Hello, lovely!

This is my last week of book tour for How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay and I have conflicting emotions because touring can be hard with anxiety and chronic illness, but it’s also so uplifting to see people in real life and remind myself that the work I do does make a difference even when my mind says otherwise. It can be so easy to listen to the lies that depression tells, and it helps me refill my cup in a way that I can’t explain.

I suspect that you also probably have no idea how much the work you do in your own life (including the work of just being human, kind, and yourself) makes ripples in fantastic ways you’ll never see, but never doubt that it does.

I drew a lot last week because I was in a depression and it helped, but my brain wouldn’t work enough to put together the words I wanted on the drawings so instead of showing you the three unfinished sketches that I’m still working on, here’s a drawing from the book that I’ve been reminding myself of during this depression:

“Don’t begrudge yourself happiness.”

Because there isn’t enough joy in life to just let it pass you by. When it arrives, celebrate it…enjoy it…don’t let guilt or the drudgery of life get in the way of grabbing joy and whimsy and relief whenever it comes and however it shows up. Because you deserve it.

And I do too.

And when this depression passes completely I want to be ready for it.

I super crazy love you,

~ Jenny

THE GUARDIAN: US homeland security put out alert on comedian who created parody ICE tip website

I am in bed unable to walk. I hope to update everyone tomorrow. Hugs

US homeland security put out alert on comedian who created parody ICE tip website
DHS issued ‘Bolo’ for Ben Palmer, whose videos of calls with members of the public who thought they were reporting immigrants went viral

Read in The Guardian: https://apple.news/AlgDVO2y_SaqH_7pe1uju9A

Shared from Apple News

Best Wishes and Hugs,Scottie

HUFFPOST: Trump Could ‘Break Everything’ With His $1.8 Billion Slush Fund

Trump Could ‘Break Everything’ With His $1.8 Billion Slush Fund
Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” isn’t just a payout to his supporters — it’s a loophole that could lead to a complete subversion of the Constitution.

Read in HuffPost: https://apple.news/APhaM6f4HR5uqAoMjKAvTUA

Shared from Apple News

Best Wishes and Hugs,Scottie

Joy

More short videos.

NPR: What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don’t)

What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don’t)
Critics of spyware, which can be used to remotely hack into phones, worry the Trump administration is eroding policies that stigmatized the commercial spyware industry.

Read in NPR: https://apple.news/ALbb1FzOORuG7lJIVf9AXHw

Shared from Apple News

Best Wishes and Hugs,Scottie

USA TODAY: Feds to fine migrants $18,000 to recoup deportation costs

Feds to fine migrants $18,000 to recoup deportation costs
The Trump administration will fine migrants $18,000 for deportation costs, making it harder to return legally.

Read in USA TODAY: https://apple.news/A7LU79f-EQESxaqzm-xC2cA

Shared from Apple News

Best Wishes and Hugs,Scottie

The No Labels Party, Also Free Suicide Prevention Training

Some news about No Labels from my state; what’s happening with parties in your state? And great news regarding suicide prevention efforts aimed at LGBTQ+. I bet my state isn’t the only one!

No Labels Kansas is no more as a political party, despite bizarre bid to hijack the organization

Party didn’t fulfill plan to nominate candidates for president, vice president

By: Tim Carpenter

TOPEKA — Demise of the No Labels Kansas political party was inevitable after it neglected to fulfill the organization’s central objective when formed in January 2024 to nominate candidates for U.S. president and vice president.

The failure of No Labels Kansas to field candidates for any type of statewide office or to win at least 1% of the total votes cast for that office in a general election meant the organization would eventually lose its standing in Kansas among the state’s five political parties. Instead of leaving Kansans to speculate when that might occur in 2026, No Labels Kansas secretary and treasurer Shane Mathis requested May 15 the termination of state recognition of the political party.

“Because No Labels Kansas declined to nominate candidates for those offices in 2024 and has no intention of doing so in the future, its central organizational purpose no longer exists,” Mathis said.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab complied Monday with the request and notified county election clerks and commissioners of state law requiring voter registration records be amended so 5,955 people registered with No Labels Kansas would be reclassified as unaffiliated.

In Kansas, the Republican Party dominates with 897,000 registered voters compared with the 575,000 unaffiliated and 495,000 Democratic Party registrants.

While founders of No Labels Kansas didn’t make a dent in Kansas elections, the existence of its organizational shell led a pair of longtime Republican operatives to attempt a hijacking of No Labels Kansas so it might be transformed into an organization with a broader mission that included nomination of candidates for state offices. (snip-MORE)

Kansas organization launches free suicide prevention training focused on LGBTQ+ community

By: Baya Burgess

TOPEKA — A Wichita organization created an online training program for suicide prevention and mental health education to improve the care that LGBTQ+ Kansans receive when reaching out to crisis resources, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

The organization, Center of Daring, focuses on inclusivity and leadership training. Its 10-part training program takes nine hours to complete and is available for free on the center’s website, according to an April 28 press release announcing the program.

“We believe this training series will fill a deep need here at a time when many LGBTQ+ Kansans don’t feel safe in our state,” said Liz Hamor, the Center of Daring founder, in the release.

Through learning activities, videos and surveys, the training covers trauma-informed intervention, intersectionality and promoting equity within a crisis response organization. The training was designed with input from LGBTQ+ residents and Kansas crisis care providers, according to the press release.

The 988 helpline is a mental health crisis resource available 24/7. It went nationwide in 2022. Kansas’ line received more than 34,000 calls, 12,000 texts and 9,000 chats in 2025, according to a state-mandated annual report.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a free, confidential hotline available 24/7 for individuals in crisis or those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

Well, Here’s An Idea For Eco-Health:

Hair salons in Europe are dumping their clippings into forests and it’s miraculous

Deers don’t like it but trees absolutely love it.

By Heather Wake

Every day, hair salons sweep countless hair clippings off their floors and toss them into the trash without much thought. But in parts of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, those discarded strands are finding an entirely different purpose: helping forests grow.

French recycling company Capillum has developed a surprisingly effective way to reuse human hair by turning it into biodegradable mulch that protects young trees from hungry deer. The company collects hair from participating salons and transforms it into flattened fiber sheets that can be wrapped around vulnerable saplings.

What sounds unusual at first actually solves several environmental problems at once.

A second life for salon clippings

Hair salons generate an enormous amount of waste each year. Most clippings are simply thrown away, even though human hair is remarkably durable because it is made largely from keratin, a fibrous protein that breaks down slowly over time.

Capillum saw potential in a material most people never think twice about. The company accepts hair regardless of texture, length, color, or whether it has been dyed. Once gathered, the hair is fed into a machine that minces everything together into dense fiber sheets that can be laid around the base of trees. The process transforms something typically viewed as garbage into a practical tool for conservation efforts.

Why young trees need protection

Many forests depend on saplings surviving long enough to mature and replenish the ecosystem. However, young trees often struggle in areas with large deer populations. Deer are known to chew on bark, especially during seasons when food is scarce. Because saplings have thin bark and delicate trunks, even small amounts of damage can stunt their growth or kill them entirely.

Foresters have historically relied on plastic fencing and tree guards to keep deer away. While those barriers can work well, they also create waste and require maintenance over time.

Capillum’s recycled hair mats offer another approach. The scent of human hair naturally discourages deer from getting too close to the trees, steering them toward other vegetation instead. The method protects saplings without harming wildlife.

A biodegradable alternative to plastic

Unlike plastic guards, the hair fibers gradually decompose and return nutrients to the soil. As the keratin breaks down, it releases nitrogen and amino acids that can support plant growth. That nutrient-rich quality is one reason some gardeners have long experimented with placing hair into compost piles or using it directly in garden beds. Knowing this, Capillum sells its eco-friendly hair mulch to home gardeners interested in more sustainable growing methods.

Human hair is more useful than most people realize (snip-MORE)

Surely there are people here in the US, in our profit-driven society, who could do this recycling, as well.

Some Short Vids For Fun Today

From Friend of Playtime The Bee and her Greyhound doggy, Sherky (I’m getting it posted a little late in the week, but the wishes are still good!

This guy thinks of more things to do with his doggies, and always Bear gets feisty about whatever it is!

Political cartoons / memes / and news I wish I want to share. 5-21-2026

One of my objectives with my new children’s book “My Dad Thinks I’m a Boy?!” is to show kids how being authentic isn’t unreasonable, unlike many parents’ expectations. Who is stubborn between the child expressing themselves and the adult unwilling to...

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

https://www.tumblr.com/reagan-was-a-horrible-president/816900073025912832

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

https://www.tumblr.com/sleepyleftistdemon/816955662561165312

#corruption from Oh Canada !

https://www.tumblr.com/sleepyleftistdemon/816940395267260416

‘Under babied’ is a dystopian term. It removes men from responsibility and commitment. It sounds very sterile and detached. Dr. Oz sounds loveless.

Republican men see women as white baby-making machines. They want mothers to be on the verge of destitution. They envision desperate mothers as more controllable. These misogynist men are given way too much influence in conservative politics.