fandomgiftbasket rides again! Sign-ups open on August 23. Check out the Dates, Rules & FAQ post for more information.

I just signed up to participate in sunflower_auction to benefit Ukraine charities. I'm offering four fandoms:

Murder, She Wrote (tv): Jessica
Teen Wolf (tv): Peter/Chris and/or Derek/Stiles
MCU: Clint/Coulson and/or Steve/Bucky
Hawkeye (comics and/or tv): Clint/Coulson and/or Kate/Yelena

Will write: AUs and tropes (give me all the baby left on doorstep or different professions or met differently or coffee shop AUs), getting together, established relationship, kid!fic, curtain fic, fluff, crossovers . . .

Won't write: Major character death; partner betrayal; D/s; BDSM; A/B/O; bodily substances play (unless they’re a vampire); unhappy ending; explicit sex (sex is okay, but I’m less interested in writing super long sex scenes as I get older); character bashing.

I'm also willing to finish a WIP or write a sequel, so talk to me about that before you bid.

Also, for my f-list, I am willing to write in other fandoms not listed on the creator bid sheet, so talk to me about that before you bid if you might like something else!


Creator sign-ups are open through August 13; bidding opens on August 18. Check out this post if you want to participate.

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I paid a short visit to mom on my way to visit my aunt. (A day early, but I am planning ahead in case I need to spend most of the day with mom tomorrow, post-procedure.)

I did a load of laundry (washed and dried), hand-washed dishes, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, changed kitty litter, took the dogs for a walk, and paid a couple of bills online.

I took a nap and started the next Lily Adler book.

Temps started out at 49.8(F) (it was amusing to watch the temps bounce from 49.8 to 50.0 and back again, though I was not amused by such low morning temps; this is freaking fall weather) and reached 87.4. It got warm enough that we turned the AC back on in the bedroom. I do appreciate having AC when the temps get high, but I enjoyed the nights when we could just leave the windows open to sleep.


( Have some photos I took today on the walk with the dogs: )


Mom Update:

Mom had the procedure to put the port in today. ( more back here )

I had a massage this morning, which was amazing! My first in a while and very much needed.

I hit Panera for breakfast (they didn’t have any souffles *sobs* but I got a breakfast sandwich on ciabatta, which elevated the sandwich) and to use their wifi. Between Panera and massage I hit Trader Joe’s, B&N, and Bath & Body, and got in a walk. (Originally I was going to walk inside the mall, but the weather had turned so nice that I was able to walk outside.) I got lunch at Applebee’s after the massage and stopped a the car wash on the way home.

I didn’t get many chores done because I was gone most of the day (left ~6am and got home ~3pm). I dried and folded the laundry, hand-washed more dishes, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I grilled ribs for Pip’s supper, but I accidentally picked up the wrong kind (definitely ~not baby back ribs) and (according to him) they tasted awful. I felt bad and offered to chuck them, but he said he’d eat them at the garage. He had some veg and the moz cheese sticks I brought home from Applebee’s for him to round out the meal.

I finished the Duncan Kincaid book.

Temps started out at 48.0(F) and reached 75.0. There was sun and a breeze. Another perfect day, imo.


Mom Update:

I did not see mom today, but I called her a couple of times. She sat on the porch a couple times (see above re: beautiful weather), walked to the mailbox on her own, and had a visit from her BFF. We didn’t talk about what she ate.

Mom has her port put in tomorrow aternoon (which is now today, Wednesday). All good thoughts welcomed and appreciated.

I can’t believe we’re this close to the end of July already!

I hit Walmart and CVS (for mom’s potassium) while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I threw a load of laundry in the washer and hand-washed dishes before I headed downtown and hand-washed more dishes when I got home. I also went for another short walk with Pip and the dogs before lunch and cut up chicken for said dogs.

I visited mom after lunch and stayed until my usual time of 3pm. I stopped at Stewart’s for milk and gas on the way home. Coming home meant yet more hand-washing of dishes, tossing the laundry in the dryer and folding it, later tossing another load in the washer, scooping kitty litter, and shaving.

The other day mom suggested that I take a day off to get things done and it put a thought in my head. So today I called and scheduled a massage for tomorrow (aka, today!). It was sudden, but my thought was that I might need to spend more time with mom on Thursday, after her port procedure, and next Tuesday (my usual massage day) would probably be out because it's the day after chemo.)

I started the next Duncan Kincaid book.

Temps started out at 61(F) and reached 76.1.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay. ( more back here )

I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND hung up!), hand-washed dishes, and scooped kitty litter before heading to mom’s ~10am. I stayed until my usual time of ~3pm. I washed, dried and folded (I can’t emphasize enough how big a deal it is that I managed to get a load dried and folded!) another load of laundry, hand-washed more dishes, and showered after I got home.

Supper was *drum roll* BBQ chicken quarters!! When I stopped to get the pulled pork yesterday, I had asked about the chicken bbq they held pretty regularly and was told next Friday, so Pip and I decided that's what we'd have for supper next Friday. Somehow I must have jinxed us, because Pip's buddy showed up with more BBQ chicken quarters yesterday, lol! So we're having chicken this weekend. Not sure if that means it's off the table for next Friday. o_O

I watched the second ep of Strange New Worlds and an HGTV program, and finished the Rivers of London book.

Temps started out at 69.8(F) and reached 92 (according to Pip; it was already over 80 when I left the house mid-morning, so it’s very possible). We had some very short bursts of rain; not enough to do more than wet things pretty good.


Mom Update:

Mom was feeling better today. ( more back here )

I had a pedicure this morning; I went with a periwinkle again and she gave me a nice design. I got in a walk around the park and hit the farm stand on the way home. While I was downtown I remembered to stop by the bank to deposit money in Baby A’s account (I give her money for her birthday and Christmas, since she gets a ton of stuff from everyone else. And a book, naturally.).

I visited mom from 11am to 3pm. I also hand-washed dishes and scooped kitty litter. I grilled chicken legs for Pip’s supper, cut up chicken for the dogs, and hard-boiled eggs.

I read more in Rivers of London, started and finished another Kindle cozy, and watched the first new ep of Strange New Worlds.

Temps started out at 59.7(F) (I wore a sweatshirt and was still chilled during the walk from the house to the garage) and reached 77.7 with sun and a breeze. It was cool enough this morning that I wore a scarf and pair of light gloves on my walk around the park, but by afternoon the temps were perfect. That’s pretty much my ideal.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing well today. ( more back here )

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning and got in a walk around the park.

I hand-washed dishes and emptied the dishwasher before I headed downtown. When I got home I tossed a load of laundry into the washer and changed kitty litter.

I got to mom’s ~10:30am and stayed until ~3pm. I stopped at the library on the way home to pick-up and return books and hit the bank drive-thru for mom. At home I grilled Kielbasa for Pip's supper (I had more tomato sandwiches), hand-washed more dishes, and tossed the laundry in the dryer.

I finished the Amelia Peabody book, DNF'd a Kindle cozy, and started and finished another Kindle cozy.

Temps started out at 61.5(F) and reached 93.6.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing pretty well today. ( more back here )

ETA: I forgot to mention, mom reminded me yesterday that it was the one year anniversary of the huge storm that took out all six of the large trees in her back yard. (The main reason her porch is so hot now is because there is zero shade when all she used to have was shade.)

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Necessary as Blood (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, Lantern in the Lighthouse & Hint in the Hashtag & Pawn in the Pumpkin Patch & Secret in the Santa (The Inn at Holiday Bay) by Kathi Daley, A Bitter Pill (The Bookshop Mysteries) by S.A. Reeves, and Grounds For Murder (Perfect Blend Mysteries) by Emily Brewster.


What I am Currently Reading: He Shall Thunder in the Sky (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters.


What I Plan to Read Next: The new Rivers of London.

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Book 62 of 2025: Necessary as Blood (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

I enjoyed this book a lot! ( spoilers )

This book was really good and I can't wait to read the next. I'm giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

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Book 63 of 2025: Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)

I enjoyed this! ( spoilers )

I really liked this novelette and am giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Repeating this info in case you missed it previously: If you haven't had a chance to read the new Murderbot novelette Rapport (which is one of those ‘takes place in the Murderbot Diaries ‘verse' stories) you can find it for free at Reactor Magazine or purchase it from Amazon (on Kindle for $1.99). Or both.

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Book 64 of 2025: A Bitter Pill (The Bookshop Mysteries) (S.A. Reeves)

This book was just okay, which was disappointing because I really wanted to like it. ( spoilers )

This book was alright and I don't think I'll read more in the series. I'm giving this one three hearts.

♥♥♥

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Book 65 of 2025: Grounds For Murder (Perfect Blend Mysteries) (Emily Brewster)

Another book that was just okay. I liked the main characters well enough, but seeming inconsistencies drove me nuts. ( spoilers )

This book was enjoyable enough, but I probably won't read more in the series. I'm giving it four hearts.

♥♥♥♥

I just saw this show mentioned and the poster alone reminded me of another show I'd watched so I checked out the summary on IMDb. Are they just doing a remake of The Pretender, or what?