Mer Francis, PhD, MSW
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mwfrancis.bsky.social
Mer Francis, PhD, MSW
@mwfrancis.bsky.social
1.1K followers 380 following 1.4K posts
Social worker. Educator. Activist. Researcher on substance use recovery. Views are my own. They/them ♿ 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️
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mwfrancis.bsky.social
Callisto is a bit baffled by Tuck Em In Tuesday, but her butt is warm so she’s not complaining too much
A brown and white tabby cat tucked cozily into a cream and tan leaf patterned cotton blanket. She has a puzzled but patient expression on her face
November 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
The labels were generic so I’m not totally sure of varieties, but there are turban, blue jarrahdale of some sort, and Long Island cheese (I think)
Four pumpkins on a marble table. One is large, pale tan-orange, and deeply ribbed. One is squat and pale grey blue green. One is small, flat, and brighter orange. The last is deep green with red and white markings and looks like a small pumpkin smooshed a larger one by sitting on it
November 8, 2025 at 3:20 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Vote vote vote! Like a baby stoat! …I mean opossum (RVA’s unofficial mascot)
Two voting stickers. The top is a standard “I voted” sticker with a US flag. The bottom is the local Richmond Virginia sticker with a very cute hand drawn opossum curled around the ballot it is filling out with “RVA VOTES “ below
November 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
My white board with the *very appropriate* start of my grocery list was right next to me, so
A whiteboard drawing of a very chonky squirrel sitting next to a pile of peanuts in shell and exclaiming "peanuts!" in a word balloon
September 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
I'd like to share what was sent to all Virginia state employees last Friday. It's...something. Please feel free to imagine patriotic music as you like.

I'll add the text in a thread with no commentary, per the last paragraph. This email communication is public record.
A screenshot of an email, headed by the state seal of Virginia and titled with "Commonwealth of Virginia Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin." September 12, 2025 Good morning, State Colleagues: Many of you saw the Proclamation issued by the Governor last night asking Virginians to pause at noon today to reflect and pray for Charlie Kirk’s family, to reject all forms of violence, and for our Commonwealth and Nation to stand together. (You may find the Official Proclamation here.) Just as our Nation joined together after September 11th, so too must we make a similar and lasting commitment to defeat the evils that harm our democracy. While Virginia has led the way during the Founding of our Nation to ensure that the inalienable God-given rights of liberty and free speech were protected, we are not immune to today’s assault on those rights and the civil debate that is a hallmark of a free society. The Governor said in his proclamation that the acceptance of murder or violence as a solution to political disagreements must be rejected, otherwise our Nation’s very soul will suffer irreparable moral decay. As public servants, we are appropriately held to a higher standard. That means not only representing the Commonwealth during work, but also outside of the office and, especially, in social media. We have received notice of several posts that clearly violate this standard of conduct. I remind you of the standards that are expected of state employees. Thank you for all you do on behalf of our 8.8 million bosses. John E. Littel Chief of Staff
September 15, 2025 at 12:39 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Callisto-cat has separation anxiety, so whenever @bowlerhatscience.org takes a shower, gets the mail, takes out the trash, etc., she dramatically sings the songs of her people with a toy in her mouth.

Yelling "HE'S IN THE BATHROOM YOU DORK!" doesn't help. Tragedy prevails. Alas!
A brown and white tabby cat sitting in an orange shoe box. She is facing away from the camera but turned so that she is looking at you with a worried expression. Her tail is flooped ridiculously out of the box
September 11, 2025 at 2:36 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Happy James Dobson Is Dead day to us all! 🎂🌈🪦
A cookies and cream chocolate cake in a plastic dome next to a large container of rainbow sprinkles
August 21, 2025 at 8:02 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
I drew a bird, probably a pigeon? coming in for a crash landing while screaming

Artwork is a random pen on the back of a packing slip that were on the side table because I’m too tired to go find anything else. AND THATS FINE BECAUSE ITS HUMAN ART AND NOT AI AND I HAD FUN!
A sketchily drawn chonky bird with wings raised, tail flared, and feet sticking out. Its mouth is open and an AAAAA scream is coming out of it. The cheap white paper is rumpled and the black ink is rough and inconsistent
August 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
SKINK!!!
It was trapped in the food donation cooler in front of our house, so I released it in the garden and it demonstrated that it is Super Good (tm) at hiding
A juvenile five lined skink with a dark body, distinctive yellow stripes running down its back and a long bright blue tail, sitting in a white cooler. You can see the drain hole plug next to it and it’s about the same size as the skink An image of bark mulch and plants next to a brick border. There is a suspicious bright blue piece of mulch sticking out but there are definitely no skinks with bright blue tails in the picture
August 14, 2025 at 8:50 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Beans
A photo from below of all of a brown and white tabby cat’s fuzzy pink toes snuggled together with the top of her head and ears peeking out as she snoozes
August 9, 2025 at 3:38 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
I did, in fact, have lesbian pancakes (gluten free!), plus a mocktail version of the Pink Pony Club, which was strawberry and coconut with edible glitter, sprinkles, and a pink heart shaped straw with a glitter disco ball cowboy hat thing on it and it was ✨fabulous ✨
A tall glass with an opaque pink drink in it with ice, edible glitter, rainbow sprinkles, a pink straw and a paper ornament with a silver disco ball topped with a glitter pink cowboy hat
July 17, 2025 at 9:53 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Gonna go get me some lesbian pancakes 🌈😋
A sign with retro looking rainbows on a white background for liberty public house restaurant, which proudly proclaims that it is the original lesbian pancake house
July 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
DOCTOR:
Pawn Stars "Best I can do is" meme with two light-skinned men in black polo shirts at a pawn shop counter with the words "Best I can do is KT tape" at the bottom
July 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Whatcha doin’?
A from below photo of a grey cat sprawled playfully on a cat tree platform looking down with her feet and tail hanging over the edge
June 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
June 15, 2025 at 12:04 AM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Pumpkin say no kings, more belly rubs
June 14, 2025 at 9:19 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
RVA showing up for #nokings
June 14, 2025 at 9:19 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Feets
A grey cat’s four paws neatly stacked for your viewing pleasure
June 13, 2025 at 8:06 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Saturday morning cartoons

m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIqU...
Two cats avidly watching a video of a bird feeder cam. One is grey and the other is a brown and white tabby.
June 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Nebula would like to know why all of these people keep DOING things when she’s sleeping SHEESH
A grey cat luxuriously stretched on a fuzzy mint green pillow on a grey sofa A grey cat luxuriously yawning with her pink mouth and white teeth on a fuzzy mint green pillow on a grey sofa A grey cat looking very rumpled and grumpy with her eyes mostly closed and ears in partial airplane mode while luxuriously stretching out on a fuzzy mint green pillow on a grey sofa
May 31, 2025 at 7:47 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Nebula begs to differ. Cardboard is delicious. Food is delicious. Therefore, cardboard is food. QED.
A grey cat with golden eyes peering out of a delicious-looking cardboard box that she is loafed in. The box has flaps with two quotes about beans on them and an orange lining
May 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
Well done, well done! 👏 😂
This is the first email about a conference I'm attending that I literally LOL'ed at. I could definitely use some interpersonal validation at every conference I go to!
A snippet of an email about a conference that states, "1. The Conference is in the Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. Parking is available (and included with registration for non-VCU attendees) at the West Main St. Deck, 801 W Main St, Richmond, VA 23284. The space is 4 blocks from the parking deck. We will provide validation (both for parking and interpersonal) when you arrive on site. Because parking costs come out of the conference" The sentence "We will provide validation (both for parking and interpersonal) when you arrive on site" is underlined in bright green
May 14, 2025 at 7:28 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
I don't have current pics, but this was my setup about 10 years ago. As you can see, I am subject to the highest inspection standards 😹
A covered front porch filled with vegetable plants in containers. The tomato plants stretch to the ceiling, about 8 feet tall A plastic dishpan and wicker basket filled with salad greens, herbs, and snap peas on a tan kitchen floor. A brown and white tabby cat is diligently inspecting the peas for quality assurance purposes
May 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
You know it even more bad when Barbie shows up
The front of a walker mobility aid decorated with three barbies with their hands raised and a sign that says “Barbie is pissed” with the sign edges cut into spiky zigzags
April 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
mwfrancis.bsky.social
You know it’s bad when the dinosaurs show up
Two people in inflatable dinosaur costumes in a public square. One is holding an inflatable penguin and a sign that says “don’t let democracy go extinct!” With a t-Rex skeleton, and the other is holding a sign that reads “save our democracy from going extinct!”
April 5, 2025 at 7:22 PM