Dandelyon's Worlds

I hope to see you all there!

We'll be open for prompts from sometime not too long after I get home from work Friday until Sunday, and we're trying something new:

In honor of our upcoming print anthology, the theme for this Muse Fusion is family by blood and by choice. So, come with your questions or prompts about relationships, courting, love, children, heart-siblings, extended families, etc.

And in case you're wondering what it looks like outside my front porch, I took a picture before the dazzle wore off:

My Snowy One Card Draw is still open; after posting I laid down again for just a few minutes, maybe an hour--and woke up about five hours later. My throat feels better, but it meant I didn't get out to shovel snow as early as I'd planned.

The sidewalks were (and some still are) piled with snow higher than my knees. Shoveling is slow. But I did get to the car, and it's not as buried as many cars still are out there.

What's the weather like where you are?

This is the view out of one of my kitchen windows this morning:

Snow had somehow blown in between the (very old) storm and the regular window.  Something to seal better once it's warmer! 

The "chilly" is leftover from being outside--the new heater continues to work well!

Next Tuesday is the Torn World Muse Fusion! I hope you'll all stop by and give me some prompts. And if some of my regulars here do stop by, I'll publish an extra freebie. Do you folks have any preference?[Poll #1658210][Poll #1658211]In the meantime, this space is open for scintillating conversation, questions, and weird words!  Have some eggnog and chocolate, and stay warm!

We have heat! In celebration, I thought I'd offer a one card draw. I'll accept questions and requests until at least midnight, and may leave this open until morning.

Since the three-card readings take more time, I thought I'd offer a different assortment of cards to choose from.

First is my all-time favorite deck, the Fantasy Showcase Tarot featuring art collected by Bruce Pelz, where each card is by a different artist (or, in one case, two artists). Sadly, this deck is not still available, since Mr. Pelz did not predict that he would sell out the first printing, and did not negotiate rights for subsequent print runs.

Second, Brian Froud's Fairies' Oracle, which is as visually stunning as you'd expect.

Third, Kris Waldherr's Goddess Tarot, which I've had for a while, but not used yet.

Let me know which deck you'd prefer.  If you're looking for a guide, I'll draw from the major arcana of the Goddess deck or the Fairie's Oracle, whichever you prefer.   I'm always open to questions about creative endeavors as well as real-world concerns. 

As before, this does take energy, and tips are welcome, but not required.  Tips will be put toward helping to pay for our replacement boiler.

And the small print--you're welcome to use this for inspiration, entertainment, or a basis for meditation, but it does not and cannot substitute for consulting a real-world professional.

Edit: It's midnight. I have to head off to bed shortly; I have work tomorrow. But I will finish all currently-outstanding requests after work tomorrow.

I'll leave this open until morning. If it gets overwhelming, I'll do as many as I can tomorrow. I do promise to read for everyone who tips, however, even if that takes me into Friday.

Spent yesterday evening driving into and out of the snow storm to get a new-to-me boiler. Expect to spend today putting it in, once the expert (my savior) arrives.

Sorry if I'm scarce online!

Have fun in my absence.

If you're inclined, tell me something preposterous. Extra points if it's also true.

I love to hear from you.

Once again, the boiler is not working. The guy who came in to look at it didn't have the part. On the other hand, he was really nice, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing, even if he wasn't as good at explaining it as Dan. But Dan is out of town for the holiday.

It shouldn't be too expensive, but I really don't need any more expenses.

And I really didn't need to spend time--this morning, and lunchtime, and since work let me go--on the heat instead of writing.

I am pleased with the additions I'm making to Clockwork Dragon, but still...I wanted to have at least twice as many of those new additions by now.

Oh, well, now I'm off to check exactly how cold the radiators are. Bet you didn't expect me to be using aquarium thermometers on my radiators! Me neither.

I want to thank everyone who sent me thoughts and prayers for a warm winter!

One of my friends has made a significant part of his money every year installing and fixing air conditioners and heaters of various sorts. When the heat went out, he was (inevitably, it seems) out of town.

Looking at probably having to replace the boiler, I called him and we talked, and he offered to do a bid for putting in a new one with My Angel and me as his assistants. So he came over today to look at things, see where we'd have to vent a new boiler since the new ones aren't designed to vent through a chimney.

While he was here, we discussed what the repair guy told me, and what he told My Angel, and he looked at the old boiler. "That doesn't make sense," he said, elaborating that part the guy told me I need isn't that expensive, and isn't the one that My Angel said he said needed replacing, and even that one shouldn't cost as much as we were told. There are other parts that cost that much, but those appeared fine. So he went out to get his tools and do some diagnostic tests while I held the flashlight at increasingly awkward angles so he could see what he was doing, testing the electrical innards of the part in question.

And in short order, he found the problem--the transformer in the part had shorted to ground, the loose wire probably due to vibrations caused by our recent 36-hour windstorm, since the boiler was working fine before the storm.

Except for going back for the tools he didn't think he would need, the whole thing took less than half an hour--and no new parts!

Dan's diagnosis--the young man who showed up while he was out of town didn't have the necessary training. Since there's not very many people who fix oil boilers in the city, and these people are the ones I've been happiest with when Dan's sick or out of town, this doesn't make me happy.

But overall, this is a wonderful Halloween present!

And now My Angel can't argue she should stay home from the Halloween party!

Which means it's fall. I'm not ready for fall. Fall means buying heat, and I still don't have a permanent job. Fall means taking time to gather the neighborhood's leaves to cover the roses. And this year, I'd like to refill the compost--for some reason, we didn't have a lot of height in the grass, so fewer grass clippings ended up there, and I was ignoring the garden a lot, so fewer weeds ended up there...it's a pit, not a heap.

But fall is so pretty, with the reds and golds and oranges and yellows that the chlorophyll hides all summer revealed.

People are like that too, though. We all have things we have to do to eat, take care of our families, stay warm in winter. And so often, that's all you see of a person.

But every once in a while, we can put those essential roles aside, and let our innerselves shine through.

And then, Oh, the glory!


(The photo is of one of the leaves I have appliqued.)

Driving to Duckon, even as tired as I was, I enjoyed driving to the east of the thunderstorms, though I was sad that I couldn't watch the lightning strikes in the distance, since my eyes belonged on the road.

It wasn't until I turned west, toward the thunderstorms, that I grew less pleased with the situation--I don't like driving in any amount of rain at night, and driving while water is pouring from the sky enough to discourage Chicago drivers from staying on the highway is ... well, more than enough to prevent me from enjoying the weather.

Though my hair looked good, Friday evening at the con, once the storm-water dried in it. A number or people told me so!

And now, as I type this, on the evening of Solstice, I'm in the middle of a thunderstorm, with possible tornadoes moving into the Milwaukee area. The weather has usurped CSI, the kitten is diving for cover just like she did when the fighter-jets were playing overhead, and I've taken the precaution of unplugging the laptop from the wall. I'm under a "tornadic signature" right now, though the sky doesn't look odd-colored (when the lightning lights it enough to see color), and the thunderstorm just feels exuberant to me, not dangerous.

Right now, the clean, humid air and the storm energy are delightful, helping to refill my energy reserves. It's the least tired I've felt all day. And I expect to sleep well, with a nice rain expected to follow for quite a while.

And now the thunder is getting more muted and the kitten is playing with my shoe-laces; the worst of the storm must be getting out over Lake Michigan.

Happy Solstice, everyone!

for the Muse Fusion, but I'm tired today and can't make up my mind.[Poll #1564029]If you need more information about the story and the poem, there's a description about two posts upstream.

In other news, My Angel needed the car today, so I drove home at lunchtime, and just as I got within sight of the house, the sun came out.  Gosh, spring is pretty when the sun comes out suddenly, even when the grass needs mowing!

And if you're in or near Orlando, my brother's getting set to give drumming lessons.