Irina VanPatten
@irina-vanpatten.bsky.social
Moldovan-American author of award winning book Mail-Order Family. Sassy, witty, with attitude.
Democracy is not negotiable. Stand with Ukraine.
Website: https://irinavanpatten.com/
Instagram: @irinavanpatten
Democracy is not negotiable. Stand with Ukraine.
Website: https://irinavanpatten.com/
Instagram: @irinavanpatten
Pinned
Introducing myself to Bluesky! I'm the author of Mail-Order Family, the BookFest Silver Award winner (2022) in the True Story/Memoir category. Truth is stranger than fiction, y'all. Check it out on my website: irinavanpatten.com/mail-order-f...
1. I spent last weekend at Kitsap Jingle Fest with these 3 "radicals": Guy Morris, Peter Stockwell & Keith Madsen, my fellow authors & true Christians, outspoken against Christian Nathionalism, who follow the teachings of Jesus to help the poor & marginalized, not worship one person in power.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
1. I spent last weekend at Kitsap Jingle Fest with these 3 "radicals": Guy Morris, Peter Stockwell & Keith Madsen, my fellow authors & true Christians, outspoken against Christian Nathionalism, who follow the teachings of Jesus to help the poor & marginalized, not worship one person in power.
1. Today, I'm at Lowell Elementary in Everett, WA with our all girl crew from @AuthorEventNetwork, kicking out the Holiday season on a very rainy, true Pacific Northwest day. As usual, I have stories for you from the "frontlines".
November 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
1. Today, I'm at Lowell Elementary in Everett, WA with our all girl crew from @AuthorEventNetwork, kicking out the Holiday season on a very rainy, true Pacific Northwest day. As usual, I have stories for you from the "frontlines".
Alert from Kingston, WA! This is Karen from Jerusalim who bakes the most delicious chocolate croissants and sourdough bread in the world. Last weekend I spent all my proceeds on her croissants, and now she's tempting me again. Somebody, save me! Or check out her bakery, and join me in my "misery".
September 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Alert from Kingston, WA! This is Karen from Jerusalim who bakes the most delicious chocolate croissants and sourdough bread in the world. Last weekend I spent all my proceeds on her croissants, and now she's tempting me again. Somebody, save me! Or check out her bakery, and join me in my "misery".
I snapped a photo of this adorable, lovely Husky puppy at Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival but somehow he turned out to look like a ferocious little dog. It made me laugh so hard. I hope you laugh too.
September 7, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I snapped a photo of this adorable, lovely Husky puppy at Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival but somehow he turned out to look like a ferocious little dog. It made me laugh so hard. I hope you laugh too.
One of my favorite events- the Blackberry Festival in Bremerton, WA. So many beautiful people there.
1. This is Diane. In 2022, she took in an Ukrainan family through, how she calls it, "a series of very fortune events bc it was meant to be". A family of 5: mom, dad with a disability & three kids.
1. This is Diane. In 2022, she took in an Ukrainan family through, how she calls it, "a series of very fortune events bc it was meant to be". A family of 5: mom, dad with a disability & three kids.
September 4, 2025 at 12:25 AM
One of my favorite events- the Blackberry Festival in Bremerton, WA. So many beautiful people there.
1. This is Diane. In 2022, she took in an Ukrainan family through, how she calls it, "a series of very fortune events bc it was meant to be". A family of 5: mom, dad with a disability & three kids.
1. This is Diane. In 2022, she took in an Ukrainan family through, how she calls it, "a series of very fortune events bc it was meant to be". A family of 5: mom, dad with a disability & three kids.
Kitsap County Fair is mostly ab cowboy hats & boots bc it's rodeo time. There are some you'd meet who are all hat, no catlle but not these two who walk the talk.
1. Steve's a supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the war& put on this t-shirt bc it was August 24th- Ukraine's Independence Day.
1. Steve's a supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the war& put on this t-shirt bc it was August 24th- Ukraine's Independence Day.
August 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Kitsap County Fair is mostly ab cowboy hats & boots bc it's rodeo time. There are some you'd meet who are all hat, no catlle but not these two who walk the talk.
1. Steve's a supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the war& put on this t-shirt bc it was August 24th- Ukraine's Independence Day.
1. Steve's a supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the war& put on this t-shirt bc it was August 24th- Ukraine's Independence Day.
As a Washingtonian, this pisses me off to no end. We are in active fire season, and these goons are detaining the FIREFIGHTERS who risk their lives to save us from fires!
things you don't ever expect to see in print "It is unusual for federal border agents to make arrests during the fighting of an active fire, especially in a remote area."
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Federal agents arrest firefighters working on WA wildfire
Federal agents showed up northeast of Lake Cushman to check identification of crew members fighting Washington's largest active wildfire.
www.seattletimes.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:48 PM
As a Washingtonian, this pisses me off to no end. We are in active fire season, and these goons are detaining the FIREFIGHTERS who risk their lives to save us from fires!
1. Whenever we go to author events, we never know what kind of crowd we'd get. But there's always without a fail at least one reader who goes down the line & buys one book from each author. At @LakeCitySummerFest we got two. In the photo on the right, Michele bought 3 bags of books!
August 8, 2025 at 9:12 PM
1. Whenever we go to author events, we never know what kind of crowd we'd get. But there's always without a fail at least one reader who goes down the line & buys one book from each author. At @LakeCitySummerFest we got two. In the photo on the right, Michele bought 3 bags of books!
This quilted coat, a wearable art, was made for a little girl by her mom, whom I met at Kla Ha Ya Days in Snohomish, WA. The girl was worried that I'd keep it & she made her displeasure known. I had to take this photo really quick & give it back to her, so she could be the fashionista of the fair.
July 23, 2025 at 12:03 AM
This quilted coat, a wearable art, was made for a little girl by her mom, whom I met at Kla Ha Ya Days in Snohomish, WA. The girl was worried that I'd keep it & she made her displeasure known. I had to take this photo really quick & give it back to her, so she could be the fashionista of the fair.
This clunky photo says that at times a story's better than a picture.
1. Terry bought my book @BallardSeafoodFest &immediately began reading it. "I'm not an immigrant,"he said while reading the chapter ab language barriers,"but I can relate bc I have a speech impediment & I'm often misunderstood."
1. Terry bought my book @BallardSeafoodFest &immediately began reading it. "I'm not an immigrant,"he said while reading the chapter ab language barriers,"but I can relate bc I have a speech impediment & I'm often misunderstood."
July 17, 2025 at 4:57 PM
This clunky photo says that at times a story's better than a picture.
1. Terry bought my book @BallardSeafoodFest &immediately began reading it. "I'm not an immigrant,"he said while reading the chapter ab language barriers,"but I can relate bc I have a speech impediment & I'm often misunderstood."
1. Terry bought my book @BallardSeafoodFest &immediately began reading it. "I'm not an immigrant,"he said while reading the chapter ab language barriers,"but I can relate bc I have a speech impediment & I'm often misunderstood."
My favorite crazy story from Marysville Strawberry Festival. This is Roger Reisman. His grandpa Marty Reisman was one of the greatest American table tennis players. Studio A24 is making a movie called Marty Supreme based on his grandpa's memoir with #TimothéeChalamet playing his grandpa. Wow!
June 28, 2025 at 7:29 PM
My favorite crazy story from Marysville Strawberry Festival. This is Roger Reisman. His grandpa Marty Reisman was one of the greatest American table tennis players. Studio A24 is making a movie called Marty Supreme based on his grandpa's memoir with #TimothéeChalamet playing his grandpa. Wow!
1. This weekend I was at an event in a city of contrasts - Maple Valley, WA. On the same corner there were 3 booths: a Hindu and a Christian, and the GOP candidate running for state Senate with an anti homophobic slogan. Yet, a music teacher with a "Protect trans kids" T-shirt walked by proudly.
June 17, 2025 at 12:54 AM
1. This weekend I was at an event in a city of contrasts - Maple Valley, WA. On the same corner there were 3 booths: a Hindu and a Christian, and the GOP candidate running for state Senate with an anti homophobic slogan. Yet, a music teacher with a "Protect trans kids" T-shirt walked by proudly.
1. Today, I'll talk about people I met at Kingston who aren't my readers but whose accomplishments must be celebrated.
This is Daniel & Trudi from a veteran owned business It's My Color Wreaths in Silverdale, WA. Daniel is a smooth booth dancer but check out his wreaths. He never makes duplicates.
This is Daniel & Trudi from a veteran owned business It's My Color Wreaths in Silverdale, WA. Daniel is a smooth booth dancer but check out his wreaths. He never makes duplicates.
June 9, 2025 at 5:06 AM
1. Today, I'll talk about people I met at Kingston who aren't my readers but whose accomplishments must be celebrated.
This is Daniel & Trudi from a veteran owned business It's My Color Wreaths in Silverdale, WA. Daniel is a smooth booth dancer but check out his wreaths. He never makes duplicates.
This is Daniel & Trudi from a veteran owned business It's My Color Wreaths in Silverdale, WA. Daniel is a smooth booth dancer but check out his wreaths. He never makes duplicates.
1. This is Glenda who blew me away last weekend in Kingston. She's so outspoken about fighting oligarchy & resisting fascism that she's wearing it on her T-shirt. That's especially heartwarming bc earlier we had another woman arguing with us that there's no fascism in America. Be like Glenda!
June 3, 2025 at 6:31 PM
1. This is Glenda who blew me away last weekend in Kingston. She's so outspoken about fighting oligarchy & resisting fascism that she's wearing it on her T-shirt. That's especially heartwarming bc earlier we had another woman arguing with us that there's no fascism in America. Be like Glenda!
1. As an author, I go to street fairs & events where I meet tons of fascinating people. Some like to chat, some like to pose for photos, some tell me a heartbreaking story and disappear. It's an endless human story that needs to be told, so I'm gonna use my writing skills to give them the spotlight.
May 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
1. As an author, I go to street fairs & events where I meet tons of fascinating people. Some like to chat, some like to pose for photos, some tell me a heartbreaking story and disappear. It's an endless human story that needs to be told, so I'm gonna use my writing skills to give them the spotlight.
Mayday, Mayday in Seattle.
May 2, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Mayday, Mayday in Seattle.
I was there, volunteering to make it happen. Loving the Washington state spirit in support of Ukraine. #SlavaUkraini
Together we raised thousands of💵s @ our Freedom for Ukraine banquet. Weʼll use it to send essential gear to Ukraine’s frontlines. Thanks to all who attended, volunteered & donated. Special thanks to WA AG Nick Brown for being there & to Reps Jayapal & Smith for statements of support.
#славаукраїні
#славаукраїні
April 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
I was there, volunteering to make it happen. Loving the Washington state spirit in support of Ukraine. #SlavaUkraini
I'll never forget the day when I first heard "Russian Warship go f*** yourself". We didn't know his name, we didn't know if he survived but we felt his defiant Ukrainian sprit that united a nation and the world. If you ask what one person can do to change history, remember Roman Hrybov.
Today,Ukrainians honored Roman Hrybov ahead of the football match. He is the author of the legendary phrase,“Russian warship, go fuck yourself,”which united millions of Ukrainians in the first days of the full-scale invasion and became an everlasting symbol of our resistance, dignity, and strength.
April 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I'll never forget the day when I first heard "Russian Warship go f*** yourself". We didn't know his name, we didn't know if he survived but we felt his defiant Ukrainian sprit that united a nation and the world. If you ask what one person can do to change history, remember Roman Hrybov.
Great weather, and an amazing crowd in Seattle today for Hands Off rally to fight American fascism like Ukrainians.
April 5, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Great weather, and an amazing crowd in Seattle today for Hands Off rally to fight American fascism like Ukrainians.
Reposted by Irina VanPatten
I admire this man for taking a stand for women. It will take men speaking up to end the cycle of abuse of women and children.
This moment is medieval - Jackson Katz on misogyny and why men must oppose Trumpism
‘This moment is medieval’: Jackson Katz on misogyny, the manosphere – and why men must oppose Trumpism
The result of the US election unleashed a ferocious feminist backlash, he says, and makes his 40-year struggle to end violence against women more urgent than ever
www.theguardian.com
February 28, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I admire this man for taking a stand for women. It will take men speaking up to end the cycle of abuse of women and children.
Here it is the medevac Humvee, we affectionally called Gimpy, repaired by many helping hands at @ukrainedefensesupport.org, including my husband. It's now on its way to Ukraine to save lives. If you're still doubting what one person can do, doubt no more, get your hands dirty and just do something!
Our Humvee ambulance is finally on its way to Ukraine! After months of hard work on repairs & more months waiting for the special-sized container, it left the Port of Tacoma & should arrive in🇺🇦in March & go straight to an🇺🇸frontline medic.You can help us send more!
ukrainedefensesupport.org/projects/
ukrainedefensesupport.org/projects/
January 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Here it is the medevac Humvee, we affectionally called Gimpy, repaired by many helping hands at @ukrainedefensesupport.org, including my husband. It's now on its way to Ukraine to save lives. If you're still doubting what one person can do, doubt no more, get your hands dirty and just do something!
When we forget history, it repeats itself.
🧵1. #BlueskyResistance #Voices4Victory
SEEN ON TIKTOK…
Until 1964, an employer could refuse to hire someone just for being a woman.
Until 1965, it was legal for a doctor to refuse to prescribe birth control for a married woman.
…
SEEN ON TIKTOK…
Until 1964, an employer could refuse to hire someone just for being a woman.
Until 1965, it was legal for a doctor to refuse to prescribe birth control for a married woman.
…
January 19, 2025 at 5:37 PM
When we forget history, it repeats itself.