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
Marty Reisman was a real person. He wrote a memoir about his escapades in the 70s, that was now converted into a screen play. I met with his grandson Roger Reisman in June, y'all, who's also a writer. Photographic evidence: this is Roger, Martin Reisman's grandson who lives in Marysville, WA.
November 22, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Marty Reisman was a real person. He wrote a memoir about his escapades in the 70s, that was now converted into a screen play. I met with his grandson Roger Reisman in June, y'all, who's also a writer. Photographic evidence: this is Roger, Martin Reisman's grandson who lives in Marysville, WA.
8. Followed by the Kitsap A Cappella choir (men group) serenading us.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
8. Followed by the Kitsap A Cappella choir (men group) serenading us.
7. And the grand finale - the Kitsap A Cappella choir (women group) serenading us.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
7. And the grand finale - the Kitsap A Cappella choir (women group) serenading us.
6. Next are the cutest dogs called Coconut and Biscuit. Followed by visiting Santa.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
6. Next are the cutest dogs called Coconut and Biscuit. Followed by visiting Santa.
5. These people just made me smile because they wore art, made by them or others, on themselves. The lady with the brown and orange cardigan crocheted it herself. As a knitter, I can attest, that's a masterfully done piece.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
5. These people just made me smile because they wore art, made by them or others, on themselves. The lady with the brown and orange cardigan crocheted it herself. As a knitter, I can attest, that's a masterfully done piece.
4. This is Pat Daly from @TheWoolyBird. Pat stumbled upon her talent to make birds from whool 8 years ago. She later expanded to making other animals too. Aren't they adorable?
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
4. This is Pat Daly from @TheWoolyBird. Pat stumbled upon her talent to make birds from whool 8 years ago. She later expanded to making other animals too. Aren't they adorable?
3. Yet, there is light. This is Denise Johnson from Painted Petals Design Studio. She's a florist from Paulsbo, WA, turned painter 4 years ago. She's also a small farmer, and many animals in her paintings are animals from her farm. Just amazing talent. Follow her on Instagram @denise.johnson.79069!
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
3. Yet, there is light. This is Denise Johnson from Painted Petals Design Studio. She's a florist from Paulsbo, WA, turned painter 4 years ago. She's also a small farmer, and many animals in her paintings are animals from her farm. Just amazing talent. Follow her on Instagram @denise.johnson.79069!
2. My personal hero- Heidi, an immigration lawyer, originally from El Salvador. Her colleagues are receiving cease & desist letters to stop showing up to court with their clients, who did everything right by going through the legal process. They're defying those orders & show up to court anyway.
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
2. My personal hero- Heidi, an immigration lawyer, originally from El Salvador. Her colleagues are receiving cease & desist letters to stop showing up to court with their clients, who did everything right by going through the legal process. They're defying those orders & show up to court anyway.
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.
4. The last video is my favorite. This is Anna, putting a show for us by dancing to Christmas music. Loving her joy, and her confidence.
November 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
4. The last video is my favorite. This is Anna, putting a show for us by dancing to Christmas music. Loving her joy, and her confidence.
3. This is Shawnna's bag full of books that she just bought from each of us. Bags of books deserve recognition too.
November 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
3. This is Shawnna's bag full of books that she just bought from each of us. Bags of books deserve recognition too.
2. Here we have the one-eyed Daisy with her tongue permanently sticking out, who looks like she fought more battles than she won. The next dog, looking like an old man, is a girl called Ziva. She was fighting her fear of crowds by shaking profusely, but I can report that she lived to tell her tale.
November 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
2. Here we have the one-eyed Daisy with her tongue permanently sticking out, who looks like she fought more battles than she won. The next dog, looking like an old man, is a girl called Ziva. She was fighting her fear of crowds by shaking profusely, but I can report that she lived to tell her tale.
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.
3. Then on my way back home on the ferry, I saw Seattle's Ferris Wheel light up in 💙 & 💛 for Ukraine's Independence Day, and it warmed my heart that my city is still with people of Ukraine despite everything. #SlavaUkraini
August 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
3. Then on my way back home on the ferry, I saw Seattle's Ferris Wheel light up in 💙 & 💛 for Ukraine's Independence Day, and it warmed my heart that my city is still with people of Ukraine despite everything. #SlavaUkraini
2. Jeremy had a Ukrainian Trident tatoo because last year he volunteered in Lviv (Ukraine) at the same time when Russians bombed the train station there.
Two Americans who had no connection to Ukraine until this war started but bleed blue 💙 & 💛 nevertheless.
Two Americans who had no connection to Ukraine until this war started but bleed blue 💙 & 💛 nevertheless.
August 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
2. Jeremy had a Ukrainian Trident tatoo because last year he volunteered in Lviv (Ukraine) at the same time when Russians bombed the train station there.
Two Americans who had no connection to Ukraine until this war started but bleed blue 💙 & 💛 nevertheless.
Two Americans who had no connection to Ukraine until this war started but bleed blue 💙 & 💛 nevertheless.
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.
3. Then, there are the fun, the cute, and the peculiar. @LakeCitySummerFest was no exception.
Cute dogs; children blowing bubbles; an adult man, riding a duck; a fairy in very high heels.
Cute dogs; children blowing bubbles; an adult man, riding a duck; a fairy in very high heels.
August 8, 2025 at 9:12 PM
3. Then, there are the fun, the cute, and the peculiar. @LakeCitySummerFest was no exception.
Cute dogs; children blowing bubbles; an adult man, riding a duck; a fairy in very high heels.
Cute dogs; children blowing bubbles; an adult man, riding a duck; a fairy in very high heels.
2. And there's always a heartwarming story. This is Beamae's Gumbo family business, run by Constance, Steve & Nick. Steve found his late mother's gumbo recipes & after a lot of grieving, decided that the best way to honor his mom was to take her gumbos on the road. PS: I wish I had a better photo.
August 8, 2025 at 9:12 PM
2. And there's always a heartwarming story. This is Beamae's Gumbo family business, run by Constance, Steve & Nick. Steve found his late mother's gumbo recipes & after a lot of grieving, decided that the best way to honor his mom was to take her gumbos on the road. PS: I wish I had a better photo.
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 is Ruby, also from Snohomish. She's 92 years old. When I saw her in her cute, red hat, I asked her: "What's your story?" She laughed: "I was born here, raised here, lived my entire life here, and enjoyed every minute of it. Spreading joy is what I do. Otherwise, what's the point of living?"
July 23, 2025 at 12:03 AM
This is Ruby, also from Snohomish. She's 92 years old. When I saw her in her cute, red hat, I asked her: "What's your story?" She laughed: "I was born here, raised here, lived my entire life here, and enjoyed every minute of it. Spreading joy is what I do. Otherwise, what's the point of living?"
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.