A Perspective on Life: Where are we Going?

Hello dear friends! This post has been a long time coming, and I'm sorry it took so long. Since my last post, a lot has happened in our lives. Generally, I don't share too much about my personal life. In my experience with "popular" blogs, most readers seem to like to read about the "sunny" side of life. But real lives are not always sunny, and have their stormy periods as well. And as it goes with real lives, in late spring a storm began to blow through ours.

I may have mentioned last year that we spent a good portion of the summer having an infected wound treated on the bottom of the Mister's right foot. Not a great thing when you are a Type 1 diabetic. But with a lot of professional treatment, it did heal, and all was good. Until this past April, when another wound appeared on the side of the same foot. In spite of various rounds of oral antibiotics, it got even worse, so he was finally admitted into the hospital where he spent a week on IV antibiotics with various teams of doctors and surgeons assessing what the best plan would be. After a lot of discussion we decided to go with the recommended course of action, and it was scheduled for a later date. He came home with a PICC line, and we spent 10 days with me administering more IV antibiotics to keep the infection from spreading further, since they had determined that the infection had moved to the bones in his foot. There is no "cure" for infected bones.

So, on August 9th his leg was amputated about 8 inches below the knee. Though this was not the outcome we had hoped for, it was the best one for long-term recovery. The other choice would have been to have major surgery on his foot to remove the infected bone, a lot of pain, and then up to six more months of antibiotics. All of this for an only 50-50 chance that it would work, and a possibility of the infection spreading further and possibly into his bloodstream. The amputation that he had was clean and neat, affording him the "luxury" of knowing that the infection is gone, no further antibiotics would be needed, and the best probability for being able to resume an almost normal life with a fairly functional prosthesis. He came home on August 26th, after spending the last part of his hospital stay in rehab. And it is here that I feel compelled to mention VA hospitals.

Though we have regular medical insurance and could go to basically any hospital,  he is also 100% covered at the VA from his days in the military. The surgery was done at the VA, since who has more experience in dealing with amputations? We have all heard the negative publicity about VA hospitals, and yes, a lot of this is true when it comes to routine medical appointments, wait times to get them, and the hospitals not always being very close to where the patients live. And yes, we ourselves realize that the system needs some major improvements. But between the hospital side, and then the rehab center, we found the entire staff, no matter what their role, to be caring and professional people who were obviously dedicated to the patients. They were patient and upbeat, and we can truly say that we did not have one complaint. This hospital is what I wish could be a microcosm of the world at large. Namely, a group of people of all different nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, religions, native languages, and sexual orientations getting along with and respecting each other, and coming together to reach a common goal. In this case, the recovery of the patient. Oh, that this could become the standing example for the rest of the world!

Driving to the hospital every day, about one hour each way, offered me a lot of time to reflect on our lives in general and where we are going. And you know what? It's going to be OK. In life, everything is relative. We see young men coming home from war missing three limbs or with brain damage, and seeing their child perhaps for the first time. Men who gave it their all in the military, and will forever pay the price of being good patriots. Then we look out ourselves and say "What the hell, its only a leg. We can deal with it".

Where are we going? We are going  forward!

By the way, the above photo was taken in the outside area at the rehab center. The birds were pretty tame! There is beauty everywhere.

Thanks for stopping by. I so appreciate your visit!

Advertising and Blogs

 

Hello friends. I try to keep this blog on a positive note and leave the ranting for others, so I have put off writing this post for quite some time now. But yesterday, as I was reading some of the blogs that I follow, there was a link to another blog that looked like it would make for nice reading. So I clicked on the link and found a fairly nice home decor blog. Simple enough.

Have you noticed how advertising has found its way to so many blogs (especially the home decor ones), that it isn't even pleasant to read them anymore? I do most of my blog reading on my iPad when I am having my coffee in the morning, and have approached the point where it takes so much time to get past the ads (some of which I can't even "x" out of, or lock up my screen altogether), that I am no longer going to read any that cause so much aggravation. I may as well just go out and buy a magazine and put up with those advertisements.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind some advertising. As a matter of fact, I tried AdSense for a very short period of time. At least that vehicle had the good sense to place advertisements where I wanted them placed, and with content that was relative to my post. But I choose not to read blogs anymore that have a pop-up ad every time I scoll down to the next paragraph, at the same time as having others pop up from either side of the screen, and in a much bigger format that the blog post I am trying to read in the first place. I guess these are the bloggers that we see on Pinterest claiming to earn 100 grand a year on their blogs. Oh, and let's not forget the blog setups that give you a short paragraph and then make you click to "read more", where, of course, you are switched to another screen and start all over with yet more ads.

 

But back to the blog that I linked to through one of the blogs that I read...This gal with the lovely home and family, who indicated that her faith was the focus of her life, had a unique form of advertising that I had not seen before. You know how when you get to the bottom of someone's post and it has little glimpses indicating "other posts that you might be interested in"? Ones that are usually relative to the post that you just read? Well, at the bottom of this post were  four such glimpses. One was to a post from her own blog. One was for a new testosterone booster. One was about what happens when you take a testosterone supplement, and the last, accompanied by a very suggestive photo, was about the most embarrassing dirty photos on the web. In fine print at the bottom of each thumbnail the sponsor was stated.  I checked this same blog today, and at the bottom of its very lovely post, was an ad for the "skinny pill sweeping the nation", and it was illustrated by an awful looking person, with what were very exaggerated facial features. Would you want to end your own posts this way? I wonder if some people read their own blogs as a viewer would see them.

I personally believe that our blogs should be extensions of ourselves, and not gimmicks for advertising at our readers' expense. Especially when the ads are not at all relative to the type of  reader who is taking the time to follow that blog in the first place. But that's just my humble and worthless opinion.

By the way, the advertising you see at the top of my post is scanned from a 1923 Woman's World magazine that I have in my ephemera collection. And it is the only type of advertising that you will see on this old woman's blog.  Feel free to save it to your computer and use it as you wish. 

 

I wonder if the women of 1923 got tired of seeing advertisements everywhere they went!

Thanks for putting up with me today!

Along came a blog, and it was mine...

Hello friends!

During my absence from posting, I have given some thought as to what this blog should really be about, as I seemed to be all over the place with my posts. I became somewhat disillusioned not only by the fact that my computer lost its internet connectivity (finally remedied by our friend yesterday!), but by wonderful blogs that I aspired to be like, and could not. Blogs that feature professional grade photography, gorgeous homes both inside and out, beautiful step-by-step photos of meals being prepared, unbelievable art and DIY tutorials, and holiday decorations that changed each season and completely from one year to the next. Every time I read one of these blogs, I started to feel like I was watching another Martha Stewart Living in the works.

Then I came to the realization that many of the blogs that I love are heavily sponsored, loaded with advertisements, and written by gals that likely almost make blogging their careers and get paid for doing it. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. But in some, the advertising has become overwhelming, the sidebars loaded with distractions, and there are often so many pictures that they take too much time to download. (Sometimes I feel that these blogs should fall into a new category that is somewhere between Blogs and Websites.) Even I tried Ad Sense for a while, but stopped it as I decided that showing ads on my blog wasn’t what I wanted to be about.

Many blogs also seem to gravitate towards certain trends, such as artwork that is all white, home décor that is all grey, all things French (I should mention here that the relative that I most resemble was my great grandmother, born in Paris, so I am part French). Not to mention burlap. Do you ever wonder how we suddenly started loving a material that is smelly and was once considered garbage? I started to worry that if my art was not done in shades of white, the color scheme in our home was not changed to grey, and I did not feature burlap creations with French writing on them, I would have no followers at all. (And though Birdsong Cottage is being done in “greige”, that’s been an experiment in decorating, and our “main” house looks nothing like this.) Then I thought, well, not everyone out there wants to look at the same thing over and over, so maybe there’s a place for me. And other bloggers who are less than perfect and want to march to a different beat. 

And while I am on this roll, I must also point out that it seems that a lot of the blogs have gone the way of “linking up” with other blogs to such a degree that I feel like I am reading the same stuff over and over again. Now, I think that link parties are a great thing (I might even participate in one some time!), but there are some blogs that I used to love that I don’t read anymore because it seems that they have nothing of their own to talk about and only include photos of things posted by other bloggers. To each her own, but that’s not for me, either.

Lastly, I am often bothered by blogs that have so many ways to follow them on their sidebars that I am at a loss to know which, if any, means I want to use to follow that blog. Not to mention being asked to “like” someone on Facebook in order to win a giveaway. Heavens! Can’t posting a comment or signing up to get emails on new posts be enough? I guess that I would rather someone like me in person than on Facebook (by the way, I do not do Facebook, either for my blog, or on a personal level). Maybe it’s just my age.

So…going forward, here is what my blog will likely never be, and the truths of the matter:

·        A blog with professional-grade photography. Truth: I am at best an amateur photographer who loves taking photos, but that’s where it ends. Besides, how many views of a vase with flowers in it do you really need to see?

·        A blog showing my “gorgeous” home, both inside and out. Truth: On a good day my husband’s baseball caps clutter up the staircase post, there are dishes in the sink, and unread junk mail on the kitchen counter.  We can’t afford to redecorate everytime the trend changes from shabby chic white to grey or something else. (I wouldn’t paint over our cherry and old pine furniture anyway!) The garden often has lots of weeds in it, with the lawn needing mowing. And the flowers that I’ve posted about are now gone, with everything having taken a beating this summer while we were fixing up Birdsong Cottage.

·        A blog with beautiful step-by-step cooking photos. Truth: I love to cook and will share recipes. Only ones that work! But the best I will likely do is provide a scanned copy of the recipe that I used (or worse yet, one in my own funky handwriting!). After all, I imagine that you would be able to picture a piece of meat lying on a serving platter without seeing a photo of it, wouldn’t you?

·        A blog showing my beautiful artful creations. Truth: I love creating vintage collage art, but I am far from a great artist, and often have little time to create much. I will keep on trying and sharing anyway.

·        A blog that provides unbelievable DIY tutorials. Truth: I love DIY, but most of it has been shown on Pinterest a million times before. I will provide a few words and some minimal photos of things I work on, but frankly, when I am in the middle of working, I am too lazy or busy to take lots of photos, and quite honestly, my hubby thinks I’m a nut when I do so. He puts up with my many other quirks as it is!

·        A blog that shows magnificent seasonal décor, ever-changing from one year to the next. Truth: Like most real people, I use the same beloved decorations from one year to the next. The best I do is add a few new things here and there, and move old stuff to different places. Besides, how many of us can afford to make huge changes each season, anyway?

So there you have it! After much pondering these weeks over how I can make this blog better, I finally decided what it will still really be about.

Me.

That’s it. Pure and simple. Me. Me and my simple little everyday life. After all, that’s what the banner up at the top says. Right? “A simple view..." It will continue to be what it was. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. “Everyday living” in a simple way. I hope you don’t mind that.

So if you have read this far, I thank you so much for your time. The bottom line to all of this is that I love to post, and I love it even more when you read what I write about.

In forthcoming posts I will share what I learned to do while absent, and some pictures of the progress at Birdsong. Oh, and a small bit of creativity as well. A very small bit. 

I hope that you're having a great weekend!

Much love,

Sue 

The Anniversary of 9/11: Work or Fight?

Good morning friends. On this, the anniversary of 9/11, I just wanted to say hello and wish you well. I gave some thought as to what the tone of this post would be, and felt that I couldn't say it much better than I did last year, so I have repeated that post at the bottom of this page in case you didn't see it the first time.

In light of the goings on in Syria, and President Obama's speech last night, I am going to break with my tradition of trying to keep the tone of this blog light-hearted and without voicing my opinions on matters over which I have little control (and believe me, I DO have my opinions, as my husband and children would tell you!).

The vintage photo above was likely taken during World War I in an era when our men went off to war, and we ladies stayed home to "hold down the fort", so to speak. You may need to enlarge that photo to see the detail, but the sign says "Work or Fight. We Work". I found myself wondering if the women in that picture, and other women of that era, were more forward-thinking than having had been credited for. If you saw a modern version of that picture, say, perhaps, a group of women in modern attire riding in a 2013 convertible Mustang, and holding the same sign, would they possibly be saying "Work or fight? We would rather work towards a peaceful resolution. We would rather let the United Nations assess all alternatives before running the risk of again sending our military off to fight in yet another foreign land. We would rather do what it takes to avert the possibility of another 9/11, or worse." What do you think they were saying? What are we saying now? Just some thoughts on this day.

Anyway, here is the post that I did one year ago. Thanks for stopping by, friends.

Hello friends.

I thought that this day should not be about pretty gardens, home decor, or creativity, but rather a day of reflection and thanks. We all remember where we were on that awful day 11 years ago. I remember that I was at work,  and we were all called into the conference room to watch something on TV. It seemed that a jet had accidentally crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers up in NY.  I was living and working in Florida at the time, but had grown up in New York not far from Manhattan, so I couldn't believe what had happened. I thought it must have been something like when the Empire State Building was hit by a plane many years before. We watched in horror as a second jet hit the other tower, thinking briefly that it was yet another accident, and what were the odds of that? As the truth unfolded, we accomplished little that day and worked at our jobs through a fog of shock.

Years before the events of 9/11, my Dad had worked in the City, watched those towers being built, and had worked in one of them for a period of time. I could not help but identify with those that on that morning watched their spouses going off to work and their children heading out for school, never realizing that this would be the last they would ever see them again. To this day, like so many of others, I cannot think of that time without a catch in my throat, a tear in my eye, and a loss of breath. It is the same feeling that I get when I am reminded of the Kennedy assassination, and the little boy that saluted his father as his casket went by.

I was, and still am, thankful for first responders, unsung heroes, American flags that fly everywhere, and living in a great nation that comes together when the need arises.

I hope that you and yours have peaceful day.

Sue

Warm hearts and cold spam...

Hello friends! I hope you are well and having a great weekend.

Yesterday it snowed on and off for most of the afternoon, and this morning brings not only a cold day outside...

...but a cold feeling in my heart over a few comments that I have recently received on this blog. I actually get very few comments to begin with, but most of the ones that I receive are from kind friends that always have something positive to say.  However, over the past few days I have received some ridiculous comments from the Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. Anonymous' of the world who profess to like this blog or its posts, and then go on to say why they like it. The funny part is that their stated reasons for liking it have nothing to do with the content of the post that they are commenting on. And the real kick was when one suggested that I lengthen my posts in content to better support the point I am trying to make...imagine that!!! How can I elaborate on a shared vintage photo or pictures of a jar of buttons? Of course, their real motive is to offer me an invitation to visit their website or blog or something else, with the link provided. Most of these charmers end up in my spam and don't make it to my viewed comments, but today I woke up to find that one indeed did. Needless to say, I deleted it. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't mind it if someone came right out and said that they didn't like my blog or something that I wrote about, and then expressed their reasons why, even if they did wish to remain anonymous. But please don't use my blog, or those of my friends, as a vehicle for pushing your own product. Especially when you are going to use some canned verbiage that makes no sense at all.

Any of you who blog know that it often takes considerable time to not only write a post, but to take pictures and post them. To have our time wasted unnecessarily gives us even less time to do what we really want to spend our time doing. So, spammers, take heed and don't network on our dime.

I am sorry to say that I will now moderate any comments that I receive, and to my good friends I apologize for this. I hope this is a better course than making my readers have to decipher those funny CAPTCHA words before they leave comments, as I hate doing that myself.

To my real and warm-hearted friends, please keep the comments coming! And to Anonymous out there...don't you have anything better to do than waste your time looking at a simple, humble, and non-controversial little blog like this???