The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (finally!) Love.

Is that a guitar floating by the window???

Just cute baby goats, I think.

Not all _____s

Thanks for the recommendations! : )

I'm sorry you're going though so much shit at the same time. Yes, keep trying! No, Disappearing! Hope you had/are having an awesome night. : )

I think this person meant, blame Ray Rice, blame the owners/management, but please don't hate on the actual Ravens! A team that meant a lot to the OP during a difficult time. As for the "football in general" view, well, that's another issue entirely . . .

I am so sorry you're going though this. I am two years out and I know right now it's incredibly hard, so sending strength : ) I tend to love crime drama, so I recommend Spiral and The Killing on Netflix. Totally engrossing, but dark, just fyi. All the best to you.

Wow. I now know there is a name for what I had as a child.

ain't that the truth

but then why doesn't it rain milk?

I second the recommendation to read The Gift of Fear. It's helpful in terms of protecting yourself, and fascinating in terms of human behavior. I am sorry you have to deal with what sounds like an awful and unfair situation at the moment, though. I hope all goes well for you with sorting it out.

I just want to thank everyone for their helpful advice and encouragement last week. It really helped a lot just to hear compassionate voices out there. Many, many thanks to you all, and I hope all is well with everyone this week.

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I may just order that book! I'm willing to give anything a dedicated try. As for pharmaceuticals—I am on several, but they seem to have stopped working. I don't get alarmed if I have a few bad days here or there, but if I have a whole month I start to really worry. It seems…

I'm sorry to hear you have a lifelong battle with depression. I have never tried "taking" brazil nuts—but I will! I really like them already : ) I do take vitamins, but I've heard nutrients are always better absorbed when they're from an actual food source. That said, I know if I forget my vitamins I really notice…

The news of the world. Yep, I do feel it's a responsibility, I listen to NPR, I read the NY Times, I try to stay informed, I feel ineffectual and overwhelmed. I do try to contribute money to causes when I can (I can't really afford to most of the time.) So basically — yes, I do this, and it doesn't help matters. …

Many thanks to you! It helps so much to read posts like yours. It gives me some hope. All the best to you as well.

Thank you so much for writing. I am sorry you are still struggling, but I'm glad the cats are helping! I love cats, I have one who seems to know when I'm especially down and just comes to sit with me. It does make me feel less alone. So does receiving messages like yours, so again, thank you. I wish you happier…

It's not trite, its just harder than it sounds. But I am trying to follow the path of doing what I love. The job applications are especially disheartening. I haven't given up, just sometimes it's such a struggle— I keep trying to move forward no matter how slowly. In fact I often think of this Issa haiku: