Some wild roses for you this morning. These are right next to the big maple tree. They’re all over the property and, as I have stated before, 99% of the time I call them brambles and they’re an annoyance. I constantly have to prune them. I’ve been pricked more times than I can count. But they sort of make up for all of that at this time of year.
I mowed a lot yesterday and was exhausted. Pushing the lawnmower with the missing real wheel drive is a pain in the tush, the grass was long, and I’m out of shape after not mowing for 6 weeks. But I mowed! And that’s a good thing!
I’m not ignoring your comments about pitching in for the cost of maintaining the server, which is due this next week. I’m just not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it would really help out. On the other hand, I’m not entirely comfortable asking for or accepting help. And even if I accepted it, I’m not sure how to do that. Patreon is lovely, but they encourage you to offer special extras to subscribers and I don’t really have anything more to offer than I already write on my blog posts. I’ve looked into tip jars but I’m not sure about that either. Since I decreased the amount of weekly posts, my ad income is next-to-nothing – partly due to blogging 3 days less a week and also just because ad income for bloggers is not even close to what it used to be. The good old days are over. Anyway, I so appreciate your kindness and generosity and I want you to know that.
You are the best.
I have to take a break from news this weekend. Predictably, the far right is protesting the results of the trial. I guess justice is just fine when it involves someone you like. Otherwise, it’s a “tragedy!” “unfair!” an “abuse of power!” – blah, blah, blah. Insane cult members are upset because their con man got caught. You know, I don’t write nearly as much about him as I used to, partly because trolls crawl out of their underground lairs to comment and I have to block them and partly because I don’t want to give him any air whatsoever. He’s sucked enough energy out of all of us the last nine years.
But I will write about it when I feel compelled to because our democracy is at stake. The stakes can’t get any higher.
Okay, my friends.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
glad you were up for mowing and feel some better.
i know you know what they are and i am certainly no flower expert, but i first thought those roses were camellias. maybe because they are more open than i usually see roses as being and because they are wild? whatever and thorns aside, they are very pretty. and the last photo in your post yesterday? especially beautiful and almost surreal.
no pressure intended, but someday, when you want something different to do, please think about making a book of your photos for you to enjoy in one place (or maybe prints to sell). especially the flower and fog photos. they show your great eye for color and composition and your steady hand, talent.
regarding patreon or a tip jar, etc., no pressure intended there either. you’ll decide what’s right for you. just know you can count me in. and there’s no need to offer something else. my encouragement about you making a book is not a patreon kind of hint. what you share through your blog is generous and great as is.
glad morning tasks are done here. am halfway through the third of nine “little house on the prairie” books and enjoying it (though there are parts i’d rather not read and surely wouldn’t get printed today). working slowly on my own book projects (there are five of them and i am only excited about one at the moment). ordered a kit of frame pieces to put together and hold a great photo my sister took …. on a ride we saw some train cars and on one, someone had spray-painted the words “i don’t want no peanut butter and jelly. i want my soul to be saved!” :) i ordered a 16×20 black and white print through kinko’s; it came out great and will go in my kitchen. will definitely spend time with family (every day) and do some much-needed laundry, too. best i get going.
hope you, don and everyone else have a great weekend … beautiful weather, easy days, doing just what you want.
xo,
kathy
The flowers are tiny – about a half inch across. I love what was spray painted on that train car!
Thanks so much, Kathy.
Stay safe.
i wouldn’t have guessed those flowers are so tiny!
i also love what was spray-painted on that train car. we saw it on a ride into the countryside, but kept on driving (timing, weather). my sister went back later and took photos of it. glad she did because the next day those train cars were gone. :)
hope you are having a nice day with easy plans or no plans ahead. stay safe!
kathy
xo
I’m reading backwards so I’m not sure what you’re talking about with the server and such. I hope you come to a good decision, whatever it is. My frustration with Patreon is that I don’t pay to read blogs. (I already about 35 or 40 and spend more time doing that than I should!) But ads are a different thing. One has a choice. It’s also why I don’t pay to write one (I use blogger, which I know some don’t like and it has its foibles but when it’s free I don’t quibble too much.) Their templates have changed radically since I first started blogging and I had my banner designed on a simple template by someone. But I’m not sure of the mechanics of switching over, even if you did decide to change — can you take your old content with you, and what happens if you stop paying for the server. That’s beyond my mental pay grade!
The roses are lovely and well done on the mowing. June is usually la lovely month, though a bit erratic at times. Like you, I’m on a news break this weekend. If something critical happens, we’ll hear about it eventually. Have a lovely weekend.
No, I’m speaking of my host/server at Bluehost. It’s time to renew for the year and it is getting more expensive. I have no desire to switch over. When I decide to wrap up the blog, it will just disappear.
Thanks, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
Congratulations on getting the mowing done! We basically eliminated grass areas and instead have shrubs and mulch (a veggies/raspberries) and honestly I don’t miss it a bit, but of course everything requires upkeep! Just no lawn mower!
The roses are great – I wonder if there is a scent?
Cheers,
Ceci
I love having grass. Ours is country grass – a mix of different grasses. So it’s not a manicured lawn. We have almost two acres and it would be difficult and expensive to eliminate the grass.
Thanks, Ceci.
Stay safe.
If you wrote a book I would buy it. If Don wrote a book I would buy it. You are sharing your life your are sharing your story with us your readers. You make my life better because of what you share. Therefore, I would pay a fee because of how much I enjoy you and your writing.
Please do not go away,
Kaye
Oh, what kind words, Kaye, Thank you, You brought tears to my eyes,
Stay safe.
very much agree with what you said so well, kaye!
hope you are having a good start to your day. stay safe.
kathy
Yes, please don’t go away. It’s sad to think that your archived blogs might disappear some day. I’ve read them all. Hopefully you would still have access to them. You’ll figure things out, Claudia. Hugs, Elaine
No, when I stop blogging, the server will delete the blog when my year contract is done.
Thanks so much, Elaine.
Stay safe.
dear Claudia/Don — sure DO NOT want you/blog to just disappear — love your words, pixs, feeling like I am right there with you talking to me — only blog I really care about and feel good to read/respond to — as far as servers, and all that tech stuff, I have absolutely NO idea what any of that means, BUT I do know what I like and your writing/pixs, etc speak loudly to me. give me hope, makes me think I am not totally off my rocker just yet !! guess like many things we take for granted, thinking will always be available, so we don’t acknowledge the
worth/goodness enough — so “thank you” for being a friendly voice in this ever increasing nasty world where things seem to get turned upside down daily. Can we persevere/survive?? it is a huge task but we must be successful. stay safe/healthy
Thank you so very much, Linda. I so appreciate them.
Stay safe.
Hi Claudia
I have not posted in awhile but I wanted you to know I am still here! It has just been a busy few months. I love your flower pictures! I feel bad that you have to mow so much. At our age that has to be hard. My fun news is I am going with my daughter to Nashville this week for CMA week. For those that do not know what that is, all the country music community get together for one week to give their fans a fun week. We will be seeing some of our favorites like Keith Urban my crush , Old Dominion, and everybody else you can think of. Should be fun. Hoping for good weather! My other news is I am being tested for Parkinson’s. Because of our crazy health care system, I can’t get tested until September! So I have to worry all that time. Not fun. Hope everyone is doing good. Take care of yourself!
I love mowing! I’ve missed it with the hand injury.
Saying prayers for your medical tests, Deb. Have fun in Nashville.
Stay safe.
hej, deb.
i am so glad that you can enjoy that cma week and visit with some of your favorites. hopefully all of them! and i especially love that you and your daughter can do such things together. have safe travels and a great time!!!
will be praying for you about the parkinson’s testing. shameful that you’re being made to wait that long.
i am going through something similar. for maybe eight years i’ve had a quake in my voice. saw a neurologist and she thought it was limited to my vocal cords. then came a finger tremor that seemed to start after the cast was removed from a broken wrist (also several years ago). no changes until lately; i’ve been having more spasms and twitches/tremors in both hands and arms and my sister said my head shakes occasionally from side to side. i am going to see the same neurologist in about six weeks. my primary doctor thinks it is “essential tremors”, but wants the neurologist to do tests and decide for sure. i am grateful that i don’t have to wait too long and am sorry that you have to wait many months. i will keep praying for you! and here’s to having answers … may they be as good and easy as possible. and with God, all good things are possible!
now, go have fun in nashville! (lots of fun things to do there). stay safe!
kathy
The brambles may be bothersome but the blooms, oh how lovely they are. I’m so happy to be fully moved out of my old place and in my new place and mostly settled. Still boxes to unpack and sort but I’m feeling so good about all the letting go of things I’m doing. Both of my girls have taken a few family heirlooms to keep and that pleases me. So much to donate and like you it’s time to start selling some of my collections, mostly the pottery. I will be 74 in a week and I just can’t do all the stuff I use to do. I want to enjoy my third act so to speak and that means a simpler life. Oh that man, I can not speak of him at all.
Yes, I understand! I have to shed more as well, but a lot of my stuff might just have to be donated.
ENJOY your new place, Linda!
Stay safe.
i am very happy for you, linda, to have the move-out done and especially that you are feeling good and (mostly) settled in your new place. :)
hope you are having a good start to your day and stay safe.
kathy