Early this summer, I found a tiny box turtle crawling with ants on a path near our house. I wasn’t sure if it was alive at first, but it moved a bit when I picked it up. We kept it all summer in a tank, feeding it worms and vegetables. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, but I think it would have certainly died had I left it. We released it last week in the woods, in an area where we often find box turtles. The kids didn’t seem too worried about it but of course, I was strangely emotional about the whole thing. I hope it makes it.
Little dog, Ollie, is doing well but we sure signed up for trouble with this one. He’s sweet as can be, but also naughty. He is very intelligent, and I am hoping to train him to ring a bell next to the door when he needs to go potty. We tried that with Pip last year, but Mabel broke the bell almost immediately and we gave up on that method. A new bell arrives this week.
Gabriel spent the last few months rebuilding a dirt bike. It was a huge project and I cried the first time he tried to start it and was successful. He sunk hundreds (thousands?) of dollars and many hours into that bike. Hopefully, he will sell it in the coming weeks and then maybe he’ll buy another project bike.
Beatrix and I went goldenrod picking last week and I’ve started dyeing some yarn with it. This is my favorite time of year for natural dyeing and I’ve had yarn mordanted and waiting for months. I won’t be listing any yarn in my shop until September, but do plan to update my shop on Friday with headscarves, a handful of large neck scarves, naturally dyed cotton velvet, goat’s milk soap, and sachets. I’ll put up a preview post on Friday morning and update the shop at 2 pm ET.
Something came over me this month and I tackled some big projects. I cleaned out our unfinished basement storage space, a very not-fun job that I have been meaning to do since early this year. And then last week I painted our kitchen! It’s not a huge change, but the old paint was in really bad shape so it looks cleaner and a bit brighter now. Now I’m obsessing over what color to paint our bedroom. I think that the motivation for tackling these projects is a need to feel like I have things together before we start officially homeschooling next week. Honestly, I am anxious about it. It’s hard keeping everyone on task and I don’t have a type-A personality or the energy of my youth to be a strong driving force behind it all. Let’s all be praying for each other as we face this school year!
Seth has decided to drop all of his college classes this fall with the exception of calculus. After learning how his engineering and physics courses are going to be structured online, he felt that he wouldn’t learn well in this format and his grades would also suffer. He struggled last semester when everything converted to online halfway through. It was a difficult decision to make and will ultimately set him back a year (particularly if classes are still online in the spring), but it’s another year of saving money for when he transfers to a four-year school and can no longer work as he does now. I told him that I took an extra year to finish college because I had a baby (him) and it’s okay if he takes an extra year because of a pandemic. This is life. It doesn’t always go as you hope or plan.
Finally, here’s a kind of crazy idea: Jonny and the kids think we should start recording vlogs as sort of an extension (not a replacement) of the blog. We’ve actually talked about doing this for many years but the technical side of things combined with my social anxiety has always stopped us. What do you think? Should we try it? Could I learn to talk on camera? I do feel like we have so many good things we could share this way. Maybe it’s time for something new.
JC says
A possible vlogging solution: I have to make a lot of instructional videos but I don’t like watching myself talk so I record the visual part and then do a voiceover and add a little music in the background and I like it much better! No matter what you do, I would absolutely watch it!
Linda says
OH YES DO A VLOG, THAT WOULD BE SO GREAT !!!! 🙂
Amber Helena says
I love your blog, Ginny. It’s the only one I read anymore. I would also love to watch vlogs that you would make. I like to watch vlogs while I knit. I used to watch solely knitting vlogs, but I now watch more gardening/homemaking/cozy vlogs.
Georgia Whidden says
I vote for a blog (or instagram) rather than a vlog. I love the written word, and you write well.
Emily says
Hi Ginny,
I’ve enjoyed your blog for several years and I’m sure I would enjoy a vlog too!
Kindest,
Emily.
Bindy says
Hi Ginny,
I would give your Vlog a go to support you, but I don’t usually like them. I’ve tried quite a few and don’t regularly go back to any. I much prefer written blogs and very much would like you to continue with your written space here.
One question comes to mind – do you think the Vlog would help or hinder your social anxiety? If it could help you to tackle some challenges, develop new strengths and resilience, etc. than maybe that’s a great thing. If it would only add to your struggles, then I wonder if it’s worth it. Just a thought…
In friendship,
Bindy In Melbourne, Australia.
Lana says
My Mom actually saw one of those huge moths coming out of it’s cocoon in her front flower bed this week. She is still amazed by it! Our oldest son had a project bike when he was a teen and I am glad to say he never got it going. Now as a 40 year old he can responsible for himself and he does have a motorcycle .
Yes on the vlog!
Shelley says
My vote is for the blog!
Jean Marie says
I, too, prefer written words, and also enjoy (very much!) your pictures. I have to be doing something with my hands, knitting works but not drawing/coloring/writing (I get lost in the visuals), or driving the car, to stay focused on listening to spoken words and absorb the meanings.
So I’m not the audience for vlogs – but there are people who like watching/listening better – so you would have a new audience. (Hope you keep writing also!)
Anaïs says
Hello!
I would watch your vlogs (although I prefer words -by the way you are a very good writer, on top of being a wonderful photographer!).
I would just say, if I may, that I suspect that vlogging would attract a different audience somehow, and maybe that is worth considering, as I feel it might impact somehow the feel of your space such as shared in your blog.
This said, I would watch your videos with great pleasure.
Have fun, whatever way you choose to go with 🙂
Anaïs
Roxy says
I, as well, love your blog. I actually prefer blogs to vlogs and I don’t really tend to watch them or last very far in, but that is just my preference. I am just a Word Girl and interact better with text. Either way, chose what you want to do – it’s your baby!
K says
I love your blog. I frequently dip in and out of your posts more than once. I look to it for reminders of grace, strength, fallibility and throughout it all, beauty. I tend to skip vlogs because they intrude too much into my personal space – either because of their length, pace, or the necessity of viewing in a continuous time frame.
If you vlog I am sure I will check it out, but I don’t think I will be highly likely to watch an entire posting.
Having said that, I am sure there are many other who really dive into vlogs. For those folks I am sure your offerings would be a gift.
Thank you for sharing your creativity without making it all seem pretty.