⛤ January Q&A (Patreon)

Happy new moon in Aquarius! As per usual on full and new moons, I have a full day of witchcraft and intention setting in front of me. For any big, challenging or demanding endeavors, I spend some time focusing my energy and mentally preparing for the feat. The most effective way of doing that, I have found, is to do a bunch of other, low-engagement things while I build up my resolve. I.e.: starting on some household chores and answering the questions you've been waiting for. It's been a busy month and I apologize for the slight delay. Between the flu and trying (failing) to push out Ozark Tales 2 in the same month, I am once again playing catch-up with all my commitments. (This is why I don't have an upload schedule by the way.) Now that I have fresh coffee, let's get right to it.

What did you get for Christmas? I had to consult with my husband on that one. It feels like all of December was just a shower of gifts and treasures. It was bountiful beyond my wildest dreams. First thing I got was a pair of black velvet platform boots which I adore, then the Sigma 100-400mm Contemporary lens for my Sony camera plus a monopod to operate it on long nature shoots. Next was the one Planet Zoo DLC I was missing (Africa pack) and the entire Sims 3 DLC collection on sale for a steal. I have been itching to play it but can't install it yet, since my old laptop came out of the factory with a faulty graphics card and my new laptop only has a 500GB drive (all of which gets filled up very fast by 4k video footage... and then some) so I hope this year we can get a new computer so I can use Jack's unit for gaming. I was also gifted a set of professional headphones to help with my sound editing, decor for my studio/office, a label maker which I am obsessed with and cash which I used to treat myself to my first massage therapy session. I have been spoiled. I don't think I've ever gotten this many gifts in one month before. 

Do you like Dancing in the moonlight by Toploader? Somehow the word 'moonlight' made my brain jump straight to Can't Fight The Moonlight, then I had to do a double take and realized, no, I don't like either song because I do not like pop music. Though I can appreciate the latter more for its nostalgic value. 

What YouTube channels do you like watching? This is a difficult question to answer because I basically cycle through YouTube channels until I get bored of hearing the same person talk or am learning nothing new on a specific topic. Lately I've been quite invested in  Alyssa Sharpe, one of my all time favorites because she is both knowledgeable and hilarious (and because I stole one of her polls and am patiently waiting on my Libra midheaven video), the Crappy Childhood Fairy who talks a lot about CPTSD (lady really be out there explaining why I'm like this), HealthyGamerGG for his straightforward and realistic breakdown of all things mental health, Townsends which I have been enjoying their historical recipes for a long time and became a patron of theirs, Abroad in Japan because Chris is also hilarious and produces well made, educational and entertaining videos, Skeed - Magic Meditation Music because they do something to their playlists that actually helps me focus and charge my spiritual energy, Louis Rossmann because of his to-the-point, funny and passionate commentary on serious topics, Of Herbs and Altars - could listen to Dorian talk for hours - and my past cycling has included equally eclectic channels from Anton Petrov (I sometimes put his videos on to fall asleep as it reminds me of how as a young teen in Germany I used to fall asleep to a late night TV program about astrophysics) to Teal Swan for actually useful spiritual advice to Rachel & Jun (for cat content ofc). I have too many interests for my time.

Hi Ally and happy new year! What kind of winter is out there where you live, is there any snow? What do you like to do in the winter? Happy new year! So far we haven't seen much of winter - it's been mostly mild in December. It snowed once or twice in those dreaded freezing temperatures we've had in January but it didn't stick. Now we are awaiting a winter storm however, so it's a good thing we bought so many groceries again. I honestly don't like to do much in the winter - all my favorite things to do (hiking, coffee dates, nature photography, going out with friends, thrift shopping, befriending the neighborhood cats) become quite difficult to maintain in those hostile temperatures so I focus my energy on work and whatever I can do indoors (homemaking, cooking and baking, mixology, spoiling the cat) - if anything, my desire to bake is inversely proportional to the outside temperature. 

Are you interested in architecture? Not really. I am quite interested in interior design (especially budget design), however, and have been working to create a beautiful home ever since I moved here. I still have some work to do and we are currently still waiting for Amazon to deliver the dining table we ordered six weeks ago that they shipped 30% of and when we tried to refund it and look for something else they swore the remaining 70% were due to ship soon... slowly but surely saving up for furnishings and decorations to create a complete home. I hope our lucky streak of finding budget and thrifted items that fit our aesthetic continues throughout this year!

Do you like Coldplay? No.

How long did it take to record the super soothing cat purring video? Not long. It is a looped recording and iirc I had about 5 minutes worth of purring to loop. Ah, good old times. I miss those days when I could post cat purring over a cute photo of Leo and this was acceptable. Nowadays I get called lazy for publishing an ambient video with subliminals that took 30 hours to put together or a soundscape where the 4k candle background loop I arranged myself isn't enough of a "video" to be called a "video". I have considered attempting another cat purring loop with Ash, but she doesn't generally sit still long enough to acquire the bare minimum amount of footage.

Hey Ally! I absolutely love the new series so far. You're videos are almost always on for my bedtime routine and it always calms me down/puts me to sleep. However, my question is more of asking for advice.  I recently connected with an old friend after two years. We didn't talk because her partner didn't like me and wanted exclusivity to my friend. Things didn't end on good terms. I've since moved on from that and became a much better person. Married and have my life a lot more put together. This friend reached out recently due to her ending that toxic relationship. From what my friend said, she didn't reach out because of the breakup. But, I can't help but be suspicious. I'm not sure if it's best to continue the friendship or not. On one hand, we're compatible on the things we like and enjoy spending time together, but I'm worried that this person may hurt me again... Or possibly just not be as compatible compared to a couple years ago. Any thoughts? This is a tough one - especially since I've been in a similar situation. Some time ago, some old friends reached out to me - but I was jaded by people I have known from that time turning on me and making me out to be an enemy. Even though I do not believe in guilt by association, I was blinded by hurt and the subsequently acquired paranoia that everyone who wants to talk to me has malicious intent. Some days I wish I had responded like my first impulse told me, but since at the time I could not trust my impulses and intuition (at least regarding other people's intent), I stayed silent. I still wonder if I made a mistake. That friend and I - we had some good times. But as other people I've had good times with since changed their mind about the past, I'm worried they might, too. I can understand why you're suspicious. It sounds like your friend has been a victim of an abusive partner who isolated her from her friends. Though I do not know the details of what happened, I do generally believe in second chances. But you have to consider your current situation aswell as your own boundaries. Since your last run didn't end well, if you do decide to give it another shot, be very aware of her influence on you and very solid in defending your boundaries if need be. And be ready to cut her off if her presence in your life turns out to be a detriment to everything you have built for yourself. I think it sounds like she realized what all she has lost to that toxic relationship and wants to rebuild her life. Of course only she knows her true thoughts and intentions, but I think it can work if she is sincere and you can maintain your equilibrium. You are in a new place in life so things will never be exactly like how they were before. The only way to know if you and your friend are still compatible is to try. But if you feel like you'd rather close that chapter of your life and focus on the now, that is your prerogative. 

Left handed? Right handed? Or ambidextrous? I'm right handed, always have been.

Do you like bowling? It can be a fun pastime as long as it's not too loud or crowded. 

Have you read the short story 'The Chaser' by John Collier? It's a short, nuanced, and slightly dark piece. Never heard of it. I don't do much reading these days... I don't do much outside of work these days though. I probably need a hobby.

Does Jack like video games? Yes. It's his favorite pastime to the point where it's a challenge to keep coming up with games to gift him for his birthday and holidays. 

Do you like caramels? Yes, especially soft caramels and caramel fudge. But it has to be very smooth and have absolutely 0 grittiness to it. 

Do you like guacamole? Yes, it's one of my favorite foods. Who knew that mashed up avocados with onions and spices could be so mouth watering? 

Have you ever made your own guacamole? I have tried but it wasn't what I was looking for. 

Do you remember those Pez candy dispensers? Yes, that rings a bell. They've been coming out with so many gimmicky cheap candies in the 2000's it's hard to keep track of them all. Though I've always valued flavor over flashy packaging. 

Does Ash like to go outside? We don't know yet. She has shown interest in exploring the great outdoors after being an indoor cat all her life so we bought her a harness and leash (after she ventured about 3 feet out the door and promptly got lost and confusedly meowed at the neighbor's door until I brought her back inside). But then winter came and at this point, I think, it's too cold for her out there. Sometimes she sniffs at the door so come spring, if she is still interested, I will try taking her on walks. 

❅ Those were all the questions you sent in January - there will be a post for February available here shortly if you have follow up questions or thought of something else to ask. I hope you have a wonderful new moon and that you stay healthy and safe in February. I will be back with more content soon. ❅