compassion Archives - The Moody Mortal

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How to live happily in an unhappy world

March 23, 2024

I've been working on a post about putting together Easter baskets. It should be an easy, fun write up. But for some reason, I'm struggling. Maybe it's the heaviness I feel in the air - like the atmosphere is weighted down by an unseen force and I can't escape it. The air is thick with pain and unbelievable sorrow - and I feel as if I need to face it before I can talk about pastel-colored eggs and chocolate bunnies. In some way, I suppose I'm navigating how to live happily in an unhappy world. ... VIEW POST

Raise them to love the unloved things

April 21, 2023

...raise children who love the unloved things...I've always had a knack for seeing the beauty in things that might otherwise seem repulsive -- cupping roving spiderlings in my hands to escape quick-footed spider-squashers is what I do (everyone keeps a tarantula under their bed in college, right?). I don't think I've ever intentionally trampled a spider, come to think of it. Seems ridiculous, I suppose, but I feel for the unloved things. Creepy crawlies and critters that slither might be ... VIEW POST

the_moody_mortal

Feb 19

•• Wednesday vibes •• How are you handling this Wednesday, moody mortals?? ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 19

•• goodnight ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 17

•• Episode 2: CRAWLING IN MY SKIN is up 🎙••

Link for Moody Mortals Unmasked can be found in my link in bio. Please give it a listen and a follow -- share if you love it! Much love, Moody Mortals.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4Gdig4yNgeUkh4Zzxw6Blh

#podcast #newepisode #newepisodealert

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 15

•• Here she is -- daytime reveal of my Winter skeleton garden display, inspired by @gameofthrones •• Where are my GOT fans at? What do you think of this one, moody mortals? I only fell off the ladder once this time (fist pump!).

WINTER IS DEFINITELY HERE 🐲💀

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 15

• From my "cats are cheaper than therapy" calendar today,

"86% of cat owners say their felines make their lives better, according to a 2023 poll by the American Psychiatric Association."

....the remaining 14% probably need more cats.....

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 14

•• Isn't she lovely? This is Winona. A surprise for my birthday today 🖤🎸 Rock on, moody mortals. Rock. On. ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 12

•• Majestic Max Dennison. Moments after this photo, he *aggressively* threw up his breakfast and proceeded to re-eat it. Happy Wednesday. ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 11

•• After my mind is done, I leave little else to question. Yes, I question nearly every decision I make. But I never question holding you a little closer, feeling your breath on my chest, listening to your gentle (sometimes monstrous) snores, loving you a little longer, squeezing you a little tighter. •

#momconfessions #kids #parenting

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 9

•• It's always a good day for trinkets. And a lovely bookmark from an Etsy shop I love that I'll share in stories. ••

THANK you to all who have listened to Episode 1: I AM from my podcast Moody Mortals Unmasked. Your kind comments have made my year. 🎙Find it on Spotify, AmazonMusic, and Iheartradio.

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 8

•• Podcast is up! ••

See the link in stories or follow the link in my bio to Moody Mortals Unmasked: Living authentically in an inauthentic world. ✨️
✨️ I would love to have you follow along and share, moody mortals. 🖤

#podcast #mentalhealth #newpodcast #moodymortals #weirdos #unmask #spotify #podcastersofinstagram

Just...lower your expectations. I burst into uncontrollable giggles at one point so....the bar is nice and low 🤣💀

🎙Find this on Spotify, Iheartradio, and AmazonMusic 🎙

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 7

•• a lace gown •• drippy candles •• unwritten love letters •• cherubs •• a collection of Valentines from years gone by •• a wedding photo •• a suitcase packed for a honeymoon holiday •• glimpses into the story of Daisy, the Valentine Bride ••

Look for more of her story on the blog later. Until then, lose yourself in the possibility of a love story cloaked in mystery and a bit of darkness.

My lovely friend Bryan @our.cozy.little.home asked if I would like to share a Valentine styling with him and I am so excited to share this Victorian Valentine inspiration ✨️ with you today.

Bryan's home is a cozy dream-come-true but beyond his near spot-on-every-time styling is a heart of gold and a soul that's clearly on fire. He's not only "one of the good ones," he's a light in an often dark world and he extends that joy to everyone around him (thank you for that, Bryan). I'm truly humbled that he would ask me to share along with him -- and I can't wait for you to see what he put together today (it's fabulous, obviously).

So, do you think Daisy, our Valentine bride, finds her happily-ever-after? What feelings does this scene evoke for you? Also, aren't these little cherubs the sweetest-and-also-rather-creepy-but-that's-just-part-of-the-charm???

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 6

•• Unruly Women are always witches. No matter what century we're in. ••

Proud, witchy woman here. 🖤✨️ How about you, moody mortals?

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 3

•• It's a good day to laze about in the sun. Ya know? ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 2

•• It's feeding time at the Kitty Corale. Patience is not their virtue. Isn't it obvious? ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 2

•• After reading the news, I've causally picked up, "Dante's Inferno:A Guide to the 9 Circles of Hell. ••

Just a bit of light reading......for no particular reason at all.....

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 2

•• Winnifred Sanderson is the matriarch of our pride. She's not allowed on the table, but you can't tell a queen what to do 🤷‍♀️ ••

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the_moody_mortal

Feb 1

•• They are regal, no? Don't let them fool you. Sarah Sanderson just threw up a hairball under that chair and she seemed to enjoy watching me clean it up. 🤣🫠••

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the_moody_mortal

Jan 31

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." Buddha

I think this is my favorite shot I've ever captured of the moon. This was the last Super Moon of 2024. Howl worthy, yes?? 🐺

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the_moody_mortal

Jan 29

•• Look. It's a horse. •• Also, I recently unpacked a new litter box and the shipping box was huge. Of course, the kids nearly wiped me out to get their grubby little hands on it 😉 Since then, Abbey has vacated her room and moved into the box. Her name is now Box Girl. 📦 ••

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the_moody_mortal

Jan 26

Hello, Moody Mortals - Jess, here (it’s always Jess, here). Taking a few moments to pivot, rewind, and remind myself (and you) of who I am - why I’m here.

Perhaps you’ve been hanging around for a while or maybe you’ve recently stumbled upon this space. Regardless, I like to think of you all as a part of the moody mortals club — folks that feel deeply, laugh loudly, that appreciate and understand the evanescence of life — that it is brief, magical, and also tragic — that all of those things help shape our existence and that existence is most meaningful when we share it.

You’ll find that I’m a mixed bag. I am a writer, an artist, a photographer, a musician, a parent of 5, a cat-enthusiast, a lover of animals, an educator, a counselor, and a humanist. Here, I share a whole lot of moody home inspiration, funny and meaningful stories, my art and musings, and a general attitude of compassion mixed with snark (oh yeah, I also tend to my skeleton garden).

Let’s see (flips through My Little Pony notebook)…I feel most at home in the woods and have been canoodling the neighborhood murder of crows for the past year (I like to believe I’m a bog witch). I live with fibromyalgia, hyper-mobile joints, anxiety, and major depressive disorder (all of these things contribute to my dazzling sense of humor). Nature is healing, the outdoors call to me daily — I love hiking, biking, running, dancing, and tripping over my own feet (I made really great friends with a prickly bush during my last bike ride).

At my core, I’m a passionate person. I love and feel deeply. I’m also committed to being an outlandishly supportive and safe space for my LGBTQ+ community, I am always learning how to better advocate for BIPOC as a white woman, and know that I have growing to do — I hope to inspire growth in others. Being open and willing to learn in the face of discomfort is part of growth and the betterment of humanity. I do not tolerate intolerance. Hate has no home here. I am protective over this oddball community of moody mortals.

If you’re reading this and any of the above resonates with you, welcome to the club. I hope you feel a sense of belonging 🖤

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It feels weird. Trying to blog about mundane things like laundry room organization when life quite literally feels on the cusp of…something. I’ve talked about my own struggle with posting “normal” life during times that pull us out of our own bubbles and push us into the world as it is — a messy, torturous… [Continue Reading]
I wrote this at 2 AM with a fever of 104 last month (pneumonia is a beast). It’s one of the many pieces I’ve written with no intention of sharing publicly. I often fight with myself — wondering if my words have the meaning I intend, feeling as though I’m robbed of eloquence, or that… [Continue Reading]
“Whoa! That’s so cool,” my kids gasped, breathless in their excitement as they saw the colors stream through my camera lens. What looked to be a faint line of pink quickly burst into a blend of dark pink, purple, blue, and green. Photography is magic. The human eye is fairly weak, really. We’re just not… [Continue Reading]
A handful of weeks ago, I thought about writing this post – and I want to add that it also had a great title at the time (I specifically remember thinking, “WOW, that’s a BOMB title!”). As it happens, I can’t recall it (*pulls out hair in frustration*) and this post remains title-less until it… [Continue Reading]
“Autumn’s Fire” fine art print available here Leaf peeping is at its height here in the mountains of Colorado and I feel like there is a renewed interest in learning to appreciate nature and its gifts. We were lucky to be able to drive up Guanella Pass — one of the most popular aspen-viewing drives… [Continue Reading]