Looking back~~~And wishing~~~

(Pic from my blog, in July, 2009~~~See  how beautiful our Hydrangeas were, way-back-when...)

Guess I'd better ask....  Does my blog, show up too wide, on your screen?  If so, when did it begin doing this?  Please...

I was just told that mine, is too wide, on one Dear Reader's screen.  Any others????

A while ago, one of my Dear Reader's blogs, began to be too wide, on my computer.  I mentioned it to her, but guess I'm the only one......

So, I ask here.  You are reading my blog.  Does it fit your screen, or is it too wide?  Please and thank you.

You who are fans of Elizabeth Goudge...  Have you ever read "The Little White Horse"?  I just saw it here, and it sounds delightful.  So I'm getting it, from the library.

Looking out, at our back yard, and beyond...  TREES...

Again, looking from Patio, across our little back yard, and  across half of my son's back yard, next door.  TREES...
 Too damn many TREES...

When
we built here, nearly 50 years ago, we could see across a number of back yards, to the next street over.  Yes, trees were planted, here and there, over the years.  Nice ambiance plantings.

Then!  The woman next door, got herself a boyfriend, who "had a thing" for grabbing any old tree he could find, and planting it in her back yard.  With never any shaping of them!  Just a bunch of scrub trees, which he let grow and grow and grow.

The BF is gone, but his damn trees remain, and get bigger every year.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...  I so want my nice, normal view back.  -pout-
    

Found a cute, new-to-me, book blog.  Very interesting concept.  It's written "by" the characters, in some favorite cozy mysteries.   Isn't that a cute and novel idea, for a book blog????? 

 

The blog name is (click)   "Killer Characters"....

More pictures, from my blog, in summer of 2009.

Silly me, I was complaining about a lot of rain.  Hehhhh.....  Little did I know, what a lot of rain, could do to my husband's lovely flowers.  -sigh-

Do you ever choose to be still?  Even for a moment, at a time?  I came across a lovely writing, titled "Be Still."
Please take a minute and click here, and enjoy this relaxing post.....  Please....

Have cold~~~Thank you, but no comments

(Source)

Have cold...

Sneezing, coughing, etc....

Reading, my pile of library books...

Thank you, but no comments.

TOLD YA'....!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr....

♥

BLOGGER  WATCH:

"5 Products That Should Fear Google's Next Killing Spree"

"Google CEO Larry Page is in a pruning mood.  In a "spring cleaning" last week, Google killed five products, most prominently Google Reader, and began phasing out... "

You do remember this, I'm sure. 

"If Google sees a beloved, impactful, but less-than-blockbuster product like Reader as something to prune then there's plenty more brush to clear.  Here are five obvious candidates.  I'd hate to see some of these products go, but they seem at risk given Google's current priorities:"

One of the 5 being....

"Blogger: When created by Evan Williams in 1999, seven years before Williams co-founded Twitter, Blogger was bar none the easiest way to create and maintain a blog. But the world has moved on. Rival network Tumblr has social features that vastly outmatch Blogger’s, while WordPress is much easier to customize and has a robust development and design community supporting it. As with Google Groups, the only reason Google may want to keep Blogger around is to preserve the old content and avoid a PR backlash. But Google could easily put a freeze on new blogs and posts." 

Read the whole article by clicking here............

~~~~~~~~~~~

Source is WIRED...  A very cool info site.
Used to watch the site.  Stopped.  Back to it again.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~

Btw, I have made a WordPress blog.
Just to learn how to blog on 'WP'.
Just for learning...
Just (for learning) for now, anyway... 

Old photos, new film, wasted time... -pout-

♥

These 4 photos below (not about the film...) are old photos, from an old blog of mine.  We were out Sat., but not to take pictures.  Just to get errands done.  ~~~~~~  These pictures below, are of big/long icicles...  And of a couple of our many, many Springs...  Both flowing and frozen.

I came across a review of another one of those great films of "olden folks."  ,-)  (Something like "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was...)  This one is called "Quartet."  And has great actors like Maggie Smith,  Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly and etc., in it. 

It's set in a home for retired opera singers.  Or rather, a home for down-and-out old opera singers.  The resident's equilibrium is upset by the arrival of an old Diva (played by Maggie Smith).  Perhaps "Downton Abbey" fans would like another chance to see Maggie Smith, playing this *uppity* kind of a role?  :-)

"I have always maintained that
there is nothing wrong with nursery
food now that we are grown up and
can have a glass of wine with it."
~Elizabeth Ray

Sadly, I wasted a time, reading 100 pages of "Beautiful Darkness," a 500 page book.  -moan-  I hate to waste time, that way.  ~~~~~~~~~  "Granddaughter S." is so excited about this series, because it's coming out as a film, next month.  She was telling me about it, and I remembered; "She wears a necklace of reminders of memories!"  Yes!!!  I had read enough (In the 1st book "Beautiful Creatures") to remember that.  Magic...  Set in the South...  Yesss!!!  So if the film is coming, I better get going on the other books in the Series.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  But 100 pages into the 2nd one, and its just not my kind of magic book...  -sigh-  Plus, the writing seems to be drawn out.  Tiresome.  -pout-  ~~~~~~~~~  But I have "The Lace Reader" to pick up today!!!  :-)

Today/Sun. is another Big-Football-Day!  All my cute quarterbacks have been eliminated, so it's not that interesting to me.  "Uncle A." doesn't still have a favorite in the running either.   Other than Grandson J.'s fav team (The Ravens) are still in the running, to play in the Super Bowl.   "Pop" will go next door and watch that game, with J. and family.  :-)))  

They'll watch the Super Bowl together too.  FUN!  Good FOOD!  Hopefully Good FOOTBALL.   One of those silly-but-ingrained American Habits.  ,-)  For some people, that is.  I know, not all watch the Super Bowl. 

♥

OPTIMISM!!!

Finished it!  Great book!  Loved it!!!  A proper Brit Cozy Mystery!!!  :-)  Set in a darling English village too!    And I want to read more in the Series.  Fun...  Fun...  Fun...  But it's a mystery, alright.  Since 3 people were dead, by Pg. 60!  -chuckle-

 

Do you like it?????????

I dislike it, immensely.  She looks old and there is something not right, about the dimensions, to me.

Your thoughts, Dear Reader???

Dang "You-Know-What"!  "It" is spreading like wild-fire, and different forms of "It," are making many, many, many people sick.  That's right!  I'm not even naming "It."  Don't want to put "It" out into the Universe. 

We aren't going to our Granddaughter's basket ball game (her coach is one of our sons, as well)...  Because we want to avoid crowds.    

We wanted to go to the Gun Show, being held this weekend, to give support for the Second Amendment.  But that'll be a large group of people, in one area.  Perfect for spreading germs.  So, we won't be going.  -sigh-

Is "IT" messing with your plans too????????????????????
~~~~~~

"Optimism:  A cheerful frame of mind

that enables a tea kettle to sing 

though it's in hot water up to its nose."

~Anon

 

~~~~~~  

 

Yes!  That's what I need!  Optimism!  "We will not get *The It*!!!

♥ Tues. entry... Kinda' short... :-)

♥

What can I say?  A little pile of wet leaves...  That about says it, for our Monday weather.  Warm, humid, rain on and off...   The Weather Person isn't saying this.  But my Barometer has been saying it...!  It had been way, way HIGH.  And then, came the plummet, and it's still falling. 

Quite naturally, I got a headache this/Mon. afternoon.  Took some Tylenol and closed my eyes.  Stayed there, much longer than I expected.  'Twas that kind of a day though....  Rainy and made me want to close my eyes.  Luckily, I can do so.  Without lots of duties, hanging over me.

Not much pic-taking today...  So here is my old Header, in my post.  And the "New Moon Effect" has hit my Header.   Grrrrrr....    Usually I can put up a big, un-sized pic, and the Shrink To Size will shrink it, to a nice wide regular looking Header pic.   But!   Every now and then....   Something happens....  And Blogger will only Shrink it, to a way-too-small-size.  The alternative is a way-too-wide-size.  -sigh- 

I know, I'll probably have to check my Width Settings and etc.  All my Settings actually....   But it "gets my panties in a twist", to have this *all of a sudden* happen.   Or so it seems.  -Grumble, grumble, grumble-

Dear Readers were wondering how our 'Grand' managed to break his arm in a couple of places...  He and a friend were playing 'King Of The Hill'  in the playroom in their cellar.  :-(  That's all I know.   -sigh-  

..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..~..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..
  

♥

♥ Do you "dooooooo"..........?

♥

This is my "Queen-Bess-We-Are-Not-Amused" pic.  When you see this, you know, a "Grumble" by Auntie is coming...  You have been thus warned.  -grin-

(An old photo of mine, as are the rest of the photos, in this post...)

Do you "do" Pinterest or whatever it's called?

My answer is NO.

This topic came up, when commenting in a Dear Reader's blog...  She was apologizing for a "blahhh" post.  Which was NOT blahhh, btw...    She said something about;  "In this day of everyone Pinterest-ing..." or some such.  And I kind of when "bananas".  (You who have read me for a while, know it doesn't take much, to kind of make me go "bananas".  ,-) )  So in my comment on her post, I said that her post was fine with me.  And I don't "do" Pinterest, etc.

And that led me to the thought.........  What ever happened to plain ol' blogging??????   Ya' know....   When we put some pictures in an entry...   We wrote some words....  Which gave our Dear Readers, a peek into our lives.  And we were happy, with that?  WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  THAT????????

To me, it's just another example of how today's world makes us think that we must, must, must be "on the cutting edge."  If lots of people are dooooooing something, we have to doooooo it tooo.  Like this "Pinterest" thing.

"Pinterest"   A place to share things I love   Good grief!  MY freakin' blog, is the place where I show/share things that I love.   I add Net pics to my blog, at times, as well as post my own photos.    Why "bully" Dear Readers into going to some new place, to see what I love???    Who has the time????   I'm retired and I still don't have the time.  

There!!!  I got my "Grumble" out of the way.  ,-))))  And now, your views Dear Reader???  Please and thank you...  ♥

..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..~..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..

"When the wind through the trees

makes a path for the moon!"

~Edith Thomas

..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..~..*+*+*+..+* *.* *+..*+*+*+..

♥

DAMN... DAMN... DAMN... DAMN... DAMN...

DAMN...

DAMN...

DAMN...

DAMN...

DAMN...

DAMN   'BLOGGER'  HAS  SWITCHED  ME  TO  THE  *NEW,*

AND  I  CAN'T  GO  BACK...

EVERYTHING  (all blogging fun)   IS   ON   HOLD,

UNTIL  I  LEARN  THIS DAMN  NEW  SYSTEM.

DID  I  SAY  "DAMN"?

Damn...
Damn...
 Damn...
Damn...
 Damn... 

♥ Books...A "Grrrrrrr"...A question...Etc.

♥

I'm *falling down* on mentioning books, before  I return them to the library.  One with a twist-and-turn-plot, (which I have no, no, no idea how authors write such) I already returned.   -sigh-   And of course, can't remember the name now.  It was YA Lit...  As are these two above.  2 very different books.  Very interesting, both.

~ ~ ~

BTW, how could I resist a book, with the word "Hollow" in the title??????????  ,-)  I couldn't, of course!  ,-))))

~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~

Question...  What do you Dear Reader, prefer to find, in a blog entry?  But FIRST, I am not casting any doubts or any praise, for any particular form of blogging, by asking this question.  Again and always...  We are free to do our blog, as we wish.   And people are free to read it, or not, as they wish.   There!  I got that DISCLAIMER, out of the way.  ,-)

~ ~ ~

So----Just your opinion----When you  click on posts, what do you like to find?????

~ ~ ~

I admit, I like pictures.  Photos taken by the blogger, or something she found on the Net.   How about you?

~ ~ ~

 Now, as to number of words posted, to be read?  Me, I keep tending to at least 5 pics, with not-too-many words, in between the pics.  So I seem to like the not-too-many-words-in-a-post.    How about you?   How many words do you prefer to show up to be read, when you click on a post?  If there are *too many words,* do you sometimes tend to *skim*????   Yes, I do.  -looking ashamed-  ,-)

~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~

("Just because" photo op...)

~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~

(Another "Just because" photo op...)

~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~

Another question...   Do you answer your phone, on a regular basis?  We do not.  We have our answering machine set, to only 2 rings.  Family knows we'll call back.  If any caller really wants us, they leave a number/message.  Why?  Too damn many robo-calls.

~ ~ ~

Lookie!  A Yahoo news blurb about
"Complaints About Automated Calls Have Risen Sharply." 

~ ~ ~

So, why do people keep answering?

~ ~ ~

Our cell phones get them too, although we basically use them, just between ourselves.  We disabled our cell phone answering thingy, because if a robo-call goes to it, we have to pay for it!!!   And since we use cell phones rarely, we have cheapest setup.

~ ~ ~

 What think you, Dear Reader?????????????

~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~   ~ ~ ~

(Another "Just Because" pic...  Multi sheet posters, on a store wall...)

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥  

      ♥   ♥   ♥   

♥

♥ "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The *Hanging Garden* over Church St.  :-))))  Not to worry, about WATERING the flowers...  There is a built-in watering system.  ,-)
♥ 
The whole building was purchased some time ago, by a very rich couple.  They live in the upper stories.  (Rent out the store space below.)  They even had a gourmet kitchen installed, where they live.  Our city attracts some very, very rich people...  Who move here, and help maintain our old Victorian ambiance.  Oh happy day!
♥
EXCEPT for the ones, who want to CHANGE things. 
 ♥
The Liberal Progressives...  (mostly Rich Democrats)...  From places like San Francisco and New York City.  Those *imports* (the change-this-and-change-that people), we would like to EXPORT them.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥    

(Source)

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Arbor Day... Trimming, this and that... ,-)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Ahemmmmmm...   Somebody........  Please......   Trim that hair.........    But obviously, "Nana" can't make those decisions.......    But......   Please...............   He is a 'HE'........   And it gets in his eyes....

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 

Lawn, early morning.

I love early morning slanting sunlight.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 

Some trees, across the street.

Since it's Arbor Day, the tree pics seemed relevant.  :-) 

*** 

This big old tree was swaying in the wind, this morning.

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Some trees, seen across our back yard.

I love trees.  I also used to love the view of the big, old trees, from our patio door and back yard.  Old trees, long ago planted down the line of backyards. 

***

But the immediate neighbor's boyfriend planted scrub trees, all along her/our property line.  Unshaped and uncared for, they are just *growing like Topsy.*  So that my line of vision is curtailed...  To just the other side of my fence.   -Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-

***

And now, the neighbor and her boyfriend are no longer together.

***

But all the scrub trees he planted, continue to *mock* me.   -Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-

***

"Auntie" is not amused...

***

-sigh-  I want my view back...  -pout-

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Another from-back-yard view.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky."  ~Kahlil Gibran

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Wheeeeeeeew... -grin-

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 

Safety first!!!  Riding or driving!!!  -smile-

Re:  My post of yesterday...  A sweet blogging Friend, told me how to switch back.    But I need to switch to the New Thing, on my "Blog I Use For Practice."  I'd better try to learn how to navigate it, before Blogger MAKES me have to do so.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Must have been a Woodpecker here...

We know is that change, is a constant.
~
But as we get older, we tend to buck-at changes which are forced on us.  I adapted easily to the world of YA reading and the films/tv which flowed from that.  Because it's fun for me, and I wanted to do so. 
~
But when a change is forced on me, I am not choosing it.  I very much like to be in charge, as much as is  humanly possible.  -grin-
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

{Our daughter in law said she has heard him...}

Finished "Don't Breathe A Word."  (Blogged about this book, before)  Yikes!!!!!!!  What an imagination this gal has!  But, I don't think I want to run out and look for her other books.
~
Starting "The Snow Child," and wondering if this is a good idea.  -grin-  Perhaps I should have spaced these 2 books out, a bit.  ,-)

~

But I also have some fun, cozy mysteries out of the library too.  I like to be able to switch books, if one makes me feel kind-of-bogged-down.  Plus, those little paper back cozy mysteries, are easy to slip into my "Nana Bag" and take them with me.  While I wait somewhere, I can read some.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 

 {Pic of menu...}

We went over to eat at The Chocolate Factory again...  This time, for me to try their Gluten Free Pizza.  It was super!!!  Of course we told the chef and it turns out that he gets his G/F pizza shells from that the same local G/F Bakery, which I already know of.
~
Yes, I took pics, while there.  No, I'm not posting them today.  But I will.  :-)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

“The first day of spring was once the time for taking the young virgins into the fields, 

there in dalliance to set an example in fertility for nature to follow. 

 Now we just set the clocks an hour ahead 

and change the oil in the crankcase.” 

~E. B. White

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
♥ ♥ ♥