Dana B.

@dbaredit.bsky.social

1140 Followers 2221 Following

Curious about archives, sound, books

Sleeping orange cat, super chill.
Orange cat with a lot of white fur who is almost sleeping and trying to ignore the photographer
Cosmo, an orange longhair that I’m pretty sure used to be a shorthair, lounging on his perch and basking in the sun
Yard ornament white dog with red/white/blue top hat and bandanna.
Adorable black and white kitten with a black spot on his face
Theencourager.org Dana Barnes - The Encourager Dana is a megastructure, and if you don’t want her to destroy the Earth, you’re going to need an EMP capable of taking out a whole swarm of alien robots.
My husband shown breaking through a light gray couch I was trying to place in our living room using augmented reality. His head appears on the couch cushion and the rest of his body is under the couch. I did not buy this couch!
Desmond Dekker ticket stub, House of Blues, 2/25/96
Orange cat sleepily looking at iPhone photographer
Orange cat with spiky fur lounging on gray comforter with one paw sticking out
“Nightwalk” by Jim Woodring
Back of cat who is sitting on his perch looking out the window. His tail is hanging off his perch.
The Island Pen comment on Substack: This was extraordinary writing. What stayed with me the most was how caregiving became both deeply logistical and deeply sacred at the same time — spreadsheets, medication timing, staffing chaos, insurance forms, cigarettes, laundry, hand-holding, exhaustion, love. This essay refuses to romanticize death while still protecting the humanity inside it. Also, the line about hospice involving “a village of death workers” hovering around the body’s changes felt painfully accurate and strangely beautiful. So much of modern dying seems hidden from public conversation until someone suddenly has to live inside the machinery of it.
A mom with her three children. Her daughters are in matching red dresses with red capes with I guess a bric-a-brac trim down the front. The mom is wearing a red dress with matching cape and patterned lining and a sun hat and sunglasses.
Orange cat basking in the sunlight on his perch.
A particularly furry orange cat with very messy fur
Cough drop wrapper that says, “Don’t try harder. Do harder.”
Five jobs I’ve had: 1. Dental instrument cleaner 2. Typist (from live dictation) for a philosopher 3. Order taker/copy helper of personal ads in national newspapers before online dating 4. Newspaper delivery person 5. Outside table monitor for London store gazing L-R all day for CD theft
Napping orange cat who is managing to take up most of the bed
Photo of an orange cat with a face that’s askew. The right side is higher than the left.
Yet another photo of a seemingly irritated orange cat
A decorative patriotic bird on a drugstore shelf for $4.99. The red, white and blue pompom on its head is a nice touch.
A very stern orange cat
A very stern orange cat
Sleeping orange cat with paw on his head
View from the top of a photo cube that says Happy Mother’s Day with a photo of three people, two with hands on another’s shoulder. The original photo could be nice, but the photo cube looks sinister to me, especially from the top and especially at a mall gift kiosk.
Very furry orange cat on his perch looking out a window
Orange cat on his perch looking back at amateur photographer/cat mom through spiky fur
“This is so good. 5 stars! Therapeutic and affirming for caregivers.” “really enjoyed this conversation between 2 people who are so articulate and reflective about their caregiving experience.” “Thank you both for sharing your experiences. I read Dana’s piece and I liked how vulnerable and funny you are!” “Very interesting discussion of a subject which is rarely addressed. Parenting in reverse is a stage of life many must prepare for. Ms. Barnes’ perspective is refreshingly honest.” “Very warm, relatable account of that shared last journey with a parent, but really applicable to anyone in this situation dealing with the oncoming departure from this life of someone they’re close to and soon to be forced to say goodbye to….This interview is full of helpful foreknowledge, and I’d prescribe it to anyone who finds themselves in this situation.”
Surrealist funhouse mirror with distorted legs and a detached face with glasses. This was not a photo opp. No one around us seemed to notice this mirror.
Snake snowglobe with a base of coiled snake
Salt and pepper shaker holder with armadillo figurine
Orange cat on stool with blanket looking like an old man. His eyes are almost closed and one paw is sticking out.
An angry orange cat on a vet exam table
A photo of an angry orange cat on the exam table at the vet
Posted sign that has a clip art illustration of a person holding a stop sign. The sign reads: “ASSOCIATES ONLY PLEASE ASK FOR ASSISTANTS”
Close-up of Cosmo cat curled up and sleeping
Orange cat in full lounge mode on bed
An orange cat with paws crossed who clearly knows how perfect he is
Shadows of couple above a sign on the ground in a coffee shop parking lot with individual letters “A” “R” “T”
Blurry photo of orange cat
Jenny Quinlan commented on The Friendship Refuse A heartwrenching reminder for us to be kind, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and never ever ghost our friends! You’ve captured the confusion and grief in such a situation. I’m betting many can relate to the story of a friendship dismantling unnecessarily.
Screensaver of same cat with sun behind him.
Someone posted something online about being dumped like trash years ago and how much better they’re doing now. I scroll for the picture, thinking of a fellow dumpee and see a photo of a rescue rabbit. -Excerpt, The Friendship Refuse
Orange cat on tower sitting upright with a focused expression and the sun behind him.
Cat with resting cat face by a full food bowl, clearly irritated
The P-Funk Mothership spaceship prop replica at the Smithsonian!, made of metal, plastic and glass. Even the replica weighs 1,500 pounds. And there’s my husband standing in front of it. A Bootsy Collins’ costume is shown in a case to the right. It is a long yellow jacket and a hat with stars.
Champagne glass close-up that looks like a bridge to me and an eye to my husband
Orange cat curled up with one paw sticking out
Close-up of spiky orange cat fur
Cosmo, like his cat mom, has a lot of thoughts going on this Saturday.
Colby, a purple and white stuffed mouse. His all-important birthday is listed on the tag.
YouTube The Godmother of Rock & Roll - Sister Rosetta Tharpe (BBC)
Hard to describe black hats - maybe steampunk-inspired with colored eyeglasses on the rim?!
Sleeping orange cat curled up and cozy
Orange cat
“If… you have any personal experience of managing someone’s death then I can’t recommend this essay by Dana Barnes enough; it is remarkably clear-eyed and it had me in pieces at various points, but it’s also the truest and most-relatable account of this process that I have ever read, and I think it’s a brilliant and brave piece of writing.” —Web Curios (webcurios.co.uk) “This piece has me from the first line about the cigarette and the watch, and didn’t let go…. I found this story cathartic, therapeutic and quite beautiful. Highly recommended — especially for the millions who care for aging parents in an era where things are very complicated.” —Jenny Quinlan “One of the great charms of this poignant story is that you managed to include so many humorous moments and insights. Lots of great moments, lots of great lines.” —Tyler Gore “What an epic take on elder care.” —Chauncey Gardener
Orange cat (Cosmo) with what seems to be a pensive expression
Super furry orange cat crossing his paws