joſh

in the old days (~1300–1500), some people hired professional scribes to write in notebooks for them.
something tells me those people would fit in this century.

2026-02-09 13:20:22 GMT

I've found a copy of and been enjoying The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
muchas gracias por la recomendacion, @npub1z8r…mrq6 🙏
#theLibrary
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/116/040/828/994/528/402/original/82b4d375f8f315d5.jpg

2026-01-29 05:19:14 GMT

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I think you have good connections and with a community that's much closer. I toyed with the idea of becoming an established artist and making a career out of it, on and off in the past few years, and that was one of the reasons I started my website to begin with.
while I did meet interesting people through it, it ultimately didn't really do much for my career pursuits. it doesn't help that I'm quite isolated where I'm at (ironic, given it's a city of millions).
I've secretly envied those who seem to be doing quite well in that regard and I've wondered how they got there: consistency perhaps but for how long, or some stroke of luck. the road more traveled of promoting oneself isn't at all enticing though.
to me, social media killed the idea of having a portfolio. then AI and vibe coding killed whatever programming and gamedev projects I've been planning. the earliest iteration of my site had short stories, but now I don't see myself wanting to get back to writing.
I still have art, but there's nothing to be done with it; and so I'm stuck on what to do, withering in the meantime

2026-01-29 04:39:15 GMT

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oh I definitely enjoy websites like those of yours and of folk in the webring. I also still like the idea of maintaining a space in which to house works and collected knowledge; but then it pretty much just sits there, gathering dust, becoming insignificant in a way.
not that my goal is to garner popularity. I don't have the words yet to clearly communicate how it feels to exist right now. the closest I can compare it to would be something like camping in a once gorgeous and serene spot but now there's glampers and instagrammers all over the place

2026-01-29 04:19:22 GMT

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is it even still worth it to have a website these days? just seems hollow now

2026-01-29 04:14:12 GMT

the internet was much more muchier. it lost its muchness.

2026-01-27 12:49:46 GMT

მხედრული (Mkhedruli) handwriting practice; #Georgian alphabet 🇬🇪 #theWorkshop
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/967/118/953/265/549/original/9698ecbd6d8f72da.jpg

2026-01-22 18:05:10 GMT

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xD I guess cursive doesn't suit them. þ; is it a b or a p? and ſ is very much like an f
I couldn't find cursive forms for thorn, and the one for the long s is…an f
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_s#Similarity_to_letter_f
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/940/060/628/815/689/original/434d2317c65d179b.jpg

2026-01-22 17:48:30 GMT

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I miſspelled þalaſsophobia
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/939/994/071/813/983/original/2ba168ce65d2474e.jpeg

2026-01-22 16:35:13 GMT

conſidering adopting þe long s in my journal but it reads like a liſp

2025-12-27 19:38:42 GMT

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that's why I like to sketch on physical paper, "performative" as it may be when I'm out and about, but at least it removes that AI uncertainty :eccehomo:

2025-12-27 19:24:01 GMT

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ah in my case, it's not about the struggles of competing since I don't rely on art as a career at this time, but annoyance at the effects of the space for it (or society at large, I guess lol) has on me and not as an active participant but just the unfortunate consequence of being an artist.
I like making things and used to like sharing them to the public, but I don't like what that space has become over the years and the associations it brings. plenty of reasons, but ultimately they all kill the joys of having that identity. it happened with programming; I'm hoping it doesn't snuff out art as well but the "art needs other people" points from the talk has already started to lose meaning for me.

2025-12-27 18:32:01 GMT

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that and also at the other end of it: being labeled arrogant, pretentious, or fake if you just happen to be skilled at or have knowledge about anything especially when there's no visible progression or effort
drew digital art without a time-lapse? AI. have art skills and think AI artists have no validity? gatekeeper, ablist, etc. etc. unfortunate enough to have a wide range of hobbies and interests? polymath wannabe.
it's like you're supposed to either do nothing or do what everyone else is doing (which is also uncool to do) and not stand out unless you meet the ever-shifting standards of what makes a celebrity

2025-12-17 04:53:41 GMT

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I'm hearing about it first from you; looks like something I'd take fascination in. I'll keep an eye out for it on my next bookstore treasure hunt! :eyes_fast:

2025-12-17 03:30:52 GMT

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thank you! it does vary depending on the time of day, writing on a table vs on my lap, etc. there's still a lot of messiness in my notes 😅 journaling daily has been really helpful though. I'm sure you'll get there!
here's some snippets of the journal to show how much it varies haha
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/732/749/781/615/329/original/b04ef0354bc83b15.jpg
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/732/749/788/748/860/original/e38c6420d3882cb7.jpg
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/732/749/789/478/250/original/31daa00c3f4b7969.jpg
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/732/749/794/968/607/original/164d49e9d5bfddb2.jpg

2025-12-17 03:07:51 GMT

a peek inside my commonplace notebook: I have had these natural watercolours made by a local Thai artist (Sand Suwanya) for a while and was one day interested in learning more about the sources of the pigments
I do feel sad learning about cochineals
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/115/732/669/116/372/694/original/68cfa248df1f014f.jpg

2025-12-17 02:50:53 GMT

I've been spending significantly far more time away from not just the internet, but computers as well; one of the few things that keeps me tethered is this community. I'm always interested in and inspired by the things Merveilles-folk do.
as far as tech goes, I'm pretty much bored at best and disgusted at worst by all of these things happening in the space (guess my least favourite acronyms).
instead, I've been going on runs, hitting the gym, journaling intensely, studying the old-fashioned pre-internet way, sketching and painting in various mediums; will be sharing more on these later
in the meantime, I hope everyone's well and healthy; drink plenty of water, move as much as possible, eat the leafy greens and the fruits :moar: and happy winter!

2025-12-17 02:30:04 GMT

woah, I love the kurrent xxiivv logo, @npub1z8r…mrq6 :visual:

2025-11-27 12:00:26 GMT

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that place looks gorgeous. makes me want to replay Inside by Playdead

2025-11-07 04:39:35 GMT

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it is a black omen to jourrney in poorrr heeaalth

2025-10-21 02:51:00 GMT

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me every time I thought I stumbled upon a Kryptos epiphany

2025-07-14 01:11:42 GMT

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oooh I should probably get into something competitive too to have something concrete to push towards. my workouts are usually just me running on a treadmill then hopping all over the gym at every machine until I start craving snacks. surprisingly, we don't have a pullup bar (I'd have to take a train to a park just for that :neofox_melt_3:)
I went from 47 kg (quite underweight) to 52-52.5. I started taking it sometime in May, so +~5 in ~2 months, although the biggest change I noticed was in my shoulders

2025-07-14 00:51:30 GMT

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I've mostly just been too busy with life stuff since April. I still work out :> weight machines, running, and swimming these days. creatine did help a ton, so thanks for that again! how's your progress?

2025-07-14 00:40:47 GMT

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that looks awesome! and reminds me to either get back into programming, bouldering, or both

2025-03-22 21:55:59 GMT

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happy birthday! 🐇

2025-03-16 23:24:53 GMT

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þank þee :honk:

2025-03-16 23:14:46 GMT

:catclock: 28 today

2025-03-10 01:21:33 GMT

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yes it is 🫠 we are being encouraged to "go with the flow and harness the full potential of AI"

2025-03-10 01:05:43 GMT

"vibe coding" has entered my workplace's vernacular :eccehomo:

2025-02-25 03:08:23 GMT

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I'll give it a go and report my findings. thanks for the tips!
here's to hardware upgrades this year :ashinobu_dab:

2025-02-25 03:01:42 GMT

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I could probably shake things up with…shakes. I haven't looked into creatine yet though. have you felt any effects (positive/negative) from it?

2025-02-25 01:55:53 GMT

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oh yes I'd be very interested as I'm in the same place since the year began; basically speedrunning healthy habits to make up for the past couple of years of sporadic activity haha

2025-02-25 01:50:42 GMT

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I find it insanely difficult to gain weight no matter how much I eat (even when I spent months without exercise). +2.5 would take me a quarter to half a year! are you maintaining a record of your diet and activities somewhere I can take inspiration from? :eyes_fast:

2025-02-06 15:14:29 GMT

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neu.rom

2025-02-04 05:06:25 GMT

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damn, this is awesome :0

2025-02-02 14:31:46 GMT

been doing pushups instead of web browsing

2025-01-23 00:02:56 GMT

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thanks for noticing! :> yeah I've seen many variants over the years including Devine's bracketed links phase. someone also used degree symbols at one point
it's a very small detail that you'll keep revisiting and rethinking over the years haha. starting out, I thought colours were enough; then played around with lines, removing lines, hover styles…looking for that balance between accessibility and usability and personal taste
with my current link styles, lines aren't visible, unless more contrast is set (imo: cleaner, also I don't like how dotted lines are rendered in other browsers :eccehomo:). external links have a gradient—noticeable enough without being too bold. and of course, lines on hover as a visual confirmation that they are links.
I don't think I've seen overline used anywhere so I thought it'd be fun to try it out; I wish it worked similarly to underlines and had skip-ink though

2025-01-14 05:15:30 GMT

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now I will procrastinate at work :catclock:

2025-01-03 15:33:32 GMT

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thank you! ^^ I love that description — emerald fog

2025-01-03 05:14:05 GMT

first #watercolour of the year
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/762/709/044/719/969/original/80402cea352c7663.jpg

2024-12-22 16:00:48 GMT

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word of þe day is “hiemal”

2024-12-18 15:32:48 GMT

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oh wow! yeah þey are a perfect match to how I see your site. now I want two columns in my <articles> :eyes_fast:

2024-12-18 15:27:35 GMT

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yup! those exactly :) they’re very nice to scroll through; and I’m trying to build a collection too

2024-12-18 15:24:10 GMT

for @npub1z8r…mrq6 and others with similar setups, is there a term for the way you include loosely-related, collage-like, somewhat-ornamental imagery to notes/mirror pages?
in my head I just refer to it as commonplacing or scrapbooking, but maybe there’s another term for it?

2024-12-18 15:11:20 GMT

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makes me want to re-read the Snicket books with this just on a loop in the background

2024-12-18 11:38:24 GMT

fellow art-folk, how often do you revisit/redraw past work?

2024-12-10 15:59:47 GMT

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yes of course! :) it's an honour 🖤

2024-12-10 15:35:40 GMT

@npub1z8r…mrq6, circa 1856 #theObservatory
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/629/238/522/677/993/original/f394383db6742510.jpg

2024-12-07 13:06:30 GMT

built a small mood tracker as well, after seeing @npub1z2c…laft's and @npub18xx…kf0e's
https://avanier.dev/mood
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/611/674/316/369/441/original/44834a57bb4f5746.png

2024-12-05 04:02:32 GMT

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checked the trailer; definitely adding to the list 🦇

2024-11-30 00:29:09 GMT

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eloquent and elegant in both forms 🖤

2024-11-29 02:19:15 GMT

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I swear that was just last week!

2024-11-29 02:16:41 GMT

november really just flew by huh

2024-11-26 03:17:43 GMT

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wow, I completely missed this one. I guess I'll have a busy December this year :eyes_fast:

2024-11-21 18:07:59 GMT

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tuned in! 📻

2024-11-17 03:14:45 GMT

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yeah that Drawtober energy still has an ongoing effect
oh! that's a bug caused by how I'm fetching GIFs and their still images from db. I need to rewrite (hehe) that whole system. thanks!

2024-11-17 03:01:01 GMT

the last time I logged this many hours was all the way back in 2020 :eyes_fast:
https://avanier.dev/2024#november

2024-11-12 03:14:03 GMT

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"Will count the days and nights that will never return."
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/467/796/560/611/976/original/6d6707d95dd2ea32.jpg

2024-11-11 15:58:18 GMT

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all good! thank you :>

2024-11-11 15:52:48 GMT

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it apparently was removed in an old PR that purged broken links from last year haha. I wasn't active at the time so I didn't see it but no worries :)
thanks! here's the banner link: https://avanier.dev/m/88x31.gif

2024-11-11 04:50:11 GMT

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more sites to peruse! I love seeing the space grow :> also my 88x31 banner has vanished…? :neofox_think:

2024-11-07 14:06:29 GMT

no new blog post today but I did add the eye in yesterday's totes post. files included if you want to have a closer…look ;D
https://avanier.dev/totes#eye
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/442/041/582/401/431/original/2dae72aff4b78be3.png
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/442/041/657/164/737/original/401c017fc7141b14.mp4

2024-11-07 14:01:33 GMT

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flappy bird! :moar:
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/442/029/011/476/775/original/d9d3ab7e58767fc3.mp4

2024-11-07 13:58:22 GMT

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I couldn't get it to work ;-; my attempts resulted in either oscillating eyes (could work for a catclock port haha) or infinite eyes :eyes_fast:

2024-11-07 03:23:08 GMT

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the collection is growing :>
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/439/522/585/538/253/original/b8ea520abc1562b8.png

2024-11-07 03:19:14 GMT

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oh wow! that's a clever use of the auto mode %-%
let's see how it goes by day's end haha. thanks!

2024-11-07 02:29:32 GMT

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I should've updated the symbols first before the demo hehe, but yes it works like that. those long rules "locks" the eye at specific x-/y-positions. otherwise it just updates along with the direction of the button presses :)
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/439/297/655/560/262/original/3560c459e8e0fb45.png

2024-11-07 02:03:06 GMT

@npub1z8r…mrq6 took your controller and added an eye that tracks the controlled object :eyes_fast:
a bit buggy at certain spots but I think I'm getting there
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/439/198/818/315/953/original/262635af2dcf9133.mp4

2024-11-06 17:40:28 GMT

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ah yes, that mode gave me so many repetitive spawns haha. what about the --<> mode? what does that do? I know the other one is for button interactivity

2024-11-06 13:31:46 GMT

weee~ 🚀 https://avanier.dev/totes
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/436/253/811/233/067/original/ea35665f22c255b0.mp4

2024-11-06 01:13:24 GMT

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I'm running it locally, and I love that it can go fullscreen :)

2024-11-06 00:59:02 GMT

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awesome! new dimension unlocked! :moar: I'll continue playing around with it today :>

2024-11-06 00:46:23 GMT

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that is totes rad
how are you able to keep those box lines locked in place without new symbols being pushed on their right? that was something I couldn't quite figure out yesterday with my little train thing

2024-11-05 11:20:45 GMT

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found a bug, I think, but I'm not sure what I did exactly. the cursor can move but the UI is no longer responsive. is there a limit to the number of symbols in the bag?
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/430/064/495/906/703/original/7854dc3490bb1aee.png

2024-11-04 15:40:19 GMT

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oh sweet! thank you :)

2024-11-04 13:13:27 GMT

@npub1z8r…mrq6 playing with tote today :D
how do I remove anchors? I accidentally placed some wrong ones and now the sequences are all over the place ;-;
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/424/849/749/609/251/original/07ae717bf7640345.png

2024-11-03 17:02:26 GMT

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haha yeah. on the bright side, it's a 15-year-old laptop so I am happy it's still whirring. with a screen replacement (if still possible with this model) or even just an external display, I think it might last a few more years :)

2024-11-03 13:36:40 GMT

https://avanier.dev/spot
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/419/286/825/555/252/original/9d9194a991d8d573.jpg

2024-10-31 15:13:31 GMT

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how I imagine a merveilles meetup is like haha

2024-10-31 13:20:45 GMT

#drawtober 31
the end. thank you and happy halloween! 🎃
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/402/221/862/495/834/original/90a3cce2ab6ba51e.jpg

2024-10-29 17:15:00 GMT

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paradichlorissean noodle voidtrap

2024-10-25 02:41:19 GMT

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you have to make it pretty meow and add the cat :catclock:

2024-10-24 14:00:25 GMT

#drawtober 24, pomme
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/362/738/075/421/713/original/be5528afd3c46806.jpg

2024-10-23 13:05:54 GMT

I don't have a printer, so I copied @npub1z8r…mrq6's multiset rewriting zine by hand
on black paper! :catclock:
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/356/852/065/771/342/original/397efcc7a3ce2074.jpg
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/356/852/385/885/716/original/b572060edda29aa4.jpg

2024-10-22 13:15:57 GMT

#drawtober 22 🕯️ please help me caption this
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/351/249/663/390/970/original/3dc9994011c4a9ce.jpg

2024-10-18 16:51:39 GMT

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oh wow, I'll read it this weekend then

2024-10-18 16:49:08 GMT

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and I dare say it starts in school >:c

2024-10-18 15:55:34 GMT

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thank you 🖤 I'd love to hear more detail about its mechanics. does it only speak of the now? why is it a ribbon? does it begin or end somewhere or is it a loop (as only segments have been shown)? if it's not a loop, would it matter if the story I gaze upon is at the head or tail?

2024-10-18 12:07:23 GMT

#drawtober 18 ~ @npub1z8r…mrq6 's Paradichlorisse
https://wiki.xxiivv.com/site/paradichlorisse.html
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/328/329/410/080/745/original/396e1a4b0a3e69dc.jpg

2024-10-17 15:49:45 GMT

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thank you! and thanks again for sharing her music. I've been going through the discography all day 🖤

2024-10-17 14:30:11 GMT

#drawtober 17 - heartworms 🎧
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/323/235/420/425/298/original/ade3e1c9c9ec9b0a.jpg

2024-10-16 12:09:02 GMT

how long have we been in #drawtober? 5 weeks? 2 days? help me to recollect.
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/317/019/000/557/171/original/30b57baed44210f4.jpg

2024-10-16 08:14:41 GMT

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first time hearing of Heartworms, now hooked 🖤

2024-10-09 17:20:43 GMT

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in case you haven't yet, do check out https://phrontistery.info/clw1.html — I think you'll like it

2024-10-09 17:17:52 GMT

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I hereby withsay the modern wordhoard!
I wish there were more month names to go with Harvestmonth

2024-10-07 16:43:04 GMT

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leg day

2024-10-06 04:07:20 GMT

almost a week late but I too have spilled pumpkin juice on my site; also added a page for #drawtober
https://avanier.dev/drawtober

2024-10-05 15:24:50 GMT

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gotta keep warm for the winter
https://assets.merveilles.town/media_attachments/files/113/255/503/930/510/987/original/2ea233837fab91c0.png