Today's small pleasure is finishing my little todo notebook. I actually used it! Turns out I was right: having a couple cute pens and a very bright notebook does help me remember to make plans and check them through the day

#LongCovid #brainfog #planners #notebooks

#SolarPunkSunday musings...

So, in contemplating my own vision of a #SolarPunk community, there are some *jobs* that imho are crucial to running any type of close-knit community /society...

1. People trained in #FirstAid / #MedicalArts -- for both humans and non-humans
2. #Plumbers
3. #Carpenters
4. #Masons
5. #Blacksmiths / #Metalworkers
6. #Architects / #Planners
7. #Foresters / #Foragers
8. #Gardeners / #Farmers / #FoodProducers
9. #Menders / #Cobblers / #Clothiers / #Seamsters / #Tailors
10. #Chemists / #Alchemists
11. #Herbalists / #Compounders
12. #CitizenScientists / #Observers
13. #Potters / #Ceramics experts
14. #Computer / #Technology fixers (especially #electrical and #solar)
15. #Mothers / #Caregivers
16. #Teachers / #Librarians
17. #Cooks
18. #Cleaners
19. #Weavers / #Spinners / #FiberArtists

Other suggestions?

Glimmers vs Terrible Things

It feels almost grotesque to watch everything going on globally, and then get up and write out to-do lists and shopping lists, to arrange playdates, to fold away laundry.

But the terrible things don’t seem to go away. Like pigeons, they seem to gather and gather. And we need to eat and have clean clothes and balance the budget.

Some tools for anyone who’s struggling right now:

• How keeping a little list of glimmers can help your mental health – this is something I’ve been practising long before I’d ever heard the term ‘glimmers’. I kept a list in my ring-bound planner, year in and out of “things I enjoy”, “Soothing things”, “things that give me energy” and “scents I enjoy”. They function like a menu: on days I need a pick-me-up, I pick something from the energy list. If I’m upset or stressed, I’ll pick from the soothing list. And the joy list is just lovely to read at any time. Some of the things in there are as simple as “going for a walk around sunrise or sunset”, or “reading under a cosy blanket with a hot water bottle”.
• A meditation for when the world’s suffering feels heavy. from Midnfullness magazine.
• Your sensitivity is a strength, beloved. (Link to article “Why being sensitive is a strength” by Time Magazine. )

Some extracts, because I know we are all a little depleted and in need of a boost:

“Sensitive people have this capacity for innovation because they tend to be deep thinkers who spend more time and energy turning problems over in their heads—and end up seeing more possibilities and solutions.“

“A second strength sensitive people have is their decision-making ability. In studiesinvolving both humans and monkeys, the subjects who are sensitive—based on having gene variants associated with sensitivity—tend to outperform others on a variety of cognitive tasks, particularly those that require noticing patterns and using them to predict outcomes and make smart decisions.”

and my favourite, because it turns out that we are natural “boosters” in groups:

Over and over, researchers find that sensitive people are supercharged by any form of training or support. If you’re a sensitive person, you can activate this ability by curating a supportive environment around yourself—such as a group of supportive friends—and by seeking out resources such as mentoring, training, therapy, or coaching.

I don’t have a cute sign-off today. Take care of yourselves and each other.

xxx

#Health #life #mentalHealth #minnesota #planners #Relationships

JetPens is incredibly cool and my new favorite stationery website

I stumbled across JetPens a few weeks ago while trying to find out more about the Hobonichi Techo and the Kokuyo Jibun Techo planners. I was deep in planner research mode (you know how it is when you’re hunting for the perfect planning system), and honestly, JetPens is amazing. It’s unfortunate that this website isn’t available to buy stuff from in India. However, it still offers practical and valuable information that you might not find anywhere else.

Here’s what blew my mind. I clicked on their comparison guide between the Hobonichi and Jibun Techo, and it was more detailed than anything I could find on the official planner websites. They had grid measurements, paper weight comparisons, photos of the actual layouts, everything. It’s wild that a retailer would put in more effort than the manufacturers themselves.

What makes JetPens special is how much information they pack into every product page. They’re a store, yes, but more importantly, it feels like a trustworthy source of information. You know when you’re trying to find a specific pen with a 0.25mm needle point tip in archival quality blue ink? Most websites would make you click through a hundred products. JetPens has filters for literally everything. They’ve documented specifications for over 10,000 products so you can actually find what you want.

The guides are incredible, too. They create handwriting samples, water-resistance tests for fountain pen inks, and videos showing how each pen writes. I spent way too much time watching their YouTube videos about different paper types. It’s the kind of content that makes you realize how much thought goes into quality stationery.

And the selection! Japanese stationery, Korean brands, European pens, washi tape, planners, and notebooks with Tomoe River paper. The whole vibe of the site just feels right. It’s clean, organized, and made by people who actually care about pens and paper. They test everything before adding it to their catalog. The team is fountain pen users, artists, and writers themselves, so when they recommend something, you know it’s because they’ve actually used it.

I wish we had something like this in India. Being a stationery lover here means either settling for whatever’s available locally or ordering internationally and dealing with shipping costs and customs. JetPens only ships within the USA (free shipping over $35), so I’m stuck admiring from afar for now.

But honestly? Even just browsing the site makes me happy. That feeling when you discover a website that completely gets your obsession with the perfect pen, the right grid size, and the smoothest paper. For anyone who gets excited about new stationery releases every week, this is your place.

If you’re into planners, pens, or paper, check out JetPens.com. Just a fair warning, you might lose a few hours exploring their comparison tools and guides. Worth it though.

LLM remarking on enshitification and tech bros dismantling the Internet: "Your instinct to move toward analog, ritual, and embodied systems is adaptive.
Planners, notebooks, dharma practice, somatic awareness, community—these aren’t retreats from modernity; they’re ways of keeping agency when infrastructures rot."

#AI #LLM #Enshitification #TechBros #Analog #Planners #Notebooks #DharmaPractice #SomaticAwareness #Community #MeatSpace

Holiday stress? Not this year. Grab my free Christmas planner and stay ahead of the season 🎁🎄 #dogs #cats #pets #lifestyle #planners

https://pethealthlove.com/free-christmas-planner-to-keep-you-organized/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Interesting Stories: Stephanie's Picks @interesting-stories-stephanie-s-picks-Stephanieatr

I know what Japanese planner this guy uses.

Holiday stress? Not this year. Grab my free Christmas planner and stay ahead of the season 🎁🎄 #dogs #cats #pets #lifestyle #planners

https://pethealthlove.com/free-christmas-planner-to-keep-you-organized/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Secrets of the Cat World @secrets-of-the-cat-world-JoinYourLife