Hello and welcome back. This is Issue 13 of “a bit of bird words” and I’m still marveling at the nine blossoms on my orchid. Really, look at this beauty:

Truly amazing. This is the third time this plant has bloomed since I purchased it and I always feel a little thrill of accomplishment when it starts putting out a new spike.

What did I do this month?

It’s been a few months, but I did write a new blog post this month about the idea of cultivating oneself. It spawned out of a conversation I had on IRC–and, by the way, if you want to chat with me on IRC, please do! I’m usually on libera.chat during the week.

At the very beginning of the month was the Stockholm Pride Parade. I’ve never been to Pride before—I think I’ve always felt like I wouldn’t “belong” there—but not only did I go this year, I actually volunteered with one of the organizations in the parade. I handed out SO many flags and chatted with a few other volunteers (and a reporter!) and generally had an amazing time. What really blew me away was how many different kinds of people were there. It was, in retrospect, an unfounded fear to think I wouldn’t belong. I felt welcome, and I felt loved. I can’t wait to go next year.

I’ve been taking a bit of a break from gaming, but I have been my partner’s Player 2 a few times for Donkey Kong Bananza. It’s wild, chaotic, and a visual feast. Other than that, a forum admin introduced me to Merge Maestro and I have lost so many hours to playing this. It’s so much fun.

In books, I read the Book of Tea duology; they were passable, but I think I wanted less of the “traditional” romantasy and a lot more delving into the magic system, because magic based on assembling and steeping tea is incredible! I wish the author had done a lot more with it; it felt like a background element, when I wanted it to be the focal point.

I also am back on my KonMari bullshit, which is to say I re-read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and also read Kurashi at Home. I remember the last time I started a tidying festival; in hindsight, I chose the exact wrong time to do so, because I was deeply depressed and also didn’t really understand what Kondo was trying to teach. The point of tidying isn’t to get rid of things; it’s to find those things which bring you joy, which enable you to live a life that fulfills you. It’s an additive philosophy, not subtractive!

The point is I got rid of a lot of things I shouldn’t have back then, and I feel regret over that, but now…now I’m trying to keep this additive philosophy in mind. Which of my possessions bring me joy? Which ones make me feel good? I’ve already finished doing this with my clothing, and it gave me even more clarity in how I want to dress and present myself. I do know I will buy more clothes, but now I can pay better attention to whether a certain piece helps me achieve the look I want.

Gratitude is also a big part of this philosophy. Show gratitude to those things which you are parting ways with, and show gratitude to those things which stay with you. It’s a bit silly, but I try to silently thank a few things (or people) each night before falling asleep. I’ve had much better dreams since doing this, funnily enough.

Next up in the tidying festival is books, and while on the one hand I could probably say I dread it, I look forward to holding all of these books, one by one, and finding the ones that are nearest to my heart.

What else?

I picked up the guitar again! I’ve only got five real chords to my name, but they consistently sound good when I play them and I can swap between them pretty quickly.

I’m also plugging away at some new additions to my website. I’m still waiting for approval to status.cafe but once I have that, expect to see some new things on my home page! (Also I wholeheartedly recommend checking out people’s websites this way; people are so cool and make incredible things!)

This month has beat the shit out of me again, and it’s only going to get worse. But I will try not to dwell on it here. Instead, I’ll express some gratitude: thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. And my recommendation to you is to thank someone or something in your life which has brought you joy, taught you a lesson, or made your day just a little easier.