Dear Yuletide Author

I haven't entirely decided what to request yet, but I'm going to post what I've got now. I'll edit if I add more fandoms to my requests. I might. I might not.

( Dear Yuletide Author )

( The Witch Family - Eleanor Estes )

( Alcatraz Smedry series - Brandon Sanderson )

( Planet Ladder )

( Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman )

(no subject)

By the time Scott got home last night, the power strip with the bread machine was working again. I'd tried turning it on and off to no effect, but it worked for him. He theorized that it might have needed to cool off. We'll just have to be sure not to run the bread machine and the toaster oven at the same time again.

I haven't done an entry on tea in months. During the warm weather, none of us were drinking any. Cordelia is now interested again. I need to look at the list of things she liked and buy one or two flavors for her.

In the meantime, I went through our cupboard and looked at the Republic of Tea teas that we've got. I thought I'd make notes on what's there so that I remember for later.

Key Lime - This is a hibiscus tea. Before adding water, it smells strongly of lime. After steeping, all the lime is gone, and it's just a rather uninspired hibiscus. If it tasted like it smells, I'd have liked it a lot. As it is, I'd rather have Red Zinger (and Red Zinger is cheaper). I'm forcing myself to finish this tin off. I shan't buy it again. Cordelia disliked this one.

Orange Ginger Mint - This one isn't bad. It's got a flavor that I can't entirely decide whether I like or dislike. I think it might be the bergamot. I don't know if I'll buy it again. Cordelia has not tried this one.

Blackberry Sage (decaf) - This one is sort of a cheat because I don't currently have any of it in the house. I enjoyed this tea. I can't say that I tasted either the blackberry or the sage, but I tasted something. I tried the caffeinated version of this once upon a time and liked that, too, but it gave me reflux. I will probably buy this one again. Cordelia has not tried this one.

Strawberry Chocolate - Republic of Tea has a line of chocolate teas. We've tried all of them except the Chocolate Coconut (Cordelia absolutely hates coconut). This one is relatively sweet. The chocolate flavor is barely noticeable. I'm indifferent to it, but Cordelia likes it if it has enough milk and honey.

Peppermint Chocolate - Everybody in the family likes this one, so we'll definitely buy it again. Neither the mint nor the chocolate are dreadfully strong.

Red Velvet Chocolate - Nobody in the family likes this one. I think we'll end up throwing it out. I can't make myself drink it even just to finish it off.

Cardamom Cinnamon - This is the one loose tea we've got. Unfortunately, it's acidic and gives me reflux. I like how it tastes and how it smells and would like to drink more of it. I just don't dare. I don't think anybody else in the family has tried it.

Strawberry Vanilla - We bought this for Cordelia. She seems to be largely indifferent to it. I need to remind her that we have it and get her to try it again. Given that she likes the Strawberry Chocolate, she might like this one. I'm kind of meh on this one. I doubt we'll buy it again unless Cordelia decides she loves it.

Hot Apple Cider - I'm not sure I'm remembering the name of this one correctly. Scott finished it off last week, so the container is gone. It's a seasonal blend. I enjoyed it but tended to find other teas more appealing when I was deciding what to drink. Scott liked it, but he says he mainly drank it with the goal of finishing it off in order to clear space in the cupboard. Cordelia didn't much care for this one.

(no subject)

I have signed up for Yuletide. I ended up offering eighteen fandoms (down from seventy that I seriously considered offering). I offered 'any' in all of those fandoms. I hope I can live up to that. There were a couple of characters I wasn't quite as confident I could pull off. If I match on them, it'll be a challenge.

I still have several things I want to get done today-- I need to finish responding to feedback on my NFE story. I need to post that story and my Fic Corner story to my website (though I don't know if anybody reads there any longer. AO3 is so convenient. I keep up my website because I don't want to be dependent on AO3). I should do the dishes and put away my laundry. I've still got a story to finish, even if it is too late for weissvsaiyuki. I think it's a good story, and I want to find out what happens next. I still want to read and comment on all of the NFE stories. I don't know if I'll manage any of that today. Reading is so much harder than writing these days. Then I've got four or five library books I should read so I can return them (but see my comment about how hard reading is right now).

Scott is hoping that he'll have this weekend off. He says it's fifty-fifty whether or not he will. They used to try to give people the weekend before their vacation started as a matter of course. That's fallen by the wayside, unfortunately. If he has to work, he'll try to work Sunday so that he's free for the soccer game on Saturday. I volunteered him to work bagel Friday the week he's off. He's looking forward to that, I think. He likes to feel like he's contributing something to Cordelia's school, and there are so few opportunities for that that fit his schedule.

I have to figure out how to let Cordelia make some sales for the Girl Scout magazine and nut sale. Scott's parents are out of town until after the sale's over, and our niece who's more or less local is also a Girl Scout. There's a limit to how many nuts they'll want. Scott and I will order what we can afford. I don't know who else to ask.

I'm also trying to figure out how to get up to my grandmother's. She offered us, when we were there this summer, two sets of golf clubs, a man's set (Grandpa's) and a woman's set (hers). I said no then, but I didn't think it through. We could actually use both sets. Scott's father would be thrilled to teach Cordelia to golf, and our nephew needs a set of clubs of his own. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening any time soon. Even if Scott's off this weekend, we couldn't leave until after the soccer game, and we wouldn't have any place to stay once we got up there (I don't feel right staying with Grandma any more. She tires out so quickly). We can't take Cordelia out of school next week because the MEAP (state standardized test, mandatory for everybody) is happening. It's three hours to get up there, so it's not a day jaunt.

Fic Announcement

Title: Disembarking
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia
Rating: G
Summary: Returning home came as something of a shock to Eustace.
Notes: Written for miss_morland in the 2013 Narnia Fic Exchange.

Disembarking at my website.
Disembarking at AO3.


Title: Measure Every Grief
Fandom: Chronicles of Chrestomanci/The Homeward Bounders
Rating: G
Summary: When Millie finds a half drowned boy in the garden, Christopher finds a mystery.
Notes: Written for russian_blue in the 2013 Exchange at Fic Corner.

Measure Every Grief at my website.
Measure Every Grief at AO3.