Melissa 🏳️🌈
@melis-willis.bsky.social
📚 Book Lover | Word Weaver
🌀 Family Historian | Ghost Chaser
✊🏼 Gen X Resister | Truth Seeker
💜 Blogger & Photographer: Share a cuppa w/ me on the threshold of all that’s been & all that’s yet to come @ undertheelderberrytree.com
📍NM, USA
🌀 Family Historian | Ghost Chaser
✊🏼 Gen X Resister | Truth Seeker
💜 Blogger & Photographer: Share a cuppa w/ me on the threshold of all that’s been & all that’s yet to come @ undertheelderberrytree.com
📍NM, USA
Pinned
Melissa 🏳️🌈
@melis-willis.bsky.social
· Sep 15
Hi, hey, hello! New here? Thanks for showing up! A few things to know ⬇️
I curate my feed carefully. No Follow for Follow without vetting.
I post about:
* Books
* Blogging
* Cats
* DEI
* Dissent
* Farming
* Genealogy
* Justice
* Music
* Nature
* Politics
* Whatever else moves me
Cool? Cool!
I curate my feed carefully. No Follow for Follow without vetting.
I post about:
* Books
* Blogging
* Cats
* DEI
* Dissent
* Farming
* Genealogy
* Justice
* Music
* Nature
* Politics
* Whatever else moves me
Cool? Cool!
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Bobcat
Diamondback Rattlesnake
Roadrunner
[Northern NM is truly wild 🤷🏻♀️]
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Bobcat
Diamondback Rattlesnake
Roadrunner
[Northern NM is truly wild 🤷🏻♀️]
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
West Indian Manatee
Sandhill Crane
Timber Rattlesnake
Atlantic Stingray
North American River Otter
West Indian Manatee
Sandhill Crane
Timber Rattlesnake
Atlantic Stingray
North American River Otter
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Swinhoe's pheasant
American ermine
Lesser frigatebird
Eurasian nightjar
Greater roadrunner
Swinhoe's pheasant
American ermine
Lesser frigatebird
Eurasian nightjar
Greater roadrunner
November 29, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Bobcat
Diamondback Rattlesnake
Roadrunner
[Northern NM is truly wild 🤷🏻♀️]
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Bobcat
Diamondback Rattlesnake
Roadrunner
[Northern NM is truly wild 🤷🏻♀️]
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Hitting “unsubscribe” over and over, like I’m trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
November 28, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Hitting “unsubscribe” over and over, like I’m trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've been to:
Violent Femmes
Tori Amos
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthew’s Band
Billie Eilish
Violent Femmes
Tori Amos
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthew’s Band
Billie Eilish
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've been to:
Black Violin
Dropkick Murphy’s
Green Day
Ani DiFranco
Beastie Boys
I have been to a lot but don’t go much anymore. I have very eclectic taste from punk to Vivaldi.
Black Violin
Dropkick Murphy’s
Green Day
Ani DiFranco
Beastie Boys
I have been to a lot but don’t go much anymore. I have very eclectic taste from punk to Vivaldi.
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've been to:
Jonathan Coulton
Sonata Arctica
Jethro Tull
The CruxShadows
The Postal Service
I have eclectic tastes.
Jonathan Coulton
Sonata Arctica
Jethro Tull
The CruxShadows
The Postal Service
I have eclectic tastes.
November 28, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've been to:
Violent Femmes
Tori Amos
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthew’s Band
Billie Eilish
Violent Femmes
Tori Amos
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthew’s Band
Billie Eilish
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
Happy heart, full belly. Now time to snuggle in with this cuddle bunny, crack open my book, and probably fall asleep two pages in 😂
November 28, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Happy heart, full belly. Now time to snuggle in with this cuddle bunny, crack open my book, and probably fall asleep two pages in 😂
This Thanksgiving by Lauren Mantis
[Stay safe and sane out there. Hydrate, breathe, count the memories not the calories, find joy, walk away if you must. See you on the other side.]
[Stay safe and sane out there. Hydrate, breathe, count the memories not the calories, find joy, walk away if you must. See you on the other side.]
November 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM
This Thanksgiving by Lauren Mantis
[Stay safe and sane out there. Hydrate, breathe, count the memories not the calories, find joy, walk away if you must. See you on the other side.]
[Stay safe and sane out there. Hydrate, breathe, count the memories not the calories, find joy, walk away if you must. See you on the other side.]
I could get up off the couch after a long day on my feet and prep more for The Big Meal tomorrow or I could stay seated to defrag (read or play ACNH) and get up earlier tomorrow to handle the rest of the prep 🤔 wwyd?
November 27, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I could get up off the couch after a long day on my feet and prep more for The Big Meal tomorrow or I could stay seated to defrag (read or play ACNH) and get up earlier tomorrow to handle the rest of the prep 🤔 wwyd?
Where are all the Bluesky bloggers?
The ones who have been blogging for years? Who enjoying reading and writing long form content? Owning said content? Aren’t solely dependent on social media for all online communication?
Hit me with your blog links, pretty please 🤗
The ones who have been blogging for years? Who enjoying reading and writing long form content? Owning said content? Aren’t solely dependent on social media for all online communication?
Hit me with your blog links, pretty please 🤗
November 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Where are all the Bluesky bloggers?
The ones who have been blogging for years? Who enjoying reading and writing long form content? Owning said content? Aren’t solely dependent on social media for all online communication?
Hit me with your blog links, pretty please 🤗
The ones who have been blogging for years? Who enjoying reading and writing long form content? Owning said content? Aren’t solely dependent on social media for all online communication?
Hit me with your blog links, pretty please 🤗
Continuing to make my through TEOTWAWKI, new tales from Stephen King’s world of The Stand & it is definitely slow going (all me, the stories are great). At 286 pages in, I’m 1/3 of the way through & aiming to finish these tales before the end of the year. Can I do it?
#booksky💙📚 #amreading #horror
#booksky💙📚 #amreading #horror
November 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Continuing to make my through TEOTWAWKI, new tales from Stephen King’s world of The Stand & it is definitely slow going (all me, the stories are great). At 286 pages in, I’m 1/3 of the way through & aiming to finish these tales before the end of the year. Can I do it?
#booksky💙📚 #amreading #horror
#booksky💙📚 #amreading #horror
Today’s reminder: You are magic, act accordingly.
November 26, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Today’s reminder: You are magic, act accordingly.
Staycation Day Two: Kicked off the day with some ACNH instead of doomscrolling and it was the best decision ever ✨
November 25, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Staycation Day Two: Kicked off the day with some ACNH instead of doomscrolling and it was the best decision ever ✨
Sunday morning perfection = hot tea in my hand + a good book in my lap + a solid rain storm outside + a cozy fire in the wood stove ❤️
#booksky💙📚
#booksky💙📚
November 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Sunday morning perfection = hot tea in my hand + a good book in my lap + a solid rain storm outside + a cozy fire in the wood stove ❤️
#booksky💙📚
#booksky💙📚
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Never forget this: The forces rigging our economy, undermining our democracy, polluting our planet, and stoking hatred are counting on you to give up. Cynicism is how they win. Stay clear-eyed and ready for the fight ahead.
November 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Never forget this: The forces rigging our economy, undermining our democracy, polluting our planet, and stoking hatred are counting on you to give up. Cynicism is how they win. Stay clear-eyed and ready for the fight ahead.
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Sorry November but I can’t do this current news cycle AND cold toes at the same time, one of you has got to go
November 19, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Sorry November but I can’t do this current news cycle AND cold toes at the same time, one of you has got to go
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
One thing that's been heavily proven to me is Bluesky is not all politics. The music, record, cd, movie, books, horror and lots more scenes are heavily alive and well here with almost zero negativity. Better engagement here than Facebook has been in years.
November 16, 2025 at 10:33 PM
One thing that's been heavily proven to me is Bluesky is not all politics. The music, record, cd, movie, books, horror and lots more scenes are heavily alive and well here with almost zero negativity. Better engagement here than Facebook has been in years.
Join me for a cuppa on the blog to chat the Aurora Borealis in NM, books / recent reads, and this week’s writings ❤️
Over a Cuppa: Fifteen (of daylights and night times) - Under the Elderberry Tree
Hi, Hey, Hello! Goodness, I’m so happy to see you on this beautiful Autumn day! How the heck are you?! What can I get started for you? I’m brewing up some black tea with milk and honey (obviously) but...
undertheelderberrytree.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Join me for a cuppa on the blog to chat the Aurora Borealis in NM, books / recent reads, and this week’s writings ❤️
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
For #FossilFriday & in honor of @alinemghilardi.bsky.social & colleagues' fantastic discovery of a new Cretaceous pterosaur in Brazil in a dinosaur regurgitalite ("fossil vomit"), here's a diagram I made for my book 'Dinosaurs Without Bones' (2014) showing the physics of a puking brachiosaur. 🧪🦕🤮🪨
November 14, 2025 at 1:14 PM
For #FossilFriday & in honor of @alinemghilardi.bsky.social & colleagues' fantastic discovery of a new Cretaceous pterosaur in Brazil in a dinosaur regurgitalite ("fossil vomit"), here's a diagram I made for my book 'Dinosaurs Without Bones' (2014) showing the physics of a puking brachiosaur. 🧪🦕🤮🪨
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
Variants of single gene GRIN2A linked to early onset of mental illness particularly schizophrenia
medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11...
— 121 ppl with GRIN2A variant analyzed
— GRIN2A variants reduce activity of NMDA receptor
— 4 patients benefit with dietary supplement L-serine
#health #science 🧪
medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11...
— 121 ppl with GRIN2A variant analyzed
— GRIN2A variants reduce activity of NMDA receptor
— 4 patients benefit with dietary supplement L-serine
#health #science 🧪
Changes in a single gene can cause mental illness, study reveals
Until now, researchers assumed that schizophrenia, anxiety disorders or depression arise from an interplay of many different factors, including genetic ones.
medicalxpress.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Variants of single gene GRIN2A linked to early onset of mental illness particularly schizophrenia
medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11...
— 121 ppl with GRIN2A variant analyzed
— GRIN2A variants reduce activity of NMDA receptor
— 4 patients benefit with dietary supplement L-serine
#health #science 🧪
medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11...
— 121 ppl with GRIN2A variant analyzed
— GRIN2A variants reduce activity of NMDA receptor
— 4 patients benefit with dietary supplement L-serine
#health #science 🧪
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
A surge of unseasonably warm air is resulting in near-record to record-breaking high temperatures across a broad region of the Central and Southern Plains.
The combination of this unusual warmth, low relative humidity, and the strong, gusty winds will create favorable fire weather conditions.
The combination of this unusual warmth, low relative humidity, and the strong, gusty winds will create favorable fire weather conditions.
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
A surge of unseasonably warm air is resulting in near-record to record-breaking high temperatures across a broad region of the Central and Southern Plains.
The combination of this unusual warmth, low relative humidity, and the strong, gusty winds will create favorable fire weather conditions.
The combination of this unusual warmth, low relative humidity, and the strong, gusty winds will create favorable fire weather conditions.
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Wanna join me in crocheting or knitting a Season’s Feelings scarf? Think of a Temperature Blanket, but with feelings represented by colors in Granny Squares throughout the holiday season 🧶
Work(s) in Progress: Season's Feelings Make Along - Under the Elderberry Tree
The cooler months always find me longing to pick up my crochet hook and stitch the short days away. Sometimes I have large projects in mind, other times I’ll find something small to make. This year, I...
undertheelderberrytree.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Wanna join me in crocheting or knitting a Season’s Feelings scarf? Think of a Temperature Blanket, but with feelings represented by colors in Granny Squares throughout the holiday season 🧶
Reposted by Melissa 🏳️🌈
BIG NEWS: Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn in as a member of Congress tomorrow.
She is likely to be the 218th vote on the Epstein discharge petition, which would force a full vote to release the Epstein files in their entirety.
She is likely to be the 218th vote on the Epstein discharge petition, which would force a full vote to release the Epstein files in their entirety.
November 11, 2025 at 7:40 PM
BIG NEWS: Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn in as a member of Congress tomorrow.
She is likely to be the 218th vote on the Epstein discharge petition, which would force a full vote to release the Epstein files in their entirety.
She is likely to be the 218th vote on the Epstein discharge petition, which would force a full vote to release the Epstein files in their entirety.
In 1933, my maternal Grandma won the Scholastic Award (Witter Bynner Poetry Award). That win was a turning point in her life and would set the stage for innumerable decisions and creative endeavors for decades to come.
Her winning poem, Deliria, is up on the blog.
#familyhistory #poet
Her winning poem, Deliria, is up on the blog.
#familyhistory #poet
Deliria by Eve Stanton, 1933 - Under the Elderberry Tree
This post was originally published to my old family history blog, boldandqueer(dot)com. Since no longer publishing on that site, I have moved a handful of popular posts to this space and dated them as...
undertheelderberrytree.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:57 PM
In 1933, my maternal Grandma won the Scholastic Award (Witter Bynner Poetry Award). That win was a turning point in her life and would set the stage for innumerable decisions and creative endeavors for decades to come.
Her winning poem, Deliria, is up on the blog.
#familyhistory #poet
Her winning poem, Deliria, is up on the blog.
#familyhistory #poet
November 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM