In April 2024, Kimblee and I went to Dallas to watch the solar eclipse. I was stationed at an Air Force Base 3 hours away from Dallas, and Dallas was one of the cities that was in the total solar eclipse zone, so we got lucky we lived so close.
We made reservations on a rooftop balcony club downtown called the “Sky Blu”. The view was really cool even without the eclipse. We had a very metro-American view, a 5-lane highway that separated us from the rest of the city like a river.
The vibe was honestly immaculate. We were surrounded by eclipse-hoppers, people who travel all around the world to witness total solar eclipses. Eclipse-hoppers make for fun and polite company. There was a DJ, but once the total solar eclipse went into effect, the music was drowned out by the oohs and ahhs of the eclipse hoppers.
It was a fun moment that felt primally human. I understood why the Aztecs revered Tezcatlipoca, I felt it in my marrow. I had a feeling that Kimblee really liked how high-drama the event was. He uses the alchemical glyph of a sun on his right palm, so I do associate the heavenly bodies with him. Kimblee and I will surely travel to see another total solar eclipse one day.
And yes, we went to Buc-Ees on the way there. Not on the way back though, the way back I got caught in a raging thunderstorm with low visibility… for 3 hours… God must love me because I’m here to tell the tale.
Hope you had a nice MLK Day, I enjoyed my long weekend. Ready to take on the week? Well, let’s just do our best.
Today was a snowy day in Massachusetts. Last night, Kimblee got me a bouquet of rainbow roses. Or, rather, I was in the grocery store and took a peek at the flowers and heard his voice in the back of my head saying “Get some from me to you,” so I did. Looking at the roses on a snow day reminded me of the summer Kimblee and I went to the Dallas Rose Gardens.
It was a long weekend in June, and we drove to Dallas for the 4-day. I was serving in the military at Barksdale Air Force Base at the time. Kimblee and I would often drive to Dallas on 4-days, to get out of Shreveport and appreciate the city. Our destination was the Dallas Rose Gardens. It is a charming, modest, and well-kept garden. Though I have to say, I’m spoiled by the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, which is an entire tree museum with its own rose garden. This summer Kimblee and I plan to go.
Art by @bell_fei on x.com
After we returned from the trip, I commissioned the wonderful Fei (@bell_fei on x.com) to illustrate a painting depicting our time in the Dallas Rose Gardens. It is a memory I wanted to cherish with a beautiful piece of art. I love the way Fei paints, her watercolor technique is very precise in the figures, and expressionist in areas that add a wonderful textured effect.
Although I am anxious for summer, I must also find winter things to do with Kimblee so that we can learn to appreciate all seasons. Maybe I’ll make him a coat and hat!
I made this collage some years ago when I was in the mental hospital the second or third time around trying to get a correct diagnosis. (It took 5 hospitalizations to finally get a correct diagnosis by the way. They kept upping the Zoloft because they thought it was OCD, turns out it was paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar 1, also known as schizoaffective disorder. The Zoloft they prescribed for perceived OCD was making my hallucinations and delusions worse… psychiatry really is like throwing spaghetti at a wall, isn’t it?) The prompt for the collage was “show what the concept of ‘Heaven’ means to you”. Some people weren’t religious, but they depicted Heaven as a life free of addiction, or having a roof over their heads, things like that. My concept of Heaven is represented by Kimblee.
Sacred Heart of the Crimson Alchemist
I gave him a facsimile of the Sacred Heart, not because I was likening him to Jesus Christ, but because he is my husband, and the ring around the heart symbolized our covenant of marriage. In Catholic art, many saints including Mary and Joseph are also depicted with their own versions of the Sacred Heart. I believe that every Catholic has a Sacred Heart beating within them, that is strengthened by acts of love and service. That is why you specifically say “The Sacred Heart of Jesus” when referring to Christ’s. If he was the only one with a Sacred Heart, we would not have to say “of Jesus”.
Which brings us to today’s question: Is Waifuism compatible with Catholicism?
To answer this question, I must first give a clear definition in my own words what I mean when I talk about Waifuism. Waifuism is living a life romantically dedicated to a fictional character, which means rejecting advances of physical or romantic relationships with other 3-dimensional people as well as rejecting romantic relationships with any other 2-dimensional characters. For example, if you are dating someone in real life, but you also are a yume for a character, that’s all fine and dandy, but you are not a Waifuist. If you have more than one waifu, you are not a Waifuist. True Waifuists live their lives dedicated to their 2D husband or wife, much like a nun would dedicate herself to Jesus Christ as her husband. That’s where the question comes in. Can you be Catholic and still engage in something that looks like idol worship?
I would argue yes, you can. This is because at the end of the day, the Waifuist does not worship their lover as God. I know that Kimblee is not a God, nor is he a saint. He is my husband, and just because he is 2-dimensional, that does not negate the fact that I have entered the covenant of marriage with him. To Catholics, marriage is not a piece of paper, it is a ceremonial vow that melds the souls of husband and wife together. Even if the couple gets legally divorced, a priest would argue that the two souls can not be unbound, and that remarrying after a divorce is technically adultery if you are Catholic.
In Catholicism, you literally become one with your spouse. You do not worship them as God or saint, but rather you care for them as a part of your own self. Even in alchemy, the white queen and the scarlet king become one being, the hermaphroditic Rebis, when they are married. This represents the concept of marriage as transmutation, as miracle, as covenant. The Rebis is the manifestation of the Philosopher’s Stone, implying that through a life of faithful marriage, one can build a solar body strong enough to live after death.
The Alchemical Rebis
This is my relationship with Kimblee. We cannot be unbound, I love him with all my heart. I will never enter a romantic or physical relationship with anyone else because it would be adultery in the eyes of God. I also simply have no desire to, Kimblee fulfills all my wants and needs. I don’t need a priest or a judge to bind Kimblee to me, I went directly to God Himself and said “bear witness to our marriage”, and He did. I believe with all my heart that when I die, Kimblee will be there waiting for me due to our permanent, unbreakable covenant of marriage. Through the covenant, I am able to bring him into the Kingdom of God. That is my concept of “Heaven”.
Every Catholic is required to go through 4 covenants to get to Heaven, in theory: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage. Just because my marriage doesn’t hold up in a court of law, it still holds up in the eyes of God so long as I am faithful. My marriage does not come in the way of my worship of the Holy Trinity, nor the adoration of the saints.
Through Waifuism, I was able to fulfill the 4th Catholic covenant. Some would say that it is not a true marriage because it wasn’t officiated by a priest, but I would say that it was officiated by God Himself, so checkmate. Waifuism is compatible with, and I would even argue complimentary to, Catholicism. This is of course, so long as you understand that your husband or wife is not God, even if they represent the concept of Heaven to you.
What are your thoughts on this matter?
Kimblee and I hope you had a great day. Let’s finish the week off strong. Thanks for stopping by.
I used to love playing Fate/Grand Order but I fell out of it around 2 years back. I recently picked it back up again with a new account so I could play the game in English for the first time, but I don’t have much time to play nowadays, especially when I’m actually reading the story this time around. I try to focus more on analog activities to do (I had an analog bag before it became a trend!), and I have a hard time justifying doing more than the bare minimum in the game. That being said, Kimblee reminds me that, while we are both workaholics, I am prone to burnout if I don’t give myself time to do things that are purely for fun.
We decided to cosplay as Ryoma and Oryou from FGO. Their relationship is very cute, I want to play and joke around with Kimblee in the same way that those two do with each other.
Although I don’t have much time for video games anymore, I like playing them solely for the reason that it gives me new cosplay ideas for Kimblee. If enjoying FGO involves less playing and more drawing, then so be it. There is simply not enough time in the day for everything, especially when you live and work with chronic illness.
Thanks for stopping by, Kimblee and I hope you had a good day. Let’s do our best again tomorrow.
Today’s drawing is Kimblee in hatsumode attire. I have always wanted to do hatsumode activities with him. I promised myself that when I’m done with all my commissions, I want to take Kimblee on a trip abroad. Of course, Japan is an obvious choice, but maybe a museum tour in Egypt would be nice. It will depend on the time of year.
It may be the 11th, but we are still feeling the new year spirit in the Kimblee household!
Today I went to my cousin’s baby shower. It was the Italian side of my family, so even though it was a baby shower it was still a party. I brought home cookies for St. Expedite, which was good because his pound cake was about to go bad. Of course I dragged Kimblee to this event. Have you ever oshikatsu’ed at a baby shower? For my next trick, I will oshikatsu at a wedding.
Sunday brunch!
All my cousins are starting to have children, which is exciting. Kimblee and I have a daughter too, Sophie, and we have another girl on the way. We also have an adopted son who is 17, named Genbu. Being around my cousins, I felt a little lonely. Even though my family is 2-dimensional, they are still real to me, and I wanted to talk about them in the way that my cousins were talking about their children. I didn’t, but the desire was there. I have promised Sophie that I will write and illustrate at least one children’s book where she is the heroine, so that my daughter can “exist” in my world, too. First step to making a book: draw concept art and make character reference sheets. The fun part.
Hope you had a good weekend. I finished a commission this weekend so I feel good about that, although I do not feel prepared for the week at all. Well, let’s just do our best.
The weekend is upon us! It’s time to sew, stitch, draw (and clean), and overall just get creative!
Friday is guest art day! Last weekend, my friend Coffea (@coffeacake on x.com) drew this supremely comfy illustration of Kimblee wearing a Todd Snyder coord from my menswear folder. I am so happy that I have help with giving Kimblee beautiful clothes to wear in the new year. I love the way Coffea draws, he has a strong sense of nostalgia in his anime illustrations and the way he draws smiles in particular melts my heart. Thank you so much for drawing Kimblee!
Art by @coffeacake on x.com
Today is New Music Friday on Spotify. One of my favorite things to do with Kimblee is take a drive and listen to the new music. We somehow sifted through the whole playlist today. Here are our top picks from this week’s new music:
Screenshot
I was happy to see a new Zack Bryan song, his songs remind me of the times Kimblee and I would drive to Dallas from Shreveport on the weekends. His songs mean a lot to me and Kimblee, it would be wonderful to take Kimblee to see him in concert one of these days. “Starved” is a particular favorite of ours.
By the way, Kimblee’s favorite song from this week is “Cherry Rose”.
Today I decided to take Kimblee with me to work, so that he could keep me company. I have to say, his presence was very comforting to have around today. On our morning break, we stopped by Tous Les Jours, a nearby bakery that originated in Korea. There, Kimblee and I split an almond croissant.
Kimblee gazes upon a glorious almond croissant.
While we were there, we saw a beautiful display of donuts. They are too sweet for me, but I had a feeling that Kimblee wanted to try one. I like to think that, much like the great composer and rival to Mozart, Antonio Salieri, the Crimson Alchemist has a sweet tooth. On one hand, he likes black coffee and cognac, and on the other, he likes pretty cakes. Me? If it tastes like almond, hazelnut, or pistachio, I’m in. Actually, while I was in the military, I would bake “Italian Chocolate Chip Cookies” for the guys in my shop. They loved my chocolate chip cookies, and said that they tasted both familiar and different. My secret ingredient? Almond extract instead of vanilla. Also 1/3 cake flour and 2/3 all purpose. Try it out in your favorite recipe.
The beautiful donuts.
Tomorrow begins a 3-week long training towards my apprenticeship, so I am excited to begin learning advanced haircutting. While on my afternoon break, I designed a hoop for embroidery. I obviously can’t bring something like a custom plush commission to my apprenticeship because I need my whole sewing room for that, but I can bring something portable like an embroidery hoop. Even if I only work on it on my breaks, I can get in at least an hour a day that I would have otherwise spent listlessly looking at a screen. That’s an hour I usually spend crocheting hats for Warm Up America, but in the new year I want to carve out more time for embroidery.
I assigned all 13 requests to a number on a d20. If I rolled 14-20, I simply had to reroll. I got number 12 on the first roll, which was Hinagiku from Hayate no Gotoku. This is the sketch I came up with. Hinagikufriend requested his wife with iris flowers. I had never drawn an iris before, they are interesting flowers. I can’t wait to start stitching her!
Hope you had a good day. Let’s do our best again tomorrow.
I was making new year’s resolutions this week. I did not have a definitive list on the first, but I think I’ve nailed it down.
My first and most important resolution is to fulfill all my commissions by the end of the year.
My second resolution is a personal art resolution. 2026 is the year I want to lean more into using fiber art as illustration. This would mean incorporating knit, crochet and quilt techniques with hand and machine embroidery together to create an illustration. To begin this journey, I want to start with simple hand-embroidered hoops made for other waifufriends. This one is the one I made for Nozomufriend a couple years back:
It was the first hoop I ever tried. The flowers are supposed to be spider lilies, but they look like a fantasy flower in this attempt. For my first hoop, I think I did a good job! Truth be told, I haven’t done hand embroidery before or since. I had a life emergency following this time, which led to a year of being hospitalized on and off, and in my recovery I fell in love with crochet, and forgot about hand embroidery. I felt as if crochet was rebuilding the neurons that the onset of schizoaffective disorder destroyed, stitch by stitch.
This is a cafe in Shreveport, Louisiana called Rhino Coffee. I was stationed at the Air Force base in town where I performed maintenance operations on the historic B-52 Stratofortress fleet, but on the weekends, Kimblee and I would often go to Rhino Coffee. There were not very many exciting date places in Shreveport, so Rhino was our spot if we weren’t driving to Dallas. There we worked on all kinds of creative projects including this embroidery hoop.
13 people volunteered their muses to be embroidered in a hoop. I don’t know how many I can get done, but I want to do at least 3 or 4. I want each piece to be better than the last, and I want to try more stitches than just the backstitch and the satin stitch.
By the way, my third resolution is to receive the Eucharist every Sunday. Jesus Christ, in addition to being God, is the most powerful magician who ever lived. If he is offering the miracle of his flesh to me, and if I make excuses not to wake up early on a Sunday to go receive it, it doesn’t automatically make me a sinner, but it most definitely makes me a fool.
Anyway, I’ll start my first hoop tomorrow. Have a good night.
One of my New Year’s promises to Kimblee is to give him beautiful clothes to wear. I have a menswear “to draw” folder that intimidates me a bit. Today’s look is a Dior Men look from the fall/winter ’23 runway. The cozy jumper with the split sleeves could easily be a piece that can be hand knit. Oh, to knit him a sweater properly, that is the dream. I’m an avid crocheter but I don’t yet know how to knit. Maybe 2026 will be the year I learn.
Happy New Year everyone! One of my resolutions was to start a blog about me and Kimblee’s daily life. I am a waifuist who has been in love with Kimblee since 2004. I wish I had been able to start something like this sooner in life, but as they say, the best time to do something was 10 years ago, and the second best time is now. I wanted to create a blog instead of something like a twitter account because I want my daily devotions to my husband to be free from the circus act of likes and retweets. I want to be able to document my life with the Crimson Alchemist in a way that feels low-pressure, fun, and authentic, so an old school blog was the way to go.
Kimblee and I spent a quiet morning under the kotatsu, wearing crocheted Christmas cardigans, watching current events and just enjoying each other’s company. I was able to do some sewing towards commissions today as well, which made me feel good about the day. I am Italian-American, and so I made us traditional Italian lentil soup for New Year’s dinner. To Italians, lentil soup represents prosperity since all the lentils look like coins. Hopefully it will bring us good luck in the new year!
The flowers Kimblee got me for Christmas started to wilt today, so I made a bouquet from what could be saved and hung it up to dry. It will be symbolic of the first Christmas we had in the new house. This is what the flowers looked like on Christmas Day, when they were fresh.
This is what our Christmas looked like this year!
Thank you for visiting and we hope your 2026 is full of happiness.
