leecetheartist

A rambling week

2026-04-21T01:38:46Z

So the past week has been a rolling wave of pleasantness really, even if I had been sleeping not so well and plagued by the odd nightmare.

One of our local friendly bookstores has decided to carry rdm 's book in its physical incarnation so if you're every in Oxford Street in Leederville in Perth, Western Australia, drop in - it's a lovely place (even if it hadn't decided that Rob's book is for them) and has a great vibe.

Swancon50 had its last movie fundraiser before the actual convention, it was Moon and while it's not a movie that I would normally want to see, seeing it in a group of fundraising SF fans was good - fundraising, like minds, and upbeat folks. Moon is not an upbeat movie and has a continuing tension throughout. What with sudden cardiac arrests from my husband and global grumpiness from the rest of the world, I'm looking for upbeat at the moment. Most moments really. But those who have seen Moon might be interested to know that there is an 'in the back ground news story" in the movie Mute that depicts some of the consequences of the events in Moon.

On the 19th of April me, rdm, my mum and various friends, workmates and relatives met on The Hill at Scarborough and watched the sun go down over the sea, shared cakes we and Mum had baked and later had various burritos and fish and chips, picnics and other offerings from the nearby Scarborough strip. We didn't take many photos, none of people, just the stars and sea.

My sister couldn't make it - she's in Kalgoorlie at the moment, but sent some photos from the happy day of my and rdm's mawwiage, that dweam wiffin a dweam... from 30 years ago. No digital photos of the event, of course, it was in the Olden Days.

We brought out the smart telescopes and oohed and ahhs ensued as the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Orion Nebula were observed by both young, old and in between.

So that was lovely. For our anniversary we bought each other this ingenious item from the Australian Marine Conservation Society. The ocean is integrally important to both of us - and we'd like to see it better looked after, and the convenience of a thermal cup that converts to a water bottle is kind of funky and useful to us in our gadding about, wherever we might be. Australian made too, amazing. So I recommend it if you're looking for that sort of thing or know someone who'd like it as a gift.

I've recently finished a drawing that I'm putting in the Swancon Art Show, it has taken quite a few hours and is in my current favourite ink, Rainbow Scarab from Van Diemen's Ink, so look out for it at Swancon50.

I slept much better last night than I have for the past few nights, woo!

Here's a link to photos of the river near Como where we saw the movie, and the sunset at Scarborough, and the stars I took.

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Important Date

2026-04-19T02:24:32Z

Well today rdm 's first book of short stories Short Stories From A Distracted Mind is now available on all the usual electronic formats as well as in paper form at Boundless Books in Oxford Street, Leederville. He, and I'd be thrilled if you checked it out! Will you be the first to review?

https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q=%22short+stories+from+a+distracted+mind%22

It's a bunch of microfiction - flash fiction - with #ScienceFiction #Fantasy and even a little horror. He's also called me an editor, gosh.

So now Perth Western Australia has one more writer. If you are going to Swancon50 in just a few short weeks you could get a physical copy signed at the book launch.

Oh yeah, and it's also our 30th Wedding Anniversary. Love you sweety!

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Looking up

2026-04-14T03:47:59Z

I've had the telescope out for the last few days before the cloud has come in. This month's target from AstronomyGroupOfWesternAustralia is The Statue of Liberty nebula.

I went a different path with the editing because I was struck with the sheer volume of stars in the area and didn't want dampen them down. So I left most of them in and upped the colour because I thought it looked cool.

Click the image to view it larger.

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SF local and National Awards season in Australia

2026-04-04T07:12:24Z

If folks would like to consider nominating/voting for Rob and my's collaboration "Please Rearrange" Interactive Sculpture for a Tin Duck and/or a Ditmar that would be cool.

My pen and ink work "After The Telescope" has been nominated for a Tin Duck so if you like it better than the other works, please vote for it when the time comes!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FWAmiADktfTQqQFn8 for a look at "After The Telescope"

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wSZ1ZudQ2HCmXQyd6 for "Please Rearrange"

https://tinducks.sf.org.au/ for Tin Duck info, you have to be a supporting or full member of Swancon 50.

https://form.jotform.com/260567334914865 for the Ditmar - the national award- form, you just need to be active in fandom.

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Oh yeah, sandgropers should go see this

2026-03-26T03:45:43Z

But maybe have lunch first
Some really interesting history and nostalgia.

https://slwa.wa.gov.au/whats-on/recipe-life

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I work for International Rescue

2026-03-26T01:51:44Z

I got an email today from one of the citizen science projects.

"The project data is currently being used by the UN Logistics Cluster in planning meetings, when organising humanitarian aid routes. Understanding where the wadis are located helps those on the ground to plan the most effective routes, and anticipate locations of flooding for the rainy season, beginning in June. This data is extremely helpful to gain an understanding of the most effective route for these long journeys, thus saving time and costly fuel.

For now, this project has ended. However, we are working in the background to prepare future Planetary Response Network projects and will make sure to keep you updated!

If you are in distress and need or want support, here is a list of international crisis support hotlines so you can get support wherever you are in the world.

Thanks,

Alice and the Planetary Response Network team"

Profound sort of feeling.

In news of rdm, he was able to lie flat for a bit for the first time in two weeks, which was a great feeling for him.

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Looking up.

2026-03-22T01:26:18Z

I've often thought about joining The Cloud Appreciation Society. I'm in #Perth , WesternAustralia and we never seem to have enough water from the sky, and it's hot more often than not. So clouds are great.

Right now I'd APPRECIATE it if the clouds would go somewhere else and let me do some more frames of The Unicorn Nostril.

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Good news from rdm

2026-03-21T09:20:45Z

https://rdm.dreamwidth.org/115260.html

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A rip snorter of a Nebula!

2026-03-21T09:19:21Z

So the challenge from my Astronomy club for us this month is The Rosette Nebula, Caldwell 49 or NGC 2237.

This is a bit of a rough cut - I've not seen it done with an OIII SII filter before, and I'd like to add some more frames. Thanks to @rdm for lending me the filter!

I haven't forgotten about my Dwarf 2, so Rob lent me his SVBONY CLS filter and I've had a bunch of sessions with it.

So here's the result, and I'm loving the rosiness of the Rosette 🙂

Of course I should call it my preferred moniker - the Unicorn Nostril. Well, look at it, it's right there at Monoceros's snout in the right place!

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A little outing after the hospital stay.

2026-03-17T09:58:19Z

For those not in the know, my husband rdm survived a heart attack and cardiac arrest last Wednesday due to him recognizing the signs of the heart attack and calling the ambulance right away. He's now out of hospital and in the beginning gentle exercise part of his rehabilitation.

So today we visited Jaycar to pursue a bigger footprint for our dedicated smart telescope network so we don't have to move the router around from front yard to backyard depending on where we're shooting.

A happy wander around Jaycar and then Red Dot and ToyMate took care of the retail therapy side of the healing process and now he's napping, the pain from the CPR bruising disturbing his night. Tonight he wants to walk along the beach. Ah, It could have been so much worse.

( leece tries to unpack the trauma of the past few days with Rob's emergency visit to hospital. Access list may have seen much of the material already. A bit garbled and rambly, feel free to skip. )I am just so very very glad my sweety is still with us.

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Tried out the time lapse for the eclipse last night.

2026-03-04T02:22:03Z

Link to total lunar eclipse time lapse last night in Perth/Boorloo.

https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/167/965/163/700/955/original/e5056d4b2d29f1ee.mp4

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The Turtle Moves

2026-02-28T01:35:26Z

Well, I put the telescope out last night and targeted the Keyhole Nebula. Now, I don't know about you but this looks like Great A'Tuin, Sir Terry's marvelous astrochelonian, is checking on a star cluster nest of eggs. A very bright cloud of gas is almost obscuring the dark Keyhole Nebula, forming in my fanciful mind the head of a great star turtle checking its eggs, a small pretty blue cluster of stars. Part of the Carina Nebula forms the shell and Discworld to the right.

May Sir Terry rest in peace and know that he's loved. I met him a few times, a wonderful soul he lit up a room like a gentle nebula himself!

Click to embiggen.

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Thought provoking

2026-02-27T00:25:26Z

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/why-all-science-fiction-and-fantasy-writers-are-historians/ ; is a very good read, recommended.

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Routine Colonoscopy We have lift off. Turnover successful,deorbit achieved, splashdown.

2026-02-26T06:38:21Z

And recovery crew got me back home okay.

So off we went to the hospital, and more rain came, and lightning. This is February, the hottest time of year in Boorloo so a relief, but the lightning got to 750 metres away from where we were stuck in commuter traffic.

We got to observe some mammatocumulus just before it all went down.

rdm dropped me off at the hospital and I went up and was processed.

A few other people waiting to go, or be done, and one guy who was going to have to do it again as he wasn't clear enough to be able to see anything. (!)

Got my gown on and rested, answered routine questions, and then the anesthesiologist came in and chatted and put my canula in, which was unusually painful for me, and I was waiting some more, then wheeled into theatre, mask put on, wiggled up to the head of the bed and rolled onto my left side.

Got injected a couple of times, the first stuff was clear, the second stuff white, through the canula, and both times it hurt a lot, but I breathed as instructed and was out like a light.

I woke up being wheeled out and I felt very refreshed. I was a lot more awake than they expected.

Had a couple of glasses of orange juice and they tasted Great! And a glass of water and that was good too. So after that I was able to get dressed and wandered out to the recovery lounge where I was given a gf cheese toasty and gf jam drop biccy. And a strong white tea.
rdm turned up and had a cup of tea too. I was given some lurid photos and had my identity bracelets removed, and we set off to Mum's to share the delicious chicken, Brie and avocado rolls he'd hunted and gathered from Strange Grains nearby.

They, dear readers, had whole seeds, and tomatoes and greens and whole grain flour! Heaven! And coffee!

Now I am back home, resting.

All pretty okay.
Back again in another 5 years. This procedure prep seemed different to the one I had before. I'm sure I would have remembered the foulness of the Plenvu.

Now for some photos! But maybe not for hospital disliking folks. Nothing gooey, but does show the hand with the canula. Oh, the toasted cheese is gooey.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/U4s2yNgd1vtUmkqM6

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Routine Colonoscopy part urrgh glad that's largely over

2026-02-25T23:28:52Z

Well things are settling down. It's been unpleasant with some additional nausea and lightheaded feeling and uncomfortable warmth with some of the waves enough I need to lie down, but as things are settling down I am feeling better.

And a good thing too, as soon we must depart for the hospital.

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown part MyGodDon'tLetItTouchYourTongue

2026-02-25T21:07:59Z

Even the manufacturer of Plenvu says you might throw up so I was warned. I am fairly strong stomached so I took a robust sip after drinking some sparkling apple juice as a buffer for my stomach lining. Readers, it seemed okay but then the taste hit me, who remembers Hypol? Reaching hurriedly for the apple juice kept the surge down.

Continued sips alternating with juice were manageable, as I eschewed all the contact I could manage with taste buds. They give you an hour to drink this as well as another 500ml of liquid and I have taken 15 min because I just wanted it over with.

As a reward, I'm sitting here at 5:06 am and the thunder is competing with my stomach's reaction to all this and the rain is falling, woola!

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Routine Colonoscopy Stage Wellthatwasquick

2026-02-25T13:00:00Z

There's now a lull in the proceedings.

It started not long - 15 minutes or so after I drank the last of the Cthulhu snot.

It is now 3 hours later and I am feeling pretty empty.

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Routine Colonoscopy Stage yuck.

2026-02-25T10:05:49Z

So it's the First Stage of Plenvu for me. It is bitter, salty and an attempt at mango flavour. Not successful.
I have to drink this over the course of 30 minutes. Which I am doing
It's got a slight viscosity reminiscent of Cthulhu snot.

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown Part 4.75 and 5

2026-02-25T01:33:35Z

Right, so this is an end to the solid food part of your flight.

Part 4.75 was a creme caramel last night for dessert, and a cup of Kenya chai.

Part 5 was the Abbot's Rustic White toast, 2 x with Vegemite and melted cheese this morning. And a couple of mugs of coffee.

After 10am clear fluids only. 6pm I am to drink a litre of clear fluids, half of which will be water with the first stage of the purgative.

"The Walker is abroad and this night will be bad... And tomorrow will beyond imagining."
(My apologies to Susan Cooper)

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown part 5.

2026-02-24T10:31:52Z

Tonight's dinner wasn't too bad, the addition of the ham tastied up the chicken a bit. Long grain white rice, mashed pumpkin, cheese sauce and chicken thighs wrapped in ham and put in the squish grill.

I am missing my greens and whole grains. I probably will be missing this by this time tomorrow, as fasting starts after breakfast.

Clicky for biggy.

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown Part 4.75

2026-02-24T08:31:09Z

Cup of Kenteco Kenya Chai and a couple of Scharr GF Savoiardi biscuits left over from making tiramisu a while back.

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown Part 4 and 4.5

2026-02-24T06:21:16Z

This morning's breakfast was 2 slices of the Abbot's Rustic GF White Bread with butter, gf Vegemite and slices of extra tasty cheese that I blowtorched. And two mugs of coffee.

Then I hopped onto the bus, then the train and met my sister who'd trained from Mandjoogoordap, and mum and we took the train all the way to Yanchep (there's nothing there but Mum & sister hadn't seen it and wanted to) and then back to Joondalup where we walked into the shopping centre that's built practically right on top of the train station, and had a bit of an explore.

They enjoyed looking around and getting some bargains at Big W and a mooch around Daiyo (a sort of Japanese 3 dollar shop) and the food terrace where they enjoyed Mad Mex and I enjoyed the smells and a latte'. I could have got some white rice but the coffee was enough. I *might* be able to sleep tonight...

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown part 3.

2026-02-23T10:48:45Z

Meal 3. Two grilled chicken thighs with honey, white long grain rice and a cup of mashed pumpkin. Paired with some watermelon hopwater.

Tomorrow I am catching the train to Joondalup with my mother and sister. I think I will have an interesting time finding food, so maybe I'll have a big breakfast and survive on latte's if nothing else :-)

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown part 2.

2026-02-23T05:36:05Z

2nd meal: 2 grilled chicken thighs on Abbott's gf rustic white loaf, toasted. And a lot of cheese sauce my sweety made for me in the Thermomix.
Some water and a mug of Twinings vanilla chai.

I probably shouldn't have eaten quite so much cheese sauce.

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Routine Colonoscopy Countdown.

2026-02-23T00:54:55Z

It's prep time. T minus 3 days.

Meal 1. Gluten free rice bubbles and vanilla yoghurt and 2 mugs of white coffee.

On the upside, yesterday was the Perth monthly fountain pen enthusiast meeting, so we sat around and talked, drew, wrote and looked at each others' pretty pens and ink and drank coffee or whatever everyone else was drinking.

Finished reading Network Effect to Rob and Mum last night, and we all started a rewatch of the serial. We'd eaten a delicious Indian takeaway, as a farewell to interesting food for me for 3 days. Mmm Vindaloo.

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