Cuddle Party
Jun. 26th, 2019 12:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithEveryone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
For the upcoming 4th of July, enjoy some of my previous posts about fireworks. Watch a video of fireworks going off and fireworks fail.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
For the upcoming 4th of July, enjoy some of my previous posts about fireworks. Watch a video of fireworks going off and fireworks fail.
Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 12:00 pm (UTC)She flops down on the carpet with her stuffed red panda, then shifts to kitty form, then horse form, then back to human. "I don't know what I want to be today. I'm feeling playful and cuddles would be nice. Maybe I will figure it out soon."
Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 02:24 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 02:32 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 06:12 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-27 10:35 am (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-27 04:01 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 02:07 am (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 02:16 am (UTC)J continues stroking, hoping that her motions and presence will help soothe her friend.
Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 04:47 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 07:42 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 09:46 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-28 10:11 pm (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-29 01:10 am (UTC)Re: Cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-29 03:58 am (UTC)Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 02:30 pm (UTC)"I had a rant that wanted out at 5am. I need cuddles," he said, and oofs down next to Fuzzy J.
Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 02:34 pm (UTC)"Oof. That's mighty early for a rant. Hopefully things are less rant-worthy now." *cuddles close*
Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 03:13 pm (UTC)Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 03:41 pm (UTC)Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 06:04 pm (UTC)Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 06:08 pm (UTC)Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 07:05 pm (UTC)Re: Breakfast cuddles!
Date: 2019-06-26 08:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-26 06:14 pm (UTC)After a moment's consideration, they set up stickers: "They/them," "hugs please," and write "warning: jumpy" on a third.
Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-26 06:17 pm (UTC)Mmm, sourdough! :D
>> After a moment's consideration, they set up stickers: "They/them," "hugs please," and write "warning: jumpy" on a third.<<
*hugs offered*
What helps settle jumpiness for you? Deep pressure? Soothing music? Venting?
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-26 06:34 pm (UTC)*hugs gladly shared*
Deep pressure would probably help. I think I'm just jittery because the summer allergies are bad, and they're ramping everything else up too. It's not an acute emotional trouble, at least.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-26 07:50 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-26 08:16 pm (UTC)I think I'm going to wind up in a blanket and possibly with a cat, and that should make a big difference.
... one of these days, I'm going to get one of those blankets in person.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-26 11:53 pm (UTC)https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/weighted-blanket-diy-4164314
https://gentleweight.com/weighted-blanket-fillers/
https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2016/08/23/diy-weighted-blanket/
Ones I didn't see:
* You can make a fantastic blanket with washers if you're willing to take the time to sew all the fuckers down.
* You can make a weighted blanket simply by layering heavy fabrics, such as old denim or sweatsuit cloth, which is to say you could get the materials at any thrift store and patch them together.
* Some cotton or wool throw rugs are just big enough to cover a person, and heavy. Look for channel-woven or braided rag rugs usually meant for kitchen use.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-27 06:10 pm (UTC)Sewing washers on is fine with me, and that way they don't shift. The easiest thing to come to my mind is, make a weighted insert and put it in a duvet cover. Those are cheap, even cheaper than buying the kind of yardage it would take to sew my own, and then I don't have to worry about the beads getting out.
Heavy fabric would work, too, and be more washable.
Food for thought. Thank you.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2019-06-27 07:24 pm (UTC)To make a removable weighted liner, consider sewing the washers between two layers of cotton sweatshirt material, which is both tough and cushy, then put your duvet cover on the outside.
Note that a weighted blanket should be about 10% of your body weight. For some people this is too light, for others too heavy, so test before you sew. Get that amount of washers, put them in baggies, and pin them to a blanket for testing. Adjust the weight as desired.
Keep the thing on for as long as you'll be using it -- some people find that the weight starts making a body part ache after a few minutes or an hour, let alone overnight. If you make your own blanket, you can put the weight just where you want it, like leaving your feet unweighted.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-26 06:57 pm (UTC)"Would having a cat in your lap (or anywhere that is comfortable for you) help? I don't mind shifting if you would like the feline company."
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-26 08:11 pm (UTC)"A cat in the lap would be lovely. I can offer ear scratches in return. Do you like movement, like a hammock or a sky chair?" They indicate an appropriate chair, sized just right for a person and a cat.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 01:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 06:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 07:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-07-02 06:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-07-02 08:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-26 07:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-26 08:08 pm (UTC)The short version:
- 1 chicken (roast, break down, make broth from the bones, store the meat)
Add to broth:
- quartered lemon
- chopped onion
- 2-3 chopped parsnips
- chopped celeriac
Cook up to overnight. Longer is better.
Take everything out of the broth when it's done.
Add to broth:
- chicken meat
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- whatever else you like in your soup :)
Cook until the veggies are done.
Optional:
Potatoes
Dumplings or pasta
Skim fat and make roux for a thick broth
The long version:
For the full thing, start with a whole, large chicken. Take out the giblets and do something else with them. Roast the bird. I like to spatchcock it and put lemon and onion slices under, and salt, pepper, and rosemary or tarragon on the skin. (If you used herbs here, make sure you have some left over, because you'll want it later.)
Take your chicken apart once it's out of the oven. Skin it (eat the crunchy skin if you're so inclined!) and put any fatty skin in a crock pot or a stew pot to simmer on the stove. Put in all the bones, including the neck and back. (You don't have to get them too clean.) Put the cooked meat in the fridge for later. If you want to save yourself time later, cut it into soup-sized pieces now.
While your broth pot is heating up, cut up an onion, a celery root/celeriac, and a couple parsnips. Quarter a lemon or use the one from the roasting pan. These are for flavoring the broth; you'll be pulling them out before the next cook cycle. Add salt and pepper to taste; more flavor will be coming later.
Simmer the chopped vegetables, all the bones, the skin, and the trimmed fat from the chicken. Overnight is best; an hour will do, and in general the longer the better.
When the broth is done, take out the bones and pick all the meat off them. That can go straight back into the pot. Take out the soft vegetables and eat them; they've done their part. Depending on what you use to get the bits out of the broth, it can be anywhere from cloudy and amber (pulled the big pieces out with tongs) to nearly clear (filtered through fine sieve, and the chicken wasn't very browned.) There will probably be quite the layer of rendered fat on the broth. I always leave mine in, and if you want the broth to be thick and opaque, this is the time to skim some, make a roux, and stir it back in.
Taste the broth. It should be rich and complex. If it's lacking flavor, season it now. More of the herbs you used on the chicken are a good start. I usually put in a bunch of sweet paprika.
Now is when your soup starts for real. Take out your chicken pieces, chop them into chunks of your preferred size, and add. Put in celery, carrots, more onion or shallot, and anything else you like. Potatoes make a good starch option if you don't want to mess with dumplings or pasta. Let that boil until all the vegetables are done. If you added roux earlier, you'll need to stir it as it thickens to keep the bottom from burning.
I usually end up with enough stuff in the broth to consider this a stew and not a soup.
If you're using dumplings, make your preferred recipe and add when they need it. If you're using pasta, add it last, with just enough time to cook it before you serve.
Unicorn time!
Date: 2019-07-02 02:29 am (UTC)The deer herself is wearing sunglasses over her dark eyes, a black Nylon collar with a bell-shaped brass charm stamped "HOLYBELL HEAVENSTONE", a sky blue tank top and green shorts, and white sneakers.
The wagon holds a strapped-down wooden glider rocker with cushions and three young-readers books, one about transportation methods ("We Can Travel With This"), one on biomes ("Many Lands, A Same And Different Book"), and a fantasy about animal children playing together ("Tag! Chase me!"). Also in the wagon are a 2-gallon bucket with a lid marked "Sun tea - un!!", a quart-size plastic box marked "Blackberry pom chia - Jun 28", and a quart of Greek-style vanilla yogurt from the grocery to go with it.
"Hi," she says, "I'm sorry I'm late! Thought I'd bring a practical gift, not only food. Ysabet, you inspired me to make chia pudding, so I brought my latest experiment. It's so simple!"
Re: Unicorn time!
Date: 2019-07-02 02:46 am (UTC)Re: Unicorn time!
Date: 2019-07-02 05:52 pm (UTC)Re: Unicorn time!
Date: 2019-07-02 02:51 am (UTC)That sounds yummy. :D
Re: Unicorn time!
Date: 2019-07-02 05:54 pm (UTC)