Willow Cuttings
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:18 pmMy willow cuttings have arrived! :D I will need to unpack them and set them up. My plan is to put some in water, which makes willow water, which can be used to root other things. I shall take cuttings from some dogwoods and other things here to see if this works. I also intend to put some willow cuttings in soil to see how that works. Since willows are pretty much the easiest thing to propagate from cuttings, and I have 3 of each color, I figure at least one of each should survive.
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
( Read more... )
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Mar. 2nd, 2026 01:51 pmToday is cloudy, cold, and damp. Last night it snowed a bit, then sleeted, and seems to have rained later. Now most of the ice has melted off.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I transplanted snowdrops from the parking lot to the white garden.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I set up a label with the new Sharpie Oil Paint Pen (Extra Fine) and took pictures.
I saw a squirrel in the trees.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- My red curly willow cuttings arrived, as did my order from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have set up two of the willow cuttings in water, one in potting soil. I also took a cutting from the fishpond mulberry tree and one from a red dogwood, which I added to the water cups to see if the willows will help those root too.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal chasing a female, and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I transplanted snowdrops from the parking lot to the white garden.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I set up a label with the new Sharpie Oil Paint Pen (Extra Fine) and took pictures.
I saw a squirrel in the trees.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- My red curly willow cuttings arrived, as did my order from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have set up two of the willow cuttings in water, one in potting soil. I also took a cutting from the fishpond mulberry tree and one from a red dogwood, which I added to the water cups to see if the willows will help those root too.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal chasing a female, and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
I am done for the night.
Monday Update 3-2-26
Mar. 2nd, 2026 12:04 amThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Clothes
National Crafting Month Bingo Card 3-1-26
Birdfeeding
Emotional Neglect
Today's Adventures
Bingo
Books
Food
Birdfeeding
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Philosophical Questions: Government
Books
Space Exploration
Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z
Birdfeeding
Recipe: African Spice Cookies
Photos: Water Garden
Photos: Worm Bin
Photos: House Yard
Crafts
Vocabulary: Proforestation
Birdfeeding
Willow Cuttings
Community Thursdays
Vocabulary: Bossage
Linguistics
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Safety has 50 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 40 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 147 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, March 3 with a theme of "World Cuisine." I hope to see you then!

marchmetamatterschallenge is running this month. See my tracking post and the first check-in post.
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been warmish here, though it got colder today. Yesterday it rained a bit. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male, two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I saw a downy woodpecker in the trees. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Honeybees are out, and finally found the flowers. Currently blooming: crocuses, snowdrops.
Clothes
National Crafting Month Bingo Card 3-1-26
Birdfeeding
Emotional Neglect
Today's Adventures
Bingo
Books
Food
Birdfeeding
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Philosophical Questions: Government
Books
Space Exploration
Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z
Birdfeeding
Recipe: African Spice Cookies
Photos: Water Garden
Photos: Worm Bin
Photos: House Yard
Crafts
Vocabulary: Proforestation
Birdfeeding
Willow Cuttings
Community Thursdays
Vocabulary: Bossage
Linguistics
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Safety has 50 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 40 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 147 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, March 3 with a theme of "World Cuisine." I hope to see you then!

"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been warmish here, though it got colder today. Yesterday it rained a bit. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male, two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I saw a downy woodpecker in the trees. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Honeybees are out, and finally found the flowers. Currently blooming: crocuses, snowdrops.
Clothes
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:28 pmDonating clothes to charity has an unfortunate dark side
Here’s what actually happens when you donate clothes. First, they go to charity shops and collectors who sort through everything. The nicest pieces might be sold at the local thrift store.
But there’s a catch: these organizations receive far more clothing than they can sell. We’re talking about mountains of fabric that no one locally wants to buy.
So what happens to the rest? Some items are thrown away. But a huge portion gets packed into bales and shipped overseas.
There are lots of ways to address this issue. First, understand the problem...
( Read more... )
Here’s what actually happens when you donate clothes. First, they go to charity shops and collectors who sort through everything. The nicest pieces might be sold at the local thrift store.
But there’s a catch: these organizations receive far more clothing than they can sell. We’re talking about mountains of fabric that no one locally wants to buy.
So what happens to the rest? Some items are thrown away. But a huge portion gets packed into bales and shipped overseas.
There are lots of ways to address this issue. First, understand the problem...
( Read more... )
March Meta Matters
Mar. 1st, 2026 06:09 pmThe March Meta Matters challenge is now active over on
marchmetamatterschallenge. See the first check-in post here for introductions. Read the FAQ list, as there may have been some changes from previous years. See my entries from 2023, 2024, and 2025. Here are my How To list and my Meta list from 2024.
This challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation. The fest recommends SquidgeWorld. There will be some prompts for creating new meta. Participants can post their goals for saving old meta and/or creating new meta. You can also collect, recommend, and save meta created by other people if it's not something you make yourself or yours is already up to date and saved.
Some canon-specific or author-specific websites have a section especially for meta about their fandom(s) to help new fans learn the canon(s), explore fandom in general, and to inspire fanworks. In particular, it used to be common for people to make fanifestos about a canon, its ships, major fanworks, etc. as guides to newcomers in hopes of growing the fandom; reviving this custom would be very helpful. Here on Dreamwidth, check out
shipmanifestos. Another great type of meta is reviews; see communities such as
books and
book_love for those. If you know of more such resources, March is a good time to post about them so more folks can find them and make sure that meta is backed up.
An increasing issue of archiving is the decline of archival websites. Ghost barely works anymore. The Archive.fo cluster is iffy at best, and when one of its sites glitches, you can't even use your old links anymore. That was the site that used to have the best ability to archive almost anything, except PDF files. Wayback, formerly the most reliable, and the only one I found that would safe PDFs, has become increasingly slow and prone to outages. It never saved quite as wide a range as Archive.fo but now saves a lot less. It's maddening. Because every page that can't be archived is work that will be wasted when linkrot eventually kills the original.
On the bright side, Dreamwidth remains a great place to crosspost your content from other platforms as a form of archiving by duplication. This is increasingly a good idea at a time when many platforms are collapsing due to misbehavior, locking everything to members only, or disappearing altogether.
goals_on_dw has a post for Full Content on Dreamwidth if this is your approach to sharing and archiving your work.
( Read more... )
This challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation. The fest recommends SquidgeWorld. There will be some prompts for creating new meta. Participants can post their goals for saving old meta and/or creating new meta. You can also collect, recommend, and save meta created by other people if it's not something you make yourself or yours is already up to date and saved.
Some canon-specific or author-specific websites have a section especially for meta about their fandom(s) to help new fans learn the canon(s), explore fandom in general, and to inspire fanworks. In particular, it used to be common for people to make fanifestos about a canon, its ships, major fanworks, etc. as guides to newcomers in hopes of growing the fandom; reviving this custom would be very helpful. Here on Dreamwidth, check out
An increasing issue of archiving is the decline of archival websites. Ghost barely works anymore. The Archive.fo cluster is iffy at best, and when one of its sites glitches, you can't even use your old links anymore. That was the site that used to have the best ability to archive almost anything, except PDF files. Wayback, formerly the most reliable, and the only one I found that would safe PDFs, has become increasingly slow and prone to outages. It never saved quite as wide a range as Archive.fo but now saves a lot less. It's maddening. Because every page that can't be archived is work that will be wasted when linkrot eventually kills the original.
On the bright side, Dreamwidth remains a great place to crosspost your content from other platforms as a form of archiving by duplication. This is increasingly a good idea at a time when many platforms are collapsing due to misbehavior, locking everything to members only, or disappearing altogether.
( Read more... )
National Crafting Month Bingo Card 3-1-26
Mar. 1st, 2026 02:43 pmHere is my card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest over in
allbingo. The fest runs from March 1-30. (See all my 2026 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.
NATIONAL CRAFTING MONTH BINGO CARD
Here is my entry for the National Crafting Month Meet and Greet post...
( Read more... )
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.
NATIONAL CRAFTING MONTH BINGO CARD
| Smudges | Ink Pens | Crocheting | Tangles | Food |
| Mended Clothes | Thread | Time | Stone | Woodworking |
| Artisan | Tension | WILD CARD | Yarn | Colors |
| Writing | Upcycling | Sewing | Tape | Garden Crafts |
| Rag Rugs | Lacking Storage | Small Spaces | Ribbon | Poetry |
Here is my entry for the National Crafting Month Meet and Greet post...
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Mar. 1st, 2026 02:23 pmToday is cloudy and chilly. It rained yesterday afternoon and evening.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I pulled dead stems from some containers in the old picnic table garden and the new picnic table garden.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- We hauled the 5 new rocks to the purple-and-white garden. We hauled the huge bag of potting mix into the foyer.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a male cardinal, and a starling. I heard a squirrel barking in the trees but didn't see it.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I dug up some snowdrops from the parking lot and moved them to the log garden and the purple-and-white garden. There are still a lot left.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I dug up some snowdrops from the parking lot and moved them to the savanna.
I saw a woodpecker drumming high in a tree, probably a downy woodpecker.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a squirrel in the trees.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I pulled dead stems from some containers in the old picnic table garden and the new picnic table garden.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- We hauled the 5 new rocks to the purple-and-white garden. We hauled the huge bag of potting mix into the foyer.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a male cardinal, and a starling. I heard a squirrel barking in the trees but didn't see it.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I dug up some snowdrops from the parking lot and moved them to the log garden and the purple-and-white garden. There are still a lot left.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I dug up some snowdrops from the parking lot and moved them to the savanna.
I saw a woodpecker drumming high in a tree, probably a downy woodpecker.
EDIT 3/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a squirrel in the trees.
I am done for the night.
Emotional Neglect
Mar. 1st, 2026 01:48 amFood
Feb. 28th, 2026 03:19 pmPeople want to avoid ultra-processed foods. But experts struggle to define them
The American diet is killing us. On that point, public health experts largely agree.
And in recent years, people who want to make Americans healthier — across the ideological spectrum — are targeting ultra-processed foods, which make up the majority of what Americans eat.
( Read more... )
The American diet is killing us. On that point, public health experts largely agree.
And in recent years, people who want to make Americans healthier — across the ideological spectrum — are targeting ultra-processed foods, which make up the majority of what Americans eat.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Feb. 28th, 2026 03:05 pmToday is partly sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I cut and labeled four more water jugs. These are for flower mixes: Part-Shade Wildflowers, Edible Flowers, Fragrant Flowers, and 20th Anniversary Prairie Wildflowers. I skipped the Monarch Mix because that includes a bunch of nectar annuals like zinnias and cosmos which prefer warmer weather; I may make a jug for this later in spring.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I sowed and taped the jugs.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I carried the jugs to the parking lot and secured them with salvaged string.
The honeybees are out in force today. They are investigating everything to see if it is a flower. I am not a flower, but at least they finally found the actual flowers. In addition to the lavender crocus, there are now two yellow ones by the log garden and a white one in the rain garden. Many of the snowdrops are open too. :D Yay flowers!
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I dug up several clumps of volunteer daffodils that had seeded themselves into the parking lot, and transplanted them all around the house yard to go under various trees where they will be safer. I still need to move a lot of snowdrops, though.
I've seen a male cardinal. I've heard the red-winged blackbirds singing, but haven't seen them.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I saw a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I cut and labeled four more water jugs. These are for flower mixes: Part-Shade Wildflowers, Edible Flowers, Fragrant Flowers, and 20th Anniversary Prairie Wildflowers. I skipped the Monarch Mix because that includes a bunch of nectar annuals like zinnias and cosmos which prefer warmer weather; I may make a jug for this later in spring.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I sowed and taped the jugs.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I carried the jugs to the parking lot and secured them with salvaged string.
The honeybees are out in force today. They are investigating everything to see if it is a flower. I am not a flower, but at least they finally found the actual flowers. In addition to the lavender crocus, there are now two yellow ones by the log garden and a white one in the rain garden. Many of the snowdrops are open too. :D Yay flowers!
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I dug up several clumps of volunteer daffodils that had seeded themselves into the parking lot, and transplanted them all around the house yard to go under various trees where they will be safer. I still need to move a lot of snowdrops, though.
I've seen a male cardinal. I've heard the red-winged blackbirds singing, but haven't seen them.
EDIT 2/28/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I saw a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male.
I am done for the night.
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Feb. 28th, 2026 01:22 amWe made it to the end of February! \o/ If you have completed any of your short-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. About 95% of New Year's resolutions crash and burn before the end of January. If you're still going, you have beaten the odds!
I'm 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.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 9
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 16
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 23
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 30
( Read more... )
I'm 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.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 9
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 16
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 23
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 30
( Read more... )
Philosophical Questions: Government
Feb. 28th, 2026 12:04 amPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
In an ideal government, what should a good citizen provide to their government and what should that government provide that good citizen?
A good citizen should provide respect as earned, a reasonable share of taxes, contribution to society, well-informed opinions on public matters, and civic participation such as voting.
A good government should provide survival needs or the means to meet them, responsible spending of taxes on public goods, respectable laws, honorable leaders, and the ability to do things at larger scale than individuals could do alone. And not meddle in things that are none of its business.
In an ideal government, what should a good citizen provide to their government and what should that government provide that good citizen?
A good citizen should provide respect as earned, a reasonable share of taxes, contribution to society, well-informed opinions on public matters, and civic participation such as voting.
A good government should provide survival needs or the means to meet them, responsible spending of taxes on public goods, respectable laws, honorable leaders, and the ability to do things at larger scale than individuals could do alone. And not meddle in things that are none of its business.
Books
Feb. 27th, 2026 09:02 pm"ENTANGLED LIFE" DISCUSSION POST is up on
bookclub_dw. If you've read the book, it's time to talk about mushrooms. :D
Space Exploration
Feb. 27th, 2026 06:03 pmSix planets will align in a rare ‘planetary parade’ this weekend
Six planets will be visible in the evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be bright enough to see with just your eyes.
Uranus and Neptune will be much dimmer, so binoculars or a telescope will make them easier to find.
( Read more... )
Six planets will be visible in the evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be bright enough to see with just your eyes.
Uranus and Neptune will be much dimmer, so binoculars or a telescope will make them easier to find.
( Read more... )
Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
Feb. 27th, 2026 05:51 pmSinger and songwriter Neil Sedaka has passed away. His hits included "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Laughter in the Rain," and "Love Will Keep Us Together."
( Read more... )
( Read more... )