Blog Archives
THE RETURN OF TODAY
From spring 2013 to spring 2017, this blog served as my almost daily journal. I wasn’t sure I would ever return to it so this spring I turned its four years into a blog book, quickly realizing in the process that Today was an important (to me) record of four years of life as lived by me in Albuquerque, New Mexico with family, friends, work, weather, plants, food and all the rest of that ordinary stuff. Why not continue then? Getting back in the habit of a daily photo and comments/observations/joys/complaints is the hard part. Here goes.
At the North Fourth Art Center where I work, we are all learning to live more responsibly and one way to do that is—composting. Out with my camera (an actual stand-alone camera which doesn’t ring or speak or wake me up) on a walkabout of the parking lot plant life I realized our compost bed was actually quite photogenic.
Blogging
CHRISTMAS DAY 2015. FLORIDA.
Blogging is an insidious pastime. Addicting. Attention-seeking. Time-consuming. I love it. Sometimes I share a thought or event or photo of some small value. Sometimes I am simply silly, self-indulgent with a cookie or a ragged leaf.
I vowed to only post ‘good writing’ for awhile. But that’s what I’m working on in my classes, for my book and it’s difficult—satisfying but not fun. It’s what I intend to do in a writing blog in the future. It’s what Time & Place is for when I’m traveling. Where’s my 2016 fun coming from then? You know—the daily small stuff.
And communicating with family and friends. How should that happen? Facebook? Not usually. Emails? Sometimes. Phone calls? Too invasive. Texts? My thumbs get tired. Letters? Yeah, right. A diary? To be read after I’m dead perhaps.
How about I just give myself permission to keep doing this TODAY blog when the mood so strikes? Like TODAY. It’ll be fun.
ALMOST NEW YEAR’S EVE 2015. NORTH FOURTH STREET, ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO.
Blog Block
Sometimes, when the light is right. Albuquerque gets all golden at pre-sunset.
When you just can’t post a single line to any of those blogs you love so much…one day goes by…another…you wonder, ‘are you done with this foolish enterprise?’…still another…yup, one more…this is serious writer’s block or posting block or thinking block.
But suddenly it’s Wednesday, cloudy outside, you had a great sandwich for lunch and you are once again inspired (inspired=to be filled with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative). Or maybe not inspired. Maybe guilt-ridden because you vowed to post something something something anything everything that-thing on a blog every day.
The only way to get over writer’s block is to write, right? I’m writing, soon I’ll post this. I’ll be cured. Thank you great universal word spirit.
My new writing class has started, my California son visited for the weekend, we’ve hired two great new people at work and the last of my old restored family photos are framed.
Would you accept some random golden photos for a few make-up posts? Thank you.
Here’s the drive up to Steven’s on Tramway when the gold descends over the city.
From my house.
New Year’s Eve
Cold outside. 13° this morning. And it is cloudy—my New Year’s present from the weather gods. Warm inside. Perhaps 80°. Or more!
I have been thinking about blogging on this small break. And why I do it. Because I like to write. Answer #1.
I post to four blogs, each with a slightly different raison d’être.
This blog, Today X 365 (marjorieneset.com) functions a bit like a daily journal for me—one that I can share with family and friends. Short posts with lots of photos, mostly about family food everyday life New Mexico. Again kind of like a diary but without the occasional bad words or tacky references to non-friends or excessive grumbling about the sun (well there is more than a little of the latter) that you would have written in one of those old-fashioned paper diaries that no one will ever see.
Some of this blog represents the kind of communication we used to have in person or over the phone…but the truth is many of us prefer to interact in cyberspace which manages to be too personal and too impersonal and just right all at the same time. How many wine-infused gatherings have you been at where the chatter was forced and boring and you would rather have been home reading it all on Facebook with a better brand of wine in your glass? Or you have wanted to tell your family/friends interested in food what you’re cooking for dinner but it’s not worth several phone calls—instead you take a picture, it becomes a post and you have ‘shared’ with those committed to reading your blog. Yay, cyberspace.
Almost 2015. Tomorrow I’ll think about the meaning of 2014. Today it’s still here and, while personally a good year for me, it’s okay to be sad for the losses of the year for so many. Planes down; kids hungry and kidnapped and raped and shot; intelligence, good will and resources squandered…
Maybe 2015 will be better for the world? Maybe. If it weren’t so cold I’d go outside and take a meaningful photo. How’s this instead?
GUESS WHAT I’M COOKING TOMORROW. BUT I’M DRINKING SOME OF THE WINE RIGHT NOW.
Working
Much of my everyday life happens in the little north valley art center where I work and which is home to much of what gives New Mexico the rich tastes and smells and sounds of Old Mexico…and makes this place just a little more interesting than your average old American state. Even in my present jaded state of mind, I do appreciate that.
Homeward Bound
I left Sioux Falls in a dense fog. Which makes for foggy indistinct blurry mysterious photos…nice to try to recapture in sunny sunny sunny New Mexico.
CYBERGHOST APPEARANCE.
TODAY 