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September 1, 2026

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Christy Mannering21 years ago2 years ago02 mins

I receive a quote in my email each morning. Saturday I received this one: “It is well to remember that…

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A quirky blend of Tink and Scrappy, sharing insights on music, movies, TV, and all things geeky since 2005.

Savory Swerve is almost open for business. The gr

Savory Swerve is almost open for business.The grilled cheese is questionable. The owner’s judgment is usually better.No Fixed Address: A Savory Swerves Mystery is getting close.If you’ve read my Fern Glade series, you know my writing style, but this one takes a swerve into something a little different.The first draft, or maybe the fourth, who’s counting?, is currently sitting with my parents, and I can’t wait to hear what they think.More soon. 🧀

There are 58 days until fall. But the shadows in

There are 58 days until fall.But the shadows in Fern Glade are already moving.Enter a magical village where the woods watch, family secrets have teeth, and three young people refuse to let fear write the ending.Begin with I Know What I Saw. Follow the mystery into The Shadow Ledger. Then prepare for the final fight over who gets to write the rules in The Ink Witch.Your spooky season starts here. 🍂What pulls you into Fern Glade first: the hidden town, the shadow mystery, the friendships, or the magic?You can buy the book series from a variety of online retailers, including my website afterlightpress.com, if you would like a signed copy, let me know!#FernGladeSeries #SpookySeasonReads #WitchyReads #FantasyMyster

Some paintings make you stop scrolling. Some make

Some paintings make you stop scrolling. Some make you stop and think.This one by Linda Murdock did both.Maybe it's because I genuinely love swimming. Maybe it's because life has felt a little upside down lately. Or maybe it's because that fish sitting behind a desk somehow captures exactly what it feels like to keep showing up while wondering where you're supposed to belong.I wrote a personal essay about why this painting resonated with me so deeply, and why I think so many of us have felt like "a fish out of water" at one time or another.If you've ever been in the middle of a transition, wondering what comes next while still doing your best every day, I hope you'll give it a read.🐟 Read it at scrink.com or the link in my bio.Thank you, Linda Murdock, for creating a painting that put a picture to something I hadn't yet found the words to say.

Books, music, movies and art do more than entertai

Books, music, movies and art do more than entertain us. They help us understand ourselves, each other and the world around us.But behind every story, every classroom discussion and every young person who discovers what they love, there is often a teacher, librarian, artist, counselor or mentor who helped open that door.That is why this issue belongs on Scrink.New federal loan rules give some graduate professional programs access to higher borrowing limits while leaving many education, social work, arts and humanities programs behind.The consequences may not show up right away. They may appear later as fewer teachers enter classrooms, fewer social workers serve families and fewer people can afford to pursue the work that shapes culture, strengthens communities and teaches us how to think critically.When we make it harder to enter these professions, all of us eventually lose something.Read the full article at the link in bio.#EducationPolicy #StudentLoans #ArtsAndHumanities #HigherEducation #PublicService

Spooky Cat Press Summerween is haunted sunshine fo

Spooky Cat Press Summerween is haunted sunshine for people who never really left October. Not sponsored, just obsessed.Head to scrink.com to see why Spooky Cat Press rocks and what kind of Summerween swag you can grab from them.Links are in the bio 👆🔗#SpookyCatPress #Summerween #Hauntwaii #SpookyTiki

Backrooms is not just scary because of the rooms.

Backrooms is not just scary because of the rooms. It is scary because some part of us recognizes what it feels like to be lost inside them.I went into the Backrooms movie because my 13-year-old had basically declared it a family event, and I expected eerie hallways, internet horror, and a few jump scares. What I did not expect was a movie that felt like a metaphor for memory loss, caregiving, mental illness, trauma, and the terrifying feeling of being trapped inside a mind you can no longer fully explain.If you went out to watch Backrooms this weekend, let me know what was your takeaway?Find the link in the bio.#Backrooms #BackroomsMovie #KaneParsons #KanePixels #A24

Born in 1981 means I grew up somewhere between Gen

Born in 1981 means I grew up somewhere between Gen X and Millennials, and honestly, it was kind of a weird little privilege.We had landlines, AIM away messages, Oregon Trail, Carmen Sandiego, MapQuest printouts, burned CDs, MySpace drama, and the last gasp of childhood privacy before everything became content.We learned how to research in libraries, make plans ahead of time, and survive entire weekends without texting anyone “where r u???”This essay is for the bridge kids who had an analog childhood, a digital adulthood, and just enough historical whiplash to be suspicious of every new app update.Read it at Scrink. Link in bio. 🖤#BornIn1981 #Xennial #ElderMillennial #AnalogChildhood #DigitalAdulthood

Hi, hello, welcome to Scrink. I have been Scrink

Hi, hello, welcome to Scrink.I have been Scrink since 2004, but I have been writing since I learned how. Poetry and short stories really took off in middle school, thanks in large part to the word processor my parents gave me, which made me feel wildly official.I am Christy. I write stories, investigate ghosts, build digital spaces, raise humans, and turn curiosity into content.Around here you can expect:📚Books, movies, music, and media thoughts
👻Paranormal investigations and strange stories
✍🏼Writing, storytelling, and author life
💙Occasional life observations, probably with feelings
🌟Curiosity, sarcasm, and a little bit of chaosIf you are into stories, spooky things, creative rabbit holes, and finding meaning in unexpected places, you are in the right spot.To learn more about me, you know where to go...scrink.com!#Scrink #CuriousByNature #StoryCollector #ParanormalLife #CreativeLife

My therapist asked what makes me happy, and the an

My therapist asked what makes me happy, and the answer came fast: loud music in the car.So I wrote about the playlist that helps me feel alive again. The songs that hold longing, grief, memory, release, and those brief flashes of joy that still count even when life feels messy.This one is for anyone who has ever cried at a stoplight, belted a chorus like a lifeline, or let a playlist tell the truth first."My Driving Playlist and the Kind of Happiness I Can Feel" link in the bio ☝🔗#DrivingPlaylistJoy #MusicAndHealing #PersonalEssay #PlaylistEssay #PopCultureWriting

Yesterday’s rabbit hole turned into a full-on Tyle

Yesterday’s rabbit hole turned into a full-on Tyler Ward deep dive, and honestly, I’m glad it did.I started with “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” covers, got my feelings involved, and ended up thinking about why Tyler Ward has mattered for so long: he takes huge pop songs and makes them feel intimate, human, and close enough to sit beside you in the family room.This piece gets into his Colorado roots, acoustic-pop style, instruments, career timeline, Nashville era, Song House, and whether he’s touring right now.Head to the link in bio to read the full article. ☝🔗#TylerWard #TylerWardMusic #AcousticCover #SingerSongwriter

Spotify gave me a green aura playlist and, wow, th

Spotify gave me a green aura playlist and, wow, the app has opinions about me. I loved some of the new discoveries, side-eyed the repeats, and ended up with one big question: is this a fun new feature or just an annual check-in with my emotional support songs?Link in bio ☝🔗

I turned 45 this month. I had a brief moment of “

I turned 45 this month.I had a brief moment of “wait… is this it?” and then immediately decided no, it is not.The last three years have been about showing up for myself in ways that actually work:
– 158-week fitness streak (boxing is still my go-to)
– 60 pounds down, but more importantly, I feel strong and supported in my own body
– over a year in therapy
– 3 books published (still kind of wild to say that)
– a few more tattoos w/ @remtattoos, because that is part of how I process and reclaim thingsI am still a single mom, still working multiple jobs, still figuring out who I am outside of all of that.But I like who I am.I am not chasing the “perfect version” of me anymore. I am focusing on being my favorite self. The one who is actually living this life, not just trying to optimize it.Also, shoutout to @goodmythical.morning for becoming part of my daily routine. Did not see that coming, not mad about it.This is 45. Still building. Still becoming.Read the full reflection at scrink.com, link in the bio.#Turning45 #FavoriteSelf #MidlifeRealness #StrongNotPerfect #StillBecoming

Blaming Meta alone for the youth mental health cri

Blaming Meta alone for the youth mental health crisis is too easy.Yes, social media can do real harm.
But one company did not create a generation-wide crisis by itself.Underfunded schools.
Limited mental health care.
Overworked parents.
Weak support systems.
And now, AI tools kids are using with protections that still lag far behind adoption.That is the bigger picture.My new article argues that if we are serious about helping young people, we need to expect more from everyone, not just one tech company.Read at the link in bio.What do you think: Are we blaming platforms because it is easier than fixing the deeper failures?#MentalHealth #Meta #SocialMedia #DigitalSafety #ChildAdvocacy

I usually write about pop culture and the things t

I usually write about pop culture and the things that bring me joy, but some stories hit somewhere deeper. This one did.At the 2026 UN Commission on the Status of Women, the United States was the only country to vote no on agreed conclusions centered on access to justice for women and girls.As a woman and as a mother with a daughter, I could not let that pass without saying exactly how personal and enraging it feels.For the full post, check the link in the comments or head to scrink.com with the links in my bio.#WomensRights #HumanRights #UN #CSW70 #AccessToJustice

The sun came back. The sky was blue. I was drive d

The sun came back. The sky was blue. I was drive dancing to Djo @djotime like my car had become a tiny moving therapy-adjacent disco.My new piece is up on why “End of Beginning” and “Delete Ya” have me fully in my feelings.Scrink.com is the place to visit or tap the link in my bio ☝🔗#Djo #JoeKeery #EndOfBeginning #DeleteYa #TheCrux

Yesterday in Delaware it was **82°, humid, and sto

Yesterday in Delaware it was **82°, humid, and storming like July**. Thunder, lightning, wild wind.Today?
**32° and snowing.**I’m not saying anything definitively… but this feels like strong evidence that **Mother Nature is also going through perimenopause.**Sudden hot flashes.
Emotional outbursts.
Unpredictable mood swings.And now you know. You're welcome. 😌Anyone else experiencing meteorological menopause where they live?

Do you want to survive quietly? Or do you want to

Do you want to survive quietly?
Or do you want to live out loud?NO MORE Week 2026 is March 2 to 8. And this year, it hits differently.With the Epstein Files in the headlines (regardless of whether folks deliberately push them down by other headlines), survivors are watching powerful people debate the details while remembering what it felt like not to be believed.Here is the thing. Abuse is about power and control. Always.Surviving is keeping your head down.
Living is telling the truth.
Surviving is minimizing.
Living is setting boundaries.You do not have to consume every headline to care. You do not have to retraumatize yourself to be informed.But silence is not neutral.This week, choose one action. That is how culture shifts.#NOMOREWeek2026 #ChooseToLive #Accountability

I respect that some people feel strongly about cer

I respect that some people feel strongly about certain phrases. That said, I do not believe my saying "oh my God" is what dishonors God.To me, using the Lord's name in vain looks more like invoking faith to justify injustice, exclusion, or harm. I work hard to live in a way that supports equal access, dignity, and rights for all people, regardless of race, gender, orientation, or income.If we’re going to talk about taking God’s name in vain, I think our actions carry far more weight than a figure of speech.That's all.#ActionsMatter
#LiveYourValues
#FaithInAction
#JusticeAndLove
#CompassionOverJudgment

Over a decade later, and The Fray @thefray still k

Over a decade later, and The Fray @thefray still knows how to hit that tender place in your chest.A Light That Waits feels like a quiet return to what made their music last in the first place. Piano. Honesty. Songs you carry with you.Ready for this next chapter.Post linked in the bio!#TheFray #ALightThatWaits #TheFrayTour #HowToSaveALife #2000sMusic

Iron & Wine meets Will Swinton… with a little twan

Iron & Wine meets Will Swinton… with a little twang.Leave the World Behind @calebhearnmusic is calm, reflective, and deeply intentional. Some songs are forever, a couple are boundaries.And “Play It Safe” feels like loving someone long enough to grow old together.Full review on Scrink. 🤍Link in the bio, as always.#CalebHearn #LeaveTheWorldBehind #AlbumReview #NewMusic

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