rosy

my zodiac sign read caution

[averyrosyyear]

My dad helped me build a deck in 2024, and then I should’ve stained it last year but I got lazy. So here it is all finished two years later. I can’t wait to put a dining set on it! Guest appearance by Ed, RIP to the best man.

I’m getting slightly less lazy in my middle age, but overall I could use a handyman at all times. Guest appearance here by JoJo, the newest good girl in town.

[averyrosyyear]

On the first warm day of the year Jojo found a puddle in the backyard and got herself absolutely filthy. I sent this video to my family group chat and said she earned her first hose bath of her life. My sister sent back this photoshopped genius art:

Which I thought was just delightful so I made a little display that I’m calling Jojo’s Accountability Corner. She can look into the mirror and think about the choices she’s making with a reminder of where they might lead her (hose showers and me attacking her paws for a wipe down every time she comes inside, much to her consternation). I will continue to monitor and update you all with her progress.

Edited to add: she remains ungovernable.

[averyrosyyear]

I stopped by the Upstate Anarchist Book Fair this weekend! It was held in a warehouse with lots of information about mutual aid and I signed up for a monthly book package from PM press. Then I worked two night shifts and saw some wild stuff, which is pretty standard around these parts.

[forthegothicheroine]

I don't want to be a teacher but I do like the idea of having a big book of Short Stories to Fuck You Up on a high shelf, secured with a chain, which I get down and dust off and unlock and read from on special request, and then a group of young people go away from it forever shaken.

Some of the stories would be...

Give Me Your Heart by Joyce Carol Oates

The Chaser by John Collier

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury

The Teacher by Paul Tremblay

Feed by Richard Matheson

Hand in Glove by Elizabeth Bowen

From A to Z, The Chocolate Alphabet by Harlan Ellison

Monster by Kelly Link

In the Hills, The Cities by Clive Barker

The Werewolf by Angela Carter

The Dream Detective by Lisa Tuttle

Sardonicus by Ray Russell

The Gospel According to Mark by Jorge Luis Borges

The Vampire Lovers by Tanith Lee

The Picture in the House by H. P. Lovecraft

The Story-Teller by Saki

[forthegothicheroine]

Some more stories I've been reminded of in the comments, and others I've thought of:

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Leguin

To Build a Fire by Jack London

Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

The Swimmer by John Cheever

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Flannery O'Connor

The Donner Party by Dale Bailey

His Face All Red by Emily Carroll

Bring the Moon to Me by Amelia Gorman

The Prayer of Ninety Cats by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Especially Heinous by Carmen Maria Machado

The Screwfly Solution by James Tiptree

Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang

The Judge's House by Bram Stoker

The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson

Harry by Rosemary Timperley

The Tears of Squonk, and What Happened Thereafter by Glen David Gold

Phosphorous by Veronica Schanoes

The Dead Line by Dennis Etchison

Need by Gary Braunbeck

I could always get a fancy blank journal, print these out and glue them in, but I would still need to find a way to lure people into asking to read one...

[beelzeblogging]

If I may

Postcards from Natalie by Carrie Laben

Painted Wolves by Ray Cluley

I Love You Mary-Grace by Amelia Mangan

[averyrosyyear]

Cancel ur Amazon account :)

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, 2025)

[averyrosyyear]

Harry Styles Aperture at the BRIT awards

I never thought much about Harry Styles at all in my life. I was not a 1D fan and while I did follow the Don’t Worry Darling drama, it was not for him. He seems to be one of the few child stars that has grown into himself as a musician, and who seems to truly love what he does.

It’s interesting to watch this era of child stars grow up and out of the machines they were built by; the boy/girl bands, the Disney and Nickelodeon machines. Some of them are broken by it like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, but others seem to be able to grow into true artists, like Miley Cyrus, whose vocals I will fight anyone about. Harry Styles seems to be taking the Miley road.

Watching performers, musicians, actors, singers, dancers is always a little bit misleading to me. If they’re doing it well, they portray fun and ease, and only when you understand the difficulty of the craft, or see it done poorly, do you understand their degree of expertise. Their life's work and absolute dedication allows you to sit in a comfy chair and watch 50 people dance on stage to a catchy pop song, and maybe not quite understand why it tickles something so deep inside your brain. I’m not a good dancer or singer or actor, but I really, really love all of these things. I’ll buy the tickets, I’ll travel, I’ll listen to things on repeat so many times that it affects my end of the year wrap up in ways that are pretty embarrassing. One time I got stuck in an autism repeat loop on a 5 day trip and ended up with Everlast as my most listened to artist for the entire year! Did not share that gem on social medias, not because I don't stand behind it, but because it just feels hard to explain.

Pop music gets so little respect because people think it’s easy and formulaic. I used to think about Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s when he was transitioning from boy band into I guess our mid-aughts approximation of a heart throb? (Everything is clearer in hindsight.) I thought it was kind of funny that he would be on stage with Timbaland and TI and we were supposed to think that he was a bad ass hard edged dude. When in reality he spent all of his time rehearsing dancing and thinking about dance music and worrying about his falsetto vocals and thinking about how to sharpen his moves and doing things that most men would not agree are aligned with classic machismo or alpha male posing. But the truth is that he was very good at those things. Turns out he was kind of a dick as a person, but it’s hard to argue with Cry Me A River. It’s just a good pop song

Pop music and the dedication it takes to put on what is essentially an entire Broadway number is pretty amazing, and I don’t think it should be devalued because it’s not miserable or emo or self-referential or overly ironic or meaningful or deep. It’s just another genre of music, not better or worse except I think it's better because it's both joyful and enjoyable.

(There is obviously lots to say here here about how we allow men to have fun and we are able to join in on the fun while don't always allow the same of women. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan are working arguably much harder every day of their lives if only because they're doing all of it in huge hot wigs and 7 in platform heels and no pants and full makeup, but somehow we know that's work and can appreciate the performance of that work while Harry's just a lad having a time! Also lots to say here about the ways that white musicians are benefitting on the backs of centuries of Black and indigenous traditions of music, but this is just a lil tumblr post so let's stipulate all of it.)

Anyway, all of this to say that Harry Styles is killing the game, he seems to be settling into his own as an adult musician, and he has talent. Also, unlike Justin Timberlake, he seems to not be a total asshole. Although I suppose time tells on all of us. It’s a good performance and it’s a very good song.

[averyrosyyear]

This whole winter has felt like suspended animation, like waiting for something but you're not quite sure what it is and it hasn't come yet. So I stayed home, and stayed quiet, and saved my money, and read books and baked and hung out on the couch with my baby deer dog Jojo.

Maybe part of my Samsara, or karmic cycle, is learning how to rest, which is also the challenge of recognizing my own inherent value as separate from productivity. Every autumn I am filled with existential dread and I promise myself this year it will be different. I will not be angry and miserable at the cold darkness. I will wear appropriate warm clothing and go outside and find some way to embrace the winter restoration. Nothing grows forever except cancer.

I did okay this year! Now the light is back and I got a little sunburn while walking my albino otter dog today. I have done not much at work tbh (don't show this to my boss).

Sunday was a little chillier, but we had a lovely afternoon in Franklin celebrating Dad's birthday and Jesus' return from the cave.

Happy Spring!

[luci-notactuallyshortforlucifer]

— Marwan Makhoul

[serial-kissing]

who up pushing their boulder

[averyrosyyear]

Some March photos for you:

You know it’s springtime when the horses are back outside in their ponchos!

Jojo and her sploot were protecting this household from whatever multicolored reality she could perceive through the front door.

Our next TNBC book

I’m not going to tell you what this sculpture is. 👅

[averyrosyyear]

One thing about my family is that we love some pipe and drums.

Bye bye lil Sebastian

Some townie mean mugging our selfie 👎 (frank come get your girl)

Parade Day 2026

[antifainternational]

I've looked at your other posts on action as a minor (and their very inspiring and Im planning on doing some!) but do you have any advice for someone who lives in a very conservative small town without a very solid friend group?

We’re very happy that you’re inspired by what you’ve seen on our blog - that’s the whole reason we started the damn thing! So we don’t have any specific advice for someone in your sitch (but maybe some other people do & will let said advice in the comments below?) but we do have a list of 30 antifa actions, many of which you’ll find adapt well for you.  Pop Mob has put out a downloadable booklet called 40 Ways To Fight Fascists that you should have a look at, too. Pick a couple of things, grab a friend or two, do the things, and let us know how it goes!

[anarchopuppy]

The zine Small Town Organizing for Anarchists may help

[nevver]

Jim Benton

[averyrosyyear]

Nobody does it better than Mannis

[averyrosyyear]

Last weekend

I had a little Galentine’s night where I made about 250 sugar cookies and had friends over to decorate them with royal icing and strawberry buttercream. It was a lovely time and I was too busy laughing and eating cheese to get any pictures, but these are some leftover cookies I brought to work the next night.

And then a psych patient hollered so loud my watch thought it was going to damage my hearing lolol

Sunday it was like 40° so JoJo and I went on a nice long winter walk. I liked how the hay bales were dotted on the hillside in this picture.

Can’t complain for a mid February weekend.

[wincaraz]

Breaking News from the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics: This is Nazgul, he is a 2-year old Czechoslovakian wolfdog who joined the last part of the women's cross country team ski sprint qualifier. He lives nearby with his owner, a relative of an Olympic official. His owner thinks he was upset being left at home and likely escaped to follow them to the event. He didn't bother the athletes or affect their runs. He even crossed the line and triggerred the photo finish camera. He is described as stubborn but very sweet. 13/10 Certified Good Boy and also a bit of a rascal.