Quid fortasse malum fiat?

Today I am making Tomato-Basil Bread from Hello! 365 Tomato Recipes: Best Tomato Cookbook Ever For Beginners, the yeast version from page 32.  We're out of parmesan cheese, so I substituted Manchego which is dry enough to grate and has a similarly sharp taste.  Already the dough is a very pretty salmon-pink, currently rising in a bowl set inside a bowl of warm water to help maintain temperature.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- Bread punched down and set for second rise.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- Bread in oven.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- It's done!  :D  This is better than the earlier quickbread I tried.  When baked, it is a bright, true salmon color thanks to the tomato sauce.  The outside is crusty, the inside is springy and chewy, with a mild tomato flavor and herbal hints.  If I make it again, I want to try the Little Italy Pizza Seasoning instead of plain crushed red pepper.  The loaf is small and round, yielding oval slices.  That's too small for grilled cheese sandwiches but would probably work for Bulgarian breakfast bread.

Today is sunny and cool.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I trimmed weeds from the tulip bed. It's about 2/3 done now.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I trimmed weeds from rest of the tulip bed. \o/

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a cardinal.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I spread the first bag of compost and manure on the tulip bed.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I spread the second bag of compost and manure on the tulip bed.

EDIT 11/2/25 -- I spread the third bag of compost and manure on the tulip bed. It is mostly covered but still needs another bag.

I picked a handful of basil leaves so I can make tomato-basil bread tonight.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

New study: Viewing art in galleries 'immediately' reduces cortisol levels, boosts health

“Our unique and original study provides compelling evidence that viewing art in a gallery is ‘good for you’ and helps to further our understanding of its fundamental benefits,” Dr. Tony Woods, the study’s senior author, said.

“In essence, art doesn’t just move us emotionally — it calms the body too.”

More specifically, cortisol levels — a key stress hormone in the human body — fell by an average of 22% in the gallery group, compared to just 8% in the control group.

( Read more... )

Here is my card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo over in allbingo. The fest runs from November 1-30. (See all my 2025 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out. I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far. This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Underlined prompts have been filled.


FAIRY TALES BINGO CARD

Pixie	The Nightingale	The deeds of ordinary folks keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.	Vision	Castle
Glory	Hero	Elves	Journey	Enchanted
Music	Very little worth knowing is taught by fear.	WILD CARD	Golden Hair	Fairies
Fairy Ring	Solitude	Shadow	The Dark Tower	Twilight
Golem	Trickster	Once Upon a Time	I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. Over my life.	Magical Power

Tonight we held our Samhain ritual, with a theme of Hekate.  It rained a few days ago so we were able to light the bonfire.  \o/  We had a really good time. 

Famous witch Patricia Crowther has crossed over.

And there is much rejoicing in the Summerland!

( Read more... )

I saw this line elsenet and thought it would be fun to share here:

What day does the Christmas season begin?

( Read more... )

Scientists discover a stunning new golden-tongued lizard in China

A new species of mountain lizard, Diploderma bifluviale, has been discovered in the upper Dadu River Valley of China. Its distinct traits and isolated habitat highlight the hidden biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains.

We made it to the end of October! \o/ If you have completed some of your medium-term goals or subgoals, and/or you're still chugging away at your ongoing goals, then pat yourself on the back. You worked hard for that. We are now well into autumn. If you're doing seasonal goals, share what you're working on for this fall.

This year I'm trying something new, continuing to track goals at the end of each month. So far it seems to be helping, so that's encouraging. I'm looking at my goal list more often and trying to keep ticking off more of them. The main drawback is that this update becomes more of a chore each month.

These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In February 28
New Year's Resolutions Check In March 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In April 30
New Year's Resolutions Check In May 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In June 30
New Year's Resolutions Check In July 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In August 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In September 30

( Read more... )

I have made bingo down the B column of my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. I also have 8 extra fills.


B1 (wizards) -- "What Wizardry Is All About" (standalone)
B2 (black / orange) -- "The Two Cottages" (Quixotic Ideas)
B3 (magic) -- "Maybe She's Just Singing" (Practical Magic)
B4 (witches) -- "The Unretired Witch" (The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia)
B5 (unstable) -- "A Fountain of Energy" (Polychrome Heroics: Rutledge)

I2 (herbs) -- "No Worthless Herbs" (One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis)
I3 (dark side) -- "Set on Continuous Improvement" (Polychrome Heroics: City Engines)
I5 (broken) -- "The Clearest Signal" (Polychrome Heroics: City Engines)

G1 (Alone in the Woods) -- "The Songwitch" (Practical Magic)
G2 (transformation) -- "The Road to Transformation" (Sleeping Beauty)

O2 (talking dog) -- "The Disappointing Daughter" (The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia)
O4 ("That felt weird.") -- "To Understand Water" (Polychrome Heroics)
O5 ("Do you trust me?") -- "Trying to Be Better" (Polychrome Heroics: City Engines)