Simple Beauty from a Tree

From the Old Tree 

The old tree, grew on its own from a wild seed in urban Nature. Its home was on a short and steep slope surrounded by daylillies, morning glories and lily of the valley. Over the years branches fell, the largest near a third of its mass. It needed to go. 

Walking by, I found the small piece with bark attached, and picked it up. The beauty of color and shape remind me of ancient stone formations, mini Grand Canyon style. What surprises me most is the spectacular texture of the bark with  green moss on it. From the ground, the old tree was not a looker. Up in its bark is where loveliness was cradled, magical as a dense old growth forest. 

The piece will be put on a stand for display, after I spray it with a clear sealant. 

It is my scholar wood, like a Gongshi, Chinese scholar’s stone.

What Is a Fun Week Anyway?

A fun week, methinks, has more good moments than sorrow or grimness going on. On the idea of time going by too fast, viewing how our life flows might slow down how we perceive the passage of time. 

The other day my timer and the washer did not match. There were 6 minutes left on the rinse cycle (commercial washer). I don’t like standing around. How to make time go by faster? Hm? Thinking, minutes can fly by when I daydream of dancing the two step with an old cowboy in the full Moon light (bucket list). Wha La! The wash is done.

Now I’m thinking of what makes a fun week. Avoiding grim things is a good move, as long as they aren’t things that can't be put off. Keeping busy with productive projects is also a good move.  

What makes a fun week for you?

A Winter Mind Set

 Spring is only 84 days away!

12 weeks with

longer and longer daylight.

About Communicating Online & Off-line

On the 2nd weekend of January 2026, root beer floats with chocolate ice cream are my Saturday treat. Why? Because yesterday was my McD lunch treat day; and I do not have McD without soda. Thus, my no soda January failed. The disappointment I feel creates the excuse to have root beer floats. No soda January will resume after the root beer is gone.

After that sorrow, I have been dealing with things that require communicating online. Needless to say, it has been frustrating because the bully mentality of websites is difficult to deal with. The you do it our way or else is not a good way to treat people. 

Then, there's the issue of why of the problems happen that usually turns out to be my fault because I'm not tech savvy. I believe when pages have the plus sign, +, to open a new tab, that will be the online rule for websites. But, it is not the rule. 

For example, the AOL app. On a website that sends me an email with a verification code to my AOL email address, I cannot read that email because there is no + available for (that I found) a new tab to the AOL email to be opened. 

I uninstalled the AOL email app. Using regular AOL email isn't as good, but it gives the me control I should have as a customer. 

The other frustrating online issue is the Contact Us feature. Right off, the next page is to FAQs. Ok. I type in question just in case, (being I have a reputation for being the fault of the problem). Nothing there. So, I hunt for the Contact Us option originally given. Oh dear, I have to log in, create an account and go through more hoops that sensibly necessary. 😖

On the bright side of life, I have enough sheets of forever US Postal stamps to last me 3 or 4 years (with the one stamp use per month that I have now). How did I end up with so many stamps!? 

I think when postal clerks are so nice, as soon as they ask if there's anything else we need, knowing the postal service struggles, I feel the least I can do is buy stamps.  The other reason is my desk gets so messy, I can't find the stamps I have. So, I buy more. The Oh so that's where they are, is always a cheery moment. Also, when mailing off a package, put stamps in there before sealing the box. 

Ever see one of those shows that helps folks declutter, where everything in the room is removed, and only what is useful is put back? Well, I'm going to do that with my desk area. It has to start first thing in the morning to have time to clear someplace to sleep. 😎

How is your January going?

Day 9 of Week 2 January 2026

Posted from laptop

👀Add Images to this blog is not working, again

on Safari, Edge and Opera using my iphone 17 Pro 

☹️

👀

What’s been going on in the World isn’t what it was a year ago. The suit, the uniform, the fashion changes because that is what living does, moves on. What made us concerned, sad, anxious or happy is in the past, peeled away by time. 

We are here in the days of 2026. The weeks going by fast are here with us in them. Yet, like this morning, I feel no spin , no breeze blowing by, no adventure or lovely landscapes racing by. Going fast? What fast? 

Being the fan of list making, I’m going to list a page of things that I might fancy to do in 2026.

To start:

Find a signature font I like as my own

Learn a foreign language

Bake biscuits from scratch

Learn to make homemade bread and pasta

Join or start a low impact walking & hiking group

Start a plein air painting guild

Lose weight on purpose

Down size by 60%

Visit love ones

Become a fine art photographer

Do not buy another spiral big notebook

Have breakfast at an old diner

Sew a dress of my own design

Make a quilt

Crochet a winter hat

Read biographies

Dance daily

Paint and draw daily

I will think of more to write on paper so I can cross things off when they are done and add things as I go.

Have a fun weekend!

Read how boots are made

Bake a lemon meringue pie

Browse online mugs with tea diffusers

Draw a Nordic design

Listen to a film score

Discover your state poets

Update: Google Can’t Access Photos to Blogger Add Images

Problem solved Adding images

Update  13 January 2026

I fixed it! 

🎉👏🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

The solution I didn’t write down.

I went into Safari and Opera settings. I turned features and off on another (not sure).

It has to do with tracking. Tracking seems to be the new word for cookies.

 A new development in the problem of Google can’t access files when using an iphone on Blogger Add Images.

Conclusion, this blog ran out of photo space.

Get more GB. Whala! Problem solved. 

Almost. It is still there, but not all the time. 

9 January 2026

The problem is back. 

Using Edge browser, I was able to go through the Add Images process right up to Insert (the photo). Then the screen froze, no photo is added. I had to close the tab to find my way back to my blog. 

Some Days Are Made For Laughter

Selamica 7.1 inch plates

 The photograph above has a fun story. 

I decided to be good to myself starting out 2026 by changing my eating habits.

Last summer I found heart melting dishes searching for square plates. I didn’t buy them then because I already have beautiful dishes. 

As you may know, when an opportunity to justify a purchase arrives, few of us say no. Happy new year time. I buy the dishes.

They are gorgeous! The issue?

Clue: A 7 inch rectangular plate is not the same as a 7 inch round plate. 

The smaller portion meals I plan, when using the new 7.1 inch plates (note ruler), will be half a small portion.

I laugh. Every time I look at my new weight loss plates because it is so funny. I wish I had a photo of the look on my face when I opened the Amazon package and realized my mistake.

They are keepers that will help me even more be aware of having healthy meal portions. 🤣

A January 2026 Photograph: Roosting

Doves on a cold January 2026 morning

 

Internet Memory Lane

 Day 7 of 2026 feels weird. How that happened is an adjustment. It's already a week into January?  Will all of 2026 be like that, time sliding by? Methinks, no. 

I've entered a new phase in my life, (along with riding along as Earth ages). I am opening mail within the day of receiving it. That is a major change for me. Going through old papers, I have found unopened mail that's years old. I felt like a slob allowing my papers/mail to be so messy.

The same goes for email addresses. Having a unique email address for each website is a good idea. Categorizing email addresses, I believe, is a security move. I have email addresses that are over 20 years old. Yes, over two decades online is surreal. Reading my old password books is a trip down memory lane.

What I remember most being online in early 2000 is file size. Early 2000, I was taking, Planetary Geology, at UVM (University of Vermont), when I wanted to download a nebula photo. Not understanding photo sizes, pixels, jpg and such, I clicked on the download option. It didn't take long for me to realize that my computer back then did not have anywhere near enough memory for a file that if printed out, could wallpaper a regular size living room. The system locked up. Frantic, I managed to stop the download and delete what I had. I clear cache regularly to this day to free up memory.

All week bit by bit, I've been reviewing email address and old blogs. I discovered that my first Blogspot email address has my old Profile with the year 2008. It has the Profile under the old blog name, Frozencove. There was no blog attached to the Profile. So, I used my first blog name, Cornsilkmoon, and created a blog. It verifies I began on Blogger in 2008.

Cornsilkmoon

Squirrel running along fence

     

Have a run down your Internet memory lane. 

What do you remember most about those early days?

Did you ever start to post on your blog and forget…

 …what you’re posting about?

I found the alien emoji on a blank post.

👽

Must have been a fun idea

😂

Anyway, while I’m here.

I notice that when I arrive home from doing errands, I am exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open, and want to take a nap. 

At Dunkin, I discovered their jacked up hash browns, coin hash browns with melted cheese and bacon pieces. They are fabulous. However, IMHO, the amount I got is not worth the price.

The Google page states they can’t access my photos. Asking why, AI says Google isn’t.

Time for a  nap

.  

The Comfort of Waiting

The cardinal sits in that tree, waits and then flies to the birdseed on my deck.

I was told they like the cover of branches.

Photo* taken on iphone zoom

*Uploaded from a laptop

Reflection Monday January 2026

Playing in our minds is a tune 

designed specially for the new year.

Made it to another year is playing in the heart. Looking forward to summer are in the lyrics. A French horn echoes the determination to handle all the hardships that may be in our way.

Be Confident in your own strength

A Sunrise in Winter

Slimming Down Stuff

The arrival of a new year plops us in the middle of a summing up pool that ripples us along in a carnival ride of memories. What will 2026 be like? 

Researching weather forecasts, how Earth behaves is a solid start for the process of summing up where we are in life in general. 

Clutter surrounds me like scattered birdseed. Thus, I am reading about decluttering to build declutter confidence. I already accept the biggest issue is my fault. I have allowed my stuff to outgrow my space. Stuff must go. 

Even my mug shelf is taking over the shelf above it. My focus now is on what I use and what I wear.  All keeping just in case will be for the donation box. Only very sentimental things can be kept.  

The days getting longer will be noticed by the time January ends. The birds and I will go on as usual. Only for me, instead of slim by pounds before Valentine’s Day, I’ll be slimmer of stuff. 

Note Using iPhone:

Google is not allowing photos to be uploaded to Blogger. The information given does not work for me because the directions go to a feature that is not there or else I am unable to find the block or unblock cookies feature on Chrome or Opera browsers.  

I found Safari block cookies. It is not on. 

Google Glitch, No Notice Photo Space Needed

Using my iPhone 

On Blogspot, the upload photos does not allow adding photos from Blogger or upload from computer.  

I have read instructions. None of it has thus far worked for me. 

I am signed in to Google and have no cookie block. 

Update 7 January 2026

The problem continues

I’ve read the Google page . Nothing explains why Google no longer provides the cookies Allow feature when using an iphone. I have reported the problem and given feedback. 

Update: I asked Community on Google support. Some help but no solution. 

Update 8 January:

Blog ran out of photo space. Add more storage, problem resolved. 

Reading the Tag

Day 3 and already I’m thinking about starting flower seeds. 

Here’s the thing. At Home Depot last week there were shrubs half price leftover from the holiday promotions. Oh, I think, $7.00 is near the price of a sandwich. I bought only one. Next trip, I bought two. 

Then I read the tag.

I thought Emerald Green are miniature arborvitae trees. At 10 to 15 feet tall, that is a no. But they are so cute! 🥰 Not for long. They are a fast grower at 1 to 2 feet a year. 

Tip: Enjoy the cuteness as you read the information tag.

For one year I will plant them in the large  patio flower planters. Year two, I will find them a new home. The boxwood will go in a large planter on my deck to be trimmed into a round shape. 

Until spring, I have three rather large plants to care for. 🤣

  

Super Wolf Moon 2026 at 99% Waxing

 

11:45 PM EDT Vermont USA

Tracks In the Snow ID

I notice on the deck amongst bird tracks, a paw print. No matter, cats cross my deck all the time. Then, looking out into the snow covered lawn, the paw prints are there as well, but not in a straight line of passing through. They are walking around on the snow. 

I haven’t seen any if the cats of that. 

Are those tracks a bobcat? Or just a big cat?  Photo is best I have so far. 

Going for the Make-over or the Spruce Up?

The new year energy is one of the best next to the back to school vibe. Instead of resolutions, deciding on ways to challenge ourselves can provide us with weeks of entertainment. 

For example, I’m going Dry January with soda. I know sugary drinks aren’t a healthy choice body wise. The fizzle of carbonated beverages, however, does have a soothing effect on my mood. No soda? 

Potato chips and water are a big time creator of something is missing. At my age, I do enough wondering what naturally. I don’t need to create more confusion. The solution: Don’t have chips in January. 

The challenge thrives on laughing at myself. A side effect is thinking about what about pickle juice? A pickle juice sandwich with no chips just is not right. 

Overall, I don’t drink soda that often. No soda is not a big change. Chip sandwiches the same. The point is that I’m choosing to make-over how I approach what I eat and drink. Many  meals I like are paired with soda. And those meals are mainly burgers, pizza and greasy. All  other food is good with water. I sip wine after meals. I only like beer with Chinese food. 

Spruce up my menu? 

Have more Chinese food and drink beer. 

Day 1 of Week 1 January 2026

Do you see what I see?

This is a rather chatty post…

The sun is shinning bright on this cold morning in Vermont. 

Earlier, on television, I watched the year arrive with stunning fireworks in London, New York City, Sydney Australia and Paris France. There was a time when I shouted out the door at midnight, Happy New Year! 

And then, there have been more years when I slept as the new year arrives. 💤

How is your year going so far? Have you made any resolutions? Set your sights on something fun? Vowed to lose weight? Learn a new language? 

When sending an email to bloggers to let them know they are thought of, I’ve not encountered an email that will not send until today. I deleted it from All Mail. 

Catching up is my sort of New Year tradition for blogging, along with clearing out old unused accounts, changing passwords, refreshing the password book, and setting blog goals for the new year. 

 

Not a resolution maker (this year), I have told myself to try to not drink soda. There is the Dry January thing going on. I will not participate because I don’t drink alcohol enough to need or have a dry month or week for that matter.  Instead, I’m going for No Soda January. 

Ambition rides on the New Year energy of me dreaming of a long sled ride, bigger and faster than what is sanely practical. I hesitate to post my plans because when I do, things fall apart, enthusiasm disappears to be replaced with empty space that depression fills. ( I am doing better after December blog break.) 

I got plans 🤣😎, and the prayers 🙏🏻 to go with them. 

A few small things under consideration: 

Learn more photography ~ What about becoming a photographer for real? Mat and frame a few. 

Learn a new language ~ Use an audio course to learn. Irish and Mandarin would be fun

Daily Sketch ~ Fill up sketchbooks. Mat and frame a few drawings

Cook from recipes ~ Think Soup Journal

A daily dance ~ Turn on the radio

In the mean time, hunting for a calendar to buy will be fun. Way back when, businesses gave out free calendars. For years, I looked forward to using my favorites, the desk and pouch calendars. I don’t remember the last time I found a free calendar around here. Oh well. 

Tracks In the Snow

Glitch discovered for comments

In Blogspot Layout, click Edit on the post box

There you will see,  Show comment count.

It must be selected for the comment option to show up at the bottom of posts.

Note, it is not the same as the Options feature in the right column on the posting page. 

2026

 Happy

New Year

2026!

🎉🥂🥳