It’s Sunday, that is my excuse, I will try to think of another excuse for all of the other days that I am lazy.

Suzi prodded me a bit to write a blog, it’s been awhile, so I guess you can blame her for my meanderings today.

There isn’t much to report today from the land of corn. It’s a quiet day, the sun is shining, temps are pretty decent for the middle of February. Hard to believe that spring is only 36 days away. And yet, it is hard to believe spring is still 36 days away. Anticipation or lack of it will skew one’s viewpoint on anything.

Today is the Super Bowl. I won’t be watching or caring who wins. But, by all means feel free to give a shout out to who you are rooting for and if it will be a day of all things football for you. Just make sure to share the nachos, chicken wings, or pizza you will be imbibing in, I’ll pass on the beer. I never acquired a taste for it.

In two days it will be Valentine’s day. Did you remember to get your significant other something special? Are you even participating? Or are you like me and will be waiting for the day after sales on discounted chocolate? I remember in the past we did a romance week on the blogs one year. Not sure if anyone is up to doing any themes or challenges on here? It’s been a bit quiet, but I know some are still mourning the loss of Shmoozezone, some have responsibilities and can’t be on-line all day or for hours at a time. But I will put the thought out there about maybe doing some of the old challenges we did to garner more blog postings.

Whatever your day brings, I hope it is a good one. And Suzi..I will try and do better on the blogging!

Over on our old website of Shmoozezone, we use to do a lot of theme stuff and one of them being, a “Two for Tuesday” where bloggers posted pictures, graphics, memes, jokes, basically anything that had some commonality in the two items. I could post a thousand garden pics of the theme, but I will save that for my “We dig dirt” garden group. (Another reason for groups, to spare those with no interest in all things related to plants).

I have posted this pic before, but it always gives me a chuckle, and it’s still relevant today as when I took the picture. The same cast of characters live around here or are frequent guests and so far they all do their own thing and get along. Except for the neighbors dog, the dog is never welcomed by them no matter how much he tries to be a freeloader and grab a quick lunch.

Two for Tuesday…..two yellow cats… One by the bench on the left hand side of the picture, and one yellow cat looking in the window of the door as I took the pic. Also a guest, trying his best to blend in and pretend to be a cat as well.

With any new place there is going to be a lot of growing pains. So much of all of it is starting from scratch. People get use to what they always knew before and then when things change, it’s hard. Things don’t work the same way, things don’t look the same way, things don’t respond in the same way as they did on the old place or site.

I realize for some people, who aren’t here every day or came “late to the party”, they aren’t aware of the changes being made, the updates being done and the discussions that went on previously in the activity feed, on blogs, on the forums, etc. Case in point, the latest drama about the group “We Dig Dirt” that a new privacy plug-in was installed. It’s already been explained on the activity feed so I won’t repeat all of that conversation.

But, if there is some lingering questions on the group “We Dig Dirt” itself, I will give you some background of what the group is, hopes to be, what I envision for it.

It is a group for gardeners, nature lovers, people who enjoy the outdoors and basically playing in the dirt. I hope to have members share what they grow, what their interests are, such as flowers, perennials, houseplants, landscaping, etc. I hope to have members post pics of their gardens, what they are growing, give tips on what works for them. I hope to have general discussions on what works for them in their growing zone and what doesn’t.

I hope to have members give reviews on places they purchase their seeds or plants from, if they grow organically and their favorite seed sources for those organic non-gmo seeds. I hope to have members show the progress of their gardens, the fruits of their labors, the trials and tribulations they face, if it be weather, insects invasions, soil conditions, or a struggle with squirrels and raccoons who love the sweet corn, almost as much as they do.

I hope that the group gives tips, gives information, gives inspiration, and encouragement. I have it set as a private by invitation only group in that some members don’t like to post a lot of things to the whole world, especially when it comes to their own personal property, or if some of their pics have family members in them.

I’ve read the notice one gets when trying to view the group site. I did not find it offensive. It wasn’t, nor did it contribute to making this site appear “toxic” or invoke “the devil”. It merely stated you didn’t have access to the site and to contact an administrator if you felt there was an error. One received a similar message on our old Shmoozezone site if you tried to log in or view and wasn’t a member.

There is no need to get excited, though I am touched that so many people seem to have gained an interest in gardening. You are welcome to make your own group sites, you are welcome to just write your blogs on gardening. One positive thing about having the privacy plug-in and getting everything worked out and in place, is that you won’t have an activity feed inundated with a barrage of all things garden related. Which I am sure is a relief to some as it isn’t a main interest of theirs. That is what groups is all about, people of like minded interests.

So, I made a group, that led to a site for the group. I planted a seed to watch something grow.

Like a garden, time and circumstances will determine what is the end result.

Here we are, now starting the month of February. It was a relief to see January go, and hopefully February will move along quickly so we can finally get closer to warmer weather and spring.

It hasn’t been a bad winter, it hasn’t really been a long winter, it’s just been a season of confinement and limitations that we pretty much have all been dealing with for the last couple of years. Hopefully most have been unscathed by sickness or difficulties. I keep poking around here and don’t feel like I am accomplishing much. It’s hard to actually sit down and have the time to commit to really delving into a lot of stuff. I guess when one gets right down to it, what does each person view this place as and then go from there.

I have several sites on here. I made a couple of new groups the other day and made sites for them since groups are limiting in posting. Right now they are just basically skeleton sites. None of the sparkle or added accessories to pretty up the place like a new set of curtains. At the moment, they don’t really need all of that, they are still forming in my head of what they are going to be, what they will include, and morph into.

When I first joined up on Shmoozezone, it was fun to see what all could be done on our pages with the customization. Over time, for me, it lost a lot of it’s appeal when it became glitchy for me and half the time wouldn’t upload graphics or pics for me. One day it would work perfectly, then for days, it would be cranky and temperamental. So I never really got exited to do much with it. Over here we have a lot of options, the first one being which builder to use, then the layout, etc, etc. A lot to figure out, and part of me is okay with what I have already for my site and for my Quasi site. I don’t really feel a need to redecorate for every holiday or month, or theme. But then, I am one of those people who doesn’t like to rearrange furniture constantly. Move it around once, and you pretty much know what is the best layout. It’s not quite that simple here, but I more or less have the same attitude. I’ll keep tinkering, but there may be nothing earth shattering or all that interesting to many.

For some, this place is a place to just decorate and design and just constantly change, like trying on new outfits. For some this place will just be a place to gather thoughts and put them together into a bit of a journal entry. For some this place will be a combination of both with leanings toward sparseness or overindulgence, in words, or by design.

I think there is just a part of me that doesn’t want to make a huge commitment, and perhaps that isn’t the best choice of words. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words just what you want to convey. I was on Shmoozezone earlier, read some posts, went back and read some older posts, and it dredged up a lot of emotions. I think there is a part of me that is holding back a little on this place because of it. One can’t change the past, and can one really change the future when the same people are the players? I don’t know.

For now though, I will trudge on and continue to write long rambling blogs of little importance, to be read or not read, makes no difference. I might stick in a graphic or photo here or there or I might not even bother. This place will be whatever you make of it. Much like friendships and relationships, it is what you put into it.

I’ll include a graphic or two, just to not make this blog seem so bare. Consider it a temporary covering until I get those new curtains.

For Suzi….and Dio…I’m sure toads could be substituted for the sausages. Let us know how it turns out!

What is today? Don’t worry, I haven’t lost all track of time, I know it is the 26th of January. But every day has a special significance to someone. It represents many things to many people and for some people it’s just another ordinary day.

For a lot of folks, it’s a holiday. For my Aussie friends it’s Australia day, a bit like our own Independence day. It is also, according to the internet, National Diane Day, National Green Juice Day (I’m afraid to ask or think about that one), Dental Drill Appreciation Day (nope, not kidding!), Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement, Spouses Day, and National Peanut Brittle Day.

I think out of all of those days, the one that seems safest, and most enjoyable, at least for me, would be the last one, celebrating peanut brittle. So, what better way to honor it than with posting a recipe for the nutty stuff!

Peanut Brittle

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

2 cups raw Spanish peanuts

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

Heat and stir sugar, syrup and 1/2 cup of water in a heavy 3 quart saucepan til sugar dissolves. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (234 degrees). Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook to hard crack stage (305 degrees), stirring often. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in butter and soda. Pour at once onto 2 well buttered 15 and1/2 x 10 and 1/2 x 1 inch pans, spreading in a thin layer. If desired, cool slightly and pull with forks to stretch very thin. When cold, break into pieces. Makes 1 and 1/2 pounds.

(I will leave it to someone else to post about or celebrate the Green Juice Day…)

The eyes have it today. There seems to be a theme lately on eyes and what we see and perceive with them. Whether it is a joke, comic, meme, or the written word, our eyes take it all in and transfers that information to our brain to help us compute what it is we are actually seeing.

Our eyes can be different colors, different shapes and sizes, some may wear glasses, some may only need them for reading, and others may be blessed with 20/20 vision. It’s a pretty marvelous feat to be able to see color and texture and nature in all it’s glory. It’s something we usually take for granted. I know, it’s time for me to go in for an eye appointment. Upgrade my glasses if needed, be ever mindful of being tested for glaucoma, something that my dad had and eventually went blind from. I was only a kid in the 1970’s when he had to have his first surgery. It was before the days of laser surgery, and I remember him telling someone about how you are kept awake during the surgery, and they pretty much pop your eyeball out and drill holes in it to relieve the pressure. He had a second surgery a couple of years later, but the damage was done. He eventually could only see some faint shadows, and depended more on his hearing as the years went by.

But even with our own eyesight, we can see, and still not comprehend. We are blinded by our own judgements, insecurities, beliefs, and attitudes. There is no encompassing viewpoint, but a narrowed tunnel vision of one’s self. It’s hard for people to look beyond their own view of self, reality, and world. It’s not the notion of having rose colored glasses, but of being wide eyed enough to realize that what you see and perceive is not always what is the truth.

I think fear is what leads to a person’s blindness. They don’t want to see what is behind the door, what is forming and emerging in front of them. I think there is a mental blindness that overtakes their visual field that clouds their vision and their judgement. Some, at this point, will nod their head in agreement and finger point at someone else, even at me. But they are unable to see past themselves to a bigger picture of the “wholeness” of a situation, a thought process, of human nature, of life.

Afraid of what they might see? Afraid their vision has been clouded all along? Afraid to see their reflection?

We all have our own blindness, and most aren’t willing to accept or acknowledge them.

It’s snowy here today, I can both see and feel the cold. Maybe I will take and post some pics, or maybe not. Perhaps you can envision it without the actual pictures of the snow. It will take some effort on your part, but it helps to see with your mind as well as with your eyes.

Seriously, don’t mind me or my blog as I continue on with my blog from the other day.

I had previously blogged about how blogs are viewed on the activity page and had inserted a pic halfway down on my blog to see if the graphic would show, or if just the typing part of the blog would be represented.

And the answer was yes, the pic was quite prominent. So today I am experimenting to see if I place a pic at the very end of a blog post, will show in the activity page or if it will show the text instead. I might rethink using a lot of graphics, pics, and memes in my blog posts unless they are more essential to the actual blog theme.

Today is just another one of those days where I have a million and one different thoughts, ideas, and things going on around me and in my mind as well. I sit here after filling out forms, making phone calls, waiting on phone calls, checking the weather for an incoming storm later, and I read.

I read the news, the blogs, articles, e-mails, and other social media sites. I make lists, jot down notes, track orders, and listen for the phone, for the door, and what is going on in the other room. My mind is almost as tired as the rest of me.

I was going to write a blog on old commercials. I saw one earlier on-line about “the big fig newton”. It’s been ages since I saw that commercial and the jingle still keeps running in my head. The other day, it was “I’d like to teach the world to sing” after I made a comment to someone about joining hands and offering everyone a Coke. Maybe I will still write that blog, but if so, I will write it over on Shmoozezone to save on space over here. Even though we are a small group, I constantly look to the future of this place and want to start off being positive about it’s ability to grow, but at the same time realize there will always be limitations anywhere, and storage space can be a big one.

I should order more propane, maybe I will make a pot of chili today, still waiting on that phone call about jury duty. I need to paint this year, re-roof the shed, maybe forget about the painting and just put on new siding? The flower bed on the side of garage needs an overhaul, do I move an old flower bed to it, replant with new,… flowers or hostas? I have some weedy trees that need to come out, should I replace them and with what? Fruit trees? I better look over my favorite websites for fruit trees and order early if the answer is yes. I need to check the expiration date of the carton of cream in the fridge, maybe check the cottage cheese too. Maybe I will make lasagna today instead of the chili? Does everyone else’s mind work the same way that mine does?

I should make myself some limits. On time, money, and thoughts. I think I am seriously over drawn on them all.

Not much new to report in the new frontier of blogging on Civatar. I have been tinkering a bit with making an album and made one a few days ago and originally had it on several pages using page breaks. Today I tried to do something different and just made sub menus for the additional pages, but I believe I will go back and use page breaks, as using more than one sub menu under albums is very awkward. Page 2 works well, but page three scrolls off to the side of page 2 instead of defaulting under it. That may be able to be fixed under some other setting, but it isn’t as tidy as the page breaks, but I think sub menus would work well if there is only one other page under the original menu item. But for each of us, it’s a personal preference. I will leave it up for now and change it back later if anyone wants to see how it works with more than one page under a sub menu item.

At this point in my entry, I am just experimenting a bit. I am going to try to add a pic further down on this post after a paragraph or two to see whether or not the pic will show on the activity page. I noticed last time I wrote a blog with pics, I had written a small bit first and then added the pics for the comic and it showed most of the typed entry and one pic. (Bare with me as I insert a pic here and then go on to further explain my full thought)…

My concern lately has been the feed on the front activity page. Once our old Shmoozezone site goes down, I imagine (hope!) that the activity feed will become a lot more active. As we grow it will increase with the added members and posts.

I was wondering, if/when the posts increase will the activity posts shown decrease in size? Over on Shmoozezone when a blog or post is made, they are posted on the front page and they are all the same size, no matter the content. Will that happen here as well? Or will it stay the same as it currently is? Why I am asking is that some members don’t always post a lot of graphics or pics in some of their blogs.

For an example, (hope you don’t mind), Cosmic’s blogs are geared more to thoughts and ideas and words rather than pics. Suzi, when she posts her poems, usually just has the poem. Sometimes she might include a pic or graphic but not always. I guess my concern is that some people’s blogs are going to get “lost” in the more pic/graphic heavy posts in the activity feed and scroll off/down the page and go unnoticed. Right now it’s no big deal as there isn’t much traffic, but when things get busier I can see it happening.

I like all the pics, I like all the graphics, I use them as much as anyone. I was just wondering if say, we got 30 posts one day, would the feed just crunch everything smaller? Is there a way for us to default our posts so that they don’t overshadow other posts? Or a way to have them all the same size, like they are over on our old site, so one can see at a glance what is new? Just curious, and I don’t want anyone to think I am finger pointing or upset by their pics and posts. I enjoy having the big pics on the actual posts themselves, because sometimes they include writing which can be small, and the bigger pic shows more detail.

I was going to post this over on the forum, but heck, I figured the way I ramble I might as well put it into a blog post. And also because, I wanted to test the pic I included as well to see if it showed on the feed or not.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Perhaps it’s no big deal, and I am putting the cart before the horse, and we need to see how things progress as time speeds up.

Have a good day bloggers.

I was encouraged to write blogs to make people think, engage, respond, etc. I’m hoping the first thing this blog does, is make people giggle. It did me, but then, I am a bit warped.

Having a little bit of fun with Dio’s Egg and Nutsy and including all of the somewhat active members on here in a little bit of comic relief.

Am I a team member or what?! (smile, wink, wink)

(PS… Dio don’t kill me!)