iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

From her first day at our house to her last, this dog was well loved. Cuddled daily by her human brother.

The first day a 1.5 year old Golden Retriever service dog school flunk out came to live with our family after being “career changed” to pet. My two year old son is loving on her and kissing her.

That same boy, now a teen, says goodbye to the now elderly Golden Retriever after she suffered a catastrophic health event. They cuddled every day of her life.

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

TW: pet loss Our old girl Penny had three seizures today and has neurological deficits as a result. She’s been declining, but thought we had more time before today’s violent episodes. Tonight we spoil her with fresh chicken and love and if she makes it through the night, tomorrow we say goodbye.

An elderly female Golden Retriever with a white face rests with her head on her bed and body on the floor while heavily medicated after a significant medical episode

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I think we have reached the incontinent phase of elderly dog ownership. 😞 I’ve been doing lots of cleaning today and she doesn’t seem ill. Any recommendations on doggie diapers for females that catch solid💩?

An elderly female Golden Retriever with a very white face wedged into a favorite hiding place behind the couch. You’d never know this sweet girl woke up twice today and pooped on the freshly mopped floors before her mother could get across the room and open the door.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

This sweet 12.5 yr old girl has been losing weight (down to 56 lbs from an average of 68-71 her whole life) and has muscle atrophy in her hind legs. Awaiting more results but it might be c-a-n-c-e-r and I’m not ready for that. 😞 she’s the best

An elderly female Golden Retriever with a very white face lying on cool tile in front of a fireplace with a basket of her favorite toys in the background.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Cooking for 15 people w/dietary needs: GF, dairy, onion, garlic and nut free due to allergies, vegetarian and low-FODMAP afraid to eat fresh fruit and veggies during a food-borne illness outbreak. So far, serving three types of water- filtered, tap or bottled either hot, cold or frozen. Ideas? 🤣

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

My 13 y.o. kid saying things like “it’s the suspension of disbelief as a writer’s trope” does not help me enjoy television 🤣

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Lake Michigan is always good for your soul.

Lake Michigan shoreline on a sunny July day with an expansive beach dotted with chairs, colorful kayaks and a sandy boardwalk up to deck stairs.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Nothing like a successful NASA space mission to let you know which of your cousins are flat-earthers…Christmas card list just got a little shorter. 🤣

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

I had a snow day and my children did not. Kids will come home to warm cookies 🍪 I didn’t tell them I was home 🤭

Monster cookies- a heavenly peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip and M&M creation- cooling on a rack on a white and gray counter top next to a baking stone.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

You know life has been rough when you buy sympathy cards by the six pack and I still didn’t have enough to get through all the events of the week. 😞 so far 2026 sucks as much as 2025…

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

My teenager is voluntarily cleaning the kitchen after dinner without being asked. Either I’ve done a great job parenting, or she did something I don’t want to know about and she’s trying to get on my good side 😂😂

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

How is tomorrow Monday already? I just finished my weekend chores!

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

A great gift from a great friend today. She gets me 😂 (details about how to get socks in alt text)

A photo of a gorgeous pair of soft floral socks in tropical colors with a slightly inappropriate saying written on them. The saying is “menopause, what the fuck?” Socks by Blue Q socks from BLUEQ.COM. Sock sales support www.doctorswithoutborders.org

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Annual appetizers for dinner NYE tradition at home with the kids. My vegetarian kid even ate some shrimp for protein… who would’ve predicted that to close out 2025?

A large charcuterie board for five with a mix of cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, honey and assorted crackers and mini garlic toast alongside shrimp cocktail and some warm spanakopita bites. Star shaped plates for serving.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Sprayed my oven after all the greasy Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking. I hope I still feel like scrubbing it out in the morning or I won’t be cooking any time soon.

Picture of a Whirlpool double oven with a can of Easy Off oven spray cleaner on top as a reminder to me to scrub it out in the morning. Oven is surrounded by grey cabinets and a dark hickory floor lined with paper grocery bags to catch any cleaning solution drips.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Christmas tradition at our house is giant Dutch oven cinnamon roll. Extra large this year!

Photo of a large cinnamon roll overflowing a teal Dutch oven lined with parchment paper on a grey and white marbled island next to a cooling rack. Cinnamon roll is not yet frosted with powdered sugar frosting.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Update: new furnace just in time for the outdoor temp/heatwave of 40 degrees 😂. Is it still a Christmas present if it’s *technically* under the tree aka in basement under where tree is located? Asking for other grown ups who won’t have wrapped presents because they got a furnace instead…

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

My furnace decided a week with a high daily temperature of 17 and “feels like” of 7 is a great time to quit working-thank goodness for gas fireplaces, managing to stay at 62 on the main level but it’ll get real chilly tonight when we turn it off for bed. Repair (or replace 🫣) scheduled tomorrow.

A golden retriever sleeping in front of a gas fireplace near a Christmas tree. Currently the warmest place in a house without a working furnace. Note the giant fluffy bed in the lower left corner she is neglecting to use.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

My kid made his television debut this morning on a local PBS production. It was a perfect experience for my always curious, fact loving boy. #WKAR #publictelevision #curiouscrew

Photo of my television screen showing my son on an episode of Curious Crew on my local PBS station. Also in the photo is the host of the show Dr Rob Stevenson, a local science teacher turned educational curriculum developer and local TV celebrity.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Reasons Kindergarteners are funny: one happily rushed up to me to tell me I looked like a dragonfruit fruit today.

Image of a tired but smiling teacher in a white blouse with black swaths of color under a hot pink cardigan

Stock photo including a whole and a halved dragonfruit with white fleshy inside

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

My husband just tried to relate to our teens using the “six seven” meme and he messed it up saying “six nine” instead and now our teens are dying 😂😂

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

So, I apparently can no longer be trusted with a chisel 😂

Mildly gross photo of a left hand with two stitches in the underside of the index finger.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Thank you to whomever is setting off commercial grade fireworks in the parking lot behind my house when it’s 1. 95 degrees, 2. No rain for days 3. Outside city ordinance stating fireworks can only be three days prior to or after a Federal holiday. My terrified dog just 💩 on the floor. 😡

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

It’s officially been 20 years of marriage- 3 kids, 2 dogs and 1 happy life.

A middle aged couple poses for a selfie on a beach in Hawaii. The man has significantly more grey hair than his much younger *wink* wife. There is a beautiful view of teal water, sandy beach and volcanic rock in the background.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

It’s that time of year where teaching feels like working double shifts because you teach all day then do paperwork, report cards and IEPs all night while helping your own children do math with rational numbers, pie, co-signs and “shift” (whatever that is) When is it time for wine?🍷

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

This is not good. I will continue to advocate for myself, my family and my students for whom even small learning disruptions like being sick and missing school set them back.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Please tell me we can find the DNA clownfish use to do this so I too can shrink my body to a smaller stature for the heat* of summer and need less food. 😂 *by heat I mean fit into shorts and a bathing suit after gaining my annual winter hibernation weight

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Picking Hawai’i for the vacation destination for my 20th anniversary was well worth the expense. Amazing trip! Highly recommend the Guide Along app for driving tours of the island- well worth the price as we found many hidden treasures we wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Early morning view of a balcony overlooking a pool out to the ocean through palm trees. West side of Maui, Hawai’i in Kihei.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Teacher appreciation week…not going to lie, feeling pretty down. I don’t want a keychain for “being a key player” or my board members out with “vote no” signs against our bond. I would feel appreciated if I could use my hard earned PTO that is part of my benefit package, but no, that was denied.

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Reposted by @marrellen.bsky.social

Andrea Love, PhD | Biomedical Scientist @drandrealove.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Breast cancer diagnoses rose by over 300% between 1973 and 1992. Was there a breast cancer epidemic?! NO. Mammograms were implemented for screening in 1976. PREVALENCE is a function of being able to correctly diagnose something. This is also about autism.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Got a long overdue haircut today- cut 4”, added layers and thinned it. Feels springy!

Selfie of a middle aged woman with brunette hair that passes her shoulders; in a grey t-shirt and blue sweater.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Parents please know… Autism is not a disease. Your child belongs. Your child is not unworthy. RFK is not correct. Autism is complex, under study via medical, social and educational lenses. Your children make our classrooms and world better places.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Feeling springy- picked up some flowers and made a little lemon bread for dessert later.

Photo of a vase of small pink tulip buds and a glazed loaf of lemon bread sitting on a raised vintage glass cake stand. Background is a rarely seen clean kitchen counter and a stainless refrigerator without fingerprints on cleaning day.

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Reposted by @marrellen.bsky.social

Peter Morley ♿️ @petermorley.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

🔥BREAKING: A federal court ruled in favor of AFSCME case to block DOGE's access to Social Security Administration. Elon Musk and DOGE were ruled a grave danger to Social Security & must delete private data & BLOCKED them from further sharing, accessing or disclosing OUR Social Security information.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Thank you to @firstbook.bsky.social and @pizza-hut.bsky.social for the $500 award for books for my classroom. The books have arrived and the students are thrilled! Most are pictured here for my classroom minus a few that are getting catalogued for our leveled book room.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Yes! Schools should have certified librarians or teachers with library/media degrees.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

I get on streaks of eating the same thing every day for lunch. Currently- two hard boiled eggs with cottage cheese, a diced fresh tomato and basil with a smidge of balsamic glaze. It keeps me full and is fast to make. No picture because I inhaled it at work while typing IEP paperwork.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

I’m pretty sure my kids ask for bananas and let them go brown on purpose to get banana bread.

Four mini loaves of chocolate chip banana bread on a cooking rack on a grey/white countertop next to a bunch of green bananas, otherwise known as next week’s banana bread.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Sobbing watching the news on the California wild fires. Stay safe everyone. 💔

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

The algorithms on here think I have a “type”- I keep getting followed by accounts that have pictures of men aged 50+ with grey and beards that may or may not be bots. Just to be clear- I’m married, to a man, that just happens to be 50+ with lots of grey and occasionally a beard 😂

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Me: it feels great to tidy the house and have freshly vacuumed/mopped floors after all the company Penny(my dog): here, let me vomit all over that for you

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Oh goodie- ‘elves’ from the wellness team are delivering cookies today 🙄 teacher mental health isn’t about 🍪 -we want relevant PD and enough time and resources to do the hard work.

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

My neighbor’s wandering cat got stuck inside my garage today. Not sure how long it was there. Glad it was warm-ish during the winter weather but holy heck did my child freak out when it ran across her foot. I just hope the cat found the mouse that likes my recycle bin while it was here. 🤞🏻

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

I had no idea these small notebooks actually exist. Please don’t tell me husband. I’ve been making him cut regular notebooks in half on the table saw every August for the last 23 years of my teaching career. 🤫

Screenshot from Amazon of a half page size composition notebook.

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Reposted by @marrellen.bsky.social

Bookelicious @bookelicious.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Help rebuild classroom libraries destroyed by Hurricane Helene! Literacy experts Kylene Beers & @lesterlaminack.bsky.social personally curated a collection of books, organized by classroom and grade. Browse and select books you want to gift here: www.bookelicious.com/blog/book-by... #edusky #kidlit

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

My students do something daily to make me smile. Today it was the literal interpretation of the word ‘family’ during math.

A student responds to a math question about fact families with 4 written sentences of facts they know about families instead of writing 4 related math equations. The word “love” is written with a heart for the letter o on all occasions of the use of the word.

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Reposted by @marrellen.bsky.social

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Compared to the list of Traitor Tot's pardons, hunter Biden is an absolute angel. See for yourself: rb.gy/lfkzsb

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Pardons Granted by President Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)

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marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

So true! And I’d add the teacher belief that all pencils are inferior to Ticonderoga pencils, hands down.

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