The Wordsmith's Forge

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poem: "The Wall in the Room We Shared"
Sustainable Glue
Select Seeds Order
Prairie Moon Order
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Birdfeeding
OPN Seed Order
Buffalo Seed Company Order
Birdfeeding
Creative Jam
Philosophical Questions: Morals
Follow Friday 1-17-25: Fringe
New Mood Themes
Birdfeeding
Today's Adventures
Hear a Meteorite
Poem: "What's Given by Nature"
Photos: Winter Sunset
Birdfeeding
What to Do on Monday
Cats
Birdfeeding
Hard Things

We have our Poetry Fishbowl Themes for Early 2025, so check those and mark your calendars accordingly. If you often struggle to think of prompts on the spur of the moment, just brainstorm in advance and write down your ideas so you'll have them on fishbowl days.

"Not a Destination, But a Process" has 95 comments. "Online Friends Are Real Friends" has 33 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 46 comments.


My New Year's check in posts are here:
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 4)
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 10)
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 17)


The Pool Update page has the list of poems it sponsored, which are all linked now. I just have the notes to finish for the last one.


The 2025 Rose and Bay Awards are now open for nominations! Please make your nominations and pass the word to all the crowdfunders you know and encourage them to participate. It would be especially helpful for folks you know via places like Kickstarter or Patreon, as I'm not on those sites.

I am eligible in the Poetry and Patron categories this year, if anyone wants to nominate me.

These are the handlers for the 2025 award season:

Art: fuzzyred Nominate art! Vote for art! (0 nominations)
Fiction: curiosity Nominate fiction! Vote for fiction! (0 nominations)
Poetry: fuzzyred Nominate poetry! Vote for poetry! (0 nominations)
Webcomic: ysabetwordsmith Nominate webcomics! Vote for webcomics! (0 nominations)
Other Project: ysabetwordsmith Nominate other projects! Vote for other projects! (0 nominations)
Patron: curiosity Nominate patrons! Vote for patrons! (0 nominations)

It's Snowflake season! :D I'm doing the snowflake_challenge this year, so watch for my posts on odd-numbered days in January.




Snowflake Challenge 1: Update Your Fandom Information
Snowflake Challenge 2: Your Fannish Origin Story
Snowflake Challenge 3: Opinion (21 comments)
Snowflake Challenge 4: Goals (My Goals for 2025)
Snowflake Challenge 5: What Has Improved
Snowflake Challenge 6: Canon
Snowflake Challenge 7: Wishlist
Snowflake Challenge 8: Primer
Snowflake Challenge 9: Create a Fanwork
Snowflake Challenge 10: Fandom Firsts


goals_on_dw is a new community for people who like goals and goal setting. A key focus will be New Year's resolutions, that being among the most popular contexts for such activities. Although the most common time is January 1, "new year" can also refer to other calendars or cultures, whatever works for you. Alternatively, just pick a time that works for you and go for it. You can introduce yourself or make new friends here. Are you doing the Fannish 50 challenge in 2025? Sign up at that post, or look for fannish bloggers to follow. See the signup posts for Arts and Crafts Challenges, Writing Challenges, Reading Challenges, and 25 things in 2025. Look back on 2024. See the guide post 2025 New Year's Resolutions and Other Goals. Did you make New Year's resoutions? Share your progress with the check in posts. Look for accountability buddies here.


threeforthememories runs January 3-24 to share your three most memorable photos from last year. See the parameters here.
Photos: Three for the Memories from 2024


There is one open epic at present.

"Babes in the Pineywoods" belongs to the Big One. It belongs to the Big One thread of Polychrome Heroics. Bo-Art and Creamjeans are unsure what to make of this big black dog.


The weather has been frigid here. Last night it got down to 2°F with a wind chill factor of -11°F. O_O Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, a large flock of starlings, a flock of mourning doves, 5 male cardinals and a pair of cardinals at a different time, a flock of at least 4 goldfinches, a male and a female downy woodpecker separately, a tufted titmouse, and a fox squirrel.

Today is partly cloudy and cold. Last night it got down to 2°F with a wind chill factor of -11°F. O_O

I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a flock of starlings, a mourning dove, a male cardinal, a tufted titmouse, and a male downy woodpecker.

I put out water for the birds.

I took a few pictures, indoors and outdoors.

EDIT 1/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio, which included sprinkling icemelt on a large slab of ice.

I fed the birds again. I've seen several mourning doves.

I am done for the night.

I decided to share some pictures of things that are holding my interest today.

( Walk with me ... )

These are the content notes for "The Wall in the Room We Shared."

( Read more... )