Truly underappreciated library resource: Kanopy!
It's a movie-and-tv streaming service that many libraries offer. If your library supports it, you can get a free account with your library card!
It works similarly to Hoopla, with monthly checkout limits, but the amount of movies and tv they have is astounding. They focus on indie movies and documentaries, but they have an impressive variety. A few days ago, some friends and I watched an experimental Afrofuturist queer surreal-cyberpunk musical movie just to try it, and it was a strange and fascinating experience that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. (Neptune Frost, by the way. It's interesting!)
Kanopy has animated movies like the French/North African The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin), popular indies like The Secret of Kells, up to well-known ones like ParaNorman. It has popular quirky successes like Everything Everywhere All at Once, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Lady Bird, award-winning dramas like Moonlight, classic movies like The Graduate, Dial M for Murder, Roman Holiday, Rashomon, and Seven Samurai. It's got Charlie Chaplin. It's got some classic musicals, like Oklahoma! and Guys and Dolls. It's got classic horror like Suspiria, Nosferatu, and Night of the Living Dead, and a plethora of modern horror as well. It has cheesy old-timey sci-fi from the 50s and 60s, genuinely good classic sci-fi like The Boys from Brazil, cult classics like Donnie Darko, modern feel-good quirky sci-fi like Jules, and just, a WHOLE lot of super interesting creative modern indie sci-fi to browse. It has documentaries. It has quite a lot of PBS and BBC series. It has anime. It has all of Farscape for some reason. It has a really impressive collection of LGBTQ+ film from around the world.
See if your library offers Kanopy, and browse the genres you like - you are sure to find something fascinating that you had never heard of before!
1. Get your jar
2. Cleans your jar
3. Add your ingredients (I used these, but you can add, take out what feels right to you)
Jasmine flowers
Rose buds
Lavender
Dill
Rose quartz
Lemon balm
Cinnamon
White Willow bark
Sage
Lemongrass
Sigil for love
4. Seal with red and pink wax while repeating the phrase “I attract healthy romance” or whatever phrase feels right to you
then you’re done!
Happy witching!!
Dutch longsword fencer Tosca Beuming
Photographed by Martin Philippo and Andress Kools
Imbue your art with magic and intention 💖🌌🌈
And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) dir. Roy Ward Baker
Hunger Games OC from district five.
frog machine
Credit to @ArtFromRachel on Twitter
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Chapter One - Exposition.
Baker!Reader x Butcher!Simon Riley
CW: None, SFW.
Word Count: 1.2K
You’re sitting in your local Costa, sadly picking at an overpriced, sad sandwich and lukewarm coffee. Chains are never your first option if you can help it, but this small town doesn’t have a local cafe open past 10am.
Another sigh, you could do it so much better, you think, grimacing at a bite of soggy bread. As a baker, you know good bread and this, this is not good bread.
How difficult can it be, really, you sip from your cup; musing.
You could do it, you think, you already have a steady business as an online bakery and a presence at the closest local markets, known for your delicate bakes with pretty decorations.
The savoury side of things though…you know what’d you’d do, sandwiches with homemade focaccia, doorstep thick toast, savoury pastries.
It’d have to be right though. The voice pops up unbidden and you bite your lip, your need for perfection is both a blessing and a curse.
You abandon the remnants of your sandwich and head home thoughts churning.
In your kitchen, you create a focaccia, flaky salt, good olive oil, rosemary and cherry tomatoes.
Once it’s cooked you realise you don’t have the right meats and you drag yourself to the store, you stand in front of the deli meats aisle for longer than you want to admit, until your fingers start to get a little numb and you take home a selection and painstakingly try a little of everything with the bread and nothing's right, nothing works.
You hiss in frustration before cutting a large chunk and wrapping it in wax paper and grabbing your keys.
You know you must look like a crazy person, stomping into the butchers and dropping the bread on the counter in front of the mountain of a man who works there, the bottom half of his face covered by a black mask.
“I need help” you say shortly “I’ve tried the supermarket meats and it’s not right.”
He stares at you, shocked, confused, you can’t tell.
“Look, you're an expert right?” A slow nod. “Good. I’m fed up with having no good cafes so I’m gonna do it myself but I’m a novice at savoury, so taste that.”
You wave a hand irritably at the wax-paper wrapped focaccia “and please tell me what meat is supposed to go in it.”
There’s a beat, two, before callused hands are unwrapping the bread and tearing a chunk off, corner of the mask lifting to accommodate before being lowered.
A moan. “I know” you say, slightly smug “so I’m not putting it with mediocre fillings”
The man hums, swallowing, before turning to a leg of something along the back counter and cutting a thin slice, dropping it onto a paper plate before handing it to you.
“Try that” he rasps, you take the plate and try the meat, it’s salty, slightly smoky and so much better than whatever you brought from the supermarket and combinations throw themselves into your head.
You’re unaware of the butcher staring at you.
“How much will I need to make at least ... .four sandwiches?” You half ask, half demand.
“Bout 15 slices” he replies after a moment's thought.
“Great, that then please,” you say sweetly, “and you can keep the rest of the bread.” You add on when you’ve paid and have the wrapped meat in your hand before almost running out of the shop to get home.
Simon stares for a long time, before devouring the rest of the bread.
The next few hours are spent in your kitchen, every surface covered in pans and bowls. The meat he’s given you, you learn, is called Serrano and it’s so good.
You’re lucky enough to have a garden and a greenhouse and you pull some rocket from the soil dropping it into a colander for later. Back in your kitchen you create a chilli jam, not too spicy with a slight acidity to balance the salt.
A quick google suggests that manchego is a common pairing but you worry that it will make the finished sandwich too salty and you bite your lip, scouring your fridge. Burrata. You’d brought it to make your own pizzas but…you wouldn’t need all of it.
You catalogue what you have in your head, salt from the meat and the bread, acid from the jam, fat from the cheese and heat from both the jam and the peppery kick of the rocket.
You layer the sandwich and wrap it in greaseproof paper, pulling it tight before cutting it in half with a large bread knife.
You smile at the cross section and take a bite. The flavours explode on your tongue and you grin, victorious. It’s so much better than the sad toastie you started your day with.
You tidy your kitchen, decanting the rest of the chilli jam into sterilised jars and carefully storing the meat and cheese before washing your paraphernalia.
You’re about to become that poor butcher’s worst nightmare, you think ruefully as you start to compile a list of other things you’d want to stock.
You feel so guilty in advance that you assemble a peace offering, the other half of the sandwich, a jar of your new chilli jam and a caramel brownie. Is it weird if I bother him again? You shake the thought away, you have questions and your brain needs them answered. Now.
You pack your offering into a box and head back out, chucking a notebook and pen into your bag as you pass the countertop.
The man behind the counter looks surprised to see you, if the slight raise of his eyebrow is any indication.
“Alright?” He asks slowly.
“Yeah,” you chuckle slightly nervously as you introduce yourself, “I think I’m probably about to become your worst nightmare.”
“Doubt that” he mutters, “‘m Simon.”
You nod “Simon, it’s nice to meet you.” A smile, you brandish the box containing your peace offering.
“I need to ask you some questions about, well, everything meat so here’s a…” you stumble over your words. “Gift? In return for the annoyance I’m probably gonna cause you.”
The man, Simon, takes the box from you and flips open the lid, “this the sandwich you made?” He asks, fishing it out with one large hand, you nod as he unwraps the paper and takes a large bite.
His eyes close momentarily as he chews and swallows “gonna bring me one of these every time you’ve got a question love?”
Your brain stutters momentarily over the pet name and you feel your face get warm.
“Um, yes?” You offer as you will your face to cool down, watching as he takes another bite and groans in appreciation.
“Best sandwich I’ve ever had.” He tells you and you can’t help but preen at the compliment.
“Thanks,” you whip out your notebook “so, if I wanted to make a quiche with ham in it but also sandwiches, would I need different styles?” The pen is pushed against your lip as you think “Oh and I know there’s a ratio of fat to meat for everything but if I wanted to do sausage rolls and scotch eggs would they need to be different too?”
You realise Simon is staring at you and you shuffle your feet, ears going hot, waiting for the inevitable comments about you being ‘weird’ or ‘too much.’
They don’t come.
You force yourself to meet his gaze, steeling yourself for whatever expression you find there. You don’t expect fascination, appraisal.
“You this meticulous about ever’thin love?” It’s almost a growl and your mind wanders for a split second before you manage to eek out a “yes.”
Simon grins, taking a large bite of the brownie “fucking hell, where’ve you been hidin?”
Random things about your future lover
Pick a picture from below
DM to purchase a reading! All the prices are listed on my paid reading post.
Picture 1
May be an earth sign. Virgo, Taurus or Capricorn.
They have lots of hobbies and things they like to do in their free time.
They hate it when people waste their time.
Very straightforward and cutthroat.
May be cheated on or may have severe trust issues.
They always working on something.
They are gonna come into your life really soon and unexpectedly.
They will really like the way you dress yourself.
They may even be your potential life partner or definately a long term relationship.
They have really beautiful hands and may be an artist.
Initials A,D,G,Z,U,C,B,W
They are really protective of the people they love.
Picture 2
Definitely a gentleman. Very traditional.
They love taking care of themselves.
May be a leo or have sun in their 1st or 5th house.
You may meet them around the holiday season.
They are really patient and think before they speak.
Very poetic with their words. Love language may be giving handwritten letters.
Very mysterious aura, don't talk much to people or never share anything about themselves.
You may meet them after a breakup or heartbreak.
You both work in the same career field.
May be your boss or your senior.
Very passionate and dedicated about what they do.
They love talking but not on texts.
Picture 3
They may be really popular among the opposite gender. They seem to have a lot of admires.
A perfectionist and a workaholic. Loves their job with their whole heart.
You may meet them through a trip or while travelling.
Their love language is gift giving and acts of service.
They are really practical but may get delulu sometimes.
They are emotionally mature and do not hide their feelings.
It's giving fire sign energy. May require more sleep than an average person.
Says what's on their mind. May be a bit rude sometimes.
May meet them in 2 months.
May be Aquarius, Scorpio or cancer rising .
You literally manifested them. They are a dream come true for you.
May have light colored hair.
Guys I know I have been inactive for a long time but I am just going through a lot this month. Wish me luck and expect more posts in the future.