Dragon Magic

December 17, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Reflects On Light And The Joy Engendered By Shiny Plastic Objects

I’ve been meaning to write this entry for a while. Life has been busy here (as usual), as I’m sure it’s been for you, Dear Reader. It feels like time gets away from me faster and faster every year, despite my efforts to try to slow down, be mindful, and notice the good things in life as they (seemingly) flash past.

This is a time of Growing Darkness, when we head toward the Shortest Day of the Year, when we look forward to a New Year and, hopefully, growth and renewal. In the meantime, though, Gloom can prevail. And as we get older, it can feel like the light and magic and joy of this time of year is a little faded, a little tired.

Little things can help. This is one of my coping mechanisms:

A pink drawstring bag. What could be inside?

This is my Dragon Bag. It stays in my handbag and goes everywhere with me, and here is what it contains:

I produce these little dragons in sets of six or eight on my 3D Printer, and then, when I go out into the world, I look for people who might want a little friend. Doing this encourages me to really notice the people around me. Offering a dragon helps me form connections with people, if only for a moment. They’re a great way to say “thank you” or just “I see you.” And they’re small enough to fit in someone’s pocket or not take up too much room on their desk or on a shelf or in a bag. They’re a constant reminder that someone thought that a teensy flexible plastic dragon was just what you needed and offered you one.

The best part of having dragons on me is the absolute delight that strangers and friends both express when they’re offered a teensy dragon of their own. Gender, age, color, and creed don’t matter – dragons seem to be universally loved. And sometimes, giving a dragon leads to a conversation, a story, an insight into another person. I’ve left dragons along with my tip at restaurants and then, when I go back, I’ve been informed of what that dragon’s name is and where it lives now. I can’t even express how happy that makes me. It’s the best win-win that I’ve found this year, and I’m going to keep handing out dragons next year and the year after that and so on.

This isn’t going to Save Humanity or bring World Peace. But it can make a difference between a day that is Crappy and a day that is Crappy With A Little Random Joy In It.

All of this to say that I hope that you also find this kind of bright spark as we head toward the darkest time of the year, whether it’s through giving or receiving or both. Please remember that there is still light, and magic, and surprises (good ones).

I’ll see you on the other side of the Solstice. Brighter days are ahead.

California Mille, Days 2-4

August 26, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Recognizes That She Is Terrible At Keeping Up With Running Travelogues And Decides To Stick To Event Reports

This entry has been holding things up for me for a bit. I have other things to tell you about, Dear Reader, but I wanted to make sure I finished up this entry before I moved on. And then the Procrastination and Busy-ness set in…but you don’t need to read about that. On to the Adventure!

And it was an adventure. On Day 2, our lovely Maserati overheated on the way to lunch and had to be towed back to the hotel. That was rather sad. Fortunately, our friends let us ride in the back seat of their Citroen DS!

I adore these people and this car. Riding in the back seat is like sitting on a Mid-Century Modern sofa that’s also traveling via magic carpet. Stunning. And we’d never have had this experience if our car hadn’t broken down!

Another nice thing is that, because we have a car collection, we were able to send the Maserati home and have our Lancia Aurelia brought down to California instead. This does take time, however, so one of the sponsors, Kindred Motorworks, lent us a vehicle so that we could continue the tour on Day 2.

The highly-upgraded classic Ford Bronco from Kindred Motorworks. Air conditioning and GPS included!

So, that was fun. It was a very different ride experience from what we’d enjoyed previously (and after), but I’m glad we got the opportunity to try it out.

An Amusing Sidenote: This was the day that the California Mille folks set up what was planned to be a beautiful photo opportunity for each participant to pose with their cars in front of the ocean. Unfortunately for them, we were fogged in. Unfortunately for us, we got to pose in front of this Ford Bronco instead of either of our pretty Italian cars. (I laughed, and I treasure that souvenir photo.)

By Day 3, we were back in one of our cars – our Lancia Aurelia. (Unfortunately, I seem to have neglected to take any photos of it from the outside.) Suffice it to say that we had a splendid time, and the Aurelia didn’t let us down.

Day 4 brought us to the Finish Line and the Awards Dinner, which was really fun. This was only our second California Mille, and it was so nice to have long-time attendees who wanted us to sit at their table with them. (I’m not used to feeling like one of the Cool Kids.)

And we won an award!

The Swig Family Award, given to people who bring a car that is most in the spirit of the California Mille. (They were impressed that we brought another period-appropriate car when our first one broke down.)

All in all, it was a seriously fun event, and I’m looking forward to going back next year.

This summer has also been full of fun events and travel, and I will hopefully get around to telling all of you about it in a slightly more timely fashion.

Travel · Uncategorized

California Mille 2025, Day 1

April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Attempts To Begin A Travelogue

Today is the first day of the California Mille, a 1000-Mile Classic Car Tour that Alex and I have been on once before. I enjoyed it last time. I would like to practice trying to bring you along on my travels, Dear Reader, in hopes that you might enjoy a few of these moments with me.

The first day is fairly relaxed. We picked up our Swag Bags and put our decals on our car.

Our 1949 Maserati A6, all dolled up and ready for our tour. (There are some other cars, as well.)

We had lunch.

Toki Cooler at The Conservatory in the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA

One thing about the California Mille is that it is Rather Fancy, so the organizers arrange for the participants to stay and eat in some fairly fancy places. It’s a nice treat – fancy enough to feel spoiled, but not so fancy that I feel uncomfortable and out of place.

We also experienced a truly beautiful sunset.

A beautiful sunset over the California Coast

We met some new and old friends, which is one of my very favorite things about this hobby. People are so kind and so sweet (and so understanding when I can’t remember their names).

Tomorrow, we get to go to Alice’s Restaurant, where you can, apparently, get anything you want (but we’re having pie).

Further updates as events warrant! See you tomorrow!

Pondering · Travel · Uncategorized

Reflection On Rest

April 26, 2025April 26, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Reflects On The Effects Of A Weekend Well Spent

Sometimes, one just needs to get away and recharge, and Alex and I were lucky enough to do that last weekend.

We started with a beautiful drive…

The Oregon Coast as seen over the bonnet of our Jaguar XK120

Alex helped one of our friends build a 3D Printer. We cooked delicious food.

Panko-And-Herb-Encrusted Rack Of Lamb, Potato Pavé, Toasted Baguette, Salad. This is just one of the several delicious things we cooked and consumed.

I relaxed with our other friend.

Paint Gems, a Lovely Friend, Butterfinger, and Bourbon – what’s not to love?

Alex and I really needed this weekend, and I am so grateful to have friends who invite us out to their peaceful sanctuary. I slept so well, and I went home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. We’ve been so busy lately that it’s felt like we haven’t had time to just sit and appreciate those happy moments while we’re experiencing them.

We’ve been getting back into the busy groove this week, preparing to drive a 1949 Maserati for 1000 miles in northern California! But thanks to that break at the lake, I feel ready to take on whatever comes.

I wish all of you that peace, whether you get it for a minute or a weekend. See you later this week!

Pondering

On The Go

April 13, 2025April 13, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Ponders The Advantages Of Blogging From A Portable Device

A broken scallop shell that I found on a trip to the Oregon Coast a few weeks ago, held in my hand. My blurple nail polish coordinates nicely with the colors of the shell. There is blurry sand in the background.

One of my goals for myself this year is to write here more frequently. Unfortunately, being me, I have a tendency to put pressure on myself to write up the perfect updates or essays at my computer and, due to my Amazing Powers of Procrastination, I wind up being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Stuff that I want to tell you. Than, I go away and try to plan a series of updates, and the cycle continues.

In the interests of getting around this issue, I have installed an app on my phone that will allow me to update on the road, wherever I go. I’m hoping that this will make things quick and easy and low-pressure for me as I go about my daily activities. This will also give me the advantages of things like Instagram while I continue to try to dodge The Almighty Algorithms.

The photo of the shell above is particularly apropos, I feel. It is a souvenir of a trip. (The photo is, anyway – I left the shell on the beach.) It is imperfect, broken, and beautiful. It’s a good reminder that things don’t have to be perfect in order for me to share them with you.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. There is much more to come.

Confessions · Knitting · Pondering

You Don’t Have To Do That – At Least, Not That Way

February 28, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Reflects On Who Is Truly The Boss Of Her

A grid-ruled notebook in a leather cover lies open. You can see some notes in black pen. A phone in a star-patterned case with an iridescent Pop Socket on the back and a wrist loop lies on top of the notebook.

Like many people with ADHD, I struggle with staying organized. I need routines and systems, and I feel (or have felt) that I needed to follow those specific systems To The Letter if they were going to be effective. I thought that, once I found the right System, all I would need is Discipline and Willpower. And then, everything would fall into place and be perfect forever. I just needed to Follow The Rules.

I’ve discovered that my brain doesn’t work that way. I need multiple tools and, sometimes, a tool that worked really well for me in the past doesn’t work for me now. I’ve started to realize that Rigidity and Complete Commitment to a System are actually counterproductive, which feels weird to me. Shouldn’t an easily-distracted person work better with a Strict Structure?

I’ve had these expectations of myself that I thought were coming from outside/society/friends and family. Actually, most of those expectations came from inside myself. I wanted to do things The Right Way – i.e. the way that looked like it worked for other people.

Then, I discovered How To ADHD while I was reading up on Basic Bullet Journals. (That’s a YouTube link there, and it’ll take you to the channel.) It was unbelievably helpful in helping me realize that It’s Good and Healthy for me to be Flexible. There’s no shame in my brain working differently, and it’s better to work with my brain than against it.

This feels obvious, no? But sometimes, human brains block the obvious because of the Rules. The Rules say that there’s One Right Way To Do Things. It took a bit for me to realize that there are other options, and that it’s OK to explore and figure out what works for me. Flexibility and Reflection are the keys. As long as I accomplish my goals, why should it matter to anyone else how I do that?

Well, maybe it might matter if How I Do That would also help you. So here’s a very quick summary of what’s in my Toolbox:

Right now, my Tools are:

B6 Slim Notebook & Pen (as a modified Bullet Journal, because Paper and Pen help me focus and it’s easier to brain dump this way)
Trello (my secondary brain app where all of my Bullet Journal Collections and Trackers live)
Google Calendar (so I don’t forget appointments)
Finch (my self care app that makes me happy and reminds me to do important things like Stretching and Breathing Exercises)

If you’d like to know more about any of the things I mentioned above, leave a comment and I’ll tell you more about how I use them. But remember – find what works for you! You’re the Boss of You! You get to make the Rules!

In conclusion, check out my latest Finished Object:

A knitted cowl in stripes of green, grey, orange, red, and blue on a grey background.

This is the Astronomy KAL from Gauge Dye Works. The idea was that we got to knit one stripe per day of February, and each non-grey stripe represents some sort of astronomical phenomenon. It was really fun, and I’d like to do another one.

But I finished it yesterday. Because I make the Rules.

Knitting

Progress

January 26, 2025 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Is Bad At Taking Progress Photos, But Manages To Show Her Progress Regardless

Welcome to the New Year, Dear Reader!

This would normally be the part where I talk about how I have Resolved To Blog More Often, Honest, I Really Mean It This Time.

I do mean it, every time. But I’m turning over a new leaf and blogging when I feel like it, not when I feel like I should. I do hope it’s more often than it was in 2024.

I do like to set Goals for each year. However, I watched a really great video from Ryder Carroll about how he’s setting up his 2025 Bullet Journal, and he talked about setting Intentions instead of Goals. Intentions guide what Goals you set, as each Goal lines up with your big Intentions. So, rather than “I’ll exercise three times a week every day this year,” one might write “I will improve my physical health.” Then, you can say “I want to exercise three times this week” and start there.

I really liked this idea. It made sense to me to think about why I’m doing what I’m doing before assigning myself a Goal or a Task.

And I think it’s important to remember that the reason for doing something can be “because it makes me happy.”

With that in mind, I’ve started a long-term project that is making me very, very happy. It starts with a swatch:

A knitted mitered square in gold and green

This represents the first block of the blanket. (I absolutely meant to take a photo of the first block of the actual project, but I got too excited.) At this point, this is what I have:

A folded blanket in progress made of knitted mitered squares. Each square has a bright aqua blue border and a different shade of pink as the main body.

The pattern is Domino Baby Blanket (that’s a Ravelry link), and the construction is so clever and not something I’ve done before. The yarn is my favourite Bugga! from Canon Hand Dyes in the “Tainted Love” Advent Set. I wanted to use every bit of this scrumptious yarn. I love that there’s no seaming to be done when the blanket is finished (though there are many, many ends to weave in).

There are many advantages to this project:

It is a long-term project that will require some dedication to finish. This shows hope for the future.
It is easy to make and track progress.
Every little square puts something positive into the world as an act of creation.
When it’s finished, I will have something useful and warm that will remind me every day that there is still light and joy in this world.

This may seem a bit over-philosophical when talking about a knitting project, but knitting is magical. I can take pretty string and a pair of needles and turn it into an object that, if cared for properly, will last for years and years and possibly bring joy to someone else after I’m gone. And while I’m making it, I’m making my happiness a priority. I’m trying hard this year not to say to myself, “I really should finish all of these other Responsible Adult Tasks before I allow myself to do something fun.” There are times (often) when doing something nice for yourself can be the priority, when it’s good for you to make that a priority.

I hope that, whether you prefer to Make Resolutions or Set Goals or Set Intentions, one of yours for this year is “Be Kind To Myself.”

More Soon!

Confessions · Introductions · Pondering

Pride & Progress 🏳️‍🌈

June 4, 2024 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Ponders Pride, Progress And All That Entails

It’s LGBTQIA+ Pride Month! That means it’s time for me to ramble a little bit, as well as repair yet another oversight.

My wrist, complete with rainbow watchband and bisexual flag themed chain mail bracelet.

I came out as bisexual in 2020 – at least, I did to my friends, some of my family, and most of my social media at the time. But I didn’t do that here, so I am now. So, hi, I’m bi. It’s rather wild and wonderful to discover (or realize) that about one’s self in one’s mid-40s, but hey. Better late than never, right?

To be fair, being bi doesn’t really change anything about my life – at least, not to the outside world. I’m still happily married to a wonderful man, and I don’t feel the urge to be with anyone else. My family is supportive, even if my childhood church isn’t. In general, for me, coming out was pretty low-risk, and it’s turned out really well! I’m learning all kinds of things about myself. I’m growing.

I realize (oh do I ever) that I’m one of the lucky ones. It’s easy for me, relatively speaking. I live in a very liberal state. And if I didn’t, if I wanted to, I could take off my shiny bracelet and pass as completely straight. After all, I thought I was straight for most of my life.

But I refuse to take off that bracelet. I have that luxury, too. I am very unlikely to be attacked in any way for being myself. The worst I risk is a disapproving look. But keeping that flag flying will hopefully help other people to be able to do the same.

I still believe that Love will win in the end. I believe that progress is being made, even though that progress may feel like it’s under constant threat. I also believe that we all have to work together to make that happen.

I don’t mean that in a “happy shiny people holding hands” kind of way. I don’t mean that everything will be perfect, ever. Because it won’t, because we’re all human, and humans are messy and complicated and difficult.

But things can be better, and every one of us can help make it so.

Progress is what we can hope for, not perfection. Perfection means there’s no more growing to do. And while that sounds like a useless platitude, I don’t think it is.

Supporting a friend is progress. Writing to your Congressperson, whether they listen or not, is progress (if you’re in the USA). Reaching out and lifting others up wherever you can is progress. Acknowledging your own needs and resting is also progress, as is allowing others to lift you up.

Please be especially kind to yourself and others this month, friends. There’s so much more to come – both Pride and Progress.

Confessions · Ooh Shiny

An Amusing Irony

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 Ovis ObscuraLeave a comment

In Which Our Heroine Remembers Something She Forgot To Say

In my last entry, I did a sort of wrap-up of 2023. It was quick and I tried to remember everything important, but I forgot something!

In 2023, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD (Inattentive Type).

No, the irony has not escaped me.

That said, being diagnosed has actually been a relief. I’m not just silly or scatterbrained – my brain literally works in a different way. Not only that, but lots of other people’s brains work in a similar way, and we have so many tools now to help us live in society without driving the people around us (and ourselves) absolutely around the bend.

I already had a lot of coping mechanisms, but I’ve been working on working with my brain instead of being mad at it for not doing what I think it should do. All of this goes along with managing my anxiety (which is often triggered by feelings of lack of control and forgetting) and working on giving myself grace. I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting (hello, Digital Bullet Journal!) and figuring out things that work in general, as well as things that are working right now but could be tweaked. I’m using the “Oooh! Shiny!” part of my brain to play with attractive organizational systems (both digital and physical) and visual cues that make me feel like I can find things and remember things.

Which leads us to my newest hobby: 3D Printing.

My first project: a Phone Stand with a Useful Divot to put my phone’s Pop Socket in!

This ticks all the boxes for me. It’s compact. It’s useful. It keeps my phone up off my desk and very accessible/viewable for me. It’s also quite sparkly and all the different colors of the Bisexual Flag (which also happen to be my favourite colors anyway). When I expressed an interest in 3D printing, Alex bought me this filament. He knew I would love it.

I’m still learning what goes into doing this successfully, but I have so many plans. I love the idea of having a customized physical organizational system that works for me. (Let me be honest – I just love the idea of customizing and organizing and having lots of things in the colors I want.) I love sorting and putting things in just the Right Place, and then knowing that they’ll be there and that they have a Home where I can find them anytime I need them.

This is going to take time, of course. Setting up Digital Systems is easier than setting up Physical Systems. (I’ll show you some of my Digital Systems in a future post.)

This is only the beginning.

Knitting · Pondering · Travel

The Best Laid Plans…

January 9, 2024January 21, 2024 Ovis Obscura1 Comment

In Which Our Heroine Asks, “Is This Thing On?”

So, yeah. Hi. It’s me again, over a year from when I last posted.

“Lemme explain. No, there is too much. Lemme sum up.”
Inigo Montoya

It’s been a busy year! Like most years, there’s been some joy, some sorrow, and some growth. The problem is that I’ve been so busy doing things (and procrastinating) that I keep forgetting to share with all of you. Let me correct at least some of that right now.

We (Alex and I) got to visit Jay Leno’s engine collection in January. That was part of a prize we won at an auction in The Beforetimes at the LeMay Auto Museum Fundraiser. It was so much fun (and such a relief) to actually be able to go. Jay Leno is a delightful person. Sadly, he asked us not to post photos on social media for security reasons, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

We did the Walk of Fame while we were in Hollywood, though, so here’s one of many photos I took of my favourite Stars:

Danny Kaye’s Star in Hollywood, California, along with my feet.

We also saw many, many museums and ate very good food. I took many beautiful photos of art, as one does.

Alex and I celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary in March. I think I’ll keep him.

We went to the VanDusen Botanical Garden in May for their All British Classic Car Show. This was one among many, many car events we went to this year.

All British Classic Car Show, May 20, 2023

Sports Car Market 1000 Mile Tour, June 14, 2023

All British Field Meet, September 9, 2023

Sadly, also in May, we lost our sweetest fuzzy princess after a sudden illness. We hope to remedy our catless state sometime in May 2024.

We went to Universal Studios and Disneyland with friends in June!

Me, posing in front of the Pride Display at Disney Downtown, June 30, 2023

We went to Italy with my parents and another couple of friends (and that could be Its Own Post Entirely).

Castello di Verrazzano, Greve in Chianti, Italy, August 19, 2023

I knitted. A lot. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of most of it, so you get a nice sample photo here:

Matchy-Matchy Dress, Nail Polish, & Shoes with Pretty Knitting, July 29, 2023

I celebrated a year in Therapy in August. My anxiety is way down, I’m happy to report, though it’s still something I get to live with. Therapy is helpful.

And on December 21, Alex and I (with the massive help of our friend, Joel) launched our own YouTube Channel, Everyday To Exotic. Click the link if you feel like watching. It’s for people who like cars, as well as for people who couldn’t care less about cars. You get to see me and Alex being silly and informative, as well as some absolutely gorgeous footage of our cars in the stunning scenery that Oregon provides.

(It’s very cool. We have Official Chairs and Everything.)

Everyday To Exotic Director Chairs, Plus Knitting and a Hat, In The Studio

This year, I’m beginning as I mean to go on. That means more writing, more photos, and more sharing. I hope to spend a lot more time here and to post much more frequent updates. Here’s to 2024!