1. This is Not Just a Post About Dog Grief from Anne Helen Petersen. “It’s not normal, or ironic, or even slightly funny that we’re this bad at making space to process loss and suffering. It’s fucked up, and I’m increasingly convinced it’s at the heart of our national regression. Around Covid, of course, but also around mass gun violence, and addiction, and eldercare. We have so little language to describe the onset of grief in our lives, and so little expectation of accommodation for it. We don’t know how to be still in our sadness.” Amen.

2. Mark Nepo: The Half-Life of Angels. (Podcast) “How do we know our own authenticity? How can we return to our hearts when we find we’ve left them? As we evolve and change along our journey, how do we relate to the ‘former selves’ in our past? In this podcast, Tami Simon and poet-philosopher Mark Nepo address these questions and more, as they discuss his creative process; his new book, The Half-Life of Angels; and how we can each touch the ever-present and wholly miraculous ‘spark of becoming’ waiting to guide our lives.”

3. Recipes I want to try: Apple Pie Energy Balls, and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bars, and Blueberry-Lemon Energy Balls, and Caramel Rice Krispie Treats (I actually made these last night and I think I may need an intervention because I CANNOT STOP eating them!), and Brown Sugar Rhubarb Cookies, and Lemon Oatmeal Sugar Cookies.

4. The Mothers from Cheryl Strayed. in related news, Sometimes Mother’s Day is complicated—just like motherhood.

5. 16 Things You Should Never Do to Your Introverted Partner. In related news, 5 Things Extroverts Get Wrong About Introverts and 6 Ways for Introverts to Get More Energy.

6. What Glimmers Are You Noticing These Days?

7. Quitting is a wildly underrated life strategy. Here’s why.

8. 7 Simple Mindfulness Exercises You Can Easily Fit Into Your Day, that aren’t meditation.

9. Falling In, a poem from Rosemerry Wathola Trommer.

10. Lidia Yuknavitch & Laurie Wagner: The Braided Essay. Live Online :: Monday, May 22, 2023 (8-9:30am Pacific). If you can’t make the life session, Laurie does record the conversation.

11. On Making Art Work: I do not control the creative process.

12. Piano duets with mysterious neighbour. (video) So sweet; so sad.

13. On gardening: The 26 Best Perennial Flowers for Any Garden, and 3 Reasons You Should Always Plant Marigolds in Your Garden, and 10 Reasons To Grow Lemongrass No Matter Where You Live, and 18 Ways To Get Free Plants For Your Garden and Home, and 15 Long Blooming Perennials That Flower All Summer Long.

14. 43-year-old used her life savings to open a bar that only plays women’s sports—it brought in almost $1 million in 8 months.

15. Photographer Gabriele Galimberti Captured Children Around The World Showcasing Their Toy Collections.

16. Hannah Gadsby on Marriage, Autism, and Their New Comedy Special.

17. This couple paid $200,000 for their 180-year-old rainbow farmhouse and spent just. as much on renovations—take a look inside.

18. Here’s the Bird That Matches Each Zodiac Sign, Because They All Wish They Could Fly.

19. Eat more beans. Please. “Beans are protein-rich, sustainable, and delicious. Why doesn’t the US eat more of them?”

20. Perils of the Off-Leash, Friendly Dog. “Contrary to popular belief, a well-socialized dog is not one that runs up to and enthusiastically greets every person or dog they see any more than a well-socialized human is one who runs up to and hugs and kisses every stranger they see. If a human did that, they’d likely and justifiably end up hurt because the behavior would be perceived as so inappropriate as to be indicative that the enthusiastic greeter was dangerous, and the person being greeted would likely feel the need to protect themselves. Dogs are no different. It’s just not polite social behavior to run up to and forcibly greet a strange and unwelcoming dog, no matter how friendly the greeting is intended to be.”

21. In ‘Still,’ Michael J. Fox shares his life with Parkinson’s. In related news, Still: A Michael J Fox Movie review – an intimate, uplifting star portrait.

22. Dried Botanics Pressed into Delicate Fauna Compositions by Artist Helen Ahpornsiri. In related news, Beautiful Botanicals Are Preserved as Meticulously Arranged Flower Press Art.

23. Heather Armstrong’s friends remember the Dooce.com blogger’s complicated legacy. “In writing candidly about the darker dimensions of her day-to-day experiences, Armstrong stood in solidarity with other women, embodying a basic truth: the joys of motherhood are often inextricable from the physical pain and emotional struggle that comes with it.”

24. Canada’s ‘Most Photographed House’ May Meet the Wrecking Ball on The New York Times.

25. Origami Artist Reimagines Trees With Leaves Made of Tiny Paper Cranes.

26. Intricate lifelike insect sculptures made from bamboo by Noriyuki Saitoh.

27. At 81, Martha Stewart Is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover Star on The New York Times. “The domestic diva talks about shedding her inhibitions, and (most of) her clothes, for the cover shoot.”

28. 14 Simple Yet Effective Tips To Help You Rebuild Yourself. Been there, done that.

29. Woman Uses Her Work Commute to Snap Portraits of Strangers with Her iPhone.

30. How one man repopulated a rare butterfly species in his backyard.