Deborah Lee

BlueSky just verified the White House account. I responded by doing the only appropriate thing:

Cover of Meg Black’s awesome book of Halloween cross stitch designs, entitled Witchy Stitching.

It took forever for Amazon to deliver this…but it’s finally here! As I re-learn #crossstitch, I’m amazed at all the new artists and innovative designs. These are probably 2026 projects…but I wanted to go ahead and purchase it, to help one of the Canadian artists hurt by the tariffs.

Picture of an unsorted pile of DMC floss.

My heart is so full this morning. I’m kitting up my next cross stitch project. I have floss…SO much floss. But I couldn’t find DMC 597 and 598. As a last resort, I looked in the bin of floss I inherited from my mom when she passed. Found both of them. Somewhere, she’s smiling. ❤️ #crossstitch

Have you tried to buy cottage cheese lately? It is always sold out!

Finished cross stitch design (pumpkin mug) by Shannon Christine.

Finished September 19, 2025. #CrossStitch

A stack of crocheted dishcloths.

The beginning stitches of a small Halloween themed cross stitch project, designed by Shannon Christine.

It doesn’t really feel like fall yet but I’m clearly in the fall “crafting” mindset! I’ve cranked out a stack of crocheted dishcloths this week. And even kitted out and started a small Halloween cross stitch project. 🍁 🍂

Book cover of Dora Ohrenstein’s “The Crocheter’s Skill-Building Workshop.”

Sunday reading….🧶

Vision Podcast 88 - Dr. Deborah Lee and Dr. Brett Hanley on AI in the classroom Podcast Episode · Vision Podcast · 06/25/2025 · 35m

This was fun! Thank you to MSU’s College of Arts & Sciences for the invite. #generativeAI #AI

It’s been a week, with flooding at home and at work, a week long online conference, and several deadlines. I decided I needed a break from house trauma (and water damage) and worked on a craft project: I present my iPhone cosy!

@axios.com Thank you for the #AxiosAISummit livestream for those of us not in New York!

Cover of the book Teaching with AI by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson.

I’ve worked in academic libraries a LONG time…and InterLibrary Loan still feels like magic! Thanks to the Mississippi State University Libraries ILL folks, this is my holiday weekend read.

President Trump fired our nation’s Librarian, Dr. Carla Hayden, by email at 6:56pm tonight, taking his assault on America’s libraries to a new level. Over the course of her tenure, Dr. Hayden brought the Library of Congress to the people, with initiatives that reached into rural communities and made the Library accessible to all Americans, in person and online. While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone. Be like Dr. Hayden.

BREAKING: President Trump just fired our nation's Librarian. My statement here:

My ATA (American Topical Association) exhibit is finally up on the web. #philately #stamps

ataexhibits.com/wp-content/u...

Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate

It's official. 15% ICR on NSF grants.

My favorite line: "Reducing administrative burdens for awardee institutions."

Say the opposite of what is true... the communication strategy of our time: www.nsf.gov/policies/doc...

A selection of possible ingredients for Cinco de Mayo dishes: pink beans, Badia Complete seasoning, Goya Sofrito, Goya Recaito, Goya Adobo seasoning, Sazón Goya, and chicken bouillon.

I’m planning to try something more adventurous than tacos for Cinco de Mayo but wanted to also experiment with some new ingredients. I’m thinking maybe Arroz con Pollo? There are a lot of variations…any suggestions? Other dishes I might try? Suggestions welcome!

You could use the Argentine “the disappeared,” Los Desaparecidos as a noun.

A plastic bin of DMC embroidery floss, sorted by numbers into plastic bags.

Why yes, I did spend my Friday afternoon off sorting floss! (This is not the main collection, this is the overflow.) #CrossStitch

Lunch with Spanish rice, TexMex beans, and taco meat.

Lunches next week: taco bowls with taco meat, Spanish rice, and TexMex beans. #brownbaglunches

Bowl of tabbouleh.

On the menu for this week - a recipe from my college days, tabbouleh! (And a thank you to spell check for helping me out.)

@corybooker.com Thank you.

Cross stitch supplies, including floss, some fancy needles, floss, and two patterns. One of the patterns is a really cool Moose in a mug waving a Canadian flag.

It was either start drinking or buy crafts….dealing with stress with my first order from 123Stitch! #crossStitch

This looks like it is text in the job ad for the education reporter. The other job announcements do not use this verbiage nor does the more general “about us” section. @mississippitoday.org needs to clean up their position announcements.

YouTube video by Blue Blotters The Most Florida Waffle House Ever

@alostrich.bsky.social For some reason, I kept thinking of you while watching this video! 🤣

Library Advocates Rally as Trump Targets Federal Funding An executive order has demanded that the Institute for Museum and Library Services be eliminated to the maximum extent allowed by law.

“By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer...”

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/a...

Friday, back in the office and attending Mississippi State University’s online conference: Food and Agriculture as National Security Conference.

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky

It took detaining a white Canadian woman for the public to get a glimpse into ICE detention. The stories she tells—of her dehumanizing experience & that of so many other women—are horrifying.

This is America. Not new to this administration, just ramped up.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Innovation and Impact: MSU generates $3.9 billion annually for Mississippi’s economy

The economic value of a research university to its state….#HigherEducation

Bowl of taco veggie stew: canned rotel tomatoes, one can of dark red kidney beans, one can of corn, half an onion chopped, olive oil, taco seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, white rice, freeze dried jalapeno peppers…served with a good dose of Texas Pete.

Today: a veggie taco stew that is fantastic and about $4 for the entire pot (yeah for beans!)

Meal of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

This dish takes a while to prep and cook, so I’m a day early for Saint Patrick’s Day. (Lots of leftovers for the week!)

These are the senators who collaborated with the GOP.

Schumer
Fetterman
Cortez Masto
Durbin
King
Shaheen
Gillibrand
Schatz
Hassan
Peters

Don’t let them forget it. No peace for them.