Heliotropist

@heliotropist

genX (she/her) tugging at the delicate eye area 🌈 Upper Valley🌈 🐈‍⬛✡️⛸️🦻🏼🥄🎶💿🎨💅🧶🌳 Talkin’ ‘bout my Sandwich Generation / profile pic is a tabby cat lying with his paws across a long, old, elaborately carved knife; banner is a partly cloudy sky over a rural road

997 Folgt665 Follower1.793 Posts

YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir heliotropist.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Heliotropist@heliotropist· 15d

My grocery list was Market Basket-specific (iykyk) so I didn’t want to do a pickup order anywhere else. I took Mom and made it work…kinda. She was DONE the minute we rolled in, so we didn’t get everything on the list. I did my best. I kept my cool when she got agitated. My other errands will wait.

A wheelchair shopping cart, from the pusher’s perspective. There’s a rear basket with various groceries, then we see the back of the person sitting in the wheelchair. In front of them, over their lap, there is another basket full of groceries. You can’t tell from this picture, but the wheelchair shopping cart is very long.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· 27d

I hadn’t really seen signs for @karishmaforsenate.bsky.social in my part of the state, so I figured I’d get the ball rolling. We can’t win if we don’t try, right? Plus, we in NH-02 have no real connection to Chris Pappas, he’s never been our rep, and we’re way more progressive anyway. #NHpolitics

A stretch of rural road, gravel shoulder, & patchy grass with a lawn sign:
KARISHMA
FOR U.S. SENATE
Powered by People!
NOT billionaires.

A bumper magnet on a red vehicle:
KARISHMA
FOR U.S. SENATE
Powered by People!
NOT billionaires.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jul 10

I just received my copy of “Reefer Wellness” by Dr. Riley Kirk (not on here afaik) and this is an absolutely gorgeous book! It’s deeply scientific but so readable, lots of beautiful graphics. I would recommend it for *any* rec or med cannabis user, whether novice, curious, or well-seasoned like me.

A hardcover book:
Reefer Wellness
Understanding Cannabis Science, Culture, & Medicine
Dr. Riley Kirk

The cover has a dark green background with swirls of green, purple, blue, and a metallic gold ribbon. There are small light green drawings of a cannabis leaf, a cannabis bud, and presumably the chemical structure of cannabis. There’s a DK imprint in the upper right corner. Dr. Riley Kirk’s name is embossed in metallic gold and there’s an embossed metallic gold cannabis leaf next to the title also. It’s a beautiful cover.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jul 8

Two cats sitting, facing the camera. In the front/left, Mookie, a black & tan mackerel tabby looks with half-lidded green eyes. In the background and to the right, Socks, a larger black-and-white tuxedo cat with white bib, paws & chin stares directly at the camera, he has yellow eyes.

Two cats curled up side by side, almost spooning on a Star Wars comforter. Socks, a black & white tuxedo cat with white belly & paws, is on the left, he’s the big spoon, and Mookie, a black & tan mackerel tabby is on the right. It looks like Socks is asleep but Mookie is awake.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jun 28

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, I managed to get Mom up & dressed for an outing! She wouldn’t sit up for me to do her makeup, so I did it with her lying like a corpse. She lol’d at that. We went to the dispensary, then for ice cream. Lots of country driving, sunroof open & tunes up.

In-car (parked) selfie of two women wearing dark sunglasses and smiling.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jun 8

Spending the day in the ED & I brought the perfect book! “Rio” by @anniezaleski.bsky.social, from the 33 1/3 series. It’s small & doesn’t weigh down my bag, and ideal for a high-distraction environment because I’m already so familiar with the characters & songs. P.S.Happy Birthday Nick Rhodes 🥳

Heliotropist@heliotropist· May 22

Here’s a #TenMinMerlin from Enfield, New Hampshire. I can hear a couple of birds I haven’t heard at home, 8 miles away. Not listed: the glorious mallard who just went cruising by on the pond.

Screenshot of Merlin app showing a list of birds with their thumbnail pictures on the left

May 22 • Enfield, NH

Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus

Red-eyed Vireo
Vireo olivaceus

Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor

Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata

Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata

Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius

American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis

Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe

Heliotropist@heliotropist· May 22

My 20yo daughter’s housesitting for some family friends. Since I’m in such desperate need of respite from dementia #caregiving, we figured out when I could come use the hot tub: 8am, while my mom is still in bed & my husband could work from home for a few hours. My view:

View from sitting in a Jacuzzi, in the foreground we see water bubbles and the edge of a fiberglass hot tub. Beyond, there is a lake, a little dock, a couple of small boats, some tall trees. The water is blue and calm, the far shore is completely wooded, and the sky is blue.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· May 10

2 cats lying on a hearth rug in front of a woodstove. They’re lying end to end with their butts touching. On the left is Socks, a black & white tuxedo with white paws & belly visible. On the right, Mookie, a black & cream & tan striped tabby.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· May 6

This morning’s #TenMinuteMerlin yielded 15 birds! I don’t know about that Louisiana fellow, but the app keeps saying he’s here. #birding 🤷🏻‍♀️

Merlin app screen capture with a list of birds and their pictures to the left of their names.

May 6 • Canaan, NH
9:41 AM • 15 birds

Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus

Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis

Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina

Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius

Louisiana Waterthrush
Parkesia motacilla

Merlin app screen capture with a list of birds and their pictures to the left of their names.

May 6 • Canaan, NH

Brown Creeper
Certhia americana

Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus

American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis

Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor

American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis

Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus

Northern House Wren
Troglodytes aedon

Heliotropist@heliotropist· May 4

I made the apricot almond cake with rosewater & cardamom, and it’s so good! I love these flavors together. 😍 Thank you for the recipe & the nudge @nigella.bsky.social !

Slightly more than half of a single-later cake on a plate. It’s an apricot almond cake with rosewater and cardamom, topped with chopped pistachios.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Apr 22

CW: loss of adult child I didn’t plan to start my day with a full-on sobbing cry, but this really got to me. Gift link in QP, alt text for quoted image below.

It's common to compare grief to a heavy stone, but that's exactly what it feels like. I carry it everywhere. Now and then, I'm able to set it down and enjoy a moment of beauty: the sparkle of winter sun on freshly fallen snow; a full moon's silver path on the lake. Sometimes a joke makes me laugh so hard that I drop the stone. Soon enough, I will stoop to pick it up again. Those who have walked before me assure me that the stone's weight will lighten. I'm not sure I want it to. Sometimes I miss the intensity of early grief—it meant I was closer to her in time; I could almost touch her still. That intensity has been replaced by something harder to name. Not acceptance, never acceptance.
Resignation, maybe. Adjustment—better.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Apr 9

NH: It’s the last wknd for FREE prom clothing (long gowns, short dresses, suits) + makeup & accessories. All sizes & styles, new & used, totally free. Check out “Missie’s Closet” in TJ Maxx plaza, Manchester, NH. We’ve gone the past 3 yrs and it’s been a great experience for my girls, saved $$$ too.

A teen couple in prom clothing

Missy's Closet
FREE PROM DRESS OR SUIT FOR TEENS
Open: Fridays 4pm-7pm
Saturdays & Sundays 10am-3pm
MARCH 20TH-APRIL 12TH
CLOSED EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 5TH
TJMAXX PLAZA
68 MARCH AVE MANCHESTER NH
*OFF SOUTH WILLOW ST*

MOST ITEMS ARE GENTLY USED

MISSY'S CLOSET

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Mar 14

I heard a strange little sound and it’s Socks up on his favorite windowsill, making squeaky noises while watching a beautiful red cardinal in the bushes outside. #Caturday #CatsOfBluesky

Socks, a big black & white tuxedo cat, sits on a windowsill and looks at the camera. In the snowy bush outside, through the screen, there’s a red cardinal.

Socks, a big black & white tuxedo cat, stands with his white paws up on a windowsill and looks out the window. He’s in silhouette against the white curtains. In the snowy bush outside, through the screen, there’s a red cardinal.

Socks, a big black & white tuxedo cat, sits on a windowsill and looks out the window. He’s in silhouette against the white curtains. In the snowy bush outside, through the screen, there’s a red cardinal.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Feb 12

A few things: - I love dementia caregiver support group 🥰 - it had been 45min - “access” could be TV, which I left her watching, or it could be her Dexcom blood glucose app, which I follow from my phone and I know was reading fine 🤷🏻‍♀️ - she had this document in front of her - I love Mom so much 💜

A colorful piece of paper I printed this morning (and every morning) with emoji showing my Mom what’s happening today, where everyone is, etc. My hand is covering some names.

Text:
Today's Rundown
Today is:
Thursday, February 12th, 2026
—-Forecast: mostly cloudy, high 27°.
—- is at school today.
—- is at Tufts.
—- is at work.
— has a zoom 2pm-3:30pm.
—- will be home at 3:30pm.
Today's Priorities
• Hydrate !!
• Get some sunlight, move around!
<cropped to hide personal details I forgot to obscure>

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Feb 10

Oldest selfie on your phone. 2015, lil baby 44yo me

Selfie of me, a woman with pale skin, brown eyes, and medium length straight reddish brown hair. I’m wearing a black shirt, a necklace, and a weird expression.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Feb 10

✨ timeline synchronicity ✨ (also KMK makes an important point about the ableist insult “smooth-brained”)

Screenshot of my Bluesky timeline showing my own post followed by a post by Kevin M. Kruse, in which we both use the word “smooth”:

Heliotropist @heliotropist....• 24s
® Bluesky Elder
Please let today be this smooth.
Wordle 1,697 2/6*
{Image of my Wordle in 2}

Kevin M. Kruse• @kevin... • 3m
© Bluesky Elder
I used "smooth-brained" as a dig until a father of a boy with lissencephaly -- the medical term for the condition -- wrote me an incredibly patient note to explain what his son had to deal with.
This phrase is a gratuitous i…

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jan 26

After a few hours of back & forth, the cats figured out a way to share the rug in front of the woodstove.

2 cats, a black & white tuxedo (Socks) and a black & cream tabby (Mookie) are lying butt-to-butt on a hearth rug in front of a woodstove.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jan 23

We live in NH and I run cold, so my family is always looking for new ways to help me feel more cozy & comfortable. They got me a NorSari blanket wrap for Xmas and I love it! I wore it on a walk over joggers on a frigid day and it was the perfect thing. Not cheap, but very well made. norsari.com

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jan 16

@titmou.se Look who came to say hi! This video was just too much, I had to share it. 😍 #birds #birding

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Jan 15

Every day I’m filled with so much dread about the state of the world, but I got a birdfeeder camera for Christmas, and wow does this thing bring me joy. We had a pair of Carolina Wrens! The Tufted Titmouse is so stinkin’ cute. And I love my Northern Cardinals, always. 😍

Birdfeeder camera view of two small reddish brown birds, Carolina Wrens, on a perch. There is a snowy yard in the background and birdseed in the foreground.

Birdfeeder camera view of a small grey bird with an orange-tinged white underbelly, a Tufted Titmouse. There is a snowy yard in the background and birdseed in the foreground.

Birdfeeder camera view of a bright red Northern Cardinal, its red beak is open and it’s looking at the camera. There is a snowy yard in the background and birdseed in the foreground.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Dec 4

This card on my kitchen table is the reason I’ve had an Everclear earworm for days. My brain is cursed.

A greeting card with the words “Daughter-in-Law” across the top

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Nov 13

I have Raynaud’s & I love my fingerless compression gloves from @bibiblossoms.bsky.social ! They help with hand pain more than I expected, and they are very easy to wear.

A left hand, palm down, wearing purple/blue galaxy print fingerless compression gloves. The fingernails are painted a metallic purple.

A right hand, thumb side up, wearing purple/blue galaxy print fingerless compression gloves. The thumbnail is painted a metallic purple.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Sep 25

She flows! But barely.

A very low river with yellow and green and foliage on either side. The rocky riverbed is mostly visible but there is a small amount of water flowing. Upstream, the white of a small waterfall is visible. At the left embankment you can see the edge of a bridge where the road crosses the river.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Sep 8

It’s not easy getting a picture of the triple spoon! I’d been chilling with Mookie, then Socks got jealous and so wedged his 17+ pounds between us. 🥰😻😻

A bed selfie taken from above: a person (me) is looking up while spooning with two cats. The middle spoon/cat is big and black and shiny, and the front spoon/cat is a big fluffy black and cream tabby.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Sep 5

In honor of RFK Jr I got my flu shot & shingles vaccine yesterday! 💉 Vaccines are free (for me, ymmv) at Walgreens, and they give you a 20% off coupon good for your next store purchase. I don’t shop there otherwise, but I saved $$$ on a new cane for my mom and on my (overpriced) mineral sunscreen.

A woman wearing glasses smiles and shows her bare upper arm, which has a red Walgreens bandaid on it

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Sep 2

Six tons of wood pellets delivered before the nights start getting really cold. Now that my mom’s in the house, we’ll turn on the boiler earlier than usual. (Hooray!!) We did a ton of insulation & winterizing work this spring, so this drafty old house should feel much cozier this winter. 🔥

Six 1-ton pallets of 40-lb bags of wood pellets lined up in 2 rows in front of a garage door

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Aug 23

It’s been 1 year since we adopted these 2 as a bonded pair from a shelter. Mookie (9) is a compact tabby and he sleeps on my pillow. 😽 Socks (8) is the hunkiest tuxedo I’ve ever seen. 😻 #Caturday

Socks, a black & white tuxedo cat, is curled on his side playfully

Mookie, a black & cream tabby cat, lies blissfully on the floor on his back with his little paws tucked up and his eyes closed

Socks, a black & white tuxedo cat, sprawls on the floor

Mookie, a tabby cat, and Socks, a black & white tuxedo cat, sit in a bathroom. Mookie’s relaxing on the windowsill and Socks is sitting on a scale next to a window fan that had been removed only long enough for Mookie to get in that window.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Aug 23

Yacht rockers extraordinaire Boat House Row closed their set with Lido, which is how I wake up most mornings, thanks to @speakercode.bsky.social’s alarm. Most excellent, can’t complain.

A 6 piece rock band, Boat House Row, plays on an indoor stage.

Heliotropist@heliotropist· Aug 9

I’m sitting down now, I promise.