Sometimes all the wisdom and truth in the world can be found on the side of an 18th century Wedgwood teapot; Health to the sick Honour to the brave Success to the lover And freedom to the slave Sharing this one again because it's awesome, someone should start reproducing these.

Yes indeed. You can find details of the Dorothy Dunnett Society at dunnettcentral.org We meet twice a year, in April and June, and also host regular online lectures and help arrange gatherings for International Dorothy Dunnett Day in November (next year on 1 Nov to mark Lymond's 500th birthday).

Joyeux Noel 2025 to all my friends and correspondents here at the site-- Joyeux Noel and all the best for 2026.

Whenever I hear "Feliz Navidad" sung at Christmas, I sing it as "Police Nabbed My Dad". I am and always will be an 11-year old boy at heart.

🦊If you're enjoying my advent stories, then why not buy me a cup of very strong chocolate over at my Kofi! Much appreciated for body and soul! ko-fi.com/annelouiseav...

All of my days are yesterdays. Capiche?

Does anyone recall Dorothy Dunnett's historical novels-- e.g., the Lymond series? Are her novels still being read? Is there still an active fandom?

Remember-- when you reward a Small Messenger Capybara for his courier duties, the traditional gift is a vanilla milkshake.

There are Small Mongolian Ponies-- Przewalski Horses! --being relocated to Spain. They'll be the first Przewalskis in Iberia in 10,000 years. Yay, Small Mongolian Ponies!

Hello friends!! It is I, Alfie Ted, and I am going to be your #FurryTails beartender today. We will also be discussing this month's #FurryReaders book, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun.

Are we at an impasse?

Happy Birthday, dear Anne Louise! Thank you for your wonderful art and your wonderful warmth and kindness.

happy birthday to @annelouiseavery.bsky.social 🥳🎉 may your future be bright and full of joy 🙏✨️ enjoy this oil painting of an arctic fox by Icelandic artist Thorgrimur Einarsson

Happy birthday to me! And to darling Wolf! Best Sacher-Torte for breakfast! 🐺🎂🍂

Does anyone out there over the aether recall a series of British spy thrillers from the 1960s-1970s where the main character was named "Colonel Ryder"? The novels were reprinted in the early 1980s-- I recall that much, but not the author or any titles.

Watched "House of Dynamite" today. Very fine small film-- a kind of pre-WW3 procedural. I really liked the way the film dealt with the machinery of crisis. This is something I'll end up getting on DVD.

Bat and Moon — Yamada Hōgyoku, c. 1830

Aerograms. I miss aerograms.

Does anyone else recall a period from the early/mid 1960s when the Maltese Cross / Iron Cross was rebranded in the US as the "Surfer's Cross" and they were briefly popular as necklaces?

Beyond mysterious letters at Poste Restante, I really, really want one day to finally receive a telex. And maybe a pneumo message, if I'm in Paris.

my bluesky

A fun moment on the ol' hellsite

Spooky season is a great time to join @annelouiseavery.bsky.social 's Patreon. Creepy tales, delicious recipes, maybe even a wandering ghost at the kitchen door...👻🎃

Rethink this, North Dakota

I found a lost shadow in the woods and took him in. I had lost my shadow only a year ago when I moved to a cabin in the woods. What a moment of kismet; a shadowless man finds a manless shadow at a time of mutual need.

I love this cartoon, I reckon it's pretty realistic of how it really happened ;) chazhutton.com

I haven't received a letter at Poste Restante for decades. This must be remedied.

Nestled in Japan’s stunning landscape, this innovative retreat blends architecture with environment, redefining seasonal living. The project is expected to open in spring 2029.

How did the right wing end up taking possession of cursive handwriting as a cause?

just hanging out

luigi mangione murdered a healthcare executive and opposed "wokeism." i don't know why people insist that killers need some coherent ideology. most people don't even have coherent wardrobes, let alone a coherent worldview.

We need a full revival of this tone of green by lusso

Any thoughts on post-1945 works on strategic theory that you'd recommend?

I do want to know more about bearer bonds. They may be obsolete or prohibited, but they're remarkably cool. See Gavin Lyall's early 1960s thriller novel "Midnight Plus One".

I really do want to learn to play Nim. It's one of the few games that I think I could master.

Why hasn't anyone done a series of novels where the deposed Western Roman emperor Romulus Augustulus solves crimes or fights supernatural evil? This really does have Netflix potential.

Overheard: "We are the evil in the world. We carry it with us in our shadow. It is part of who we are. Turn and face your shadow. Study and come to understand it. Evil impacts the world only through those who fail to face their shadow."

Let me introduce the newest member of the family, Odie. Technically, she will be arriving July 22nd but we've already had our first vet checkup with lots of treats.

Adulting can be injurious to your health.

pretty humbling to realize my default driving music these days is "triphop-informed indie" but otoh Black Moth Super Rainbow is really good

omg they even ate the bones

Vienna, Austria

I hadn't worn a necktie in at least a couple of years, so I practiced putting one on tonight. I can still do a basic Windsor knot by instinct. I do feel better now.