iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Friday night cuddles with my panda.

Cute B&W panda cat sleeping with a paw near his head.

Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I will admit that when deciding about selling my place in Ocean City, part of my calculation was that I wanted to sell it early enough to where I could do so with a clean conscience. OCMD isn’t quite as at risk as Miami. Or the OBX. Yet.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Was canvassed yesterday by the DSA to support the 3 constitutional amendments in November. Had a delightful conversation. 🗳️

for freedom, love, and justice
VOTE YES
on all three state constitutional amendments
VOTING BEGINS SEP 18
ELECTION DAY
NOV 3
METRODE
DSA
Paid for by Metro DC Democratic
Socialists of America,
1301
Connecticut Ave NW Ste. 600
Washington, DC 20036. Ken
Brofman, Treasurer. This message has not been authorized or approved by any candidate or committee.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Looks like I got lucky again? The new outage hit Duncan right across the street but ok here. 🤞🏻

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Highly recommend! I’m signed up to work in November & am happy to answer any questions about what it’s like. More specifics about how it works here in Alexandria: www.alexandriava.gov/elections/be...

alexandriava.gov

Be a Precinct Election Officer

Visit alexandriava.gov for more information.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Gotta love when an e-device goads you into action. Have been meaning to get rid of my Amazon echos which I mostly use to turn lights on/off. Marketing to me *unprompted in my own house* was the final straw. Pulled out my Meross plug app & finally set it up. Losing voice control but I’m ok w/that.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This tracks. Raised in upstate NY but both my parents were born & raised in NJ and both sets of grandparents (and extended family growing up) lived in NJ. Had been wondering if living in Virginia for 40 years was going to affect this, but guess not. mydialect.us

Your dialect map
Redder areas talk more like you; bluer areas least.

You talk most like someone from New Jersey - about 54% of your answers match a typical resident.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Hoping I won’t have to use this but glad I have it if I do.

A screenshot showing the status of my solar battery backup (76% charged).

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Love me a good historical thread, especially when it’s about happenings in my state.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Random question: does anybody have recs for storing printed photos they really like? Finally got a scanner (40th high school reunion in Sept!) & am freeing my photos from the evil “magnetic” photo albums. Had thought abt putting them in “safer” albums but now thinking storage boxes might be easier?

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Rainy summer evenings where I can leave the door open to the porch help make Virginia summers less awful.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Can’t remember who was asking, but looks like we are getting closer to having a functional drive through book return box at Duncan Library.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Decided to experiment w/ posting again on my very neglected blog. Right now just starting w/ seeing if it will work as a place to share my photos. Originally started blogging in ‘05 & it’s morphed & changed quite a bit over the years. Who knows, maybe I’ll start writing again.

throwingmarshmallows.com

Old Town Alexandria, August 2026 — Throwing Marshmallows

If you would like to receive email notifications of future posts, subscribe here !

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

So my youngest (a wildlife biologist w/ Clemson) gets to do the neatest things. Spent 2 days in North Dakota getting certified to fire a ducknet. Apparently they seed an area w/ corn for a week to trick the ducks into thinking they are safe before they fire it. No ducks were caught in this video.🦆

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

That was interesting…felt like the thunder was rolling through my house…

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

In my ongoing process of detaching from the Amazon ecosystem decided to make the leap to a Pocketbook ereader. It’s now looking like I may need to order it through Amazon because Walmart has been having “technical difficulties” since yesterday & won’t let me log in to complete my order. Seriously? 🫠

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This is what Alexandria needs. More borbs. Right @tomvanantwerp.com?

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It’s voting day! At least we Alexandrians got a little bit of a break after the crazy beginning of the year. Time to get back to it in prep for the big one in November. 🗳️

Me standing in front of Mount Vernon Rec Center with an I Voted sticker on my orange tank top.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Rest like Gansey. You know you want to.

A chonky B&W cat rests on an orange tweed armchair. His front paws are extended cradling his head & his tail is tucked. He looks very relaxed & peaceful.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

So WAMU is no longer part of NPR? Was catching up on Fresh Air & discovered that my NPR+ has lapsed?

FRESH AIR
Action required: re-enroll to keep NPR+ benefits
JUN 16, 2026

The station you chose to support with your NPR+ enrollment is no longer a member of the NPR Network, which means your NPR+ benefits through this station - like this show's special, private feed - will also end unless you re-enroll.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Another perk of a walkable neighborhood. If you leave things near the sidewalk in a box marked FREE they find their way to new homes. Had things I didn’t want to take the time to put on Buy Nothing or share on the listservs so on a whim I just put a box out & 2 days later it’s ALL gone. Woot!

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Completed my DRCA survey in the nick of time (yes, I’m a procrastinator…I’m actually proud that I’ve got a few hours to spare!) Share your opinions on DRCA priorities and on historical preservation! Deadline is midnight!

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

And the Rosemont listservs are in peak NIMBY mode today.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

If only Virginia summers could consistently be like today & the last couple of days. I might not hate them so much. Throughly enjoying this door-open-to-the-porch windy summer day.

A small red wooden folding chair with a white wreath on it can be seen through an open door leading out to a white porch. Green foliage can be seen in the background. On the inside of the door is a wooden antique schoolhouse desk. On the folded down seat is a handbag with graphic blue & green flowers on it.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Apparently we are now relitigating the gas leaf blower ban on the AVA listserv (fka Bev Hills): supporters are hypocrites who eat outside at restaurants “inhaling unburned hydrocarbons from the continuous stream of vehicular traffic passing closely by as they consume their favorite food & beverage.”

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Our next ALX Skeets watch? (But I’ll be out of town on the release day so maybe sometime during the opening week?)

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

God bless historians standing up for history. Real, nuanced, messy history.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

This shouldn’t have to be so hard but here we are again. You know what to do…

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Funny how easy it is to take things for granted. Like eating salads & spending time outside.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Once again, I’m very grateful for the really good windows the previous owner of my house put in. Yikes.

Air.gov air quality meter showing Alexandria in the very unhealthy purple range.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

So…was woken up at 2:30am by my cat playing with a dead mouse on my bed. How’s your morning going?

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Yes! Highly recommend. Long day, but oh so worth it on so many levels. And you get a commemorative pin for each election you work!

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Anything that can help. Huge fan of my solar panels (and my $8/month electrical bills).

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

What on earth were we doing in the 90s…the conceit of this is bonkers - female reporter goes on dates with unmarried congressmen in hopes of becoming a congressional wife? And writes an article about it? 🙄

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Definitely see this dynamic with my two. My older cat will often use grooming as a way to assert his dominance & get my younger cat to move out of a preferred spot.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I’m sure that it was the presence of @beckyhammer.bsky.social & @josephfray.bsky.social that helped seal the deal.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Another reason to love my porch.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I’m a simple gal: American cheese & ketchup.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Is anyone else I know on StoryGraph? Just moved over from Goodreads (after a stint on BookBuddy). I’m @stephelms there too.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Five living writers that you've read five books by each Dani Shapiro Pema Chodron Ann Patchett VE Schwab Brandon Sanderson Lots more fantasy & YA authors I could include (like Tamora Pierce…)

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Found this July 4th message from Coalition for a Livable Alexandria fascinating. It’s framed as just wanting to be a part of the conversation & to be heard (which I get!) but leaves out the part where they oppose everything & it doesn’t acknowledge when the city makes concessions based on feedback.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Apparently we lost a tree around the corner from me on Commonwealth. Was hearing extremely loud mechanical noises & went to explore. Found workmen feeding branches & a tree trunk into a wood chipper. Looks like one from the median came down across the street? Guessing from the wind before the rain.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Oh fun. I guess we get to play thunder or flyover for the rest of the evening.

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Stephanie Elms @stephelms.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Came downstairs to find my two goofs like this. I can relate.

Two B&W cats (Gansey, an older chunky cat who looks like a panda & Kelledry, a smaller younger cat) are lounging in near identical positions on a white couch. They are both lying on their left sides with their front paws delicately crossed.

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