"I'd probably just end up slapping myself with the hoop if I tried to do the things you do!"

Probably, yeah. Because I'm super clumsy and had plenty of brusies for the first couple of years because it's a 15 pound hoop and I slapped myself with it all the time. But I eventually developed the strength and muscle control because I kept practicing.

"I'm not as flexible as I used to be!"

It keeps me flexible. I have inflammatory arthritis throughout my body. My doctor wishes she was as flexible as me, assuming I'm having a good day. I move better than people expect even on bad days. It won't work for everyone, but someone who does not have physical disabilities saying this do me seems ridiculous.

"Oh, maybe if I was younger!"

But...I'm well in my 40s and they're younger.

"I'm too fat for that!"

You just saw me do it. I'm very obviously a larger size than you. Don't get a hoop made for kindergarteners.

Bless the hearts of people who don't actually wish they could do things with hula hoops, they just like talking about not being able to do stuff.

Owlbear names! Arthena or Owlsula?

Arthena is Arth (bear) + Athena (her connection with owls).

Owlsula is Owl + Ursula (feminine little bear).

I have a steel tongue drum, and I have found that I love making up music on it by dealing out a few cards and then playing the numbers! I learn to play favorite songs (or sometimes just songs I have the skill for) on stringed instruments. I wasn't enjoying that as much on the drum. Surprise melodies are wonderful for it, though!

I was looking through the 1 star app reviews for CoSo in the Google store. I have no idea what app those poor people thought was CoSo. Like, it's not just different opinions about things...I have had a completely different experience here!

Months and months ago, I wasn't sure about people being interested in #divination done with gaming dice. I got encouragement here to write about it. (Thanks, CoSo! 💜) So if you are interested, I've finally worked things to the point where I can write for others about how I do it.

https://diydiv.substack.com/p/what-are-polyhedral-dice

It's been almost a month since he last ate because he was shedding a couple of weeks ago and will not eat while shedding. I thought he'd be fast when he got the mouse. He usually is.

Time for Shai-Hulud to eat, so sister-in-law brought a mouse home for him. (We're not feeding him the wild ones, but don't tell them.) It took him almost five full minutes to decide it was time to "hug" his dinner. That mouse was walking along his spine and he didn't seem to care! I was afraid he thought this was his new roommate.

I truly am glad I finally got the snake I had wanted for 30+ years. He's a blessing. And sometimes puts on dramatic performances.

There's a bag of birdseed on my back porch that didn't get used before the seasonal shift made it The Season of Not Walking Out to the Bird Feeder. It's been very cold lately, and we've been getting snow off an on. I'm glad the bag is there because a little friend has been finding shelter there and helping themself to the food.

I didn't take a picture of the reading I did, but I did take a picture just to show cards because I got the Good Omens deck. Time for some Nice & Accurate Prophecies!

Annnnd...of course the first reading I did called me out on my BS about getting in my own way and swimming in my lack of confidence instead of taking controlled steps to strengthen in.

So it's a good deck! I know I can work with a deck when the readings challenge me in healthy ways.

It was a struggle to not let myself get too sidetracked with talking about Hermes and sheep bones while writing about dice divination today. My inner editor, being part of my autistic self, tends to let joyful info dumping slide through.

https://diydiv.substack.com/p/hekates-dice

It was a good night to just draw without thinking about it. I put on some music and let my hands do whatever they did. I guess I was feeling the circles.

been friends for years with my abuser. Because she didn't know. Even though they went to the same church until her family moved, their sons grew up together in Boy Scouts, her husband and the abuser belonged to the same Masonic Lodge at one time... And really, she didn't know. And that's just one example.

Many victims go through this. Swearing up and down that everyone closely connected to an abuser had to know comes too closer to accusing a victim of lying.

I know lots of people are hoping certain names will show up in the papers released. And, yeah, people lying about what they didn't know about him can be a thing. But here's one of the problems with junping to "How could you NOT know???"...

There are often situations in which people really don't know. I had to sit in her office and fake a smile while my high school guidance counselor tried to win points with me by telling me how she and her husband had

I use the Finch app as a To Do list and anxiety management resource. I appreciate my finch's determination.

My cat's best friend is one of my sisters-in-law's cats. She will welcome his brothers into our room, be friends, whatever. The one she pretty much helped raise, though? I'm sure if we asked them, he'd say she's his cat and she'd say he's her cat.

Sister-in-law gave her cats a bag of new little felt balls for Christmas. The best friend cat carried one in his mouth to give it to my cat. She now ignores her other toys, rolls around with the ball, and joyfully chirps!

15 month old nephew has been staying with us. He's always so happy to see me! Unless I just got up, or it's late at night, and my headwrap isn't done. I don't think anyone else has ever looked so disappointed to see that I have hair.