Susan Marie

How marvelous is this? Bardcore is so so good.

Bravo to her! With learning, age means nothing. My husband was in an Arabic language class and one student was in his 80s.

I used to draw plants using a No. 2 pencil.
1977.

So beautiful. Our hellebores have bloomed but I'm still experiencing Garden Envy with your lovely photos.

Please consider joining @annelouiseavery.bsky.social 's patreon. Her posts have enriched my days for several years now and I've been able to finally, officially, happily subscribe. Best day ever.

I've always believed that the brilliant colors used in illuminated manuscripts were actual depictions of the colors that were commonplace. How lovely to have it confirmed.

I'm about to reread The 13 Clocks, James Thurber.

I'm a firm believer in prayer but dang, people, vaccines are effective. I remember the devastation of polio.

Yup.

To an oligarch all kyndenesse doth looke lyke waste

One of the best opening lines I've read in awhile, followed by a moving story. I hope you share more of your writing sometime. I'll enjoy your marvelous posts in the meantime.

Obama White House photographer Pete Souza on Instagram:
"I’ve probably been to 100 political protests like this in my life, & there have always been counter protesters that show up. Until today.⁣⁣

NO ONE came to support Trump/Elon. Not a single counter-protesters. ZERO"⁣

Intrigued by the Bill Murry Super Bowl commercial, I sent an email as the commercial invited. It led to a 3-email interaction that I really enjoyed.

Where did you find it?!

Having to fight Elon Musk at DOGE before we’ve even battled Trump feels like having to defeat the forces of Saruman first at Helm’s Deep.

Some of my most vivid school memories are of both my 3rd grade (Pippi Longstocking) and 6th grade (A Wrinkle in Time) teachers reading to the class. My husband experienced this with a teacher in high school, a rare thing.

The Twin Towers by Elizabeth Goudge and The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber.

Stars, especially constellations and their mythology.

I really hope Canada and Mexico just say ok see ya later to all of this. I'm deeply concerned as a US citizen that we'll be repeating some European history.

A quiet day: painting the living room, gluing an actual mammoth tooth back together, making naan, watching the snow fall and watching it melt.

Oh my goodness. Illuminated pages are just so hilarious sometimes.

I'm out in public and crying as I read this.

This isn't my mood but I'm delighted by bits of illuminated manuscripts, like this one.

I hear birds singing, birds we usually don't hear until late March or early April. It's concerning because it's another indication of messed up migration patterns.

I'm enjoying my 2025 reading challenge, rereading some of my favorite authors from my bookshelves. I'm starting with Elizabeth Goudge. My list includes Booth Tarkington, Taylor Caldwell, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

I've been doing things like standing at the window and counting how many shades of green I see (we're in the PNW so green is everywhere.) Or going outside and naming all the sounds I hear in a 15-minute period. It helps the Mood for sure.

* Today is National Kazoo Day! *
I had planned to establish a local Kazoo Orchestra when I retired. That was delayed by a medical thing but it's back! In its first stage later this year.

Looking at your marvelous photos is a lovely break from all the nonsense of the moment.

We're doing a thorough culling of our bookshelves and wow, what a Memory Lane experience this is. I want to reread so many of these books before sending them out the door. George MacDonald, David Grayson, Zenna Henderson, so many! It looks like I've established my 2025 reading challenge.