Fair-weather friend
Cindy on May 28th, 2010
The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun.” — John Greenleaf Whittier
Dear Friends,
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I spend less time hanging out here in the Home Office when it’s warm outside. The laptop stays indoors and I don’t.
In summer, I try to limit my time online to less than an hour daily, mainly to check e-mail for work-related issues. (I still work on other writing projects year ’round.) This officially qualifies me as a fair-weather blogger, I know. Not only does summer coax me out to my garden and the bike trails, it also brings more opportunities to work as a background extra in films. (So far, I have four bookings for shoots in June and July.)
But I won’t disappear completely. While I’m cutting back to three posts per month this summer, I still want to share some things with you. For starters, I have permission to share an excerpt of my new garden essay that ran exclusively in Victoria magazine. And since a couple of my essays are included in some brand-new story collections, I’ll plug the books when they’re available. Come Father’s Day, I’ll run a favorite Daily Tribune column about my dad and a special photo taken on Father’s Day before he died in 1992. And later, I’ll post a photo essay featuring one of my crazier passions — garden junk!
Meanwhile, if you enjoy the short essays I typically feature here, I hope you’ll track down a copy of Writing Home in bookstores or on Amazon. I’ll miss you, and would love it if you’d stop by to say hello. But I’ll understand if you can’t. I hope you’ll be outside in the sunshine, too, taking a break to read a novel in your lawn chair, or pausing to admire what’s growing in your own garden. Warmest wishes for a happy summer, Cindy
P.S. Look for my monthly “Somewhere in the Middle” column at Michigan Women’s Forum — and watch for a special giveaway at the end of May.
– Photos (copyright 2010 by Cindy La Ferle) were taken last year in my garden. –
May 28th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Right there with ya Cindy! Phew- glad someone else is a fairweather friend. I’m having trouble keeping up and I always feel a bit guilty. I’ll stay in touch/read for sure but commenting might get a bit sparse
May 28th, 2010 at 7:29 am
Starrlife, I agree — commenting on everything we read isn’t easy. It’s the hardest part of blogging for me, anyway. Takes a lot of time! So I appreciate it when bloggers know that I read and enjoy their work — but don’t always have time to leave a comment… Happy summer, and hug your sweetie for me!
May 28th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Don’t feel guilty Cindy. Our Michigan summers are so beautiful but way too short. We all need to spend more time outside this time of year, readers and writers alike. It allows the clouds to clear from our brain and come back in the fall full of sun-shiney (is that a word?)stories to share.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Cindy, I think it’s wonderful that you’re following your heart, so to speak. I know from reading your work how much being outdoors means to you. I can’t wait to go to a movie theater and spot you in a Michigan-made film!
I’m kind of the other direction in terms of the outdoors. I spent most of my childhood summers reading in my room or at the library, immersed in my fascination with books and writing. My mother would shoo me outside to get some sunshine, and I’d park myself on the front steps in the shade, book in hand. Frustrated her to no end.
We do have a tandem bike, though, and plan to make good use of it this season.
Starrlife, I find Google reader very helpful. It gives me a list of the latest blog posts from the sites I read regularly, and I can read either the whole post or just a snippet, then click on a link to get to the actual site and post a comment. At least it makes me FEEL like I’m keeping up.
May 28th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Cindy,
I think you are making a very wise decision to cut back on online time. I have too. Perhaps one hour a day and down to posting one day a week. One blog, not two.
I think those of us in the northern hemisphere should definitely get outside more and play – and garden! – for, after all, isn’t that what we keep telling our children? “Go outside and play!” Turn off the TV, get off the computer, and have some fun in nature and with playmates. (Sorry for the rant.)
I just stepped back inside after a couple hours in the garden. I am pooped but spiritually refreshed. Ah, the iris! So I wish you a glorious summer with plenty of gardening (both inner and outer). xo
May 28th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Thanks Joni! I actually do use the reader and it does help alot. However, I have a strong and wide ranging curiousity about so many different kinds of people and issues that I have too many blogs on it. I actually even have it well organized by favs. You can call me nosy
and biting off more than I can chew….
May 28th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Joni … I was the same type of kid, an avid reader, but often brought my books outside with me. I had a playhouse outdoors, and a wonderful old apple tree whose branches supported me with book in hand.
And Jan, I know how lovely your garden is … and I am picturing your Mary statue right now, surrounded by blooms.
May 29th, 2010 at 8:05 am
I hear you, Cindy. Add to that, for me at least, the kiddies running amok, and it’s not a zen like atmosphere for pondering and perusing.
I will be here when you are, and grateful for whatever you choose to share.
Looking forward to your garden junk pics. Love the door in the photo above.
Have a fabulous holiday weekend.
May 29th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
I am a nightowl, and I find it relaxing to catch up with my online friends late at night a couple nights a week. I always enjoy your writing when you do update, Cindy. Enjoy the sunshine!
May 29th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Oh how I wish I could be a fair-weather bloggers. That sounds pretty inviting at the moment– while I’m in a hotel room–on a getaway blogging
I have to figure out how to do that.
You know I’ll read you whenever and where ever you’re writing. And I hope that includes a post or two on your movie parts. Those are so fun!
Enjoy the summer Cindy!!!
jj
May 30th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Thanks, everyone! Hope you are all enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day holiday, wherever you are.
Sharon, I like your idea of catching up with friends late at night. I will try to read as many blogs as I can this summer, periodically. As I noted earlier, the toughest part for me is finding time to comment on all of them. It’s hard to keep up with SO many great blogs.
May 30th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Enjoy your summer, Cindy. I know I will, and I also am cutting back on my blogging to just once a week for a while. By the way, I received an email from the winner of the giveaway and she loves your book. I am not surprised, of course.
Love and hugs to you, dear friend.
June 2nd, 2010 at 7:42 am
Angie, what a lift to read your comment! I am thrilled to know that your giveaway winner is enjoying Writing Home — really thrilled to know that! Thanks for making my day today!
And Sandi — how nice to see your comment here! You’re exactly right about coming back with fresh stories at summer’s end. But I have to add that I have been pretty good about losing the “guilt” lately. After a rough few months with my mother and her early stage dementia, I am learning that I can’t do it all (never could) and stay sane.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Congratulations, Cindy, on all counts! Wonderful to have your work out in multiple locations.
And maybe you could add some mostly garden picture posts to your summer lineup. Wouldn’t take long and you’d do most of the work while you were outside.
Meantime, I can’t wait for the garden junk post. I believe in Yard Art.
Glad you’re enjoying mild weather and sunshine.
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:28 pm
You know Cindy, near Pasad is a city named Whittier. Prez Nixon grew up there. A main street is called Greenleaf.
One more thing: a school nickname is “The Poets.”
June 4th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
I will miss your posts but truly understand. Summer actually gives me more time.
I am almost finished with your book! I promise a review and a give away are in the near future!
June 5th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Thanks, Bridgette! Give me a cyber-nudge when you post the giveaway, and I will post a link to it here.
June 6th, 2010 at 8:29 am
I try to do this too, and recently it landed me in a bit of a pickle at work…I figured I’d go offline for the long holiday weekend but when I came back to check my email I’d missed a deadline. The secretary at work understood, and allowed me to send in the list she needed late, but it made me think of how reliant we all are on email now. Enjoy your summer!
June 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Cindy H — good points! But I never go a day without checking my e-mail. As noted at the top of this post, for summer I try to limit my online time to less than an hour a day to check e-mail. I might spend 15 minutes in the morning, then another few minutes in the afternoon and evening. And that’s only a goal.
Sometimes, work issues dictate more vigilant e-mailing checking. A lot of my jobs, including writing assignments and background film work, come through e-mail — so I never shut down the computer.
What I do eliminate for summer, mostly, are the following:
1. Aimless Web surfing; junk reading. (Why not read one of those new novels that I keep saying I have “no time” to read?)
2. Reading and leaving comments on too many blogs
3. Checking Facebook more than once every day
4. Sending long, rambling e-mails to old friends when I could phone them just as easily or spend quality time with them in person
All of that online activity adds up — and it’s all too easy for me to get swept up, and lose track of time.