Good things happen on bad days too

[untonuggan]

Today I got up and wanted to post all the rage I'm having about George Zimmerman and anti-abortion legislation and the attempted bombing of a mosque in the West Midlands and just all the reasons why this world we live in is generally SNAFU'd right now. It feels like Sauron is winning and I am pissed off.

Then I remembered the last time I was hospitalized, and how it was right around the Boston Marathon Bombings. And how I had Particularly Dark Timez (TM) around the DC Sniper Shootings. And you know what? I wasn't alone. The holidays aren't the only time mental health facilities fill up. Any time there's been a news event that I have found ~*~!infuriating or triggering beyond my capability to express it!~*~ there have been others in those facilities experiencing the same thing.

Someone even made a painting of Trayvon Martin in art therapy; it was posted on the wall of an inpatient hospital.

If the local can affect the global, so the global can affect the local. What is more local than our own bodies, our own mental health?

Yes it is important to stay engaged, to make a difference in the world. But we need to be fully charged to do so. Therefore, in response to what some are calling "the worst day on the internet", I am dubbing this entry a safe space.

Here is a place to recharge. A virtual "book of happy" for anyone who cares to participate, if you will. Feel free to post inspiring quotes, funny pictures or animated gifs, alllllll the cute animal photos, good songs, whatever. Just please, don't bring the news here. This is a news free zone.

I am currently leaving comments unscreened, but if it becomes a problem then I will turn screening on.

Comments

Re: Kitty gif

[syntaxofthings]

<3!

[syntaxofthings]

awwww! thank you for sharing!

[staranise]

Oh my gosh, I would love Glitch notifications.

[staranise]

Thank you so much for this, Liz. This was a really good idea. If anyone needs it, I will 100% defend people who need to take a break from social justice work.

Here is my cat, who spends most of these summer days curled up under a blanket:

[elf]

I'm thinking of using one of the quoin shard noises for new email notifications. I thought about the new quest announcement, but it's longer than I want. (Also, new quests were happy things, and new work emails aren't, always. But they're at least always worth something.)

Two of my co-workers' phone calls are set to the Rube tune. They work in sales & marketing.

Happy street dog

[raze]

Vagabond and Odessa are two street dogs from Alabama that I rescued and am currently patching up before they head up north to a great no-kill rescue. Vagabond looks really happy about this:

[ironed_orchid]

That is amazing

[ironed_orchid]

This is for anyone who needs a hug



For more hugs, click here

[lilacsigil]

That is excellent! His facial hair is perfect!

[untonuggan]

EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEeeeeeeEEEEEE!!!

[untonuggan]

He really is AdoraBert!

(Also, partner says he looks like the cat she had when she was a kid.)

Re: Happy street dog

[untonuggan]

What a smile!

Re: African American Quilters of Baltimore

[jelazakazone]

Popping to say, if cutting all those pieces for quilts is daunting, there are ways around that:D I see you and I are in the same general geographic area. I'd be happy to get together with you at some mutually agreeable time and talk about quilting. There are so many more things you can do than just sew pieces together (it has taken me years to get to this realization:)).

Also, that quilt is amazing.

Re: Kitty gif

[blueswan]

This is my favourite gif of all time. *G*

Re: African American Quilters of Baltimore

[untonuggan]

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME YES.

Transportation is an issue for me as I can't drive at the moment (dizziness + near fainting = self-enforced driving ban.)

ETA: Also if you want any fiber arts lessons/comraderie in terms of knitting, spinning, yarn dyeing, etc. let me know - I am totally down with skill shares or things of that nature! (And have no idea what your skill levels are in those areas either, so yes.)

Re: Kitty gif

[untonuggan]

Hee! I ♥ it too.

Re: African American Quilters of Baltimore

[jelazakazone]

\o/!

I am near a metro and can help. I will DM you.

<3 I might hook you up with my DD1 and possibly even DD2, depending on your availability.

[eruanna]

These are all so nice! Thanks for sharing. :) Here's a mellow song for you.

Marble Sounds - "Sky High"

[jesse_the_k]

Awww, I love manatees. THERE's a TUMBR of MANATEES?!?!? /zooms.

[carrie]

I can enable this wish! ;)

[carrie]

My doctors all get the "waiting room muzak" as their ringtone. :D

[carrie]

Here via staranise, and:



If you'd like a soothing Flash game to calm your nerves, I recommend Loops of Zen. It can be addicting though. ;)

[dark_kana]

<3<3<3

Re: These quotes usually makes me smile, and are in my book of good things

[peoppenheimer]

Peace is every step.

[peoppenheimer]

When the general/political/economic news becomes too much for me to bear, I go looking for breakthroughs in scientific understanding.

Things such as this make me happy.

Anything that increases understanding tends to make me happy.

Protecting our mental health is facilitated by safe spaces such as this one; thanks so much for creating it.