The morning walk today was really nice. It’s the 5th consecutive cloudy day and there was a fine drizzle as usual. More like a misting (毛毛雨）。 After Joey did her potty, I opened Spotify to pick some music. A new recommended one was a “Stardew and Chill” playlist. And wow it was so good, and a great fit for the light drizzly weather, in the lush part of the neighborhood we were walking in. Dare I say a perfect fit! Joey wanted to lay in the grass on some lawn… I was standing in the driveway, and a large van started to turn into it. It’s funny how it feels like it’s only when you decide to pause somewhere that a car decides to turn in. The driver made a frowny face at me and gestured - implying he didn’t like the dog on the grass. I was about to get cranky but then looked around and realized this is the house next to the church, which has a ledge. Joey likes to walk and sit on ledges. So I moved over and she happily followed and stayed in that area. Ha - now the guy can’t complain about the dog being on his property cuz now we’re on church property. And the church is basically deserted on a Tuesday morning. *smug* We watched a class of preschoolers walk by holding onto the colorful rope with rings. A little chorus of “hey look! a dog!” After a while, I prompted Joey to cross the street where the van driver was now parking a different car. At least, I thought it might be the same guy … “Thank you!” He said as we walked past. Yup. Same guy. Nearing our street, a couple with a small dog came up behind us. Joey had sat down to wait for them. I saw that it was the little old dog, Happy. He did his usual timid and cautious approach, gently moving his nose towards Joey’s face. I mentally congratulated Joey on staying still and calm. When they first met, as with meeting every other dog, Joey would charge up excitedly, running zig-zags around. It really scared Happy. With time and familiarity, Joey adjusted to Happy’s ways and now stays nice and mild around him. Meanwhile, Happy’s owner has turned into his cheerleader. “WOW!!! So FRIENDLY! GOOD BOY!” This suddenly struck me as being really comical considering the timid and cautious way Happy is greeting Joey. Her boyfriend helpfully pointed out that Happy was wagging his little stub tail. I need to remember to play “Stardew and Chill” on morning walks. 😌

soooo we’re having something like 6 cloudy/drizzly days in a row. Since I last posted 4 days ago, the news reports have taken a pretty horrible turn. So yeah! I’m focusing on self-care activities, like tidying things up (MUCH NEEDED especially in the closet area). And the cloudy weather is not bad … even though I miss the sunshine, it’s cool and the air feels moist and clean. but yeah, the news reports about violent events in various parts of the world has got me thinking about … stuff. The unintentional violence of humans and their tools The intentional violence of humans and their tools I think my concluding thought is, you just gotta’ love yourself and those close to you. And also I found a section in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind that is helpful.

A momentous occasion: Today I mopped the floor (using a microfiber pad), and when rinsing it out in the bathroom sink, the water was mostly clear. I alternate with using diluted wood oil soap and apple cider vinegar.

and doing this type of cleaning stuff on cloudy days continues to be a mood booster. As well as listening to calm or energetic music on headphones while doing it. and don’t get me started on cooking! Thank *insert spiritual entity* my partner likes to cook and clean.

apartment cleaning habits that I am trying to … cultivate are still going well. Mainly motivated by my allergies. Yesterday, the left nostril suddeny started producing a lot of mucus. At the same time, my dog started sneezing like one after the other. Maybe 15 times. So, wiped the windowsills, vacuumed, and even washed the curtains in the laundry. Repositioned air filters… Another cool motivation is “study with me” and “tidy with me” Youtube videos. Keeping materials organized in the different areas can be so challenging. - dogfood cart - kitchen counters (small space) - clothes piles in bedroom closet - shelves in bedroom I’m gonna’ try to take the opposite attitude as the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once”. Cleaning improvement habits must be One Thing, in One Place, at One Time.

here’s all the new flowers I drew for #nostrartstrMay2025 with prompts by @Rustypuppy I started them on a page where I had done a fanart of Willow’s palisman, Clover, from The Owl House. This was the first art prompt challenge I’ve done. It made me feel like a botanist / person who makes architectural drawings. Thanks for creating this art challenge and for the encouragement! #artstr #watercolor #gouache #coloredpencils

I try not to post a depressing thought without also including some ways of dealing with the depressing thought / feeling. This quote is one of those ways. There’s also just … logical thought. #grieving #loss #mentalhealth #artstr

seriously. Talk about a warming trend. Now when you go out you need sunblock, a sun hat, and if you’re out for any length of time, the sun beating down feels fatiguing and enervating. ☀️☀️☀️ #weather my god! It’s everywhere!