stonepicnicking_okapi

scabrous [skab-ruhs]

adjective

1. having a rough surface because of minute points or projections.

2. indecent or scandalous; risqué; obscene.

3. full of difficulties.

examples

1. Ryan was forty-five years Gorey's junior, and his scabrous, willfully crude comics cross the self-flagellating confessionalism of underground artists like R. Crumb with the postpunk cynicism of Peter Bagge, the grunge cartoonist known for his bilious, bleakly funny strip, Hate. Born to be Posthumous by Mark Dery

2. O’Neill resolves the triangular conflict with a combination of religious fervor, metaphoric brooding and scabrous humor. "Michelle Williams finds the modern spiritual essence of Anna Christie at St. Ann’s Warehouse" by Charles McNulty. Los Angeles Times. 15 Dec 2025.

origin
Latin scabr-, scaber rough, scurfy; akin to Latin scabere to scratch

scripsi

Esaias Tegnér (1782 – 1846) was a Swedish bishop and writer. He wrote this poem in 1810 as a reaction to Napelon. And 216 years later I find it still has relevance.

The eternal

The strong one shapes his world with the sword,
His reputation soars like the eagles;
But one day the wandering sword will break,
And the eagles will fall in their flight.
What force will create is both fleeting and short,
like storms in the desert it soon comes to nought.

But truth will live on. Amidst axes and blades
her calm, gleaming brow she uncovers.
She guides through the nocturnal world’s shady glades,
and constantly points to some other.
What’s true is eternal: round heaven and earth
its words will re-echo from birth to new birth.

What’s right is eternal: its lily though crushed
can ne’er be completely uprooted.
Should evil prevail and the world end as dust,
what’s right can be willed unrefuted.
Though round you with cunning and force it’s oppressed,
it still has a refuge concealed in your breast.

And will which in flaming breast refuge did seek
takes mandom like God, becomes action.
What’s right now gains arms, what’s true now can speak,
and all see a world that’s re-fashioned.
Each hazard you faced and each sacrifice made
like stars rise from Lethe and never will fade.

And poetry lasts, unlike flowers’ passing scent,
or rainbows in clouds someone glances.
The beauty you fashion as dust will not end,
its countenance old age enhances.
For beauty’s eternal: with mind keen and brave
we fish up its gold-sand from time’s mighty wave.

So grasp all that’s true, so dare all that’s right,
the beautiful fashion with pleasure!
The three will for ever be mankind’s delight
and from time do we plead for such treasure.
What time gave you once you must give back as well,
the eternal alone in your heart may still dwell.

Det eviga

Väl formar den starke med svärdet sin värld,
Väl flyga som örnar hans rykten;
Men någon gång brytes det vandrande svärd
Och örnarna fällas i flykten.
Vad våldet må skapa är vanskligt och kort,
Det dör som en stormvind i öknen bort.

Men sanningen lever. Bland bilor och svärd
Lugn står hon med strålande pannan.
Hon leder igenom den nattliga värld
Och pekar alltjämt till en annan.
Det sanna är evigt: Kring himmel och jord
Genljuda från släkte till släkte dess ord.

Det rätta är evigt: Ej rotas där ut
Från jorden dess trampade lilja.
Erövrar det onda all världen till slut,
Så kan du det rätta dock vilja.
Förföljs det utom dig med list och våld,
Sin fristad det har i ditt bröst fördold.

Och viljan, som stängdes i lågande bröst,
Tar mandom, lik Gud, och blir handling.
Det rätta får armar, det sanna får röst,
Och folken stå upp till förvandling.
De offer du bragte, de faror du lopp,
De stiga som stjärnor ur Lethe opp.

Och dikten är icke som blommornas doft,
Som färgade bågen i skyar.
Det sköna, du bildar, är mera än stoft,
Och åldern dess anlet förnyar.
Det sköna är evigt: Med fiken håg
Vi fiska dess guldsand ur tidens våg.

Så fatta all sanning, så våga all rätt,
Och bilda det sköna med glädje!
De tre dö ej ut bland människors ätt,
Och till dem från tiden vi vädje.
Vad tiden dig gav må du ge igen,
Blott det eviga bor i ditt hjärta än.

tamaraaeknight posting in

drabble_zone

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badly_knitted posting in

get_knitted

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: What are your crafting goals for 2026?

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted posting in

drabble_zone

Title: Shared Sorrows
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Scott, Varian.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 486: Feeling Blue.
Setting: After the series, but touches on the events of An Act of Love.
Summary: It’s hard sometimes, being so far away from family and loved ones.
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
A/N: Triple drabble.

Shared Sorrows

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

regshoe

I've just been checking my reading log, which confirms that I read five of E. M. Forster's six novels for the first time over the course of 2015*; I never got round to the sixth, I think partly because I just didn't want it to be over!, and also partly because I thought I would probably find the subject matter unappealing. In that I was right, but it is a very good book, and of course I'm glad I've read it.

( Read more... )

*Complete Forster-reading stats to date:
A Room with a View: read twice, first in ~February 2015
Howards End: read four times, first in ~March 2015
The Longest Journey: read five times, first in ~March 2015
Where Angels Fear to Tread: read twice, first in ~June 2015
Maurice: read twice, first in ~October 2015
The Machine Stops: read once, ~January 2016
The Obelisk and Other Stories: read once, ~March 2016
Arctic Summer and Other Fiction: read once, June-September 2025
A Passage to India: read once, January 2026

smallhobbit

two log cabins with snow on the roofs in a wintery forest the text snowflake challenge january 1 - 31 in white cursive text

TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY SPACE YOU LIKE. It doesn’t need to be your favourite, or the one where you spend the most time (although it certainly can be). Maybe it’s even one that you’ve barely visited. But talk about that space and how it helps support fannish community.

These are the communities I regularly participate in and completely enjoy:

fan_flashworks which provides a new challenge prompt three times a month, multi-fandom and multimedia. I've taken part for the last 11.5 years - some prompts really are a challenge, but great for being creative outside the standard boxes.

ushobwri is a great community, encouraging the reluctant writer and cheering the productive one. Run by

brumeier I would recommend checking over on their response for further details.

allbingo is a monthly bingo community, but very easy going and so ideal for me, as I generally go with a 2x2 card and write a chaptered fic.

ysabetwordsmith has written about it in their response

My other major enjoyment (I also take part in various drabble communities) is

no_true_pair which runs twice a year, once in March when there are 4 characters and once in September with 8 characters. To take part, you sign up with either 4 or 8 numbered characters, can be from the same fandom or different ones, and it includes original characters, and then prompts are issued for each date, so that every character meets every other one.

prettygoodword

A little while ago -- well, actually, probably at least four months ago, as that's how long my queue has been -- I read a story set in a culinary school, from which I picked up quite a few culinary terms. So, a theme week, starting with:

commis (kaw-MEE, kuh-MEE) - n., an assistant chef.

Often one who is still in training, either as part of an internship or as a new grad. (Formerly, also, a deputy or clerk for an official, but that's an obsolete sense.) Like most of this week, it's from French, from the past participle of commettre, to commit/entrust, from Latin committere, to commit in the senses of entrust/begin/perpetrate/pledge (but not imprison), from com-, together + mittere, send.

---L.

melagan

Snowflake Challenge: A warmly light quaint street of shops at night with heavy snow falling.

Talk about a community space you like

Well, there's more than one of those.

First to mind is SGA_Saturday A lot of Stargate Atlantis communities have fallen by the wayside as the years have passed. This community, with its monthly prompts has kept the light burning.

Whatif_au This is a fun, mulitfandom community. I suspect it's light touch and dash of charm has a lot to do with it's mod and creator

brumeier. *Great work, hon*

This site Unconventionalcourtship is an annual, multifandom challenge that was made for my heart.

cover art

fred_mouse posting in

unclutter

a day late, because we have a long weekend, and I lost track of the days

How goes the decluttering? Have you shifted anything out of the house? Found something to sort through? Had thoughts on things you can let go of?

Comments open to locals, lurkers, drive by sticky beaks, and anyone I've forgotten to mention.

Congratulations to everyone who has found and/or disposed on any clutter in the last week!

Optional extra, for those doing the low key January challenge: how go the visitor spaces?

malinaldarose

It's Monday again. It's currently 10°, but it's not supposed to get much warmer. 16°, maybe? The forecast is calling only for flurries today, rather than yesterday's steady snow. We got at least a foot of snow yesterday. I didn't expect to see the snow guy, but he showed up around 5:00 p.m. I think I'm going to pay him half again what I normally pay him. That was a lot of snow. Looks like he was using a larger snowblower than usual, too. In any case, after he was gone, I had to put on my coat and boots and hat and two pairs of gloves and go outside to clean off the van and then shovel the resulting mess. Sometime between the time Snow Guy left and I got outside (twenty minutes or so later), the plow went through and left a sizeable ridge along the end of the driveway, so I'm going to have to shovel that this morning -- though I'm waiting until the plow goes by to get dressed to go out there.

I was really kind of counting on not being able to get out so that I wouldn't have to go to work today. All of the schools in this entire end of the state are closed, but of course my office isn't. Le sigh.

Yesterday was actually something of a productive day. I scrubbed the kitty fountain in the kitchen, and had such a hard time getting it apart that I think I'm going to have to scrub it weekly instead of biweekly; I think the condensate (precipitate?) from the hard water here was kind of glueing it together. I scrubbed and refilled one of the basement bubblers. (The other was still half full.) I brought three containers of kitty litter (two bags of clay and a jug of clumpable) in from the breezeway and took them down to the basement.

I also did a bunch of stuff at my desk. I had a bill that came after my last bill paying day, but was due before my next paycheck, so I paid that. My bank statement was sitting on my desk, so I balanced my checkbook, and it was the usual pain in the butt because of my abysmal math. There's a reason I keep the balances in pencil. I downloaded the new version of the software that I use for my taxes and installed it, then did my taxes, so that's done.

By that time, it was well after 1:00, and I was sleepy, so I decided to skip lunch and take a nap, which didn't, somehow, happen for another hour after that. Chasing noises, maybe, because there was a lot of animal noise yesterday. A lot of skittering and then a chirruping sort of noise from over the ceiling in the library, so I definitely need to call the removal specialist guy this week, even though it's the worst possible week for it: freezing cold and so much snow on the ground. I only heard the chirrupy noise twice. The second time I tried to record it, but it stopped before I got my phone unlocked.

I did eventually get my nap with cats.

And because of going out to clean off the van, I didn't get supper until late, meaning it was even later by the time I got the kitchen cleaned up, so no movies for me last night.

I am a bit concerned about Tegan. I'm not sure she has been eating. I don't know whether Parker has turned into a bully about the food or whether she has decided she doesn't like the bowls or whether she doesn't want to eat where there have possibly been rodents (remember the spilled kibble that disappeared?), but she kept pussing my legs while I was washing dishes last night like she wanted to be fed, but both bowls were full. So I pulled a spare bowl out of the cupboard, put some kibble into it, set it down next to my feet, and she went for it immediately. So I guess I'm somehow going to have to feed her separately from Parker. And I did have to nudge him out of it, of course, and she was very shy about coming to it after I had to nudge him out of it, so I'm inclined to think he's being a bully about it -- which he never was before, so I dunno what's going on there. I'm thinking of getting a camera (trail cam or nanny cam) to train on the food bowls to see what's going on there. I don't even know where I'd feed Tegan that's separate. Upstairs bathroom, maybe, but I don't really want to get into having food up there. Though with Kethri, I did eventually have to have a litter box up there, so....

Anyway. If I'm going to shovel the end-of-driveway ridge and still get to work in an hour and a half, I need to move my butt. Le sigh.

Current Mood: tired

spiralicious

Tea Month 2026: Tea 7

Tea Review
Name: Earl Grey
Brand: Stash
Type: black
Tea bag

Notes:
For me, it was too "perfumey." I have that issue with a lot of Earl Grey teas. It was still very drinkable. After I got used to the smell, it was a decent tea to help me make it through the afternoon while I tackled my to do list.

Rate
Appearance: 7
Aroma: 1
Flavor: 6

Overall Rating: 2.5 stars

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: from francis with love

kitarella_imagines

A gold snowflake ornament is nestled amidst pine boughs

Challenge #13

TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY SPACE YOU LIKE. It doesn’t need to be your favorite, or the one where you spend the most time (although it certainly can be). Maybe it’s even one that you’ve barely visited. But talk about that space and how it helps support fannish community.

I'm sorry but I'm going to be terribly boring and talk about Dreamwidth and AO3. I have only been on DW for just over 2 years but I really wish I'd found it years ago. I've said this a lot lately but the journal style of social website is a really good one- our journals are like our homes where people come and visit, or we go out to visit them at their homes.

This format discourages trolling, pile-ons, drive-by insults, and encourages conversations, discussions, friendships and most of all, a community for fans of all types to gather and share their creations. I don't feel scared here or have to defend myself 24/7.

And the model used by Denise and Mark is much better than the commercial algorithm based ones. Their model focuses on encouraging communities rather than on likes, clicks, arguments. So thanks to them for setting it up.

AO3- the community aspect of this site has declined over the 10 years I've been there, but there are still people who want to connect and discuss fanworks. The spam is increasing too but the hardworking AO3 admins are heroes to deal with it all.

So those are my two places, they aren't unique but they are where I feel happy.

Current Mood: content

spiralicious

Tea Month 2026: Tea 6

Tea Review
Name: Cozy Chamomile
Brand: Bigelow
Type: herbal
Tea bag

Notes:
My review for this might be a little unfair as it came from the jar of random tea and by the art on the packaging, it might have been a little past it's prime. That being said, it was okay. I thought it might be a blend, given it's nearly non-existent chamomile flavor, but it's not. That could be it's age. My bar for chamomile is low and this particular bag of tea limboed under it.

Rate
Appearance: 7
Aroma: 3
Flavor: 1

Overall Rating: 2 stars

Current Mood: blah
Current Location: from francis with love

spiralicious

Tea Month 2026: Tea 5

Tea Review
Name: Tumeric Bliss
Brand: Tazo
Type: herbal blend
Tea bag

Notes:
So, when I know there is going to be a gap between when I drink a tea I'm planning on reviewing and when I actually post a review for it, I try to take notes. My notes on this tea just say, "No." Literally nothing else, not even a rating. I do know I also did not finish drinking it. One plus I remember is that it didn't have the bitter dirt taste some turmeric teas have.

Rate
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 3
Flavor: 2

Overall Rating: 1 star

Current Mood: blah
Current Location: from francis with love

dine

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mxcatmoon posting in

vocab_drabbles

This week's word is

Panacea

noun
pan·a·cea ˌpa-nə-ˈsē-ə

A remedy for all ills or difficulties: cure-all.

"The woman seemed to believe that chicken soup was a panacea for nearly everything.

cornerofmadness

Out of fear of jinxing anything I shall say nothing until I know this storm is fully over. But one of the things I did today was to try and entertain a bored feline. I turned on my tesla coil...only to remember this wasn't the tesla coil Halloween decoration but it does have swirling mist. Rocket could care less. And I had a flipping fish toy that you have to plug in to charge.

I was standing in TJ Maxx excited to find this. the lady next to me was too. We both scampered off, happy dreams of excited kitties dancing in our heads. I charged it today. I got my video recorder ready. I even swept the carpet so it'll look better. I pour out a line of catnip on the fish and get it to flipping. Rocket stares up at me, wtf food dispenser? why did you give me this? But...it's cute. Play with it! He side eyed me into non existence. I even say on the recording, I'm having more fun with this than you. He does the line of nip off the fish's flank and leaves me there with my stuffed fish.

What does this have to do with writing? I've been thinking about pets in literature. I'm reading one right now Sugar and Vice with a dog (that maybe too many chapters are about). I'll be honest I don't usually give my characters pets. I tend to forget about them. In fact, I think Angel Dust and Fat Nuggets (his pet hell pig) is the most I've ever written a character with a pet and half the time I still forget about Nuggsy.

How do you feel about pets in literature? Of course it's popular. But how do you handle the pet in question in a way that whatever it is compliments the story instead of distracting from it or leave us wondering where it went? I'm not including police dogs/search and rescue in this because they are easy to make integral to the story. Ditto stories where the animals are telling it? Do you write them? Are you like me and sort of dodging it? Curious minds want to know.

Open Calls

Pathways to Imagination: Whispers Made Flesh Stories where the unseen insists on becoming known

Sley House Press February 2026 Window Romance/Genre Blend. Send us your horror, sci-fi, or fantasy with strong romance elements.

Book of Madness Cosmic Horror based upon the cthulhu mythos (though doesn’t need to include characters or deities from the mythos)

Shared World A fantasy-horror, sword-and-sorcery world called Shared World. Think Conan meets Cthulhu! It can use their pre-existing ideas, or new ones

Agita Magazine

Root Smoke: Now Seeking Submissions

From Around the Web

How to Find the Right Literary Agent for Your Book

Making Quiet but Effective Moves: An Introverted Author’s Guide to Successful Marketing

Book Marketing on Amazon: How to Get Your Book Seen, Clicked, and Bought

The Pros and Cons of Launching a Book Without a Publicist

The Hidden Constraints in Your Writing

Harlequin France ‘trials AI translation’ and they fired their human translators

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: January 2026
From Betty

Want to Write Throuple Romance? Warrior Princess Assassin Shows How It’s Done ooo i need time to digest this one

How to Improve Your Attempts to Write Fiction for Change.

Writing Goals: Going from "Aaagh!" to "A-ha!"

The Hidden Constraints in Your Writing

How to Use Character Tropes Without Writing Cliches

Tagline, You’re It! Summing Up Your Story In Two Sentences.

Betrayal And Plot Twist: 5 Ways to Hide Your Villain

The Real Story: Character Journey as Structure

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus Entry: Managing Time

Alia Hanna Habib Offers a Guide to Finding an Agent

How to Write Righteous Anger in Fiction (Without Turning Your Hero Into a Villain)

The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Writers, Part 3: Using Beta Readers in the Self-Editing Process

The Timing of Your Publishing Dream: How to Keep Writing Through Setbacks and Detours

Be Wanted in the Inbox: What Outlaws Can Teach Authors About Email List Health

Who Are You? A Writer’s Take

Listen Like a Writer: What Taylor Swift Can Teach Us About Story

The Sum of Our Longings

Current Mood: anxious
Current Music: Hudson & Rex

but_can_i_be_trusted posting in

vocab_drabbles

Title: 'The Hint'
Fandom: Original Fiction
Author:

but_can_i_be_trusted
Rating: G
Word Count: 100
Characters/Pairings: Original
Warnings: None
Notes: Using Challenge #177: Scintilla, and Challenge #178: Futile. Crossposted to

emotion100 and

drabble_zone.
Summary: "Fine; I'll take the hint."

( The Hint )

but_can_i_be_trusted posting in

emotion100

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stonepicnicking_okapi

Reading

Monday Word: Scabrous

The Eternal

Challenge 486 feeling blue: Hooten & The Lady: Artefacts

Check-In Post - Jan 26th 2026

The Fantastic Journey: Shared Sorrows [Challenge 486: Feeling Blue]

A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Snowflake 2026 - Challenge #13

commis

snowflake Day 13

Weekly(ish) check-in

I Don't Want Monday

tea review: earl grey

Snowflake Challenge #13

tea review: cozy chamomile

tea review: turmeric bliss

could be nothing, could be something

#180 - Panacea

Writerly Ways

[Multiple Challenges] Original Fiction: 'The Hint'

[Challenge #47: Adoration] Original Fiction: 'The Hint'

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