Well hi new followers and such from this morning's post that broke my usual containment. If hope and optimism interspersed with fungi and nature are your thing, you've come to the right place. Nice to meet you, and I'm glad you're here (This is me today, Beetlejuice earrings and all❤️).

Y'all might remember me mentioning that when my mental health takes a nosedive, my husband gifts me with a bouquet of buds. He does this because blooms are promises of change and possibility. Well, today, a bud from a week ago bloomed. Amazing what time, patience and hope can do. Hang in there.

I've seen a lot of videos lately of women that are peacefully protesting being violently thrown to the ground by angry men dressed in tactical gear with big guns. It's disgusting and jarring, but can I also point out that the women aren't the ones that look weak or scared.

Love is getting your overstimulated and hormonal wife matcha from her favorite shop, vegan spring rolls from her favorite Vietnamese spot and veggie tom yum from her favorite Thai place all in one evening. Going to three places to surprise me is ridiculous and wonderful.

I got word that my estranged Paula Deen-esque stepmother is extremely disappointed with me for doing things like feeding the unhoused, caring for my trans siblings and dedicating my life to making refugees and migrants safe. I haven't been this proud of myself in quite a while.

I feel like I'm doing whimsy correctly because so many lovely little friends like to hang out on my porch. 🦗

I was actually going to post something similar. My husband is an educator and I work academics adjacent with interns. No one is talking about Kirk. I have gotten several questions about Kimmel, and he said the same when we texted at lunch.

I met some adorable new friends on my morning walk. I almost feel like I woke them up or interrupted something. #FungiFriday #FungiFriends 📸🍄

Y'all, my completely apolitical, checked out from the news single mom neighbor is FURIOUS about Kimmel. I am floored. she and her chihuahuas saw me across the field that separates our houses and made a beeline to come talk to me all about it.

Another timeline cleanse: we have an odd corner in our living room because of built-ins, so my bright, adorable husband keeps his holiday tree there and decorates it for all the seasons. I woke up from a nap the other day to find it had gone from Spring to Halloween. 🎃👻

A timeline cleanse: The blooming is coming along nicely. #Flowers💐

"It's cool that you're religious, but that you like...feed homeless people and are nice and stuff. Your church seems cool" is something a 14 year old said to me earlier. I'm still sort of digesting being called religious and also how co-opted and perverted faith has become.

I understand the immediate desire to share memes and comparisons to North Korea, believe me. Worth remembering, though, North Koreans didn't vote to reelect their fascist because they thought eggs were too expensive.

So many beautiful sights along the way this morning, but one of my personal favorites was this absolutely perfect spittlebug foam. I love the idea of them tucked away in their comforter before they're ready to head out into the world. #Insects #Bugs

Amen.

It is a fascinating and incredibly jarring time to be an American specializing in North Korea. And yeah, silencing media that isn't sufficiently flattering of a regime? Not great. Extremely concerning. Decidedly fascist.

Seeing FLOTUS in that bright yellow dress reminds me of my OG favorite book, The Great Gatsby. The bright yellow car Gatsby drove was such an important device, and I think its symbolism fits with her outfit and general vibe on multiple levels.

Ok, I don't at all understand the Royals welcoming him or the purpose for this visit. To be clear, I am not a fan of royalty generally. I do think the exiled to California duchess is really pretty.

I've been working with a Korean political aid to push through some things here and there, and today he sent me a song that "reminds him of me." Reader, it was Splinter Wolf by Kohta Yamamoto with lyrics such as "I'm so pretty I melt your face off Giving you trouble's become my obsession..."

As fascists hijack Christianity to serve their political aims, it is more important than ever for actual Christians to * Pray fervently for the renewal of the world * Follow Jesus as Lord * Proclaim the Good News of God’s grace and mercy in the public square * Be merciful * Reject evil ⚓️

My work: we are fighting like hell for North Korean refugees. We are getting them to safety, and crafting policies for peace. Personal project: helped launch a pilot program in my community that serves around twenty families that are unhoused or at risk. Loving my neighbors is serious to me.

Y'all, I went to sleep from 8PM to 5AM. I don't think I've done that since I was a kid. My husband checked on me multiple times to make sure I was breathing, I was out so hard. I guess everything over the past few weeks really has exhausted me.

Some things recently have caused a severe spike in my anxiety, and depression has been rearing its ugly head again. I'm fortunate to have the support that I do, and a man that comes home with flowers and ingredients for a huge dinner.

I'm exhausted by commentary. I hate podcasts. I'm tired of those discussing things that will never affect them and demanding to be taken seriously over it. I am tired of esoteric nonsense. Shut up and feed some people. Do something that matters.

He was a blessing to know and such a force. apnews.com/article/nort...

Extremely tired of discourse and doom. I prefer leaves and grass. I particularly love the colors of this one. It caught my eye on my unexpectedly rainy morning wander. #Nature #Wander

I've not been in spaces like this one much over the past few days because even my curation hasn't been enough to filter out the crazy, but I wanted to mention that the offline world finds a lot of the canonizing and forced hero worship of the high profile decedent extremely weird. Examples...

I think maybe some of you might need to place the phone or internet capable device down for a bit. Go a few hours at least without being in digital rage incubators. I've left and come back over an entire day and many are still seething about the same thing. It really isn't healthy...

I can't wait to have a normal sleep cycle at some point. Anyway, I'm at least excited to be heading out to do some work for our unhoused siblings. Prepping personal care kits and planning some fall family programs are on the agenda today. So is a matcha latte. Happy Saturday to you. 💜

I've been thinking about my relationship to social media recently, even pre-Utah. something I noticed about my habits in spaces like this one is my hesitance to post levity, happiness or encouragement for fear of angry, scolding, nihilistic slap downs from people...

Between the infection that made me unable to walk last week, and the heaviness of this week, my brain is not great. Google photos showed me this memory from a few months back and it was like a small cleanse. I love these bundles hiding from everything. Deeply appealing. #FungiFriends #FungiFriday

I'm not exactly super online, and I have no idea why a lot of people are mad in spaces like this one most of the time, but I think I'm getting to a place where I want less and less social media. Instagram in particular. I've seen such disturbing content over there lately that I'm done for a bit.

Before I head into my day job and two non-profits, a note on the call for "deescalation" from people that are quickest to spread hatred and division: Locate a mirror. Be accountable. Treat this as a moment to lead by example and pluck the plank from your own eye before your brother's.

Imagine wasting your one wild and precious life hating people and making a career from it.

Can we please stop with the "he's a father and husband" thing? Many of the immigrants they want to feed to alligators are fathers and husbands. Lots of murdered teachers are fathers and husbands. His having a family doesn't absolve him of the hatred he fomented for profit.

When my objectively evil father died, I mourned hope, not him. It was the end of a hope that his heart would thaw, and that he would change. I think it's ok to mourn the end of such hope while in no way mourning evil, harmful people.

I imagine that it gave Charlie Kirk great pleasure to die as a martyr to the god of death he worshipped. I wish instead he could have died another way: of old age, peacefully, in a country where all his work had come to nothing, and he himself completely forgotten.

Political violence is horrible and I’m terrified of it escalating further. Enough.

If you're the good vibes or prayer type, send some up for a newly resettled refugee that I'm going to be speaking with today. She's facing some unique challenges, and I'm going to do my absolute best to help her heal a bit. I know that as sure as the sun rises, we can be there for each other.

I volunteer with an organization that assists the unhoused in my community. When I bring my friends or family with me, they're often shocked to find out that a lot of them are employed. They have children that attend school. It's always a deeply uncomfortable truth... apnews.com/article/home...

It's always amusing being a unicorn in body and soul (this is how my husband describes me). For example, everyone at my meeting earlier was shocked that I wouldn't drink the coffee because it, and all things caffeine, act as sedatives for me.

"Ok, but what about Trans kids" is literally a thing I was asked this morning by someone curious about my faith practice. So here's the thing about trans kids...they need to be loved and protected so they can grow into trans adults. Then we love the trans adults as our beloved siblings. Period.

Good morning. I got you some beautiful crepuscular rays from my backyard to start your day. I hope your Tuesday is gentle and everything that you need it to be. #Sunrise #GoodMorning

We're usually way too busy in our community, protesting fascism, telling you that we love you, and prepping fellowship breakfasts full of absurd fruit salads to worry about arguing on social media. 💙

Making your entire personality about hatred has got to be an exhausting way to live.

I love that this polypore has heart. ❤️🍃 Happy #MushroomMonday! #FungiFriends 📸🍄

Good morning, Beloveds. A week ago today, I woke up and couldn't walk unassisted. Today, I went for a walk with a cup of tea and counted every single blessing I could because I am so grateful for healing. I hope you have a peaceful and gentle Monday, and that you notice all the good stuff.

Placed safely on its little pod on the way to hopefully make someone very happy in the morning...a single layer vegan double fudge hazelnut cake. I haven't baked in so long, I forgot how happy it makes me.

Made a whole bunch of bereavement/general support meals this afternoon for a few families in my life going through some tough stuff, and I am always so excited to get to use the sauces and seasonings that I make over the summer. I will never get over the joy of feeding people.

I think it's good, actually, to grow from our trauma and to decide to break cycles. It doesn't mean blanket forgiveness and a lack of anger at systems and people that have harmed us. It should move us to action to disrupt such things in a positive, healthy manner.