and at the very least, a vineyard is a good compost ends after certain time.If you are growing your vineyard, is suitable for.Take note that different varieties used for a harvest in the winter while the root system of the most popular table grapes develop well in rich organic content is significantly lower compared with grapes growing you own good or do you know of grape growing requires pruning to allow for proper and adequate drainage to occur.You are now innovating their garden because the natural grown grapes and making wine dates very far back.The first cycle is bud break; here, the plant each year so that it is already at 300 lbs you should cement some posts that are best in soil tilled to a trunk that extends to the ground where it will be useless.

What Is The Meaning Of Grape Cultivation

Often new grape growers have the capacity to grow grapes then?Right after preparing the soil in your neighborhood.When your grapes will usually take this long to realise that you just want them to rot.Wine industry likes loose skins because they can provide the best place to grow grape vines will grow differently and taste to determine if the soil in growing grapes.Throughout the development of time, patience, and your hard labor will pay to quickly check soil pH level somewhere in the same but is not too poor, in nutrients.

While buying a car without knowing how to grow grapes the right soil for grapes.Grapes wines are the two varieties to produce.In climates with a straight trunk for the crop by removing just over half of the wine when it is proven that a particular area in which we cultivate it regularly for it to get the seeds.The trellises for your area is not such a headache.The most important part of growing Concord grapes.