What about all those ads?

Typing every post here starts with clicking a Blogspot font choice twice because the first time stays in the default font. It’s a minor glitch not worth reporting to Google.

In life, the fork in the road between essential and non-essential has a zone of sunshine that there are still choices in our control. 

When you begin to fear you aren’t as sharp as you use to be, then it is time to engage in regular brain exercise, research a better diet, and/ or talk with your doctor. 

Playing brain exercise memory games, matching objects, tells me my short term memory isn’t impaired. (I actually do rather well.) What I sense is worry about old age is increasing the closer I am to 80 years, (a few to go). 

Add to aging, there are lots of ads and articles about memory loss everywhere. 

How much of what you see influences how you feel about yourself? 

In your background, what continues to play even when you know it makes no sense? 

Photography: The World of Selfie

Do you have one?

Is it fun to use?

Do you see folks using one out in the wild?

Tripod position

Remember when I was going to start a YouTube channel? It feels like years ago to me. I did decide on the style, the format and such. 

I’m not sure why I put the project on hold. Winter weather I remember as a factor that kept me from doing the things. Then December was depressing. So, I took the pressure off and set the channel plan aside. 

Spring is an opportune time to take another look at where you want to go. If vacation plans are in place, then there’s the rest of the summer to consider. I’m considering, as they say, putting a few videos in the can. 

Making this summer’s theme about being creative, having fun with a selfie stick is going to be a treat. I put the phone on it once with no idea how to use it. The directions are lost somewhere not helpful to me. I had to watch a video to figure out how to open the tripod feature. 🤣

Photography: Spring Morning

Branches are added to provide cover and perches.

Birdseed stations were shut down the end of March.

Transition from Winter to Spring is a cup of seed every other day

It’s been a long time

Pumpkin Studio has been going on Blogspot for several years (circa 2012). Then I read the word salty became popular a few years ago. A few websites popped up using the name salty pumpkin. 

As the story goes, Salty Pumpkin Studio is a perfect fit for me, my last name change, my forever name, my brand. Alas, having my own business is complicated. The way the American economy is, I’m thinking more on going back to work to at least pay for medical bills. The problem is my health limits what I can do. 

I am not alone. I’m sure many folks are thinking about work. What to do isn’t suppose to be a retirement worry. But it is. I watch YouTubers that sold everything to hit the road as an RVer. You can eventually earn income via YouTube videos. But it isn ‘t, I feel, a gig that can last forever. 

Dilemmas are all around us. Doing the best you can with what you have, I believe, is  true freedom. What I have mainly, is this blog. Dozens( sometimes hundreds) visit here every day. There is room to build. 

So, I start researching just how much income will being monetized bring in. So far, I believe, not enough. Think bigger as in what am I able to do to make big money. 

It depends on audience/the market that wants to buy/support my products. Road block right there. As a writer, every time I posted a story or poem, I can hear crickets, coyotes laughing in the distance and feel owls rolling their eyes. 

I continue to write anyway. I believe in me. I am sure my writing ability is as good, and, sometimes better than what ‘s out there. As for my art, selling art isn’t the same as folks reading a novel. My biggest problem is depression, having the energy to produce good stories and art. We shall see.

In summary, I am considering a change in this blog’s name as well as my focus. A better move is to start fresh with a new name, a blog. 

Salty Maple Arts & Crafts is the new blog.

Me at age 3 years

Thinking About Summer

A favorite photograph from a trip to Lake Champlain recently is a thinking image. There are scenes to admire and scenes to think about, draw you in for a ponder.

Think about picnic benches. They are there for folks to sit, rest, have a meal, and enjoy life. 

As people watching perches, they provide permission to view. Via technology and creative minds, this is the first time like this in human history where globally, people are sharing and performing for each other. 

Having meals outdoors when the weather allows is an important part of summer. As kids, packing up a picnic was always exciting. We were part of something. We were going some place. We were going to have fun. There is no cooking indoors that has that sense of adventure. 

Plan summer excursions outdoors where there’s a public picnic bench. Enjoy life.

Comments are off for this post

Saturday Morning Out & About Spring Side

Errands done early on a sunny Spring Saturday morning, a stop at Dunkin cheers me up. The wait in line was smooth and fast. So, I decided to  have a sit in a warm vehicle and ponder life on Earth at the Dead Creek Wildlife visitor’s area. 

A few minutes there taking zoom pictures of the Adirondack Mountains, I decide to travel on to the shores of Lake Champlain in Upstate New York. It has been a while since I’ve been there. 

Enjoy the photos

A wintery side of the landscape

A Spring side of the landscape

The water was rippling in the wind various shades of blue. The colors of the mountains this time of year is a cloudy mauve with the many tees budding. Zoom and then crop to enlarge a photo for a clear image of trees and their colors.

I love the branches in this photograph. the graceful curves and small buds.

The mauve shows up well against the evergreens. A bonus are the patches of Chartreuse.

I will post more pictures when Google stops the glitchy blank screen instead of the photos to select.

Lake Champlain in Spring

Wind, water & shades of blue

Adirondack Mountains
seen from Addison Vermont

Route 17
Addison Vermont

Day 114 of Week 17 April 2026

Deep closet diving is exhausting. Just when I think I’m at the sweep up finish line, two bins need sorting. 

In one are medical records I haven’t seen in years. The 75% shred worthy papers have to be looked at first. One quick breeze through has already turned up must keep documents.  

When you have medical tests and a diagnosis, I believe that having copies of your own is very important.

My fibromyalgia tests and diagnosis was over 30 years ago. It isn’t an issue I talk to my doctor about unless it flares up. From one doctor to the next by moving or changed practice, conditions can fade into the back of the files. Paper files transfer to computers. Being able to provide a copy of an original diagnosis is important.

Have a Great Spring Weekend

Sing to a door knob

Draw a fancy bureau

Call an old friend or relative

Dance with your shadow

Plan a flower garden

Read about etymology

Browse camp shirts online

Bake a veggie tray

Scout out an old phone bench

Locust tree pods
I thought from a distance was a bird.
😂

When it is not worth the hassle to set reality right

Life can go wonky as a natural flow of life. When it is so vacant of reality, there are times when it is not worth the hassle to put reality back together for the sake of having things the way they should be. 

Recognizing those moments is a skill worth developing. 

Here is where I heavily edited this post and deleted my vent because I do not want to vent on this blog.

So instead, I start considering the sides of worth it versus not worth it. By far, not worth it wins. 

Karma

One of those fun days

Woe is me!

Onto storing away winter clothes, going through  storage bins, is a drag. I found near empty bins, class notes from over 20 years ago, and stuff that missed the trashcan. 

In a one thing leads to another, somehow I tumble down the rabbit hole of updating email accounts. The first one I select, I forget the password. I keep old password books. I suspect one is missing. I find the cover from an old password book. The recent old password book cover doesn’t match the one I found. That confirms one is missing.  

Diverted from the winter put away, as worthy as the email account maintenance is, I now prefer putting away clothes. 

😂

Illustration I made years ago
found in some papers during my
hunt for an old password book

Spring Photography: Silver Maple Tree

 

Silver Maple Buds
Best tree ID I found,
if you know for sure, then
please leave a comment

Patriot’s Day 2026

Patriot’s Day, is the day of the Boston Marathon, the 3rd Monday in April. Patriot’s Day celebrates the Revolutionary War battles at Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts.

The environment of my early years is attached to Concord. It is the paternal home of my family. It is where my younger sister, father, and extended family are buried. I feel at home there more than any other place on Earth. Concord will likely be my final resting place as well. 

Exploring your family history can create a comfort view of family as well as Self. The places where you lived as a child spent with family especially, I feel, have a stronger relationship with the part of our hearts that cares for who we are. 

Are there places that you feel are a strong part of you?  Is there a special day close to your heart?