ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Americans share their hopes for the country on 'wish walls' nationwide. The responses are surprisingly unifying

On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate its 250th birthday. To prepare for the big celebration, museums across the country are inviting the public to answer the question: “What’s your wish for America’s future?”

In a project designed by 26-year-old artist Katie Costa and developed by Made By Us, a nonprofit that promotes civic engagement among Gen-Z, thousands are responding
.

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
The Coles County Community Garden is across the parking lot from the Charleston Food Forest. It's not the kind where you rent a bed and grow what you want. It's tended by the community and anyone can come pick things to try.

ExpandWalk with me ... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[community profile] everykindofcraft 
Created on 2025-06-12 23:43:59 (#4232910), last updated 2025-06-16 (41 minutes ago)
I know there are many crafters on Dreamwidth but it seems nothing devoted to it has been updated in eons or has no admin or both. So I decided to open [community profile] everykindofcraft  for what it says in the name. A community where people can share their projects, either in process or completed, as well as ask for assistance with craft-related things.
[Found via [personal profile] yourlibrarian]
ysabetwordsmith: (gift)
This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "support" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. It is posted as a gift to Anthony Barrette for Father's Day.  This is the last of that batch.  Check the Poem tag to see the others; it's a batch of 6 total, all with that red gift icon.  \o/


"Fatherhood Is Support"


Fatherhood is
more than just DNA,
more than just being
married to a mother.

Fatherhood is
about support.

It's a treetrunk leg
for a baby to cling to,
strong arms tossing
a toddler into the air.

It's a hand on the back
of the bicycle right after
the training wheels come off --
and knowing when to let go.

It's clapping at recitals,
at school plays, at all
of the sporting events
or other performances.

It's a calm voice from
the passenger seat
while learning to drive.

It's paying for college
and going to graduation.

It's the everyday words
that become an inner voice,
heard and remembered,
absorbed and echoed:

I knew you could do it.

ysabetwordsmith: (gift)
This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "found family" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. It is posted as a gift to Anthony Barrette for Father's Day.

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[community profile] musicianships 
We Are The Scene.
This Community is for everyone who is involved in music in any way.
[Found via [personal profile] gothfvck]
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
This poem came out of the June 3, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by [personal profile] janetmiles. It also fills the "community" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the series Clay of Life.

ExpandRead more... )

Skate Park

Jun. 6th, 2025 02:57 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Blind skateboarder creates 'world-first' adaptive skatepark: 'I've never had a place where I can skate with full confidence'

About seven years ago, he started dreaming of creating the world’s first adaptive skatepark right in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Finally, the park is a reality.

Called “The Ranch,” the 5,000-square-foot skatepark is completely accessible, allowing both seasoned low-vision boarders to take it for a spin and newcomers to the sport to feel welcome.



Everyone should have access to opportunities for physical activity and creativity.
ysabetwordsmith: A blue sheep holding a quill dreams of Dreamwidth (Dreamsheep)
These are active communities in Dreamwidth from Spring 2025 . They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers J-Z.

See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: A paint roller creates an American flag, with the text Arts and Crafts America. (Arts and Crafts America)
This is the freebie for the June 3, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] mama_kestrel, in honor and memory of Lord Matthew the Confused. It also fills the "validation" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest bingo. This poem belongs to the Draft Dawgs thread of the Arts and Crafts America series.

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: A blue sheep holding a quill dreams of Dreamwidth (Dreamsheep)
These are active communities in Dreamwidth from Spring 2025. They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers A-I.

See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

Highly active with multiple posts per day, daily posts, or too many to count easily
Active with (one, multiple, many) posts in (current or recent month)
Somewhat active (latest post within current year, not in last month or few)
Low traffic (latest post in previous year)
Dormant (latest post before previous year, but could be revived because membership is open and posting is open to all members or anyone)
Dead (not listed because there are no recent posts, plus membership and/or posting are moderated)
Note that some communities are only active during a limited time, or only have gather posts on a certain schedule.


Themes
Follow Friday 3-7-25: Meta
Follow Friday 3-14-25: Ghosts
Follow Friday 3-21-25: Glee
Follow Friday 3-28-25: Good Omens
Follow Friday 4-4-25: Goth
Follow Friday 4-11-25: Graphic Design
Follow Friday 4-18-25: Graphics
Follow Friday 4-25-25: Halloween
Follow Friday 5-2-25: Hannibal
Follow Friday 5-9-25: Harry Potter
Follow Friday 5-16-25: Heroes
Follow Friday 5-23-25: Het

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] methylethyl has written a brilliant and detailed analysis of the trades (e.g. plumbing, construction) vs. a 4-year liberal arts degree, with attention to various things that are wrong with the American economy and lifestyle. Let's take a look ...

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Five Things I Wish More Books Talked About

1. The Messy Side of Friendships
2. Adult Characters Starting Over
3. Grief That Sticks Around
4. Queer Joy Without Tragedy
5. Found Family and Chosen Community



All of these are things I have written about. Some of them are things I write about all the time. The vast majority of my work touches on found-family and community somehow. Where characters have lost someone, it tends to stick, like with Cas.

Safety

Apr. 18th, 2025 08:46 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
WHAT MAKES A HOME FEEL SAFE FOR AUTISTIC PEOPLE?

Autistic children and adults often lack access to spaces that make them feel safe, or allow them to decompress and be themselves without interference or unwelcome scrutiny. Sometimes a lack of safe spaces is no one’s fault, as when living quarters have limited size or privacy. But too often, autistic safety, comfort, and ease are not considered due to a lack of autism understanding, or rejected outright due to insistence on complying with non-autistic lifestyle approaches.

While ideally all non-autistic people and professionals would understand what makes spaces feel safe for autistic people, the baseline should be that autistic people have at least one space to retreat to: their homes. We talked to autistic people from a variety of backgrounds—including autistic parents of autistic and neurodivergent kids—about strategies for making homes feel safe for the autistic people who live in them.


ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: A blue sheep holding a quill dreams of Dreamwidth (Dreamsheep)
For a while now, I've been making posts that list active communities on Dreamwidth. The weekly posts cover different topics, mostly active communities plus a few dormant that could be revived. The seasonal gather posts list all the active communities from the past three months, without the dormant ones, but adding a list of newly created communities from the same timespan. These also include the parameters for the listings.

This seems like a good time to make a masterlist of these resources. Please share widely to help people find communities they'll enjoy on Dreamwidth.

Introduction -- February 4, 2022

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Growing and sharing seeds can boost mental health

Storing and sharing seeds has clear environmental benefits. But new findings suggest they can bring about wellbeing wins too.
[---8<---]
Author Kathy Slack, whose new memoir Rough Patch explores how growing vegetables helped her recover from burnout and depression, was unsurprised by the connection. “Sowing a seed is an act of hope,” she says.“Not to be overly dramatic about it, but when you’re wondering whether it’s worth even bothering to stick around any more, planting a seed is like a promise to your future self.”



Projects like a community garden where people can just come in and grow things, a seed library, a seed / plant swap, etc. can have great benefits for individual and community wellbeing.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Here are a couple of community activity updates from [personal profile] soc_puppet:

[community profile] moodthemeinayear is nearing its next break period! It begins on Wednesday. Following that break, the Minimum and Medium Tracks will reset, so it's a great time to jump on for anyone who wants a schedule to follow.

[community profile] summerofthe69's amnesty period will end on Monday, with theme suggestions for 2025 set to open on Wednesday. Voting for themes will begin in May, so you have plenty of time to ponder theme suggestions.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Substance abuse often follows homelessness, not precedes it — new study finds

According to a recent poll from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 57% of Americans believe that alcoholism and drug addiction directly lead to people losing their housing.

It is true that substance misuse -- and problematic use of substances as prescribed -- can lead to homelessness, because it impairs ability to hold a job and perform other social behaviors that America demands of people. Anyone who can't keep up is abandoned.


In fact, 42% of unhoused Californians reported that they began to use regularly only after they experienced homelessness for the first time.

It's hardly a surprise that people in a miserable condition will seek to relieve their suffering by any means available.

ExpandRead more... )

Happiness

Mar. 27th, 2025 01:20 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Is your job making you happy? Insights from job satisfaction data

New method to evaluate workplace conditions.
New research has found that employers and policymakers might want to start paying attention to how workers are feeling, because employee happiness contains critical economic information
.

ExpandRead more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
Today we went out running errands.


We stopped at Ace Hardware for an air filter and I found a few new things to plant: a bag of 25 Dutch irises, a bag of 2 horseradish roots, a packet of Johnny jump-up seeds, and a packet of passionflower seeds. I hadn't seen passionflower seed before, only plants, so I bought them on a lark.

We picked up lunch at Arby's, then went grocery shopping.

I had great luck at the Charleston Food Forest. I took plenty of pictures. The first fruit trees are blooming! :D I gathered some moss for terrariums, the hardneck garlic that I was aiming for, and while I was down there digging garlic out of the pathway, I saw that strawberries had spread into it also, so I took some of them too. I may go back for more strawberries another day. Most modern ones are kind of fussy, delicate things but these are growing all over the place, so I think they're tough enough to experiment with. I nibbled on the French sorrel too.

We tried to check out the new thrift store, but it's closed on Mondays. :( Half Moon is only open 9-12 on Mondays.

We finished reading The Geeky Chef Cookbook.  Some of the recipes sounded wretched, but others seem quite promising.  

Still, I got a good haul at the food forest, so it's been a productive day.

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