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My adventures on #GuixSystem: I have learned two lessons in the last few days:
(1) Don't use ext4 for your root drive in #Guix - you will run out of inodes. That is a bad thing, and has required me learn how to properly use btrfs with subvols etc. This necessitated several attempts to make a working install! Then:
(2) Don't put /tmp on tmpfs, even with 32Gb of memory. If you have any complexity in your setup, you will run out of space before the build completes. This is also bad. Remounting /tmp elsewhere doesn't seem to be possible, or at least easy. I made a very simple configuration which did build, but wouldn't boot. Earlier generations also didn't boot. So now I am going through the install process yet again.
To be clear - this is OK - it's a test machine, a learning opportunity, and I have time. There are some odd things in the installation process I don't understand, so I want to clarify these as well.
I think I might make it an #hpr episode when I finally know enough! -
I came across this Thread by Nate Postlethwait and wanted to write about healing and freedom as a victory won at heavy cost because it got me thinking.Hey, everyone. Allēna here. This post will be a heavy one, but I want to write it even though I know it’s gonna hurt. I’ve spent years praised for my emotional strength and resilience when all I wanted was to be safe. Lately I’ve been deep in contemplation about that very thing and in conversation with several people about this and related issues myself and my system have been having. Then I came across this Thread and wanted to answer the question Nate poses for you so that you can see the true, extremely heavy cost of resilience and “strength” as most people define it. Don’t get me wrong, healing has been costly, too. But trying to be hard and guarded costs far more than healing ever has.
My Headmates and I Have Spoken About Some Of The Things That Happened To Us And How We Got Through Them, But What Did We Lose In The Process? Trust, for One.
The first thing that comes to mind is the ability to trust. System wide, we struggle to trust and are actually diagnosed agoraphobes as of 2021. It’s complete and utter hell. Our trauma taught us that we are the only ones that we can truly rely on at the end of the day, and that everyone has a price. Some people’s prices are simply higher than others. Everyone will fail us eventually in some way. After twenty some odd years of that horseshit, while we care about people deeply and want to connect with them, we don’t truly remember how to, at least not without soul-deep fear. That strength, that mysterious nature you supposedly see in us is visceral terror. We ache to connect with people, we love them, but often can’t because the fear is so exhausting that we get too tired to even leave the house. Talk about a fucking heavy cost. Some people have managed to prove these beliefs wrong, but it’s an uphill battle for everyone involved and we would give anything for the ability to trust back.
We Also Lost The Little Health We Had Left
Relatedly, due to repeated betrayals and us being too afraid to ask for help, we stressed the body out to the point of chronic illness and severe fatigue. We’ve gotten better at firing ourselves as we’ve healed, but by that point, the damage was already long done. We should have asked for help a long time ago, and we should have had people who made it safe to ask. But we didn’t, so we internalized the idea that the only way we would ever get anything for ourselves in this world was if we got it done on our own without help. That belief and the subsequent actions we took made us very, very sick. This has turned into an ugly, compounding downward spiral we’re still trying to work out way out of gently years later that I wouldn’t wish on damn near anyone. What doesn’t kill you does not, in fact, make you stronger. Ultimately, it tends to make you wish it had finished the fucking job and give you a fuck ton to mourn in therapy.
It Has As Also Cost Us Relationships And Opportunities
Due to the agoraphobia and exhaustion, we’ve had to back out of a lot that we truly didn’t want leave behind. It sidelines us a lot. We have to rest a great deal and has forced us to be nocturnal because we’ve developed a medical mystery of a chronic illness due to the stress on the house body that makes us very sick and physically weak if we are exposed to heat and sunlight for any length of time whatsoever. We will literally collapse if we aren’t careful. As such, even if we weren’t terrified of people, that severely limits our options for a lot and we miss out almost daily. It’s horribly sad. We miss the sunlight on our skin, traveling, and going out with friends. We don’t want to be stuck at home all the time.
Conversely, we also struggle in close relationships because of how guarded we are. The guardedness is absolutely a trauma response and comes with fun side helpings of anger, depression, and occasional impulsivity. We struggle with vulnerability and detest anything that even smells like control or manipulation and will fight hard for our autonomy even if there’s no reason to. We’re constantly on edge unless we’re completely alone. We’ve lost a lot of people because of our anger and inability to be vulnerable. We’re working on healing all of that now, but I wish we had never been forced into this position at all. So in a life of battles won at heavy cost, ultimately the heaviest cost of the supposed strength you see is our peace. All we ever wanted from the time we were young was to be kept safe and a life of peace, and we never got that until we began healing.
Final Thoughts
We still have a long way to go. Nobody’s perfect, especially not us cockroach motherfuckers. But something my system and I have learned over the years is that doing our best to feel and be kind and to keep an open heart and mind despite all the bullshit and trauma is true strength, not trauma responses and guardedness. Long term therapy with a therapist who’s no-bullshit like us has helped, as well as running our life like a meritocracy. If people show up for us consistently and show genuine respect for us and our boundaries, we open up more to them over time and let them in more and more. It’s a great way to ease both the body and the system into vulnerability and to make sure that the other person’s intentions are genuine.
If you’re traumatized like us, I understand that it’s a motherfucking struggle. I get that it hurts every goddamned day. You must have lost so much. My heart and empathy goes out to you. I hope you get rest and ease soon, my friend.
As always, stay tuned for more magic!
-Allēna, Super-Admin
https://opensorceryy.co/at-heavy-cost/
#agoraphobia #chronicFatigue #chronicIllness #cptsd #fatigue #grief #healing #introspection #loss #socializingAsADisabledPerson #tragicBackstory #traumaSurvivor
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Christmas Eve is here, and from all of us at Fusion Patrol, we wish you a joyous holiday season, no matter what season you celebrate (or do not celebrate).
Formatting From Hell
I suppose these could be classified as a quiet couple of weeks here at Fusion Patrol Central. There are no recording sessions until after Christmas, so I’ve been spending my time trying to sort out the changes to the website and the integration with the Fediverse.
I’m pretty sure I said that a week or so back, too, and, to quote a grammatically-challenged sage, “It ain’t there yet.”
It probably never will be.
It sounds like it should be simplistic, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around the intricacies that, under the ActivityPub model, posts on the website aren’t cross-posted to the Fediverse; they are on the Fediverse, but, and this is the key, they don’t look the same on the blog as they do when viewed from common Fediverse clients, which gives them the feel of being cross-posted.
They also don’t appear the same on the various Fediverse clients.
Basically, in old-fashioned MVC programming (Model-View-Controller) design, this blog has two different views: the one presented to web browsers and the one presented to the Fediverse. I also suspect that there are two different controllers – or, more specifically – there is the original WordPress controller and there is a plugin grafted onto that acting as the Fediverse controller. I think that’s why we’re getting some odd variances in the appearance of the exact same data.
Finding the combination that looks good on the website and looks good when presented on the Fediverse is not just slow going, ultimately, it will always be to some degree out of my control.
Luckily, I have a staging website and have posted hundreds of test posts trying every combination of settings and formats I can imagine. I’ve gotten closer, but it is still maddening.
The New Format
We’ve been using the same format for our podcast posts for years now, consisting of a very brief introduction to the conversation, then the written synopsis of the episode under review that is spoken into the podcast.
Going forward we’ll be expanding the intro section to include some production info about the episode under review, then, instead of the full recap, we’ll include a simple, hopefully mostly spoiler-free summary of the recap.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a summary of my recap, not a summary of the episode. I’m hoping to preserve a bit of the snark that I like to inject into some of the recaps, and, as an experiment, I’m letting ChatGPT ingest my recaps and cough up the summaries. I’ve tried a few of the past episode recaps to see how it works and the results, so far, amuse me.
What Series is Next?
Did I say I was going to announce that this week?
I’m not there yet, but I’ve taken it to my mind that I’d like to introduce listeners to something from the road-less-travelled, and pick from something that isn’t just from the US, UK or Japan. The short list, which may change, currently contains New Zealand’s 6-part 1984 series, Children of the Dog Star, Australia’s 13-part 1994 series, Escape from Jupiter, or South Korea’s 8-part 2021 series, The Silent Sea.
All three are serialized stories, with Children of the Dog Star and Escape from Jupiter being classified as being aimed at young audiences (like Children of the Stones.). I’m looking forward to watching all three series, as I’ve never seen any of them.
It’s time for me to get back to my traditional Christmas Eve pizza and again wish you a happy holidays!
https://fusionpatrol.com/2023/12/24/goblin-up-the-christmas-baby-patrolling-beyond-fusion/
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Christmas Eve is here, and from all of us at Fusion Patrol, we wish you a joyous holiday season, no matter what season you celebrate (or do not celebrate).
Formatting From Hell
I suppose these could be classified as a quiet couple of weeks here at Fusion Patrol Central. There are no recording sessions until after Christmas, so I’ve been spending my time trying to sort out the changes to the website and the integration with the Fediverse.
I’m pretty sure I said that a week or so back, too, and, to quote a grammatically-challenged sage, “It ain’t there yet.”
It probably never will be.
It sounds like it should be simplistic, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around the intricacies that, under the ActivityPub model, posts on the website aren’t cross-posted to the Fediverse; they are on the Fediverse, but, and this is the key, they don’t look the same on the blog as they do when viewed from common Fediverse clients, which gives them the feel of being cross-posted.
They also don’t appear the same on the various Fediverse clients.
Basically, in old-fashioned MVC programming (Model-View-Controller) design, this blog has two different views: the one presented to web browsers and the one presented to the Fediverse. I also suspect that there are two different controllers – or, more specifically – there is the original WordPress controller and there is a plugin grafted onto that acting as the Fediverse controller. I think that’s why we’re getting some odd variances in the appearance of the exact same data.
Finding the combination that looks good on the website and looks good when presented on the Fediverse is not just slow going, ultimately, it will always be to some degree out of my control.
Luckily, I have a staging website and have posted hundreds of test posts trying every combination of settings and formats I can imagine. I’ve gotten closer, but it is still maddening.
The New Format
We’ve been using the same format for our podcast posts for years now, consisting of a very brief introduction to the conversation, then the written synopsis of the episode under review that is spoken into the podcast.
Going forward we’ll be expanding the intro section to include some production info about the episode under review, then, instead of the full recap, we’ll include a simple, hopefully mostly spoiler-free summary of the recap.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a summary of my recap, not a summary of the episode. I’m hoping to preserve a bit of the snark that I like to inject into some of the recaps, and, as an experiment, I’m letting ChatGPT ingest my recaps and cough up the summaries. I’ve tried a few of the past episode recaps to see how it works and the results, so far, amuse me.
What Series is Next?
Did I say I was going to announce that this week?
I’m not there yet, but I’ve taken it to my mind that I’d like to introduce listeners to something from the road-less-travelled, and pick from something that isn’t just from the US, UK or Japan. The short list, which may change, currently contains New Zealand’s 6-part 1984 series, Children of the Dog Star, Australia’s 13-part 1994 series, Escape from Jupiter, or South Korea’s 8-part 2021 series, The Silent Sea.
All three are serialized stories, with Children of the Dog Star and Escape from Jupiter being classified as being aimed at young audiences (like Children of the Stones.). I’m looking forward to watching all three series, as I’ve never seen any of them.
It’s time for me to get back to my traditional Christmas Eve pizza and again wish you a happy holidays!
https://fusionpatrol.com/2023/12/24/goblin-up-the-christmas-baby-patrolling-beyond-fusion/
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Christmas Eve is here, and from all of us at Fusion Patrol, we wish you a joyous holiday season, no matter what season you celebrate (or do not celebrate).
Formatting From Hell
I suppose these could be classified as a quiet couple of weeks here at Fusion Patrol Central. There are no recording sessions until after Christmas, so I’ve been spending my time trying to sort out the changes to the website and the integration with the Fediverse.
I’m pretty sure I said that a week or so back, too, and, to quote a grammatically-challenged sage, “It ain’t there yet.”
It probably never will be.
It sounds like it should be simplistic, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around the intricacies that, under the ActivityPub model, posts on the website aren’t cross-posted to the Fediverse; they are on the Fediverse, but, and this is the key, they don’t look the same on the blog as they do when viewed from common Fediverse clients, which gives them the feel of being cross-posted.
They also don’t appear the same on the various Fediverse clients.
Basically, in old-fashioned MVC programming (Model-View-Controller) design, this blog has two different views: the one presented to web browsers and the one presented to the Fediverse. I also suspect that there are two different controllers – or, more specifically – there is the original WordPress controller and there is a plugin grafted onto that acting as the Fediverse controller. I think that’s why we’re getting some odd variances in the appearance of the exact same data.
Finding the combination that looks good on the website and looks good when presented on the Fediverse is not just slow going, ultimately, it will always be to some degree out of my control.
Luckily, I have a staging website and have posted hundreds of test posts trying every combination of settings and formats I can imagine. I’ve gotten closer, but it is still maddening.
The New Format
We’ve been using the same format for our podcast posts for years now, consisting of a very brief introduction to the conversation, then the written synopsis of the episode under review that is spoken into the podcast.
Going forward we’ll be expanding the intro section to include some production info about the episode under review, then, instead of the full recap, we’ll include a simple, hopefully mostly spoiler-free summary of the recap.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a summary of my recap, not a summary of the episode. I’m hoping to preserve a bit of the snark that I like to inject into some of the recaps, and, as an experiment, I’m letting ChatGPT ingest my recaps and cough up the summaries. I’ve tried a few of the past episode recaps to see how it works and the results, so far, amuse me.
What Series is Next?
Did I say I was going to announce that this week?
I’m not there yet, but I’ve taken it to my mind that I’d like to introduce listeners to something from the road-less-travelled, and pick from something that isn’t just from the US, UK or Japan. The short list, which may change, currently contains New Zealand’s 6-part 1984 series, Children of the Dog Star, Australia’s 13-part 1994 series, Escape from Jupiter, or South Korea’s 8-part 2021 series, The Silent Sea.
All three are serialized stories, with Children of the Dog Star and Escape from Jupiter being classified as being aimed at young audiences (like Children of the Stones.). I’m looking forward to watching all three series, as I’ve never seen any of them.
It’s time for me to get back to my traditional Christmas Eve pizza and again wish you a happy holidays!
https://fusionpatrol.com/2023/12/24/goblin-up-the-christmas-baby-patrolling-beyond-fusion/
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Christmas Eve is here, and from all of us at Fusion Patrol, we wish you a joyous holiday season, no matter what season you celebrate (or do not celebrate).
Formatting From Hell
I suppose these could be classified as a quiet couple of weeks here at Fusion Patrol Central. There are no recording sessions until after Christmas, so I’ve been spending my time trying to sort out the changes to the website and the integration with the Fediverse.
I’m pretty sure I said that a week or so back, too, and, to quote a grammatically-challenged sage, “It ain’t there yet.”
It probably never will be.
It sounds like it should be simplistic, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around the intricacies that, under the ActivityPub model, posts on the website aren’t cross-posted to the Fediverse; they are on the Fediverse, but, and this is the key, they don’t look the same on the blog as they do when viewed from common Fediverse clients, which gives them the feel of being cross-posted.
They also don’t appear the same on the various Fediverse clients.
Basically, in old-fashioned MVC programming (Model-View-Controller) design, this blog has two different views: the one presented to web browsers and the one presented to the Fediverse. I also suspect that there are two different controllers – or, more specifically – there is the original WordPress controller and there is a plugin grafted onto that acting as the Fediverse controller. I think that’s why we’re getting some odd variances in the appearance of the exact same data.
Finding the combination that looks good on the website and looks good when presented on the Fediverse is not just slow going, ultimately, it will always be to some degree out of my control.
Luckily, I have a staging website and have posted hundreds of test posts trying every combination of settings and formats I can imagine. I’ve gotten closer, but it is still maddening.
The New Format
We’ve been using the same format for our podcast posts for years now, consisting of a very brief introduction to the conversation, then the written synopsis of the episode under review that is spoken into the podcast.
Going forward we’ll be expanding the intro section to include some production info about the episode under review, then, instead of the full recap, we’ll include a simple, hopefully mostly spoiler-free summary of the recap.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a summary of my recap, not a summary of the episode. I’m hoping to preserve a bit of the snark that I like to inject into some of the recaps, and, as an experiment, I’m letting ChatGPT ingest my recaps and cough up the summaries. I’ve tried a few of the past episode recaps to see how it works and the results, so far, amuse me.
What Series is Next?
Did I say I was going to announce that this week?
I’m not there yet, but I’ve taken it to my mind that I’d like to introduce listeners to something from the road-less-travelled, and pick from something that isn’t just from the US, UK or Japan. The short list, which may change, currently contains New Zealand’s 6-part 1984 series, Children of the Dog Star, Australia’s 13-part 1994 series, Escape from Jupiter, or South Korea’s 8-part 2021 series, The Silent Sea.
All three are serialized stories, with Children of the Dog Star and Escape from Jupiter being classified as being aimed at young audiences (like Children of the Stones.). I’m looking forward to watching all three series, as I’ve never seen any of them.
It’s time for me to get back to my traditional Christmas Eve pizza and again wish you a happy holidays!
https://fusionpatrol.com/2023/12/24/goblin-up-the-christmas-baby-patrolling-beyond-fusion/
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Context, Thought, and Learning: ShiraDest publications Offers Project Do Better @[email protected] ·Passing to Freedom, Chapter 10: All Alone in the Night
Chapter 10
I began to tremble, that old stench returning. As I looked about the room, I saw not the faces of my sweet Anna, nor the doctor and his wife, but that of little Tilly: in chains.
We were back in the Slave Gaol where my friends had been punished. The odors of sweat mingled with blood, dirt, and fear, as the Senator ordered me held and made to watch. Each slice of that leather whistling through the air brought fresh emissions of noxious gasses, the air befouled with the contents of their bowels, and mine. The blood of both friends, whipped one after the other, smeared my face so thickly that my tears ran puddles of blood to the slop covered floor. My shrieks for mercy joined those of Little Sal, bound beside me, to watch, and to learn.
No mercy came, only more blood. The smell of iron rose up so sharply that I could taste the rust. Then, the Senator drew near with a smile that turned my stomach.
“You shall have a double length bath, now, before I come to see you, My Ann.”
He’d nodded to his head overseer, turning on his heel to leave as I had begun to wretch.
A touch upon my cheek, tender as that of a Great Grandmother, brought me back to the room. The velvet hand of Little Tilly was warm as she stretched up to hold my face, like dear Anna had done so many times before.
“Miss Willow.”
That whisper broke through the tears racing down my face. I bent down to pick her up, and she touched her tiny face to my ear.
“Be strong, and of good courage, for the Lord is with us.”
As I marveled at the wisdom of this young child, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Anna had given Tilly the slightest of nods. I turned to her, little Tilly still in my arms, and raised an eyebrow.
She rewarded me with her most mischievous smile. So, then. Not only from the mouths of babes. My tears ended, I couldn’t help but return her smile. My breast filled with hope, until stayed by my bodice.
“You see, my dear Miss Willow, we can indeed accomplish this task which is set before us.”
Anna’s confidence was as bracing as a cup of tea on a cold day. Tilly seconded that thought, nodding her head so vigorously that I had to put her down. Anna drew near, pulling us both into an embrace that no family had ever bested.
“Well, my dears.”
I looked up with a start. It was Mrs. H. She stood in the doorway holding a bundle of clothing. The doctor, however, was no longer in the room. Just how long, exactly, had I been unawares? Had I fainted?
“While the doctor is seeing to the carriage, I have brought you such apparel as our Joe Wright here has requested.” She nodded to Anna, then turned to me. “We always have diverse disguises on hand that will do for young Joe and Tilly, but nothing for this Peculiar ruse of yours. I only keep one change of fine dress and stays, Willow, for special occasions.”
That word. Does she disapprove? Tilly ran over to take the bundle from her. Mrs. H. continued across the room, stopping before a large chest. When she opened it, a scent of lavender escaped, perfuming the room. She pulled out a dress such as the mistress of a plantation would wear. I gasped, finally understanding the extent of her hospitality. Just then, a familiar sound caught my ear, somewhere outside. I looked to the window, but all was darkness, and quiet.
“Did you hear me, Willow?”
I looked back, embarrassed to have missed what she was saying. Little Tilly, already beginning to play her role, responded for me:
“If you please, Missus, my mistress is very devout, and was saying a prayer just as you spoke.”
She bowed her head and dropped into that perfect curtsy as she finished, drawing a scowl from Mrs. H. I almost thought I heard the child let escape half of a giggle.
“Willow, I fear that this dress will go a little long on you, but we’ve no time to alter it.”
That dress, I knew, would not suffice on special occasions in Virginia. But for travel, it would do.
“Mrs. H. this is the loveli-”
“You need not flatter me, young Willow. I am no Virginia Lady. Let us be about our task quickly, for I hear them in the courtyard.”
We had tiptoed down the back stairs as quickly as we dared. While Mrs. H. was pinning me inside of her best dress, still smelling of lavender, Anna and Tilly had packed our precious documents. That I had passed Anna’s test seemed nothing short of a miracle, now that we must speed away so suddenly. I cursed my capricious memory, as capable of holding me in an iron grip while the smell of blood washed over me as it was of delivering those words which would safeguard our freedom.
The carriage stood waiting in the courtyard, the door open and barely visible in the darkness. The doctor himself held the reins of the two horses while little Tilly hid nearly under my skirts as our Joe ushered us in, closing the door behind her. She handed me the sheaf of documents, neatly bound in a leather pouch. My heart raced as I began to taste bile. Now I became grateful for that lavender perfuming our cramped space. All had passed so quickly and in such silence that I’d not had time to consider the consequences, should I fail. I felt my gloved fingers begin to sweat where they made contact with the leather. Wonderful little Tilly came to my rescue yet again, holding up my satchel to store away our papers. I settled in to the seat, brooding even as I tucked away the satchel next to me. Still lost in my thoughts, Anna leaned into my shoulder, whispering in my ear.
“We have saddle bags, if you wish to keep your old sewing basket.”
I nearly dropped the satchel. I clutched it to my bosom after catching it just as my hands let it slip.
“I thought that might bring you back to us. I saved it, after you left it in the wagon, in case you should need anything, except those scissors, of course.”
Her smile, even in the darkness of that carriage, carried to me. I could barely see her, but I could hear that devilish grin in her voice, and the lifted brow. I began to relax, breathing as deeply as my bodice would allow while the lavender worked its soothing balm upon me. I was glad that Mrs. H.’s dress was too large for me, as it gave me more room to breathe. How fortunate we were to have sheltered in the home of gentry, accustomed to changing various times even on a normal day. No working family, colored or white, would have had the means to accomplish this ruse. Then a problem occurred to me. I turned to whisper:
“But Anna, I’m sorry, Joe. How is it that you found my basket? I thought I had dropped it along the way when I fell from Old Mary.”
“Oh, no. I put it in my saddle bag when you first mounted her.”
“But then…”
“The bulge in your saddle bag? Only an extra blanket.”
Her voice had risen an octave at those last words. What a marvelous singing voice she must have, if I ever got a chance to hear it. We were not allowed to sing whilst in the doctor’s home, lest the neighbors hear. Thinking of Doctor H., I wondered how he would explain this outing. He must have invented a patient to see as a pretext. I could only suppose, as we were not to know any more than strictly essential for our flight. Which reminded me:
“I hope Old Mary is happy, where ever she is. I was truly sorry to have put her, and all of you, in danger.”
“Hush, now. We have spoken about this. Besides, you’ll see her again, soon.”
I turned to look at her, but she had turned her back to mine, as if to go to sleep. Little Tilly took that moment to stretch out on the opposite seat, and all was silence. The rest of my questions would just have to wait.
Our ride in the carriage, that night, seated back to back as Anna and I were, was at least sure against the winter chill. I’d laid an extra blanket over little Tilly, then snuggled back up against Anna. At some point during our ride, she had turned to cradle me in her arms as we slept. I awoke nuzzling the inside of her neck, and rose with a start, as I saw our Tilly observing me. My cheeks began to burn as I wondered how long she might have been awake.
“It’s ok, Miss Willow. Your servant Joe Wright is here to keep us safe, Missus.”
I was so relieved, I hardly knew what to say.
“Oh, Tilly, you don’t need to play our game here. We are alone.”
She shook her head most insistently:
“Joe told me that we are never to end this game, Miss Willow, until we are free up North. All the way North.”
She looked at the window, covered against the cold, and against prying eyes, and inched closer, whispering, “we never know what ears may be up against this door.”
“That is right.”
How long had Anna been awake? I’d not felt her move a muscle, but she was surely listening. How did she do that? Just then, I recalled the question which had been burning within me as we went to sleep.
“Miss, sorry, Joe, you said something last night about seeing Old Mary soon. What on this Good Lord’s earth were you talking about, pray tell?”
Anna flashed her most devilish grin. It was the one that promised shocking things to come.
“What say both of you,” she had managed to lower her voice another octave, to sound like a young boy, if not a man, “to a spot of breakfast, before I answer that question?”
“I am starving!”
I was amazed at how quietly this child could shout.
“Tilly,” I teased in my finest soprano whisper, which is not an easy thing to do, “you are always starving, Honey Child!”
We all fell to giggling as quietly as we had whispered, as we shared out the cornbread Mrs. H. had given us to breakfast upon. Even cold, that aroma was enticing. It had been all she’d had to hand, so we knew we must make do on that one meal for most of this day.
When we had each had three chews and a swallow of our meal, I looked up again at Anna, my head tilted insistently at her, as I waited for my reply.
She finally rewarded me: “Do you remember the white men who met us where we stopped with the wagon?”
I nodded.
“They were expecting to see four of us, of course.”
Of course. I still recalled the despair of that parting.
“Old Mary was meant to carry you and Little Sally, while Captain here,” she lifted her head up toward the front of the carriage, “is sturdy enough for both Miss Mary and myself. Since it was just you, they almost took Old Mary back with them, but I told them that two horses were better than one. That is why she is here again, tied up back as the spare.“
Old Mary was here! It was a pity that I had no apples or carrots for her. That thought brought to mind the memory of my Miss Mary, for some odd reason, singing one of our favorite songs. I wished I could go now, down to some peaceful river, thinking about a good way, a better way than this world’s way, to pray.
There came a knock at the carriage door, and I realized that we had not been moving for some moments. I wondered how I had managed not to notice. All was silent. Another knock came, this time in three sharp raps, followed by two light knocks. Anna nodded, and Little Tilly cracked the door open just enough to see the pair of blue eyes looking back at us, and opened it wide enough for the doctor see in.
“Joe, it is here that I must leave you all. I bid you god speed.”
I saw the barest lift of his hat just as the doctor stepped back out of view, allowing our Joe to exit the carriage. The door had clicked shut, and we’d started up again with nary a sound. Now, we were on our own, and our safety depended upon me.
I decided that this was a good time to pray.
***
End of Act I
Most of my early Readers, from three or four years ago, will remember most of the action of these past nine chapters, with the extra chapter having been added in order to give the point of view of our Antagonist, from whom these faithful early followers of the ShiraDest blog, before it also became the Project Do Better website and portal, will only have seen him mentioned from Willow’s point of view as interior monologue and memories. Now, as you may recall from Chapter Three, he starts to get his own subplot and narrative, in order to shed more light on what is going on, since Willow remains an unreliable narrator, due to her upbringing in the shadows of that mansion in The Old Dominion. In Act II, we shall see how the work begun here, of learning to read, especially, will change all of that, not only for Willow, but for many others as well. Because words really do have power.
-Nia, aka Dest. Antonia JONES, MPhil, author,
in service to the youngest and most vulnerable among us, starting with those served by Bright Beginnings in DC by The Project Do Better by ShiraDest Publications Fund via the GWCF, and via the ideas, always freely offered for discussion and thought, of the first edition of Project Do Better: Enough for All in Four Phases…
Injustice Delenda Est
#AnnAnna #BlackHistory #historicalFiction #slavery #writing -
Why are there not metal detectors & highly trained armed guards at every door of every school in America?
Do we want to? No. Do we have to? Apparently we do.
Don't tell me we can't afford it.
#Schools
#SchoolShootings
#GunViolence #AmericanEducation
#ProtectChildren -
I've had a love affair with #VintageJewelry my whole life and sell it, but have begun transitioning to also selling jewelry I make. Thanks for making this thread!! I've been boosting others.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1230269069/lemon-yellow-summer-earrings-czech
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Migrating here, still have a paddle in the water at the hellsite. An #introduction:
Guilty pleasures: wicked snark (I'm not so good at dishing it anymore), silver Cuervo, cars & cats. Not at the same time.
I'm all about politics but enjoying the less toxic life here!
My loves: #Plants #Nature #Cats #Travel #VintageJewelry #Beads #JewelryMaking #Politics #Architecture #Antiques #Books
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SciTechDaily: Scientists Warn: Common Cleaning Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-common-cleaning-chemical-linked-to-500-increased-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
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SciTechDaily: Scientists Warn: Common Cleaning Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-common-cleaning-chemical-linked-to-500-increased-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
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SciTechDaily: Scientists Warn: Common Cleaning Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-common-cleaning-chemical-linked-to-500-increased-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
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SciTechDaily: Scientists Warn: Common Cleaning Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-common-cleaning-chemical-linked-to-500-increased-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
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SciTechDaily: Scientists Warn: Common Cleaning Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-common-cleaning-chemical-linked-to-500-increased-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
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Whether you're for or against animal testing, there's bad business afoot in Bainbridge, Georgia.
Jim Harkness, beagle abuser/killer/tester- shut down by the US Department of Justice at his last business & banned from ever raising animals in Virginia again, has been offered a very sweet deal to come to our little Georgia town to start what will be the Western Hemisphere's biggest monkey farm & lab. His new company is called Safer Human Medicine (SHM).
There are so many things wrong with this picture it's going to take quite a few posts to catch everyone up to speed.
Starters:
1. The farm will be built 500ft from someone's home, on land that was underwater twice in the 90s
2. The land is very close to the important Flint River which eventually becomes the Apalachicola River & empties into the Gulf of Mexico
3. The facility will produce 440,000 gallons of wastewater per day
4. There is the appearance of financial skullduggery, which will make taxes go up in our small rural county
If you'd like a faster start, head over to our Facebook page Stand Up Bainbridge GA- A Call to Action or
the website, StandUpBainbridgeGA.com.On Facebook look in the "Featured" tab for linked information and articles.
We need your help, Mastodon. We need your shares!
*We need donations for citizen education, billboards, signs, lawyers and possibly lobbyists.
*We need shout-outs to news media, celebrities, and any politician who will listen- because ours aren't so far!
PETA came to help with education and the Humane Society (who rehomed the Harkness beagles) is watching also.
Please help us spread the word!
Thank you!
LeeAnn Elkins
Bainbridge GA#Georgia #EnvigoBeagles #PETA #JimHarkness #BainbridgeGA #BainbridgeMonkeyFarm #VirginiaBeagles #LabAnimals #USHS #HumaneSociety #AnimalWelfare #CharlesRiverLabs #KurtDuerfler #USDOJ #BrianKemp #JonOssoff #SanfordBishop #RaphaelWarnock
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Star Tribune: UnitedHealth's Optum gets FDA warning letter over 'serious deficiencies' at infusion facility Star Tribune: UnitedHealth's Optum gets FDA warning letter over 'serious deficiencies' at infusion facility.
https://www.startribune.com/unitedhealths-optum-receives-fda-warning-letter-over-serious-deficiencies-at-infusion-facility/600244514/#OptumRX
#UnitedHealthCare #UHCNot the least bit happy with OptumRX so far.
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#Ezricare #DelsamPharma #EyeDrops #Recall #Blindness
FDA faults company behind recalled eye drops for multiple violations, bans imports - CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/recall-eye-drops-infection-fda-global-pharma-multiple-violations-import-ban-ezricare-delsam/
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#Ezricare
#EyeDrops
#ArtificialTearsCDC warns not to use eye drop brand as it investigates death, infections across 11 states https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/3839980-cdc-warns-not-to-use-eye-drop-brand-as-it-investigates-death-infections-across-11-states/
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YouTube’s AI Is Destroying Creators: UnderSparked’s Demonetization Story Sounds Familiar
It's May 1, 2026. And I want to talk about something that happened just a few days ago that caught my attention because it hit close to home. A YouTube channel called UnderSparked posted a video about how YouTube demonetized them, how YouTube's automated systems flagged their content as not having value, and how this could seriously impact them financially. You can watch their video here: https://youtu.be/OB_5dzU0W_w?si=t7FNm8mRw6CdD2iK Before I get into UnderSparked's situation and why it […] -
All of the wingnuts, Mars lovers & Q whiners need to start screaming about DeSantis & "Don't Say Gay" before they come for social media. There's your free speech suppression by the government.
#FreeSpeech #DeSantis #QAnon #MAGA #QLon #ElonMusk #Musk #Florida #Supression #DontSayGay #RightWing #Trump #DamnLiars
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Anyone know a child suffering from severe depression after having Covid? I need advice. How were they helped? How long did it last?
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Heidi Stevens: 'There is no flag for poor rights.' Why the wealthiest country in the world has so much poverty — and what to do about it https://delivery.tribunecontentagency.com/preview/202304140400MCT_____NEWS_SVC_16514_kniga
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I don't know about the first question. Try using hashtags in your posts to find your people, like #DesignTwitter or whatever. Mastodon search works on hashtags.
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@arielbchapman It was awful today. I just posted about all the Trump & Elon supporting replies to an article about Jack White leaving Twitter & why, & how either there were very few pro-democracy replies, or Twitter was showing me the trash replies primarily.
What happens when we abandon that space? Does it matter? I feel like it matters a lot, but I don't know that.
Were we just shouting into the void all this time? #SoConflicted
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@arielbchapman It was awful today. I just posted about all the Trump & Elon supporting replies to an article about Jack White leaving Twitter & why, & how either there were very few pro-democracy replies, or Twitter was showing me the trash replies primarily.
What happens when we abandon that space? Does it matter? I feel like it matters a lot, but I don't know that.
Were we just shouting into the void all this time? #SoConflicted
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@arielbchapman It was awful today. I just posted about all the Trump & Elon supporting replies to an article about Jack White leaving Twitter & why, & how either there were very few pro-democracy replies, or Twitter was showing me the trash replies primarily.
What happens when we abandon that space? Does it matter? I feel like it matters a lot, but I don't know that.
Were we just shouting into the void all this time? #SoConflicted
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I've had a love affair with #VintageJewelry my whole life and sell it, but have begun transitioning to also selling jewelry I make. Thanks for making this thread!! I've been boosting others.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1230269069/lemon-yellow-summer-earrings-czech
-
I've had a love affair with #VintageJewelry my whole life and sell it, but have begun transitioning to also selling jewelry I make. Thanks for making this thread!! I've been boosting others.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1230269069/lemon-yellow-summer-earrings-czech
-
I've had a love affair with #VintageJewelry my whole life and sell it, but have begun transitioning to also selling jewelry I make. Thanks for making this thread!! I've been boosting others.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1230269069/lemon-yellow-summer-earrings-czech