My spouse knows I will doubt and question any assurance that my violin playing "sounds good" only a few days in. So they told me, "It does not sound unpleasant." There are layers to that simple statement, and each layer is a comfy cushion. 🥰

Thank you to every music teacher who made violin videos on YouTube during lockdown! My niece's violin arrived and it sounds like I've been playing for a week on the first day.

It might still sound like first week after a couple of years. But I love how moving the bow across the strings feels!

I appreciate family members messaging me updates about the really long drive they are making. I do not appreciate them not understanding my references to the song "Convoy". I know how old I am. They don't have to remind me.

Added these to our home today, so I'm getting a good start to another week of embracing my weirdness.

I don't know if anybody here watches Dimension 20, but we came into it later and just finished the finale of Sophomore year for the Bad Kids. I was in autistic tears of joy for one of the characters!

Filled the bird feeder, sat 8 or 9 feet away, and started playing my banjo. It only took a few minutes for the beautiful, colorful visitors to start showing up.

I needed this time today. This week, so far, has been a crappy month stuffed into a few days. But it was really nice outside, birds came to the bird feeder and chirped and trilled while I played.

Some days, it doesn't matter which instrument I play. Other days...the guitar seemed to know how I was feeling today.

Yeah... it's ALL screwed up. And it has been. It doesn't have to be, but that's what people keep choosing. I'm always afraid and always hurt. So I need to have fun and joy. I need to not burn out. I need to have the rage and also have reasons the rage can't swallow me. We all do. Burnout is part of the strategy. Make people burn out and they can't fight.

I don't talk about news online much. It doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. I appreciate that CoSo lets me have safe and fun space here. I don't get criticised for not expressing constant rage about everything wrong in the world. That's been an issue at times in other places.

Y'ALL! My niece doesn't play her violin anymore, so she's sending it to me so I can learn! It's a beautiful instrument. I helped her change the strings on it once.

It's a fiddle on Saturday night, violin on Sunday morning.

I lost an argument with a skink today. Family members came outside to find out who I was yelling at. And yet...yeah, that's probably going to be one of the best conversations I have all week. The skink was very opinionated.

I've been watching to see if my Sea Monkeys would release babies, or if eggs would pause development to be dropped in the water and finish at a better time. There are two babies today! This means I am giving them an environment to thrive in!

https://youtube.com/shorts/bIYLtf9yt6I?si=sBbdsgChWplwBiTB

I spent some time drawing today. I seem to be in a "draw weird stuff" mood. There's a major trauma anniversary for me in a few days. This is a good time to just do any healthy thing my hands want to do. I also spent some time outside playing my ukulele for the birds.

I'd say she was loved to her last breath, but that last breath was six years ago and I still love her. I always will.

When we got another dog, I told her about Angel. That dog listens to no one... except me. And she always looks out for me. Angel would be proud of her.