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CNN

James Harrison, blood donor whose rare plasma saved millions of babies, dead at 88 | CNN

James Harrison, a prolific Australian blood donor famed for having saved the lives of more than two million babies, has died at age 88.

It's worth noting that there are some extraordinary people in the world who have been quietly doing the work for decades, and they should be celebrated with all the fervor that we denounce the villains. I first read about Harrison twenty-odd years ago, when he'd already been doing this for about fifty years, and this is one of those guys whose life can, indeed, be summed up by his headline.

James Harrison saved millions of lives. Millions. Not with anything flashy or dramatic, not with profound speeches or brilliant strategy or any of the things we insist are the ways to impact the world. He simply kept himself as healthy as possible so that every few weeks he could go and sit quietly in a room and give away a fundamental part of himself — quite literally his lifeblood — to people he'd never meet, for no pay and no expectation of acknowledgement. (He was, it should be said, acknowledged quite a lot per this article, but that's beside the point.)

When we talk about the kind of people we want to elevate and celebrate in our societies, I often think of people like James Harrison. I hope we get more of him; not just for his blood, but for his heart.

do u ever remember all the horrible offensve things u said when u were like 15 and u literally feel ur soul detach and turn 2 dust 

I don’t know if I’ve spelled it out on tumblr yet, but I want to talk about The Mammal List. 

The Mammal List is something I came up with when I was in a mental health intensive outpatient program four(!!) years ago. The premise is that we are at our core animals, and if I consider myself the way I’d consider a pet cat, I’m much more likely to practice good self-care:

1. Mammals need food. Eat something! If the Hellbeast doesn’t pass judgment on a piece of cheese, neither should you. (She also eats anything small enough to fit in her mouth, so be judicious in that respect. Food is good. Lint is not.)

2. Mammals need hydration. Drink something! It doesn’t have to be water. It could be delicious tuna juice. You’re a discerning creature. I trust you. 

3. Mammals need sleep. Make a soft nest and let yourself enjoy it. Knead it until it’s comfortable. Let yourself rest as long as you need. Just existing is hard. You’ve earned a break. 

4. Mammals need movement. Take your precious body and do something. Don’t hurt yourself. Be kind.

5. Mammals need stimulation. Treat yourself to a new jingle ball or mousie toy. Get a bird feeder and stare at it. Let yourself really enjoy it. Play is in your nature.

6. Mammals need socialization. I know this one is particularly difficult these days, but if you don’t keep reaching out, you’re going to forget yourself and start biting people. 

7. Mammals need cleanliness. Nobody likes scooping the litterbox, but it has to be done. Don’t forget your own body. Make your fur shine. Treat yourself as the luminous creature you are. 

And most important of all: don’t feel guilty. This isn’t about deserving (although you do deserve it). You’re an animal and you need these things to survive, and I very much want you to survive. 

this is going to be difficult -> i am capable of doing difficult things -> i have done everything prior to this moment -> this difficulty will soon be proof of capability

A technique for planting on hills. I'm sure there are many terms and traditions for this. If you're into permacture, you might recognize it as a sort of mini-swale. Basically, it serves as a way to help plants get established on hillsides, when you don't or can't terrace them.

The idea is that you plant in a little pocket, such that the plant is a little more sheltered & such that whatever rain falls on or up-hill of the plant is captured so that it sinks in rather than contributing to runoff.

In this particular case, one of my clients has a bald patch on a hill side that they don't want to invest any money in, because they don't think anything can grow there. Thus, I have been slowly populating it with divisions and transplants from other parts of their yard, with permission, and am slowly changing their mind.

The soil is not in particularly great shape, because it's a very steep hill, and a dog has been using it for a pathway. So it's steep, bare of any mulch or plant life, compacted, and the soil is poor in organic matter. A lovely challenge, no?

Today I was deadheading & thinning their rose campion, a tough little plant that is drought tolerant and can grow in very poor soil. Here's the first one I planted (and you can see why I included the diagram, it is a bit hard to tell what's going on:

On the left is an overhead view, right is a side-on view. Now, see what happens when you add water:

It pools at the base of the plant, and then slowly soaks in. Ideally, I'd have a nutritive mulch to add on top, but alas. These are tough little guys, and now when the rains come, they'll actually get watered instead of all that water washing down hill.

apple blossomed trees / roots with the birds