I know. Two posts in two weeks. Has to be some kind of record for me! I hope the New Year has got off to a good start for everyone on my flist. I'm fine, very busy but fine. Could do with more sleep, but that would mean less reading time and I just can't be having that!

I read some actual books again (I KNOW!), one of which was Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. It was brilliant. He has said that this is the book he's been wanting to write always but never felt he was quite good enough to do it justice; I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. What was the first thing I did upon finishing it? Yes, I went looking for fics and actually found 2, courtesy of

femmequixotic

blamebrampton

femmequixotic

novembersnow

Lord, it's been so long since I posted and I promised myself I would post at least once a week. Truly, I am made of fail. I really don't know where the time has gone!

The boys are back at school - wahey! - and I am back to providing the after-school taxi service as they attend various clubs and activities. On the plus side, it means I get.... nope, there's no plus side. I'm just constantly tired. But happy! I keep smiling. One thing that made me smile was a parcel full of chocolate and Lassy Mogs from the lovely Lilithilien. We can't get Lassy Mogs here and she's gone and got me addicted to them. Her trip to London in March, when she says she's only bringing carry-on? I'm going to try and persuade her to just bring the Lassy Mogs and buy new stuff to wear once she's here... I mean, who needs to pack clothes, anyway?

My elder boy Joe is making his First Holy Communion this year, and as part of the programme they insist that we attend Mass together weekly and he takes part in a sort of study group. I've always been a Christmas, Easter, hatched, matched and despatched mass attendee until now, but I'm finding the whole thing rather... comforting, I think is the word. I don't give a hoot about religious affiliations, you could be a practising Jedi for all I care, but I find myself drawing something from mass that I've obviously been lacking. Ooh, serious thinky thoughts - that's not like me at all.

I've been doing a lot of reading, but I think I shall do a separate recs post or I won't do them justice. However, those of you that like the PWP should head over to

pushdragon

God, the week I've had. Work has been a complete nightmare, home has been hectic and to top it all off I've been in pain all week, which really hasn't helped. I have a fairly serious back problem, have had for 11 years, and most of the time the pain is low-level, I don't really feel it anymore. Huge amounts of physio have helped me to build columns of muscle either side of my spine to help support me and I usually don't bother with painkillers. This week, I sneezed once and that was it. Massive muscle spasms, pain in my arms, my neck and what felt like a lead-weight at the base of my spine. It hurt more than natural childbirth. Needless to say, I reached straight for the meds. Aren't opiates wonderful things?  

I've worked part-time from home this week but the phone has never stopped. It's been "Larissa, sorry to disturb you, but..." So to keep me occupied and away from the phone, my wonderful husband declared the whole week to be my Buffy-fest week. (Last time it was this bad, I worked my way through every series of The West Wing.) I'm just starting Season 5 tonight, having watched them all in order. I had forgotten how truly bad season 4 was, even allowing for Spike. Surprisingly, though, they haven't dated too badly and definitely bear watching again. 

It's my beloved's birthday today, he's now the same age as me and thus unable to torment me about being his older woman. I swear, he enjoys those 2 months of every year more than the others put together! We had a gorgeous chocolate birthday cake....mmmm...chocolate.... which reminds me - I have some Bournville chocolate here for a certain lady who should mail me her address sharpish before the chocolate mysteriously disappears. 

The reveals are up in the AS/S Fest over on LJ, confirming that the lovely Blamebrampton wrote Snatched, which I rec'd a few weeks ago. It's a wonderful story with a hint of H/D goodness at the end. There have been some great fics in this fest; well worth a tootle over for a peep at the masterlist.

There are loads of memes flying about as usual and I've been tagged several times with the 'You make my day' one. I'm pants, can't choose and most of the people I would tag have already done it anyway. So I'd like to say that all my Flist make my day. You are all wonderful and all special in so many ways. You've all helped IJ feel like home to me - it's so much friendlier over here. So thank you all. *snuggles flist*

I could keep talking all night for some reason, but I shall go and find some porn to read instead. That always helps... ;-)

What a great idea Shelly! My Husband and I had THE MOST ENORMOUS FIGHT earlier tonight. I cried. We've made up now, but I felt it necessary to Drink The Wine. It's now Very Late Indeed and I am mostly drunk, although I did have a packet of crisps earlier.

How YOU doin'?

lilithilien

It is quiet and dark in the alcove. This is where he comes to brood, to be alone when the pressure is too great, the burdens too heavy.

Potter. It's always Potter. No matter what he does, Potter is there, his very presence an irritation. Why does he let Potter get to him so? Why did he try to reach out to him? Draco should have known he would refuse his hand again. Why did he even bother?

He feels like a failure. He won't try again.

~ *~

It's raining heavily, again. This depresses me, but on the plus side it gives me more time to read and talk. The children have gone with their dad to the Church Funday, which is being held indoors for the 6th consecutive year due to the weather. If I'm lucky they may bring me back cake...

I've read an awful lot of H/D this week. Lots of it good, some of it outstanding. Now, I'm not normally one for drabbles - they frustrate me. I always want MORE. So I'm surprised to find myself actually reccing one, even if it is by one of my favourite writers. Decline and Fall by blamebrampton was written for the Serpentlion Drabble mini-fest over on LJ. It's written from Ginny's POV; a Ginny who is so suspicious, so wary that she really doesn't need any evidence or help to poison her marriage. Beautiful.

My other rec is Bound Skerry by Frayach, with beautiful art by djinniyah. It's also short, but not one word is wasted. A Beltane fic, it really gets to the heart of the Draco/Harry relationship, which is essentially all about power. It's gorgeous.
 
"The sand on these islands works itself into every crack and crevice, clinging to the weave of a jumper and collecting in the bottoms of unused teacups in shut cupboards. Bemusedly, he watches as it pours from first one shoe and then the other. Every time he steps on the floor he’ll think of me. A grain of memory working itself into the flesh of his heart.

And thus the irritant becomes the pearl."  

Ooh, anyone see Dr Who last night?

I treated myself to a paid account this week. I've never bothered before, but I thought, why not? Now, I just need to find myself something pretty to customize it! 

It's pouring down here. Again. That means I can't kick the kids out into the garden to play. Curses.

First things first. I has new icons! Thank you to the brilliant, wonderful Lilithilien for these. I love you, Lil. You are the best.

I'm up to date with my H/D Worldcup reading now. I've read 'em all, voted and in some cases actually commented! There've been some crackers this week, I've really enjoyed them all. My favourites, though, were from Teams EWE and Canon. They were Beneath Boundless Skies;, Of Geysers, Unexpected Rain and Icelandic Sheep; No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy and Still Life in Wood and Parchment. My personal favourite has to be Beneath Boundless Skies. The author painted such a vivid picture of Australia and Australians that I could almost see it. The dialogue is sparkling and witty, the writing elegant and spare. I found the evolution of the relationship between Harry and Draco to be very believable and the use of minor canon characters is brilliant. No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy is an interesting twist on the forced bond theme and an entertaining read. Of Geysers.... is a really nice story with a nicely written young Teddy Lupin and Still Life is a look at a past H/D relationship through old (and new!) letters. I really enjoyed them all.

Dr Who. Last night.