Hello Spring

Crocus in March

In comparison to the world 15 days ago when I posted this blog's pause, the news media appears to be happy to be held hostage by outrageous statements from you know who. Violence continues as any good news crouches under the weight of politics and war.

My blog pause isn't because of blogging burn out. The world around me has a glacier weight that is building with each headline I read about you know who. It is impossible to get away from that sheer stupidity that he gets that much attention instead of being behind bars.

I am not a weak person. Severe emotional pain I have endured countless times. I live with depression, PTSD, and anxiety. The depth of the anguish the GOP is creating via supporting you know who, the Mariana Trench pales in comparison.

A very sad part of my misery is the belief I am not the only American who is being negatively impacted by what is going on in American politics.

Pray for Common Sense 

Pray for a good presidential candidate to emerge

Pray for America

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Regular posting is still on pause

Day 76 of Week 11 March 2024

Bachelor Button Sprouts*

Internet wise, if you pause your blog, then your rating on searches and such decreases. Posting a photograph with comments turned off is a way of not losing your blog's Internet ranking. I'm not sure how or what search engine rules are concerning ranking though. 

Posting will might resume in April 2024.

*Using organic potting soil in jiffy planters, seeds sprouted in 4 days.

Giving Pause

With the Best Foot Forward

Walking into the future carries all our baggage, some light, some heavy, some a burden, some a joy. All of you have been a joy to get to know through blogging, comments and emails. Y'all are a wonderful group of folks. My appreciation of y'all goes deep. 

Unlike many blogs I read that are left to dangle, the author gone without explanation, this blog is not taking that path. 

Figuring out how to balance my life's load, I will be pausing this blog indefinitely. I will continue to read your posts, and comment now and then.

Thank you

Reflection Monday March 2024

Wood Sorrel

First Reflection Monday

that I don't have a subject.

Thinking on that, maybe not having a subject

is the subject. Not all of life flows with ideas to consider or thoughts to share. Bringing enthusiasm or inspiration to another person's life is sort of a why issue. What is going on that weighs on one's heart, soul, brain, emotional environment, thoughts, stuff that stays with us during our waking hours isn't always something we can just pull onto a screen through a keyboard and hope the point comes through.

I'm not depressed.

I'm on no subject.

Have a good week

Posting is on pause

Comments are off back on

A Morning's Internet Browsing

Homemade Coffee Frappe

Thinking of summer this morning, I browse American artists listed on Wikiart.org. I was looking for a nice bright sunny beach  painting for a mid winter pick me up. I see a line up of walrus mustached old men, and very few women artists. 

Reading the artist's names, one that sticks out, Cadurcis Plantagenet Ream, 1838~1917, American still life painter of mainly fruit. All right, painting still life fruit is art. But, what was going through his mind to paint a bunch of raspberries on a cabbage leaf?

Raspberries on a Cabbage Leaf
C.P.Ream

On the theme of interesting names, I find an American female multiracial sculptor, Edmonia Lewis, 1844~1907. Her first name has a beautiful musical vibe.

The marble sculpture in the photo posted below is part of a series she did from H.W.Longfellow's poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," 1855. The young woman at the feet of the arrow maker is Minnehaha. There is also a Lewis' marble bust of Minnehaha.

The Old Arrow Maker
Marble 1872

Finding new to me American artists is a better use 

of my time than playing computer games online.

I also look at an American impressionist, Lilla Cabot Perry. Her name, to me, screams Boston. And Boston is where she was born in 1848. She died in 1933 at Hancock, New Hampshire 91 years ago yesterday. 

Does she have a summer beach painting? No, but the painting in the photo below, has soothing summer sunlight that is just as good. The scene reminds me of a place near Walden Pond, Lincoln, Massachusetts where we had picnics when I was a kid.

The Violoncellist
1907 by Lilla Cabot Perry

What do you like to browse online instead 

of playing computer games?

When Less Is More

Upstate New York in the Fall

The above color sketch is from a photograph as well as a memory of either Eagle or Paradox Lake, Upstate New York. I was on a foliage tour in late October when many trees had shed their foliage already. Not driving, I had a chance to take more pictures. The reflections in the water with the stone outcrop caught my attention.

What surprises me about the watercolor is that despite least amount of detail or notes for when and where,  I remember the location, driving west on Route 74, it is on the right. 

We went into Schroon Lake before turning around to go east on Route 74 back to Ticonderoga, and back to Vermont. I know on the drive we pass both lakes. I don't recall which lake the scene is from.

The artwork got me to thinking about less is more. Creating art should be relaxing. Yet, many of us, I feel, try so hard to fulfill our ideal artist image that Earth flattens and we fall over the edge. 

Ideal. Not bad to have an ideal image of something. Not good to strive to achieve an ideal when in reality, we are unique, not necessarily an ideal. We might fit a person's ideal image, but that is their opinion. Thinking more, I ponder how to relax and just be myself without struggling.

To relax better. Quiet. No Internet, TV,  phone, music. Just quiet surroundings with normal noises. Then I thought, why not take a day to go offline? Less Internet in order to gain creative control.

The orange nasturtium exercise this week on day 2, I almost forgot to look at it. There is sunshine this morning. I slept well. Now, I have a new plan to add...being offline during daylight hours from sunrise to sunset. This week offline will not be Wednesday because there are PBS shows I like to watch. I have too much to do on Thursday. Friday is busy as well. Ah, maybe trying out a block of hours to start is better, say from 1 PM to 7 PM.

Have you tried a whole day being offline? 

Did you feel more relaxed?

Freezing Over?

In mid February Lake Champlain 

doesn't look to me to be 

freezing over at the Upstate New York 

and Addison County, Vermont border.

Have a good week

A Perspective On America

Route 17 Roadside Vermont
Unplowed winter field in Addison County

 
In the distance are the Green Mountains.

A Google map search for the specific name of that section, is as any search for a topographical map labeling all the mountain features, peaks, ranges, and such is very lacking. As lacking as me, after all these years, for not finding the right map I'm looking for in order to be able to name the Earth features I post photographs of. My bad. I will try to fix that.

I know for sure that horizon is the Green Mountain National Forest. The Green Mountains Presidential Range in Addison County Vermont is in those distant mountains, Mount Abraham 4006 feet, Mt Grant 3623 feet, Mt Cleveland 3482 feet, Mt Roosevelt 3528 feet, and Mt Wilson 3745 feet.  One day I will figure out which peak they are. (Note, there is also a Presidential Range in New Hampshire.)

Until then...folks, that is a part of America you are looking at. 

When you vote, you are protecting that land and all that is in it, including the living inhabitants. I say inhabitants instead of people as a courtesy because I don't know how many genuine not of Earth aliens there are, if any, on our planet. I suspect based on factual reports over decades, they are here or else it is us from another dimension.

Have I been listening to too many weird podcasts? 

Watching too many weird shows? 

Reading UFO reports? 

No, is my answer. 

I'm being realistic. If I sound crazy weird, then just take a look the person under inditement many are supporting as a candidate for President of the United States. Explaining that is far more strange than believing aliens from outer space live on planet Earth.

Seriously folks, think about that.

A Winter Rummage Sale...Woohoo!

A rummage sale in the middle of winter!

Yes, a local huge rummage sale at Saint Peter's Church lured me out and about ... around people.  

The focus going in is to not buy much because I have enough of much. 

First thing at the door, on the check out desk is a covered jewelrly display. And what do I see!? A necklace with 1950s era style design. I was done for! I will make it into a bracelet.

The haul: 4 pants, 2 blouses, 1 dress, 1 skirt, and 1 pair of water shoes.

Every item is not only a garment I can wear now, but ones I like as well. No will lose weight, this will fit me by then or might be my size were purchased. I also did not buy any fool myself into thinking I'm a fitness fantatic by wearing athletic wear. 

I didn't look at every thing because there is so much. I will probably return for a leisurely browse. There are particular fabrics that I look for no matter what the garment. 

Day 54 of Week 8 in February 2024

Have things been looking sideways or up for you?

Is seeing another white winter sky beginning to instill fear?

When is the last time you had a cannoli or a chocolate eclair?

The last poem you memorized?

Bought emory boards?

Asked your socks where they want to go?

Spring is 25 days away

Have Fun Exploring 

A When Was That?

Weekend!

When the Sunshine Is Just Right

Spider Plant & Friends

The plants are moved to the dining table for a  bask in the February morning sunshine. They can see outdoors to be glad they aren't out there on a very windy day. The outside flap for the stove hood vent signals  high winds to me before I even look out the window.

Moving my life around to be in the sunshine would be nice. But, that would take a major move to a much lower latitude. Do you know the latitude you live at?

If you go to forecast.weather.gov (National Weather Service, NWS), and put in your zip code, then you will see a topographical map on the right with the Point Forecast for that station's zip code. Your exact coordinates can be taken by using a compass with that feature. (How far down from the North Pole you are and how far west from the meridian in Greenwich, England.) 

A fun bucket list item is to see what it feels like to be on Earth's  Equator. According to Wikipedia, there are 13 countries that it passes through. The closests to me would be in South America. Interesting though, Hawaii is the American state closests to the Equator at almost 19ºNorth. 

At 44ºNorth, I'm a ways away from the Equator. I haven't even passed through the Equator.

Have you been on the Equator? To Hawaii? South America?