3. A New Year, A New Friend

[chromaskies]

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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Basics</em></span> <strong>Name:</strong> <strong>Age:</strong> <strong>Pronouns:</strong> <strong>Country:</strong> <span style="font-size: large;"><em>The New Year</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><strong>Do you have any resolutions?:</strong> <strong>Are there any new books, music, games, shows, etc. that you want to dive into?:</strong> <strong>Are there any small or big events that you're planning for this year?:</strong> <strong>Any new interests/hobbies that you'd like to try out?:</strong> <strong>Did you accomplish your resolutions from last year?:</strong> (If not, that's okay. Just skip this one) <strong>What were your favorite memories from the past year?:</strong> <strong>Do you have any new years traditions?:</strong> <strong>Is there anything you'd like to do more of in 2023?:</strong> <em><span style="font-size: large;">The New Friends</span></em> <strong>What kind of friend(s) are you searching for?:</strong> <strong>What do you like to read about?:</strong> <strong>How often do you check your friends feed?:</strong> <strong>Do you have any deal-breakers?:</strong> <strong>Do you mind reading about fandom?:</strong> <strong>If so, what fandoms would you like to read about?:</strong> <em><span style="font-size: large;">Currently...</span></em> <strong>Reading:</strong> <strong>Watching:</strong> <strong>Playing:</strong> <strong>Thinking about:</strong> <strong>Hobby/Interest:</strong> <strong>Planning for:</strong>

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Comments

[meowmensteen]

These things are fun.

The Basics
Name: Stephanie
Age: 41
Pronouns: Feminine
County: King... see what I did there?

The New Year
Do you have any resolutions?: Get rid of clutter. Find more things to be happy about than things to bitch about.
Are there any new books, music, games, shows, etc. that you want to dive into?: I want to give George Eliot a day in court. Virginia Wolff seems to think highly of her. After that I might read A Brave New World since I just read 1984. I read them both years ago, but they both seem relevant to this world's current climate. It's also a nice reminder that things have always been fucked up. Things just feel worse now... which brings me back to that whole thing above about finding more things to be happy about. Dwelling on the negative isn't good for the mind or the world.
Are there any small or big events that you're planning for this year?: Nope.
Any new interests/hobbies that you'd like to try out?: I need to learn how to cook more things now that I'm being paid to cook for 104 small children.
Did you accomplish your resolutions from last year?: I can't even remember if I had any. I saved more money, and got rid of some clutter, so maybe?
What were your favorite memories from the past year?: This last year has been rough. I'm not fond of it at all.
Do you have any new years traditions?: I used to go over to my neighbor's for New Years Chili, but he moved away. I debated over whether to make some chili myself, but never got around to it. I've got the beans. I grew them in my garden this last summer.
Is there anything you'd like to do more of in 2023?: Photography. I really slacked on it this last year.

The New Friends
What kind of friend(s) are you searching for?: All kinds.
What do you like to read about?: Day to day life, thoughts on stuff. Real stuff. I'm not that into what people think about things other people made up (TV, books and stuff).
How often do you check your friends feed?: I check it pretty regularly, but more often I'm checking it while I'm at work waiting for other things to happen... like pasta boiling or muffins baking. I might not always comment. I should do that more.
Do you have any deal-breakers?: You'll know when you've done it.
Do you mind reading about fandom?: You can write it all you want. I wont read it. I skim over that stuff.

Currently...
Reading: I already wrote that
Watching: Seinfeld
Playing: Battle ship on https://cardgames.io/seabattle/ Bill is going down!
Thinking about: Whoa. So much. Humanity and our disconnect with each other. How everything seems to be a contradiction of itself and nothing means anything anymore. My terrible fear that the word ginormous wont die and leave the English language forever. That European House Sparrows are assholes. And of course candy. I think a lot about candy.
Hobby/Interest: Photography, baking, pyrography, gardening, BIRD WATCHING.
Planning for: That a secret between me and whomever is talking to me through a pendulum.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>I need to learn how to cook more things now that I'm being paid to cook for 104 small children.<<

I've found some "cooking for the masses" recipes online.

https://www.angelfire.com/bc/incredible/Servesfiftyindex.html

https://www.cooks.com/rec/sch/0,1-0,cooking_for_50_people,FF.html

https://www.quick-e-recipes.com/institutional-recipes-for-200/

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/

Some international things are very easy to cook in big batches, like rice or dal (legume) dishes. One way to encourage kids to try different foods is to offer a staple item, like rice, along with different things they can put on it, like chili or dal. But that depends on the serving situation. You can always just go with sheetpan cornbread.

>>This last year has been rough. I'm not fond of it at all.<<

My favorite New Year's quote: "I need 2023 to come in, sit down, shut up, and not touch anything."

>>I've got the beans. I grew them in my garden this last summer.<<

Go you! I did a post on landrace beans.

>>Photography. I really slacked on it this last year.<<

I like photography too. Most of mine features my yard.

>>That European House Sparrows are assholes. <<

And yet blue jays are bigger assholes, and >everything loses to a turkey.

>>Photography, baking, pyrography, gardening, BIRD WATCHING.<<

I just launched birdfeeding because the older bird communities here were dead. I post about it all the time on my blog, so I figured I could echo that in a community, maybe get some other folks to share what birds they see.

Re: Thoughts

[meowmensteen]

Haha, I am all about the dahl. I've been feeding the kids lentils, and also rice with beans. I love that both are vegan, and don't have any ingredients that anyone is allergic to. Allergies, dietary preferences, and picky kids are my biggest challenge with this job. I'll have to check out those links in a moment.

2023 better approach cautiously.

I've been growing Scarlet Runners and Kentucky Wonder beans for years. I always keep a collection of beans for seeds the next year. I've been thinking about branching out though. The one downside to these big beans is that the window for eating them green is very short, especially in my climate, they tend to get rough pretty early in the season.

Birds are one of my favorite photography subjects. Here's a link to my bird tag on my photo project: https://365project.org/tags/stephomy_birds I will probably start spamming your bird community with those pictures pretty soon. I've already joined. I think I'm going to go there next and explore. So cool that you started a fresh one. Hopefully it'll be active. I'll try to do my part.

Luckily I don't have Blue Jays here, but I do get the Steller's and the California Scrub Jay. They can be jerks sometimes. It was only two years ago that I saw an American Blue Jay for the first time during a trip to Texas... I'd better save this for the community. I can really get going with bird talk :b

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Haha, I am all about the dahl. I've been feeding the kids lentils, and also rice with beans. I love that both are vegan, and don't have any ingredients that anyone is allergic to.<<

Yay! A lot of Indian cookbooks have a good dahl section.

>> Allergies, dietary preferences, and picky kids are my biggest challenge with this job.<<

Allergies are challenging when you have more than a few people together. Preferences and pickiness are challenging at first, but often possible to work through if you can offer interesting foods that pique curiosity. Think like purple dragonfruit or romanesco broccoli with its cute spirals.

>> I'll have to check out those links in a moment.<<

I'm happy I could help.

There are also places that list allergen-free recipes, but I haven't found any mass quantity recipes there. It'd be a good gap to fill.

https://www.eatingwithfoodallergies.com/allergyfreerecipes/

https://kidswithfoodallergies.org/recipes-diet/

https://allergyawesomeness.com/recipe-index/

https://allergyawesomeness.com/category/older-posts/top-8-free/

>> 2023 better approach cautiously.<<

Another fun quote: "2023 should approach people like a bomb that might go off: gently, quietly, and with great respect."

>>I've been growing Scarlet Runners and Kentucky Wonder beans for years. I always keep a collection of beans for seeds the next year.<<

Yay!

>> I've been thinking about branching out though. The one downside to these big beans is that the window for eating them green is very short, especially in my climate, they tend to get rough pretty early in the season.<<

Well, there's your motivation to try a landrace. You could select for beans that stay tender as long as possible in your climate. That sounds like a very popular feature, and especially valuable with climate change heating up. After all, slow-bolting lettuce and cilantro are popular. Alternatively, you might try tepary beans, which thrive in hot dry conditions. They seem to offer a mix of green and dry bean cultivars.

>>Birds are one of my favorite photography subjects. Here's a link to my bird tag on my photo project: https://365project.org/tags/stephomy_birds <<

Those are awesome pictures. I do plenty of nature photography, but it's uncommon for me to get good pictures of birds.

>>I will probably start spamming your bird community with those pictures pretty soon.<<

Yes, please! I would love that. Nature pictures are popular.

>> I've already joined. I think I'm going to go there next and explore. So cool that you started a fresh one. Hopefully it'll be active. I'll try to do my part.<<

Well, I post about birdfeeding almost every day, if I can remember to echo those posts. Your pictures would help immensely. :D

>>Luckily I don't have Blue Jays here, but I do get the Steller's and the California Scrub Jay. They can be jerks sometimes.<<

I've seen the Stellar's jay while traveling out west, but I don't think I've seen scrub jays.

>> It was only two years ago that I saw an American Blue Jay for the first time during a trip to Texas... I'd better save this for the community. I can really get going with bird talk :b <<

Hee!

[einhornmaedchen]

Hey there :)
I like the way you write and think I'd enjoy your entries. I am definitely a person who writes about day to day life and thoughts myself. I am also trying (and I admit, sometimes failing) to concentrate more on the positives, because you are right, dwelling on the negatives doesn't help.
I also love looking at pictures, and posting them myself. Want to give it a try?

My comment is here:
https://friending-memes.dreamwidth.org/3049.html?thread=337897#cmt337897

[meowmensteen]

Cool. I checked out your post and added you :)

[einhornmaedchen]

Yay! I'll add you back right now :)

[howsmyenglish]

You sound like someone I might like. Have a look at my journal to see if you'd like to give it a try :)

[meowmensteen]

Haha, I just read your profile. English is my only language (though I did try to learn German in high school) and you seem to have a better handle on it than I do. Of course I want to write a book too. I'm thinking about taking some college English classes to help. When I was younger, I didn't take educating myself seriously enough, and now I wish I had. I rely too much on what sounds right to me as a native speaker, and not enough on learning and following all the rules.

I would like to give your journal a try.