We were away for a week and one of my cats is now a heavy, vaguely cat-shaped blob attempting to become one with my legs while the other pops up from behind the couch every hour or so, meows loudly in my ear, demands his pets, and wanders on his way. I think they missed us.

For the first time since planting one of our baby apple trees produced significant FRUIT. The Marchells are now the proud possessors of 2 kg of Virginia Crabs. Which sounds odd now that I come to think about it twice. Virginia Crab APPLES. Slightly better.

I've returned to working on the Gilded Age heist novel and for background reading have found myself deeply embroiled in April White's excellent "The Divorce Colony" - basically case studies of several women who went to Sioux Falls SD to seek divorces in that era. Fascinating stuff!

The Marchell family is pleased to announce a mighty victory has taken place this day, to whit the defeat of Mouse on Stick. It was not an easy battle, or a short one. First General Felix took to the field, and fought with a spectacular display of acrobatics. To! Fro! Up the stairs!

I love reading (and occasionally trying to write) regencies as much as the next person - probably more than most - but CM is 100% right in this thread about a lot of what is going on with regency romances.

On 1 September 1920, crusading editor R A Bennett wrote to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Basil Thomson to alert him to a fearsome threat to public morality – indeed to the very fabric of society itself. What was it? A slim publication featuring essays, poetry and lonely hearts adverts

When my husband works from home, he gives the cats their afternoon cookies right around now. When he works from the office - or we are gone in the afternoon - they rush upstairs to sit outside the door of his office looking expectant as soon as they hear his car pull up.

Some of these are AMAZING.

Half an hour into trying to capture my cat from under the bed for his epilepsy medication, I finally was able to lay hands on him and carry him, wiggling indignantly, down to my husband. "I have Mr. Sack of Potatoes!" I said triumphantly (he turns into a sack of potatoes when caught)... (1/2)

📰 Wake up babe, a new Sumerian myth just dropped 🏺 Archaeologists have deciphered a cuneiform tablet detailing a previously unknown tale, although its fragmented nature leaves the story unfinished #ArchaeologyNews via @archaeologymag.bsky.social archaeology.org/news/2025/07...

My cat is currently rubbing himself under my chin and I'm sorry, correction, a giant pile of loose fur masquerading as my cat is rubbing himself under my chin. Happy summer.

Correspondents from the independent journalists’ cooperative Bereg visited Russia's polluted Black Sea coast for a firsthand look at one of the strangest tourism seasons in recent memory. That report is now available in English. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

From the archives of All Things Georgian, 'The Heatwave of July 1808' - wp.me/p3JTNy-3sy #mondayblogs #18thc

When all else fails, Piping Plover chicks come through with SERIOUS FLUFF. I had no idea they were this adorable.

In my new novel, THE ART OF A LIE, Hannah Cole is struggling to run her confectionery shop in 18th C London after her husband's murder, and she believes an Italian delicacy called 'iced cream' might be the answer to her problems. So yesterday I made ice cream the Georgian way!🍦A thread...

I don’t know, peeps, but I just keep coming back around to the idea that what so many people want is a hopeful vision of a better world, with autonomy, dignity, & respect for all, affordability of food/shelter, education, medical care, clean air/water, & a place in a community. That’s the message.

Wait WHAT? They're making a movie based on Sweet on You? OMG, I cannot wait.

There's a heat wave in New England, meaning our cats cannot have their typical morning zoomies in the very warm attic; and that in turn means that every so often there will be a whoosh of air as a cat sails over my head while doing laps around the first floor.

It feels ever weird to make art in times like this, but as someone who remembers history creativity and artists are always things authoritarians want stamped out (unless they will work /for/ them)

Here's a round up of fun and exciting garden/orchard news from the Marchell household!

Two friends wrote a gay romance — and had to flee Russia. The novel became a bestseller. And is now available in English. Via Wapo (gift link) wapo.st/43ZtRys

This whole thread makes some really, really interesting points.

This entire thread is an absolute delight.

I need everyone on Normal People internet to know that American Girl Doll Instagram is doing doll protests today. There are tiny t-shirts and signs. AND THEN I realized it's a joint protest with the Barbie ppl, where there are EVEN TINIER SIGNS.

Like Samuel Pepys I'm totally not going to buy any more new books. Except that one. And that one. And that other one. Okay, and maybe a book or two from the author's backlist. But that's 100% it, I'm on a total book buying pause. Mostly.

This is very cool. If you want to do amateur apple sleuthing of your own, there were a lot of orchards planted at old now-abandoned farmsteads in New England, many of which are now in state or other parks. Just be prepared for grossness. And ticks.

I'm looking forward to reading this. Well, "forward" might not be the right word, but as an avid reader of thrift-store bodice ripper finds, avoiding the Lost Cause narrative is appallingly difficult and I'm curious to learn more about why.

We are in France staying in a low ceilinged attic apartment in an old building. My husband is 13 inches taller than I am. Guess who is hitting their head more often? (He remembers to duck… I’m short enough that in the States I never have to!)

breed standard dalmatians are these like tragically statuesque inbred monstrosities but at the source in dalmatia the ur-dogs are beautiful squat blocky robust mutts with ample joie de vivre

12-year-old boy left alone on sidewalk after ICE raid in Massachusetts www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/... #Waltham

Okay, so my epileptic cat is driving us nuts with constant vomiting (yes I have a call into the vet) and as a result we're being very careful about when we give him kibble - he isn't interested in wet food right now but will snarf up kibble instantly.

I love how matter-of-fact her posture is, like of course she's trudging home from the bus stop with her Mutated Giant Shrimp over her shoulder, what is unusual about that?

Rümeysa Öztürk has been freed!!

A report from the scene of a horrifying kidnapping on the streets of Worcester, MA today by @billshaner.bsky.social www.welcometohellworld.com/they-dont-ne...

Ditto. Somebody get cracking.

Super interesting and very worth reading the linked articles within the text, even as a layperson with minimal background in Roman history - the archaeological overviews of recent room discoveries at Pompeii were absolutely fascinating.

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada and AAPI Heritage Month in the US! I've partnered with Kobo to create this list of 40+ romances by Asian authors (both ebook and audiobook!) that you can read with your Kobo Plus subscription. kobo.com/p/romance-by...

This sent me on a Google quest - for a fascinating article on Robertson's life and art, see below.

hello!! I know everyone is busy/the news remains bad, but if I may distract for a moment? There's a man named Ander Louis from the Yarra Valley whose sincere passion project is translating War & Peace into Bogan Australian. He's done Books 1 & 2. This is not a spoof. www.amazon.com/dp/108730656...

Please highlight this story. ICE stormed into the wrong house, trashed the place, and made women/girls stand outside in the rain in their underwear. ICE also stole phones, laptops, and cash savings from the family, who moved to OKC two weeks ago. kfor.com/news/local/w...

How I feel when I’ve done the bare minimum.

Author Vanessa Riley finding out that she can't use the word "slavery" on canva is really something else. www.threads.com/@vanessarile...

Romancelandia's favourite ferrets need support! (Shout out for long time @smartbitches.bsky.social readers)

A Border Patrol official arrested a 19 yo citizen from Albuquerque in Arizona who didn’t have ID on him, claimed he ‘admitted’ to illegally crossing the border, abducted + ICE imprisoned him for 10 days, and would have deported him to Mexico if his family hadn’t tracked him down and provided his ID.

Old North Church in Boston last night on the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride.

It's going to hit 80 here so I'm skipping the historical reenactments. Instead I will weed out the asparagus patch, which has been an unexpected delight - we bought some moldy crowns six years ago at a warehouse sale, threw them in the ground, and fresh asparagus every spring ever since.

Y.S.M. is a teen accused of being a Tren de Aragua member because of a photo showing him with a water pistol. His family and attorney believe he and a group of Venezuelans detained in TX are at risk of being flown to El Salvador today in defiance of the US Supreme Court.

As we protest statues that glorify racist ideology, we also need to think about the things that ended up inside of museums because of assumptions about white superiority. Here's one story - of meteorites, pandemic, and Minik, the boy who lost his parents and his whole world.

The little whippet! The hats! The walking stick! But mostly - the little whippet!

The Maine Heritage Orchard does some of this in New England. The number of apple varieties - old and new - is truly staggering, and so many are delicious in ways you never expected. My favorite fall treat is Blue Pearmain, cored and filled with brown sugar and a touch of bourbon, then baked.