#Life is literally. Sowing seeds and caring for your plants. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

punkpandapatrixk · 7 months

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Full Harvest Moon in Aries ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

In my experience, Full Harvest Moon is always significant for those who are more spiritually attuned. This period allows—almost forces, actually—us to die to the previous cycle of our lives much like the trees shedding their leaves. This is a period of slowing down; of calm but maybe also a little bit of depression; of sweeping changes and moving places; of pausing and recalibration; which could cause a sickening sense of losing control of our lives, though in reality, we’re just being prepared for a massive transformation.

If anything, all these changes are the perfect answers to all you’ve prayed for! It’s harvest time for a lot of us! Some of us are having a mini harvest but those are results nevertheless. You’ve done marvellously well to be here right now. And haven’t you grown so much? I’m grateful you’ve made it this far.

Speak into existence your higher intent this Harvest Moon. Be at peace knowing that whatever transpires, everything works out in your favour. Your manifestations are protected, more than you may realise. Work on beautifying all elements of your Life, taking care of all aspects of your physical and spiritual health, and most of all, enjoy Life. All the changes you’ve managed to manifest thus far. There’s plenty more coming but you can’t compete with Destiny, yeah?

All in Divine Timing~🌕Congratulations and happy harvest~🌾

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Pile 1 – Returning to the Essentials

intent – Ace of Pentacles

You’ve made it exceedingly clear to the Universe that you want a higher sense of stability in your Life. You might’ve come from a background of poverty mindset or that your environment was brimming with individuals operating on lack mindset. A lot of the people you used to surround yourself with were literal peasants in that they’re always hungry for something more… but won’t work on themselves to become a vibrational match to those higher desires. So, essentially, beggars. Beggars for love, for money, attention, recognition, status, you name it.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those seemingly unspiritual things, what is a problem is the sense of underserving of those things that people won’t even make the first step towards planting those seeds of manifestation for their own personal fulfilment. Such people only end up with rotten envy, jealousy, spite, bitterness, and even resentment. You saw all of that. Swam in an ocean of such mindsets and tendencies. You finally woke up and said, ‘I want none of that nonsense anymore. None of it is natural. I want out!’

sow – 4 of Cups

So, you ejected yourself from those situations and possibly burnt some bridges. It was better to be alone and work on the essentials. You get to know yourself better that way, all strengths and weaknesses, all opportunities and challenges. You’ve enjoyed learning and studying things that inspire you to continue to build a sparkly Life, right? You’ve worked plenty hard on your own fixing your internal compass, haven’t you? None of that will ever go to waste. You were creating vibrational pathways towards your Highest Possible Intended Destiny. It’s time to begin anew with your visions. Your plans are taking shape. You can see clearly where to step in your next chapter of hustle.

I guess, you’re still feeling like you’re not quite there yet. Or that it feels like your desired reality is taking its sweet time. I guess you could be struggling with dissatisfaction every now and then. Or that certain days you can’t believe the insane level of boredom that suddenly strikes. Sometimes you wonder if there’s any meaning to all this internal hustle you’ve been doing. But there totally is and the fact of the matter is that you’re building strength and momentum at the present moment. I suspect very strongly you’re going to be insanely busy in the next cycle of your Life. Cherish this period. It probably will never come again and soon enough this chapter is only gonna remain a memory you recount sometimes as part of your Life’s Story.

reap – 4 of Wands

And finally, I’m sure you’re already feeling this without anyone else telling you: you’re returning to the essentials. You’ve rediscovered the essence of your being. The styles that suit you. Pursuits that delight you genuinely. These are the few things that truly matter to you and that’s all you want to spend energy on. If in the past you were frantically chasing a few forms of aesthetics or had a number of dreams to pursue, you’ve narrowed everything down to only the essentials—the ones that truly make you feel excited, alive.

Although it feels like returning to your inner child essence, at the same time, you’re not the old you. You’re completely brand new. You’re like a transcendent version of your truer self in the past. It feels strangely nostalgic but also novel. Like you’re holding this inexplicable paradox inside of you. But the truth is, you’ve simply transcended above the duality of light and dark, good and bad. You’re now living in the non-dualistic 5D version of this Earth Matrix. Congrats! You’ve truly awakened! Welcome to 5D Earth, Master Manifestor~!

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Pile 2 – Your Heart Has the Best Compass

intent – VII The Chariot

First of all, you’re an incredibly intuitive person and to a large extent, I think you’re psychic. You could have one or two of the clairs. Clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognisance. You are often guided by your intuition to make changes or attempts that may not always look sensible or responsible by other people. But you seem to have disregarded all of other’s expectations or advice. You believed in yourself and decided to pursue something dearly important to your heart. In a manner of speaking, you were following the path of your Destiny, so congrats! You made the right decision. From here on you can only get stronger.

In your physical Reality, I see you experiencing bounds and leaps of good fortune! You don’t need a shooting star to help make your dreams come true now, you are the Star itself. You make what you want come to Light. It’s possible you’re gonna see people in your Reality being more polite, helpful, cuter, kinder, and generally more pleasant. You’d be like, ‘Did I just jump timelines? Is this still the same Earth I’m used to?!’ Well, you quantum jumped into a higher dimension of Reality and you should be proud of all the inner work you’ve done to be in alignment with these higher frequencies!

sow – Knight of Cups

So, this is another water/emotion energy. The Knight here is simply saying you’re ready to take your Life to the next level of happiness—a spiritual variety of contentment whilst living on Earth. I think you want Love? XD You’re beginning to really want what people call ‘5D relationships’. You want to meet your Soul Mates, your Destined Person, your Soul Tribe. You want Love in a peaceful, exciting, creative world. And you’re going to ‘work’ on that. You’ve decided to never let anyone disrespect you for all the weirdness you have to show them. Unapologetic for days. You ain’t afraid to be seen as a bitch, or a weirdo, an alien, or even a villain.

Nevertheless, all that is just the outer package of your person, which is needed to navigate some hardships in Life when they arise. On the inside, you’ve truly become soft, peaceful, content, and I think you’re pretty much happy with where you are in Life now. Out of all the Piles, yours feels most like you’re truly starting something new that you’re passionate about. There’s something you’ve been meaning to do/create/launch which is only needing the right Divine Timing. Once you hit the bell, there’s no snooze button—you’re going on a ride! Life is gonna get super exciting, so stay on your lane because you’re totally on the right path towards changing your Life!

reap – 3 of Pentacles Rx

When your Life finally takes that amazing turn, you’re going to be spoiled by the Universe with a lot of happiness. I’m seeing SO much abundance beyond material means. You’re going to be SO beautiful. I’m seeing a crazy glow up one way or another. Perhaps because now you have access to those things that can support a glow up. New wardrobe. New teeth. New face for some… New country. New house. New everything and you look gorgeous! That said, there are family members or childhood friends who are totally NOT gonna understand your transformation. Yeah… let peasant be peasants if you ask me.

There are those of you who will want to provide for your family/friends with your newfound wealth and if they’re deserving of that, why not? Just please don’t do any of that with the desire to get their approval, and this is especially the case if your family/friends are incredibly toxic. Live for yourself, babe. Share only with those who are deserving. Only you can decide this but ultimately, respect yourself enough to never beg the acknowledgement of those who are already committed to seeing you in a negative light. Never let ANYBODY reduce your accomplishments, transformations, your Light. Never let anybody poop on your parade XD

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Pile 3 – Hand of Fucking Midas

intent – Page of Wands

Okay, in spite of the title, of all the Piles, your energy has a sage vibe to it. I feel like you’ve transformed into a spiritual master of sort. You got away from the Matrix’s rat race. All the riches you used to think you should have in order to feel like you belonged in society have gone out the window. There are so many material things you do not care about anymore. You’ve rediscovered your essence as a spiritual being having a Human experience. It’s all just a Game and you’re going to have the best-value experience whilst being here. You’ve cultivated a mindset of beauty. ‘Nothing is worthwhile if it’s not beautiful.’

You only want to float beautifully until the day you die. The paradox of your existence is that now that you don’t desire anything desperately anymore, everything comes to you ever so effortlessly. Perhaps it really is because you don’t care if it comes to you or not. It’s exactly because you’re free from worries and anxieties that your positive vibrations effortlessly call forth those positive expectations into your energetic field, and surely enough, they manifest in the physical whether or not you really want them. Paradox. Paradox.

sow – 5 of Pentacles

Reiterating the previous message, here is you sowing seeds of nothingness in this world. From nothingness comes everything. If you don’t limit yourself, anything, literally everything, is possible to create. You’ve tapped into the VOID and understood the secret of Co-Creation. Might it be that you’ve had a really strange, esoteric dream recently? I think you could’ve been activated in your sleep. I feel more strongly that this whole developing a Midas Touch was brought about after transmuting a fuckload of personal traumas you’ve accumulated in this incarnation.

You’ve been through all the sides of sorrow and happiness that now you’re clearer as to what kinds of things are truly meaningful for a Human existence. Now you only want the essentials, and those things you consider essentials are concepts still too difficult too grasp for most Humans. Though you do not carry the essence of being Human, you more than them understand what being Human should be all about. It’s insane. It’s all paradoxical. But you’re here on a mission to beautify this realm. To help Mankind elevate themselves above the status of being miserable slaves—slaves often to their own toxic desires. You’ve transcended all of that via your own suffering.

reap – 9 of Pentacles

From here on, there is no more lack. Because you don’t want much anymore. You’ve let go of all the tight grips on the illusions and temptations of the Matrix. Your wants are now purer, kinder, fairer. I feel you want everybody to have also the things that you take for granted. You want everybody to share in the bounty of the natural world easily. ‘There are things in this world that are NOT supposed to be expensive.’ You want everybody to have access to basic needs at a decent level/quality without having to pay for a premium.

All of that said, I think in the future you’re soon going to have your own business that helps improve the lives of your community instead of ruining the ecosystem and making it hard for everybody. If not a business, you could be involved in some sort of invention or revolution that could, well, revolutionise the way many people live, work or approach businesses on their own terms. I think this Pile has the potential to change the world for the better. You may not care that much about such wild dreams for now, for you are currently peacefully enjoying some fruits of your intense spiritual labour thus far.

But it’s coming, baby~ Your train to awesome is coming to pick you up. Just chill~ When Divine Timing strikes, your body is gonna move on its own😉

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malwar-e · 8 months

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literally I don’t care if you put it in the tag it’s so fucking easy to block you (I already did lmao) it’s just pathetic to act like you’re being attacked for “stating an opinion” when you went out of your way looking for a fight and everyone knows it. What a badass, you have to get into internet fights cuz you need attention, wow so impressive

You don't know me, but my name's Cy

I'm just the O'Hare delivery guy

But it seems like trees might be worth a try

So I say, let it grow

My name is Dan

And my name's Rose

Our son Wesley kinda glows

And that's not good so we suppose

We should let it grow

Let it grow, let it grow

You can't reap what you don't sow

Plant the seed inside the earth

Just one way to know it's worth

Let's celebrate the world's rebirth

We say let it grow

My name's Marie

And I am three!

I would like to see a tree

La-la-la-la, la, la-la, lee

I say let it grow

I'm Grammy Norma

I'm old and I've got gray hair

But I remember when trees were everywhere

And no one had to pay for air

So I say, let it grow

Let it grow, let it grow

Like it did so long ago

It is just one tiny seed

But it's all we really need

It's time to change your life we lead

Time to let it grow

My name's O'Hare, I'm one of you

I live here in Thneedville, too

The things you say just might be true

It could be time to start anew

And maybe change my point of view

Nah! I say let it die

Let it die, let it die

Let it shrivel up and

Come on, who's with me?

Nobody

You greedy dirtbag!

Let it grow, let it grow

Let the love inside you show

Plant the seed inside the earth

Just one way, to know it's worth

Let's celebrate the world's rebirth

We say let it grow

Let it grow, let it grow

You can't reap what you don't sow

It's just one tiny seed

But it's all we really need

It's time to banish all your greed

Imagine Thneedville flowered and treed

Let this be our solemn creed

We say let it grow, in Thneedville

We say let it grow, it's a brand new dawn

We say let it grow, in Thneedville

We say let it grow, it's a brand new dawn

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ubaid214 · 3 months

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Nurturing Nature: A Guide to Cultivating Your Garden"

Cultivating a garden goes beyond the physical act of planting seeds and tending to plants; it is just a metaphor for personal growth, mindfulness, and overall well-being. In this informative article, we shall explore the different aspects of cultivating one's garden, both literally and metaphorically, and how this age-old practice can subscribe to a fulfilling and balanced life. オイルサンプリングポート

Section 1: The Physical Garden Creating and nurturing a physical garden could be a therapeutic and rewarding experience. Whether you've a tiny balcony, an outdoor, or a community plot, the process of cultivating plants teaches patience, responsibility, and a connection to nature. Looking after the soil, sowing seeds, and watching plants grow provide a feeling of accomplishment and a concrete representation of the cycle of life.

Subsection 1.1: Mindful Gardening Practicing mindfulness in the garden involves being fully contained in as soon as while participating in gardening activities. Emphasizing the textures of the soil, the colors of the flowers, and the sounds of nature will help cultivate an expression of calm and relaxation. Mindful gardening has been associated with reduced stress levels and improved mental well-being.

Subsection 1.2: Sustainable Practices Cultivating a garden can also be an opportunity to adopt sustainable practices. From composting kitchen waste to using rainwater for irrigation, sustainable gardening not merely benefits the surroundings but additionally deepens our comprehension of our interconnectedness with the planet.

Section 2: The Metaphorical Garden Beyond the physical realm, cultivating one's garden is really a metaphor for private development and self-discovery. It involves looking after the seeds of potential within ourselves, nurturing positive habits, and weeding out negativity.

Subsection 2.1: Personal Growth In the same way plants need the proper conditions to flourish, individuals require the best environment for private growth. Cultivating habits such as for instance continuous learning, self-reflection, and goal-setting contribute to a fulfilling life journey.

Subsection 2.2: Emotional Well-Being The metaphorical garden reaches emotional well-being, emphasizing the importance of nurturing positive emotions and addressing negative ones. Regular self-care practices, such as for example mindfulness meditation or journaling, is seen as the equivalent of providing the required nutrients for emotional resilience.

Conclusion: Cultivating one's garden, whether in the physical or metaphorical sense, is just a holistic approach to personal development and well-being. It involves patience, mindfulness, and a commitment to nurturing growth. Once we tend to your gardens, we simultaneously often ourselves, fostering a life that is vibrant, balanced, and in harmony with the cycles of nature. So, grab your gardening tools and set about this journey of cultivation, where in actuality the seeds you plant today will blossom into a more fulfilling tomorrow.

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taimio · 3 months

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Unlock the Secrets of Vegetable Gardening: A Complete Guide for Novice Gardeners

Kickstart your green thumb journey with our comprehensive guide to Gardening for Beginners. Aspiring gardeners, this is the perfect place to cultivate your knowledge on vegetable gardening basics. Discover how simple, rewarding, and therapeutic gardening for beginners could be--especially when you reap home-grown, organic produce. Learn how to select the right tools, prepare your soil, choose the right vegetables, plant, care for them, and finally, harvest your bounty. As you dive into this enriching hobby, not only will you connect deeper with nature, but you'll also tap into a resourceful and sustainable lifestyle. From practical tips to insightful advice, our article, "Vegetable Gardening for Complete Beginners," is your complete guide to fruitful gardening. Read on and sow the seeds of your blooming gardening adventure today! Vegetable Gardening For Complete Beginners So, you've decided to take the plunge into the world of vegetable gardening. Welcome to a world that will not only fill your plate with fresh produce, but also nourish your soul. As a complete beginner myself, I understand the overwhelming feeling of starting from scratch. But fear not, my friend, for I am here to guide you on this delightful journey. First things first, let's talk about location. *Location, location, location!* Just like in real estate, the success of your vegetable garden depends on where you plant it. Find a sunny spot in your yard, preferably with at least six hours of direct sunlight. Vegetables love the sun as much as we do, so give them what they crave! Now that you have the perfect spot, let's dig it up. *Literally!* Grab a shovel, put on some gloves, and get ready to break a sweat. Trust me, there's something oddly satisfying about turning over the soil and preparing it for new life. Remove any weeds, rocks, or unwanted visitors (yes, I'm talking about you, pesky critters), and make sure the soil is loose and crumbly. Ah, soil. The very foundation of your vegetable garden. It's like the Holy Grail for plants. Rich, fertile soil will make your veggies sing with joy. So, let's make sure we give them the royal treatment they deserve. Get yourself a bag of compost or well-rotted manure and mix it into the soil. This will give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. Now, it's time to play matchmaker. *Cue the romantic music.* Just like humans, plants have preferences when it comes to their neighbors. Some like to be close, while others need their personal space. To ensure harmony in your garden, group plants with similar needs together. For instance, tomatoes and basil are like the Romeo and Juliet of the vegetable world - they simply belong together. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to waste. When it comes to watering your vegetable garden, the key is consistency. Overwatering can drown your plants, while underwatering can leave them thirsty and sad. Find the sweet spot by checking the soil moisture regularly. Stick your finger into the soil - if it feels dry up to your first knuckle, it's time to give those veggies a drink. Last but not least, embrace the beauty of patience. Gardening is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, nurturing, and a whole lot of waiting. Sometimes, you'll encounter setbacks and disappointments. But remember, each failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. *Embrace the journey, my friend, for it is as rewarding as the destination.* In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. So, with your hands in the soil and hope in your heart, let's sow the seeds of your very own vegetable garden. *You've got this!* And hey, if you need more guidance, check out this helpful article on vegetable gardening for beginners - it's chock-full of wisdom and practical tips to set you on the path to green-thumb greatness. Happy gardening! Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

#Gardening For Beginners

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eridan-ampra · 2 years

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How To Start Seeds Indoors In The Winter: When And How To Start Seeds

It's seed-sowing time! But how do you know the best way to begin seeding? What is the best way to you start? In this article, we'll discuss the enigma of how this is done! Let's sow some seeds together and discuss the most effective methods to encourage them to grow, and then expose some common errors.

The Hindi word for seeds is bija which literally translates to "containment of life." An apt description of these tiny wonders that hold everything necessary to make a new plant. This season digging up dirt and planting more seeds every week.

The Reasons We Begin Seeds Indoors

There are many benefits to sowing seeds indoors:

Obviously, it gives you an early start to the growing season, which can lead to better harvests.

It's actually necessary for many kinds of plants. Because the soil is too cold, warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant can't be planted in the early the spring. In many areas there's no enough days of growth for these plants to harvest when they are planted outside. Starting flower seeds indoors allows you to get several weeks of growing time, which can really make a difference. In warmer climates beginning seeds indoors could allow you to get in an additional crop prior to the heat of summer that stifles development.

If you don't seed indoors, then you'll have to purchase plants that are young, referred to as "transplants" or "starts" at the nursery or garden store. While some nursery starter plants can be grown well, others might be poor quality and don't flourish once they are in the home. If you plant your own seeds, you tend to get healthier beginnings, because you're able take care of them right from the start.

You will find a wider variety of seeds than you will find in a six-pack of seeds at the local garden store.

You'll be able to tell that they have been raised organically, not being sprayed with chemicals. You can schedule the plants so they are ready when they are ready to be planted.

In addition, seeds are cheaper than buying plants at the local garden shop.

It is not necessary to begin warm-season vegetables from seeds. Many vegetables such as carrots and radishes are best when they are started from seed as they dislike being disturbed by their roots once they begin growing. Below are a list of seeds that can be planted indoors or outdoors.

Which seeds should you start Indoors?

Not all petunia seeds should be grown indoors. In fact, most vegetables do well planted outdoors, and some prefer not to be transferred. It is important to consider the ways that each vegetable grows and where it will be cultivated.

Check out the table below to see which crops are typically started indoors and which tend to be started outdoors. There is no hard and fast rule about which crops you can plant in the indoors or outdoors. It's all dependent on your personal preferences, the location you live, the plant, and your experience. We have found this to be the scenario:

You can plant tomatoes as well as broccoli, brussels, and sprouts of brussels inside. You should also start indoors plants with lower root growth, like peppers, celery, and eggplant.

Tender vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants, peppers and other tender plants are susceptible to cold temperatures in spring. It is best to begin the plants indoors to prevent the plants from being damaged by weather that is unpredictable.

Plants that do not transplant well and are therefore best started in containers or outdoors include the muskmelon, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon. These plants are fragile, therefore don't plant them outdoors when frost is an issue.

Some plants truly resist transplanting. Root vegetables, like carrots, turnips, as well as beets, don't like having their roots disturbed, so it's best to start their seeds outdoors in the soil rather then transplant them later. The plants with long tap roots also do not like to be transplanted; examples include parsley and dill.

Then, the plants like radishes and peas are so fast growing and tolerant of cold that it is logical to get them right in the ground!

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the-clever-cupboard · 3 years

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Wheel of the Year: Transition Between Sabbaths

Yule to Imbolc: Rest

During the thick of winter when it’s too cold to do anything and always dark, it’s the perfect moment in the year to rest. The focus is on relaxing, taking extra time to sleep and care for the body especially to not get sick. Winter is also ‘spa’ season because the air is so dry and harsh it’s a good time to soak in hot baths and scrub away dead skin and moisturize with protective lotion. Do not try to make new plans, yet sit home, rest and reflect.

Imbolc to Ostara: Cleansing

When winter thaws it’s a great time to clean the home and prepare for spring. Personally, I also like to do a body cleanse since I tend to eat a lot of processed (yet delicious ;-;) foods all year round. This also makes up for all the heavy foods I’ve been eating since Summer (all the BBQs) to Winter comfort foods. As I clean the home and get rid of stuff that has accumulated over the year, I clean the body. Also the focus is on cleaning the home as well. Breathing in the same air, especially if its full of dust, is really unhealthy and it’s good as the days are getting a little warmer to open up the windows for a few minutes to allow in fresh air to circulate. This is also the time of year I throw out old furniture, accumulated things and rearrange furniture in the room as well.

Ostara to Beltane: Sowing

Spring is a great time to germinate sprouts along with other seeds and clean the backyard or garden to grow plants. If you like to compost it’s a time to start mixing in the vegetable/fruit/plant scraps with the soil. Spring is also a great time to sow bigger changes in life as well. Something about the warm new season brings an air of flirtatiousness and ‘socialness’ that makes it perfect for making new friends or finding a partner. (Probably because people can finally come out of hibernation). It’s also a fantastic time to work on your image and portfolio and apply for long term jobs that begin in the summer or fall. Spring is the season for new beginnings and putting long term plans into action.

Beltane to Litha: Growing

A tradition I like to do on Beltane is repotting of plants and gardening. Repotting plants is a tradition I try to focus on every year because it’s very easy for house plants to die due to dead soil. Plus it makes the inside of the house super vibrant and lively to have fresh new soil in pots. From this point to summer solstice is the point of growth. Growth in the garden but also growth of personal goals. May and June feel like hectic months where there are so many events and opportunities to advance your work or change your social scene, that if I am not personally progressing, I focus all of my attention on my growth.

Litha to Lughnasadh: Thriving

Its the heat of summer! It’s time to get out and feel the intense hot energy and use its power to focus on goals and networking! Where I am there’s usually an exciting event every week where it’s an opportunity to make more connections and meet more friends but also since its warm and nature is so vibrant it’s time to take some days to relax and get away to enjoy the heat and life of nature. Go to the beach, go hiking, swim in a lake, sleep under the stars. Be active since the efforts will pay off.

Lugnnasadh to Mabon: Reaping

This is the time you earn what you’ve sowed both literally and metaphorically. If you have a garden its the time it will start giving back. If you are an active goer of a farmers market you will notice how beautifully abundant the stands are. If in Spring you’ve sent out tons of job applications, and in Summer got the job you’ve wanted and worked hard, then by now you should start seeing some results. If there are no results being seen it’s a time for reflection and re-strategizing. There is a second chance in this time to start again before the cold and the holiday season bulldozes through.

Mabon to Samhain: Harvest and Gather

This is the time to gather and harvest. Usually family tends to gather now since it’s the holiday season. There’s not much other than gathering to be done since family and holidays are bombarding you from all sides. Also there is an abundance of food. This is great to store for the next transition which is

Samhain to Yule: Preparation

This is the moment to prepare for winter. My wardrobe completely changes here, I take up knitting projects that were abandoned last Imbolc, and I store food and herbs for the winter to use. Also making preserves from things in the garden or hand knitting clothes make great presents for the winter holidays. This is also a time to prepare the garden for hibernation. Take in potted plants, harvest the last of the herbs and food (that are not potted). Make sure plants you do not want to die have a place to chill in the house.

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dialovers-translations · 3 years

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Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Yuma Dark [08]

ー The scene starts in the bathroom

Yui: ( ...Former humans, huh? )

( That basically means they were turned from humans into Vampires, right? )

( I don’t know why they became Vampires but...Knowing that they were once human, a lot of things make sense now. )

( I wonder if that’s why they eat regular food besides sucking blood as well. )

( Come to think of it, the Sakamaki’s were different from humans in various ways... )

( Compared to that, the guys here are still... )

*Rattle*

Yui: Eh?

ー Yuma enters the bathroom

Yui: ...! Kyaaaaah!!

Yuma: ...Shut the fuck up...! Don’t make a fuss in the bathroom! The sound echoes makin’ it even worse!

Yui: But you’re shouting as well! Or rather, why did you just casually waltz in...!?

Yuma: Why? ‘Cause I need ya for somethin’, duh!

ー He grabs hold of her arm

*Splash*

Yuma: Here, come with me.

Yui: Wai...N-No!!

Yuma: Aah? ‘No’?

Yui: I-I don’t mind coming with you! But at least let me put on some clothes first!!

Yuma: Clothes...? Don’t ya think ya think of yerself a lil’ too highly? Nobody’s gonna get excited from seein’ yer naked body.

Yui: That’s not the problem!

Yuma: Che...What a fuckin’ drag. Then get it done within a minute! If you’re one second late, I’ll drag ya with me like that.

It barely makes much of a difference whether ya ‘get ready’ or not.

ー Yuma leaves the bathroom

*THUD*

Yui: ( Putting on clothes is the bare minimum of getting ready, no!?? )

In that regard, he’s definitely a Vampire...Haah...

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the garden

Yuma: Oi, move it!

...’Kay, they really do look great. Pretty sure they’re ready to be harvested.

Yui: This is...?

( Those are...tomatoes? Right? Looks like your average vegetable garden to me, but I had no idea we had this over here... )

Yuma: This is my garden.

Yui: Eeh!? Yours!?

Yuma: Yeah. Don’t thoughtlessly step on it and damage the soil, understood?

Yui: ( What is going on...? Yuma-kun has his own...vegetable garden...? )

Selection

→ That’s amazing (M)

Yui: Eh? ...Then, you really did grow this yourself?

Yuma: Aahn? Why would I lie ‘bout it?

Yui: S-Sorry...It just seemed so unlikely.

→ Smells fishy (S)

Yui: ( Smells kinda fishy... )

Are there really vegetables growing under here?

Yuma: Duh. What else could there be?

Yui: R-Right...

Yui: However, I had no idea. That you’re growing your own vegetable garden...What made you start doing this?

Yuma: Well, if you’ve got this, ya can survive for a while even if ya suddenly find yerself without food, right?

Yui: ( He properly thought it through as well. Very unexpected... )

I thought Vampires didn’t need food to survive?

Yuma: Guess so. We won’t die from hunger. But I like eatin’ food. I don’t hate growin’ these either.

Yui: Heeh...

Yuma: Anyway, who cares ‘bout that crap? We’re here to harvest today! Help me out already.

Yui: Y-Yes!

Yuma: Come on, we’re doin’ tomatoes today. Ya can only pluck the red ones, ‘kay? Keep yer hands off the green (1) ones.

Yui: Yeah, gotcha.

*Snap*

Yui: Like this?

Yuma: Yeah. Don’t ya dare damage the tomatoes even by accident.

Yui: ( He’s taking really good care of them... )

That being said, there’s so many of them. Isn’t it a lot of work to grow these?

Yuma: What’s the point in growing just a few? It’s not like I’ll feel full from just one or two tomatoes.

*Snap*

Yuma: Well, I’m sure I would have happily dug my teeth into a single tomato back when I was livin’ in the slums.

Yui: The slums?

Yuma: When I was still human, I lived in that sorta place.

I had no money, and nothin’ to eat. I was literally starvin’...

Back then, I wanted somethin’ to eat so badly, the thought of killin’ someone for food crossed my mind more than just once.

Yui: ( So that’s the kind of life Yuma-kun lived in the past... )

( I lived plenty of a happy life because I had my Father there for me, so I can’t exactly relate... )

( I’m sure he had it very rough, considering he didn’t even have any food to eat... )

Yuma: ...Oi, Sow!

Yui: Eh? ...Nguh!?

( Why is he forcing a tomato inside my mouth...!? )

Yuma: I’ve told ya a million times and there ya go givin’ me the silent treatment again! Learn from yer mistakes already!

Come on, eat this. It’s yer punishment for pissin’ me off. Listen up, ya better not waste even a single drop of its juice.

Yui ( That’s asking for the impossible after stuffing my whole mouth with it...! )

Nn...

...!

Yuma: Whatcha think? Pretty good, huh?

Yui: ...Yeah, it’s delicious...

Yuma: I don’t care as long as it fills my belly, but well, if it tastes good, there’s nothin’ more one can wish for, right?

‘Cause of you, I’ve been more fussy ‘bout the taste of my food as of late, ya know?

Yui: ( I don’t think that’s my fault... )

( However, considering he’s carefully raising this many of them, it only makes sense the taste would also beーー... Hm? )

( Over there, a single flower has bloomed. I wonder if he’s also growing flowers alongside the vegetables? )

Yuma: Oi, whatcha spacin’ out for? I don’t remember sayin’ you’re done with work?

Stop slackin’ off and pluck the rest of them!

Yui: Y-Yes!

Monologue

The tomato he forcefully stuffed inside my mouth,

was undeniably delicious.

When I picture Yuma-kun, the very definition of ‘violence’ (乱暴),

planting seeds or watering plants,

I couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip.

I wonder if his preference for creating something,

is a remnant (名残) of his time as a human.

Since he has that side of him left,

I wish he would treat me a little more humane as well.

I sigh while plopping one more tomato inside my mouth,

with just a tinge of sweetness, it really did taste good.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) 青い or ‘aoi’ usually means ‘blue’ in Modern Japanese, but in the past, there was no specific word for ‘green’, so 青い was used for both blue or green, depending on the context. This is why even to this day, you will say 青リンゴ or ‘ao-ringo’ for a green apple and 青信号 or ‘ao-shingou’ to indicate a green light.

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#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yuma mukami #more blood #diabolik lovers translation #mbyumadark8

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rahullkohli · 5 years

Note

about the weight watchers app for kids...i’m thinking it may be for overweight/obese kids? i can see it being mentally taxing for those who are at a normal weight for their size. can you explain more about how it’s child abuse?

hello. thank you so much for actually being chill and open for a dialogue, unlike how aggressive people have been about the post.

anyway, i have been thinking about how to tackle this one the entire day, and i am afraid it’s gonna be a long one, so i’ll put it under a cut. i’m just gonna start out with a little background about myself, to explain how i am forming my opinions on the subject, and where my knowledge comes from.

i have been overweight more or less my entire life, even though i have gone through anorexia and bulimia, and have been eating below my necessary calorie intake literally my entire life (i grew up very poor, so we just simply didn’t have enough, or satisfyingly nourishing, food in the house). to this day i struggle with disordered eating patterns and body dysmorphia. i have been lifting weights on/off for 12 years, and i have been seeing a licensed nutritionist for a year and a half now, which has helped me lose 22 kg. i am still working on it. i have worked with a long line of fitness trainers (my mom is a licensed fitness trainer, for one), and about three different nutritionists. so while i don’t have any education in either of those fields, i have worked with professionals that have taught me a lot. i have also studied psychology in college for a year, and specifically child psychology for another year - i also spent a year working with kids ages 2-6.

my two youngest sisters did a weightwatchers program when they were around 8 and 10, so i have also seen upclose how that works. that was many years ago - and not in america - so i do know that the way things worked then/works in america compared to where i live, may not be the exact same. but the guidelines for the company, and their strategies should be the same, since it is afterall the same company. now, both of my sisters lost weight. they also gained it back. and more, and more, and both of them are extremely overweight today. in the way that i am the “thin” sister, compared. and they are eating disordered. they have no grasp of how to deal with food. they are intelligent women, and they know the basics of “if you eat too much pizza and ice cream, you will gain weight” but they don’t know, and don’t have the energy, to apply it to how they live. they are not only compulsive overeaters, they also don’t have a healthy eating pattern that could help stabilize their metabolism.

okay, so with that out of the way, let’s get to the actual app - and weightwatchers.

the app offers a diet, even though it is a fact that diets do not work. they literally do not. people who go on a diet will gain the weight right back on, and more. because diets are short-term solutions, and they are designed to make someone lose X amount of weight in X amount of time. it is not sustainable - just as with the oh-so-popular juice cleanses. for someone to lose weight, and keep it off, a complete lifestyle change is needed, but that is just not as simple as some companies, magazines, blogs, etc. will make it sound. because every single person is unique and what their body needs to maintain a healthy weight is unique to them specifically. in order to lose weight your daily calorie intake needs to be in a caloric deficit, but this depends on your height, your current weight, how your body is built, and more. those are things the app simply don’t take into account. now, i haven’t actually downloaded the app myself (i refuse to give them the clicks), but a licensed trainer i follow on instagram posted screencaps on her story. as far as i could see they take height and weight, and that’s that. but the human body is much more complex than just height and weight - especially when it comes to children and teenagers, who are growing, and going through tremendous hormonal changes. but i will get to that later.

what should also be taken into account are things like hormonal imbalances, and the fact that people breaks down macronutrients (carbhohydrates, proteins and fats) differently. fx, my sisters have poly cystic ovary syndrome (pcos), which means that their bodies can’t handle carbohydrates very well, whereas i need most carbs, medium protein, small amounts of fats. but apps like these don’t take that into account, because it is impossible for an app to do a check for what every single individual needs. i for example recently found out that my body doesn’t break down dairy very well. i have been using plant based milk, yogurt, ice cream and butter, instead of animal based for years, and only very small amounts of animal based cheese, so when my nutritionist had me switch to animal based yogurt i started gaining weight. i went back to plant based and the weight went off.

nutrition and a healthy lifestyle cannot be taught simplistic, because it is about the individual, and it takes a trial, error and do-over period to find what works for your specific body. and what works for your body now, might not have worked ten years ago, or ten years from now, because hormones changes how our bodies processes macronutrients. but this app is a “one size fits all”-system.

and this system. the system it is using is based on shaming children; making them feel inadequate, making them scared, and ashamed of their bodies. the “before and after” photos i have seen, have all been kids who weren’t even that big to begin with. and the fact that the “goals” to choose from when signing up includes choices such as “make my parents proud” is manipulative and destructive for a child/teenager. no kid should ever even have the thought that they need to be a certain weight/size, or their parents won’t be proud of them. the entire set-up is sowing the seed that their weight is the deciding factor for their worth as people, which is the beginning to eating disorders.

now, kids’ bodies really start changing around the age of eight (the age of which you can sign up for this monster); these years are called pre-teens for a reason. hormones really start flowing, and body fat is really needed to help the hormones and toxins take care of the body. but if a child is forced to lose excessive amounts of body fats, this can’t happen. this is one of the reasons that professional child ballerinas, gymnasts, ice skaters, etc. don’t develop until very late. some don’t even get their period until their twenties, because their development has been stunted by excessive dieting and exercising.

their psyche of children and teens are also really delicate, and they are in the process of developing what kind of people they are going to be. not only that, also what their relationships with their bodies are gonna be like. if they are constantly told by their parents/siblings/apps that they need to lose weight, that they have to track and count every calorie they consider eating, and every step they take, does that seem like a healthy foundation for how they view their body, nutrition and exercise in the future?

the way the app works is with the so-called stoplight system, where if when you put in a food it will either give you a green light (good), yellow light (medium) or red light (bad) - but the thing is that, again, that is not how simple nutrition is. you would think that the red foods would be soda, ice cream, chips etc., and the green foods would be stuff like fruits and vegetables. but again, the trainer i followed said that she put in her food for the day: a protein bar, two eggs with bread, and a piece of fruit. the protein bar came up red, the eggs and bread yellow and the fruit green. now, all of these foods are things that are written down in my carefully calculated meal plan from my nutritionist. in my plan i also have lots of vegetables, pasta, rice, chicken, even chocolate and chips. but the thing is that it’s all about how much of it i eat. and that is another thing the app doesn’t seem to take into consideration. if i was to put in nothing but vegetables it would give me green light the whole way, but it would not be nourishing for a whole day.

this app is forming their minds to spend all their energy worrying about what they eat, when they eat, how they eat. think of an eight year old with this app going to a birthday party - do you think they would be able to enjoy regular kiddie birthday party food, with the red light in the back of their heads? even if it is just one day? this app is gonna rob them of their childhood, and being able to enjoy life.

so, what i am trying to say is that the app is bad because the system doesn’t work. it is not teaching healthy habits, it is not giving advice on how to obtain a sustainable weightloss, and it doesn’t care about whether the children are actually overweight or not. it is created by a company whose sole purpose is to make money.

i don’t think that all of the parents who are buying into this are doing it because they are evil; i do believe that they think they are doing what is best for their children, but their views on body images and nutrition have also been skewed by the media and the diet culture we are living in. parents may look at their daughter’s chubby cheeks and think she’s unhealthy when she is literally just a kid with puppy fat that she will grow out of once adolescence hits. sure, there are kids who are truly in an unhealthy state with their bodies, but then the parents should have the help from a licensed professional, starting out with seeing a doctor who can tell them whether their child truly is overweight to a degree that it is dangerous, and from there on be referred to professionals that knows what they are doing. kids shouldn’t feel guilty when eating, but they will with this app.

i do realize that overweight is a problem, for both children and adults - not just in america, but most of the western world. (fun fact: the other day i saw a program that said that china is, as of 2017, the “fattest” country in the world, so it’s not just the western world, i just don’t have enough information about other places to say anything about that.) but a “one size fits all”-app is not the way to handle this issue. there are way too many layers to the problem to fix that.

not only is it important to remember that overweight does not equal unhealthy, regardless of age, gender, race, or anything else, but unhealthy overweight is especially tied to low-income persons, as nourishing food is much more expensive and accessible to people with middle-class and above incomes.

there is also the fact that education about proper nourishment is non-existent. what people know about dietary information is what they get from the media, where they will tell you garbage like goat milk is bad one day, and literally the next the same publication will tell you it’s the fountain of youth. it’s unreliable, and has no roots in actual science. even statistics can’t be trusted, because those often stem from surveys and projects paid for by big cooperations who are paying for an outcome in their favor.

so, to sum it all up; this app is based on a system that uses bodyshaming and guilt to throw kids and adults alike into a vicious cycle of yo-yo weight patterns, eating disorders and hateful relationships with themselves, their bodies and their sense of selfworth. i don’t think parents who buys into this app are overall evil, but it is an obvious tool for abusive parents who uses guilt, shame, punishment and scare tactics to manipulate their children into the above mentioned unhealthy patterns, because the parents themselves are victims of the fatphobic diet culture we are living in. not to mention that the parents don’t have access to proper information themselves.

aside from that, you can also see in the notes of the original post, that there are incredibly many people, who will tell stories about how forced diet in their childhood/teen years has been a kickstart to a lifelong series of mental and physical health issues.

this app is preying on scared parents to capitalize of a beauty obsessed ideal that is completely unrealistic.

i have also written a post about nutrition here that may be of interest to anyone reading this.

i am open to any questions, and constructive criticism. other than that i just hope i have been able to explain why i believe this app is harmful, and that it has been an informative read. thank you so much for reading to the end.

xxx

#anonymoose #ask #wwasks #nutrition #mental health #food tw #eating disorders tw #body image tw

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ravenstagtarot · 6 years

Photo

As a huge fan of both Will and Hannibal independently, as well as them together as an odd couple pair of sorts, I’ve found my interpretation of their relationship doesn’t always mesh with how others view them. While this is 100% fine, I thought I’d do a clarity reading for the nature of Will and Hannibal’s relationship to one another to see what the cards had to say.

As I began reading the cards, however, I found myself thinking mostly of Will, completing the reading from his perspective. So this ended up being a clarity spread about Will’s investment/perspective in/on his relationship with Hannibal as opposed to a reading about both of them.

Deck featured: The Wooden Tarot

Spread featured: The Wild Unknown “Clarity Spread”

In this spread, the card on top represents the overall situation while the bottom cards represent the contributing factors.

Pulling the 7 of Bones (pentacles) for the overall situation is really, really interesting to me. The 7 of Bones is a generally a card about putting in the hard work so that you can sit pretty and reap the benefits of your labor when the time is right. It’s often seen as a card that speaks to sowing the seeds and stepping back--waiting for the right moment to harvest. Little Red Tarot also has a neat spin on this card, pointing out that this can also be about taking stock of how a project or situation has been evolving. Are things moving as expected? Does the path feel right? Should you continue as you have been, or do adjustments need to be made?

Taking all of this into account, I feel this card is speaking to the in-flux nature of Will’s relationship with Hannibal. Choices have been made by Will--seeds of his love for Hannibal and his desire to be with him have been planted--and now he’s in the position of stepping back and watching them grow, trying to determine how he feels about the way they are developing. By the end of season three, we’ve found that Will has come to accept his feelings for Hannibal and the appeal of killing alongside him, but also that he cannot live with this acceptance. Understanding this part of himself is immediately followed, after all, by an attempt to destroy it. But given that we know Will and Hannibal survive the fall (since we’ve seen the place settings at the table with Bedelia) we know that now Will has to live with his choices (to love Hannibal, to want to destroy himself, his love, as well as Hannibal) and assess the direction he and Hannibal are now moving in post-fall. And personally, I think this is going to be a mental space that Will lives in for the rest of his life. What results will he harvest from his choice to stay alongside Hannibal? What consequences will he reap for his actions with and against the man he cares so deeply for? That’s the crux of the 7 of Bones for Will.

The contributing factors prove just as insightful. I drew the 8 of Plumes (swords), Death (ha!), and the 4 of Stones (wands).

The 8 of Plumes is a card about feeling trapped, wounded. Responding to an overwhelming situation with fear and passivity. I like that in this deck, the card is represented by a quiver of arrows, with one of its own arrows piercing the quiver itself. This suggests the damage is self-inflicted. It reminds me of the Devil card--being bound by our own chains of anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. Bakara Wintner points out that this can also come very directly from the experience of trauma. I think this is important to keep in mind when considering Will, given that he is a deeply traumatized individual (often by Hannibal). Will Graham has really been put through it. And, frankly, Will Graham has really put others through it, too.

So, to me what this card speaks to is the influence that Will’s truamas have over his relationship with Hannibal. In relation to the 7 of Bones, I would argue that Will’s negative experiences with Hannibal are often why he must reassess his choice to be with him. We know a big concern of Will is distinguishing himself from Hannibal. “You and I have begun to blur,” Will tells Hannibal in “Dolce”. "Isn’t that how you found me?” asks Hannibal. To which Will replies, “Every crime of yours feels like one I am guilty of. Not just Abigail’s murder, every murder. Stretching backward and forward in time.” And certainly Will does not sound overly bereft in this scene, but I think generally speaking Will worries whether his desires come from his empathy disorder consuming him and blurring what he really wants, or whether his desires come truly from himself. This question is never greater than when it comes to Hannibal, who has been manipulating Will from the start. It’s hard to build long-term trust when the foundations are built on violence and dishonesty.

I also think of Bedelia here, and Hannibal’s question to her in season 3, “Are you--at this very moment--observing or participating?” I personally think this exact question is one Hannibal could pose to Will at various points in the show, and likely beyond. Thus, the 8 of Plumes suggests to me that one of the reasons Will is perpetually considering his choices is because he is constantly stopping to ask himself (maybe unnecessarily at this point) “Am I observing or participating?” And perhaps he remains terrified of that answer.

The next contributing factor is so fitting and self-explanatory I almost don’t feel the need to discuss it. The Death card. What this represents here is the core element of Will and Hannibal’s relationship: Change. Change, evolution, becoming, etc. Hannibal changes Will, Will changes Hannibal, they both almost die repeatedly in the process. When it comes to Will and Hanni, the Death card is literal as often as it’s metaphorical. And I think in a lot of ways Will’s biggest debt to Hannibal, what draws him so thoroughly to Hannibal, is what Hannibal brings out in him (and vice versa). I think the seeds of Death have been planted in Will and by Will, and at this point he’s rather interested in stepping back and watching to see if he flourishes. I think Will also lives with the knowledge that more change (and more death) is likely to come, and so it’s become part and parcel of his relationship with Hannibal.

The final contributing factor I drew was the 4 of Stones (wands). I love this card in this spread, because it speaks to a lighter side of Will’s love for Hannibal. The 4 of Stones is one of those quintessential party cards, a card that stands for celebration, particularly after a lot of hard work. I’m going to refer to Bakara again, because she says something about this card that really resonates with this spread for me: “We’ve made something beautiful, and it’s time to gather the people we love and feel really fucking good about that.” Of course this makes me think of the seminal moment at the end of season three. “It really does look black in the moonlight. It’s beautiful.” Granted, Will’s idea of a party after this moment is to throw Hannibal and himself off a cliff, but, I like the idea that there are moments in their relationship where their mutual appreciation of each other and the life they’ve built together leads to a some good ol’ fashioned fun. I admit, I don’t exactly know what that looks like for the Murder Husbands, but I think the point is that whatever Will has chosen to grow, though there may be aspects of the harvest that feel rotten, there are also aspects that feel deeply satisfying.

Maybe Will and Hannibal really do get married. Maybe they really do continue killing together. Maybe their 4 of Stones moment looks as simple as Hannibal cooking people for Will, and Will being at peace with the fact that he enjoys the food regardless. What matters is that there is joy in some aspects of their love for one another, and maybe that makes me a bad person for wanting that for them--at least on occasion--but...hey! I can be at peace with that too.

In summary...I don’t think Will is ever going to be completely happy playing house with Hannibal. I don’t think he’s ever going to reach a place of ultimate fulfillment if he’s coupled with a murdering cannibal. The 7 of Bones speaks to being more in the middle of a journey than the end, suggesting that for Will, his feelings for Hannibal will be an ever-changing, never-settling thing. This is reinforced by our contributing factors--the fear Will feels about his own feelings, the amorphous nature of their love/relationship, and the joyous elements of the life Will has chosen to live with Hannibal.

Sounds like a deliciously complicated mess! Sorry, I had to. You know how much this show loves bad puns.

Got any thoughts? Beg to differ with some of my interpretations? Want to ask for a Hannibal-related tarot reading yourself? Don’t hesitate to send me an ask--I’d love to talk more!

#hannibal #nbc hannibal #hannigram #the wooden tarot #will graham #readings

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kavyaorganicfarm · 2 years

Text

Growing Long Beans in Containers

Choosing Container for Long Beans You don’t really need very big containers to grow long beans in your Organic Terrace Garden. You can use a 10 liter container to grow 2 plants. Just make sure that the depth of the container is 8-12 inches. Anything smaller than that would not give a good harvest and anything bigger than that would not boost your harvest significantly. The container can be anything from a un-glazed earthen pot to a plastic tub. Anything works as long as you take care of the minimum depth requirements of the container. Depending on the surface area of the container you can plant multiple long bean plans. If you are planing in a box type container, keep the distance between two plants 1 ft and between two rows the distance should be kept at 1.5 to 2 ft. If your containers is more of a bucket or a pot then plants can be planted closer; but not more than 2-3 per container.

Seed Sowing and Germination Step by step guide to sow long bean seeds Step by step guide to sow long bean seeds in containers We treat Chinese Long Bean seeds with Amrut Jal before sowing. We simply soak the seed in Amrut Jal for 24 hours before sowing. This helps in faster germination. Amrut Jal also helps in protecting the seed from fungal attack. However this step is not a must. You can alternatively soak your seeds in lukewarm water for 20-30 minutes before sowing. Even this step can be bypassed if you wish to.

It is always a good idea to fill up your pot in the day time with potting mix to warm the soil and sow the seeds in the evening in the warm soil. To sow the seeds make small holes of 1/2 to 3/4 inch depth with your finger or any blunt object like back of a pencil. Place one to two seeds in the hole and cover it with potting mix and compress the soil gently. Water thoroughly and you are done. Growing Long Beans in Containers is really simple, but you have to be a little careful during the germination period. Make sure that the soil is always moist and never becomes dry. If the sun is too harsh during day time cover the pot to protect the soil from drying during noon, but make sure that air is circulating well. Also don’t over water. It may cause the seed to rot. If it is raining continuously and heavily during this time cover your pots. If you just take care of these things, your seeds should germinate in 3-7 days time.

Growing Your Long Bean Plants in Containers When your seeds have germinated all you have to do is water them regularly to keep the soil moist all the time. When the plant grows to around 5-6 inches of height mulch your pot with organic material. This will retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing.

When the plants have grown to around 5-6 inches, they are vulnerable to heavy winds. So you need to stake them til they develop their vines and start climbing. Use any small stick of about 10-12 inches of length for staking. Just lightly tie the plant to the stake near the tip with a soft string. We use jute string for skating as it is soft, natural and cheap.

When the plant develops vines it will automatically start climbing around the strings in your trellis. You may also train the plants manually to the nearest string. Make sure that there are not more than two vines on a single string. If there are any flower pods when the plant is not even 2 ft tall just remove them. Let the plant focus on growing first. When the side vines have two to three sets of leaves pinch the tip. Pinch the tip of main vine when the vine has climbed more than 6 ft. Pinching the tips is not a absolute requirement. But when you are Growing Long Beans in Containers, pinching tips at the right time will help in growing a bushier plant and give you more produce. However you don’t have to religiously do it. Just do how much ever you can.

Fertilization and Pest Care long beans germination, flowers and pods Long beans plant life cycle from germination to flowering and fruiting. Asparagus beans and not too heavy feeders and will grow well from the nutrients in your potting mix. But to keep a good supply of nutrients and micro-nutrients in the soil and to keep the soil alive by providing enough microbial activity water you plants with a cow dung based solution like Amrut Jal or Jiwamrit every 5-7 days during growing period. When the plants begin to flower supplement your soil with good quality compost and additionally you can increase frequency of Amrut Jal watering. To apply compost remove your mulch layer. Loosen the top 1 cm of soil and add good quality compost. Add about half a liter of compost per plant. Put the mulch layer back again. When you loosen the soil you’ll notice that there are feeder roots even in the top one cm of the soil. Hence do not dig any deeper than 1 cm as you’ll be disturbing more roots if you do so.

Use Amrut Jal, Jiwamrit or Panchagavya as a foliar spray every 10-15 days before fruiting and every 7 days during fruiting. This keeps the foliage healthy and fruits become better due to direct absorption of nutrients.

Whether you are Growing Long Beans in Containers or on the ground, no matter what you do aphids will attack your plants. Ants will also attack your pods and flowers and will help the aphids to spread. Check each morning for signs of aphids or any other pests every morning. If the infestation is not too much then wait out for a day or two to see if ladybugs have arrived in your garden for feasting on the aphids. In case you don’t want to wait you can always wash the aphids off with a spray of water. If the infestation is towards the higher side then use neem spray once every 7 days and you’ll be okay. Just make sure that you spray it very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Otherwise it may cause leaf burns. Drop some turmeric powder on young pod, flowers and vines to control ants.

Harvesting Long Beans Long beans need to be harvested at the right time to get best taste and texture. Leaving them a little longer in the plant makes it loose it moisture and texture. Generally it takes about 9-10 days for the fruit to be ready after flowering. Your plant will flower and bear pods daily. So harvest your yardlong beans also regularly. Just pull them using your thumb and index finger gently and they will separate from the plant.

Plant your beans every 15-20 days throughout the season to get uninterrupted supply of healthy and fresh long beans. We also plant them with other vegetables like pumpkin, eggplants and tomatoes, so that while we enjoy the great taste of long beans they are busy helping other plants. Long beans belong to legume family of vegetables and they fix nitrogen deficiency in the soil. This helps other plants which feed on nitrogen from the soil.

Fun tips At the start of this post I told you that Growing Long Beans in Containers is super easy and you are most likely to agree with me on that now. But here are some fun do’s that would make Growing Long Beans in Pots even more interesting for the entire family. One of the tings that you can do it to use the long bean plants as a decorative plant. Just design your trellis in a way that the support climbing strings for the beans make a great visual design. Keep the color of the string red of orange and when the green long beans plants start climbing on them, they do make a very pretty picture.

Another fun activity that you can do with the kids is to find the longest bean. Get your kids to do the harvesting while you are doing other important things like watering the plants. Kids will learn to differentiate between mature and immature pods when the harvest regularly. Then check who has got the longest bean pod. Declare her the winner for the day. You’ll notice how kids start to take more interest in garden with such activities.

I am sure with the information you have got from this post you’ll be successful every time you are Growing Long Beans in Containers. And I am also sure if you have never grown or eaten long beans you’ll now be roaring to go and plant your first long bean seed. As a further motivation I’ll be posting a simple yet delicious recipe with long beans in my next post. Stay tuned and stay blessed.

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revlyncox · 6 years

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Sowing and Reaping

This sermon was delivered to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring by Rev. Lyn Cox on August 5, 2018. In it, we explore covenant, the Pagan holiday of Lammas, and the wisdom of Ms. Frizzle. This worship services launches a one-year interim ministry.

Blessed is the earth, which brings forth food for all that lives. Blessed is the rain, flowing with the water of life. Blessed is the sun, which calls to grow and which speeds our return to the earth. Blessed is the wind that carries the seed and the mist, the warm and the cool, the new and the returned. May we collaborate with and give thanks for the forces that create and uphold life. Blessed be.

I am a clueless gardener. It might be a little bit of an overstatement to say I like gardening. It might be more accurate to say that I find gardening fulfilling, even though I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. I learn spiritual lessons from gardening, mainly about how I am not in control of the universe. Perhaps because I needed to learn that lesson now more than ever, I made an ambitious plan for this year’s garden. Starting in February, I made lists of plants and I used graph paper to map out how I hoped the garden would look.

Around May 1, my kids and my partner came home from a Department of Agriculture educational event with tomato seedlings in medium-size containers, around which they had planted spinach, beans, peas, and sunflowers. My kids had great luck, and soon we had little plants ready to be put into the ground. The spinach couldn’t make the transition, but the other plants looked promising. I re-drew my maps.

Under the general category of “I am not in control of the universe,” I have learned a few corollary lessons so far this summer. Lesson One: squirrels love tomatoes. In past years, when I grew cherry tomatoes, I could harvest some before they were snatched up. This year’s crop of lovely, disease-resistant, full-sized heirloom tomatoes proved to be irresistible to our local furry friends. Lesson Two: When you let children plant seeds, they will definitely put more than one seed in every hole. What I thought would be three sunflower seedlings turned into six tall, lovely sunflowers. There were seven, but squirrels like to eat sunflowers almost as much as they love tomatoes. Lesson Three: not all seedlings survive to bear fruit, no matter what you do. The beans had an early crop, then half of the plants died, and the rest needed a month of tender, loving care. All of the pea plants died except one. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we hope.

In late July, as I was deciding if I wanted to plant again for a late harvest or if I wanted to give up, I was reminded of the old aphorism about planting beans: “Sow four seeds as you make your row: one for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot, and one to grow.” In other words, plan for uncertainty. Take chances, knowing not everything we try will bear the fruit we hope for. When the odds are slim, increase your tries.

Hearing this rhyme again helped me get out of the trap of, “Why me?” Gardeners and farmers in many times and places had gone through the disappointment of losing bean seedlings. The saying has some variations, such as replacing “mouse” with “cutworm,” “rook,” or “pigeon.” There are many ways for a seed to end up as something other than food for humans. Loss does not always arise from lack of effort or character flaw. Sometimes things just don’t pan out. Sometimes you learn from mishaps. The old rhyme pushed me into an experimental mindset, the ability to try new things, or to try again after failure with the full understanding that there are no guarantees. I planted some new beans and peas, along with some radishes and beets, hoping for a late September harvest.

Moving from a focus on failure to a focus on experimentation also helped me to be grateful for the plants that did survive and grow. Nurture what is working well. Give thanks, because spectacular things do not happen through the will of one person alone. If you saw my post about today’s service on Facebook or Twitter, I included a photo of the very first pea that came to maturity in my garden, one beautiful little pod, turning green and plump against very long odds.

This is the essence of some earth-centered holidays that happens around this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, this holiday of the first harvest and the high summer tinged with the first glimmers of autumn. Some might call this holiday Lammas, which is a holiday about bread, celebrating the first grains of the season being harvested and threshed and ground. Some might call this holiday Lughnasadh (also spelled Lúnasa), after the god Lugh, a god of craftsmanship and many skills. At Lammas, we practice gratitude, we focus on the blessings we do have, and we realize that the earth itself is a more powerful partner than individual human gardeners in bringing about the abundance of the season. We remember sowing the seeds months ago, and we remember that planting is always a gamble, and we collect seeds from this year to use in the spring. When something bears fruit, we plan to use that experience in the future, we share the credit and the harvest, and we put love and artistry into the further work of transformation.

As it turns out, the spirituality of gardening carries with it some ideas that are echoed in science, education, and congregational life. One of my science education role models is Ms. Frizzle from the book and TV series of the 1990’s, “The Magic School Bus.” If you don’t know Ms. Frizzle, ask your nearest children’s librarian. In every book or episode, her students complete research projects about something like magnetism, the solar system, dinosaurs, or the human digestive system. When the students run into a question they can’t answer, Ms. Frizzle proposes a surprise field trip. “To the bus! Seatbelts, everyone!” The bus mysteriously becomes big or small, or travels through time or outer space, or withstands the conditions of a volcano or a waterfall so that the students are able to make observations and answer their scientific questions. Ms. Frizzle always says, “Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!” These three instructions are key for the ability of the class to learn new things and to have fun while learning.

Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy. You will hear me say these three things again, because they also speak to a congregation’s opportunities during the Interim Ministry period.

Going back to the spiritual insights of Lammas, we learn at this time of year that we had to take chances. Only one out of four bean seeds in the rhyme led to a harvest. Sowing any kind of seed at all, literal or metaphorical, is a gamble. Not everything turns out the way we hope. Indeed, even as we bring in the first fruits, these are risky times. Sudden storms that cause the crop to rot or drought that invites wildfire are both real possibilities in August. Our inability to control the universe does not mean we are bad or lazy or incomplete. Living life to the fullest, learning and growing, requires a certain degree of risk.

In spiritual community, especially during the golden opportunity of an Interim year, we take chances together. We experiment with new ways of understanding the world, with different ways of worshipping and of doing church. We take the risk of speaking the truth with love. Take chances.

Make mistakes. Ms. Frizzle reminds us that the scientific method involves making a hypothesis and testing it. If we guess right every time, science doesn’t advance as quickly. We have to be willing to be wrong sometimes, and to admit we were wrong so that we can get to the juicy, exciting part of the learning process. We are human beings and we are fallible. Our tendency to make mistakes does not and should not cut us off from human community or from the traditions of spiritual growth or from the disciplines of science and craftsmanship. Humans are welcome in community, broken and whole, flawed and fabulous.

Lugh, the god who is celebrated at Lughnasadh (Lúnasa), is a character of many skills. He’s a warrior and a wheelwright, he’s a musician, he’s an athlete. Even mythical characters have to practice. Getting better at anything, from blacksmithing to gardening to being human, means we have to start out not being very good at it. Fail spectacularly. Fail with gusto. Fail better, and keep learning.

I tried growing beans and peas, and I mostly failed for the first harvest. Some part of that was due to random chance, but another part helped me learn about drainage, pest control, and planting more seeds than I think I am going to need for my crop. We’ll see how the second harvest goes. When I remembered that it’s OK to make mistakes, I was able to celebrate what I had and use what I learned rather than dwell on failure. Make mistakes.

Get messy! Farming involves getting covered with dirt, and sometimes covered in things more specific than dirt. Science education can lead to all kinds of messes, from vinegar and baking soda reactions to rock collections to close observations of living things. The abundance of Lammas puts us knee deep in flour, or the gluten-free grain of your choice. In the middle of a chaotic rush to bring the harvest home, we pay more attention to what we are doing together than on looking neat and pristine or on creating the illusion of having everything together.

In spiritual community, we get messy by being vulnerable and by accepting the range of wisdom and experience and emotion that our companions bring to community. An inclusive community welcomes all people, but not all behaviors. Figuring out how to be together, setting boundaries to help the congregation to be a place of courage and growth, is not easy. This is the art of covenant. Communities where people are authentic are complicated and difficult and heartbreaking and annoying and surprisingly joyful. Get messy.

This Lammas, let us give thanks. Let us remember the risks and acknowledge the losses, yet let us focus on gratitude and abundance. Fail better, and increase tries. This Lughnasadh (Lúnasa), let us celebrate the skills within us and among us, and let us commit to the love and artistry of living in community. As we bring in the first fruits of this new church year together, let us commit to a path of spiritual growth, lifelong learning, diverse and welcoming community, justice, and compassion. To stay on that path, let us take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.

So be it. Blessed be. Amen.

#Unitarian Universalism #lammas #lughnasadh #uu

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ubaid214 · 3 months

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Sowing Success: Cultivating a Effective and Flourishing Yard

Cultivating a yard goes beyond the bodily act of planting vegetables and maintaining crops; it is just a metaphor for personal development, mindfulness, and overall well-being. In this informative article, we will investigate the different areas of cultivating one's backyard, equally literally and metaphorically, and how this age-old training can subscribe to a fulfilling and healthy life.

Area 1: The Physical Backyard Making and nurturing an actual garden can be quite a beneficial and rewarding experience. Whether you have a small balcony, a garden, or a residential area plan, the procedure of cultivating plants teaches patience, duty, and a connection to nature. Tending to the land, sowing vegetables, and seeing flowers grow give an expression of accomplishment and a tangible representation of the pattern of life.

Subsection 1.1: Conscious Farming https://loisggrear.usite.pro/blog/ Exercising mindfulness in the yard involves being fully present in the minute while doing garden activities. Concentrating on the designs of the land, the shades of the flowers, and the sounds of nature might help cultivate an expression of relaxed and relaxation. Aware farming has been connected to reduced strain levels and increased mental well-being.

Subsection 1.2: Sustainable Practices Cultivating a yard can also be a way to embrace sustainable practices. From composting kitchen spend to applying rainwater for irrigation, sustainable garden not just benefits the environmental surroundings but additionally deepens our knowledge of our interconnectedness with the planet.

Section 2: The Metaphorical Backyard Beyond the physical region, cultivating one's yard is a metaphor for private development and self-discovery. It requires maintaining the seeds of potential within ourselves, nurturing good behaviors, and weeding out negativity.

Subsection 2.1: Particular Growth Just as flowers require the best situations to flourish, persons require the best setting for private growth. Cultivating habits such as for example constant learning, self-reflection, and goal-setting donate to a satisfying living journey.

Subsection 2.2: Emotional Well-Being The metaphorical garden also includes mental well-being, emphasizing the significance of nurturing good feelings and addressing bad ones. Normal self-care methods, such as for instance mindfulness meditation or journaling, is visible as very same of giving the required vitamins for emotional resilience.

Conclusion: Cultivating one's yard, whether in the bodily or metaphorical sense, is a holistic method of particular progress and well-being. It involves persistence, mindfulness, and a commitment to nurturing growth. Once we tend to the gardens, we concurrently have a tendency to ourselves, fostering a living that's lively, healthy, and in equilibrium with the rounds of nature. Therefore, seize your gardening instruments and attempt this trip of cultivation, where the seeds you plant today can bloom into a more fulfilling tomorrow.

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psychicmedium14 · 6 years

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The Winter Solstice marks a potent turning point in the year, when darkness is deepest, and the Sun shines above the horizon for the fewest hours of the day, of the whole year. It’s both a powerful time of release, and of seed sowing – very much like each of our 13 yearly New Moons. It’s a day for setting intentions – days like this are known as “power days” as there’s a LOT of cosmic charge in the ethers, ready and available to be directed at will. So it’s one of the best days in the entire year to hold a ritual, work a little magic, and connect to the divine, creative forces of Nature. Winter Solstice is also a wonderful day for celebration, for gratitude, and for pausing on the treadmill, to honor all that we are, and all that we have in the spaces we inhabit right now. Here are 10 ideas for you to use, adapt and run with in your own life, to mark this beautiful and sacred Solstice time. 1 – HONOR THE DARK Use only candles to light your spaces for the day, starting with a candlelit breakfast, and finishing with candles by your bedside. You may do less, move more slowly and retire to bed much earlier than usual, but this is the point! Allowing less artificial light to enter in through your eyes and skin will attune you to this darkest of days, inviting the rest and replenishment your body and soul needs. 2 – HAVE A SOLSTICE FIRE Gather wood to burn and invite friends and neighbors to join you, to enjoy the sight, sound and heat. When the fire dies down, you could follow the beautiful tradition of saving a piece of charred wood to start next years’ fire with (or even your Summer Solstice fire!) 3 – HOLD A FIRE RELEASING CEREMONY Amp-up your connection to your solstice fire, by harnessing its transformational power. Write down anything you wish to release onto small pieces of paper and toss them into your fire. As they burn in the flames, know that you are energetically releasing whatever has been holding you back. It’s important to complete the ceremony by inviting something in, to replace what you have let go of. It could be simply love, courage or openness to something better, so write this down onto another small piece of paper, and toss this into the fire too. As it burns, you are releasing the idea to the Spirits, so that they can help it manifest in your life, in its highest and best possible way. 4 – MAKE A HOLLY CROWN The ancients used holly for its protective properties (energetically as well as physically!) So making and wearing a holly crown is a potent symbol of protection against the malevolent spirits which can lurk at this dark time of year. 5 – PLANT SOME WINTER BULBS Narcissi, crocuses and tulips are perfect example of bulbs to plant at this time of year. Set your own intentions as you bury these globes of potential. As they develop shoots, stems and finally bloom over the coming months, they will act as symbols of your own blossoming desires. This is a lovely way to set the pace, and to provide a beautiful visual correspondence for any intentions you set to manifest in the Springtime. 6 – PROGRAM A CRYSTAL Select a crystal (you can choose one you own already or why not treat yourself to a new Solstice gift! Raw stones are best, not always as pretty, but they can be programmed, unlike tumble stones). Set an intention into this stone for what you would like to attract for the next quarter-year, and carry it with you as a talisman. Be careful – this is a powerful thing to do, and unless you remember to de-program your crystal, it will keep on calling in what you’ve asked for indefinitely). You can program small pieces of quartz, with simple intentions like holding and emitting the vibration of love, and squeezing them into knots in trees. There is something very special about returning these pieces of earth to her. 7 – BAKE SOME BREAD, A CAKE, OR SOME SOLSTICE BISCUITS As you add each ingredient, send a wish into the bowl with it. Know that you are creating up a powerful mix, a potion of intent, which is already taking form, and is the beginnings of manifestation. The last step is to eat your creation, with pleasure and confidence that your intentions are literally becoming you! 8 – MAKE SOME MULLED WINE OR CIDER AND SHARE IT WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE When Solar light is at its lowest, it’s important to re-kindle our human connections. Offer warmth – hugs, hot drinks and cozy hearths, AND emotional warmth, kindness and generosity to the people you care for. 9 – STAY UP ALL NIGHT! Be there, when the Sun rises in the morning to welcome back the light. 10 – OR, GO TO SLEEP, AND ASK FOR A POWER-DREAM As you drift off into the longest, darkest night of the year, invite in the visions that will light your way through the next turn of the yearly wheel. Ask your higher self to visit you in the dream worlds, and show you what you most need to see. Be sure to keep a pen and some paper or a journal by your bedside, to write down what you recall upon waking in the morning. The Solstice is meant to be FUN! Use these suggestions as a starting point, and they could even mark the beginnings of some Solstice traditions of your very own! What are you doing to celebrate? Share your magic. Wishing you a beautiful Solstice!

#spirituality #winter #solstice #celebración

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artificialqueens · 7 years

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Church of the Poison Mind Ch. 3 (Trixya) - Dahlia

A/N: Thank you for all of the lovely feedback on the last two chapters, seeing those little asks truly makes my heart soar! Also thank you to the literal step mom of my of my fic, Lale, thank you for listening to me whine!! And Matilda for all of the college information (which I would be so lost without) and kind words of encouragement!! GO CHECK OUT THEIR FICS, THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL. Anyway, this is just like 3k of Trixie crying and being a hot mess. Enjoy! Also feel free to drop me a line @DahliasForKatya !!

Trixie’s father wasn’t a bad man, but he was like a trampoline come July when it came to stretching the truth.

She always felt such a sense of pride when it came to her father, there was no one else in the world who cared for her quite like he did. He was a well dressed man, meagerly successful, hardworking. He snored loudly in the evenings, fell asleep most nights in front of the T.V., but always rose at the near crack of dawn for his shift at the quarry. No matter how late he worked, hours spent in back breaking labor under the summer sun, he was always present. Every weekend he would treat her to fancy meals at their favorite Portuguese restaurants, or Sunday morning matinees at the local movie house. She liked “helping him” tie his shoes in the morning, liked their quiet dinners at home. She enjoyed watching him cook, dancing around the kitchen excitedly when he flambeed the contents of a saute pan.

Trixie loved the derby most of all, watching her father’s eyes light up as his favorite horse rounded the track in victory. She loved the colors they wore, and their funny names. She was ecstatic to bursting whenever he’d let her place a bet; she’d cheer them on from the sidelines, imitating their gallop. And Trixie, only nine and confused by the sport, would believe her father when he said her horse had won, even if it hadn’t. Trixie often wished her mother would accompany them, but relished this safe space with him. She looked up to him; idolized him with the kind of starry-eyed innocence only a child could wear.

They were watching stars and planting wishes, chocolate mousse for dessert and butterfly kisses. He grew a love for Trixie in the garden, as tall as eight mammoth sunflowers. She couldn’t wait to learn and grow, to scatter the seeds and watch him sow.

Trixie could recall that day he picked her up from school, could recount how many times she leaned in to smell his cologne. He was tall and dark haired, and Trixie couldn’t wait until she could be big and strong like him. He wore a new shirt that day, his hair was shorter, and Trixie could see he’d had his leather shoes shined. She looked down at her reflection in them, and they distorted the contours of her face, making her smile. She liked to imagine that he’d dressed up just for her, like prince charming come to whisk Cinderella to the ball. Trixie held his hand the whole walk home, fidgeting in excitement as they started up the driveway. She couldn’t wait for her mother to see his new outfit, Trixie hoped she’d like it enough to sit at the dinner table with them that night, instead of in front of the T.V. like she always did.

She twirled herself around his finger; wondering how long it would take for her fairy godmother to sweep her up, and turn her school clothes into a gown, big and blue. She dreamed of woodland creatures and magic pumpkins while he held the screen door for her. And she curtsied passed him, so caught up in fantasy that she failed to see the hurt cross her mother’s face. It’s terrifying, isn’t it? How the crushing weight of reality can change a perspective.

“Well don’t you look nice,” her mother said, “New shirt. New shoes. New girlfriend?”

—

Katya. Professor Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova.

The center of Trixie’s gravity upended, overturning bilious nerves in the pit of her stomach. She felt as though a woolen blanket over a stove burner, recumbent and stifling, willing the flames to overcome her. Katya. A beautiful Russian curl fell from her lips, each word more tempting than the last. She stood at the head of the class almost sibylline, and Trixie wondered how she’d never noticed the accent before. The thought occurred to her then, that they hadn’t done very much talking; somehow she’d underestimated the power of body language. There was something to be said about a body that alluring; how their chemistry had the ability to forego speech. They spoke in only the tongue of ardor that night, both tongues passing fluidly over goosebumps and other, more private parts. Trixie could still feel her mouth, hot and wet, painting bruises down the skin of her chest. They ached a sore path of memory, and Trixie tried desperately to not to touch them.

Katya. She was as beautiful as she was unattainable. Her words were almost aromatic, and though their meaning lie completely lost, Trixie could feel each curl envelope her. Saccharine, but daring, enigmatic. Trixie’s face flushed. She found it hard to concentrate, to look anywhere but Katya’s lips. And though she sat at the far end of the class, she might as well have been center stage. Katya’s eyes followed her every move, like the preeminent charm of the Mona Lisa. Trixie could recall every art museum she’d ever been to, and all were incomparable to this beauty, this red lipped mystery. This moment, while lively and brilliant, was shattering, and Trixie came crashing back to Earth, hard; like a space traveler jettison from the shuttle.

“Okay, since this is first day, and I am to be molding your tiny minds, why don’t we get to know each other a bit better? I’ll start. Privyet! I’m Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, but you can call me Katya. And since you all love talking about my sex life so much, you’ll be happy to know I got laid last night!” She shot Trixie a flippant glance, and her gleaming teeth widened into a smile. Trixie recoiled, red in the face. She could feel the acid creeping up her throat.

“Oh, and also,” she continued, “I’m pretty sure I still have two of my baby teeth! We see, who’s next?” Katya scanned the room, and let a red finger nail land on the first desk.

“Oh, me? Um fuck, okay, hey I’m Detox and I don’t want to fucking be here.”

“Ura! This is kind of spirit I like to see,” Katya chirped, her hands on her hips, “You next! Tall skinny one!”

“Hieeeee, my name’s Alaska, and Roxxxy lent me the top I’m wearing. Isn’t it cute?”

“Not as cute as you think! Okay, next! You, pretty Barbie!”

And all eyes landed on Trixie.

“I um, hi, I’m Tracy-I mean Trixie! Trixie Mattel. And um, I have to use the bathroom, can I please use the bathroom now?”

The classroom erupted in laughter, and Trixie sank even further into herself, feeling the prick of hot tears threaten her bottom lashes.

“Please,” she tensed.

Katya dropped her front, allowing the gravity of the situation to weigh on her. Truthfully, she was just as shaken as Trixie, though she’d never allow herself even a second of vulnerability. Her face softened, then returned to levity.

“I didn’t know plastic dollies could use bathroom, but of course. You know where this is, yes?”

Trixie didn’t know where the bathroom was and didn’t care. She’d never ask. She gathered her things and started for the door, and although she didn’t turn to look back, she was certain every eye had followed her out.

The pale haired girl from Trixie’s previous class, the first year, sat on the right side of the room. And Katya, shifting her weight to an opposite foot, called upon her, almost uncomfortably.

“Your name?”

“Max.”

“You seem like nice girl. You make sure she makes it to bathroom okay, make sure she doesn’t fall in.”

Max grabbed her bag and hurried after Trixie, catching the door before it swung shut.

After rounding the floor twice, Trixie found the bathroom, tucked into a small corner at the far end of the hall. The boarded window of the door read in bold letters: Out of order, use first floor.

Trixie pushed through anyway, feeling the boards come undone under her drive. The room was musty and had long been forsaken; thick layers of dust were settled over every surface. Trixie flipped a switch and the lights clamored to life above her, flickering at first, before settling into a static glow. Max came staggering in behind her, out of breath, having just returned from the first floor bathroom.

“You know this one’s out of order!” Max huffed, approaching her, “We shouldn’t be in here. There’s probably asbestos!”

Max was a gentle soul, with ashen hair and an overwrought smile. She was thin and lanky, much taller than Trixie. She had a familiarity about her though, something Trixie couldn’t quite place.

Trixie used the palm of her hand to smudge out a clear circle in the dusty mirror, and winced at the sight of her makeup, how her tears had carried mascara down her cheeks and stained her foundation. Max rushed over then, rummaged through her purse, and pulled out a school newspaper. She tore away a bottom edge and blotted the space beneath Trixie’s eyes.

“We’re gonna get you all fixed up Doll, don’t you worry.”

Doll. The word ricocheted through her, and she was hearing Katya’s voice again.

I didn’t know plastic dollies could use bathroom.

How could she make light of this? How could Katya stand so tall, so untouched, while Trixie was weak in the knees? Every thought rattled through her, all of the new sights and sounds. Every voice, every blare, boomed in her ears. She wondered what the other girls thought of her, if they’d made any assumptions.

Rumor has it, the professor was having an affair with a female student…

Had Katya known she was a student all along? Did she do this to all of her students? How could Katya look at her like that, so confident, so bold? As if she hadn’t seen Trixie bare and unguarded, hadn’t skimmed the surface of her vulnerability?

And since you all love talking about my sex life so much, you’ll be happy to know I got laid last night!

Everything came flooding back. Fingers in her hair, trailing her ribs, fingers racing everywhere. Mouths colliding, coinciding, like fresh fallen pollen cast over a lake; leaving paths of sticky bright yellow for the doves of morning. Parts of Katya swam in the stream of her blood, and the indelible ink of that night stained the shores bright red, like the lipstick still on her sheets. She pressed into a tender bruise on her chest, and the pain dissolved into her fingertip.

No. It had to be an accident, sheer coincidence. There’s no way Katya could’ve known she’d be at the bar that night, or who she was for that matter. Trixie took in a breath, and exhaled a long whistle, feebly chewing the inside of her cheek. She could taste blood.

“Hey wait a moment,” Max said, bringing Trixie from her thoughts. Max continued to gently dust powder over Trixie’s cheeks, “I thought I knew you from somewhere. You’re from Wisconsin aren’t you? Kim’s friend! She’s been going on about you for weeks, I’m Max! We went to the same high school, you and I!”

Everything clicked into place for Trixie; and had she been in a less precarious state, she may have even realized sooner. Max Malanaphy. A grade below her. Her face flashed red; she was a master at bad first impressions, proficient in making an ass of herself.

“Well, this is a lovely first interaction! This is so like me! A hot mess, all of the time!” Trixie sighed, a wry smile on her lips. She wiped a runaway tear and began sifting through her purse for mascara, though no amount of makeup could cover the redness; her splotchy cheeks, her tired eyes. The strings tightened. She wished she could call Kim.

She and Kim had been friends for as long as she could remember. Kim was her rock. The year she’d left for that fancy college in New York–and left Trixie behind–had been more than difficult; and although their friendship sustained itself through texts and phone calls, there was always an end, always a goodbye. After the click, sitting in the vibration of the dial tone, Trixie had already forgotten how to reach into the space between them and pull back the chords of her happiness.

Kim was always there, except for when she couldn’t be. She was supportive almost to her own flaw. Afraid to say no and risk hurting a friend, she often made too many commitments. She was always buzzing about here and there, having to reschedule and plan around, always plan around. Despite her best efforts, she frequently found herself double booking, putting her in the exact position she’d been trying to avoid. Regardless, she was quite popular, and had hoards of friends and followers. A softness for Trixie rested in the center of her chest, however, and Kim had always tried to make sure Trixie came first.

Trixie ached for a hug then, picturing Kim covered in paint at the art studio. She needed some other touch, anything to rid her of Katya’s fingerprints. All of the paint in the world couldn’t cover up this blunder.

“Don’t sweat it, it happens to the best of us. Anything you’d like to talk about, darling?” Max asked, sweetly.

“Not really. But thank you.”

“Well alright then, let’s get us back to class.”

Trixie took one last look in the mirror before starting for the door, and held it open for Max. She waited for dust to finish scattering from the frame, and then maneuvered through herself; stopping for a moment in the hall to brush off her dress. They rounded the last corridor and paused outside of room 203, where Max turned to face her. Calm undulated through Max like the first breeze of spring, Trixie could almost feel a faint sun on her skin, could almost hear leaves rustling in the trees. She gestured for Trixie to follow her in movement, and took two exaggerated breaths, her hands afloat with the rise and fall of her chest. She gave a gentle nod as if to say, ready? And turned for the door at Trixie’s signal.

“Wait! Wait,” Trixie pulled lightly on Max’s arm, turning her around, “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

As they entered, Trixie could feel the blood in her cheeks running too close to the surface. She ducked in, and braced for the eyes she would have to endure on the way to her seat. Much to her surprise, Katya waved them in without so much as a word, and the two of them sat quietly, their entrance unobserved by the class. She was grateful, and relief came in waves, colliding on shores of fading embarrassment.

And while Katya rambled on excitedly about chemical nomenclature and the absurdities of chemistry as a whole–

“This is stupidest fucking class you’re ever going to take.”

–Trixie wondered if she’d magnified the situation in her head. It had been a bad habit of hers, still was, always seeing the worst, fearing the worst; she’d packed up and moved the 909 miles from Milwaukee to New York, vowing to leave those facets like tire tracks in the dirt roads behind her. She vowed to bury that part of herself like she had the specters of her past, but they haunted her still, crooning troubled reveries of Milwaukee and what might’ve been.

Trixie had left her home, at the center of town, and moved the 909 miles to New York. She’d left Sharon’s Grocery on Grove Street; where she’d sit for hours behind the register, watching girls her age straggle in, pushing strollers with toddlers underfoot. She’d left her house on Dogwood Avenue, where they used to pop the tops of johnny pumps and dance in the spray. Azalea’s Ice Cream and Chestnut Park, Andy’s Books, and the corner cheese shop. Bicycles, board games, and balloons, floated in the dust behind her. And their images felt like home; or more like a rose tinted dream, slowly, every stalk of corn she passed seemed to bend beneath the weight of what was no longer there.

She removed herself from thought, and her ribcage felt as empty as the cage she had abandoned.

She could see from under wet lashes that the students around her were gathering books and rising from their chairs. Her eyes landed then on Katya, whom recumbent in her swivel chair, comedically wore three pairs of safety goggles on the top of her head. Katya caught her glance and grinned aptly in Trixie’s direction.

“Tracy, we talk for a moment, yes?”

“Trixie. It’s Trixie.” Trixie stood, and inhaled a shaky breath. Students brushed passed her on their way out, chattering, filling the room with sound and then leaving it flat.

“Right, right, Talullah, I’m so sorry.”

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she met Katya at the head of the class. Those eyes, that smile, those stupid goggles. Her stomach somersaulted.

“Have a seat?”

“I’d like to stand if that’s okay.”

Katya stood to meet Trixie’s eyes, and flipped a small, pleasant nod of her chin.

“Listen, Tamara-”

“I’d really prefer it if you called me Trixie,” she interjected.

“Toby,” Katya’s eyes lit up and she leaned into her words, “I don’t want to get off on wrong lucky rabbit’s foot, I’m sorry if I made you feel red in the face. Trust me, I feel the same as you do probably, maybe worse! Look! I’m very sweaty!”

Katya rolled her eyes in feigned exasperation and used a stray copy of the syllabus to fan her armpits. Trixie felt a chuckle bubble up her throat, and she eased into the conversation, suddenly a bit calmer.

“While I enjoyed every possible, steamy, tempestuous moment of last night… This is my job, my livelihood, and I have to remain professional.” Katya fixed a fourth pair of safety goggles to the top of her head, and pursed her lips. “Because you know, I am very professional.”

They both broke into laughter, and Trixie’s face flashed bright red.

“Look!” Katya chirped, “You are doing red face thing again! Sorry, I ramble! My point is, I care about you, as I would any student, and I want to put this behind us. Start fresh! Maybe we could be good friends, yes?”

“I think that might be possible.”

“Ura! We start from scratch! Hello!” Katya extended an open hand and forcefully grabbed Trixie’s, stiffly shaking it, “I’m Katya and I definitely have not seen you naked!”

“Trixie.” She was feeling lighter, and she’d forgotten all about the strings as they uncoiled.

“Nice to meet you, Tracy! I will see you tomorrow, yes?”

“Yeah but before I go,” Trixie prompted, a smile falling on her lips, “I just have one question.”

“Da, anything! Shoot!” Katya was infectious, and Trixie eased into her, melting into the banter.

“Is it too late to drop this class?”

#trixya #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #college au #lesbian au #angst #dahlia #rpdr fanfiction #church of the poison mind

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4/2/2019 DAB Chronological Transcript

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible Chronological. I'm China. Today is the 2nd day of April. Welcome. It's funny because I was like, is it April? Because I wasn't here yesterday. I didn't necessarily take a break, I was in the producing part. (It's just the only word I can say). Yesterday was so fun. It was a last minute idea. It's like, oh my goodness! April fools day. I don't know what to do. And Zeke was just sitting there next to me and I was like, perfect. But Zeke can't necessarily.. like he's still at the point where he's sounding out words and so he can't read. For those of you who don't know, Ezekiel's my six year old brother. And so I was like, man, this is gonna take forever if we do this. I know it's just chapters 7-8, or 6-7 or something like that, but this will literally take hours to do this. And so I was like, go get Ben. Let's let him do this. So we did a double collab and it was really fun. And I think we both were able to realize, wait a second. This is her everyday life. This is no walk in the park. This requires effort and if you mess up words and you gotta edit them out and you gotta restart and just different things like that. So it was really fun.

Welcome to the month of April. It's so exciting to be here with you guys today. Today we're in the book of Judges. We're gonna be in chapters 8-9. And we will be in the Christian Standard Bible for this week.

Prayer

Jesus, I thank you that there's truth in the fact that what we reap we will sow. And so, God, even if we were to have a field of things that we could harvest, I thank you that your word is true and the fact that whatever we reap we sow. So, Lord, would we be aware of the fact that we are always carrying seeds in our hands. And everyday we're planting something. And, Father, it can be this massive thing or something that produces a little plant, a fruit, or a massive tree that it would take longer, God, I thank you that there's things that are worthy of being planted. But sometimes, Lord, we can plant things that die because we don't take care of them. And the times weeds come and choke those things out. And sometimes we plant things that don't produce fruit and that are harmful to our soul. And so, God, I just pray that we would be aware of the things that we are partaking in, whether it's where we're at work, whether we're at school. That the things that we listen to, the things that we watch, the people that we're around, things that we partake in. Everything that we consume, Lord, would we be aware that it's not just a surface level thing. That sometimes it can play deeper. And, God, I pray that we be mindful of our souls, that we be mindful of our spirit, that we would maintain them. And that we wouldn't just be so set focused on being the best Christian that we could be. But rather, that we would be in contact with our spirit, that we would be aware of what's going on with us, that we would be checked in with us. That we would make sure that our rage isn't getting the best of us. That our jealousy, our guilt, our shame, our pride wouldn't consume us to the point where we are on auto pilot. And Jesus, I thank you that your word brings revelation, it brings healing and it brings truth. And I thank you that your word is all of those things. And I thank you that you are all of those things. You love us so perfectly despite what we have planted and despite what we've done. I thank you, Lord, that you are God and you are sovereign and you are king and you are Father God. And so, Jesus, we just thank you for your word. We thank you for this time and being in your presence. And it's in your Son's name we pray. Amen.

Announcements

Dailyaudiobible.com is our website. That is the place of connection. It's where you can get connected and stay connected around in the community. So be sure to check that out.

And if you are needing community and you're needing prayer, we have a prayer request phone number line. And that is 800-583-2164. And those are played at the end of everyday's podcast.

But that is all for today I'm China. I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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