My Motto

Do you have a motto? I do.

Just because you can,

doesn't mean you should.

This can apply to most things in life, work or personal. Try it!

Cast of Characters - the Mammals

I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the characters most likely to turn up in one of my posts. Let's start with the carbon-based mammals, shall we?

First, there's me, Anne. Obviously. 

I rarely show myself publicly in photos, but you're in luck! Here's a recent shot of me just after dying my hair purple.

I currently work as programming coordinator for a two-county library system in the Pacific Northwest. I can't wait to retire. There's so much I'd rather be doing with my time, but I'm not quite there yet. Darn it.

I enjoy a variety of creative pursuits including watercolors, mixed-media art, book making, and cross stitch. I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to my art, there are just so many formats I enjoy! I go where the mood takes me and am surrounded by a wealth of art supplies in need of using up.

Earlier this year I got a new (to me) bike and get out to ride around the neighborhood as often as I the weather allows. This put an end to the sluggishness of the last several years and I feel great!

Aside - I have been battling to format the photos a certain way and have ended up with a big strange gap that won't go away. I am able to add text and perhaps fill up the space with a bunch of nonsense to maintain the look I was hoping for. It is time for me to give up and move on, otherwise there will never be a second post on this blog. The preview tells me I've been successful at filling the space with drivel. 

Next there's Michael, my husband. He's a curmudgeonly Yorkshireman with a good heart and a wild history from his days as a working musician. He was in the right place at the right time and has stories to tell!

These days he spends his time riding his bike (my inspiration to start riding too), building guitar pedals, noodling around with his array of synthesizers, and making sure our household doesn't fall apart.

He's an amazing cook and I will share some of our favorite recipes.

Let's move on to the next character, Rowland S. Howard (dog). Rowland is 11 going on 90, and quite the character. He's slowing down and doesn't have the stamina for long walks, but still likes to get out and about around the neighborhood twice a day. He snores loudly, is scared of his own farts, and never says no to a treat - especially if it's from the UPS driver. He'll magically regain his speed and stamina to chase the truck down if we see it while out walking, and doesn't understand that all of the other delivery trucks aren't filled with goodies for him.

He is a very good boy.

You'll also hear about Nolan, my son, from time to time. I was going to make a crack about him also being a very good boy, but as you can see he's not a child!

He's a botanist with a passion for documenting rare plants before they disappear. He and his partner Mia have traveled around the world to look at plants and other beings in a variety of exciting spots. Their trips to Ecuador have resulted in the discovery of several new species, with more to come!

You can see Nolan's stunning photographs and learn all about the plants he observes on his Instagram page @botanists_in_paradise or his iNaturalist account.

Now that the introductions are over, I'll get on to the writing! See you again soon.

Howdy, hi, hi...

I decided to go old school.

Back to the basics of blogging, on the least complex site I could find.

I haven't written anything in quite a while, but have the itch to send some thoughts into the ether.

Social media is becoming a drag, both Facebook and Instagram are riddled with advertisements and "suggested" posts from people I don't follow. When you're not very active on Facebook, it starts to suggest some really strange things, like a desperate child trying to get your attention.

Hey! Look at me! Over here!

No.

You're a toxic time suck.

Instagram is going to use everyone's images to train AI. Neat.

Side note: I investigated another platform for my shiny new blog, and aside from it being way more than I need they kept trying to shove AI tools in my face at every turn.

No.

What about Substack? They coddle Nazis, so I'm not too keen on that either. I've got extensive archives of my newsletter there, and they'll be available for anyone interested in reading past missives. I got pretty burnt out writing those every week and am not interested in going back to that format.

Just a good ol' blog for me, thanks.

See you again soon!

A dire warning?