Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
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jrbee.bsky.social
Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
@jrbee.bsky.social
320 followers 240 following 4.3K posts
I wanna WRAC! (Write, Read, Art, Craft)
Introvert. Owned by one cat. Dogs are also pawsome.

Writer of books, haver of a bookish YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jrbee
(She/ her)
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jrbee.bsky.social
Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy @jrbee.bsky.social · May 28
I chat about #nature, #bugs, #cats, #sewing, #knitting, #crotchet, #writing, #art & odd stuff.

I do #BookTube deep dives on rabbit holes that #Books have taken me down: youtube.com/@jrbee
I've written a kids' book set in the world of bugs:
Zon: mybook.to/TheRaindropR...
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/jrbee/shop
Cover for The Raindrop Ramblers. It has bright green posterised grass, a ladybird is crawling above the title, a centipede is sneaking out of the shadows towards a rambler (a small green guy with antennae) at the bottom of the page. And an ant is crawling towards a rambler at the top, who's wearing a cowboy hat, and a rope around his shoulders. Both ramblers are oblivious to the danger.
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
justjim.bsky.social
You can use your five spice powder to make 叉烧猪肉 (chashu pork).

And you can use this pork in noodle soups (ramen, if you must) or in baozi!

Because I love you all, the entire recipe is in the alt-txt! Scrape the bits and recombine into a text file & print it like a boomer!

#SundayPixMemorableFood
In Australia you're probably going to be best off getting a rolled pork shoulder. They come netted with some elastic pig corsetry. You can just cut that off, unroll the rolled joint and cut off any excess skin. Save it to make pork scratchings later. You'll usually end up with about 1.8 - 2.0 Kg of pork. The following ingredients are for that weight. Adjust as necessary but don't try to be too fussy about it. This isn't rocket surgery. Measurements are volumetric and I apologise for that. Some of these things are sticky and measuring them by weight straight into a mixing bowl would be ideal. I might research that at some future time. MARINADE: ⅓ cup Treacle (or honey, golden syrup, malt extract etc. At a push, sugar.) 2-4 cubes red fermented tofu and 2 TBSP of the sauce it comes in. This can be hard to find, and if pressed, use ½ cup Oyster sauce and some red food dye. If you have the little teardrop 4-packs of food colour, use more than you think. No, more than that. If you have a tube of gel dye, 2 or 3 small squirts will do. Do not ever tell anyone that you did this, or that I told you to do it. ⅓ cup Hoisin sauce ⅓ cup light soy sauce (that's any 'normal' soy sauce that doesn't say 'dark') 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped. I recognise that one does not measure garlic with numbers. You measure that shit with your heart. 8 slices of ginger. This is a meaningless measurement. Put some ginger in, roughly chopped. Half a cup? That sounds fine. This next one is a bit iffy. Do you have whole star anise, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, fennel seeds and Sichuan peppers? Then you should have already made Chinese five spice powder. Or you just have the Masterfoods bottle. Either way, add 2 tsps of it. ⅓ cup Shaoxing wine, Chinese cooking wine, or dry sherry. 1 tsp salt (I often don't bother) Cont as Alt-txt in next photo. Cont from Alt-txt in previous photo. optional 2 TBSP Korean chilli flakes (Gochugaru) or other spicy addition of your choice. I don't often have gochugaru and use 1 TBSP Masterfoods hot chilli flakes, or 1 tsp Cayenne powder. MEAT: 1.8 - 2.0 Kg rolled pork shoulder, or similar. GLAZE: 2 TBSP Honey The leftover marinade. METHOD: If using a rolled shoulder, cut it free from its kinky corsetry, unroll it, and cut away any pig skin that doesn't have flesh underneath. Cut the remainder into slices the length of the original rolled joint and about 5-8 cm wide. You'll probably get a couple of 'chicken tendy' type pieces. Marinade them as well, you can fry them off for a snack while you're waiting for the next 24 hours! Mix together all the marinade ingredients, put that and the pork chunks into a big ziploc bag WITH A STRONG SEAL DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT and marinate in the fridge overnight or, ideally, 24 hours. The next day, prepare as large a roasting pan as you are going to need to lay out all the chunks of meat. Line the pan with either foil or baking parchment, and add in a rack. Pull the meat from the marinade and put it in a colander over a saucepan. Wiggle and shake it piece by piece, and place the pork chunks onto the roasting rack. Once you've got all the meat out, remove the colander and pour the remaining marinade into the saucepan. Cover the meat in the roasting tray and allow to temper (come to room temp) for 40 minutes to an hour. Add ⅓ cup honey to the collected marinade in the saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil. Let it boil for for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, knock down the sides, and set aside, covered, for the glazing. At a time that is appropriate for your oven, heat it to 200°C. We're in the home stretch now. Coat the meat with the glaze and roast it for 20 minutes. Turn it over, re-glaze it and let it roast for another 20 minutes. Turn up the heat to 220°C Cont in alt-txt in next photo Cont from alt-txt in previous photo. Over the next 20 minutes coat and turn the pork every five minutes. When the internal temperature gets to 56° - 60°C, pull from the oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. That's it. We're done. Nom that pork. OR chill it in the fridge with the dough that you are going to use to make the pork baozi/steamed buns. But that's a whole 'nother story.
December 7, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
craftycow.bsky.social
My cat sofas are at their cheapest ever! #Caturday #CatsofBluesky #BlueskyCats
Now is the perfect time to buy one for your own cat or as a gift for a cat lover.. craftysharp.etsy.com
A black cat is curled up asleep on a vintage looking cat sofa. The cat is fast asleep on a bright pink chaise long cat sofa The cat is crouching low on a green and purple chaise long cat sofa The cat is fast asleep on a colourful cat sifa
December 6, 2025 at 1:44 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Occasionally I have a wobble about my writing - as we all do. But @wombat37.bsky.social’s enthusiasm about my debut helps chase those doubts away, at least enough that I keep going. Those words will always be the pep talk I need
So thank you, Mr for your encouragement.
December 6, 2025 at 12:25 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
There is no house, only dog
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 1d
After years of trying to keep pets out of house listings estate agents might be going a little too far the other way. This photo says nothing about a house. It's just a photo of a dog. Presumably the dog doesn't come with the house. What's the message? "IN THIS HOUSE YOU COULD HAVE A DOG LIKE THIS."
A collie, from a RightMove listing.
December 5, 2025 at 10:16 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Rolling up bread with a jammy filling for a poor mans swiss roll takes me back to my kidhood
December 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Galavant, Pushing Daisies, Firefly, Final Space, there's also a sci-fi thing the name of which eludes me.

Then there are the ones that weren't cancelled, but were spread across more platforms than I wasn't prepared to chase
December 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
purplequeenpub.bsky.social
If you're missing Wombie, take a look at this video he recorded to promote the release of our book: Agents of Secrets & Lies, Book 1 of the Summer Realm Trilogy.

This is his character Cleaveskull who's hilarious.

Grab it a special pre-order price now.

mybook.to/SRAgents
💙📚👀📢📚 #SteampunkFantasy
December 2, 2025 at 9:40 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
Ick.
Just got a reform letter
a man with glasses and a suit says first of all eww
Alt: a white haired man with glasses and a suit says “first of all eww..” whilst sticking out his tongue in a bleh way
media.tenor.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:15 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Creativity in November – my monthly blog post about reading, writing, crafting etc.

It's, as is traditional, a few days late.

(The pic is of 10 books and assorted bedside stuff (kindle, coaster, jewellery box, wooden sweet box serving as jewellery box))
jrbeecreations.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/c...
Creativity in November
It’s nearly the end of the year, and I have only missed one month to post on. Admittedly I have been late with most of them by a few days. I was hoping to hold onto a things that happened in …
jrbeecreations.wordpress.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:06 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
I mean ... this is largely how I do
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 5d
The self-help market for writing is saturated with gurus and big promises, which might partly account for the lack of success of my own How To Write course, where I do nothing except tell you to fuck off for 20 years, read a shitload of books and write in whatever way you want to.
December 2, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
kslivensky.bsky.social
Other middle grade fantasy recs!

This is mostly from my collection. My 10yo has read a few as he begins to explore novels, but here we veer into my recommendations more. Many of these are indeed series if you have a fantasy loving MG reader!

14/
Top row: The Incorruptibles by Lauren Magaziner. Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell. Wilderlore by Amanda Foody. Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston. Second row: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu. The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz. The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton. The Circus at the End of the Sea by Lori Snyder. Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera. Third row: The Serpent’s Secret, Book 1 of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series by Sayantani Dasgupta. Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura. Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron. Princess Juniper of the Hourglass by Ammi Joan Paquette.
December 1, 2025 at 5:34 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
What friendly looking nightmare fuel!
December 1, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
purplequeenpub.bsky.social
I'm getting lots of these AI marketing scams. Do not engage. You think it's very flattering they're read your book in detail - they haven't & a close read will show that. There are no links, & if asked for they give you links to strange 'meet ups' claiming its a book club. Delete. Block. #WriterSky
December 1, 2025 at 8:54 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
Update on those flattering AI book marketing scams
annerallen.com/2025/11/upda...
Update on those flattering AI book marketing scams
Those AI book marketing scams are proliferating like Tribbles. Here are the new variations authors are getting now.
annerallen.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:37 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
I haven't talked about my book in a while, and since it's coming up to xmas ...

If your kid loves nature and adventure stories, or you're an adult who also loves such things –

⬇️⬇️

(I took it off Ko-fi and back to KDP cause it's my debut book and KDP is more accessible to more folks)
jrbee.bsky.social Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy @jrbee.bsky.social · May 28
I chat about #nature, #bugs, #cats, #sewing, #knitting, #crotchet, #writing, #art & odd stuff.

I do #BookTube deep dives on rabbit holes that #Books have taken me down: youtube.com/@jrbee
I've written a kids' book set in the world of bugs:
Zon: mybook.to/TheRaindropR...
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/jrbee/shop
Cover for The Raindrop Ramblers. It has bright green posterised grass, a ladybird is crawling above the title, a centipede is sneaking out of the shadows towards a rambler (a small green guy with antennae) at the bottom of the page. And an ant is crawling towards a rambler at the top, who's wearing a cowboy hat, and a rope around his shoulders. Both ramblers are oblivious to the danger.
November 30, 2025 at 6:43 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Rainbow snoot!
wozwoz.bsky.social Wozbunny @wozwoz.bsky.social · 7d
Nell. (Nelly belly). My intense little lovey💕
#SundayPixBelovedCritters
Close up of dark tabby cat starring intensely straight into the lens with a dot of rainbow on her nose from sun thru chandelier crystals in the window.
November 30, 2025 at 4:41 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
I have done many hours of labour in the cold whilst being in the position of crouching tiger hidden shrimp.

Ow.
November 30, 2025 at 4:39 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
#SundayPixBelovedCritters

The loaf of my life

The meme of a critter that inspired my kids' book, The Raindrop Ramblers

The Critter who used to bounce off the window to demand the peanuts be replenished
A black cat with green eyes and a smol face, swaddled in a blue patchwork quilt A bug with: an orange face and butt section, black eyes, back and chest, and wings, climbs a stalk of grass, waves at us and says "Oh, Hi." The face of a squirrel looking in through a window, demanding peanuts with menaces
November 30, 2025 at 8:59 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
I finish my bag enough that I can use it!

I just want to add a zip and a magnet clasp for the flap.

#sewing
Hand made handbag close up, it has a multicolour splatter pattern on dark blue, a pocket on the flap, another on the front of the bag. It has wood buttons Wide shot of the bag with its comfortably wide strap
November 29, 2025 at 7:03 PM
jrbee.bsky.social
Do you also have to provide entertainment?
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 8d
IMPORTANT: When transporting a giant puffball mushroom you have recently foraged, it is absolutely crucial that you ensure the mushroom is firmly strapped into the passenger seat of your car to guard against sharp braking and potential whiplash
A really massive puffball mushroom I foraged in Cornwall, and which is glad to be living after the year 1983, when it became mandatory in the UK for all front seat passengers to wear a seat belt.
November 29, 2025 at 7:56 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
Post your favourite ‘lord of the rings’ character… wrong answers only
November 29, 2025 at 7:11 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
Wish I’d known about this last night! My try with a cold flannel
howardtayler.bsky.social Howard Tayler @howardtayler.bsky.social · 8d
Three evenings ago I read an article about using ice packs on the forehead to help beat insomnia. The original study was from 2011 IIRC. Apparently if you drop the temperature of your frontal lobe by a degree or so you trigger a cascade of sleepy time metabolic events.
November 29, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Reposted by Jo Bee, Purveyor of Dark Whimsy
tadethompson.bsky.social
debjitduttaart.bsky.social Debjit Dutta @debjitduttaart.bsky.social · 9d
What a great headline
November 29, 2025 at 4:19 AM
jrbee.bsky.social
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild

Kestrel
Hedgie
Fox
Slow Worm (looks like a snake – is neither a worm nor a snake)
Badger
hutsutgirl.bsky.social Hutsutgirl @hutsutgirl.bsky.social · 8d
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild

Bear
Highland coo
Muntjac
Sparrowhawk
Snake
angryduck78.bsky.social A Man Called Keith @angryduck78.bsky.social · 8d
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you seen in the wild

Squirrel
Fox
Other Squirrel (not as fat)
Other Fox that looks a bit manky
Shitehawk pigeons
November 28, 2025 at 9:31 PM