[becherdireinen]

what a privilege it is to come home to a little animal that loves you like you're their whole world.

[themistyfootprints]

Why should i have to add smiley/laughing face emojis to my teams messages just to make it crystal clear that my messages are written in a neutral/positive/good tone?? I never write anything offensive to anyone and everything i write is very neutral, yet my boss seems convinced that most of my messages might be written with hidden meanings unless there is a literal smiley face at the end. And i really cannot be bothered to do his emotional labour and i think that an adult man should be able to read polite messages without tones and survive if there isn't an emoji at the end. Unless someone says something outright mean or offensive i feel we shouldn't feel the need to decorate our messages with emojis in professional settings if it doesn't come naturally. I don't mind if other people use emojis but it doesn't come naturally to everyone and sometimes I'm afraid the culture nowadays is to get offended if there isn't a smiley face at the end of every message??

[mossy-cobble]

crazy how i find myself thinking i've got a handle on it all finally and then i see the ways that other people tangle their lives together so easily and live so easily together with their friends and i feel like that girl at the top of the stairs painting by norman rockwell

[mossy-cobble]

i'll always be here

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

[whyenn-reader]

''what if you regret it'' then you will expirience regret - a normal and unavoidable part of the human expirience.

[whyenn-reader]

the more you twist yourself into a pretzel to avoid regret the harder it will hit when it eventually catches up to you.

[spiralatria]

this 'being really tired after work' thing is really getting in the way of this 'pursuing my artistic hopes and dreams' thing has anyone else noticed this

[themistyfootprints]

We got to dog sit for my wife's friends on Sunday. Frida has stayed with us twice before but this was the first time in our new home since we moved last February. It all went so well as it always does with her. She is such a good girl and lets our cats be. She's kind of afraid of our other cat Toivo, who has made it clear he is the boss. It actually works well for everyone because our other cat Pauli is sensitive and prone to stress and reacts by withdrawing, nausea and loss of appetite. But Pauli is fine as long as no one acts too intense. And Frida knows to stay calm because otherwise Toivo gets annoyed.

It was a lovely but bittersweet day since everything went so well. Pauli didn't withdraw, he even came to see Frida from a distance a couple of times and had a very normal day. Toivo was also fine since he knows he is the boss. But it was bittersweet because my heart and soul want a dog, have wanted one since childhood, and i still don't have one. It has broken my heart and keeps breaking it when i see happy dogs out and about. But my heart also breaks for Pauli who has not had the easiest life and my number one priority is to make sure that his existence remains as stress free as possible. Which means we cannot get a puppy. And finding a dog for adoption in Finland isn't as easy as some places around the world, especially as it would have to be a dog who is guaranteed to be able to peacefully coexist with cats. But I won't lose hope that one day my dream will become a reality. That is the only way that i can keep going. One day, one way or another, we will have the dog that is meant to be ours.

[stricatul]

maybe intimacy isn't taking off your clothes. maybe it's taking off your "i'm fine." maybe it's being naked in ways that have nothing to do with skin.

[boymiffy]

never underestimate the healing power of a patch of sunlight

[themistyfootprints]

My wife had organised a surprise mini getaway for last Sunday. I only knew what time we would leave and what to pack and that we would take out bikes with us but the rest was a mystery. I did have my guesses since i knew the schedule meant public transportation which would mean a train because that's kind of the only option with bikes. I ended up guessing the train destination correctly but didn't guess where we would bike from the station! The destination was and old town with ironwork history (not sure about the correct English word - Ruukkikaupunki in Finnish). It is a tourist destination nowadays with lots of little boutiques and galleries and restaurants/cafés. We spent a leisurely day exploring, eating and people watching. Had such a lovely day with my favourite human. It was sunny and warm with some rain in the afternoon. The pictures are from the bike journey since i just focused on the moment once at our destination and forgot to take photos.

We were exhausted by the time we got home though. We ended up cycling approx 30 km throughout the day and walking around for hours so no wonder. Felt really nice to lay on the couch after twelve hours on the go.

[aropride]

if your animal is lying on the floor, furniture etc, it’s important to take a picture of them. then, if they move or shift in any way, it’s important to take another picture. with this technique, you can take many pictures of your animal

[themistyfootprints]

We had such a good midsummer past weekend. Started on Thursday after work with a long bike ride to plug off after a hectic short week. Then on Friday morning I went on another long ride and ä after lunch we headed to my wife's parents' place to hang out with them and a couple or their friends for the rest of the day. We ate so much good food and had such a fun time. It felt like a mini vacation. We rode our bikes home under the midsummer evening sun - the bottom pic is around 10 pm when we left the party. It was such a beautiful night.

On midsummer day, Saturday, we woke up early but slowly and drove to my parents' place for lunch. My brother and sister-in-law and her parents were also visiting and it was nice to see everyone albeit we were tired from Friday. We took the cats with us so they didn't have to spend another day alone at home and got to have a little midsummer adventure. We all were tired when we got home Saturday afternoon.

Luckily there was still Sunday. It was a summery day and we got to rest and recuperate in peace. And I got one more long bike ride in.

[garmentpurist-deactivated202603]

I love getting older. I’m hotter, more confident, more intelligent. Ageism is a dirty trap. Don’t get caught in it.

[kosmogrl]

I will probably get through this just like I have gotten through everything before but I need to be really stressed and scared first

[fat-fuck-hairy-belly]

Humans literally evolved armpit and pubic hair to be more musky as a result of sexual selection and now the beauty industry is telling you to shave your bush and armpits. I trust the taste of a prehistoric cave woman more than the taste of a Gillette marketing department thank you very much.

[theclassyissue]

[themistyfootprints]

Jokes on me. I thought I was on the other side of the rough patch yet here i am still going through it.

It will be fine. I will be fine. The grief will dissipate and I will find purpose again other than going through the motions of work, working out, errands and housekeeping.

There are good things going on as well. I just need to actively turn my focus to them or else I find myself in quite a downward spiral.

-summer is making its arrival! It has been a cold and rainy June but it seems the weather is about to turn and I'm ready for my early morning road biking adventures. I feel it will do me good.

-i have been making good food and eating well. Must dedicate a full post for some delicious seasonal meals once i have more pics. I made this overnight fermented sourdough chocolate cake last weekend and it has brought me joy. I have eaten it plain and with yoghurt and fresh strawberries

-Toivo and Pauli the cats as always