Author Archives: Thistle

Unknown's avatar

About Thistle

Queer, neurospicy, chronically longwinded oversharer. 40s; they/them. ✍️📷🐈📚🥾🇩🇪🏳️‍🌈😇💖🐍

The Alchemist of Fire and Fortune, by Gigi Pandian (audio)

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Thistle

Blackmail. Treasure maps. Fool’s gold. Missing persons. Fire. Family. Alchemy. This is the fifth installment of the Accidental Alchemist series about a 300+ year old alchemist living in Portland with her 150-year-old living gargoyle best friend. And as I’ve raved … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sunday Coffee – 100 Happy Days, Fini

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Thistle

My attempt to find the happy for 100 days in a row is now over, as of 12/9. This has been a very trying time for me, and I admit that the project helped provide a little distraction. For that, … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Lost Gargoyle of Paris, by Gigi Pandian (audio)

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Thistle

After the Notre Dame fire, a document supposedly drawn by Victor Hugo is discovered inside some of the wrecked walls of the cathedral. Fearing that this document might be stolen and used by backward alchemists, Zoe Faust and Dorian travel … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wellness Wednesday – Dreamscape

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Thistle

In January 1999, I woke up from a dream that wasn’t typical for me. I’m not going to recount the entire dream, but at the end, I lifted my gaze from my empty hand to what had been a tree-lined … Continue reading →

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Thistle

Subtitled: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera The subtitle says it all. This isn’t so much a how-to for working a camera in manual mode, but to help photographers understand more the ins and outs of doing so … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021, Adult, Prose, Visual | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Sunday Coffee – I Don’t Know. Stuff.

Posted on December 5, 2021 by Thistle

I admit that in times of extreme stress, I tend to do a little retail therapy when all else has failed. Right around Black Friday, all else had failed, and I took advantage of some sales that were floating around … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Apples Never Fall, by Liane Moriarty (audio)

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Thistle

After a cryptic and inexplicable text to her four grown children, Joy Delaney disappears on Valentine’s Day. A missing person’s report is filed. Her husband, Stan, is looking mighty suspicious. The police are searching for a young woman named Savannah … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021, Adult, Prose | Leave a comment

November 2021 in Review

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Thistle

I said in my October wrap-up that November would be a medical-heavy month, and I wasn’t kidding. I’ll wait ’til I get to the Health portion of this post to discuss it, but let’s just say that various doctors’ visits … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Cousins, by Karen McManus

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Thistle

Twenty-five years ago, the Story children were suddenly cut from the family with a cryptic note from their mother: You know what you did. Except they don’t, or at least they claim that they don’t. Now, another inexplicable letter from … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sunday Coffee – A Lovely Thanksgiving

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Thistle

Two years ago, my dad’s side of the family got together at my aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving. I don’t have any photos from that year. My immediate family was dealing with a ton at the time, from Morrigan’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged | Leave a comment