One Shots
[x] Bil: Menagerie [K]
[x] DeathJunkE: Ripples [16+]
[x] EllaElenie: Alea Iacta Est - A Forgotten Moment [K]
[x] Graciella Bellanotte-Diadoro: There's No Wrong Way [K+]
[x] Leilia Snape: Not Quite So Terrible [K]
[x] Ponytail Goddess: Half-Life [T]
[x] Ramelia: Naked Trees [K]
[x] Scorpia: Forced Confessions [K+]
[x] Snapegirl, RaeKelly: The Apothecary Knows Best [T]
[x] Snapegirl: Lily's Valentine [K]
[x] afina_shining: The Stone walls of Spinner's End [NC-17]
[x] angelauthor14: The Biggest Mistake of Them All? [K]
[x] ciraarana: Spoils of War [R]
[x] countesszero: The Corset [NC-17]
[x] fancypantsdylan: Playing with the Headmaster [NC-17]
[x] lemondropseven: In My Dreams [R][Chan]
[x] little-sun: Fun [K+]
[x] wellyuthink: Sinking Feeling [T]
[x] whitecotton: Mistake Number Four [NC-17]

Works In Progress
[x] SHaria: Eclipse of the Soul is up to chapter 19 [M]
[x] lilyseyes: My Son - Part 8 of ? [R]

Drabbles And Ficlets
[x] alisanne: Gratifying [PG]
[x] alisanne: Opposites Attract [PG]
[x] alisanne: TMI [PG]
[x] alisanne: The Appeal of Books [PG]
[x] alisanne: The Benefits of Rank [PG-13]
[x] alisanne: Too Good to Hide [PG]
[x] andrea_deer: The Paradox [G]
[x] anya_elizabeth: Untitled [PG]
[x] bertas: Fulfilled Promises [PG]
[x] dandru: Staying the Night [PG]
[x] faeryqueen: Little Miss Potter [R]
[x] fancypantsdylan: A Lucky Fluke [NC-17]
[x] fancypantsdylan: Quidditch Predictions [R]
[x] fancypantsdylan: San Diego Mariott Hotel [R]
[x] joanwilder: Clearing the Clutter [PG]
[x] leela_cat: The Signing [PG-13]
[x] sillypowers: Author, Author [PG]
[x] sillypowers: Staple Island [PG]
[x] torina_archelda: Jealousy [G]
[x] torina_archleda: Together [PG]
[x] torino10154: Recompense [PG-13]

Art And Icons
[x] andreanna: News and Art [PG] Snarry is second piece of art
[x] bielol: a late submission for kink!night [NC-17]
[x] jin_fenghuang: Holiday Drawbles Drive - for sra_danvers [PG]
[x] andreanna: Sneak Peak [G]
[x] tripperfunster: Va-Jay-Jay [R]

Miscellaneous
[x] accioslash: Ponders The Future of Snarry
[x] potionssnitches: Weekend Update November 15
[x] severus_sighs : Author and Artist Interviews 2009 - DementorDelta
[x] snarry100: Has posted prompt 190 - Flourish and Blotts
[x] snarry_recs: Has a post about Combining LJ and IJ Snarry Recs
[x] thisgirl_is: Is Gauging Interest in reviving HDS Beltane

This Newsletter
[x] Send your Snape/Harry news to sshp.prophet@gmail.com!

As we say in these parts. Another pretty mellow day; got up late, and decided not to grocery shop today since we had sufficient milk etc. to hold us till tomorrow, and fridge space was still at a premium with various leftovers occupying it. (We ate up a few things for dinner tonight.) Ran an errand or two, though, and have done almost all the LIS reading (1.5 more chapters to go) and posted in discussion for one class. Also hung out in the front yard with SO and the neighbors for a while.

Tomorrow I'll grocery shop, then make a whole lot of cranberry nut bread mini-loaves for gifting, and make mashed potatoes for dinner with leftover turkey & gravy and more leftover veggies. Turkey Sun/Tues/Thurs, gumbo Mon/Wed/Fri, I think. Easy. Will just need to make more veg eventually. We're going to throw a little holiday party in a couple of weeks and I'm starting to plot food for that.

Fic-stuff: alisanne is modding adventdrabbles at IJ again this year; she posts a daily prompt from December 1-24, but it's not required to use it, and ficlets as well as drabbles are welcome, in any fandom. beren_writes mods adventdrabbles at LJ, although doesn't do the prompts.

Less than 2 weeks until 3fan_holidays ficlets are due, and I put up the header template post for that today. And hd_holidays starts posting Tuesday, as will daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas, and I believe also happy_trekmas. Whew - those are just the ones I'm participating in, too, and there are plenty of other fests kicking off shortly as well.

Title: In Darkness and Regret
Author: Rushlight
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Pairing: Cecil/Kain
Spoilers: for pretty much the entire game
Summary: Being honest with yourself is the first step toward true happiness, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can get there from here.
Author's Notes: I just recently finished playing FFIV on the DS, and loved it. This little scene popped into my head as I was playing, and while I tried to resist I couldn't help writing it down.


( In Darkness and Regret )

Happy birthday, Alfonso Cuarón!

• Actors and Movies: Video: Dan Radcliffe & Rupert Grint talk illnesses and schedules for Deathly Hallows
  
  Exclusive Clip from HP Ultimate DVDs
  
  Video: Evanna Lynch promotes Half-Blood Prince DVD & talks Deathly Hallows filming
  
  New Matthew Lewis 2009 photo shoot & Twitter images
  
  Tom Felton talks Deathly Hallows filming with Voldemort in Mizz magazine
  
  Two new Dan Radcliffe One Day in the Life of book photos
  
  Tom Felton talks technology & online chess with Harry Potter cast
  
  Video: James & Oliver Phelps talk Deathly Hallows filming on GMTV
  
  Potter cast to attend London Half-Blood Prince Blu-ray signing event
  
  Natalia Tena & Josh Herdman attend Collectormania Copenhagen


• Archive: Moonshadow, the Snape/Lupin archive, has been updated.


• Essay: randomneses has posted a brief follow-up to "In Defense of Lily Evans".


• Searches: daily_snitch is looking for fanworks and resources featuring Helga Hufflepuff.

Send your fandom news to Daily Snitch!

By the way, hearkening back to my earlier post--this doesn't spoil anything, since you can see on the Yuletide list of requested fandoms that no one asked for it--I did not get assigned to write for Richard Adams's The Plague Dogs. I decided, when I accidentally included it in the list, that rather than redo my list I'd just go read the book once and for all, even before the assignments came out, so I got it from the library.

I got through Ulysses easier than this. This is...guys, I have written some interesting metaphors myself in my time, some of them admittedly more purple than should be seen outside of crackfic, but this takes them all:

...Rowf's rump slid suddenly forward as smoothly as a turd from a healthy anus...

I can't even facepalm. It's too squicky.

Did online holiday shopping tonight too. Now have only a couple of minor gifts yet to find/buy, plus stocking stuff, plus sew waistcoat for SO (which won't happen till the semester is over, but also doesn't have to be shipped anywhere). And I think he's decided on and possibly ordered something for me already. So basically - we are done with gift organizing. Wow. Now, whether we can get in gear with cards/letter remains to be seen.

It is, however, nearly 1 am so I think I'd better head for bed!

In the event SO and I did do a little holiday shopping today. Both of our cars went in to the dealer/mechanic this morning - I needed an oil change and tire rotation, and it turned out that I'd picked up a nail in one sidewall, so also ended up getting a new tire; SO had to get an underneath piece replaced. So that all took a while, and then we went and had a burger for lunch, and decided to check out a couple of galleries/shops in the art district afterward. We now have gifts for all parental units and siblings (although not my BIL and niblings yet). So go us! SO also went to the good local independent bookstore to pick up something he'd ordered, but there was no going to malls or anything of that sort.

I've now written the last quiz for my lower-div class, so that means IIRC I have no more prep in either class to do, though I do have some reading and grading. Also have both reading and work to do for LIS classes, though, which I hope to get to tonight/tomorrow. I could have started on some of it, but I finished a novel instead. Also have started thinking about holiday cards/letters, though haven't gotten very far with that yet.

Turkey breast is roasting and smelling yummy. I'll temp it shortly, and once it's done the dressing goes into the oven (my tiny oven will not hold both a bird and another dish at once). Then make gravy, and all the rest is leftover veggies. *mouth is watering* We had a very nice time with J., C., and F. yesterday, and good food, but I do like having leftover turkey of our own.

( The Quibbler Report: Friday, November 27, 2009 )

You stay classy, Ahmadinejad, you just stay classy...

We went down to Salinas to J's sister's new place, and holy crap is it huge. It's got a nifty layout, and infinitely more space than their old house. We hadn't seen Natalie since before she was walking so it took a while for her to stop giving J and I the suspicious eye, but by the end of the night it was lots of carry-me arms, and where Sophie is usually all about her Uncle J, somehow this time I ended up with her hanging on me more often than not. I suspect it was that I was wearing a pink shirt so that boosted my coolness rating. It's interesting to see the ways her personality has changed now that she's a big sister. Sometimes I wish we lived a bit closer in order to visit more often.

Anyway, we hung out, ate food, played with dolls, tried to devise a plan to steal their adorable pug, and at the end of the evening I got the bonus of belated b-day gifts. See subject. I have also increased my fuzzy scarf collection by one, so I should probably put out some of the ones I don't wear often out onto the curb.

The drive was nice, and J and I talked a lot about the ways in which we'd like to focus on our projects for school and general creative things. I'm back to having a solid idea of where to go with my current assignments so I'm feeling very rejuvenated about them. Which is good, as I need to be doubly-focused this weekend, since I didn't actually get any extra days off, and the lab is closed tomorrow which is typically my dedicated time to go in and work all day on my homework!

That's right! In six days, on December second, I, Cluegirl, shall spontaneously become The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. (Line forms to the right, gratuities are appreciated.) For those hoopy froods who don't speak Hitchiker, I'll be turning 42.

I expect it to be nothing at all like being 41 has been, but just in case, I've liquidated my assets, put everything into canned goods and shotgun ammunition, and have stapled my towel firmly to my elbow. With that, and my wand in my back pocket, I expect I'll be ready for anything. Except possibly zombies. Zombies take a little more preparation.

As for what I want for my birthday?
No frelling idea.

I mean, there are the old standards, of course; I always get a bit giddy at just the notion that someone might illustrate one of my stories, or conversely, might write a story for one of my drawings. Collaboration is highly squee-some in my little world, y'see, and I swear that one day SOMEONE will illustrate the mirror scene from Pink Slip, and I shall expire of Happy on the spot.

I could wish for world peace and the brotherhood of man, but I've noticed how shittily brothers treat each other, and as we all know, the last time the matrix was configured for world peace, it crashed and we lost whole crops to the logic failure. So that's out.

But reining things back into the realm of the distantly plausible, I'd say I want for more or less nothing of note. I want to keep rolling on Tempus Fugitive. I want my cats and my snakes to stay healthy in the coming year. I want the resources to close up the hole in my house properly, and to begin the next major set of repairs (Hopefully before the porch falls entirely OFF Mandala House, thanks!)

And most importantly, I want my friends who are in reach to join me for a Solstice party on December 19th, to celebrate both my birthday, and the Sun King's in one swat. The date is positive; December 19th. Save it, and if you can possibly make it to Troy, NY, do consider coming! And don't worry if you're not of the witchy persuasion -- I plan no heresy, just cake and shenanigans.

I had to work part of the holiday, so I just counted the time I did have off as a good thing, and took it easy rather than make plans with others. I did make time to make a yummy dinner for myself from scratch:

Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes in dijon-riesling-cream sauce
Sesame noodles
Spicy peanut butter soup
Tart green salad with proscuitto and asiago and warm balsamic dressing
Warm butterscotch-maple pudding

I love mixing cuisines.

Title: Sheath
Artist: ghot
Media: PS
Characters: Hermione/Luna
Rating: R
Warnings: femmeslash, cosplay.
Themes/kinks chosen: Costumes
Artist's notes: "I'm Ursula, a Bavarian witch queen who freed her people and brought revolution to her country." "I'm Xena."

( sheath )

( The Quibbler Report: Thursday, November 26, 2009 )

Happy Birthday, snegurochka_lee!!!

Hope your day was completely magnificent!

• Actors and Movies: Potter-cast to attend Half-Blood Prince DVD signing event in London
  
  Katie Leung contributes photograph to Sightsavers International exhibition
  
  Yorkshire Dales and Hunsbury to feature in Deathly Hallows
  
  James and Oliver Phelps to be guests on GMTV on Friday, November 27, 2009
  
  
• Hot Art: Till Death Do Us Part by Anon (Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny; R)
  
  
• Polls: bablefisk has posted a fan-fiction survey on fanfic_bachelor
  
  
• Searches: daily_snitch is looking for fan-works and resources featuring Helga Hufflepuff
  
  

Send your fandom news to Daily Snitch!

Resulting drabble/ficlet to be posted sometime in December.

Usual request - pairing or character, plus a 1-to-3-word prompt. Any fandom you know I write/have written is fine.

Thanks!

[If I get multiple prompts, I will write more than one if the muse is cooperative.]

To those who celebrate - and a happy Thursday to everyone else!

We're going to our neighbors' for the evening in about two hours; pretty much all we've done today is take Juno to the dog park (where there were a handful of other dogs), have brunch, and cook stuff to take tonight. SO's worked a bit on his window. So yeah, definitely a holiday.

Tomorrow I'm actually going to roast a turkey breast, just for us, because otherwise there would be no leftover turkey. There were fresh ones in the store yesterday when we stopped to pick up some milk, so I made the decision partly on impulse. I'll make dressing and gravy too, but other than that, it'll be some of the near-infinite supply of leftover veggies, nothing special. Probably won't make mashed potatoes, at least not for tomorrow. Possibly for with leftovers though. I contemplated making rolls (my sister having called about that recipe this morning) but I think maybe will wait and make them at Christmas instead.

Many happy returns, snegurochka_lee!

A note of explanation: Dominus is a boy scout. As such, he has the requisite Scouting addiction to Corned Beef Hash. Anywhere we go to eat, if it's got hash on the menu, I immediately know what my husband will be ordering, no matter what else they may serve. Seriously, he loves the stuff so much that from time to time, he'll scratch the hash itch with tinned. Clearly, this was a situation I could not abide. I mean, if you're gonna feed your monkey, feed it the good stuff, right? So here's what we're having for breakfast today.

* Go to your deli, and ask for a butt end of corned beef. Anything over a quarter of a pound is great, and they don't need to slice it for you. You'll be mincing it up at home yourself.

* If you are pork-compliant, then chop up three good, fatty strips of bacon, and put them in a BIG, flat-bottomed pan on low heat. (The object here is to render their fat, not to cook the bacon; cooking the bacon is a side effect of the rendering.)

* If you are pork-resistant, then do the 2 - 1 mix of olive and sesame oils here, to add the smoky taste of the bacon.

* Peel a few cloves of garlic, and crush them with the flat of your knife. Throw those in with the bacon to render.

* go out to the sage bushes, and get a handful of fresh leaves. Throw those in whole too.

* Add a generous drizzle of oil into the pan to help the bacon give it up in case it's a bit chary. I think I put about two tablespoons of olive (because I keep olive oil ready to hand. You can use whatever kind of oil you fancy, really.)

* Rough-chop a medium onion (red ones are tastiest!) and enough potatoes to match volume, then half again. In my kitchen, that was three small blue potatoes, and one large red. (I have goth tubers. No one's surprised, I know.) You want to cut them fairly large, but fairly thin -- that is to say, quarter each potato longways, and then slice the pieces about half an inch thick at most. They need to be large enough that they'll hold together, but thin enough to cook all the way through. In my case, the blue potatoes were a bit elderly, so they didn't need any pre-cooking, but I slung the red in the microwave for two turns at 30 seconds apiece, so its texture would match the others. You do as you see fit.

* Take your biggest kitchen knife -- this is the time to break out your cleaver, if you've got one, -- hack your corned beef into crumbles. There's no rhyme or reason to this, you just whack away, and try not to let it fly all over the place.

* Once the bacon's not showing any white anymore (that is, all its fatty rind should now be caramel coloured and kind of translucent) you can dump the onion, potatoes, and beef into the pot. If you don't have enough oil to lightly coat everything, then add just a little more, but otherwise, just turn the lot to get it evenly mixed and coated, throw in salt and pepper to taste, pat it all down flat in the pan, and walk away.

* Ignore the sizzling, and the searing smells from the pan for a good long time. Hash is SUPPOSED to be kind of scorchy and burny, remember? If it really distressed you, you can fuss it about for awhile first, to try and get everything to cook up, but that's kind of redundant, since you're going to settle it to scorch soon anyway, and when you flip it over to do the other side, everything else will cook up then.

* Fry up an egg for each person you'll be feeding. (From our stovetop, it looks like this is going to feed four, which means two for us today, and two lunches for Dominus later on.) Scrape all the good stuff up from the bottom of the pan, and ladle the hash into the plates, then slap the egg on top.

* Serve with tabasco, worchestershire sauce, and ketchup on the table, but don't be surprised if your guests don't even notice they're there all.

* Make this noise: OM NOM NOM!!!

* Wish you were eating breakfast with Clue and Dominus today!