iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

✔️ Adoption application approved ✔️ Adoption fee paid ✔️ Adoption agreement signed 🔲 Picked up from Caring for Creatures on 11/7 #Caturday

A brown tabby kitten with big ears being held under the chest.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Discovered that Caring for Creatures has a 2-for-1 policy. It’s ingenious and terrible. Ingenious for them because I’m sure it gets more pets into homes. Terrible for me when I’m deciding between kittens in a litter of 4 and I have real reasons that I need to only bring 1 home to our current cat.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Everyone in my household has now voted, including the 18yo. The phone calls and junk mail can stop now, thanks.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I wish to propose that generative AI materials come with a warning, like is mandated for cigarette packs in the US. Generative AI video on YouTube? Slap a black box on it. I couldn’t find info I needed yesterday because of how AI is leading the enshittification of all the things. I want to opt out.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I’m not sure what the heck is going on, but we are hearing persistent helicopter noise for the 3rd time today in southern Albemarle. 1st time it was an army chopper. 2nd and 3rd times it hasn’t shown up on the radar/flight tracking app I have. Anybody have a clue?

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Watching the air pollution worsen in real time…

Real time air pollution map around DC showing unhealthy numbers near and east of the National Mall.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Trying a thing. (Darn the broken yolk!)

Pan with a sheen of oil and a fork placed on a sidewalk.

Same pan with a raw egg with a broken yolk in it.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

No teenager should wake their mom with, “There’s a bear,” after midnight unless said statement requires mom to defend poultry against said bear… because now mom is REALLY awake and teenager’s late-night peace is disturbed by mom trying to return her heart rate to normal on the living room couch.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

My poor kiddo. He’s having a Groundhog Day situation with college admissions for his preferred program. Applied early- deferred to regular decision in February. Regular decision today- waitlisted. He should know by the first week of May, but it means he still can’t make solid plans now!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Charlottesville folks - any suggestions on who to hire for some one-off yard work? I’ve got a bad case of winter creeper along a fence line and I need some help to tackle it. It’s probably a half to full day’s work for one person down in Esmont.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Texas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, & South Dakota are suing the federal government to fight Sect. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (predecessor of the ADA) that requires communities to serve disabled people in the community, not an institutional setting if possible.

thearc.org

Texas and Eight Other States Attack Section 504 and the Right of Disabled People to Live in their Communities

The nine states say that a rule about the integration mandate published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is unlawful and unconstitutional and should be blocked. If they are su...

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Reposted by Stephanie Stone

Livable Cville @livablecville.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Our friends at The Haven just sent a message asking for donations to support over 80 community members who are homeless that The Haven and other partners have placed in hotels during this winter weather. They need to raise $27k. Please consider donating today. www.thehaven.org/give-online

thehaven.org

Give Online — The Haven

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

In case you’ve not heard… the models are now showing C’ville getting far less snow and an awful lot of ice… 😭

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

I had planned on having the boy read Brave New World, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451 this semester for his 12th grade English/Modern Literature. It seems cruel to assign him a dystopian novel while living through real-life dystopia… that said, I think I should still assign him one. Help me decide!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

DC traffic is an utter abomination and as I’m on the outer loop going 8mph (passenger), I’m feeling extra grateful that my husband’s office put a satellite location a couple of hours south 16 years ago. I would not like living up here.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Charlottesville people - how are the roads looking in town? Husband’s office north of town didn’t give them a snow day today like they did on Friday and we have like 4” wet inches in Esmont on to of what was left from Friday now… getting a bit worried about him getting home.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

This is my Granddaddy, Ed Givler. 12-7-41 were 3 of my his lotto numbers for as long as I knew him, along with (12)-11-44. He spoke about those date very little, but he obviously considered himself lucky for having survived both days. (1/3)

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Rep. John McGuire sent an email this evening that mentioned Democrats were to blame for the shutdown concluded with the question, “Have you or your family been affected by the government shutdown?” which sent you to a survey that asked that one question, with no box to explain. Time to call again. 😡

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Feels worse than usual to say goodbye to the frost tender plants this year. Yeah, I still have some fall and winter crops, but when you know people are hungry, you can’t fill them up with your extra lettuce. Everything that needed to be picked has been picked- the freeze can come but is not welcome.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Question: what side dishes do you think go with veggie-heavy soup? I’m providing dinner for a homeless shelter one night and have to provide a main dish, side dish, & dessert. I’m planning on making Brunswick stew (and a secondary vegan lentil soup option) for the main dish. Side dish suggestions?

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

I disappeared. My kid disappeared. We have a very small number of people we socialize with now and literally only one family who comes to socialize at our home. Why? We’re at risk, and too many people feel it’s not even worth the temporary discomfort of wearing a mask to hang out with us.

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Reposted by Stephanie Stone

Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 15/10/2025

If you gave up masking long ago, you can start anytime. “But none of my friends do.” Think back: did some of your friends “just disappear” in 2021 and stop planning hang outs with you?

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

UVA is on the list. This makes it a lot harder to keep motivated to work through the common app (for both of us - I complete the guidance counselor portion as the homeschooling parent). The boy had planned for the last couple of years to apply only to UVA by way of early action. It’s due Nov. 1.

apnews.com

Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money

The White House is asking nine major universities to commit to President Donald Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Why are all of my tomatoes getting nibbles out of them? These two. 😐 I wonder what happened to all of the wasps that parasitized the hornworms earlier this summer? Now they’re nowhere to be seen. Hoping that these guys are my biggest trouble today but bracing for more problems at midnight. Sigh.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Hacked into The Squash today. Well… none of my knives were doing any good so I threw it on the sidewalk until the hollow lower part cracked. It’s now filling 2 pans in the oven. But this top part? I may have to roast it whole or I need to acquire a hatchet before I cook the next one. It won’t break!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Early in-person voting at the Albemarle County office building on 5th St Ext - quick and easy. From exiting my car to getting back in it, it took me 7 minutes. I was voter #19!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Had to harvest The Squash at 18lbs because it split. I’m posting a photo of The Squash because social media is full of garbage tonight. It’s not even bot garbage, because it’s hate garbage being spread by people I personally know.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

It’s not growing where I want it, but I can’t help but be happy to see passion flowers blooming. They’re on the same trellis at the giant squash (spoiler, it’s twice as big as its previous photo)… that poor trellis was set up just for tomatoes but has been taken over by two monster vining plants.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Looking for Civil War museum/historical site suggestions in Virginia. I want to take my homeschooled senior on one last field trip, but I’d like to make sure that it’s from an abolitionist perspective and not the apologist perspective I was exposed to throughout my childhood.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

The winner so far this year…

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

I’m watching the little brother of my respite kiddos crush Fuego Takis with a rolling pin to add the dust as a topping to his Flamin Hot Cheeto Mac’N Cheese and wondering if 10 years olds can spontaneously combust.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Thinking about 8 years ago. This photo was taken 2 days later, having taken my kid there to help him understand and work through his feelings. The statue is gone and melted down… but the sentiment of the statue is stronger than ever. It makes it feel like the horrors of that day were in vain.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Never had a squash quite this large and heavy end up hanging from a trellis. Anybody have suggestions of how to sling/support this so it doesn’t break the vine?

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Ya’ll, I just caught up with one of my long-time English students (a high school student in a small city in China) over video chat and she told me that America is “messy right now” and it “doesn’t seem to be free or democratic any more”. Kids in a communist country think it’s not free here now. 😬

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

So there’s a portion of the livestock show at the Albemarle County Fair that’s the “Old Timers” class, where adults can show their kid’s animals and the kids themselves are the judges. I won the poultry class with my son’s turkey and he wasn’t even on the judging panel!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

So, if you go to the Albemarle County Fair you might see some of my kid’s birds. Even though he’s been raising them for over a decade, this is his first time showing any and he’s kind of shocked at the ribbon situation!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I can see the tiniest sliver of moon as I’m waiting in the cell phone lot at Dulles. (And yay, Silver Line! I haven’t been up here since it opened.)

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Anybody interested in rare, heritage breed chickens? We’ve been breeding Rose-Combed White Dorkings for the last dozen years or so. My son will be selling a cockerel and pullet in the market class at the Albemarle County Fair next week, along with a young male Narragansett turkey.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Still having this view at 9:30 at night might mean I got started too late. They come out of the water in 4 minutes and then I can go to bed!

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Brief and faint rainbow here in Esmont just before the sun dropped below the horizon.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Figured I should take some sunflower photos because if this storm ever rolls in, they’re probably going down.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

I am so over this week. I can’t tell if I’m having a side effect from a new med or if it’s a side effect of fascism. Here’s hoping for a weekend without any horrific news, more reasonable temperatures, and maybe a decent rainstorm.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Didn’t have calling my congressman in my Saturday night plans but here we are. The message will probably be deleted without anybody listening to it, but that’s ok because I’ll be calling again on Monday. And on Tuesday. And Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And every day until he’s impeached.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Of course 2025 has yet another crappy thing - I fear that we’re going to spend time here for a while doing duckie hospice care. The ducks have been pets from day 1 - not for food like our other poultry. Penguin is 9 years old. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s pretty elderly for a duck.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Don’t want to fly these days? No worries, you can always take the train… except when the train literally can’t get there from here. I guess I’m going to put another 2600 miles on a vehicle so I can drop the 17yo off and pick him up a couple of weeks later.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

If we make it through the wrecking ball of this administration, everything funded by the federal government needs to be labeled as such so it’s impossible to be ignorant about what taxes pay for. Label and announce *everything*.

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Stephanie Stone @stephgs.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

My kid’s applying to colleges in the fall. Do we have a running list of those that are standing up (Harvard) vs. those that have caved (Columbia)? His first choice had been UVA, but they quickly caved at the request of the governor and Harvard’s not the place where he wants to be.

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