Tag: Blogging

Ladies: Give me your best shot.

Live & Learn96 Comments

The question is why go here? It’s a Sunday, God’s Day (for all you believers. And then me, only in case I need Him / Her at the End). It’s a quiet peaceful morning, and I sit pondering, WTH is possessing me to go here?

95% of my Blog followers are female, and they stick together like a wolf pack.

I’m white, old, and male, nearly extinct, at least that’s what I keep hearing — and that’s exactly what I feel each time I get up and my bones groan.

BUT, at some point, one has to stand on principle. Enough getting pushed around by all these Women.

Case 1: It all started at Home. You don’t stay married for 40 (?) years without having a life changing dispute or two over household responsibilities. I would say I own about half-ish or so of the HH stuff (with a handful of exclusions incl. lawn cutting, edging and weeding, washing/vacuuming both cars, making the bed, doing the laundry and folding, dishwasher unloading, ironing, vacuuming & dusting the entire house, bathroom cleaning, grocery shopping, paying the bills, and anything and everything involving household repairs.) Yes, Susan owns all of these exclusions, and I unfortunately carry the overwhelming burden of the rest. So a dispute of how to correctly load the dishwasher started years ago, and the war of wills continues. (Apparently this is an American issue, so we’re not alone.)

Continue reading “Ladies: Give me your best shot.” →

Walking Cove Island Park. 1407 Days & Counting. Like in a Row.

Live & Learn35 Comments

Yesterday was 1,407 consecutive (almost) mornings on this daybreak walk at Cove Island Park. Like in a Row.

So what’s significant about that?

Two events.

The first, Cara Denison, a Cove Island Park morning runner, took that shot of me yesterday as I was walking out on low tide. She shared this photo and others here and here. I dislike (put mildly) selfies and self-portraits, but this magnificent shot moved me —  just LOOK at the beauty of the ground that I walk.

The second event was Lori sharing a passage (see below) from the dailyood.org titled “A Spiritually Literate Photographer” by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. This is an excerpt from their book: Spiritual Literature: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life.  The words speak for themselves and also touched me at my core. Thank you Lori for sharing.

Finally, as I sit here this morning preparing for my daybreak walk, making it 1,408 consecutive (almost) mornings, like in a row, I am flooded with gratitude for all of you that join me on my morning walks and musings, and so grateful for those of you who have become a part of this wonderful virtual community that I can’t live without —  it’s been 13 years here on this Page and we ain’t done yet.

Thank you, and Read on…

Continue reading “Walking Cove Island Park. 1407 Days & Counting. Like in a Row.” →

She’s Back…and replies…

Live & Learn32 Comments

My Dear virtual Friend David,

Thank you for this warm welcome. You took me by surprise with your She’s Back post.

Live & Learn has been home since day 1, since November 16, 2014, since Gate A-4.

I never stopped following you, Dale, Louise, or Karen, to name a few. The notification you received was me following you by email from a different email address, just putting my affairs in order.

I stayed in touch one way or another with everyone. And I am sorry if I left anyone wondering.

I am well. And as Valerie said in her comment, the past two years were full of Life and Vitality. And if that is not a blessing, I don’t know what is.

I am unsure if I am up to sharing why I left and why I chose to stop being an active participant on social media, everywhere on social media.

Days felt longer again. And there was no more scrolling.

I missed Dale in the evening. And I would pour myself a cup of tea and sit with her. I’ll read her most recent blog posts, go to her Instagram to see what she made for dinner for inspiration, and check out her Wordless Wednesday Photo. Dale, the Roses in the rain are Blog-post worthy. Dale and I texted frequently. I have to call Dale now and then, but we laugh so much that we seldom hear what the other is saying. Love you, Dale.

You are The King of the early hours of every day. My morning is planned around your Blog post and then your Day Break photos a couple of hours later—you threw me off when you posted nothing for over a week. But I reached out to our friend Dale, and she ensured you were okay.

If I were to answer your question again since the Proust Questionnaire,

Why do you keep coming back to this Blog?

I keep coming back because it is fertile ground for inspiration and because in a mad world, it is a safe place, High ground in flood.

With endless gratitude,

Sawsan

Guest Post by Sawsan, in response yesterday’s post titled “She’s Back“. Welcome back Sawsan. You were missed.

She’s Back!

Live & Learn55 Comments

2 years ago, she vanished as a follower of this blog, discontinued her WP blog and disappeared into the ether. Off-the-grid. No reasons given. Just vaporized.

And this wasn’t a gentle, lifting of a morning mist. Oh, no.

Think 18th century guillotines. Ward Stare describes it as the steel-on-steel scraping of the falling blade, and the thud as it hits, bouncing a little from the impact.

That was my head bouncing from the jarring impact. A follower since November 2015. She authored over 300 comments on this blog, a good number of them memorable shots across the bow, short pithy lists of errata in my posts or astonishment over my lack of basic understanding of how the world works. You can’t but get attached to all this.

A follower since November 16, 2014. 6 years she’s everywhere. Then Gone.

No “Goodbye Friends.”

No “It’s been such a great ride, I need some time off.”

Nothing. Zero. Just Gone.

So, how about sharing a few words with me for a Guest Post to explain where you’ve been?  (Or maybe an apology or two for the cold exit? And if not for me, what about all the Friends you met here and cut loose?)

And if you’d prefer to just ease back in with a few cutting comments to regain your muscle memory, and to find your groove again, that’s fine too.

Welcome back Sawsan, my dear Virtual Friend.

Bring it on. Sling the best you’ve got…

 

Sunday Morning

Live & Learn33 Comments

+ Sunday Morning. Sully waiting, not-so-patiently, for his pancake breakfast. And blueberries, ah so sweet blueberries, hand picked from the hills of Peru, they go down first.  + This morning’s walk. 40° F, yet feels like I’m traipsing through Antarctica, without the ice pack. Wind gusts up to 35 mph, finding exposed skin on the back of my neck. “To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself.” (Moby Dick) + Email 8 weeks ago, I concluded it was spam. Trashed it. Same email 4 weeks ago, this one catches my attention. It was related to a blog post, a silly, innocuous blog post, including a photo from the internet, source attributed in the post, and without knowledge of any copyright restrictions. Email threatens litigation, claiming copyright infringement and seeking payment. This blog has been, is, will always be non-commercial. A hobby. Post removed. But chill remains. Hump Day is over, or maybe it’s just beginning. + And, so it is. Story not yet fully told. A trace of acid lingers on the tongue.  (Jeff Foster) “Life will eventually bring you to your knees. Either you’ll be on your knees cursing the universe…or you’ll be brought to your knees by gratitude and awe, deeply embracing the life that you have, too overwhelmed by the beauty of it all to stand or even speak. Either way, they’re the same knees.”  + And then it’s back to this morning’s walk, and here we are. Walking, on these same knees. And yes, overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.

Notes: