surprised_by_joy tender_square over lunch, michael and i were discussing the heaviness that is permeating our lives. he wanted to know when it would end. i said i didn’t have an answer for that. i was going to listen to a podcast after i ate my salad, but instead i asked michael if wanted to walk since we hadn’t gone out for one yet; i needed to move my limbs and shift some energy after what i posted on “indiscriminate” today, which upset me more than i realized (tears were shed). he and i held hands for half of the walk, which we don’t typically do because michael likes to swing his arms as he strides. today we both grasped tight for several blocks; i think we needed it. as we turned onto oakwood to head back home, i spotted a squirrel on an electrical wire barking loudly and waving its tail excessively from down the block. when we reached where it was, i stopped to look up at it. the squirrel looked down on me. “i’m going to call you rambo because you’re so rambunctious!” i called to him. he kept barking and waving away. then i noticed he had the biggest timbit sack i’d ever seen—how i laughed! as we stepped away, a cat shot out from some nearby bushes and stood in front of our path, meowing. it was an orange tabby—not peaches from “kitty_magic” as we weren’t on the right street, but a chubbier tabby i’ve never seen before, which is surprising considering we walk that street every damn day. the cat offered me her belly and i started to pet her. “oh! look at your little beans!” i gushed. her paws were the cutest, so teeny those pink jellybeans. she kept pushing her paws into my forearm as she purred. it’s like j wrote on “kitty_magic”: “there’s something about orange tabbies.” how did this kitty know i needed a special visitor today? thank you, furry friends, for giving me some much needed gladness. 211012 ... nr little cute things (babies and animals) are basically the only things i KNOW will always bring me joy. mischievous squirrels are hilarious. also, i didn't want to write on the page directly, but all of "indiscriminate" is so well-written, brave, honest, and real. relationship- and character-driven narrative is my favourite, and i'm loving reading it. but i can imagine it is not easy to write. it again is giving me zoe whittall vibes, and this is the last time i'll recommend checking her writing out :) 211012 ... tender_square so much yes to little cute things bringing joy; if there's one thing to count on in this world, it's that. thank you so much for your support with "indiscriminate," nr, it means so much to me. it is a difficult thread to write, but a necessary one for me to confront. it's going to take a while to get to the end. i took your recommendation to check out zoe whittall to heart! her new book, "the spectacular," just arrived from amazon yesterday, i'm looking forward to cracking it. 211013 ... nr oh i'm so glad! i'd be curious to hear what someone reading her newest one first thinks. 211013 what's it to you? who go blather from