Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

So this is meant to be a set of loosey-goosey thoughts on the year.  This year was great in some ways and not great in many others. I don't mean to say it was a terrible year because some incredible things happened. On the incredible side includes: a new nephew! I got to spend time with my darling newest nibling this year and baby cuddles are good for my soul. I did not mind at all being nap-trapped by him. He is so darling and I love getting updates. But then, I missed his first Christmas. I did get to see him over video call but that's just not the same. I fully understand why my brother and his family didn't travel, but that doesn't mean I don't miss them. Also on the positive side, I moved towards egg freezing. I haven't started the process yet, but I plan to start it in January. I am scared though, but I will post more about that in a later post. I also had some amazing times with friends. I really count myself lucky for the friends that I have. I did a coc

I will try my best!  Cook a new recipe in my Instant Pot Go on at least 1 date Host at least 1 trivia night Host at least 1 murder mystery Host at least 1 tea party Bake something new Work through the body image workbook I have Try a new show Try a new hairstyle Get a haircut Try at least 1 one new form of exercise Continue therapy Continue this blog Write something for publication Finish the text-based game I started in 2019 (Prompt by me) "2024 Calendar" by Marceline Smith . Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic .

In my parallel universe, I am bold. I have always successfully identified my anxiety in moments that prevented me from enjoying myself or taking a chance and then I took those chances. I went on those dates that anxiety convinced me were scary. I applied for that job even though I thought I'd be rejected out of hand. I took that difficult class that showed promise for my learning that I thought I would surely fail. I live out loud and feel fully alive. I put on bright lipstick, wear tight clothes, and go dancing. I openly flirt with those I want to flirt with, self-consciousness be damned. I seek out opportunities, not simply wait. No one would describe me as meek, anxious, or shy. I take risks. I say "why not?" much more often. I ask that cute guy out that current me was sure would never be interested, I try new creative endeavors like that podcast idea I've had forever, and I go on those trips alone that I was too afraid or lonely to.  But because of these risks, be

These are just personal ones. I freeze my eggs I find professional fulfillment I date I keep up with reading I keep up with this blog I make a new friend I get a piece published somewhere I have fun at C2E2 I got to some live events I learn a new recipe I get more used to the climb up my stairs I get more plants I continue to bond with Hoban I travel I take meaningful time off (Prompt by me) "Anfi del Mar fireworks 2009" by Stein Arne Jensen

Here are some short pieces based on things that have happened in my life recently. Roots I set up a little propagation station in my dining room. It is scattered with jars and bottles of past delectables, filled to the brim with water, and at least one plant plopped in. I take a peak every now and then and pluck the plants from the glasses to check on the roots. The spider plant roots are spindly and white, but growing strong. The inch plant roots I can't quite find, but new vines are growing so I must be doing something right. There is something very satisfying about propagating my plants. I don't use these plants for food, just for comfort. I love the color they add to my life and I love knowing that I'll spread that color to other people by giving away these little new independent plants. Rum I have a mostly full bottle of rum in my freezer. I keep it in my freezer for two reasons. One is that I like my drinks cold most often. The other is out of sight, out of mind. I do

Tis (not really) the season. A cookbook A photography book A book based on a podcast A tie A framed photo Chocolates Owl tchotchkes  Stretchable alligator toys Alligator bath toy Alligator hose toy Alligator whack-a-mole Ornament Hand pie molds Custom jewelry Onesie (Prompt by me) "Xmas presents" by GT#2...Off permanently

"What's this, Grandma?" asked Poppy. She and her grandma had been going through the dusty and cavernous-seeming attic. Everywhere there were bits and bobs of interesting things, thought Poppy. There were old outfits that Poppy's grandmother, Elouise, and her mother, Louise, had worn. Poppy asked why she hadn't gotten a chance to wear them. Elouise had gotten quiet and said that it had been a difficult time.  Poppy got quiet herself and went on looking through the boxes. She found some old ornaments that still sparkled, but underneath them was an old advent calendar. Elouise smiled kindly at Poppy and said, "Why don't you take a look, my love?" Poppy opened day 1 on the advent calendar and inside was a faint, glowing light. "What," asked Poppy quietly, "is this?" The light morphed and a small illusion of a young woman and a baby took shape. The closer Poppy looked, the more like her the two people looked. "Is, is this you, gra

Don't we all want to spoil our pets? Also, I did get him one gift.  A Santa outfit like this one because it's hilarious Christmas-y treats A stocking Holly toys A Christmas sweater An ornament that looks just like him A nutcracker that looks just like him A Christmas bowtie collar An advent calendar with treats An advent calendar with toys A Christmas-y bed An automatic ball thrower Holly water dish A new slow-feeder toy Christmas booties (if he'd wear them) (Prompt by me) "Sleeping Santa" by Bryce Bradford . Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .

Annabelle was awoken at the stroke of midnight by an unearthly glow emanating from the middle of her vast and, admittedly, gaudy bedroom.  As she blinked her eyes open she beheld what looked to be a simultaneously young child and old man floating and shining bright. "Who are you?" "I am the ghost of Christmas past." "This must be a dream. I just watched the The Muppet Christmas Carol ." "It is not," said the otherworldly voice. "You have been deemed in need of a look into your past." "Okay, rude." "Perhaps, but true." "Rude!" "Come, we do not have much time." "Ah cause the other two ghosts have to come and get the job all done in one night?" The ghost froze. "In fact, now that you make mention of it, you have only been deemed in need of one of us to visit." "That's...good? I guess?" "Perhaps. Or it could be due to budget cuts." "Budget cuts? Ghosts

Some of these are good for other seasons too!  Gingerbread Hand pies Yule log Basque cheesecake Chocolate peppermint cookies Hot chocolate bombs Sugar cookies Eggnog ice cream Cinnamon rolls Homemade marshmallows Cheesecake brownies Rainbow cookies Chess pie Rum cake Amaretto cake (Prompt by me) "Gingerbread men" by Rachelle @ Mommy? I'm Hungry! . Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .

"Hey."  "You gotta be careful." "What?" "Sneaking up on someone with a rifle isn't a great plan." "I didn't mean to sneak up on you." "Alright." "Can I ask you for help?" "You can certainly try." "Do you know where Serenity is?" "You a philosopher?" "No, I mean the colony. I was told it was near where Atlanta used to be." "Mmm." "So have you heard of it?" "Maybe." "Are you from it?" "What's it to you?" "I'm looking to join." "What happened to your group?" "My what?" "Your group. How long you been alone?" "I'm not sure. It's been a while. I lost track of days." "So I ask again, what happened to your group?" "There was a division of leadership. That took half." "You one of the leaders?" "Ha, no." "So which one did

I do enjoy a good Christmas movie.  This Christmas Love Hard Falling for Christmas Operation Christmas Drop The Holiday Calendar Christmas with a View Christmas with You The Noel Diary Let it Snow Christmas Inheritance A Christmas Prince A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby The Princess Switch The Knight Before Christmas (Prompt by me, but recommendations by friends) "Christmas movie" by Magnus D . Attribution 2.0 Generic .

Tell all time concludes?  Aw Kenny is sweet I guess Holly and Wayne are working it out? God, Tim, I don't care God, Shekinah, you are so brainwashed Dan, no one asked for you to be here Sarper, why are you admitting this? Gosh Midnight's birth sounds so scary Aw so we do get to see Midnight Chill, Brandan Shekinah, you thought Brandan was an angel until right now??? Okay three weeks isn't a long time to not ask for money, Brandan Brandan's mom, is so right...they need therapy Wait is there really only one therapist in all of Samoa? Mary, you shared your problems with a TV crew Oh Brandan and Mary are thinking of moving to the US or at least visiting Sarper, I suppose it takes one to know one Yohan...you sure look guilty Again, I'm not saying Daniele is great, but like, my dude, you definitely cheated on her Daniele, why haven't you filed already? Lol to Kimberly making a face I'm genuinely worried about Shekinah Daniele...are you going to keep living in the

So, if you don't know, I LOVE A Christmas Carol .  It does not get enough credit for how funny it is The Muppets version is incredibly good It is immensely quotable ( see my "15 "A Christmas Carol" quotes I am drawn to" blog post ) I love  John Leech's illustrations It seems pretty radical for its time My understanding is that it used to be the thing to do to tell ghost stories around Christmas Some parts are incredibly poignant There are also some really spooky moments I want to write a stage version of it sometime where the narrator is just someone at a bar My family tries to read some of it every year (this was helped by me recording myself on YouTube reading it--let me know if you want the links) It is by far my favorite Dickens (though I admittedly haven't read much of his because I hated Great Expectations ) It is one of my favorite stories I feel like it leaves some of the fantastical workings to the imagination in a way that really works I'm

Time for some people to be rude.  So I guess Clayton and Anali are traveling Lol they're doing the same set up with Clayton and Kameron as they do for any of the couples A duvet seems a small request from Sophie, Rob Aw good dog Sophie, don't marry this man Maybe Nick and Devin will be okay Pretty sure you said mermaid twice, Ashley Now, this is a lovely dress, but it is not what you described, Ashley I do like the crown Wait, Sam's brother is here too? Ho boy, Sam's dad believes in ancient aliens Ugh Gino and Jasmine are so much all the time Oop Jasmine doesn't want Gino's family at the wedding at all I feel like this show wants me to ship Rob and Sophie now Well the conversation between Ashley's mom and Manuel went better than I expected So, I wonder if Devin is going to get pregnant soon or something cause she and Nick are getting married pretty early in the season Aw, Nick is tearing up I'm sorry, Devin's family has helicopter money? Clayton...yo

A lot of these probably exist!  Alligator nutcracker Alpaca nutcracker Hoban nutcracker Velma nutcracker A nutcracker decked out in all holly stuff Nutcrackers based on Scooby-Doo Nutcrackers based on Firefly Nutcrackers based on A Christmas Carol (preferably the ghost of Christmas present) An Irish-themed nutcracker A grinch nutcracker Nutcrackers based on Star Trek A reading nutcracker A writing nutcracker A nutcracker with a camera An Ewok nutcracker (Prompt by me) "nutcracker-577161" by Mike Goad

The clock struck thirteen, and everything changed. "Oh no," Raquel murmured, looking fearfully at the grandfather clock in the kitchen. "Oh no no no." "What is it?" asked Raquel's younger sister, Angelique. "Do you not hear the clock?" Raquel's voice was squeaky and pinched. Angelique looked up at Raquel with her big gray eyes, the color of a stormy day. "Was it thirteen? Has the time finally come?" "It was not meant to," muttered Raquel. "But mother foretold it would. That was the deal." "But the clocks never strike thirteen! I never thought the time would come." "Mother would never make a deal where she did not end up paid," replied Angelique in an eerily calm voice. "You must hide." Raquel grabbed Angelique roughly and shoved her toward the dumbwaiter. "Get in." "We must pay Mother," stated Angelique simply. Her voice taking on a slightly automated tone. &q

Perhaps I should do a hot chocolate flight somewhere. Caramel Almond Chai Eggnog Toasted marshmallow S'mores Maple Irish cream Hazelnut Buttered rum Coffee (I guess this is a decaf mocha?) Honey Cinnamon bun Tiramisu Smoky (Prompt by me) "Hot cocoa" by moarplease . Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .

Tell all time continues. Did "Homie" consent to this? Oop seems like Julio cheated Tim, shush I just want Kenny and Armando to be happy Oop Tim backed off that "I didn't give advice" thing real quick Oop Kenny threw a dig at Gino Wow this is getting explicit Yes, a stripping lesson from Sarper, this is gold Andrei, what a weird power move Okay, I always played with 10 fingers Wait...what? Daniele...you don't need to make sure Yohan is okay Yohan...Daniele isn't perfect, but you clearly did cheat Yohan...yes, I do believe you could bring a woman inside a gated community Is Kimberly wearing a blanket? Wow Yash actually said something wasn't his business Ho boy Holly and Wayne haven't really spoken in weeks Wow I almost forgot Brandan and Mary were there "The man also gives emotional support too"--Kenny Shekinah...shush Next time Shekinah thinks she's not being controlled Next time Sarper calls out Andrei  Next time Mary is called out 

I might try some of these! Others are just ones I admire Snow globes Building snowmen Making snow angels Paper snowflakes Ice sculptures Concocting hot cocoa bombs Plastic sphere ornaments where you can just fill up the inside Toilet paper roll snowmen Pine cone owls Pine cone ornaments Pine cone reindeer Popcorn and cranberry garlands Advent calendars Wintry painted rocks (done this one) Sock snowmen (Prompt by ChatGPT) "snowglobes" by amy gizienski . Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Time for some big emotions. Wow Gino's cousin is giving some solid advice Jasmine, haven't you been hurt in this relationship already? Rob, shut up Sam...Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday Sam, your brother is right, you should learn anything about Islam before converting Sam! Igor/Justin...I think Nikki has a right to be upset Jasmine and Gino can get along...who knew? Lol they were bowling too slowly Nick...Devin's dad is being okay with this conversation Omg is Sam the first man who cleaned for his partner's arrival? Sam, you do have to put pillowcases on the pillows Oy, Citra missed making fun of Sam's small face This was a sweet idea of Clayton's Clayton...maybe you could suggest ways for you and Anali to make friends together? Devin, you're wearing gold earrings right now Devin's poor wedding dress consultant Rob! You're being so rude! This poor ring guy Miami looks beautiful. I bet Jasmine won't want to leave Maybe Nikki and Igor/Justin will a

I only have a tree (and a few odds and ends). Holly wreath Holly garlands Christmas-y candles (I do have one) More Christmas lights Snow globe (with an alligator?) Gnomes Window decals Stockings Mistletoe to hang (but I'd have to be sure it was fake because real mistletoe is poisonous to dogs) Christmas-y plants (are there ones that are non-toxic to dogs?) When I have a lawn, inflatables Pillows (actually I do have one) More ornaments (see the list of ones I covet here ) Santas (I do have one) Nutcracker (Prompt by me) "christmas wreath" by Rowena Blair . Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .

The rock stared up at the bench. It had been sitting beside this bench ever since a child had picked it up from the grass not far away, carried the rock over to their mother, who was sitting on the bench, and proudly displayed the rock. The mother did not want the child to take the rock home, saying it was dirty. Which, to be fair, was accurate. The rock had been sitting in grass and dirt and had been peed on by dogs, bugs, and even humans. But that didn't stop the rock from feeling a bit hurt. It would've liked to have seen more of the world than the quarry, the truck, and then this park. What would the child have done with it? Would the child have painted it? Displayed it with other prized possessions? Put it in a garden? The rock could only wonder. But now it was beside the bench, which wasn't a bad view. A lot of people came and went from the bench throughout the days, so the rock saw a lot. Last night, several drunk frat bros had tried to jump it. Luckily, they had a s

Which warm and/or wintry drinks do you enjoy?  Hot cocoa Spiked hot cocoa Mulled wine Eggnog Spiked eggnog Hot cider Spiked hot cider Coffee Irish coffee Hot toddy Tom and Jerry Coquito Hot buttered rum Chai Spiked chai (Prompt by me) "Mulled Wine" by Malmaison Hotels . Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .

"Hey, hey, hey." Juliana rolled over. It was too early, but this did happen from time to time. "Hey, I gotta poop." Juliana's fuzzy mind latched onto that and she startled up. Juliana was alone in bed, or so she hoped. She looked around the room and only saw her golden retriever, Otis. Otis was staring at her, a hopeful and needy look in his eyes. "Hey," Otis said again. Juliana startled again. "Oh, so you can hear me now." Juliana nodded shakily. "Could...could you always talk?" "Hey, can I go poop first?" Juliana got out of bed, slipped her slippers on, and grabbed her robe. She was so confused, perhaps this was a dream, but she went through the rest of the motions of getting Otis ready to go outside. "Do...do you want your leash?" Juliana felt weird putting a leash on a creature that was talking to her. "Yes, you're right that I'm liable to run after a squirrel and I'd hate to get lost from yo

What are some stories behind yours? Snowball ornaments with wax: Possibly pre-1900. May have belonged to my great-grandmother Hilda Satterlund Wenz.  What I call the creepy doll (the one in yellow): Belonged to my grandmother Caroline Rubin. I traditionally hang it on the back of the tree each year. Foil and paper garland: Made by my mother in nursery school, ca. 1959 Painted wood fairy, elf, and duck ornaments: Made by my great-aunt Peep (Hilda Wenz Abraham) and cousin Teddy, ca. 1959 Decorated real egg ornament: By far one of our most delicate ones and one of my favorites. Made by artist Lucy Hawkinson, ca 1963 Shiny origami peacocks: Some of my favorites. Made by my great-aunt Peep (Hilda Wenz Abraham), ca. 1966 Reindeer and bunny ornaments: Decorated by me in late 1990s and a must for the tree Salt dough snowmen: Made by me in 2004 Angel tree topper that we put a Santa hat on: Made by Mr. Bates, the grandfather of my cousin Bronwen, 1987. The Santa hat I believe was for a Barbie, b

Not sure what it's time for since there wasn't a "Next time on" section last episode. God I had forgotten about Julio and Kirsten Kenny, you're in part a fish out of water because you're not learning Spanish Holly's hair is lighter and shorter Shekinah...you are one of the people in a toxic relationship Not sure I like Kimberly sporting a bindi Oop Shekinah startin' stuff already Shekinah...that's so sad that this is the best relationship you've been in Armando! Mixing it up! Okay, we don't need to bring in past 90 dayers Oop TJ didn't talk finances with TJ Kimberly reacting to Jenni is uncomfortable I liked Jenni better as a blonde Shekinah, it looks like Sarper is abusive not just an asshole Holly and Shekinah...you shouldn't like being controlled Shekinah...get thee to a therapist Yuh oh...Sarper is isolating Shekinah Omg, Tim, I don't care what you think Ah so Julio thinks Kirsten cheated Hrm was this legal, Julio? Next time

Some of these scents also make me think of other times/things too. Hot cocoa Pine needles Sara Lee coffee cake Sugar cookies Chinese food Wool with detergent Damp boots Potato pancakes/Latkes Gelt Raclette Roasted nuts Gingerbread  Tuna spaghetti Snuffed candles Snow and cold air (I swear it has a smell, but maybe it's more of a feeling) (Prompt inspired by ChatGPT) "Hot Cocoa" by Slice of Chic . Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic .