psst | Reading

tozka

Book Info

My Love Affair with England: A Traveler’s Memoir by Susan Allen Toth (1992)

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel

LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/work/56906/

Acquired from: Capitol Hill Books, Denver, Colorado, USA ($7.50) [see also: Indie Bookstore Visit Log]

Started reading: October 31, 2025

Finished reading: November 4, 2025

Review

I picked this up because I nearly bought it from a UBS in Milwaukee a few months ago. It caught my eye again, mostly because I’m planning to go to England for a few months next year AND I adore pre-internet travel memoirs, so I decided to get it!

It’s a very charming book which focuses mostly on the bits of England that the author enjoyed, mixed in with some memoir-type stuff about her personal life and how it intersected with her visits to England and how that affected her time there. I enjoyed reading about the specific things she likes, as you can tell she REALLY likes them– but not to the point where it sounds like ass-kissing.

I also liked that she said specifically she only likes visiting and doesn’t want to move there; often I find that actually living somewhere is way different than being a visitor, often to the location’s detriment because now you have to deal with things like sorting trash and paying electricity bills, when really what you want to do is wander around looking at old buildings and eating bacon sandwiches.

Having been to England myself several times I recognized a lot of the stuff she was talking about, and that was fun, too. Overall I really enjoyed this book!

Reading Notes

Page 9:

I do not blame the English. If they keep to themselves, I also keep to myself. At home in America, I guard my privacy, cherishing the easy and congenial company of my husband or quiet time alone. When I am in England, I need even more meditative space. Since I travel quite intensely, looking and listening and walking hard, at night I am ready to stop. I have to absorb what I experience and gather my energies for the next day. I want to sink into bed with a book, not traipse down to the pub to talk about politics or football. So I do not usually make social overtures.

Same!!

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Crossposted from Pixietails Club Blog.

renfys posting in

addme

What I go by: Ren (they/them)

Bit About Me: Nonbinary, bisexual, old (okay, over 40), parent, writer, admin worker and disabled, living in Wales.

Where else I can be found online: so many places lol

What I post about: Art, writing, fanfic, mostly my life in general - my kids, my health, my hobbies

Hobbies & Interests: I like to write, to draw, archery, colouring, gaming (I have a swtich and a PS5), fanfiction. This is one of the few places, as well as pillowfort, where my fandom side and my actual life intersect.

Fandoms/characters/ships if fannish: I like Stargate, Star Trek, Rizzoli & Isles, Dr Who, Castle, NCIS, Bones, MCU, Dragon Age. I dabble a lot and hope around a lot - I mostly write in whatever I'm watching at the time. I prefer femslash, I dislike m/m.

Other things I want you to know about me: I have two kids, both girls, one is a cancer survivor and had a liver transplant. I've been married for 13 years to my American wife.

What I'm looking for in friends/blogs to follow: Anyone who still loves Stargate as much as me, but anyone who's into the same stuff as me, or happens to be a geeky parent.

pshaw_raven

Yesterday's doctor appointment almost didn't happen because of some dumbass on 21 and 16. There was a wreck at that intersection - a major one where two heavily traveled highways cross. Some guy wanted to go north in Middleburg. Instead of turning to the right or left (which weren't blocked off) and taking a side road into town (218 goes from Camp Blanding to Penney Farms and goes right through town) he sat there. Through twelve goddamn light cycles. And I was a bit too far back to creep up the right-hand shoulder and make my turn, or I would absolutely have gone around him and probably given him the finger to boot. As it was I made it with minutes to spare, so go me.

I know not everyone carries around a map in their head, and I know it's something I tend to be exceptionally good at. My other beef here is with the cops working the scene - someone should have gotten out there and directed traffic. Call for a PSA. Or just get out there and start waving people around. C'mon man, what are you doing?

Anyway. My new doctor is a nice lady who seems to be about my age or a little older, who hails from south Florida and specializes in women's health. Also, SHE IS A RUNNER TOO. So she gets it! She even ASKED ME what my exercise routine was like. She actually looked in my ears and listened to my chest and stuff. You know, normal doctor things. It feels like I shouldn't be this excited about a doctor doing doctor stuff. This is just one visit, so of course, you can't really tell, but it feels good to me. I've got a battery of lab work to have done and I see her again for a full physical in December.

Also on today's schedule - finish the last grass mowing of the season, and start roasting the rest of my pumpkins. A short, easy run to the stop sign and back, and sitting down to write this afternoon.

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Van Morrison - Moondance

pshaw_raven

(I almost forgot this bit I wrote for St. Felix the other day, but seeing someone else's fic reminded me to post it LOL)

"Good morning, Callisto County! Kat Slade here, bringing you the WFLX morning blend. Gettin' you to work, to school, or wherever you've gotta go today. But I want to remind everyone that today's election day, and it's important that you get out and vote. The big item on the ballot today is the initiative to change our county seal to show Handsome George the lake monster! This has received a lot of attention, obviously, and the council has decided to let the citizens decide, so let's get out there and make democracy work.

You all know my stance on this, but vote how you want. Personally I think Handsome George would be a great addition to the seal, and it would really help people understand a little more of what our county, the Mystery Coast, and heck, what Florida in general is all about.

Be safe, be happy, go vote, and enjoy some John Prine, coming up next!"

Current Mood: silly

pshaw_raven

October was kind of crazy, and especially this last week it's been busy and just all over the place. I'm taking a few days here to recombobulate. I've got an appointment with my new PCP this morning, so I'm both interested in meeting her and dreading it because I'm still a bit shell-shocked from my previous doctor. So I'm pretty sure my blood pressure readings will be interesting, between that and my usual case of "white coat syndrome."

This just reminds me of how much I require routines to thrive. My routines have all been thrown off lately and I don't know what I'm doing. Nothing is getting done, and I'm cranky and tired. Plus something is triggering my allergies, but I've been taking claritin, since this seems to be ongoing and benadryl was knocking me out completely. Benadryl - because you can't sneeze if you're in a coma.

I haven't been writing, or drawing, or anything and that also makes me cranky. I'm starting to get back to having morning "study time," where I can do my Japanese practice and my reading. Fox fixed a problem on the server that was messing with my ham radio prep site, so it's working again. I'd like to get a little writing time in this afternoon, I can probably start typing up a longhand story I've written set in St. Felix.

Pathfinder class is going well so far. I just got an email saying I've been sorted into Group 77 - I didn't know we had that but cool beans. The "Summit Seekers." The group leaders are from Denver, Colorado where they have summits to seek. For me, I guess I'll climb to the top of the Rosemary Hill landfill. :D Actually if they want us to try doing any climbing, the St. Augustine lighthouse is open again, I could go do that. As a bonus, I've never had a chance to go up there. It was closed for some reason when I moved out here. It has one of these fancy French crystal lenses that they don't make anymore. I don't know much about it but I'd really like to go see it.

I think I still "owe" y'all a reading update and gaming update for October, so I'll work on that, too. November has no trips or anything special planned until the 30th when we head back to Disney for a Christmas visit. Since we're normally there for Marathon Weekend, we miss all the Christmas decorations and we'd like to see the parks all dressed up for the holidays. I like lights. (and gingerbread)

All this ruck stuff has me feeling like I'm turning into one of the military LARPers I enjoy mocking. I think I need to go put on a tie-dye shirt and listen to John Denver to pull myself back to normal. I like being strong, prepared, and all that, but all this commando stuff is messing with the vibe, man. ✌️

Current Mood: awake
Current Music: Neil Young - Heart of Gold

erika

Much to my amazement, in two hours I turn forty.

Forty. Four zero. 40. 4. 0. I've been telling almost everyone I meet, repeating the facts to strangers and friends and acquaintances, my psychiatrist and my sister and my surrogate aunts. I didn't expect to get here and I find the fact of forty, frankly, jarring. My teeth grit against the absolute insanity of time marching on to this extent—how did I get here?

Some of the people who are reading this potentially have known me since I was 12 and just like me, probably didn't expect me to get here. Mind-boggling as well.

What has changed recently? Not much! To misquote Tolstoy, perhaps happy days are all alike, but each unhappy day is unhappy in its own way. Or maybe it's the opposite, and it's my newfound ability to revel in choice of enjoyable activities with a reliably upbeat mood climate that's truly unlocked this newfound persistence of pleasant presence.

Current psychiatrist has narrowed down my meds and diagnoses to a fine degree, now that she actually believes I'm ill. (Long story but basically she didn't take me seriously until my last attempt. Wait, not a long story.) Who would have guessed that the magic wand would be ~lithium~ and the magic words, bipolar disorder? Doc's not 100% on it yet but I'm pretty convinced.

My intention is to update again tomorrow, but I'll post this now just in case.

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime

no_apologies posting in

addme

Name: Marianne is my real first name.

Age:

I mostly post about:

Sometimes I vent when I need to about whatever it is in my life that weighs me down or stresses me too much. Or if I have a strong opinion or thoughts on something that lingers.

Other times I write out songs that either help spread awareness to others about real-world issues that should be addressed, or just me expressing my thoughts about things I strongly think are so crazy-backwards and self-destructive things. (AKA, Liberty-Minded Tunes.)

I also have been writing a lot of songs centered around fictional characters. My main 4 are psychological horror/cosmic horror themed baddies. A few others are like comfort and supportive friends of mine--two OCs and my own silly and too cute interpretation of the Nintendo character, Kirby!

My hobbies are:

Other than music making and writing, I enjoy anime and manga. I like animated films and have a list of favorite movies, some I still have on DVD (woooo). And if in the mood, I do some gaming! I've mostly been playing either the digital version of the wonderful bird card game known as Wingspan, or play some rounds in a really interesting, quirky, and very diversely strategic PVP card game that is called Cards, the Universe, and Everything! ...Oh, and just recently, my mom and I have been going back to playing card and board games with our gaming group now that she has a car again!

My fandoms are:

Most currently... The original series of Avatar: The Last Airbender. (I still have all the episodes on DVD and don't have to replace it after all, YAAAAAY! Zuko, Iroh, Sokka, and Toph are among my most favorite characters.) One by one, I have been reading through The Promised Neverland manga. (I've been mostly drawn towards the character Norman.) And four of my music muses are AUs of characters from the old cult classic GameCube survival/psychological horror game known as Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. I am a diehard fan of that game, and I still sometimes miss playing it!

I'm looking to:

I would love to connect with kindred spirits! I yearn to write creatively with others, with the small group of characters of mine. (Story writing or RP writing, or just coming up with song lyrics together--that'd be fun!) I have been riding on this creative momentum that's been uplifting and exciting for me. Let's have a grand time. Let's brainstorm! Let's experiment! My own ideas tend to be very big and crazy at times, just FYI. ^^

My posting schedule tends to be: Kinda sporadic, depending on my creative drive is going! I have been using this blog of mine over something like Google Docs to store my lyrics and song style prompts--so I don't use up too much space on my Google Drive.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are:

Any form of toxicity, people coming to me asking for money or trying to scam me, people coming around and spreading negativity instead of constructive criticism if something of mine doesn't sound good to them.

Before adding me, you should know: DISCLAIMER: I am a really honest person. I can even be brutally honest. I don't usually sugarcoat things, and I have a critical thinking mind. And when it comes to the crazy backwards realm of politics, I'm neither pro-left or pro-right. I have been the observer outside that paradigm for years now. And some of my songs and/or entries may actually provoke you to want to pause, and think for yourself on the topic.

lesbocannibal posting in

addme

Name: I go by many of them. Recently, I've been on a Lucy kick, but I also go by Maggie, Saros, and Venus, among others. And the titles. Don't forget the titles.

Age: 19 (20 soon)

I mostly post about: Daily life, media I'm engaging with. Trying to post more about my OCs/fannish stuff, but it's scary. I dearly love my OC Vesper and her partner Roan and and will talk so much about them if you ask!

My hobbies are: Ballet (been doing it since I was a little kid and currently still doing pointe, albeit as a hobbyist), digital art, DIY fashion (alt/goth), creative writing. Huge music nerd--I'm into dark cabaret, goth, digital hardcore, industrial, among others. My favorite artist is Ada Rook of Black Dresses.

My fandoms are: Honestly, it's been 99% Vesperoan lately. Selfshipping! I'm a huge selfshipper and that makes up a lot of the fannish stuff I do. Some of my F/Os are Double Trouble from She-Ra, Whitney the Bully from Degrees of Lewdity, Xenon from Cytus II, and Greely from Animal Jam. Neither here nor there, but Evangelion is extremely near and dear to my heart. I've also been a VOCALOID fan for 9 years now.

I'm looking to meet people who: Post frequently so I have stuff to read on my reading page :) Being into my writing would also be a huge plus! I'm still trying to set up a comm specifically for Vesperoan.

My posting schedule tends to be: Pretty much daily, sometimes I miss a day or post multiple times a day.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: Sanists, transmisogynists, other bigots. Minors (please stay safe!).

Before adding me, you should know: Lucy likes referring to herself in third person. She's into a lot of dark and explicit content. It will be placed below an 18+ screen with a warning/reason given, but still, if one is squicked out by the content detailed in her pinned post, maybe best not to follow! No minors for this reason.

moomintroll posting in

addme

Name: Sadie

Age: early 30s

I mostly post about: My life, thoughts, and things I get up to, things I draw or create, places I've been to, something cool I've bought recently, etc. I might occasionally post about media I've consumed, but I don't really post fandom content unless it's relevant to my life in some way (like I've gone to a gig). I save that stuff for Tumblr.

My hobbies are: Drawing (I'm an illustrator and have a degree in it), journals and stationery (I love my Filofax and Hobonichi ♥), Japanese street fashion (I wear EGL a lot), musical theatre, travel (I've lived in Japan and South Korea teaching English), wandering through the woods, taking photos, digging through junk shops, playing The Sims 4 and Animal Crossing, learning languages, and building Lego.

My fandoms are: My favourite movies right now are Conclave and the new Frankenstein. My favourite bands are My Chemical Romance, Ghost, and System of a Down. I'm also a Disney adult and unashamed of that, I've been to every park except Hong Kong and Shanghai. My favourite authors are Tove Jansson and Stephen King (I read and watch a lot of horror, but not slashers which are kinda boring tbh), and some of my favourite novels are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Watership Down, The Phantom of the Opera, and Animal Farm.

I'm looking to meet people who: Nice people who I can actually befriend. I like to form friendships with people on my friends list, and not feel like it's a transactional "comment for comment" kind of vibe which feels disingenuous 💔 We're reading each others diaries after all.

My posting schedule tends to be: Whenever I feel like I have something to say, but I try to aim for at least once a week. I'm trying to get back into the habit of updating regularly after I had a bad experience with someone who made me feel self-conscious about what I post, and I'm trying hard to stop overthinking it and get back to posting whatever I feel like, but sometimes it's difficult and I struggle with that 'no one cares' voice. But I also realise no one knows me if I only update once in a blue moon and never say anything about myself.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: Judgey people and the usual bigots. Also if all you post about are fandoms that we don't share, media reviews, or your kids/partner, I'm not going to have anything to say about that and will likely end up skipping over your entries. I want to get to know YOU.

Before adding me, you should know: I don't post about it much, but I have a chronic illness and I'm disabled. It usually comes up as vague mentions of being tired/in pain/struggling etc, but that's what I'm referring to.

Current Mood: hopeful

kissed posting in

addme

Hello, I'm Selena |˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞit's very nice to greet everyone again. 28, she/her, ISFP-T. My reading list has gotten a little quiet when I'm someone who likes to comment, so here I am!

My journal's 99% locked because it is my safe space, but I unprivated some of my more recent entries for now so anyone can see if they'd vibe with my posting style/subjects. I mainly post about my personal life (my husband is my closest friend and pops up a lot), whatever games I'm playing or other media I'm into, and other random thoughts or opinions.

🩷 A good sampling of my interests is on my profile, though not all my fannish interests are listed.

🎮 I'm an avid video gamer, and my favorite game is (for a mainstream answer) Mass Effect 2, though it's very hard to choose!

📖 I also love to read anything, including literary classics and fanfiction of my favorite ships! One day I'll actually track my completed books... I enjoy learning new facts no matter how mundane or morbid, so Wikipedia and likeminded sites are a comfort. My favorite book is Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

🎵 I love all kinds of music, though I mainly listen to K-pop. Since I grew up listening to Korean music, I have a fondness for 2nd gen groups though now my taste is kind of all over. My favorite group is BTS and I hope to see them again with their upcoming world tour!

I'm looking to find friends with journals similar to me, though we don't have to necessarily be into the same things. I like to read about other peoples' lives since they're typically so different from my own! I also like reading other peoples' reviews or recommendations. Sometimes there can be a lull in my own posting with how busy I can get some days, but I always come back. Dreamwidth is one of the few social medias I still use, so it's important to me. I've been regularly(ish) journaling for 2 years now.

Anyway if I seem interesting enough, I'm all up for being friends! I consider myself pretty tolerant barring seriously hateful rhetoric and emphasize with mental health struggles since I've been there (and am still here, really). Feel free to comment here or in my actual journal o/ I don't add people back unless they reach out to me first.

⚠️ Unless I'm familiar with the majority of the fandoms I don't know if I'd be able to connect with purely focused fandom journals, sorry! It should also be self-explanatory, but no minors please. Preferably 25+ since I'm old and usually have nothing in common with younger people.

Current Mood: peaceful

Profile

Psst!

Psst

September 2018

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

PSST!

Why are we whispering?

Reading

📖 reading log: my love affair with england by susan allen toth

Book Info

Review

Reading Notes

hello!

I'm Not a Doctor But I Poke Dead Things With a Stick

St. Felix - Viva Handsome George

My Ducks Are Not in Rows

well, how did i get here? (into the blue again, after the money's gone, once in a lifetime)

Looking for creative writing partners that I hope to inspire in return. <3

(no subject)

♥

♡

Profile

September 2018