On the fourth day of croup-mas, my son gave to me.... The flu that started this whole thing.

Day 2 of croup, and kiddo is handling it like a champ. Me? Not so much. #tokenanxietygirl

Hey, hi, hello. I've been burned out on social media. It's been a tough year personally. But we are almost on the other side! Because I am a project manager, here are my lessons learned of 2025:

Romantic comedies taught me that I am very likely to run into people I knew 20 years ago when I am in my hometown, but so far, nada.

Ghosts of Hometown Past: dude keeps waving at me in the hospital waiting room. No clue who he is. Too embarrassed to ask.

Ghosts of Hometown Past: the neighborhood pizza place I worked at in high school may be gone, but the connected gas station where we got our snacks is still there. Stopped by this morning and it is exactly the same, down to the weird smell.

NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen. Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.

Back to my regularly scheduled task (stitching) and programming (West Wing), already in progress.

I did get out of town last weekend and have my first drink in MONTHS and started to remember why I stopped drinking. Oh well. It was a really, really good weekend with Alma pals. ❤️

Hi. Hello. I'm fucking tired. I feel like I am finally coming out the other end of a personal year of hell, and that's before the daily life of America - The Reality TV Show. We have one more big obstacle left to clear next week, so if you have good juju to spare, send it on over!

Okay, so I am a year late in reading Sunrise on the Reaping but I just finished it and I am so mad and emotional. "Enjoy your homecoming" ARrrGHhh.

I'm plenty aware of breast cancer, thanks.

It's homecoming, my alma mater cut my program last week, and today I got a letter asking me to donate $150 to honor the new president of the college. I think not, Alma College. #almacollege #artsmatter

Child care is too darn expensive, but thanks to the investments I fought hard to secure in our bipartisan, pro-kid budget, we're lowering the cost of child care for working families and helping stabilize our child care industry.

We love some us some ✨ c r i s p ✨ lettering here at Fine Frog! I'm super excited with how this #crossstitch typography came out— it's such a perfectly colorful Halloween pattern! This pattern is now out as a PDF, by the way! 🎉 ↓ finefrogstitching.com/products/cau...

Don't give up now. Don't despair. Don't obey in advance. Be ungovernable. . . Find this pattern in my Etsy shop. Link in bio.

It's always the people taking consistent action who feel they aren't doing "enough." Let that shit go. You are doing more than 85% of others. I am personally at more than capacity. What we need is for others to do their part(s) too.

Faith talk: Today's sermon called out the lack of response from Jewish orgs on the crisis in Gaza, while also acknowledging that it is HARD to be a Jew in America right now where you are either accused of being pro-genocide or a traitor to your faith for not loudly proclaiming your love for Israel.

Kind reminder that you can change your path at any time. It is never too late to do the right thing, and people will more likely embrace your change than push you away and say "you should have done this sooner." I say this on Yom Kippur, because the reflections are fucking heavy this year.

Happy #wipwednesday even if I am a little late. Chugging away at Twigs and Tea SAL by @finefrogstitching.com #crossstitchersofbluesky #crossstitch

G'mar chatima tova, and an easy fast to those observing today. I recited my alphabet of woe - have you? (Seriously, here is to a year of more thoughtful action from us all.)

The feral scream I screamed when I saw the HUD website this morning. What in the petty shit IS that. A reminder that America continues to be in a housing crisis and this shutdown will likely mean that MORE people will not be able to pay their mortgage/rent/bills. This division doesn't help people.

Oh yeah, our president just called for war on our own citizens, but sure, let me schedule my little meetings and get everyone excited about this new project. #projectmanagementproblems

This year, we observe the High Holy Days in grief and outrage. Our movements have grown more powerful than ever before, yet we remain unable to halt the relentless US-Israeli war machine that continues to ravage Gaza—inflicting death, destruction, and famine onto the Palestinian people.

It's not that I am unprepared for meetings, but sometimes I just do so much better winging it. See every wedding speech I've ever done for proof.

The only thing I'm gonna say about Grand Blanc (other than it has been a trip to watch non-Michiganders pronounce it) is that it's still the guns. Do not normalize it. Do not turn away from the issue while sending thoughts and prayers. No one should worry about being shot in a house of worship.

My 3.5 year old likes to pretend to fight "bad guys." Today he ran around the living room screaming, "YOU WANNA GET WILD???" before pretending to fight each one. That's how he engages before he "hits" with a karate chop. This one might be a theatre major, guys, because the DRAMA.

Alma announced the closing of the Theatre program (majors and minors) this week, and within a day of the internal announcement the department was scrubbed from the college website. Real classy. The body wasn't even cold yet. No external announcement either? What in the "loyal hearts" is that?

Both kiddo and I went to the dentist today. Only one of us got a prize. Once again, I am asking for a prize for adults who REALLY hate going to the dentist.

Shana tova, friends. A sweet new year to all.

Scenes from Erev Rosh Hashanah: - A child cackling maniacally as his father carried him out. - The rabbi's son throwing a program in the floor in protest - The usual gossip - Rachel and me crying at mi sheberach. AGAIN. - "Someone's getting raptured tomorrow? Not us." "Yeah I saw it on TikTok."

As CNN offers daylong saturation coverage of the podcaster’s funeral, I went back and checked to see how CNN covered Melissa Hortman’s memorial on 6/28, where Walz spoke and Biden/Harris attended. It got about four minutes during the hours it was happening—less than Jeff Bezos’s wedding that day.

Grey Saturday afternoon here, so I am changing the color palette to brighten my mood. Picked up @badstitch.bsky.social 's Candypop Humpback Whale #wip and put in a few stitches. 🌈 #crossstitchersofbluesky #crossstitch

Today is day 1 of my sourdough starter because of course I made a starter. I never had a pandemic sourdough hyperfixation so I guess it's time.

I'm ready to disaffiliate. Have been for awhile. I won't go to the other side but. We. Need. New. Leadership.

The whole experience has left me with a desire to fully wipe myself from the Internet, and that's before all the political stuff going on right now. I'm only staying here because of craftivisim and people in that community. Seriously considering getting fully off Meta and TikTok though.

Now that I am through the process, I don't wish to ever have to file a restraining order again. And that's what you missed in September. (Seriously, if you're reading this, close the webpage and leave me alone.)

I'm catching up on @finefrogstitching.com 's Twigs and Tea framing, and I am absolutely loving the fall colors. All I want is a chilly, rainy day and to be cozy on my couch. #crossstitchersofbluesky

The message should not be that political violence is bad because it targeted a good guy who was “practicing politics the right way” (which Kirk definitely was not). Political violence is bad because it inherently corrodes the democratic polity, because it makes democracy impossible.

Anyway, I did finish my #frogustSAL. Shout out to @sproutinglupine.bsky.social for the pattern which I really enjoyed. It needs a press and a good frame but I love this piece.

I'm keeping it lighter here. Shit has been REALLY hard since about March. The news makes me want to vomit. Work became a less safe place. I feel like I am having a hard time trusting 90% of people. But we have to keep going for the people we love. And people will show up for you when you ask.

Today I explained to my husband what tea was and what it meant if the "tea was hot" or to "spill the tea". What this says about our marriage is that clearly I need to gossip more with my husband.

I am running a pattern sale for all of September! Shop here: stephxstitch.myshopify.com/collections/...

Every time I comment somewhere on TikTok, I get a ton of messages from men trying to slide into my DMs. I'm about at the point to just say "cash app me $50 and maybe I will respond." (I won't respond.) Good/bad idea?

I'm in the parking of my old gym (OTF), and I am here because the ONE person/coach who could get me back through these doors came back to coach again after 5 years. So if I don't post after this, I'm probably dead on the floor under those orange lights.

Back with stitching content, look at this adorable piece I am working on called "Thunderstorm Nature Walk" for #frogustSAL by @sproutinglupine.bsky.social 🐸 #crossstitchersofbluesky

This isn't my normal musing content but if there's anyone I can connect with on the topic of preventative #mastectomy (has had one without cancer diagnosis) I would love to chat more. Or anyone in the #highrisk club who sought medical or surgical intervention before menopause. Shoot me a message.

We can't allow ourselves to become numb to mass shootings. What happened today in Minneapolis is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I are praying for the parents who have lost a child or will be sitting at their hospital bedside after yet another act of unspeakable, unnecessary violence.

"The Summer I Let A TV Show For Teenagers* Ruin My Wednesdays" is pretty accurate right now. *I'm forty-one.

#TSITP Season 1: Team Conrad, gosh he reminds me of someone I loved in high school. Season 2: WTF Conrad, now I remember how that high school thing ended. Team Jere, he's been there all along! Season 3: WTF Jeremiah, you are exactly like the rest of the fools I dated. Team Everyone Gets Therapy.