Larisa A. White

Vivaldi 7.8 launches with message to Big Tech: humans don’t need AI babysitters | Vivaldi Browser While other browsers race to add AI features nobody asked for, Vivaldi ships the most advanced tab multitasking system ever built for a browser…

Exciting to see this news in the announcement for a browser update... More reasons to love Vivaldi, as a person creating human-generated IP.

vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi...

I must chime in to second the motion for ecosystem services and behaviors. I find so many people are afraid of bugs because they don't understand what they're busy doing. Once we see them doing an important job. They suddenly become fascinating to watch, and the fear subsides.

Interesting to see how other people do this. I've only just begun cross stitching, but I prefer to split and reassemble my flosses, one long strand at a time, between bouts of stitching. This helps me to remember to stand up and stretch otherwise the neck pain can be a killer.

First block of stitching showing one tiny corner of a cross-stitched Tree of Life pattern.

First block of stitching complete on what will one day be a stained glass tree of life image.

Finding mindfully working at creating beauty to be much more gratifying than doomscrolling or gossip.

Very good news! Vivaldi also (theoretically) does this, but depending on the search engine you choose, the off switch doesn't always stay off. How is the Firefox off switch working for you in terms of consistency?

A brightly colored lawn ornament in the shape of a bird, having its back-end cleaned with a jet of water.

I've seen many bird-baths in my time, but this is the first time I ever spotted a bird-bidet!

When I lived in Israel, the kids called them "Sours" and did similarly.

Precisely.

That said, my husband is also a native plant zealot and ecosystem restorationist, and working together, we were eventually able to see it off the property.

But it took years.

Pretty little yellow flowers growing in a bed of oxalis.

25 years ago, my sister asked: "Where are your flowers? A bride needs flowers!" I had none, so I ran out to the backyard & grabbed a handful of pretty yellow flowers to carry to City Hall.

I later learned they were tenacious weeds, impossible to erradicate.

Like love.

Great symbol for a marriage!

I think a more accurate way of putting it it that pagan beliefs help connect people to the land they are living on.

...with the World where we live. This includes other humans, flora & fauna and spirits of Nature and place, as related to our local biomes/ecosystems.

You can read about how Druids connect w/ local environments (in their words) in my book, "World Druidry: A Globalizing Path of Nature Spirituality"

Your thread on pagan belief systems was just brought to my attention & from what you are saying, it seems like modern Druidry (of which many variants cheerfully coexist) may be what you are looking for. For most Druids across the world today, the focus is on cultivating honorable relationships...

Indeed. You can find the book (with handy-dandy direct-from-author discounts) at www.larisa-a-white.com/worlddruidry.html

That page also links to a presentation I made to the Parliament of World Religions about Druidry, and some author interviews that hit the highlights.

Let me know if any Qs.

Close up of an orange tree, heavy with ripe fruit awaiting harvest.

Freshly picked orange, sliced on a wooden cutting board, next to a serrated knife.

Best thing about living in California, with a beautiful, thriving forest floor?

Orange season just arrives each February with its glorious, juicy, tasty bounty!

Oh, I had forgotten about snowdrops! Used to see fields of these brightening the understory of Frick Park, back when I lived in Pittsburgh. ❤️❤️❤️

Imbolc blessings to you as well.

Directions: visit my profile and click on my Feeds tab. Click on Bluesky Druid Grove to open the feed. At the top of the feed, click Pin to Home, and the Grove will appear as a new tab on your homepage. Let me know if you get stuck!

Sure sign that we have successfully cultivated a thriving forest floor in our restoration area: swarms of spring bugs like we haven't seen in decades.

NB: no longer safe to sit outdoors at dawn or dusk for fear of being eaten alive.

But the birds are loving it!

#EcosystemRestoration

The Robins returned to our hillside today, just in time for Imbolc.

I revel in their return each year, even thought it always means we must gird ourselves for the impending, ownership battle for the blueberries.

Grandma Moses meets Ben Ledi.
...by my favorite photographer, @neilpitchford.bsky.social

You nailed this, my friend!

Hello, Davi!

A warm welcome to the Bluesky Druid Grove. Please post a Druidy intro to the feed, when you have a chance, and tell us a bit about your path.

(Don't forget the little Awen for any posts you wish to appear in the feed.)

All good wishes.

Tell me five classes you took in college:

History of the English Language;
Ethics;
Intro to Glass Science;
Fundamental Architectural Technologies;
Learning Theory

One tiny corner of a giant cross-stitch pattern for a stained glass Tree of Life, stitched on 9-ct Aida fabric.

Beginning to get the hang of this craft.

Lesson 1: NEVER attempt to use 20-ct Aida cloth with ageing eyes. (There is absolutely no way to see the stitches.)

Lesson 2: Similar for black stitching on black cloth. (WHAT was I thinking?!)

Now, on white, 9-count Aida I am finally making progress!

/|\

This heart-warming story of human-animal relationship building just made my day. Thanks, @wombatscholar.bsky.social for sharing it!

May your new path bring you joy.

What will you be doing in your new line of work?

Hi @peacechild.bsky.social Welcome to Bluesky. While all are warmly welcome to read, posting to the Bluesky Druid Grove feed is reserved for practicing Druids. I see no indication in your bio or feed (as yet) suggesting that you are a Druid, so could you tell me a bit about your Druid Path?

A hardcover edition of the book, World Druidry, sits on an oak table, surrounded by dried flowers and a dish of candy.

@ Imbolc, we celebrate returning light & plan our goals for a new season of growth. If you haven't read "World Druidry," exploring the beliefs & practices of Druids across the world, now is the time! Get a discounted, author-direct copy at:
larisa-a-white.com/worlddruidry...

/|\ #druidsky #pagansky

Very disturbed this morning, to try out one of the new, featured musical pieces @calm.com — Hygge Suite, Op.1 — only to find my ears filled with plagiarized/derivative AI slop. Not at all up to Calm's normal standards when selecting musicians. Pulled me right out of my meditation.

Please do better!

Congrats on making finalist!

I notice that @burrowingowl.bsky.social is here to offer joy. I always feel better when I see her owl posts. That's a good reason.

Q: Why are we here?

I was told: "An author is supposed to have a social media presence." Bsky alone was tolerable. But that's not a good reason. So:

Why are we really here? What do we gain from, or offer, Bsky? Are we all just posturing & making noise? How can we make Bsky a meaningful place?

Go.