Rachel K. (Tala)

@talaattanagra

Here for science, nature, philosophy, mycology, history, advocacy, Afroasiatic languages, linguistics in general. Medically-retired analyst w/ MEcfs. Epicurean. Humanist. Existentialist. DMV-area forager. SCA, Atlantia. Harvard, GSE. Tinzouline ⵣ♡.

778 Siguiendo975 Seguidores2157 Publicaciones

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¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y talaattanagra.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· 22d

My mom painted these matryoshka dolls over 3 decades ago. I just found them, and they're still in pristine condition! But I'm downsizing. I've taken photos of them — I hope someone will take them (either to enjoy or upcycle). #NestingDolls #FolkArt #HandPainted #art #3Dpainting #nostalgia

A collage of two photos shows a set of five hand-painted wooden nesting dolls arranged from largest to smallest on a sunlit woven rug. The top photo shows the dolls from the front: four colorful dolls with painted faces and scarves in green, red, blue, and teal, plus the smallest piece painted as a tiny cat. The bottom photo shows the same set from the back, highlighting their simple painted patterns and bright colors. Warm afternoon sunlight casts long shadows across the floor, with a dresser and other furniture softly blurred in the background.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· 23d

Check out these gilled boletes (𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 & 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴) being ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED by 𝘏𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘴, the BOLETE-EATER. #DisabledForager #fungi #mushroom #nature #foraging #MushroomMonday #FungiFriends 📸🍄

A three-photo collage of wild mushrooms. The left images show white mushrooms with thick, widely spaced gills and stout stems, one held in a hand with soil attached to the base and another showing two mushrooms growing together. The upper right image shows a small mushroom with a velvety red cap and bright yellow gills emerging from decaying wood. Brown leaves and forest debris fill the background throughout.

A two-photo collage of wild mushrooms in a forest. The top photo shows a tan mushroom held in a hand, with bright golden-yellow, thick, forked gills and a curved pale stem. The bottom photo shows a white mushroom lying on brown leaf litter, exposing thick, widely spaced white gills and a stout white stem, with a fuzzy black-and-orange caterpillar beside it.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· 24d

Found this lovely #SlimeMold last week: Tubifera ferruginosa (raspberry slime mold). #nature #DisabledForager #SlimeMoldSunday [and even tho it's not a...] #FungiFriends.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· 29d

I love hearing it!! And I agree completely. I didn't find mine till mid-life, but I benefited from other women's unfortunate inability to recognize a good partner who has exactly the qualities you listed. I'm so grateful 😌

A man in black and silver metal armor with a sword-shaped baton over his shoulder wrapped in black duct tape. He is looking to the left, and behind him is a large field with green grass and a blue sky and a green leafy tree plus a tent and defense in the background.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Jun 21

Lion's mane "crab" cakes & sauteed garlic spinach for the #Summer #Solstice, like a good Marylander. 🦀 #OldBay #FungiFriends #mushroom #LittleThings #fungi #cooking

A red cutting board with two blocks of lions made mushroom next to you a container of old Bay seasoning.

A red cutting board with a piece of lion's main mushroom next to some torn up lions main that looks like crab.

A white plate with high edges on a wooden table. Inside the plate is a large amount of sauteed spinach, a fork, and two mushroom cakes with white old bay sauce on top, a lemon wedge, and green parsley.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Jun 16

Private equity doesn't belong in healthcare. Here's an example going on right now in Virginia, but this could happen all over the country. Wanna help stop it? There are several suggestions of how to fight back at the end of the video. Link: youtu.be/8kLyJkPQZbA?...

youtube screenshot. man with beard and sweatshirt. text says write letters, emails. Mark Nantz, CEO. mnantz@valleyhealthlink.com

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Jun 12

I've really come to appreciate nasturtiums! They do well in the partly-shady window boxes out front + they do well in the hot box that is our southwest-facing balcony. I've eaten the leaves before, and I've dyed cloth with the flowers. #DisabledGardener #garden #UrbanGarden #flower #LittleThings

White hanging pot outside with a white building and a blue lightly cloudy sky in the background. There are nasturtiums in the pot, with round green leaves and several bright red flowers.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Jun 1

I found my 1st blue mushroom yesterday (Chromelosporiopsis coerulescens), just in time to make a mushroom rainbow today for the start of #Pride month! 🌈🍄 #MushroomMonday #FungiFriends #mycology #mushroom #fungi #nature #DisabledForager

A collage of 10 mushrooms in Rainbow Order from blue to purple.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 31

🕸️ From the other side, under the web...

A spiderweb with a spider in the middle, attached to a tree with green leaves. The sun is shining through the web.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 31

🕸️ Saw a beautiful Orchard Orbweaver spider (Leucauge venusta) in #Maryland this weekend. #nature #hiking #arachnid #araneology #arachnology #entomology #biology #science

A white spider web attached to the bark of a tree with a spider in the middle and green leaves beyond the near frame.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 30

Tendi says: Happy #Caturday! 🐈‍⬛

A gray cat lying down on a tan and white mat with a white brick wall behind her. Her paw is out of focus and close to the front of frame. She is looking to the left with her bright yellow eyes and ears shining from the Sun coming through them from behind

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 30

This was fun! I'm closest to Ibn Tufail (al-Maghreb & al-Andalus). My wider constellation: • Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) • Moses Maimonides • Averroes (Ibn Rushd) • Peter Abelard "Which Medieval Theologian Are You?" www.theodramatist.com/which-mediev... #medieval #philosophy #mySCA

Screenshot: YOUR CLOSEST STAR
Ibn Tufail
c. 1105-1185 . Andalusia
ANDALUSIAN .HAYY IBN YAQDHAN
You think reason and mystica] experience converge if they both go deep enough- and you'd rather make the argument as a story than a treatise, Ibn Tufail's Hayy ibn Yaqdhān, a philosophical novel about a child raised by a gazelle on a deserted island reasoning his way to God, was translated to Latin in 1671 and may sit oehind R obinson Crusoe and Locke alike. You believe truth can be found from scratch by the willing mind

Screenshot: Avicenna (Ibn Sīna) 980-1037. Persia 44% resonance Islamic Philosophy. The Book of Healing.
Moses Maimonides 1138-1204. Cordoba. Cairo 42% resonance Jewish Philosophy. Guide for the Perplexed.
Averroes (1bn Rushd) 1126-1198. Andalusia 41% resonance Aristotelian. The Commentator.
Peter Abelard
1079_1142. France 38% resonance Dialectical.Sic et Non.Condemned.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 29

Predator in the garden. 🪴🐈‍⬛🪴 #cat #garden #UrbanGarden #ContainerGarden #LittleThings

The gray cat yellow eyes looking back at the camera. In front of the cat is a green pepper plant and other pots with dirt in them. Behind the cat is a screen den balcony with white painted rails.

A light blue gray painted balcony with white rails and a metal screen. There are sets of pots in different colors and shapes, all with very levels of plants in them. At the very distant end of the balcony is a gray cat looking away into the backyard which looks green

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 29

Another entry in the #homemade treat trials: lemon bars with a protein powder crust. This one is a NO. 👎 First time I've baked with protein powder, and it wasn't great (though, edible with a dollop of blackberry jam). #cooking #baking #food #vegan #vegetarian #sweets

About 10 small, square yellow protein bars sitting on a red cutting board. There are crumbs scattered around.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 26

👩🏻‍🍳 Date-nut protein bar treats w/ a salted "caramel" coating. Another attempt to make snacks for my household so we don't have to eat the ridiculously-priced, ultra-processed trash they feed The Poors nowadays. #cooking #food #treats #vegetarian #vegan #protein #dessert

11 rectangular shaped bars with a white creamy coating on top and sprinkled cinnamon and hemp seeds on top of that. They are sitting on a red cutting board which is on top of a gray-blue kitchen counter.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 21

📢 PSA: Minoxidil (Rogaine) can be deadly toxic to cats and dogs! ☣️🐈🐕☠️ #pets #cat #dog #poison

What an exposure possibly occurred? if
If you believe your pet has been exposed to minoxidil or if you notice any symptoms such as difficulty breathing, lethargy or weakness, seek veterinary care immediately or call ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 18

“Contemplating that time in the 1520s, during the Ottoman siege, when Budapest was saved by Sam Elliot and Woody Harrelson.” #medieval #renaissance #mySCA

Meme with a black border and white caption text reading: “Contemplating that time in the 1520s, during the Ottoman siege, when Budapest was saved by Sam Elliot and Woody Harrelson.” Below the text is a photo of two medieval stone warrior statues standing in arched niches. The statues have large mustaches and facial features that resemble actors Sam Elliott and Woody Harrelson, creating the joke that they look like time-traveling defenders of Budapest.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 15

Chickpea chocolate truffles! 💯% recommend. I added Isopure whey protein isolate. And monkfruit to sweeten the 86% chocolate. Those topped w/ coconut were good, but a sea salt sprinkle was also excellent. 3g #fiber, 6g #protein. #food #vegetarian #recipe #dessert lovelydelites.com/easy-chocola...

Chocolate truffles in a black plastic container. Some have toasted coconut on top.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 15

🥦 First night eating several plants from the garden tonight: purple-sprouting broccoli, basil, parsley, & spinach. #UrbanGarden #ContainerGarden #garden #DisabledGardener #veggies #food

Various garden greens in a plate sat on top of a warm wood table. A balcony garden in the background.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 11

The feast went well! Our party forged during the day for all sorts of greens, berries, etc. The table was set with dishes from fresh rabbit to poke salad, and EVERYTHING in between. A friend even came by w/ some homemade mead that we kept cool in the springhouse. #mySCA #medieval #foraging #feast

A rustic medieval-style dining room with rough stone walls and exposed wooden ceiling beams. A long wooden table is set for multiple guests with ceramic plates, bowls of food, a round loaf of bread, and a vase of purple flowers. Two blue embroidered tapestries depicting a tree of life hang on the wall, and a wrought-iron chandelier with candles illuminates the dim, atmospheric space.

A small, candlelit room with ancient stone walls and wooden ceiling beams, decorated in a Redwall theme. A table with a white cloth is set with blue and terracotta ceramic dishes, a green ceramic jug, bread, a block of yellow cheese, and a metal lantern with a candle. On the wall hang a heraldic banner featuring a lamb and a large illustrated Redwall tapestry depicting characters and scenes from the book series.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 8

🍽️ Medieval feast Friday! Today's recipe is from "The Forme of Cury," 14th c. England. "𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘺𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦þ 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘵 𝘸ȝ𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 þ𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩." #mySCA #FungiFriday #CullinaryArts

A gray ceramic dish of many assorted mushrooms. In front of it is a small glass jar of saffron.

The inside of a stew pot on top of the stove with the edge of a wooden spoon showing. In the pot is a golden mixture with mushrooms and green bits.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· May 3

Ladies be like "I needed this," and it's just feeding & playing with baby goats & sheep 🐏🐐 #LittleThings #joy #animals #farm

A collage of two photos showing a person in a green plaid flannel shirt caring for baby farm animals. On the left, they cuddle a small black-and-white baby goat against their chest, smiling warmly. On the right, they bottle-feed a tiny white lamb nestled in their lap on a bed of straw.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 22

Late to the game, but REALLY enjoying The Pitt. Having been to 5+ ERs in the DMV area (multiple times), the only unrealistic part is how much support, attention & privacy the ER patients get. Mel King, Whitaker & Langdon are my favorite characters, but they're all great! #TVsky #television #HBO

Two medical professionals in scrubs work urgently on a patient. One person in black scrubs leans over the patient with a concerned expression, while the other wearing glasses and a black zip-up jacket administers oxygen via a bag-valve mask using blue latex gloves. A cardiac monitor displaying vital signs is visible in the background.

Two medical professionals in scrubs sit on the floor of what appears to be a hospital hallway, looking emotionally drained. The person on the left, wearing glasses and a black jacket with a stethoscope, gently pets a small fluffy orange dog sitting between them. The person on the right wears a "Doctor" badge and leans against the wall. Health posters are visible in the background.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 21

I overwintered purple sprouting broccoli for the 1st time on my balcony — 3 of 6 plants survived. Time to cut the "leader." Hopefully it's not too late, and the side shoots start growing now. #UrbanGarden #DisabledGardener #veggies #food #garden #agriculture #ContainerGarden #brassica #zone7a

The top of a broccoli plant with small purple flowers.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 16

1/2 Good job, Maryland! 👏👏 Immigrants are an essential part of our community. Period. #ICEout #FuckICE #FuckYouMakeMe #resist #fascism #community #solidarity #dmv #hagerstown #frederick #frederickMD

We won a preliminary
nunction against the
ICE camp.

The Maryland Coalition to Stop the Camps
and allies from across the state mobilized
hundreds to rally inside and outside a
federal district courthouse in Baltimore on
Wednesday, April1 5, 2026, when a judge
issued a preliminary injunction barring DHS
from retrofitting a warehouse outside
Hagerstown into a detention camp without a
full environmental review

The ruling vindicates our claims that the
warehouse is an affront to health, safety and
human dignity, and is testament to months
of relentless pressure from activists in
Washington County and across the state

Thank you to everyone who came out and
made vour voices heard! Read more
coverage below--and stav tuned for next
steps.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 14

And since the OP has now blocked me (because he preferred his fi-fi's to facts), here's what I'm responding to.

daniel sieradski @self.agency i'm a grandchild of four holocaust survivors watching a state that chose german construction equipment over vulnerable jews exploit my grandparents suffering so that they can minimize the perpetuation of similar if not identical horrors against the population over which it rules, screaming inside
12h
1
C15
68
daniel sieradski @self.agency what should i say on yom hashoah? congratulations? you have truly shown how nefarious the deeds of our pursuers were by using the deaths of six millior to justify replicating those deeds and charging "holocaust inversion" against those who sav it out loud?
12h
D1
S 2
33
daniel sieradski @self.agency
never again...to us, fuck errybody else.
10:55 PM . Apr 13, 2026
1 quote
27 likes

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 14

It's fascinating how often people mistake their fi-fi's for facts. Anyway, Jews give/volunteer outside their religion more than EVERY other religion (w/ only a few niche exceptions) despite being persecuted by many of those people for millennia. #YomHashoah #FactsOverFeelings

Three-quarters of American Jewish households donated an average of $10,588 in 2022, $2,500+ more than non-Jewish households. Jewish donors direct more of their charity outside their own religion than nearly any other group. Over 65% of Jews gave to nonreligious causes (food banks, healthcare, education), whereas more than 60% of non-Jewish households whose giving went primarily to religious charities like churches.

At the institutional level, Jewish federations and foundations give over $9 billion annually, with only ~25% going to Jewish causes — meaning roughly three-quarters flows to the broader public.

In the UK, the 2023/24 Community Life Survey found Jewish adults (47%) were the most likely of any religious group to volunteer at least monthly, ahead of all other religious groups (27–37%) and non-religious adults (30%).

Sources
https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/fd5b1555-2d8e-42cf-9e33-3c72f93a9bcf/content
https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024-8-1-report-examines-the-motivations-that-shape-american-jewish-giving
https://theconversation.com/american-jews-and-charitable-giving-an-enduring-tradition-87993
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-life-survey-202324-annual-publication/community-life-survey-202324-volunteering-and-charitable-giving

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Apr 11

Happy #Caturday! #AdventureCat #family

A gray cat with a blue harness and yellow eyes peeking through tall green grass and dandelions. The blue skies in the background.

A gray cat looking away from the camera wearing a blue harness attached to a leash. She is walking through a forested underbrush with green grass, brown leaves, and purple flowers

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Mar 31

Took the 1st round of seedlings out for a field trip to the balcony so they can see their future home. #UrbanGarden #ContainetGarden #DisabledGardener #GrowItEatIt #Garden #veggies

Several sets of green seedlings in cardboard compostable trays, set into black plastic trays. They're sitting on a balcony with the sun shining down, and potting buckets all around it.

Rachel K. (Tala)@talaattanagra· Mar 29

#mySCA I took my 1st apprentice yesterday in Atlantia! In my nerdy corner of the SCA, we collaborate w/ academic researchers, do experimental archeology + learn skills that are still useful today. In this sociopolitical environment, curiosity, passion & rigorous search for truth are resistance.