Anything Could Happen August: Taking A Break From Blogging

July 28, 2016August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 24 Comments

I don’t like August.

It’s too hot outside. Too humid outside. Too pollen-y. And there’s not one holiday to celebrate during all 31 days of it.

It is boring.

So instead of straining my brain to have something to say here during a dull time of year, I’ve decided to take a break from blogging until September.

Why not do something different?

In other words, my gentle readers, I’ll be around the blogosphere from time-to-time, but I plan on spending most of my free time lollygagging and frittering my days away like a non-blogger.

Just to see how the other half lives.

Later, kids. Catch you on the flip side.

A Study In Arrogance: When Coleus Becomes Political

July 22, 2016May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 52 Comments

Trying to rid myself of the RNC’s frenetic vibes this week, I turned my attention to doing something productive.

I researched COLEUS.

I wanted to find out the names of the three varieties that are growing profusely in pots on our deck.

At the beginning of the summer I planted six different types of coleus in pots, but three died within weeks of planting. So I thought that next year I’d plant more of the ones that grew, if I could figure out/remember the name of each type.

But, of course, in the process of my research I found more information about coleus than I’d anticipated. Coleus has a long history.

# # #

For instance, did you know:

that in the scientific community coleus is called PLECTRANTHUS SCUTELLARIOIDES?
that at one point coleus was referred to as PAINTED NETTLES?
that some sources say coleus has A CONNECTION TO ARTHURIAN LEGEND?
that coleus was cultivated by the Mazatecs of Mexico as A HALLUCINOGENIC PLANT?
that during England’s Victorian period coleus was planted to create what was known as A CARPET GARDEN?

# # #

But my research, inspired by a desire to rise above politics, ended when I discovered the most ridiculously depressing fact about coleus. You see, in the language of flowers coleus means: “How dare you address me that way?!”

That is, the plant means ARROGANCE.

And it was upon learning this that I found myself circling back to my thoughts about the Tangerine Tornado + the Nattering Nabobs of Negativity. I couldn’t believe that I was researching a plant whose meaning embodied all that The Donald represents, when my goal was to avoid thinking or hearing on the news about his nonsense.

Yet here I was doing something good, trying to make the world a better place through learning, only to find myself tripped up by arrogance.

Now how defeating, and oddly metaphorical, is that?

Of Plans & Parsley Thwarted

July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 / Ally Bean / 61 Comments

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.”

~ E. B. White

• • •

Two parsley worms munching on my parsley.

Zen-Den and I took last week off to go on a staycation.

My plans for our staycation, which we scheduled last January, revolved around the idea that together we’d be able to do a long list of outside chores. But the weather turned hot & muggy with rain so we weren’t able to do much outside.

Like I’d planned. Carefully.

At first the weather bummed me out, but after a rather stern Come-to-Jesus meeting with myself I managed to convince me that all was not lost. That I’d adapt to this unfortunate turn in staycation weather with a revised plan and a hopeful heart.

Dammit.

• • •

So what did we do on our staycation?

Well, I’m glad you asked, my gentle readers. We did boring things, mostly inside the house, that had needed to be done for a long time. To wit:

we cleaned out more of the basement, taking 2 carloads of stuff to Goodwill;
we sorted through clothes closets and our garage, tossing out all sorts of junk;
we shredded documents from as far back as 1998;
we cleaned out both the refrigerator + freezer, going so far as to replace the water filter in the frig;
we installed the last 3 new outdoor lights, a project we began last fall, taking the old still useable lights to Habitat For Humanity; and
we tried 2 new dessert recipes, Mexican Brownies & Apricot Clafouti.

We were productive and made yummy things to eat.

• • •

One particularly hungry parsley worm followed the parsley stem to the end.

But much more was going on here than de-cluttering and dessert.

While we were working to make things less cluttered inside the house, two parsley worms set up residence in my herb pot, and decided to devour as much parsley as possible.

I’d be upset about this except that in light of all the current chaos and discord going on in the United States, their destruction seemed insignificant.

Charming, even.

Plus I know that if they eat enough now, they’ll be able to turn into Black Swallowtail Butterflies later in the summer. And that kind of small hope, of transformation and growth, of plans succeeding, makes me think that tomorrow will be a better day.

For them.

For us.

For everyone.

• • •

Blogging Tip #88: When Your Writing Mojo Melts Away, Colorful Photos Work

June 1, 2016August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 49 Comments

Personal blogging is difficult when your writing mojo melts away.

This problem may, or may not, be a result of your air conditioner breaking as June begins, and the temps + humidity skyrocket.

Said lack of coolness in the air could leave you hot + cranky, without the inclination to sit down, to write something pithy, to fulfill your personal blogging goal to show up to your blog at least once a week.

If that should happen to you may I suggest that fussing around with your words isn’t worth it; instead post a few photos, preferably colorful + pretty.

And then promise your gentle readers, who you hope are an understanding lot, that you’ll be back next week after the AC is fixed– and, we can only hope, your writing mojo returns.