#discount heating oil

[oilforless]

Consumers save when purchasing discount heating oil as members of Oil For Less which is one of the largest fuel buying groups in the US. Pilgrim Oil Group, together with Oil For Less, has been providing discount heating oil throughout its coverage area since inception. Consumers can save up to $500 a year when purchasing discount heating oil as a group.

#heating oil #oil for less #discount heating oil #fuel #fuel price #propane #onsitediesel #pilgrim oil #budget oil #affordable oil

[chloeseyeliner]

everyone is like "you are sooo lucky to have curly hair! it's always styled!" until they come to the supermarket with you and watch you spend at least thirty minutes examining the prices to find at least a 10% discount on the only conditioner, oil and foam combination that can actually co-operate with your hair and keep it healthy-

#of course i love my curls and the history behind them i am not complaining #but this happened two weeks ago and it was so funny to see my friend's face #when i was like 'it's okay i can compromise with what i have for another month maximum i'll come back when there's a discount' #and i don't even buy all these forming products people on the internet have lol #it's just three of them. a hair mask a foam and a heat-protector oil. #but they are expensive with no discount #so you can see me searching all the local supermarkets #it's my favourite past-time activity lol #(of course i am not complaining like i said in the beginning i am grateful and i recognise my privilege to be able to buy them sometimes) #anyway #my hair is again in its omar rudberg's long hair era #and it's been making me kind of happy hehe #hair #curly hair #the discrimination of products is weird. i hate capitalism. that's what i wanted to end this long rant with.

[vaspider]

If you have celiac or otherwise can't eat wheat, btw, and you like bread, I highly recommend investing in a breadmaker. Even the best store-bought gluten-free bread does not hold a candle to the stuff that comes out of our breadmaker, and it's cheaper per slice even when we buy bread mix in single-loaf bags.

This is our breadmaker. Evie got it on sale, but it is an investment. I'm not going to pretend it isn't a chunk of change up front. There are cheaper ones, but the reason I like this one and think it's worth the money:

It has two smaller paddles, where our older bread maker that my mom got us and got destroyed by getting construction dust in it had one big paddle in the middle. This leaves a big hole in the middle of the finished loaf, which makes the bread much less useful for, like, sandwiches.

Zojirushi is not as well-known a brand in the US, but it's a Brand Name in Japan for good reason. Evie's had our Zojirushi rice cooker for over a decade & we had to replace the inner bowl once bc someone used metal utensils in it and scratched the non-stick coating. We expect to use this machine for at least a decade.

You can program your own cycles, which we found really useful. Evie built a custom cycle that removed the punch-down sections (gluten-free bread tends not to rise as much) and that made our perfect loaf.

A lot of bread machines produce very tall, square loaves, which are awkward to slice, store, and make sandwiches with. This produces loaves that make good sandwiches and toast, and the French toast slices don't crowd the pan.

The top heating element on this gives a really amazingly browned top crust that we definitely didn't get on our old machine.

It's so pretty.

So how is it cheaper in the long run if the machine costs $300+? A little like this:

We use Pamela's Bread Mix bc it's really consistent and easy - you need the bread mix, water, yeast, 3 egg whites, and oil. (We use avocado oil and find it best and most consistent, but regular vegetable oil works!) We buy Pamela's in bulk, and without any subscription discounts or whatever, the $48 pack of 3 bags makes about 11.5 loaves. With the cost of yeast and eggs and stuff, it ends up costing about $4.50 a loaf. (If you buy your yeast in larger bags & store it in an airtight container, you can create less waste and it's also cheaper.)

By comparison, a loaf of Franz GF Bread costs $7-8, and Canyon Bakehouse usually runs about the same.

However, that's not an apples to apples comparison because the Franz loaf is an 18 oz. loaf, whereas our breadmaker makes a 2 lb. loaf. Assuming even the lower-end cost for getting a Franz loaf at the store, an equivalent amount of bread would cost $12.42, and it's not nearly as good.

(Yes, gluten-free bread is fucking expensive. That's part of why I'm writing this post in the first place.)

Anyway, assuming you eat 2 lbs. of bread a week in your house - a breadmaker loaf, basically, to make the math simple - you'll end up spending $7.92 less on bread every week. That means that even at the most expensive cost for the Zojirushi, if you buy it at its highest price (don't do that! wait for a sale!) it'll take 50 weeks - about a year - before the breadmaker pays for itself. If you manage to get it on a 25% off sale (which we did), it pays for itself in about 9 months.

Nine months, I must stress, in which you are eating much more delicious bread.

We tend to go through a couple of loaves a week because toast, sandwiches, and melts are great food for people with low spoons.

Evie and I perfected the Pamela's mix recipe for this particular machine - I'll get it typed up when I'm downstairs next, along with the quasi-babka recipe. (Really, it's like a marble cake and babka and bread had a baby, and it's a family favorite.)

Bread good. The end.

#my peasant roots let me show you them #homemaking #queer homemaking #food #food cw #affiliate links #i may make a few pennies from these links #and use them to buy books

[andypantsx3]

some barbarian bakugou thing idk | sfw | gn reader | 1.3k words

It's cold.

The fire crackles at your back, sending warm licks of heat up and over your spine, but it's not enough. You shiver, trying to settle deeper into the hard ground, drawing your cloak up over your nose where it's beginning to grow cold.

Normally, you'd be snuggled deep in your bedroll by now, but you'd stupidly tied it too insecurely to your pack this morning. It had come loose just as your group had forded the river on Kirishima's back, the redhead wearily but gamely shifting into his dragon form to get you safely across the rushing water.

As he plodded across, splashing loudly, your bedroll had tumbled into the icy water, and you'd watched mournfully as it had been immediately dragged under and carried downriver.

It was another day from the nearest town, another day before you could replace it.

When you settled into camp, Midoriya had chivalrously offered his own bedroll—which you had declined, as the loss of yours had been your own fault—and Uraraka had offered a warming spell—but you could see the exhaustion around her eyes and mouth since the battle yesterday, and she still looked pale and peaky. You thought another spell might finish her off for good.

But now you almost wish you'd taken either of them up on it, their discomfort be damned.

Almost.

Suffering the consequences of your own mess was the least you could do for them, really. You owe them everything for saving your life time and time again, starting when they'd first happened upon your village under a bandit raid, you the only survivor.

You've tried your hardest to repay them, stitching up wounds and mending torn clothes, taking over the cooking and fire tending whenever you make camp. Once you'd even talked a merchant down from chopping off Kiri's hand when he'd gotten a little too me dragon, must hoard over a ruby necklace at market.

You won't put everyone out over something as stupid as a lost bedroll, not when you owe them more than you could possibly ever give.

A cool wind whispers through the trees, and you can't suppress another violent shiver. You inch loser to the fire, barely caring if the sparks catch on your clothes and light you up in the night if it means you can be warm now.

You roll onto your side, facing the flames, and shudder again when the cold creeps under your cloak at the movement.

The heat feels good on your face, dry and blistering. But your back is suddenly freezing, and you fight down a groan of frustration.

You'll never get to sleep at this rate.

As soon as this thought occurs, there's the barest whisper of a bootstep behind you. Before you can turn, a hand claps over your mouth, and a hard body slides up against your back, an arm hooking decisively around your middle to pull you back against your assailant. The scent of ash and the sweet, floral oil he uses on his leathers gives away his identity immediately.

"Don't fuckin' scream it's just me," Bakugou growls low in your ear.

You blink dumbly, mouth pursing against his rough palm. "Fwuuh?" you say.

Bakugou Katsuki is notoriously standoffish, the member of your party you'd learned the least about in your weeks with them. A barbarian from the steppes, he's got little time or patience for your people's mannerisms. He seems to like very few things—his dragon Kirishima, his broadsword Hearteater, and the opportunity for a good fight being the exceptions—and you seem to be one of the things he tolerates the least.

He'd been the one who'd run his sword right through the bandit about to kill you, but since then he's acted like it was a mistake. He barely looks at you when you clean his wounds, he never accepts any of your rations when you offer them, and he's recently taken to combat training you, maintaining a harsh commentary on all of your best efforts.

It's a shame he's also so handsome and charismatic, as it makes it difficult for you to discount him entirely.

"Could hear your fucking teeth chattering from the other side of the campsite," Bakugou growls, his hand lifting off your mouth. Something heavy settles over you, and you realize he's arranging his cloak over you both, the fur trim tickling your nose. It's heavy and velvety and soft, and so nice and warm.

You know you need to protest but the heat of him at your back is so deliciously good, you want to relax into him like a warm bath.

"Bakugou—what is this?" you splutter out quietly.

"What, you wanna freeze your ass off?" he demands, his words a harsh breath into your ear. His arm shifts over you, pulling you tighter as if daring you to attempt to escape.

"No," you say, trying to scrape your thoughts in order. "No. But you—is this okay for you?"

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bakugou growls into the side of your head.

"Well you don't exactly like me," you tell him, too exhausted to be circumspect about it. You know he doesn't like it when you talk around things either. "I didn't think you were cuddling type, exactly."

Bakugou huffs a dismissive laugh into your hair. "You always fucking decide shit on your own," he mutters. "You decide you owe us shit, you decide what's best for Deku and Uraraka to do with their magic and shit, you decide you think you fucking know everything. 'S fucking annoying."

You start, not realizing he'd cottoned on to your thinking process.

"Well I've also decided that you don't much like me," you say. "And I...I do owe you guys. You've saved my life countless times these past couple of weeks."

Bakugou makes a snorting noise behind you. "You fucking village people always think that's how the world works. Owing. A favor for a favor. Trading and bartering and stupid shit. That's not how it works out here, brat. There's no equal exchange. You stay alive if you're strong enough, or if someone likes you enough to keep you alive, and that's it."

His voice is even raspier than usual, you notice. He's tired. You can hear the impatience in the clipped sound of his words, and you know his exhaustion is why you're even getting this much out of him.

You're tired, too, the heat of the fire at your front and Bakugou's hard body at your back both lulling you into a lightheaded sleepiness.

"And you like me enough to keep me alive?" You can't help but ask dubiously.

"I like you well enough even though you're fucking annoying," Bakugou says, his breath stirring the hair at the base of your neck. "But I won't if you keep fuckin' talking."

You can't help but smile at that, a little tired grin touching your mouth.

"It'll be another thing I owe you for," you say, settling back into him at last. You know you will have other thoughts about this in the morning, but for now you can't help yourself. If he's fine with it then there's not much to protest.

"Y' can repay me by shutting the fuck up," he says, before he lets out a heavy exhale, as if he too is being lured into sleep by the warmth of your own body.

You decide to leave your questions about this for the morning. It's too much to contemplate what this means for your relationship to Bakugou. Too much to contemplate that he wants, for some reason, to keep you alive.

His hand presses to your abdomen, securing you even more firmly against him, and you close your eyes again. His breathing evens out, his grip growing slack, and you can feel your own body mirroring him.

Too easily, and without another thought on the debts you're accumulating to him, you slip down into sleep.

#bakugou x reader #merms this is for u bc u said u wanted more bakugou #this is probably not quite what u wanted but this is the bakugou i had in me today!! #im sorry i didn't put a read more i didn't want to lose the bottom text #bakugou barbarian verse

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Correlation Proven To Imply Causation

FIJMU News 8-21-23 by Markus Yarnblob Jr.

Though it has been long understood that simply because two things happen similarly, they are not necessarily causing each other, scientists have finally proven mathematically that if two things resemble each other even vaguely, they must be connected.

According to actual scientist D.R. McCarthy (Whose first names start with D and R and is not a doctor), "We know that the climate is heating up, but those of us who ignore 99.9% of climatologists and prefer only reports released by Exxon and BP Oil still couldn't figure out why. Now we know that it's caused by movie budgeting practices in Hollywood. I mean, look at the graphs. Just look at them. That's science, and maybe even math."

People who know what they're talking about have widely denounced McCarthy's statements as nonsense, but as a completely unbiased news source it is our duty to show both sides of the argument, no matter how obviously untrue one of them is. This report frees up numerous previously discounted theories so be sure to check in next week for our report on how the invention of the Internet caused the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

#unreality #UNREALITY!!! #no its not true #god is not an astronaut #oz is not over the rainbow #and midian is NOT where the monsters live

[hidefdoritos]

So, for Christmas break, I've been staying with a very considerate older couple. When I got here, I found out that they're also...comfortably wealthy. I wish I could have been live-blogging my stay here, but this summary post will have to suffice.

MOSS'S MUSINGS: HOUSEGUEST EDITION.

-Ask which dishes you are allowed to use. I didn't know this would even be a question--I grew up with one set of dishes--but it matters. The dishes we've been using are red with snowmen on them. Tonight I put my soup in a red bowl with Christmas trees around the edge. That was wrong and bad. I have been told that they "prefer I not use that" because it is "for special occasions," and was told to "set it aside so I can hand-wash it." Side note, rich people also own things that can't go in the dishwasher. Thankfully they told me about this ahead of time.

-In general, they make requests when they mean to give you instructions. "I'm having some ladies over tonight, so if you'd like to clean the bathroom, that would be fine." = I, Moss, need to clean the bathroom before I leave for work this morning. They're secret instructions--instructions in a suggestion-shaped suit. I like to think of it as a secret code that I'm very smart for solving. It helps me to not tear my hair out.

-House thing that shook me to the core: They have heat vents on the floors under the sinks! So you can wash your hands or wash dishes and your feets don't get cold!

-Speaking of heat: heated mattress pads exist! It's like a heating pad for your whole body. High settings are nice for muscle aches; low settings are so cozy to sleep on.

-Speaking of mattresses: The guest room has a Sleep Number mattress. I think it's a scam. It's a balloon under your mattress to adjust the firmness/softness. I am 240 lbs. If it isn't over half inflated, my butt's on the bedframe.

-They are weird about trash. All food waste is handled separately and taken straight to the bin in the garage so it doesn't smell. The kitchen trash can lid has a motion sensor. It's automatic. Scared the daylights out of me when I first walked past it to get water at night.

-Speaking of water, ask what water you should use. Tap is not acceptable to some! My hosts have a fridge dispenser. Unfortunately it dispenses cold water. I have worked around this by getting water in advance of my needs and letting it change toward room temp. Also, you can't put drinks on the furniture! Wood is different from the plastic-coated OSB furniture that I grew up with. I must remember now to use coasters because any spills or drips can leave white marks.

-When they start discussing money, try not to let your mouth drop open at the amount of zeroes. One host bought a new car and was bragging to me about how he only paid $28,000, and that was actually $5,000 off for having a certain type of credit card. I just worked the mental math for the discount percentage to keep my brain from exploding. $5k is more than I paid for my entire car. My family motto is "Buy used and drive it 'til the wheels fall off." I did not say so.

-Most importantly, they've been extremely kind and generous to me. They dropped my rent for the month down to almost nothing. They bought any groceries I expressed interest in. I'm going back to campus with some of the best homemade soup of my life, and a coupon for an oil change, and a new appreciation for dark chocolate almonds. When I got here, my hostess had set up a desk for my sewing machine in her sewing room (!! a whole room for sewing!!) and taught me to use a rotary cutter and an iron that's entirely too complex.

tl;dr rich-ish people are super weird about some things you wouldn't expect, and your head will explode a few times, but they're still people and my overall experience has been great.



#houseguest tag #moss's musings

[fatguarddog]

In addition to the enormous salary, being able to run a Feedism B&B. All well-stocked with food and the numbers of fast food chains on speed dial with discounts when buying as a group.

Little cottages either separate or connected to the others, with the option to mingle with other feedism couples (or throuples or harems or what have you).

A swimming pool, enormous to be able to house up to 50 whales people comfortably.

Activities for fit feeders, with wideset chairs alongside with bells for service so the feedees can snack while their feeders play tennis or something.

Wide doorways (or small, for those who like stuckage). Same goes for windows, and feedees can request cheap furniture specifically for the purpose of breaking it with their weight.

A smoking area (for weed and what not), with a chef trained in hibachi and other dishes so the munchies can be met immediately with food.

Rentable mobility scooters, ice packs, heat packs, canes, and other walking equipment as well as comfort amenities for when feedees get overheated/exhausted/otherwise uncomfortable.

Tiled rooms with drains set up specifically for slobs, so it can be easily cleaned when the feedee has had their fun.

Empty drums and funnels, can be special ordered for each patron.

Emergency backup clothing both a size and two sizes up from the feedee's arrival size.

Complimentary lotion practically everywhere, scentless or scented.

A little shop by the front desk with extra things, such as packs of protein drinks/meal replacements and scented oils.

Damn, that's honestly just a feel on feedist hotel concept! Pretty cool tbh, I do love the idea of places like that or a feedist cruise ship hehe

#anon #hutch answers #weight gain #stuffing #getting fat on purpose

[mariacallous]

As Russia ramps up its second offensive, a debate has erupted over whether Moscow or Kyiv will have the upper hand in 2023. While important, such discourse also misses a larger point related to the conflict’s longer-term consequences. In the long run, the true loser of the war is already clear; Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine will be remembered as a historic folly that left Russia economically, demographically, and geopolitically worse off.

Start with the lynchpin of Russia’s economy: energy. In contrast to Europe’s (very real) dependence on Russia for fossil fuels, Russia’s economic dependence on Europe has largely gone unremarked upon. As late as 2021, for example, Russia exported 32 percent of its coal, 49 percent of its oil, and a staggering 74 percent of its gas to OECD Europe alone. Add in Japan, South Korea, and non-OECD European countries that have joined Western sanctions against Russia, and the figure is even higher. A trickle of Russian energy continues to flow into Europe, but as the European Union makes good on its commitment to phase out Russian oil and gas, Moscow may soon find itself shut out of its most lucrative export market.

In a petrostate like Russia that derives 45 percent of its federal budget from fossil fuels, the impact of this market isolation is hard to overstate. Oil and coal exports are fungible, and Moscow has indeed been able to redirect them to countries such as India and China (albeit at discounted rates, higher costs, and lower profits). Gas, however, is much harder to reroute because of the infrastructure needed to transport it. With its $400 billion gas pipeline to China, Russia has managed some progress on this front, but it will take years to match current capacity to the EU. In any case, China’s leverage as a single buyer makes it a poor substitute for Europe, where Russia can bid countries against one another.

This market isolation, however, would be survivable were it not for the gravest unintended consequence of Russia’s war—an accelerated transition toward decarbonization. It took a gross violation of international law, but Putin managed to convince Western leaders to finally treat independence from fossil fuels as a national security issue and not just an environmental one.

This is best seen in Europe’s turbocharged transition toward renewable energy, where permitting processes that used to take years are being pushed up. A few months after the invasion, for example, Germany jump-started construction on what will soon be Europe’s largest solar plant. Around the same time, Britain accelerated progress on Hornsea 3, slated to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion. The results already speak for themselves; for the first time ever last year, wind and solar combined for a higher share of electrical generation in Europe than oil and gas. And this says nothing of other decarbonization efforts such as subsidies for heat pumps in the EU, incentives for clean energy in the United States, and higher electric vehicle uptake everywhere.

The cumulative effect for Russia could not be worse. Sooner or later, lower demand for fossil fuels will dramatically and permanently lower the price for oil and gas—an existential threat to Russia’s economy. When increased U.S. shale production depressed oil prices in 2014, for example, Russia experienced a financial crisis. Lower global demand for fossil fuels will play out over a longer timeline, but the result for Russia will be much graver. With its invasion, Russia hastened the arrival of an energy transition that promises to unravel its economy.

Beyond a smaller and less efficient economy, Putin’s war in Ukraine will also leave Russia with a smaller and less dynamic population. Russia’s demographic problems are well-documented, and Putin had intended to start reversing the country’s long-running population decline in 2022. In a morbid twist, the year is likelier to mark the start of its irrevocable fall. The confluence of COVID and an inverted demographic pyramid already made Russia’s demographic outlook dire. The addition of war has made it catastrophic.

To understand why, it’s important to understand the demographic scar left by the 1990s. In the chaos that followed the Soviet Union’s dissolution, Russia’s birthrate plunged to 1.2 children per woman, far below the 2.1 needed for a population to remain stable. The effects can still be seen today; while there are 12 million Russians aged 30-34 (born just before the breakup of the Soviet Union), there are just 7 million aged 20-24 (born during the chaos that followed it). That deficit meant Russia’s population was already poised to fall, simply because a smaller number of people would be able to have children in the first place.

Russia’s invasion has made this bad demographic hand cataclysmic. At least 120,000 Russian soldiers have died so far—many in their 20s and from the same small generation Russia can scarcely afford to lose. Many more have emigrated, if they can, or simply fled to other countries to try to wait out the war; exact numbers are hard to calculate, but the 32,000 Russians who have immigrated to Israel alone suggest the total number approaches a million.

Disastrously, the planning horizons of Russian families have been upended; it is projected that fewer than 1.2 million Russian babies may be born next year, , which would leave Russia with its lowest birthrate since 2000. A spike in violent crime, a rise in alcohol consumption, and other factors that collude against a family’s decision to have children may depress the birthrate further still. Ironically, over the last decade Putin managed to slow (if not reverse) Russia’s population decline through lavish payoffs for new mothers. Increased military spending and the debt needed to finance it will make such generous natalist policies harder.

The invasion has left Russia even worse off geopolitically. Unlike hard numbers and demographic data, such lost influence is hard to measure. But it can be seen everywhere, from public opinion polls across the West to United Nations votes that the Kremlin has lost by margins as high as 141 to 5. It can also be seen in Russia’s own backyard; while an emboldened NATO could soon include Sweden and Finland, Russia’s own Collective Security Treaty Organization is tearing at the seams as traditional allies such as Kazakhstan and Armenia realize the Kremlin’s impotence and look to China for security.

Perhaps most important of all, Russia has reinvigorated the cause of liberal democracy. In the year after its invasion, French President Emmanuel Macron won a rare second term in France, the far-right AfD lost ground in three successive elections in Germany, and “Make America Great Again” Republicans paid an electoral penalty in the U.S. midterms. (The far right did sweep into power in both Sweden and Italy, but such wins have so far failed to dent Western unity and appear more motivated by immigration.) And this says nothing of the wave of democratic consolidation playing out across Eastern Europe, where voters have thrown out illiberal populists in Slovenia and Czechia in the last year alone. It is impossible to attribute any of these outcomes to just one factor (U.S. Democrats also got a boost from the overturn of Roe v. Wade and election denialism, for example), but Russia’s invasion—and the clear choice between liberalism and autocracy it presented—no doubt helped.

Nowhere, however, has Russia’s invasion backfired more than in Ukraine. Contrary to Putin’s historical revisionism, Ukraine has long had a national identity distinct from Russia’s. But it’s also long been fractured along linguistic lines, with many of its elites intent on maintaining close relations with the Kremlin and even the public unsure about greater alignment with the West.

No longer. Ninety-one percent of Ukrainians now favor joining NATO, a figure unthinkable just a decade ago. Eighty-five percent of Ukrainians consider themselves Ukrainian above all else, a marker of civic identity that has grown by double digits since Russia’s invasion. Far from protecting the Russian language in Ukraine, Putin appears to have hastened its demise as native Russian speakers (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky included) switch to Ukrainian en masse. Putin launched his invasion to bring Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit. He has instead anchored its future in the West.

Of course, one can argue that, however much the war has cost Russia, it has cost Ukraine exponentially more. This is true. Ukraine’s economy shrank by more than 30 percent last year, while Russia’s economy contracted by just about 3 percent. And this says nothing of the human toll Ukraine has suffered. But, like Brexit, Western sanctions on Russia will play out as a slow burn, not an immediate collapse. And while Russia enters a protracted period of economic and demographic decline, once peace comes, Ukraine will have the combined industrial capacity of the EU, United States, and United Kingdom to support it as the West’s newest institutional member—precisely the outcome Putin hoped to avoid. Russia may yet make new territorial gains in the Donbas. But in the long run, such gains are immaterial—Russia has already lost.

[futurebird]

The Grasshopper and the Ants

"Why not stop and have a bite to eat?" Said grasshopper.  The little ant paused, resting her massive, heavy load.  "No time! I must get these seeds to our underground garden!" "Why grow underground? It's nice up here." "In winter the storms will come. We must be ready!"

And with that she hurried off to her nest, running to make up for the time she wasted talking to the grasshopper.  "What curiously paranoid little people!" he thought, as he munched another delicious, sun-ripened summer peach.

The summer days were growing shorter and grasshopper was cold. "Good thing I still have a little oil and my lovely oil lamp." He emptied the last of the oil into the lamp and warmed his long green legs. It was so nice to relax. But, he couldn't stop thinking about the busy ants.

Before very long at all the oil was all gone and the cold returned. "I shall fetch some more from the market first thing in the morning." Said grasshopper, "It's not just the ants who can plan ahead!" Feeling pleased with himself he went to bed.

The next morning grasshopper put on his best coat & his little black cap and walked down to the market. On his way he encountered a whole column of ants going in the opposite direction. 

"Oh no!" He cried, "Have you bought all the oil?!" "Oh no!" Said one ant. "We would do no such thing." Said another. "We've not come from market." Said the third. "We were fetching parts for our windmill!" They all chattered together and indeed each ant had a tool, or a blade, or a motor in tow.  "But it's cold!" Said grasshopper "What good is a windmill? Don't you need oil?" "We have plenty stored..." Said one ant, "But we don't even need it" said another, "Our nest is electric" said the ant he met before, "This windmill will heat it!" They all chattered together.

Grasshopper marveled at how the ants seemed to think of everything. And he trudged on to the market.  On his arrival he was dismayed to find that the old toe biter who ran the oil shop had raised all his prices. 

"There were storms in the south." Said the big old toe biter. "I'd give you a discount, but I've got all these eggs on my back." Indeed, his back was packed with eggs. "Sorry friend."

Grasshopper returned home with only half as much oil as he'd planned to buy. 

The summer days were gone. The great storm came. 

The winds rattled the garden and stole the leaves from the trees. The winds tumbled the ant's windmill at terrifying speeds. The river was swollen with angry brown water, while deep in the earth, the ants tilled their gardens.  

Grasshopper tried to stay warm. But the oil didn't last long. When the sounds of the storm died he climbed up to the garden. He was terribly hungry and horribly cold. 

But the garden was empty and broken. Grasshopper cried.

Grasshopper cried and sobbed, feeling very sorry for himself. But even as he cried he thought "I know I'm having quite a bawler ... but I don't think I'm crying as loud as this sounds" Yes, some of the crying sounded nothing like a grasshopper at all. It was much too... squeaky. 

Grasshopper stopped crying, the sad squeaky noises continued. It was coming from a toppled berry bush, for trapped in the branches was a little ant.

And she was very very sad because there are few things in the world as pitysome as a lonely ant. 

Grasshopper rushed to help her.

With his long green limbs he freed the little ant from the branches. 

"oh thank you!" she squeaked "Thank you! now I shall be able to get home to my sisters where it is nice and warm, and have some nice food once again!"

Grasshopper tried to smile at this.

But the little ant could see he was not happy. "Oh no! that was a very rude thing for me to say! Whatever will you do with your garden in ruins?"

Grasshopper pulled his best coat around him and straightened his little black cap.  "I don't know." He said at last.  "Well you should come and live with us!" Said the little ant.  "I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair. You worked all summer and I did not." "That's true" Said the little ant "But we always have extra, it's our way! How else could we ever be able to help our friends?"

And then grasshopper was crying again. But this time for a different reason. 

When spring came the ants and their new friend, grasshopper, were filled with excitement. So much to do! An elevator for the nest, an upgrade for the windmills & most ambitious of all... a bigger underground garden, one where the fruit trees could grow through any great storm.

The End

#ants #grasshopper #grasshopper people #ant people #antposting #ant stories #fable #ecofutureism

[rjalker]

we got a discounted turkey and we made it by putting sliced potatoes and also an onion in the bottom of the pan, with the turkey on top, coated with vegetable oil since butter is expensive. what a hellworld we live in that store-brand butter is expensive.

Anyways, we've kept all the bones and stuff to make broth, and kept all the liquid from the bottom of the pan.

If you have a rice maker, you can make rice, while in a skillet or another pot you heat up the turkey left overs. When the rice is done and the leftovers are hot, mix them together and enjoy.

(this would also work for chicken)

#food #recipe #ish?

[bumblebeetle]

I've been searching for a suitable container for making taper candles in (tall and narrow, made to withstand high heat and sudden temperature changes without leaking). For a while I've made do with a 28oz tomato can but just finished using the olive oil from a 3"x2"x7" tin I bought at the discount grocer for this purpose and get to try it out soon.

#my eyes are always peeled for old motor oil cans but this might do the trick.

[zvaigzdelasas]

Battles of attrition are defined as those in which opposing forces do not confront each other in direct combat with the full strength of their teams but instead aim to wear each other down over a period of time. [U]nilaterally-imposed economic policy sanctions that coerce certain desired patterns of international trade and economic exchange may be cast as attempts to win a battle of attrition.

The latest headlines in the attrition front from Germany, the epicentre of the continent’s unsettled energy geopolitics after the launch of Western sanctions on Russia, seem incredible at first sight. It was only about a month ago when what seemed a dumbfounding report by Deutsche Bank predicted that "wood will be used for heating purposes where possible." The Business Insider headlined its column “Germans could switch to wood this winter to heat their homes as Russia withholds natural gas, Deutsche Bank says”.

Last week, Bloomberg’s Javier Blas tweeted with his “chart of the day” showing Google seearches for firewood ("Brennholz") surging in the past two months as Germans increasingly realize that firewood (yes, firewood!) might stand between them and a freezing winter with electricity rationing “as the country braces for natural gas shortages”. Germany’s citizens — living in the world’s pre-eminent engineering nation with its flagship BMWs and Audis in manufacturing, its world leading petrochemical sector typified by behemoth BASF and much else besides — face the prospects of surviving winter as their forebears did over 2 centuries ago, huddling around a firewood hearth. [...]

A few days after the launch of Russia’s “special military operations” in eastern Ukraine on 24th February, the U.S., U.K. and the European Union along with their closest allies (Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and a few other countries) imposed the most wide-ranging economic blitzkrieg on a sovereign nation since the Second World War. The sanctions launched on Russia were meant to devastate the Russian economy and force President Vladimir Putin to sue for peace on Ukraine’s terms or even engender regime change.

Russia responded with a “roubles for gas” scheme for “non-friendly” countries (i.e. those participating in the sanctions) as a prototype for all of Russia’s major commodity exports to a hostile Western alliance. In the days after the sanctions, Russia’s rouble fell to almost half of its pre-invasion levels, its stock market was shut, and its central bank jacked up interest rates to contain the fallout. Contrary to expectations and President Joe Biden’s boast of collapsing the ‘rouble to rubble’ however, the currency soon recovered sharply. It strengthened to its highest levels in 7 years while the country’s current account surplus surged to record levels by May.

This was due only in part to the Russian central bank's actions limiting currency outflows and raising interest rates. It was primarily an outcome of the surge in the global prices of fossil fuels and industrial commodities which constitute the major commodity exports of the country. According to a Reuters report yesterday, higher oil export volumes, coupled with rising gas prices, will boost Russia's earnings from energy exports to $337.5 billion this year, a 38% rise on 2021, according to an economy ministry document seen by the newswire.

While there was some fall-off in energy exports to the Western countries, China and India rapidly increased their energy imports from Russia at discounted prices. While China is in talks with Russia to buy oil to replenish its strategic reserves according to Bloomberg, India has been refining cheaper Russian crude to then export as petroleum products to Europe and the US. [!]

In an irony that will not be lost to observers of European affairs, Robin Brooks, Chief Economist at the Institute of International Finance, says that the West is “paying a high price” for denying Russian energy to itself, although EU “exemptions” to sanctions are multiplying. Meanwhile, Russia’s financial conditions now are almost as relaxed as before the war.

He also notes that the German current account surplus “is back to levels last seen in the early 2000s, when Germany was the ‘sick man’ of Europe” adding that Germany is “sick again now” having had a growth model that was “heavily predicated on cheap Russian energy”. The Nordstream-1 gas pipeline — Germany’s main gas supply artery — running at 20% level of normal supply and the resulting Eurozone energy price shock — is Putin’s grapple-hold across the throat of Europe threatening “catastrophic industrial shutdowns” and mass layoffs.

Russia’s citizens, while poorer, do not seem to be doing so badly relative to their German neighbours. Retail spending at cafes, bars, and restaurants is doing fine. Well-heeled Muscovites might miss their I-phones and Gucci handbags under sanctions and voluntary exits by publicity-conscious Western corporations. But ordinary citizens are certainly not searching for firewood this winter or worried about being able to have hot baths.

The battle of attrition between the G-7 and Russia continues as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently went on “a charm offensive in Africa to regain the US popularity which was lost ostensibly during the Trump administration, and to counter the attempts from Russia to get more African countries on their side.” In pointed remarks to the press with Mr. Blinken sitting at her side, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that she objected to “patronizing bullying” coming from the West: “Because when we believe in freedom – as I’m saying, it’s freedom for everybody – you can’t say because Africa is doing this, you will then be punished by the United States…. One thing I definitely dislike is being told ‘either you choose this or else.’”

Making the same point more diplomatically, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said in a June conference when he took questions from an audience: "I am one-fifth of the world's population. I am what today the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world… I feel I am entitled to have my own side. I am entitled to weigh my own interests, and make my own choices. My choices will not be cynical and transactional. They will be a balance of my values and my interests. There is no country in the world which disregards its interests."

In a speech delivered yesterday in Bangkok when attending a India-Thailand Joint Commission meeting, the minister defended India’s crude oil imports from Russia. He referred to the surge in energy prices across the world due to the Russia-Ukraine war and said: “We have been very open and honest about our interest. I have a country with a per capita income of USD 2000, these are not people who can afford higher energy prices. It’s my moral duty to ensure the best deal.”

In a blistering article last week headlined “Washington has only itself to blame for growing de-dollarization trend”, China’s Global Times stated: “The thought the US may move to grab anybody's assets who refuses to obey Washington's dictates is truly unnerving, which is now inducing more countries to diversify their reserve assets away from US dollars.” Russia, China and India have been engaged in efforts to facilitate trade via the use of their national currencies and a potential BRICS basket as the basis of commodity trade among those outside the Western alliance.

Potential future members of the BRICS bloc such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria and Thailand have made clear — either overtly or by their neutrality in trade and diplomatic relations with Russia and the West – that they will not “pick sides” as India’s Dr. Jaishanker put it. There is little reason to believe that the EU or the US can browbeat developing countries to join in the anti-Russia sanctions.

Financial and trade sanctions on Russia by Western protagonists has led to an economic battle of attrition the results of which remain uncertain and far-reaching. It looks increasingly likely that Russia will achieve at least its immediate goals in the military battlefield in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, albeit at great cost of men and materiel. Yet the costs of the Western economic sanctions on Russia which have boomeranged are far more consequential to people’s lives and livelihoods around the world.

The Western alliance, led by the US under the Biden administration, offers no prospects for a negotiated solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as called for by Henry Kissinger at the Davos conference in May. Indeed, the mainstream media and Western political leaders have continued escalating the narrative of a Russian military defeat with a seeming endless supply of funds and arms by the Biden administration to Ukraine.

Pensioners and poorer sections of society across Western Europe and the UK, unable to afford skyrocketing heating and electricity bills, will be the most affected proximate victims. But even worse injuries to people’s lives and livelihoods will be among the vast populations of the developing countries that live in poverty or on the edges of it. The surge in the price of food, fertilizer and fuel as a result of the sanctions will punish the far-flung innocent poor the most.

Yeowch, when even Forbes is turning on your political class & waving this big of a white flag, you know youve lost (18 Aug 22)

[blaize-hewwo]

Steve was scared he was out this late on his own in the middle of nowhere his car broke down almost three hours ago and only 2 cars have passed yet no-one stopped to help. His phone has no signal and even better is almost dead he can't walk somewhere because he will get lost and as an omega in this world he would be 'Asking for it'

He sits in his car close to tears when he sees head lights flash into his car window and they stop he gets up not sure whether to be scared or thankful so a mixture of both leads him to having absolutely no clue what to do.

He slowly gets out of the car and sees a tall man climb out of the truck that stopped. He puts his hand out for Steve and then pulls it away because of the dirt and oil on it seeing how clean he was.

"Please tell me you know something about cars" "That's kinda my job Hun" he teased. It was obvious if you looked at him his work clothes literally read his company and then Eddie Munson Car mechanic.

Steve says "I wanna hug you" "I love feisty boys but you might wanna let me see if I can do anything for the car first" he opens up a few things grabbing some tools as Steve shakes standing in the freezing cold of the night.

"It's your Fuel filler it's filled with water because of a leak and when it's cold the water freezes and because the car won't start the heat from it won't melt it so your car basically thinks it has no fuel so it stopped" Steve sighs "This is not gonna be an easy fix is it" "Not something I can do now no" "Your best bet is let me tow it to my garage and call a taxi I'll wait with you if you'd feel safer"

"That's a no go my phone is almost dead and there is no signal here plus I don't have any money so I can't pay you either I'm sorry" "Hey Sweetheart it's fine I saw someone who needed help and I helped I don't need money for that I'm not on shift" he winks.

"Mkay but I don't know what to do" "How about you hop in the truck with me I tow your car to my garage and I'll do the work on it free of charge think of it as a discount for pretty stranded boys and I'll drop you off home or even near your home I understand if you don't want a random guy knowing where you live"

Steve rubs his arms "I mean sure I'm either gonna get kidnapped by you or someone else and if it's by you at least I'm warm" he opens the truck and helps him in. He hooks up the car and does his thing then gets in driving off to his garage. The warmth and the smell of oil mixed with his scent seeping ever so slightly through his skin made Steve want to fall asleep.

He yawns softly but doesn't as they arrive he gets the car off "Anything you need from there now before we leave" he pats his pockets and shakes his head sleepily. Eddie jumps back in and asks Steve where he's dropping him off.

He mutters the address and says "If it's out of your way you can just drop me off somewhere along your way and I'll walk the rest of the way" "I'm not letting you walk nowhere on your own in the freezing cold at 2am" "At this point I'll probably just fall asleep"

He chuckled softly and says "Besides I live 2 apartment blocks away" "I've never seen your truck" "It's new that's why" he drops him off and Steve heads to the first door and drops his head against the door. Eddie who was waiting for him to go inside and the light in his apartment to turn on so he would leave shouts out the window. "what's up"

Steve walks back over timid "I- my keys are still in my car I was so tired I didn't realize I didn't have them cause thought that my mailbox keys where my apartment keys" he apologizes and says "I'll just walk to my friends house and stay there I'll come pick them up Tomorrow"

"Hey come on its late just stay with me when I head to work I'll take you and you can get your keys and stuff. Though your car will be a couple day job" Steve thinks about and shrugs "What's the worst that will happen" he gets back in the truck and he smiles at Eddie who leans down to grab something from the passenger footwell.

A wrench? "I need that cause I'm fixing my sink in the kitchen at the moment and I'll forget otherwise" "I'll hold it for you" he puts it in his hand "I'm not gonna hurt you" he turns the corner and the way his muscles flex. Steve rubs his eyes tired.

They get to his apartment and he opens the door teasingly saying "Who knew keys would be useful for this" Steve elbows him softly. They go in and Eddie heads to the shower after grabbing some clothes "Do you need a shower"

Steve nods softly a little embarrassed. He was looking around it was a huge apartment it was 3 times the size of his. He stretches slightly and looks at the sink in the kitchen and all the stuff sat next to it. He giggles at how hard Eddis is trying to fix it.

He sits on the Sofa as Eddie had told him to get comfortable. He walks in to the bedroom after Eddie calls him. "see I don't have anything for you too wear but if you stick on a baggy shirt and underwear my friends sent me as a joke think you should be okay"

Steve nods softly and stretches. He walks in to the shower trying to ignore how Good Eddie looked in nothing but sweats and he meant nothing, that was obvious not that Steve was looking or anything he definitely wasn't drooling over an alpha he just met

He gets in the shower with a sigh at the feeling he washes his body smiling and stretching the string smell of his body wash filling his nostrils making him smile he loved his smell. He gets out drying off Eddie had put the clothes just inside the door.

He gets dressed raising an eye at how well the underwear fit and pulling the shirt on he blushed softly wearing his shirt was kind of something you would do in a relationship. He walks out and he says "You can share the bed or I'll sleep on the couch up to you"

"It's your bed we can share if you won't let me sleep on the couch" he climbs in and he gets in facing away from him right at the edge of the bed. However when he wakes up that's a different story. He's laying on the awake Eddies chest both his legs on either side of one of his and his hands on his bare solid chest.

He looked a bit embarrassed. Steve looks up at him and mutters and apology. But Eddie holds him in place as he tries to move. He shifts his hips slightly feeling something solid against his thigh knowing what it was Steve shuffles around slightly trying to move.

Unusually he wasn't scared when Eddie flips them pinning him down no he was just turned on by this large man with rippling muscles he'd never even met before last night. He feels his legs being spread as he's carefully while pulling his clothes off looking for any sign of resistance or upset in the omegas reactions and expressions

"May I" Steve nods and Eddie just smirks he feels finger gently wrapping around him they pump him as he spreads his legs more of their own accord. A finger entering inside his slick hole making him moan softly a second being added making his hips push down.

He was a lot smaller than Eddie so his two fingers were equivalent to the three Steve usually stops at. He whines softly as he pushes a third in taking a few thrusts and stretching motions for him to finally moan out in pleasure.

Eddie flips him over and pulls his hips up pulling himself out of his boxers Steve sees it his mouth watering along with his eyes at the knowledge that he is so much bigger than anything he's ever taken. He rests on his fore arms head buried in his pillow the scent making him calm.

The low sound of him lubing himself up making him clench softly in anticipation Eddie smirks pushing his thumb in feeling how easy he gets sucked in. "relax for me my pretty omega" he breathes slowly waiting for it not sure when he'll push in.

The tip rests against his hole and he slowly pushes in as Steve tries to breathe evenly. He whines softly at the stretch but moans no less when he gets all the way in. Two thumbs rubbing at his lower back as the palms hold his hips fingers wrapped around him tight.

Steve rubs his stomach softly feeling a small bump at the lower area of his stomach. He moans softly and hides back in the pillows pushing back on him. Eddie takes the hint slowly pulling out and pushing back in Steve moaning into his pillow ever so softly.

It takes a few thrusts but he inevitably finds his prostate and he abuses it. He slams into him so hard his arm give out his legs shaking the only reason he didn't fall into bed was the hold he had on his hips pulling him back to match his thrusts.

Steve was moaning louder and louder soon loud whines mixed in as he starts to feel the urge to cum. He raises his head looking fucked out drenched in sweat from being used like this "Right there I'm gonna cum please" he whines.

Eddie slams harder into the spot soon having the omega cumming all over his bed and moving ever so slightly so be was till fucking him but he was holding Steve's head down making him clean up the cum.

Steve's eyes fill with tears from sensitivity after a few minutes of being senselessly pounded. Soon he feels him twitch and liquid fill his insides. He pulls out and cleans them up arms wrapping around Steve's waist. Steve holds his cheeks kissing him gently "My cars gonna be breaking down more often if you come to my rescue"

#writing #steve x eddie #mechanic eddie #car clueless steve #eddie munson #steve harrington #alpha eddie #omega steve

[xanadontit]

We’re leaving for FIL’s ranch on Saturday and will be there for about a week in a push to get as much shit off the property as possible.

As you may recall, Grifter has predictably gone MIA in terms of helping, and SIL is “too sad” to come up so it’s on E to get stuff done. Granted it’s technically his responsibility to manage the assets but these jerks could come help drive stuff to Goodwill or throw stuff in a dumpster. But no. Although SIL said she might be willing to come up over Thanksgiving. Uh, no? I mean she’s welcome to go up there on her own but I cannot think of a more depressing holiday than being in that place. 

E and I have had many heated discussions about how to get going; his dad was a bit of a hoarder and again: it’s a ranch. There’s a drum of oil. There’s tractors in various levels of working order. It’s not just some pots and pans and clothes. Oh and his dad liked to stash cash (and guns) in random spots so you literally have to open each drawer carefully and peel through each layer of crap. Great fun. I get that just grabbing and tossing isn’t realistic, but E’s approach is to just sort of move piles of stuff, or focus on one little corner. We gotta Kondo this shit, to a degree. E has been reluctant and understandably overwhelmed by the volume of stuff and insisted he could do this his way. 

He’s taken a few solo trips because I knew if I went up there we would argue and I’d be in this shitty trailer on a hot ranch and it wouldn’t be helpful in any way. And guess what? Nothing of much significance has been accomplished. After the last trip E came home and told me he’s ready to try my way. A family friend also offered to help with clearing and some repairs if E was willing to sell him some of the equipment at a discount. Perfect. A dumpster is being delivered Monday. On Tuesday we are ordering a head stone for his dad’s grave. My parents have offered use of their truck to take what is able to be donated to Goodwill. My plan is to dump what’s in obvious disrepair or junk, and donate what we can. If we can move some of the paint and smaller volume chemicals that would be great. Also going to try to figure out how to get a drum of oil moved since E has convinced himself it is impossible. Maybe! Or maybe we can try trying. 

All this to say, I’m glad I didn’t go with E and fight and get nowhere. I feel guilty in some ways for not going with him for emotional support or company at least, but I know I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut. And I think being forced to face that his way wasn’t the most efficient and maybe we can try this my way in his own time has allowed E to still feel in control but not burdened. I’m not thrilled about this but it’ll feel good to make some progress. 

I’m still pissed as hell at his so-called family for abdicating all responsibility and saying they would help after a wedding and a grandchild and then reneging. But I’m more annoyed at myself for being surprised. 

[beaubaptiste]

Far from looking like your standard drug dealer, it was, in fact, what Beau was. Her business was thriving and her list of customers long, but the best part was that it was perfectly legal. Addictive? Maybe, but fully legal. For generations knowledge of the arcana was passed down, Isabeau the latest in a long line of what most would call witches these day, who used their knowledge and gifts for the good of others. While her main source of income came from her rentals, Beau has a vast client base that were ever eager for her potions. From teas to oils to edibles, Beau mixed magic with botany to create curatives that most found worked better than anything they could get over the counter. While most with her gifts were known locally as manbo priestesses dealing out tarot readings and curses for cash, Beau worked her magic into more natural remedies for things like headaches, cramps, morning sickness and sleepless nights.

It was only logical, of course, that a good chuck of her clients were creatures of the Hidden World themselves. Blood drinkers, slaves to the moon, and others blessed yet cursed with the affliction of being a supernatural were often at her doorstep for something to rid them of the many side effects that came with being. In spite of what most thought based on lore and stories, most of them were pretty alright, and people she considered her friends.

One of these people, was Cora Clement: a pretty little she-wolf with a personality much bigger then her frame. Being a female werewolf was such that her cycle was vicious and her needs were great. Like Vampires were slave to their thirst, werewolves were slaves to the their animal instincts. Beyond the general maintenance it took to do simple things like shave your legs when the hair grew back so quickly, with a female wolf, her monthly cycle brought mood swings, a larger appetite, and the desire to mate and reproduce. Knowing that the time of being in heat was near, Beau whipped up a special brew that would aid Cora and any others in suppressing the animal within, since no one wanted to be popping out babies every single year.

The day was young as Beau stepped into the pretty flower shop where Cora spent her days. She took a deep breath in at the pleasant scent before smiling and making her way to Cora. " Special delivery." She said proudly as she set a purple gift bag on the counter. "Because I like you I'm going to give you a discount but just know that my generosity doesn't come without strings. I want some things in return." She smirked. " I'm going to need any old flowers that are wilting and unable to sell ."

#int: Cora

[erinnightwalker]

Bootleg wood finish, for those who are interested.

Basic ingredients are wax and oil. If you want it food safe, go for beeswax and coconut oil. If that doesn't matter, any scrap wax will do, plus oil of your choice. The harder the wax the harder the finish- candles in jars generally have a high oil content already, so may not provide a good base for applications that need to not weep oil. I like pillars, tapers, or floating candles for the firmness of the wax. I mostly stick to coconut oil because I have it and because olive oil is a bit whiffy for me when I don't want it to be. I also think that it makes a firmer finish, but to each their own.

Color and scent are up to you. If reusing candle wax, keep in mind that the color will be a translucent suggestion instead of a bold statement. If coloring with crayola shavings, have scrap wood handy to test your result. Be gentle, too much crayon can make the mix behave weird. Essential and fragrance oils can be added if desired. Final product on the wood will not be super aromatic so keep that in mind. IF YOU ADD CRAYONS AND SCENTED OILS IT IS NO LONGER FOOD SAFE. FOODSAFE FORMULA IS BEESWAX (foodgrade) AND A FOOD OIL ONLY. IF YOU POISON YOURSELF WITH THIS I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FFS.

Melt chosen ingredients. I have a wax warmer with a silicone insert that makes this really goddamn easy, and I do recommend it for safety sake. A microwave can work, or stove top if you're ballsy. Were I planning a larger batch, I'd go for a crockpot (the little dipper size) if only for the warming feature. The wax melter is nice so I don't waste ingredients prototyping. Once melted, mix thoroughly. Apply hot to raw wood to be finished. I used napkins, but a sacrificial paintbrush is another option. It will cool on application. I use a hair dryer to encourage penetration, and another napkin to mop up any excess that the wood won't absorb. I like the hair dryer over a warm oven because less fire hazard, but to each their own.

Proportions of wax to oil vary. My current batch was about 2 tealight's worth of wax from a damaged floating candle, a heaping teaspoon of coconut oil, and A Lot of essential oils. At room temperature it sets hard and excess was carefully poured into silicone molds (discount candy molds from Walmart scratch-and-dent) for future use. The final finish is not oily or sticky, with perhaps a hint of waxy texture on rougher wood where it pooled just a bit. Finish is not waterproof but is water resistant. Darkened the wood slightly and enhanced grain but did not tint (it was a white candle). It has not stained or made an oil bloom on the paper beneath it yet. Reapplication is simple and so far does not look patchy. It will wear over time and handling.

Notes: this is a hot method of application and needs the heat source to help with the absorbing. If you want to draw, woodburn, paint, or otherwise decorate do that first. It fills the pores of the wood so getting paint to stick is a trick if you use this first.

Make it witchy: seethe materia in the oil and wax to infuse (strain it out with a coffee filter before application). Choose essential oils that you prefer. Use spell oils for the oil portion. Add mica powders (very fine, eyeshadow does some cool shit) to create shimmer. Add powdered herbs to the melted mix (and I mean actually powdered, otherwise it will fall off). Use remnants of spell candles as the wax portion to continue the working.

*******

It also works to waterproof leather boots. You can use straight beeswax and a hairdryer for that though, and the waterproofing will outlast the damn tread.

Ask questions if you want!