Ha! I love foxes (see username). This looks awesome!

Last year was so wet at the right time/temperature that the fruiting conditions were great and I seemed to hit them at the right time. That's why I try to go out often during the season, bc once one species starts popping off, I'm more likely to find them elsewhere on my rounds.

That's why people put in the time, energy, and effort to level up their identification skills.

It takes some practice to level up any skill or knowledge. There are many edibles that are "easy" to identify once you put the work in to level up your identification skills. You just don't eat anything you're not 100% sure about while you're learning.

Last year I found over nine pounds of chanterelles in a week. And a few weeks back I found a pound of hedgehogs on a random walk through the woods. It's also nice having access to and get to experience flavors that you might never taste if you never go out to find them on your own.

"The Myth of Normal - trauma, illness, and healing in a toxic culture" by Dr. Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté

Normalized abuse, neglect, and dehumanization is a very real issue.

You might like "Crucial Conversations - tools for talking when stakes are high". They discuss "shared pool of meaning" - ensuring you and the person you're trying to communicate with are actually understanding each other well.

Oh, and "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell

Ahhh... It's an homage to the Bob Newhart finale. Here's an EW article explaining the ending.

You may be dealing with a covert/vulnerable narcissist.

Here is my collection of resources around dealing with narcissists:

"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss. He was the lead FBI hostage negotiator and his tactics work well on setting boundaries with difficult people.

7 options when you can't go no contact

10 rules for surviving life with a narcissist

10 things to never do with narcissists

5 mistakes we make when dealing with a narcissist

5 ways to avoid being used

How to set and keep boundaries with a narcissist

10 ways to set boundaries with a narcissist

Why setting boundaries with a narcissist is so hard

Soul Distancing to protect yourself from narcissists

YouTube channels on narcissism and abuse tactics:

Dr. Ramani - amazing resource on narcissistic behaviors

TheraminTrees - great resource on abuse tactics

Rebecca Zung - a lawyer that got fed up with dealing with narcissists in her practice, so she started teaching others how to negotiate with them. I find her motivational.

Jay Reid - lots of great videos to help understand the narcissistic perspective. Plus ways to "fight back" and act from your values.

Danish Bashir - has a very good understanding of narcissistic mindset

Surviving Narcissism (Dr. Carter) - I like his acronym of DR.C Dignity, Respect, and Civility, and his message of peace. And I think he sometimes misses how the toxic person can twist things around on you.

It seems like emotional blackmail - using fear, intimidation, obligation, duty, guilt, and shame for coercive control.

They'll tell you your purpose and you'll be happy about it, or else!

Toxic positivity is also known as Spiritual Bypassing - it's skipping over acknowledging the suck of grieving and feeling alongside another human and moving right to "solutions" or platitudes.

"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." I try to break things down into really tiny bits. That way I can make small progress towards my goals without getting overwhelmed by how much there's left to do. I take them on one bit at a time. And I often have to pause to re-regulate my nervous system bc I notice it start to activate. Practicing yoga has helped a lot. Somatic body-based activities help me discharge body tension that builds up and reduces my window of tolerance. Yoga helps me expand it a bit. I have to do those things as preventative maintenance.