The Amber Lady

A New Adjustable EDS Ring Splint Or, A Journey Guided by a Phoenix Spirit Over the past year, an incredible bit of collaboration has been brewing. On the surface, it presents as the culmination of being able to release a new EDS ring splint. This is an exciting enough announcement, but allow me to take you behind the scenes of what went into the development of this splint.

A New Adjustable EDS Ring Splint

Or, A Journey Guided by a Phoenix Spirit Over the past year, an incredible bit of collaboration has been brewing. On the surface, it presents as the culmination of being able to release a new EDS ring splint. This is an exciting enough announcement, but allow me to…

Image shows my hand with home made ring splints made from coat hanger wire used in the creation process of a new ring splint being released soon! Quote reads "You do not have to be me in order for us to fight alongside each other. I do not have to be you to recognize that our wars are the same. What we must do is commit ourselves to some future that can include each other and to work toward that future with the particular strengths of our individual identities. And in order for us to do this, we must allow each other our differences at the same time as we recognize our sameness." ― Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider

Tomorrow is the big day! The release of a brand new EDS ring splint!

Cross stitch on a frame that is taller than a very disgruntled cat sitting next to it

In progress cross stitch on a tall scroll frame featuring roses and the tail of a peacock

I've picked up the monster again...much to the dismay of my cat

I’m Not Differently Abled, I’m Disabled/Chronically Ill and That’s Okay Alternative Title: Why "Inspiration P*rn" Hurts The Chronic Illness Community Disability and admitting that one is disabled should not be a social faux pas. Everyone is fully able-bodied temporarily. Whether it ends in a sudden accident or the slow creep of life, we'll all face it in some way. Many of the more....let's call them inspirational for the sake of conversation...terms come from a place of discomfort.

I’m Not Differently Abled, I’m Disabled/Chronically Ill and That’s Okay

Alternative Title: Why "Inspiration P*rn" Hurts The Chronic Illness Community Disability and admitting that one is disabled should not be a social faux pas. Everyone is fully able-bodied temporarily. Whether it ends in a…

Connecting in Uncertain Times I haven't written here in a long time. There's been surgery on both my elbows to release and stabilize a dislocating ulnar nerve. My mast cells have flared and there was a bit of a spiral when prednisone caused a mild anaphylaxis. The unexpected "fun" result of that? New and long term breathing problems. I've started seeing as sex therapist. …

Connecting in Uncertain Times

I haven't written here in a long time. There's been surgery on both my elbows to release and stabilize a dislocating ulnar nerve. My mast cells have flared and there was a bit of a spiral when prednisone caused a mild anaphylaxis. The unexpected "fun" result of that?…

Stew cooking in a large stock pot. Orange tinted broth with meatballs, carrot disks, kidney beans, translucent onion, softened tomato, and tortellini.

Stew cooking in a large stock pot. Orange tinted broth with meatballs, carrot disks, kidney beans, translucent onion, softened tomato, and tortellini. A soup ladle holds 3 tortellini, a meatball laced with spinach, and vegetables

A tortellini stew in a white bowl topped with grated parmesan cheese. An Asian style soup spoon is partly submerged. The stew is comprised of orange tinted broth with meatballs, carrot disks, kidney beans, translucent onion, softened tomato, and tortellini.

Chronic health issues can make cooking some of my favorite meals.....just not in the cards. But I got to make this recently and it was so rewarding!

#cooking #comfortfood #soup

The beginning of a pine needle basket made with turquoise crochet thread laying on a bed of pine needles

Starting another basket. Why do I make the stitches so tight?! It's so much more extra work for myself. And yet.... every time

I can say with some pride that my contribution to this anthology is perhaps the most grotesque short story I ever perpetrated.

She's so precious! I tried to give her water on a cotton swab. 🤣 Absolutely not. She did a full threat display, bit it, and jumped away after stomping on it

Seems the spider was freezing and for some reason kicked out of it's burrow. So I've got it in a temporary enclosure with some critter soil, sand, coconut husk, and pine straw. It's too cold for her to be active enough to dig a new burrow outside.

Geolycosa spider. Gray cephalothorax with lighter gray dorsal line. Front two pairs of legs are bulkier than the rear two pair. Abdomen is tan with dark dorsal pattern

Geolycosa spider. Gray cephalothorax with lighter gray dorsal line. Front two pairs of legs are bulkier than the rear two pair. Abdomen is tan with dark dorsal pattern

Geolycosa spider. This angle you can see the tell tale ID marker of the cephalothorax having a severe taper to the abdomen. Gray cephalothorax with lighter gray dorsal line. Front two pairs of legs are bulkier than the rear two pair. Abdomen is tan with dark dorsal pattern

The tiny Geolycosa in a bed of pine straw with finger in frame for scale. Body is about as long as first segment of the finger

Sometimes, when you put feels out in the universe, She listens. We've got 2 Geolycosa on museum grounds but I've only been able to get obscure shots of them in the tunnels. Yesterday, I met a local lady who brought me this beautiful young Geolycosa!

#spiders #spood #tinycritters

Pine needle basket from 5 angles with cream and red crochet thread

Finished another basket. This one is for sale through the Frisco Native American Museum in NC

Closeup of black & tan bee on bright orange florets.

2025 top ten: #3

Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
(Triepeolus lunatus)

on butterfly milkweed
(Asclepias tuberosa)

West Ridge Nature Park
Chicago, Illinois 7-14-25

#macro #photography #bees #nature #native #insects #bugs #plants #gardens #gardening #bloomscrolling #flowers #pollinators #orange #art

3rd thing, technically captive bred is pairing them with established "these are healthy and good". Like my widow and jumper babies are captive raised but the mothers mated before they got to me

Handsome little brown jumping spider with apple green 1st leg pair, floofy palps, and white eyebrows over his big eyes, peering at you from the sand and detritus

Mr Habronattus notialis from today, with his green legs and little black feets and white eyebrows 💚
#EmotionalSupportSpood #InverteFest
Goodnight y'all

Collage of 5 angles of a pine needle basket stitched coils with turquoise and cream crochet thread

Finished a basket for the first time in YEARS. Unexpectedly exhausting.

#traditionalcraft #artsky #nature #indigenous #baskets #naturalcraft

Small roach nymph on a hand

Small Chorisoneura texensis roach nymph, dorsal view

Chorisoneura texensis roach nymph cleaning one antenna

Chorisoneura texensis, lateral view

Making pine needle baskets with gathered needles from the yard sometimes means unexpected visitors.

This is a Chorisoneura texensis roach. They don't infest and they're often found when I harvest pine needles or yaupon for tea

#insects #roach #cute #bugfriends

Russian blue cat sitting loaf style on a tan couch with a judgemental expression

Took a shower
Thought I heard voices
Called out, no answer
Turned the water off, DEFINITELY voices
Go out in a towel to find...

My cat sitting on the laptop.

He turned on the audio drama I was listening to with his butt.

He's now mad because I scolded him

#storytime #funny #unexpected #cats

Pine needle basket in tight coils. Bottom ⅓ of the basket is made with white crochet thread and the top ⅔ is with red crochet thread

Progress on the current basket at work.

#basket #indigenousart #museum #crafts

I know my place in this household. I'm just a convenient chew toy for this furry house goblin 😹

#cats #graycats

Yellow and black California king snake in a tiny red knit hat with white pom pom. Text on the left corner says happy holidays

May you all find the comfort and warmth you need 🖤🖤🖤

#merrychristmas #holidays #snake

An orange and white Arnuity powder inhaler with a very tiny pink knit hat

TFW you feel a new medicine had been part of your ✨️Christmas Miracle✨️

NORAD's Santa Tracker began with a typo and a good sport It all started in 1955 with a misprint in a Colorado newspaper and a call to Col. Harry Shoup's secret military hotline. Shoup played along with the tiny voice who called, and a tradition was born.

It all started in 1955 with a misprint in a Colorado newspaper and a call to Col. Harry Shoup's secret military hotline. Shoup played along with the tiny voice who called, and a tradition was born.

From the NPR archives.

Day 24 of #InsectAdvent and the flying reindeer have arrived!

Oh no they haven’t…

It’s a Ricardia sp (Richardiidae) that I collected from Honduran Cloud Forest, one of the many species of antlered flies.

@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social

Digital art, my work. A women in the snow with a gigantic fox

Fox friends- 2025

Stay warm and safe, friends.

I didn't know this was out! This is exciting 😍 Plus the @aptshadow.bsky.social is really nice and has appreciated invertebrates 😅 Like this Rabidosa carrana.

#arachnid #sci-fi #spiders #readmorebooks

Cause they were done with 🖤🖤🖤

Full-looking Moon

... one Moon waxing and waning over one Earth ... this ought to be enough to unite us all ...

📷 26 Dec 2013

A complex dreamcatcher with two hoops crossed through the centers. Long strands of chicken feathers hang from the bottom of the hoops. A bone turtle hands in the center. The background is a blue toned room with a very natural feeling and light brown carpet

The #artAdventCalendar for the day is one of my 3D dreamcatchers. I don't do them often because they're hard on my hands.

#indigenous #edsartist #artsky

Thank you!