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Gryph

@lfgryph.com

18K followers 240 following 4.8K posts

Minnesotan in SC, daughter of Yooper. Sisu. Bi. ADHD. She/her. Writer. Early 40's. Animal shelter worker. TNR. Many cats. :) Links: https://linktr.ee/gryph42 Cat Sanctuary wishlist: https://throne.com/sarahgryph

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · Mar 2

Hello! I'm Sarah (Gryph) and I work in an animal shelter. My partner and I own four cats, used to have a dog, and we TNR in our neighborhood. This account is mostly cat pics, as self care and because that is the candle I hold in the darkness. ❤️ Also occasional gaming and book talk. 🙂

I (blond, white woman in my early 40's; wearing glasses with blue/purple frames) am holding a semi feral kitten (Chessie) in one arm as I take a selfie of us. The kitten is black and white tuxedo, ear tipped, and about three months old. She is very alert, but has loose, comfy body language with one front leg just hanging. She's partially snuggled into the light grey sweatshirt I'm wearing. Behind me is an empty shelter cat kennel.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 5h

Agreed to work today and cover someone who was out sick, and then 15 minutes later realized it's also my birthday. 😆 My coworkers are super sweet and loaded me up with donuts, cupcakes, and tiramisu despite having almost no warning so I'm feeling very loved. ❤️

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Reposted by Gryph

Darryl Mott 💀 @gamerstavernshow.com · 16h

Tumblr post from fictionadventurer

One of the more profound things I’ve heard recently came from a Mr. Rogers documentary. In a clip from his show, Mr. Rogers had just visited with a musician, and tells his audience that some people play music, and some people don’t, and that’s okay.

And then he said, “The important thing is to find something you feel good about doing.”

That phrasing struck me. “Something you feel good about doing”. Most people would have phrased it as “something you enjoy doing”. Or “something you’re good at doing”. But Mr. Rogers’ subtly different phrasing leads to a profoundly different connotation. “Something you feel good about doing” may not be enjoyable–people who work in hospitals or in disaster zones might not enjoy much of their day, but they probably feel good about helping people. “Something you feel good about doing“ may not be something you’re particularly good at–you may be a terrible artist by any objective standard, but if you feel good about making your art, then it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Looking for “something you feel good about doing” can help you find a truly satisfying life path.

That phrasing struck me. “Something you feel good about doing”. Most people would have phrased it as “something you enjoy doing”. Or “something you’re good at doing”. But Mr. Rogers’ subtly different phrasing leads to a profoundly different connotation. “Something you feel good about doing” may not be enjoyable–people who work in hospitals or in disaster zones might not enjoy much of their day, but they probably feel good about helping people. “Something you feel good about doing“ may not be something you’re particularly good at–you may be a terrible artist by any objective standard, but if you feel good about making your art, then it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Looking for “something you feel good about doing” can help you find a truly satisfying life path.

That phrase is also helpful with daily decision-making. Too often, I can make choices based on “what feels good.” I put aside tasks that are too stressful or avoid activities that seem too difficult, in favor of mindlessly browsing the internet. And I enjoy myself. I feel good while I’m doing that. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel good about how I spent my time. However, reminding myself to do “something I feel good about doing” can motivate me to accomplish those more difficult tasks. It can push me to do something outside of my comfort zone, to try something new that I might not be much good at. And maybe this is a blindingly obvious philosophy to everyone else. But I’m grateful for the reminder.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 16h

We named him Kitsune, btw. He has a floofy fox tail that didn't make it into this shot. 🙂

Gryph @lfgryph.com · 5d

I love this little guy, he's so sweet. ❤️

Little ~6m old medium haired orange tabby with white chin and chest. He's in his shelter kennel with white and green towels, and burying his head into my hand as I give some scritches.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Like, we wound up with a stray Bengal cat one time who was unable to be reclaimed by the owner - that one went to a Bengal rescue ASAP as we are not the right place to care for OR responsibly adopt out a Bengal cat!

Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Missed this, sorry! I know we don't do individual transports unless it's to a breed specific rescue for better care; there are shelters we work with but those are group transports arranged between the facilities rather than between individuals. Happily we do have a strong foster program. 🙂

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Reposted by Gryph

Veronica @veronicaf.bsky.social · 1d

I went looking for a photo of Sugar earlier, because she was one of my favourite fosters and @lfgryph.com shared a kitten who looked very like her.

I'd lost most of my photos in the fire, but this one, my favourite photo, was still in my FB messages with the rescue. Look at her! 2023

A small tabby kitten is killing a red fluffy mouse and you are NOT allowed near it. She has her ears back in full airplane mode, and she was growling at me the whole time. Sugar has an offset white splodge to the left of her nose (photo right) and little white toes. She is adorable.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Omg, Sugar is such a cutie! I wanna pick them up through my screen and apply directly to my face. ❤️

I'm glad, too. She was semi feral and scared when she first came in, but she's been such a trooper with both humans and her kittens.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Awwww, CUTE! :D

Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Another shot of the cute little photogenic kitten with a tuxedo mom. ❤️ He's super charming, and his mom is feeling less stressed since two of his siblings have been moved to a kitten room, leaving her with only three instead of five to care for.

Cute little ~7w old brown tabby kitten with a white chest and white on his muzzle. He also has a little black spot right on his pink nose. He is sitting up in his shelter kennel looking up at the camera with a curious expression.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

I named my first cat Chessie and my second cat Amos. ❤️

Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

I feel like the top listed reviews cover this - but it's NOT a tycoon style game. It is a simple explore pretty areas, run a little shop, Gather Things, pet cute animals, etc. If "Be at peace, you can't do anything wrong here," was a game, it would be this game. And sometimes that's really nice.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

I forget who on here was talking about Teddy's Haven for cozy games, but you were right it's so charming. I usually prefer 2D for relaxing games, but when I read that the dev made the game in honor of their dog who passed I had to at least try it. ❤️
store.steampowered.com/app/3615160/...

Save 20% on Teddy's Haven - A Fantasy Inspired Shop Simulator on Steam

Teddy’s Haven is a cozy shop simulator set in the peaceful land of Ursa. Run your magical store without pressure, decorate and explore as you wish, and meet mythical creatures in a world made for rela...

store.steampowered.com

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

I didn't use nonalcoholic beer or wine when I quit drinking, but I know some folks swear by them and that they're much more helpful if the flavor profile matches closely.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 1d

Oh bravo! Thank you for all the years you put into it, I'm so sorry you have chronic pain issues now. It can def be a rough field all over but there's nothing like it! 🙂❤️

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

I love Midwest Magic Cleaning! He has a sense of humor I appreciate, he's great talking about cleaning tips for neurodivergent folks, and he's always kind and respectful of the people he helps and their houses. 🙂

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

Good luck!!!

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

I'm in my 40's and I have to literally have a chore list for myself so I don't forget something ridiculous like the cat boxes or the sinkful of dishes, lmao. That's one reason why the assumption I'm just naturally good at household stuff strikes me as so funny. 🙃

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

*If I had more space that would have been "gender presentation or identity." I was thinking about how people perceive me (as a woman) and the assumption I am naturally "good at cleaning" rather than "I practiced a lot." But gender identity would also apply to what I was saying!

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

I'm not "good at cleaning" bc I'm a woman. I did have a lot more chances to practice and higher expectations of me bc of that! But I still had to learn how, and practice, and find ways that work for me despite my ADHD and other issues.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

A reminder that while cleaning/dishes/laundry etc. can be difficult for individuals for many reasons; they are learned skills. You can learn how through:

Asking for advice
Looking up info
Watching a how to video
However you best learn skills
Practice!

Regardless of your sex or gender presentation.

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

She doesn't have one just yet. I might claim naming privileges since I'm the one who made the final call to bring her in right away instead of waiting until we had more room. ❤️

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

This is absolutely fair to say. ❤️

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

They think she's about a year and a half old, she's just so skinny she looks even younger. 😢

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

She's eating very well and doesn't seem super stressed at being at the shelter, so with any luck she'll start putting weight back on soon! ❤️

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Gryph @lfgryph.com · 2d

My foster coordinator says thank you so so much and also she ran out of time to double check her list today and she's sorry because she really does appreciate it! Tomorrow we'll have two people on instead of just one, and between the two of them they should be able to figure it out. ❤️