Please take note: we are celebrating the one time of the year when the thorny plants that live all over the place on this property, which I call ‘brambles’ for lack of a better term, become what they actually are: wild roses. The view from my kitchen window is gorgeous. Fragrant white roses are everywhere.
I think I need to start calling them wild roses, period, no matter what time of year. Because that’s what they are.
I told you that the poppies are short-lived. I walked out to the garden late in the day yesterday and most of the flowers had shed their petals. But isn’t this de-flowered poppy beautiful as well?
The catmint is blooming, as well. I have lots of catmint in the big garden bed and also in the side garden. It’s so dependable. I planted myself, camera in hand, snapping countless pictures until I got one of this bumble bee. Those bees are loving the garden.
How are you all on this Saturday morning? It’s beautiful here; sunny, less humid. The lawn has been mowed. The peonies are about to bloom in the next few days. Scout is in the ‘tunnel.’ Don is humming to himself in the living room. I’m drinking my coffee, which tastes especially good this morning.
You know, I am blessed by the lovely people who read and comment on this blog. I almost never get a comment that is questionable or offensive or rude. But I do get them. In the past week or so, there was a rude comment left on one post. Then, the other day, another one on a different post. Not the same commenter. If you’ve ever read the footer of my blog, you’ve seen my commenting policy: I reserve the right to delete any comment I find offensive, in poor taste, or is bordering on spam. (My spam plugin takes care of all the actual spam.)
In the case of these two separate comments, my first impulse was to respond to the comment, as I do to all comments. And in each case, I came up with a response. Initial response: a sarcastic comeback. Not good, Claudia. Sinking to their level. Edit. Next response: try to be kind. But why am I even taking the time for this nonsense? Finally: I just said “Screw it” and deleted them, along with my responses. I refuse to engage. When someone is deliberately rude or offensive, the right to any sort of debate is forfeited. Gone. Bye bye.
Thank goodness, 99.9% of the comments here on the blog are lovely, intelligent, wise, kind, funny and helpful, to boot. The debate can be lively, but it is always from the heart and respectful.
So, my friends, a big thank you for contributing so much that is good to this blog.
One of my readers sent me a package. Kathy is from Iowa and the contents were Iowa proud:
From the heart of Iowa: roasted corn, apple butter, candy coated soy nuts, along with a CD and some treats for Scout. What a lovely gift! Don was popping those candy coated soy nuts yesterday. We’ve had the apple butter on some toast (yummy!) and Scout has found her new favorite treat. Kathy thoughtfully chose soft, easily chewable treats and Scout is very grateful.
Thank you so much, Kathy. I love Iowa. I’ve been there more than a few times and it is a beautiful state.
And one more note: I realize that most of you live far away from NY and Rhinebeck, where the Country Living Fair is going to take place next weekend. But if you know of someone who might be interested in attending, please let them know about my giveaway. I’m giving away two pairs of tickets – a really great value – and the deadline for leaving a comment is tomorrow night at 9 pm. Thanks so much! Here’s the link.
Happy Saturday.
I try my best to read the comments from the readers of your blog. Some are funny, some engaging, all are interesting – I feel as though I’m listening to “real” people from America. (Endlessly fascinating from my point of view.)
I’ve not seen any “rude” comments on your blog, but I’m puzzled as to why someone would do that. Perhaps they are not very polite house guests either.
Love the contents of the package from Kathy in Iowa – so thoughtful! Love the photo of the bee as well. I’m definitely going ahead with a “bee” garden, I have a real “bee in my bonnet” (that was lame, I know) about the bee population dwindling because of pesticides. Can you imagine the price of fruit if farmers have to hand pollinate?
Have an awesome Saturday!
You’ve not seen any because they occur very rarely – and then I delete them! Problem solved.
I so agree about the declining bee population and the need to do something to help. Thankfully, it seems that I have planted, though not necessarily intentionally, a garden that bees seem to love. I’d like to add a few plants to help that cause. Good luck with your bee garden, Barbara!
What a lovely gift from your bloggy pal! That shows the real kindness and lovely side of blogging. As for rude comments, or rude remarks in blogs, I really just do not understand it. I suppose that it just reflects the rude people there are in life. I think that your way of handling them is great. If we heard a rude remark in real life chances are we would just ignore it so you are just doing the same. Sorry that you have had to deal with this though, I know from my own experiences that it is not pleasant so I am sorry for you. I hope that everyone plays nicely in future! xx
I think ignoring it is the best solution. Investing in any other response just gives the comment some legitimacy that it doesn’t deserve.
Thankfully, all of you are wonderful! And I so look forward to your comments. xo
I’ve been very lucky and have not have received many snarky or mean comments, but I would agree with you and just delete them. Do not engage. What a sweet package from Iowa! I love Iowa and both my Dad’s were from there so I’ve visited many times. Your plants are looking so wonderful. I love poppies but they do lose their blooms quickly. I hope you have a good weekend.
hugs,
Linda
Do not engage. Do not engage!
You have a wonderful weekend, as well, Linda!
That was so kind of Kathy from Iowa to send you all a goodie package. Such
a lovely gesture of appreciation for you, Don and Scout.
It is sad that some people have to belittle themselves by resorting
to meanness. Your blogs are my favourites, Claudia, as they are so intelligent and
down to earth.
Thank you for all your insight and wonderful writing skills.
Thank you for your kind words, Lea. They mean a great deal to me!
My neighbors poppies are still there…I have a perfect view of them. Lovely care package you received…how fun! The weather here has changed dramatically. Yesterday…humid…today, quite cool, windy, rainy…but I think it’s almost over. Time to go pull weeds. Although I was thinking…I have so many thistles….think I should keep some…a thistle garden for the birds? Enjoy your day! ;)
Thistle garden for the birds is a great idea!
It’s turned humid here today, rain and cooler weather coming tomorrow. As usual, we’re about a day behind you!
That is such a sweet and thoughtful bag of goodies Kathy sent for your family! What I love about your blog, is your writing comes from a place in your heart that is real and resonates with a lot of nice folks. I am grateful that you have this season to enjoy your beautiful property with the natural and hand planted gifts from your garden. You post such beautiful pictures that we all get to enjoy. Thanks again for keeping up with such a great blog!
Oh, thank you so much, Annie. It’s my pleasure!
You deal with the negativity the best way, Claudia, ignore them, delete them, do not engage and escalate… Have a wonderful weekend with the nice weather. I haven’t seen more than a couple of hours of sun each day lately, lots of fog.
It was foggy here yesterday morning, Wendy, but only for a short while. Sunny and humid today. I think we’re due for some rain in the next few days. Wishing rainy weather for you, as well. I know how much you need it.
I say “ignore, ignore, ignore.” Who needs that kind of negativity in their lives? I feel sorry for people like that, they must have nothing better to do. I follow your blog because it is always……peaceful and makes me appreciate things I sometimes take for granted.
Well, thank you, Cheryl. As I get older, I do my best to eliminate the negative, first and foremost, within myself. But also in others. It’s toxic and I have no time for toxicity!
Some folks never learned, if you ain’t got nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all. Then again, like you said, there is room for debate, just not snide remarks. Perhaps if those individuals had used common sense as you did when you deleted, they would have rethought the message they wanted to send. I have deleted comments from my Instagram account that I didn’t like. No need to have any negativity hanging around. Have a good weekend. Tammy
I agree. No to negativity, Tammy! Have a wonderful weekend!
My wild roses are blooming too Claudia..I like to sit outside just to enjoy their wonderful scent..love the picture of the bee among the catmint..The rocket is also blooming..wildflowers are so nice..a gift from Mother Nature and we don’t have to plant them or do any work for them..just sit back and enjoy..I agree with the comments about honey bees..what would we do without them..anyone can help just by growing plants that they love..a whole garden full or a few planters full..I can’t imagine making a rude or nasty comment to you Claudia..if you ever feel that I have please just tell me because I assure you I wouldn’t do it on purpose..How sweet of Kathy to send you a little bit of her home state..This reminds me of a local tradition here..Every year on a certain day..one of our police officers will pull over a vehicle traveling through here with out of state license plates..the officer then proceeds to give the travelers a big basket of locally made products, a voucher for them to stay the night at a local motel and a voucher to eat at a local restaurant..Of course the people who receive it are thrilled with such an act of kindness out of the blue and our local newspaper does a write-up on it..A lot of fun for everyone..
I just took some pictures of the rocket on the property. I’ll share them soon. I love rocket!
I so love that local tradition in your town. What a positive gesture!
I think you’re being smart, Claudia, to ignore the rude and the nasty comments. You’d probably be giving the commenter exactly what he/she wanted anyway – additional attention. As Barbara W said in the very comment up today, I feel like I hear from a real cross-section of the country when I read all the comments here. Every once in a while, I hear something that’s never occurred to me before. Or that makes a lot of sense. Or may even change my mind. But being impolite, rude, disagreeable – I don’t think anyone ever won an argument or changed anyone’s mind doing that. Rochester is having a perfect May day today too – sunshine, temps you feel like doing something in, baby white caps just near the shore on the Lake. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I’d love to be gazing out at Lake Erie right now! We used to go sailing on Lake Erie.
As a Michigan girl, I love the Great Lakes. Have a great weekend, Janet.
Oh, it is a crummy day here. Met a group of friends up in the Wisc Dells for breakfast this morning and it has been raining and is SO COLD outside! It was in the 80’s the last 2 days. Crazy, crazy Spring!
I am happy to report that we have a happy plethora of bees in our yard this year thus far. Makes me smile. “Bees are the summer song of the garden.”
And wasn’t it Mr. Shakespeare that said “A rose by any other name is still a rose.” (very loosely quoted, I am sure.) I like the idea of calling them roses year round. I bet it even makes them smell sweeter!!
I love reading through all of your comments every day and feel like I ‘know’ some of your dear readers! Glad you ignore the idiots. Remember, they will always drag you down and beat you with experience. :-)
The rain is coming our way, Chris – starting tonight, I think.
I do ignore the idiots, who seem to have nothing better to do with their time!
What a great pucture of the bumblebee! I’ve had my camera trained on one– they’re easier to photograph than grand- kids mark my words!
Scout is a famous girl- we all love her- glad she got to enjoy that mail too.
Interesting about the rude comments– I love your approach. I’m going to guess- that these are from strangers(lose term , I know since most of us haven’t met in person)– but suppose, I were to leave a rude comment? Would you delete and ignore me? Or would you – like an older sister.., verbally just smack me upside my nutty brain?!
Anyway- that thought made me laugh out loud … Really! And had to share it with you.
PS-” older” sister is a lose term too. ;)
Yes, they’re from strangers, although I did have one a few years back from a regular reader. I wrote her privately and took her to task. She didn’t like it. But she had stepped over a boundary in a big way. Haven’t heard from her since, which frankly, is just fine with me.
You could never leave a rude comment! But if you did, I would probably smack you upside the head in a gentle way (and in a private email.) xoxo
Hahaha!
I’m the type that would thank you for it later! ;)
Oh, apple butter. I haven’t had that in so long. Sounds delish. Photos are gorgeous. You can keep the bee even though we know they are in short supply these days. I didn’t know that is what wild roses look like. Very pretty but if they have the big thick thorns, I’d rather look at the picture!!
Well, the thorns are a pain (literally) but that’s never stopped me from planting a rose bush or two!
By the way, I say just delete those bad comments and pretend they were never there.
I agree, Barbara!
I can’t imagine anyone leaving a rude comment on your blog. On another note….I have some nice current magazines (including some recent Phoenix Home and Garden for Don)….ha! that I would love to send to you if you feel like you could share your address with me. You could stash them away for winter reading…..
I’ll send you my address via email. How sweet of you to think of me!
Hey, Claudia, just sat down to watch one of mine and your favorite movies…..”To Kill A Mockingbird “. A pleasant surprise when I turned on TCM!
I saw that it was on, Nancy. It’s a gem, that’s for sure.
There used to be a bumper sticker that said, “Rude people suck.” I might have ought that and give it to someone.
I need to take your ignoring advice. The person that is a making rude comments to me is my mother. I have a hard time ignoring. She has no compassion.
Your gifts are so sweet.
Harder to ignore when they come from a family member! Been there. Take a deep breath and think happy thoughts? Walk away? Gosh, I don’t know the answer to that one. I do know that you don’t deserve any rude comments, Debby.
aw, shucks … … … i didn’t send those treats to get your kind and public words (and those from some of your readers) … but i’m glad you are enjoying the goodies and i thank you for making me feel kind of famous! hee hee.
please let me know if you want refills. :)
kathy