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

031

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.

110

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.

150

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.

100

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Penny says, steal a tennis ball from your human sister’s tennis bag and you’ll feel much better.

An elderly female Golden Retriever with a white face sitting on a geometric patterned blue and grey rug looks quite pleased with herself while an off camera human dog mom holds the tennis ball the Golden swiped from the teenager’s tennis practice bag. At least she didn’t bite the racket!

1353

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.

010

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

000

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.

010

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Update- family did not like the soup. Kid 1: too many mushrooms Kid 2: it’s….brown Kid 3: it has meat, eeewww Into the freezer in single serve portions it goes- future work lunches

Finished beef mushroom barley soup in a Dutch oven on a counter with a black ladle in the pot

000

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Yum. I’ve boiled down my prime rib roast bones-beefy mushroom barley soup in progress.

A teal Dutch oven on a flat top electric stove filled to the brim with beef broth, prime rib trimmings, veggies, mushrooms and soon to be added barley for soup.

100

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.

000

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.

000

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.

130

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.

020

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

010

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.

010

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Brooklyn, you’re getting so big! ❤️your friend, Penny

An elderly female Golden Retriever with a very white face laying on her favorite tile floor spot in front of a gas fireplace that lets in a lovely draft year-round.

020

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.

010

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

My boy is big now and still cuddles with our dog.

Male preteen child snuggled up on the floor with a sleeping elderly Golden Retriever. They have been best buds forever and have snuggled like this daily since Boy Child was 2.

090

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.

000

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.

000

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.

010

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.

121

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

I am teaching myself how to do embroidery stitches from a kit and online tutorials. My new mantra is “stab fabric not people” when I’m feeling angry at the world.

A partially completed beginner embroidery project: grey fabric with a pattern containing a variety of cacti that may or may not be realistic as depicted. Needle is poised on magnet awaiting the next step. Not pictured: the snarly pile of threads from stitches torn out and redone.

170

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Hang in there. I’m glad you have a plan to take care of yourself.

An elderly snow loving Golden Retriever is lying in deep snow on a deck keeping watch over her yard. It is one of her favorite activities and no, she isn’t cold and no, she doesn’t want to come inside when she’s called. She will knock on the door when she’s ready.

020

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Your new counter is similar to mine! We redid our 20 year old kitchen this fall. Out with the blue countertop/oak and in with the quartz. My husband painted the cabinets and added hardware. *not pictured: new flooring on order and painters come next week to redo the walls.

Standard builder grade kitchen from 2000 with yellow oak cabinets and blue Jean blue Formica counters over oak flooring

Alternate view of same early 2000 kitchen with small stainless steel sink

An “after” view of the 2000’s kitchen updated with quartz counters in white with grey marveling. Cabinet bases painted in grey, uppers are white with expanded cabinet by the fridge. Hardware long black
Cabinet/drawer pulls added.

New stainless under mount sink. Left side is significantly deeper/larger than right for soaking large pans. New black faucet.

100

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Penny says “Get well soon, Ren!”

An elderly Golden Retriever named Penny looking cute after a fresh groom wishing her internet dog pal well.

010

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Thank you for sharing. Our Golden girl turns 11 this month and is showing her age. I’m dreading goodbye and explaining it to the kids. This helps a lot.

An elderly Golden Retriever named Penny lying on a snow covered deck watching over her yard. It’s her favorite place to be.

250

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Winter is here in MI! School is closed today and tomorrow due to temperatures.

Screen shot of a local weather display showing the actual temperature of 4 degrees and a “feels like” temperature of -11 degrees

110

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.

030

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

Poor Jolene. Penny says “Snow is fun once you get used to it.”

An elderly female Golden Retriever is lying on an icy, snow covered deck enjoying the day and overlooking her beloved yard. She was born in Michigan in the cold January. She loves to be in the snow.

020

marrellen.bsky.social @marrellen.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Behold- the cookie. It has not made me feel mentally well today.

A picture of one small peanut butter cookie gifted to a teacher in the name of mental wellness by her employer. Background is the teacher’s new counter top in a grey-white quartz, which she loves and that DOES help her mental wellness.

020

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

Our girl Penny loves the snow- your cat will learn to love it.

Elderly female Golden Retriever with a white face lying outside on a snowy deck the first snowy Michigan weekend. Yard is covered in snow surround by white picket fencing.

100

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.

000

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.

020