#songscloset

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Whatcha readin'?

Tagged by @anon-e-has-a-tmblr

Currently reading: Off The Ice, Yet A Stranger, Check Please! Book 2, and I'm waiting on Paladin's Strength to become available at the library.

Last song: Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. It's a bop, alright?

Last Movie: hmm I don't really watch a lot of movies, but my parents and I are on the last episode of Hunters season 2.

Currently working on: answering emails and getting prepared for the spring semester. I am doing this as a break from answering those goddamn emails.

Tagging: @wafflelovingbatgirl, @songscloset, @door-into-summer, @chaotic-historian, @blackbird-brewster, @micewithknives, @rambling-museums, and literally anyone else who is feeling so inclined. But for the love of god, REPOST do not reblog, otherwise my notifications become a mess.

[fenth-eiria]

@gretchensinister

@songscloset

I hope this is what you both had in mind 😅

[prideandpen]

Sorry about the floral background, my bed is the best space I have for large spreads at the moment and I didn’t think about how loud it would look when I photographed it.

First row. The Light Seer’s Tarot: The Lovers (R), 8 of Wands (R), The Sun (R), King of Pentacles (R), Page of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles R) Second row. Rider Waite Tarot: 8 of Pentacles, The Chariot, The World (R) Third row. Wisdom of the Oracle: Soulmates, Time to Go, Co-Create, Go the Distance (R) Fourth row. Oracle of the 7 Energies: Smoke and Mirrors, A Powerful Move, A Burst of Magic, Body and Soul, The Storyteller Fifth row. Foxfire, The Kitsune Oracle: Beauty of Age, Memories of The Forgotten Self, Transcendence, Growth

@songscloset​, this is your reading for the next 6 months of your professional life / career. It’s kinda long so the reading itself is under the cut.

With the Light Seer’s tarot we see that things appear to be starting off slow with the 8 of Wands in reverse and the Page of Pentacles upright. Over the next six months I think you’ll be working on grounding yourself and returning to your roots when it comes to work. With the Lovers reversed I feel like maybe you’ve lost your passion for your work, and that lack of passion (and maybe misplaced effort) has lead or is leading you to a difficult financial spot. With both the King and Queen of Pentacles reversed it’s a good time to think of yourself more and give less of yourself (your time, your money, etc) to others. Generosity is great but it comes with a price at the moment, and that price should never be your own well being. But don’t worry! Because the sun is here. It might be reversed but the sun always brightens a spread. This is the first reminder that the next six months are not so dark and dreary, you just need to look where you’re going and avoid linger in the shadows of stress longer than necessary.

At a glance this top row confused me, so I pulled three cards from my Rider-Waite mini tarot deck to clarify before continuing on with the spread. The 8 of Pentacles here tells me that you’ve got some hard work ahead of you, either in coming to a decision about something or after (probably both). While the Chariot is about choice and being pulled in two directions at once i always feel that the chariot leads to victory once you pick the right direction. You’ll pick the right choice for you and it will lead you to where you want to go so long as you walk towards the sun. And once you make that choice you’ll be working hard on something that is meaningful to you, because the man in the 8 of pentacles is someone who is working to master his craft - whatever that craft may be - not someone who is just working to work. This is a steady passion something long in the works, not a spark that’ll burn bright and fizzle out. With the World in reverse this, again, feels like going back to your roots This isn’t a time for going off on a brand new adventure but a time for building yourself up in whatever work you want to be doing.

From the Wisdom of the Oracle deck we start with the Soulmates card, since this is a professional reading I feel like this is about some sort of team project or collaboration. But not just any collaboration, this is the type of collaboration you’ve dreamt of. Either you’re working with someone you’ve always wanted to work with or you’re starting a project and finding the perfect match in someone to work on it with you. This is emphasized by the Co-create card, which also makes me think this is likely a creative project. The next card, Time to Go, gives me the sense that you might be the one reaching out to this person who you want to work with. However it could also be a nod to walking away from work that you no longer feel any drive towards. Especially when we look to the end of this row where we’ve got Go the Distance in reverse. I feel like this card is talking about how the work you’ve been doing and focusing on isn’t what you want to be doing, and so it isn’t doing you any good. You won’t reach the goals you’d most like to reach if you keep pushing yourself faster and further and harder down a path that isn’t yours or in a position that doesn’t suit you. Life isn’t a race and you might be running on the wrong track. However, since this card is in reverse it could also be a sign that while shifting gears to a project you have a passion for is undoubtedly the right choice, the success you want won’t happen overnight. It could take some time, especially when we look back to the King and Queen of Pentacles, and the 8 of Wands all in reverse. This isn’t a speedy route to success, just a better one.

With the Oracle of the 7 Energies we start with Smoke and Mirrors, followed by A Powerful Move. These two cards feel like they’re confirming what I’ve already talked about. You’ve tried to fool yourself into believing you can be something you’re not by doing something that’s maybe okay, but it’s not what you want. And maybe you’re fine where you are but your calling lies elsewhere, and making that decision to embark on an old forgotten path, back to your roots, is a powerful decision. It’s a power move.. And power moves are often unexpected. A burst of Magic tells me that you might not be expecting this. Maybe you’ve already got that tingling feeling in the back of your heart where you sort of know but maybe haven’t been ready to admit it yet, but soon enough it’ll bloom suddenly like the first flowers of spring and you’ll realize that it’s the right time to do this. With Body and Soul we’re talking about selfcare, but this isn’t the soft and sweet bubble bath and a cup of tea type of self care. No, we’re talking about recognizing the self. Not just your worth but your wants. Who you are as well as what you are and what you do. Often times we do things that aren’t true to who we are because of a variety of reasons; we have to make ends meet, we have people to take care of, a life that has to be survived before it can be lived. But your life is now calling you to live it. Nourish your body, nourish your soul. Recognize that while you aren’t necessarily what you do, what you do seeps into who you are. Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? The choice is yours. This is reiterated in The Storyteller. You tell your own story and you write your own story. You get to decide and that goes for any part of life, including work. Although, this card brings me back to thinking this is about a creative shift that’s happening over the next six months because a storyteller is a creative. Someone who, obviously, tells a story. This can be done through any creative medium no matter what this burst of magic is for you. I suspect it’s a writing project - though that might be my existing knowledge at play here - but it certainly doesn’t have to be. if there’s something else that’s calling to you don’t feel bound by or to the written word. There are a million ways to be creative and a million ways to tell a story. It’s not even limited to what we usually consider to be parts of the creative world. Remember. You, your life, and your work, are your story to tell.

With Beauty of Age, as our first card from the Foxfire Oracle, makes me wonder if you’ve hesitated on some version of this idea in the past. If you think you’ve missed your opportunity. It’s easy to feel like we’re supposed to make certain achievements at certain moments and that there’s a right time to make something happen. But the right time isn’t always in the timing we think it is. It’s more likely that you’re coming into your right timing now and over the next six months. The beauty of age (at any age!) is that we have more information, more experience, more (and maybe better!) ideas. This means we can take an old idea that maybe we’ve forgotten, or cast aside, or left in a drawer because we weren’t ready or the moment was missed nd when we’re ready we can pick it up again, dust it off and see not only what a great idea it still is but also how we can make it better. Memories of the Forgotten Self continues this thought and, once again, serves as a reminder that this is an opportunity to go back to your roots here. Is there an idea that you’ve left alone for so long? Is there a reason why you left it behind? Did you forget? Were you not ready? Are you now? Or. If it’s not a specific idea, is it a path you wanted to go down but never did? Follow the sun and see where it’s light leads you. It’s okay to do so now. You’re ready. With Transcendence I know that it might not be an easy decision to follow whatever this dream or idea might me. That’s why you feel torn between to paths like the chariot in the first row. You’ve got obligations! You’ve got life to deal with, you’ve got muck, and mud, and Stuff to wade through. The timing might not feel right even as you’re reading this. But if you’ve got that tingling feeling, those chills you’ve been ignoring are telling you that the time will be here soon. In a sudden burst you’ll know, and over the next six months you’ll have the opportunity to start down on that old path. it might not be an easy path but it’s a path that will serve you well and leave you better than it found you. Because that’s how Growth is. It’s tough, and sometimes it hurts. There might be growing pains on this journey but you’ll expand your skills and make connections and, eventually, you’ll reach your goals. Grow towards the sun, walk your own path. Retrace your steps and try again.

So. To sum up that gigantic block of text: The next 6 months for you in your professional life are a time to rediscover what you want to be doing. There are choices and connections to make and a lot of growth in both skill and for you on a personal level. And although it might not be right away, and maybe not in the next six months, these choices and connections, this growth, does lead to success. But remember when talking about success that the definition of the word is personal. How do you define the word? I would take some time when making these decisions to consider what the success you want looks like, because that’s the success this leads to.

[tsfennec]

@songscloset​ replied to your post: SO I just remembered all over again why I love...

Oooh, which movie (so I can avoid it)?

It’s Togo - not the hardest hitting of Animal Movies That Will Break Your Heart I’ve watched, but very much not worth breaking the ban on inevitably-sad dog movies for. :(

[copperbadge]

songscloset replied to your post “I've seen the posts of your giant tarot spread so I was wondering, do...”

I know this is an old post, but I've wanted to make my own deck for ages, and the one thing I can't find is a list of what the number cards mean 'in general' (you mentioned eights being a 'big fucking tragic deal', for example). If you don't mind telling me, where did you find that information?

I wish I could send you to a single source, but I did a “survey” as it were -- I looked at the booklets that came with my decks, a couple of books I had, and various internet sites. I couldn’t list them now if you paid me, this was twenty years ago, but if it helps I looked at the minor arcana as a series of interlinking numbers and symbols -- ie, the number across suits all had one meaning, and each suit had another, and the way they interacted could be interpreted. (When I talked about the eight of swords, Swords mean “trouble” and eight means “setbacks or obstacles” so the eight of swords was a real problem card.)

But part of the joy of making your own deck is that you get to set the meanings, so they have a deeper symbolism for you than they would for anyone else!  

the-rainbow-jen replied to your post “brilliant-starlight replied to your post “Mum: Have you heard about...”

Sam, your next book really needs to be about Mennonite-Pirates. This is a missed opportunity!

I’ve often considered it, but historical fiction is hard enough to write when you’re familiar with the culture, and I know nothing about late 18th century Amsterdam and very little about early 19th century Ontario :D 

[katy-l-wood]

How did you decide to make Gunpowder and Pine? I mean, what made you decide to write it as a comic and not a novel? (Also, my family has made friends with a bunch of the local Orange Hardware Store people and I hope you have nice customers all month!)

Thankfully I’ve had almost all great customers at work ever since I started! I get more weird ones than I get bad ones. I’ve only really had one bad customer, which was actually a couple days ago, and even he wasn’t THAT bad. He just refused to listen to me. A nice thing about the OHS is that it gives the employees a lot of leeway in making customers happy without having to call a manager, so its much easier to negate potentially problematic situations because we can go “HERE, HAVE A DISCOUNT!”

But! Gunpowder and Pine!

G&P is actually a prequel to my novel series Glory is Poison set about seven years before the novels. I really wanted to tell the story of how one of the main characters of GiP, Dustin, met his girlfriend, Vivian, because I knew it would’ve been a great adventure and really set up their dynamic in the books.

I decided to do it as a comic, rather than another novel, because of the visual aspect. There’s so much of Vivian’s home and life that is gritty and detailed and I wanted to show that in more than words for the prequel.

I’m also a big fan of media that pulls together a lot of different story telling methods. Gimme all the illustrated books and and comic tie-ins and anything else that pulls together multiple creative disciplines into one story.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Do you specifically *want* photos of food, or is that just something that's happened to you?

So it’s really important to me that y’all eat.

For me, posting dinners I make is a way to make sure that *I* eat (It’s an ADHD/Depression/memory problem, not disordered eating), and it encourages me to 1. clean the kitchen 2. eat WELL and 3. talk to people sometimes, all of which is important self-care. 

So when other people tag me in pics of thier dinner, it makes me really happy becuase 1. I love you guys and I want to make sure you’re OK and seeing you eat food-any food- is good. 2. It’s nice recipe inspiration too.  So please, tag me in pictures of food you made, whether it’s a four-course meal or microwave mac. 

I hope you’re all doing well, and if you aren’t I hope it eases soon.

[avelera]

songscloset replied to your post: I just realized I’ve only got 2 forms of longfic...

I’ve got a couple of plots - one is: People who’d been important to each other years ago are thrown back together by chance and must figure out what to do (get together).

Oooh, I like that one a lot! And my novel has elements of it, though I’m stuck on how to get them together and why they’d work together and... basically everything to do with the beginning of the story :P Maybe you have some tips?

[catterfly]

drew this for me mam​ a lil while ago!

[songscloset]

Well, that’s my free time sorted

I've just signed up for LibraryThing and I'm kind of excited about it. I have a bunch of books and have wanted to get them catalogued for a while. 

The thought of typing all of them in was daunting, but LibraryThing on my phone will scan them in with the barcode! This just leaves my really old books to type in by hand, but that's okay. 

Now I just need to figure out how to get all my ebooks loaded in.

[42nights]

songscloset replied to your post “Almost a 6 hour power outage here in southern Ontario. Wind storms...”

Are you okay? Do you have candles and blankets?

yah we had lights and blankets, It was just problematic due to me being in my final integrated assignment stage at school and 6 hours not being able to work on it drove me nuts lol

[medievalpoc]

songscloset submitted:

I’m in Reno and the SCA is having their Coronation. This striking young man rode in the elevator with me. (I got his permission for the photo and the posting.)

@inclusivemedievalndfantasy!

[prideandpen]

songscloset replied to your post “so I remember in school we would do these crafts projects sometimes in...”

Kumihimo is great, isn't it? I've gotten lots of cool threads to try in it - have you added beads yet?

I love it! I’m only using the most basic pattern right now, it’s so relaxing though. I’m really glad I started. No beads yet though, I’m not sure I’ll add any actually, I kinda like the way the braids look without them

[copperbadge]

songscloset replied to your photo “I knew mum had a copy but I didn’t realize I had one myself until I...”

Which were your family favorites, if you don't mind saying?

Well, there are probably more than I’m recalling, but definitely the chocolate chip cookies on page 10 (at least until Crisco released their butter-flavor shortening and the recipe that came with that became our go-to) and the butterscotch brownies/blondies on page 21. We made the shortbread on page 26 a few times, though usually we used Gran’s recipe for that. The thumbprint cookies on page 34 were definitely made at least four or five times a year. We made the sugar cookies on page 50 a bit, I think, and the black & white slice cookies on page 66. Now that I look on it, a LOT of the cookies we made were the ones with extra illustrations, probably because Mum would be like “what do you want to make?” and I’d just find a picture and go THAT ONE. :D 

But far above and beyond all the others ever were the Halloween Cookie Pops on page 87. Any occasion that called for any kind of cutout cookie -- cookie decorating parties, holidays, special occasions -- those were the cookies we made.

Which, I have a nostalgic attraction to them, but I also know that they were basically the cookie my family loved and I tolerated -- they were fun to make and decorate, but they are also super crunchy and somewhat dry, which is how the entire rest of the family liked them. I really didn’t like crunchy things much, as a kid, so I prefer a softer cookie now (which you can get with those by rolling them thicker, but they’re still a bit dry). 

I am also laughing because there’s a whole section of wholesome, healthy cookies in the book and I don’t think we ever even cracked that chapter open. 

[wikdsushi-v2]

First Spoken Lines Tag

Rules: post the first spoken line of dialogue from each of your WIP's main characters

Thanks to @emelkae for tagging me!

I technically have two fanfic WIP's ATM. Since I'm still stuck on my phone, I can't really post anything from my original novels. But, from two stories in the same series, I have:

Gwennit: "Please. I only come in service."

Theotar: "I had the most terrible dream, my prince! Simply unspeakable! I must tell you both--oh, where is Gwennit? Is she already getting ready to look in on the bats?"

Renathal: "It’s all right, my love. I’m here. I’m alive. Nothing is going to take me away."

Jennie: "Mama!"

Leo My Beloved: "You've been there?"

Anduin: "No, I don't know how to counteract it. I. I'm sorry."

Taelia: "A mortal duchess of the Shadowlands?"

Bolvar: "Duchess, is it? Why am I not surprised?"

(No, Leo isn't a major character. I just adore him. He's such a harmless dick.)

Your guess as to which story each is from. 😈

All right, I tag @mysdrym, @hpcraftlove, @songscloset, and anyone who wants to take part. :D

[maryellencarter]

so then i spent pretty much all of today emptying out hidden corners of cupboards and shelves, putting things into ziploc bags with like items, finding out i had half a dozen unused rolls of scotch tape complete with dispensers, the usual.

however, being a dingaling, i did all this barefoot. my back is actively trying to raise an insurrection. there are probably tiny flags. i don't know, i can't see my own back.

my mattress, having been bought at walmart for $100 a year and a half ago, has basically been disintegrating from the middle outwards for at least a couple of months now. i've been ignoring it because i don't have the hundred bucks for another cheapass innerspring mattress.

however. away back when i was homeless, @songscloset bought me a really good high quality air mattress. it's tall enough to sit on, it has a built in electric pump with both inflate and deflate options, it's something like 500 pound test, and it's been quietly waiting in my closet, hiding behind my accumulation of winter blankets and empty amazon boxes until it should be needed again.

so i was going to swap the positions of my bed and my sofa tonight. and i got as far as hauling the walmart mattress off the bedframe and i went "this mattress is toast". it has no structural integrity. it keeps trying to fold in half.

so after some ponderation, i fetched out the air mattress, which i had boxed up with the christmas tree because i'm smart like that, and i folded up the bedframe, which also came from walmart but is quite spectacularly good -- very sturdy, yet can be disassembled with no tools and folded into something about the size of four metal folding chairs. it's in the back of the closet now, with its lil baggie of wingnuts taped to it, waiting until i decide to buy an innerspring mattress again. (i have a vague memory that innerspring is slightly preferable for my back. crater-that-used-to-be-innerspring, however, does not rate at all.)

so tomorrow will begin with throwing a very dead innerspring mattress off the balcony and rolling it down to the dumpster. well, possibly after breakfast, if i can find somewhere to put the laundry that's not on my eatin' counter. then i think i'll take the goodwill box to goodwill so i have a little more floor space. then i get to move a shitton of stuff around and vacuum everything. and probably start another goodwill box. i keep thinking about taking the giant rubbermaid bin and/or the large sterilite chest of drawers to goodwill also, but they're *expensive* and i'm worried i'll need them again, but dear god, they take up so much space.