Gail Parenti

Recovering attorney, lover of freedom and Justice.  Florida escapee, part-time Italian. So tired of snark and meanness. All photos are my own. Or my mom's. Or my husband’s, AKA my RFL (Reason For Living).  #photography #umbria #travel #wanderlust
Super happy older woman experiencing bliss.

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Last Notes

2026-07-18 19:14:36 UTC

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My mom's cat Buddy loves his videos. #Caturday
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2026-07-07 10:14:31 UTC

Yesterday we had another Green Acres moment. You know when the ignorant city dweller shows just how ignorant he is? I remember years ago when we planted our first garden. We went to the mill to buy our plants and the amused cashier shouted for all the farmers to hear: "Twenty-four zucchini!" We obviously knew nothing about - well, anything - and our embarrassment grew over the summer, along with our zucchini. #Umbria 1/2

2026-06-27 08:56:56 UTC

This morning while I was watering my garden, I thought of my grandmother. She wrote letters every day: to my mother, her sisters, and assorted friends and relatives. I never understood it. They were typically short and filled with riveting tidbits like: "I had seven red day lilies open this morning." But I get it now, Grandmeme! #Bloomscrolling
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2026-06-08 18:49:35 UTC

My view rn. #Firenze
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2026-06-02 15:37:07 UTC

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The remains of the tree. 😢
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2026-06-02 08:01:37 UTC

I am so broken hearted today because it is time to chop down our beloved cherry tree. Our friends' children grew up with the annual cherry-picking as a real treat. It was for us, too. We saw one of these (no longer) little girls last week and told her the tree had died, and she almost cried. A sad day for sure, but so many sweet memories. #Umbria #ThickTrunkTuesday
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2026-05-23 19:54:26 UTC

Enjoyed the first summer Saturday night out in our town. #Umbria
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2026-05-15 14:33:06 UTC

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What are you looking at?
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2026-05-15 14:30:03 UTC

Gorgeous white peacock spotted through the window at our local lunch spot today. #FensterFreitag #Umbria
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2026-05-05 15:12:10 UTC

OMG I just witnessed one of the rudest things I've ever seen on a cruise ship, where you would think people know how to act. I was at the pool restaurant where you can get a slice of pizza. I was standing there trying to decide between peperoni and Margherita when an older lady whooshed in front of me and took one of the two back to her table! The whole damned pizza! WTF people? What has happened to us?

2026-04-28 16:32:27 UTC

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The best!

2026-04-24 16:57:15 UTC

Back-to-Italy packing underway in earnest. It's always more taxing than I think it will be, even though I should be used to it by now. I've enjoyed our sojourn stateside, but it's time to get back home. In these tumultuous times I'm more than ready to hang out on our hill, away from the crazy.

2026-04-23 23:46:32 UTC

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Yes, we seem to be working with some of the same patterns.

2026-04-23 22:12:08 UTC

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🫪

2026-04-23 22:04:55 UTC

After finishing my months-long embroidery project, it has been nice to return to simple patterns. Over the past couple of weeks, I've made several little hand or bar towels from old dinner napkins as gifts for my family. I'm particularly tickled with this last one I made for my niece who is graduating from GA Tech. I love using materials that have been stuck in a closet. These napkins saw many meals over the years, and it's fun to give them new life. #Embroidery
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2026-04-14 20:24:50 UTC

Quando ho visto questo articolo sulla nostra rivista locale, ho dovuto assolutamente condividerlo. Se vi trovate in #Umbria, vale davvero la pena cercare questo ristorante. È diventato il nostro punto di riferimento per una cucina genuina a un prezzo ragionevole. Per noi, quei 20 minuti di macchina valgono assolutamente la pena. Non vedo l'ora di tornarci! Ormai manca poco.
https://www.valleylife.it/it/volpelli-famiglia-e-tradizione-a-tavola/

2026-04-12 16:46:29 UTC

#SilentSunday
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2026-04-11 18:00:24 UTC

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Rather than reduced liability, they should face strict liability. At this point, AI is a dangerous instrumentality, and should be viewed as such. You can't disclaim liability when you hand someone a loaded gun.

2026-04-11 16:08:45 UTC

So Stardust finally makes it to the wall. I can't wait to see what the next project wants to be. #Embroidery
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2026-04-09 11:29:16 UTC

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I did cry!😢

2026-04-09 02:04:34 UTC

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I really like Shrinking, too, and enjoyed the season finale.

2026-04-08 02:07:07 UTC

I'm declaring "Stardust" finished. Off to the frame shop in the morning! #Embroidery #IMadeThis
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2026-04-07 18:44:30 UTC

A visit to Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis, Florida gave me this gorgeous live oak for #ThuckTrunkTuesday. It also accidentally finds a spot in my "My Husband's Back" series.
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2026-04-07 01:28:48 UTC

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Probably both; all good. When I squint over at FB, I shudder at the absolute torrent of garbage, and it is harder and harder to find any content from friends. I much prefer it here.

2026-04-07 00:26:05 UTC

On our Zoom call last week, sister told Mama she had ordered her some of those stick on bra thingies, since Mama is having difficulty donning a bra these days. Well, apparently those things don't work as well for ample bosoms as they do for us less well-endowed gals. But what had me in stitches on today's call was the report that the main problem with them was that Buddy (her cat) wouldn't stop playing with them and trying to paw them off! I was crying right there on the Zoom machine!

2026-04-06 01:32:12 UTC

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I managed to load all of my old music from CDs onto an MP3 player I bought to replace my old iPod. I had forgotten what it was to just sit and enjoy listening to music. We bought a bunch of CDs by Italian artists when we bought our house 25 years ago, but we haven't listened to them in a long time. I got tickled today when I realized that I was understanding the lyrics for the first time.

2026-04-05 12:05:19 UTC

#SilentSunday
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2026-04-05 00:58:51 UTC

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My reaction was Day-um!

2026-04-03 17:23:19 UTC

My friend gave me some silvery white thread and I am loving working it into my stars on my Stardust piece. I explained to her that it seems all of my work includes bits and bobs from other people, like my sisters and grandmother. Now she's woven in as well. I also realized this morning that my #Embroidery is the only place in my life where I afford myself the grace to make mistakes. I just keep going and work over, around, or through them. That made me happy.
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2026-04-03 10:19:46 UTC

#FensterFreitag I just returned from visiting dear friends who have moved to Central Florida. I am so happy for them! I look forward to spending time with my friend, who makes pine needle baskets, in front of this window, working on our respective crafts.
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2026-04-02 18:59:28 UTC

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If we only had an international network of professionals dedicated to promoting US interests abroad. Perhaps we could call it "Voice of America."

2026-04-01 22:43:09 UTC

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Yes, it has put in some miles!

2026-04-01 21:16:04 UTC

#WIPWednesday #IMadeThis Stardust is finally ready for the stars.
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2026-04-01 01:50:36 UTC

We took a road trip to central Florida to visit dear friends who moved here a couple of years ago. Sweet spot by the lake!
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2026-03-31 03:12:13 UTC

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God, he's like a dog, peeing on everything to mark his territory.

2026-03-30 20:18:33 UTC

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I agree. He's just trying to appease Trump while trying really, really hard not to flat out misrepresent the Scriptures.

2026-03-30 19:52:09 UTC

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My husband and I were just debating this. Graham's letter was written very cagily. If called on it by people who actually know the Bible, he can say: "Well, I said IF you do x, y, z then your soul is secure." He did not come out and say that Trump's soul was secure because he had done the things the Bible says one must do to go to heaven. And Trump is so lacking in understanding that he can't tell the difference.

2026-03-28 20:12:10 UTC

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My husband actually pushed for us to attend today's protest, much to my surprise, and it was easy for us to reach by trolley. The announcement of the location was less than clear: "in front of" a huge retail complex that spans several city blocks. It took us almost a half hour to find it. I suspect that was on purpose. How hard would it have been to include the street name in the announcement? We estimate that there were several hundred participants and a whole lot of honking motorists. #NoKings

2026-03-28 17:43:02 UTC

Small but enthusiastic crowd in Coral Gables, Florida. #NoKings
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2026-03-26 23:57:17 UTC

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Ah, Miami is a special circle of allergy hell this time of year.

2026-03-26 18:36:35 UTC

How's everybody doing #today? I've been feeling really allergicky for the past couple of days. It's exhausting! But we heard from our accountant that our taxes are done and we overpaid our estimated taxes. Plus he said that my preparation was "pristine" and that smile has carried me through most of the day. 😊

2026-03-23 20:24:12 UTC

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I love these!

2026-03-23 12:35:13 UTC

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Welcome 👋

2026-03-18 19:34:27 UTC

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Palermo is great. Stop by the pharmacy and get something for that cold. Some sleep wouldn't hurt.

2026-03-18 14:09:15 UTC

I'm sitting in the freezing dressing room, waiting to have my mammies grammed when another patient, in tears, came over to tell me something her grandmother had taught her. She said that God's plan for us is like the underside of an embroidery piece. It is all messy, and can only be understood after we keep at it. Only when we turn it over can we see the beauty of the work. As I keep working with my own grandmother's thread, it brought tears to my eyes, too. #Embroidery #WIPWednesday
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2026-03-18 12:26:32 UTC

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I saw one of these on Miami the other day and my mind automatically registered "Wankpanzer" and I realized that I couldn't remember the real name for the abomination. I'm not mad about it

2026-03-16 19:48:09 UTC

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My little brother Buddy likes that one, too.

2026-03-15 01:26:12 UTC

When we walked out this morning, we learned that there was a street festival this weekend two blocks from our condo. We thought, oh that will be fun to walk out for that tonight. But it's tonight and there's people and loud music and suddenly I feel very old.

2026-03-14 19:10:40 UTC

We got news from Italy this week of the work that's going on since it stopped raining (for a minute). New vines planted, olive trees pruned, and wood for the stove stacked in the barn. Our helper, Ciprian, is a force of nature. He's definitely a NS person, like me. Just waiting for my RFL to go in there and stack wood EW. I mean, who would look at that beautiful stack and say : "It would be just perfect if I just stacked some wood going the opposite direction." #Umbria
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2026-03-14 06:45:26 UTC

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I binge watched Outlander with my mom recently. By the time I left for home, somewhere around season 6, I told Mama I was so tired of seeing Claire's boobs I couldn't see straight!

2026-03-13 22:37:45 UTC

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I've been reduced to doom-squinting because I can't stand to read the news.

2026-03-13 15:27:34 UTC

I'm thinking it's not a bad idea to back up important files living in the cloud to a physical hard drive, no? I did it yesterday, and was glad I did.

2026-03-13 00:15:35 UTC

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💕💕

2026-03-12 22:57:35 UTC

"Stardust" is coming along... #Embroidery #IMadeThis
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2026-03-11 20:23:25 UTC

My sister found this picture (left) of one of our ancestors in one of her FB groups of our extended family that enjoy talking about those things. He looks just like my little brother! Genes are amazing.
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2026-03-10 17:05:17 UTC

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If your phone uses an esim, you might try Airalo for a short term fix. I use it all the time for travel and I'm a fan.

2026-03-08 22:39:32 UTC

Remember when we had leaders who actively tried to avoid armed conflict? Good times.

2026-03-08 22:31:45 UTC

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So much fun!

2026-03-08 19:09:25 UTC

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I finally got back to baking bread today as we were in need of a loaf of rye to go with the corned beef I've been craving for months. (We can't get it in Italy.) It turned out so well I'm already thinking about what I can make later in the week.

2026-03-08 19:04:11 UTC

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Reports are that she's having a good day. My sister let her drive to church by herself. It's about 200 yards away, and someone there helped her in and parked her car. But baby steps. It made her happy. Family showed up to go to church with her and have lunch at the local Mexican restaurant. It's a good day.

2026-03-08 18:48:01 UTC

Happy birthday to my sweet Mama who turns 89 today. I feel content that Buddy is there to look after her while I'm away. 😻
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2026-03-08 11:52:10 UTC

#SilentSunday
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2026-03-08 02:10:25 UTC

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It is required.

2026-03-07 12:32:51 UTC

I had a very peaceful and rewarding visit with my mom and my little brother Buddy. I got a chance to be his human last year when he was a kitten and my mom was in the nursing home. He's so loving and filled with personality. One of my favorite things is how he likes to sit on this stool and watch me in the kitchen. I started putting treats on the stool for him and now the first thing he does is sail up onto it. I'm going to miss him! #Caturday
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2026-03-06 21:14:28 UTC

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! The local art cinema (2 blocks from our condo) has a special screening of The Princess Bride, in honor of Rob Reiner's birthday. I'm in!
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2026-03-06 21:02:17 UTC

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Middle GA represents. It was the only time I stood a prayer of getting an A in PE. I sucked at sports.

2026-03-06 11:03:42 UTC

My Fantage View* for #FensterFreitag
*When I was growing up in Middle Georgia, I had never heard of a penthouse, so Eva Gabor's line from the theme song to Green Acres became "I just adore a Fantage View..."
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2026-03-06 06:17:34 UTC

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is that a glimmer of a scintilla of hope for accountability?

2026-03-06 00:49:07 UTC

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I actually got to see Ray Charles perform this at a joint session of the GA legislature when they made it the official state song. I was an intern during the 1979 session, and that was the most memorable part. That and meeting Jimmy Carter.

2026-03-06 00:42:52 UTC

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I always loved this song. But oh, God I'm old! This was my favorite album ~gulp~ 50 years ago.

2026-03-05 20:29:03 UTC

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Thank you. Came here to look for this.

2026-03-05 20:26:29 UTC

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I was thinking about the numbers...

2026-03-05 18:19:41 UTC

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I feel gut-punched by depravity of my country.

2026-03-05 01:56:01 UTC

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Me, too🙋🏻‍♀️

2026-03-03 18:50:57 UTC

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My question is this: if Jesus said that no man knows the hour of his return except God himself, how can men presume to advance that hour to suit them? Of course, Rs seem to think that the red words don't count.

2026-03-02 19:17:01 UTC

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We are supposed to go there by a transatlantic cruise at the end of April. Feels like a big old sitting duck.

2026-03-02 17:02:32 UTC

Starting to wonder whether I will be able to get back to Italy this year. The situation grows more worrisome each day.

2026-03-01 14:46:32 UTC

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/opinion/iran-attack-trump-war.html

2026-03-01 00:41:57 UTC

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Sweet!

2026-02-28 21:52:26 UTC

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Welcome! Find some hashtags to follow and start your own algorithm. It's pretty cool here.👋

2026-02-27 04:08:17 UTC

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I feel seen.

2026-02-27 00:50:06 UTC

Buddy thinks it's his walker! #CatsOfMastodon
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2026-02-26 14:31:38 UTC

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I'm treating myself by making up for lost time working on Stardust. ☺️
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2026-02-26 13:45:39 UTC

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Yep.

2026-02-26 13:17:01 UTC

I caught a glimpse of Buddy from the kitchen window looking like he's got those rainy day blues. #CatsOfMastodon
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2026-02-26 13:01:09 UTC

I finally got the taxes off to the accountant. Not early enough to justify feeling like a rock star, but I'm feeling pretty good about it!

2026-02-25 22:38:29 UTC

Buddy's Meadow got framed. Mama is beside herself!
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2026-02-23 22:57:57 UTC

My niece drove down from Atlanta yesterday to interview me, my mom and brother. She's taking a linguistics class and the idea arose from that but she also wanted to get an oral family history. She just sent me the .WAV files and I can already see how much I'm going to cherish this. I wish I could figure out how to share the snippet of my brother (who has the most magical jive-redneck drawl) explaining that had "had a good little life." Priceless.
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2026-02-22 14:03:47 UTC

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By design, I'm sure.

2026-02-22 13:25:32 UTC

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I love that one!💕

2026-02-22 13:24:31 UTC

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It actually is a very good cookbook!

2026-02-22 13:05:26 UTC

A foodie friend gave me the "White Trash Cooking" cookbook, and it was what made me see that I really could cook. When I tried to make gravy for the first time, I realized that I knew what it was supposed to look like at different stages, but I didn't know how to get there. It became my go-to cookbook because I was able to draw upon images seared into my memory from childhood. I was able to make biscuits and gravy for my stepdad before he died, and that made him so happy.
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2026-02-22 11:15:49 UTC

This morning I'm channeling my grandmother who would get up at 5 to cook Sunday lunch, usually with fried chicken and gravy, to be ready when we got back from church. Not doing fried chicken, but I'm making my brother's favorite, country fried steak and gravy. Our post-church lunch crowd has grown to 12 and now I'm asking myself: "Whose idea was this?'

2026-02-21 13:45:53 UTC

We apparently had a curious visitor to our house in Italy yesterday. Just in time for #Caturday. I'm always happy to get a visit from mousers.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/116/108/913/742/595/934/original/f59b6bb794b48260.mp4

2026-02-21 11:50:03 UTC

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It happened to me 2 months ago. I am still locked out after doing the stupid selfie video. (Very creepy) I have given up trying to get back in. There is definitely a sense of loss, especially at first. but I realized that the community I was missing was largely an illusion.

2026-02-21 00:46:52 UTC

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He gave me a good scare. Ultimately, Mama and I closed the door and turned off all the lights, as if we had gone to bed with him outside. It didn't take very long for him to rethink after that.

2026-02-20 22:08:00 UTC

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In December we actually arranged a viewing of a property outside of Florence, complete with overnight train trip, and it had already been sold. Six months earlier. I really don't get it. Florida realtors are annoying as all get out, but that would never happen.

2026-02-20 22:00:05 UTC

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Oh yes. Happened to us more than once.

2026-02-20 20:44:23 UTC

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I agree with you. We've encountered this several times in Italy, and the AI renderings were not identified as such. It's damned frustrating to go to a viewing and walk into a shell. Now we are on the lookout for advertisements that look too perfect.

2026-02-20 20:23:19 UTC

Buddy loves his sunroom, and seems particularly intrigued by the goings on in the tree branches today. Little stinker got out yesterday, and I finally found him investing the azaleas outside the windows where he usually sits. #FensterFreitag #CatsOfMastodon
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