Gratitude

Time Away from Blogging

45 Comments

Carol A. Hand

You have all probably noticed my frequent absences recently. Autumn is always a busy time for me. This year is no exception – except it already feels busier.

The rotting board on my deck has been repaired and the deck floor has a new coat of paint. I think I’ve washed off most of the paint from my hands and arms, and under my nails.

Weeds and branches are secured in large paper bags, waiting to be transported to the local collection site. I still have many more branches to bag, though. Hopefully the bags will fit in my little car (White Pony).

Despite the heat and drought, life has been kind.

Smoky Sunset – August 2018

There are bountiful gardens to tend and harvest.

Gardens – August 2018

Another round of editing has begun for the book manuscript I’ve been working on for years. This time, I have a plan.

Soon I will have a digital copy of an original painting for the cover thanks to a dear friend, Carl Gawboy, an Ojibwe artist, scholar, and storyteller. Here’s the old photo that has now become part of my chapter one rewrite. It illustrates shifting times. Children who were once surrounded by nature and family live on reservations where the original forests were clear cut. The first generation didn’t realize the magnitude of the environmental and social changes that would follow when most of the trees were gone. But the next generation lived with the consequences of yet more losses.

A quick visit today to the on-line site for the class I will be teaching beginning on September 8 was a rather alarming reminder about the amount of work I have yet to do on my syllabus and assignments. Luckily, the new edition of the course text arrived yesterday. Of course, I will be trying something new, again. We’ll be looking at the link between access to clean water and community health. That means some research, thinking, and writing. Any suggestions you have about relevant research articles, online resources, or innovative initiatives would be greatly appreciated.

I hope you all know how much I value your presence in my life. For now, though, I will need to carve out more time to deal with these pressing responsibilities. I can’t predict how long I’ll be gone. I have an unpredictable muse who surprises me now and then with something urgent I need to write and share. Of course, I can’t post something without reciprocating visits and responding to comments (often belatedly). As you all know, that takes a lot of time. Frequently I resist posting until my muse makes my life unbearable.

With My Daughter and Grandson – August 2018
With My Granddaughter and Grandson – August 2018

***

À bientôt (see you later) and best wishes to all.

***

45 thoughts on “Time Away from Blogging”

  1. Carol I know you need so much, to take a break. Just by the way, my dad had an old Ford Transit van which he used to transport us all in when we were kids. She was called Andromeda. An old mattress chucked in the back was our bed. Your posts, even though we are countries and cultures apart, nevertheless recall for me, many childhood memories which are so lovely. Take your well deserved break, I am so grateful to have met you and the photographs transport me to your place. See you again soon. Xxx

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  3. Good luck, dear Carol! Your house looks fresh and happy! And good luck with the editing! It is a huge work indeed! However, you might find an editor. It would safe a lot of time for you. As when you work in a team it is always faster. Greetings to Queenie!

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  4. What a lovely post. I sure miss your smile and warm greeting ever weekend. I look forward to seeing your new postings waiting for me in my inbox even if there is a span of time in between. It might even make them all the more exciting to read. 🙂
    Hope you have a wonderful fall semester. I think of you often as I work away in my grad studies. I hope to connect with you again my sweet friend.
    ~jessie

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  5. I don’t know how “unpredictable” I am, but this is one muse who empathizes with the fact that there aren’t enough hours in the day to ‘do it all’ (at least until they invent a pill which eliminates the need for sleep without putting us to sleep permanently).

    A BIENTÔT, and best wishes to you as well.

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  7. “Of course, I can’t post something without reciprocating visits and responding to comments (often belatedly).”

    Yes, Carol, you can! Do not feel the need, especially with my blog! I don’t wan’t to steal away your joy and love!;-) I’m miserable enough for both if us!;-)

    Take care, my friend!

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    1. Ah, Dave, I value your posts a great deal. You share perspectives that I probably wouldn’t come across otherwise. Some days it’s easy for me to forget the magnitude of evil in the world (unless one of my neighbors reminds me). I hope you know that you have become a dear friend. Sending my best wishes and gratitude. ❤

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      1. Thank you, Carol, for your kind words here, they mean more to me than you know.

        You are a bright spot in my life, Carol, as I know you are to many others! And I need all the bright light I can get!

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  13. Hi Carol, wonderful photographs of you, your daughter and grandchildren. Wishing you all the best with all of your commitments. I always look forward to reading your posts and hearing from you. Take care. Bob PS Your gardens look wonderful but how do you plan on eating all of that kale? 🙂

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    1. Bob, it’s always a gift to hear from you. Thank you as always for your kind words and bit of humor (humour). (I have no idea what I will do with all of the lovely kale. I’m buried in cucumbers and tomatoes at the moment. Thankfully my new neighbors gladly accept the overflow.)

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  15. wishing you relaxation
    & joy, even in the busyness, Carol!
    i can appreciate taking regular
    blogging brakes.
    i’m reminded of the natural pace
    & progression of year-round schools,
    for some strange reason 🙂

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