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I love puzzles! And other DW users do, too. Here are some that have been suggested and/or recommended (in no order):
1. Exit game puzzle
2. Jigsaw puzzles
Physical puzzle brands: Re-marks, Cavallini, Galison with art by Michael Storrings, White Mountain and Ravensburger
Online jigsaw puzzles: https://thejigsawpuzzles.com/
3. Sudoku
Variant sudoku and rat maze sudoku as described on the Cracking the Cryptic Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CrackingTheCryptic
jigsaw sudokus (with tricky shapes)
3doku
4. The Simon Tatham collection of puzzles, 40 different puzzle games, including a nonogram game
[nonogram=picture logic puzzles in which cells in a grid must be colored or left blank according to numbers at the edges of the grid to reveal a hidden picture]called "Pattern", which contains randomly-generated nonogram puzzles from any size that the player wants.
5. Yeardle for history buffs.
6. Waffle, a word game
7. kenken= an arthimatic and logic puzzle where the objective is to fill a grid with digits so that no digit appears more than once in any row or any column. KenKen grids are divided into heavily outlined groups of cells –– often called “cages” –– and the numbers in the cells of each cage must produce a certain “target” number when combined using a specified mathematical operation (one of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division).
8. Logic puzzles at Griddlers net: https://www.griddlers.net/home
9. Quordle
10. Squaredle
11. Quad nerdle
12. Connections, which is part of the NYTimes family of games: https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords
13: the AARP also has a collection of games: https://www.aarp.org/games/category/all-games/
14. Octordle
Today is National Absinthe Day, so please cavort as much as you dare with the Green Fairy!
Verlaine Boit by Antonin Artaud
"Il y aura toujours des grues au coin des rues,
Coquillages perdus sue les grèves stellaires
Du soir bleu qui n'est pas d'ici ni de la terre,
Où roulent des cabs aux élytres éperdues.
Et roulent moins que dans ma tête confondue
La pierre verte de l'absinthe au fond du verre,
Où je bois la perdition et les tonnerres
A venir du Seigneur pour calciner mon âme nue.
Ah! Qu'ils tournent les fuseaux mêles des rues
Et filent l'entrelacs des hommes et des femmes
Ainsi qu'une araignée qui tisserait sa trame
Avec les filaments des âmes reconnues."
Verlaine Drinks [translation from this website: http://www.absinthe.se/]
"There will always be whores on street corners,
Lost shells stranded on the stellar shores
Of a blue dusk which belongs neither here nor on earth
Where taxis roll by like bewildered beetles.
But they roll less than in my whirling head
The green gem of absinthe deep in the glass
Where I drink perdition and the thunder
Of the Lord's judgement to roast my naked soul.
Ah! How the tangled spindles of the streets
Turn and spin the fabric of men and women,
As if a spider were weaving her web.
Degas' L’Absinthe
Verlaine Boit by Antonin Artaud
"Il y aura toujours des grues au coin des rues,
Coquillages perdus sue les grèves stellaires
Du soir bleu qui n'est pas d'ici ni de la terre,
Où roulent des cabs aux élytres éperdues.
Et roulent moins que dans ma tête confondue
La pierre verte de l'absinthe au fond du verre,
Où je bois la perdition et les tonnerres
A venir du Seigneur pour calciner mon âme nue.
Ah! Qu'ils tournent les fuseaux mêles des rues
Et filent l'entrelacs des hommes et des femmes
Ainsi qu'une araignée qui tisserait sa trame
Avec les filaments des âmes reconnues."
Verlaine Drinks [translation from this website: http://www.absinthe.se/]
"There will always be whores on street corners,
Lost shells stranded on the stellar shores
Of a blue dusk which belongs neither here nor on earth
Where taxis roll by like bewildered beetles.
But they roll less than in my whirling head
The green gem of absinthe deep in the glass
Where I drink perdition and the thunder
Of the Lord's judgement to roast my naked soul.
Ah! How the tangled spindles of the streets
Turn and spin the fabric of men and women,
As if a spider were weaving her web.
Degas' L’Absinthe
Word: Viridescent
Mar. 4th, 2026 04:02 pmI got this one from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
prettygoodword. The low-key theme for March is 'shades of green.'
viridescent [vir-i-des-uhnt]
adjective
slightly green; greenish
origin
Viridescent was first used in the 1800s, by botanists who used Latin to name plants.
prettygoodword. The low-key theme for March is 'shades of green.' viridescent [vir-i-des-uhnt]
adjective
slightly green; greenish
origin
Viridescent was first used in the 1800s, by botanists who used Latin to name plants.
Views & News
Mar. 3rd, 2026 09:39 pm1. On Saturday, I went to my meditation friend's funeral. It was a very nice service. I wore the same blouse I bought to wear to the wedding with my Air Force client.
2. Yesterday, it snowed and I got stuck AGAIN! This time I was trying to drive up an icy driveway after dark. The wheels were spinning and I thought I was going to slide back directly into the tree. I was so flustered. I put the emergency brake on and ran back to the house (the wrong house!). Eventually, the daughter-in-law of my client drove my car up the hill. Life is determined to teach me how to drive in this weather.
3. March is National Craft Month. On Sunday, I worked with Minisculus to finish a gumball pinball machine from a kit.
2. Yesterday, it snowed and I got stuck AGAIN! This time I was trying to drive up an icy driveway after dark. The wheels were spinning and I thought I was going to slide back directly into the tree. I was so flustered. I put the emergency brake on and ran back to the house (the wrong house!). Eventually, the daughter-in-law of my client drove my car up the hill. Life is determined to teach me how to drive in this weather.
3. March is National Craft Month. On Sunday, I worked with Minisculus to finish a gumball pinball machine from a kit.
Music Monday: Blue in Green by Miles Davis
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:15 pmKind of Blue by Miles Davis is the best-selling jazz album of all time and was recorded on this day in 1959. My client jazz man and I had a long conversation about it while listening to another song on the album (Freddy Freeloader) but since March's theme is green I am posting this (which is also being used in a Lexus commercial at the moment).
What other songs do you know that have 'green' (or a shade of green) in the title? I know Kermit the Frog sings one but I am blanking on others.
What other songs do you know that have 'green' (or a shade of green) in the title? I know Kermit the Frog sings one but I am blanking on others.
Happy March!
Mar. 1st, 2026 04:27 pmWishing everyone a good March! It's the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
The State of the Ficcery: February 2026
Feb. 28th, 2026 06:04 pmWord Count: 16550
Writing: I tried to do some drabbling with the LOVE prompts. I did not update my soap opera as often as I'd desired.
Reading: 8 books. All audiobooks! I do have a physical TBR pile, but I haven't made a dent in it. The book for the DW book club (https://bookclub-dw.dreamwidth.org) is The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher is part of it.
FYI, I am going to do the 7 Days, 7 Covers challenge in March. This is posting a photo of a book I own every day for 7 days without caption.
Crafting: I did 11 Valentines and a Chinese New Year card and a sympathy card. I did 2 spreads, for Valentine's and Chinese New Year. I tried to build a pinball machine from a kit with Minisculus but we ended up with a missing piece. I ordered a replacement from the company but it hasn't arrived yet. Also I am working on a cross stitch project, mostly on Mondays while I am waiting for my Indian lady to finish physical therapy.
Health & Fitness: I am starting a new weight loss program (at the end of the month). I did 16 sessions of Yoga with Adriene. I am trying to give up sweets for Lent but (alas) the Girl Scouts outside the library today were my downfall! Too tempting.
Personal: Survived the ups and downs of work. Air force guy has made an AMAZING recovery. They changed his Parkinson's meds and after about a week, he's a new man. Really, I don't recognize him. Talking, walking, eating. I really thought he was dying week before last, he couldn't stand, needed two of us to hold him up, but now, WOW. He and his family are moving in March out of my radius so I will lose him as a client but, really, if he continues this way, he won't need a helper. So getting the right meds at the right dosage can save your life (and your quality of life). I have seen it in action this week.
Spirituality: I don't talk about this aspect of my life, but after meditating for 30 minutes every morning for 24 years, I added a 30 minute evening meditation. It's been a challenge and I still have a long way to go on the quality of the meditation but it's a step on the spiritual journey.
All in all, February was short but interesting month, I think.
On y va!
Writing: I tried to do some drabbling with the LOVE prompts. I did not update my soap opera as often as I'd desired.
Reading: 8 books. All audiobooks! I do have a physical TBR pile, but I haven't made a dent in it. The book for the DW book club (https://bookclub-dw.dreamwidth.org) is The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher is part of it.
FYI, I am going to do the 7 Days, 7 Covers challenge in March. This is posting a photo of a book I own every day for 7 days without caption.
Crafting: I did 11 Valentines and a Chinese New Year card and a sympathy card. I did 2 spreads, for Valentine's and Chinese New Year. I tried to build a pinball machine from a kit with Minisculus but we ended up with a missing piece. I ordered a replacement from the company but it hasn't arrived yet. Also I am working on a cross stitch project, mostly on Mondays while I am waiting for my Indian lady to finish physical therapy.
Health & Fitness: I am starting a new weight loss program (at the end of the month). I did 16 sessions of Yoga with Adriene. I am trying to give up sweets for Lent but (alas) the Girl Scouts outside the library today were my downfall! Too tempting.
Personal: Survived the ups and downs of work. Air force guy has made an AMAZING recovery. They changed his Parkinson's meds and after about a week, he's a new man. Really, I don't recognize him. Talking, walking, eating. I really thought he was dying week before last, he couldn't stand, needed two of us to hold him up, but now, WOW. He and his family are moving in March out of my radius so I will lose him as a client but, really, if he continues this way, he won't need a helper. So getting the right meds at the right dosage can save your life (and your quality of life). I have seen it in action this week.
Spirituality: I don't talk about this aspect of my life, but after meditating for 30 minutes every morning for 24 years, I added a 30 minute evening meditation. It's been a challenge and I still have a long way to go on the quality of the meditation but it's a step on the spiritual journey.
All in all, February was short but interesting month, I think.
On y va!
February LOVE-fest: The end
Feb. 28th, 2026 04:44 pmChallenge complete!
1. first love
2. friendship
3. love of nature
4. passion
5. soulmates
6. unrequited love
7. lust
8. love of the game
9. devotion
10. love of food
11. polyamory
12. long distance love
13. lovesickness
14. romantic love
15. love of place
16. marriage
17. love of order and method
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
1. first love
2. friendship
3. love of nature
4. passion
5. soulmates
6. unrequited love
7. lust
8. love of the game
9. devotion
10. love of food
11. polyamory
12. long distance love
13. lovesickness
14. romantic love
15. love of place
16. marriage
17. love of order and method
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
February LOVE-fest: Day 27: ecstasy
Feb. 27th, 2026 07:15 pmDay 27: Ecstasy
I can't believe February is almost done and I've not posted any art. The image my mind conjures at the word 'ecstasy' is paintings of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.
The caption to this [Circle of Girolamo Siciolante, St. Sebastian Receives the Palm of Martyrdom, 1570s] is:
As is usual, St. Sebastian has been stripped, tied to a tree, and shot with arrows. The headless trunk at the base of the tree refers to the previous beheading of Tiburtius, son of the prefect of Milan, whom Sebastian had recently converted along with the prefect and 1,400 others.
Not to split hairs, but in the legend the saint did not actually receive martyrdom when he was shot with the arrows shown. He died four days later, beaten to death by the servants of Diocletian and Maximian. And it is not just a palm that the angel in the painting brings, but a golden diadem as well.
Being beaten to death would not be as sexy a subject for portraiture! But that beheaded body is not exactly sexy, either! Hmm.
I can't believe February is almost done and I've not posted any art. The image my mind conjures at the word 'ecstasy' is paintings of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.
The caption to this [Circle of Girolamo Siciolante, St. Sebastian Receives the Palm of Martyrdom, 1570s] is:
As is usual, St. Sebastian has been stripped, tied to a tree, and shot with arrows. The headless trunk at the base of the tree refers to the previous beheading of Tiburtius, son of the prefect of Milan, whom Sebastian had recently converted along with the prefect and 1,400 others.
Not to split hairs, but in the legend the saint did not actually receive martyrdom when he was shot with the arrows shown. He died four days later, beaten to death by the servants of Diocletian and Maximian. And it is not just a palm that the angel in the painting brings, but a golden diadem as well.
Being beaten to death would not be as sexy a subject for portraiture! But that beheaded body is not exactly sexy, either! Hmm.
( 1-23 )
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Two BTS ficlets
Day 25: Unconditional Love
Fandom: BTS
Pairing: jhope/SUGA
Summary: SUGA apologizes.
( Read more... )
---
Day 26: Forbidden Love
'Forbidden love' is a concept that I enjoy reading about and writing about in fiction but acknowledge that in real life, it usually comes with unfair if not abusive power dynamics. Like 'soulmates' and other tropes, it belongs in fiction. But the tension is nice.
Fandom: BTS [AU]
Pairing: RM/Jin
Summary: Romance novelist RM spots a fan of his work on the subway.
( Read more... )
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Two BTS ficlets
Day 25: Unconditional Love
Fandom: BTS
Pairing: jhope/SUGA
Summary: SUGA apologizes.
( Read more... )
---
Day 26: Forbidden Love
'Forbidden love' is a concept that I enjoy reading about and writing about in fiction but acknowledge that in real life, it usually comes with unfair if not abusive power dynamics. Like 'soulmates' and other tropes, it belongs in fiction. But the tension is nice.
Fandom: BTS [AU]
Pairing: RM/Jin
Summary: Romance novelist RM spots a fan of his work on the subway.
( Read more... )
Poet's Corner: two poems
Feb. 26th, 2026 06:04 pmThat’s My Heart Right There by Willie Perdomo
We used to say,
That’s my heart right there.
As if to say,
Don’t mess with her right there.
As if, don’t even play,
That’s a part of me right there.
In other words, okay okay,
That’s the start of me right there.
As if, come that day,
That’s the end of me right there.
As if, push come to shove,
I would fend for her right there.
As if, come what may,
I would lie for her right there.
As if, come love to pay,
I would die for that right there.
--
Poem that Begins w/a Tweet About Gwendolyn Brooks by Mitchell L. H. Douglas
Gwendolyn Brooks was a Jeopardy question no one could answer tonight.
That’s a metaphor too painful to wrap my head around.
& I said, “The poem is about Love
because all poems are about Love,”
& you rolled your eyes so hard
I thought they would snap back to center
w/cherries & diamonds. The flit
of your lashes renders me nameless & I fall
blank for what feels like a block. Falling
is a metaphor for my life: unsettled,
unmoored. I capitalize Love
because it is bigger than what we are
or what we give credit for: oaken,
open. For that, you have no answer,
your breath in kitchenettes:
hal/ved, qu/art/er/ed—cut again.
We used to say,
That’s my heart right there.
As if to say,
Don’t mess with her right there.
As if, don’t even play,
That’s a part of me right there.
In other words, okay okay,
That’s the start of me right there.
As if, come that day,
That’s the end of me right there.
As if, push come to shove,
I would fend for her right there.
As if, come what may,
I would lie for her right there.
As if, come love to pay,
I would die for that right there.
--
Poem that Begins w/a Tweet About Gwendolyn Brooks by Mitchell L. H. Douglas
Gwendolyn Brooks was a Jeopardy question no one could answer tonight.
That’s a metaphor too painful to wrap my head around.
& I said, “The poem is about Love
because all poems are about Love,”
& you rolled your eyes so hard
I thought they would snap back to center
w/cherries & diamonds. The flit
of your lashes renders me nameless & I fall
blank for what feels like a block. Falling
is a metaphor for my life: unsettled,
unmoored. I capitalize Love
because it is bigger than what we are
or what we give credit for: oaken,
open. For that, you have no answer,
your breath in kitchenettes:
hal/ved, qu/art/er/ed—cut again.
Word: Chowder
Feb. 25th, 2026 09:43 pmToday is National Clam Chowder Day in the US (and I got a can at the store and enjoyed it) so today's word is...
...chowder.
a soup or stew of seafood (such as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (such as potatoes)
origin
French chaudière kettle, contents of a kettle, from Late Latin caldaria
Here's The Ultimate Guide to Chowders: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1138211/what-to-do-with-leftover-salmon/
...chowder.
a soup or stew of seafood (such as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (such as potatoes)
origin
French chaudière kettle, contents of a kettle, from Late Latin caldaria
Here's The Ultimate Guide to Chowders: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1138211/what-to-do-with-leftover-salmon/
I haven't done a proper News & Views in several weeks so here goes.
1. We got a couple of inches of snow Sunday night. I was terrified Monday morning but I made it to jazz man in one piece and it melted enough for me to take Indian lady to physical therapy. Also, in the middle of making myself sick about whether I was going to survive my commute, my body decided it would be a great time to start menstruating. WHAT?!
2. On the heels ofspikedluv's death, one of the members of my meditation circle died on Friday. She had had several rounds of chemo AND remission over the years but two weeks ago went into the hospital with severe dehydration (c-diff) and never rallied. She had a tremendous amount of energy (she was 70) and 5 young grandchildren. An amazing person.
So I am feeling my mortality. Nobody knows how much time we have, do we? I feel more urgency about some things. I want to see BTS perform in August and I want to get to 221B Baker Street as soon as I can. Also, given my work (home care for the elderly) I am sensitive to quality of life and what that means to me.
3. Speaking of quality of life, I signed up for another weight loss program (not Weight Watchers, which I've tried THREE times and not Noom, which I did once). I am not going to describe it, because I just started like 20 minutes ago but it isn't a drug (and a British lady runs it so I like her voice, this is important to me). No judgement, but those drugs scare me. We'll see how it goes.
4. Annoying things. Air force guy's family didn't cancel my session today so I drove out there suspecting they'd gone to chemo...and I was right. The door was locked. And granddaughter told me to go home. Then I talked to my sister and she insisted on mis-using pronouns for someone in a story she was telling, finally tell me (after I corrected her five times) that 'they' was plural and to use it singularly was arrogant. The co-worker my sister was talking about went MISSING. Sheesh.
5. Boys are switching from winter sports to spring sports this week and next. Winter running to track and indoor soccer to outdoor soccer. Let's hope Mother Nature cooperates.
6. I got to run outside today at the lake because of cancelled session. Yay. Now I am headed to my Alzheimer lady.
March is coming very soon!
---
( 1-23 )
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 24: love of animals
I have known for a long time I am missing the gene (or synapses) that allows me to connect with pets but I do love animals (and wish them the best, wherever they are). And I love this series: how about frog making a valentine for toady?
1. We got a couple of inches of snow Sunday night. I was terrified Monday morning but I made it to jazz man in one piece and it melted enough for me to take Indian lady to physical therapy. Also, in the middle of making myself sick about whether I was going to survive my commute, my body decided it would be a great time to start menstruating. WHAT?!
2. On the heels of
spikedluv's death, one of the members of my meditation circle died on Friday. She had had several rounds of chemo AND remission over the years but two weeks ago went into the hospital with severe dehydration (c-diff) and never rallied. She had a tremendous amount of energy (she was 70) and 5 young grandchildren. An amazing person. So I am feeling my mortality. Nobody knows how much time we have, do we? I feel more urgency about some things. I want to see BTS perform in August and I want to get to 221B Baker Street as soon as I can. Also, given my work (home care for the elderly) I am sensitive to quality of life and what that means to me.
3. Speaking of quality of life, I signed up for another weight loss program (not Weight Watchers, which I've tried THREE times and not Noom, which I did once). I am not going to describe it, because I just started like 20 minutes ago but it isn't a drug (and a British lady runs it so I like her voice, this is important to me). No judgement, but those drugs scare me. We'll see how it goes.
4. Annoying things. Air force guy's family didn't cancel my session today so I drove out there suspecting they'd gone to chemo...and I was right. The door was locked. And granddaughter told me to go home. Then I talked to my sister and she insisted on mis-using pronouns for someone in a story she was telling, finally tell me (after I corrected her five times) that 'they' was plural and to use it singularly was arrogant. The co-worker my sister was talking about went MISSING. Sheesh.
5. Boys are switching from winter sports to spring sports this week and next. Winter running to track and indoor soccer to outdoor soccer. Let's hope Mother Nature cooperates.
6. I got to run outside today at the lake because of cancelled session. Yay. Now I am headed to my Alzheimer lady.
March is coming very soon!
---
( 1-23 )
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 24: love of animals
I have known for a long time I am missing the gene (or synapses) that allows me to connect with pets but I do love animals (and wish them the best, wherever they are). And I love this series: how about frog making a valentine for toady?
February LOVE-Fest
Feb. 23rd, 2026 09:19 pm( 1-21 )
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 23: Obsession
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Rating: Gen
Summary: Sherlock gives Mrs. Hudson a gift after a case.
( Read more... )
Day 24: Agape
And for Music Monday, here is a very pretty instrument song "Agape" from the film If Beale Street Could Talk
[Agape (/ɑːˈɡɑːpeɪ, ˈɑːɡəˌpeɪ, ˈæɡə-/;[1] from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē)) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for [human beings] and of [human beings] for God".[2] This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a profound sacrificial love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.]
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 23: Obsession
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Rating: Gen
Summary: Sherlock gives Mrs. Hudson a gift after a case.
( Read more... )
Day 24: Agape
And for Music Monday, here is a very pretty instrument song "Agape" from the film If Beale Street Could Talk
[Agape (/ɑːˈɡɑːpeɪ, ˈɑːɡəˌpeɪ, ˈæɡə-/;[1] from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē)) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for [human beings] and of [human beings] for God".[2] This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a profound sacrificial love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.]
Collage Journaling: Chinese New Year
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:57 amI did two collages but I am only happy enough about the card for my sister to share. Made with Michael's craft store packet of Chinese New Year stickers. The black is actually gold, I just closed the lid of the scanner so it's black. And the print under the lower left side is Japanese, but I am 100% certain my sister won't know the difference.
( 1-19 )
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
---
Here is a snippet from At Bertram's Hotel which inspired the double drabble below with the theme of infatuation and the second part ties into Nemesis and the theme of maternal love.
...Jane Marple, that pink and white eager young girl...Such a silly girl in many ways...now who was that very unsuitable young man whose name—oh dear, she couldn’t even remember it now! How wise her mother had been to nip that friendship so firmly in the bud. She had come across him years later—and really he was quite dreadful! At the time she had cried herself to sleep for at least a week!
Nowadays, of course—she considered nowadays...These poor young things. Some of them had mothers, but never mothers who seemed to be any good— mothers who were quite incapable of protecting their daughters from silly affairs, illegitimate babies, and early and unfortunate marriages. It was all very sad.
---
Day 20: Infatuation
Title: Mother's Wisdom
Fandom: Miss Marple - Agatha Christie
Rating: Gen
Length: 200
Summary: Jane Marple bumps into a crush years after.
( Read more... )
---
Day 21: Maternal Love
So for this I am doing my All of Agatha review of Nemesis. So this is the last Miss Marple novel written (though Sleeping Murder would be published later, it was written in the 1940's and put in a vault), published in 1971.
Nemesis is a brilliant story with so much lovely foreshadowing and character exposition and misdirection. And it also evokes a nauseating amount of cringe and revulsion for the modern reader.
So the plot is that Miss Marple gets a vague assignment from Mister Rafiel (the rich man of A Caribbean Mystery) after that man's death and she goes on a tour of homes and gardens and eventually works out that Mister Rafiel's no-good son who is in prison for killing his girlfriend didn't actually kill her. The plot is very well done, and it has many great elements, foreshadowing with the use of plants, harkening back to Miss Marples earlier cases, interesting characters including the lawyers who think this is all crackers and the best lesbian duo in canon after Hinch and Murgatroyd of A Murder is Announced (Cook and Barrow, the women hired to protect Miss Marple). So many wonderful things and I love the story.
But...
Agatha Christie is the very LAST person in the world you want to get love advice from, ANY kind of advice for ANY kind of love. And she has definite opinions about what a 'real mother' is. Adopted mothers are not real. And adopted mother love can never match biological mother love and is, in fact, twisted and warped and deserves punishment (and is punishing). But then (as in the quote above) she says that the problem of 'modern' girls is that their mothers are no good. She has a lot of very old lady 'get off my lawn' ideas about young people and their sexual behavior.
And she has extremely warped ideas about marriage, why people should get married, the expectation of infidelity, roles of husband and wives. There are two sections that proffer undiluted rape apology. Really, I was beginning to think she was getting worse as she got older but then I remember The Man in the Brown Suit and decided she had always been like that.
But...
it's a great plot and Miss Marple saves the day and wins 20,000 pounds and probably enjoys the partridge she buys with her winnings very much.
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
---
Here is a snippet from At Bertram's Hotel which inspired the double drabble below with the theme of infatuation and the second part ties into Nemesis and the theme of maternal love.
...Jane Marple, that pink and white eager young girl...Such a silly girl in many ways...now who was that very unsuitable young man whose name—oh dear, she couldn’t even remember it now! How wise her mother had been to nip that friendship so firmly in the bud. She had come across him years later—and really he was quite dreadful! At the time she had cried herself to sleep for at least a week!
Nowadays, of course—she considered nowadays...These poor young things. Some of them had mothers, but never mothers who seemed to be any good— mothers who were quite incapable of protecting their daughters from silly affairs, illegitimate babies, and early and unfortunate marriages. It was all very sad.
---
Day 20: Infatuation
Title: Mother's Wisdom
Fandom: Miss Marple - Agatha Christie
Rating: Gen
Length: 200
Summary: Jane Marple bumps into a crush years after.
( Read more... )
---
Day 21: Maternal Love
So for this I am doing my All of Agatha review of Nemesis. So this is the last Miss Marple novel written (though Sleeping Murder would be published later, it was written in the 1940's and put in a vault), published in 1971.
Nemesis is a brilliant story with so much lovely foreshadowing and character exposition and misdirection. And it also evokes a nauseating amount of cringe and revulsion for the modern reader.
So the plot is that Miss Marple gets a vague assignment from Mister Rafiel (the rich man of A Caribbean Mystery) after that man's death and she goes on a tour of homes and gardens and eventually works out that Mister Rafiel's no-good son who is in prison for killing his girlfriend didn't actually kill her. The plot is very well done, and it has many great elements, foreshadowing with the use of plants, harkening back to Miss Marples earlier cases, interesting characters including the lawyers who think this is all crackers and the best lesbian duo in canon after Hinch and Murgatroyd of A Murder is Announced (Cook and Barrow, the women hired to protect Miss Marple). So many wonderful things and I love the story.
But...
Agatha Christie is the very LAST person in the world you want to get love advice from, ANY kind of advice for ANY kind of love. And she has definite opinions about what a 'real mother' is. Adopted mothers are not real. And adopted mother love can never match biological mother love and is, in fact, twisted and warped and deserves punishment (and is punishing). But then (as in the quote above) she says that the problem of 'modern' girls is that their mothers are no good. She has a lot of very old lady 'get off my lawn' ideas about young people and their sexual behavior.
And she has extremely warped ideas about marriage, why people should get married, the expectation of infidelity, roles of husband and wives. There are two sections that proffer undiluted rape apology. Really, I was beginning to think she was getting worse as she got older but then I remember The Man in the Brown Suit and decided she had always been like that.
But...
it's a great plot and Miss Marple saves the day and wins 20,000 pounds and probably enjoys the partridge she buys with her winnings very much.
Book Bingo: February 2026
Feb. 21st, 2026 04:29 pmI am doing the book bingo set up by kingstoken. More information here: https://kingstoken.dreamwidth.org/122578.html
I'm attempting to fill each square with a different author so only 4 squares at the moment.
B-3: Figures Without Facial Features on the Cover: A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin. The next-to-final book in the Inspector Rebus mystery series. Rebus is a Scottish detective with every single cop stereotype present. The plot starts off with a domestic violence case involving a cop and leads to police corruption and, in the end, Rebus attempting to murder his archnemesis crime boss.
B-4: Pet/Animal Companion: And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt. This is in the Andy Carpenter mystery series. He's a defense lawyer who also runs a dog shelter in Patterson, New Jersey. The plot involves a case, a client falsely accused of a crime, and art forgery and a dog named Rebus. Full of quirky characters. Audiobook narrated by Grover Gardener.
G-2: Author You've Never Read Before: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. In the romantasy genre. A sheltered librarian has to flee a capital city in revolution with contraband spell books. She flees with a sentient, talking plant to her home island. Audiobook narrated by Caitlin Davis
O-5: Job/Profession in the Title: The Secret Hangman by Peter Lovesey. This is a Peter Diamond mystery, a police detective in Bath (UK). The case involves couples being hanged. Diamond is a widower who starts dating again. Audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble.
kingstoken. More information here: https://kingstoken.dreamwidth.org/122578.html
I'm attempting to fill each square with a different author so only 4 squares at the moment.
B-3: Figures Without Facial Features on the Cover: A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin. The next-to-final book in the Inspector Rebus mystery series. Rebus is a Scottish detective with every single cop stereotype present. The plot starts off with a domestic violence case involving a cop and leads to police corruption and, in the end, Rebus attempting to murder his archnemesis crime boss.
B-4: Pet/Animal Companion: And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt. This is in the Andy Carpenter mystery series. He's a defense lawyer who also runs a dog shelter in Patterson, New Jersey. The plot involves a case, a client falsely accused of a crime, and art forgery and a dog named Rebus. Full of quirky characters. Audiobook narrated by Grover Gardener.
G-2: Author You've Never Read Before: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. In the romantasy genre. A sheltered librarian has to flee a capital city in revolution with contraband spell books. She flees with a sentient, talking plant to her home island. Audiobook narrated by Caitlin Davis
O-5: Job/Profession in the Title: The Secret Hangman by Peter Lovesey. This is a Peter Diamond mystery, a police detective in Bath (UK). The case involves couples being hanged. Diamond is a widower who starts dating again. Audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble.
Come Let Us Be Friends by Sarah Lee Brown Fleming
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
E’en though the world doth hate at this hour;
Let’s bask in the sunlight of a love so high
That war cannot dim it with all its armed power.
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
The world hath her surplus of hatred today;
She needeth more love, see, she droops with a sigh,
Where her axis doth slant in the sky far away.
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
And love each other so deep and so well,
That the world may grow steady and forward fly,
Lest she wander towards chaos and drop into hell.
To a Friend who sent me some Roses by John Keats
As late I rambled in the happy fields,
What time the sky-lark shakes the tremulous dew
From his lush clover covert;—when anew
Adventurous knights take up their dinted shields:
I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields,
A fresh-blown musk-rose; ’twas the first that threw
Its sweets upon the summer: graceful it grew
As is the wand that queen Titania wields.
And, as I feasted on its fragrance,
I thought the garden-rose it far excell’d:
But when, O Wells! thy roses came to me
My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d:
Soft voices had they, that with tender plea
Whisper’d of peace, and truth, and friendliness unquell’d.
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
E’en though the world doth hate at this hour;
Let’s bask in the sunlight of a love so high
That war cannot dim it with all its armed power.
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
The world hath her surplus of hatred today;
She needeth more love, see, she droops with a sigh,
Where her axis doth slant in the sky far away.
Come, let us be friends, you and I,
And love each other so deep and so well,
That the world may grow steady and forward fly,
Lest she wander towards chaos and drop into hell.
To a Friend who sent me some Roses by John Keats
As late I rambled in the happy fields,
What time the sky-lark shakes the tremulous dew
From his lush clover covert;—when anew
Adventurous knights take up their dinted shields:
I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields,
A fresh-blown musk-rose; ’twas the first that threw
Its sweets upon the summer: graceful it grew
As is the wand that queen Titania wields.
And, as I feasted on its fragrance,
I thought the garden-rose it far excell’d:
But when, O Wells! thy roses came to me
My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d:
Soft voices had they, that with tender plea
Whisper’d of peace, and truth, and friendliness unquell’d.
February LOVE-Fest: Divine Love
Feb. 18th, 2026 12:32 pm( 1-14 )
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
This song "Anchored in Love Divine" was recommended by Adriene of Yoga with Adriene in one of her yoga videos. This is the Carter family, a Christian gospel group.
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
This song "Anchored in Love Divine" was recommended by Adriene of Yoga with Adriene in one of her yoga videos. This is the Carter family, a Christian gospel group.
( 1-14 )
17. love of order and method
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 17: love of order and method
Fandom: Poirot
Rating: Gen
Summary: Poirot falls into a trap.
( Read more... )
17. love of order and method
18. divine love
19. platonic love
20. infatuation
21. maternal love
22. obsession
23. agape
24. love of animals
25. unconditional love
26. forbidden love
27. ecstasy
28. the beloved
--
Day 17: love of order and method
Fandom: Poirot
Rating: Gen
Summary: Poirot falls into a trap.
( Read more... )
THROW ME SOMETHIN' MISTER!
Feb. 17th, 2026 07:05 amAs a former resident of the city of New Orleans, I am obliged to wish you a very Fat Tuesday and a Happy Mardi Gras, may life throw you get all the beads you wish/scream for :)
