No Canyon Jump Required

I want you to know I am not slamming the door. I am trying to build a bridge rather than making you all leap across a canyon. 

I changed my blog theme (lord willing for the last time. I was having more issues with the font, and the background color on my cell phone was orange.) Oi Vey, it's never-ending.  

I attempted to place the WP blog on a Blog List to the side, but it never updated, and it was 2 days. 

I'm still here with Tuesday Four, A Hodgepodge, Wordless Wednesday, and an occasional "This and That." But the new writing will happen on my WordPress Blog. https://frommyshastahome.com 

You can always reach me on WP. I’ll also be around, commenting on your blog. 

I’m feeling at peace about everything, and it’s all starting to make sense, and I’m happy about that. I’m enjoying experimenting over at WP and learning as I go. I’m glad I’m beginning to understand it, something I thought I wouldn't be able to figure out.  Though I had to push myself to get there. When I run into something I cannot figure out, the support I get walks me through it. Mostly, it’s about how the blog looks and how I want it arranged. The actual writing part on the blog is as easy as Blogger. 

I hope you are all enjoying a nice weekend. 

Until Next Time, 

Debby

Just Moving to the Next Town Over… Slowly

I'm not leaving yet. In fact, I'm thinking of keeping this blog for the Tuesday Four, Hodgepodge, and all the familiar weekly fun. I'll keep it here until it totally shuts down, and honestly, that might not ever happen.  But at least now I have an alternative for my writing, where I know my hard work is actually going through.

You all have been too good to me throughout the years. I won't abandon you. The friendly connection we've built here isn't going anywhere. I'm just moving to the next town over.

I can't explain or even make sense of why Blogger seems to be picking on me lately. It never used to be this way. Around 2021 or so, I started running into more and more issues. During that time, I tried two times to move to WordPress, but I just couldn't get it. Truly. It was like I had a mental block. One attempt took nearly the whole summer before I finally threw my hands up, gave up, and came right back here again.

This time has given me hope. Like my old brain finally gets it. Which is a plus when you're in your 70's! It's giving me the confidence that I can make this work. 

Ironically, I’ve had a genealogy research blog since 2007 using my regular email and never once had an issue with it. But I don't want to transfer this blog over to that email.  A new email? No, thank you. At this stage of life, I'm actually trying to minimize things.

Although when I stop and think about it... Having a Substack and now two blogs isn't exactly simplifying, is it?

But hey... I love to write. 

https://frommyshastahome.com/

Go ahead and give it a try. See if you can leave a comment. You shouldn’t need to sign up. You’ll just have to enter your name and email, but like on my computer or notebook, those are saved, so it’s not an issue. I follow and comment on a couple of WordPress blogs myself, and I’ve never found it hard. 

It’s different, but definitely not difficult.

When reading this blog on a computer, the WordPress blog feed appears on the left-hand side. 

➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️

I don’t think it shows up when using a phone or notebook.

That’s it for the day, buried waist-deep in the chaos of my craft/sewing/storage room, while the husband wraps up his grand rock project in the front yard. Work, work, work. Apparently, we find this sort of madness enjoyable. 

Thank you for all the support. 

Debby

Looks like Three's the Charm

See post My Shasta Home: New Roses on a Monday

Hey everyone,

It seems I had no choice but to switch from this Blogger to WordPress.

Behind the scenes, blogging has felt like an uphill battle lately. I love writing and sharing posts with you, but the constant technical issues on this platform have simply gotten out of hand. Right when I start to get on a roll, posts don’t update, don’t publish correctly, or disappear altogether. It has become incredibly frustrating and, honestly, discouraging at times.

Third Time’s the Charm

BUT FIRST, during this transition, I’ll still be posting here. I just won’t stress myself out anymore if posts don’t go through right away. I’ll also place the new blog link on the sidebar for anyone who would like to follow along there. Of course, it would be using a Blogger Feed, so I’m not confident it would post correctly.

Some posts have taken anywhere from 12 to 36 hours just to update, and that completely interferes with sharing content in a timely way. Worst of all, it began tanking my momentum. I watched my page views slowly fall from hundreds each week down to barely a dozen at times. That’s heartbreaking when so much time, thought, and effort go into writing. I will no longer be posting my Bible Reviews here. 

And honestly? I’m tired of complaining about it, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it too. It was simply time to take initiative. I need a platform with reliability and actual customer support instead of constantly wondering which way the Blogger wind is going to blow.

So… I headed back to WordPress.

I signed up yesterday morning, and I’m happy to say I think I’ve finally figured it out after two previous attempts over the years! It only took me a full day.  There’s still a bit of fine-tuning to do, but by George, I think I’ve got it this time. Change can be tough, and I understand the sentimental attachment to following favorite bloggers. The last time I switched platforms, the change didn’t really stick, but this time it will. 

For now, I’ll be writing posts there while cross-posting one of two posts back here so nobody gets left behind overnight. However, once I feel completely comfortable on WordPress, the permanent move will happen. I'll still be around to read your posts. 

At the end of the day, I just want a place where I can write consistently, connect with others, and enjoy blogging again without fighting the platform every step of the way.

Thank you to those of you who continue to read, encourage, and support me. It truly means more than you know.

The new blog combines my previous two blogs: From My House, which Blogger unpublished the whole blog, going back years! And this one, My Shasta Home.  

From My Shasta Home. 

I’m already enjoying the process of creating it and coming up with fresh ideas.

PS. I’m only transferring the month of May and a few other special posts.  Uploading the whole blog just isn’t manageable for me. I used Google Take Out to back up my blog to my external hard drive. 

Oh, kinda funny - My testing post got triple the amount of views than the last 6 posts. Go figure. 

Read the Tea Leaves

Source: Pinterest

Many of you were concerned about the possibility of Blogger shutting down. I didn't find that information out there - mostly speculation. I mean, read the tea leaves -   

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Just take precautions. 

⬇️

Backing up your Blog

It's not that hard - so easy even a 4th grader can do it! It's a good idea I wished I had done before losing my last blog. 

Sign in to your Blogger dashboard, then head to Settings...

Click on Import blog, choose Download blog, and save the file to your computer in Atom/XML format.

You can also transfer your blog to another blog. I've done that many times. Just save it first, so you don't lose it. 

And you can use what you already have - Google Take Out

Google Takeout is a free service from Google that lets you easily download or transfer your data, like emails, photos, files, history, and more, without needing to request each item one by one.

Throughout the years, Google's Blogger has really been good to us. 

Only God knows what Google will ultimately do, and I’m not sure they even know themselves. Maybe no one wants to take it on, or perhaps they’ll fold it into an entirely new platform. Maybe they’re just letting it wind down without updates due to attrition. I’m leaning toward the latter. We can’t be certain, but whatever’s happening, it’s best to be ready.

Oh wow, without even noticing, I basically pulled a full-on analogy about Jesus’ return. Totally info known only to God the Father. In the meantime, we’re all just here in "ready" mode. My bad, I simply can’t help myself. I see analogies in my sleep!

My husband is still helping with the move to the new building for the Crisis Pregnancy Clinic today, so in between other tasks, I plan to look up easy blog platforms, if there are any, just in case. I'm not planning to leave, but I also don’t want to be left behind. 

Okay, I did it again. 

I'm outta here. 

PS. You might notice some changes to my blog design, as I’m not satisfied with it. Today and tomorrow, the blog may be temporarily closed while I experiment and make adjustments.

Sharing Day, Auto-pagination, the Future of Blogger and Blog Themes

Let's try this again...

 

Wednesday was a beautiful but emotional day for me. I felt sad as I said goodbye to my leadership role and the friends I had made. Each hug and smile carried both joy and sadness. We will still see each other occasionally in passing, but it won't be the same. You know us women, we get emotional...I wasn't the only one stepping down - there were eight of us.  Some were leaving to take on a greater role in their church, others were moving to be closer to their grandchildren, and some were finally retiring. 

I appreciated all the gifts that I received, 

and they certainly weren't expected. 

It was also Sharing Day - held during both the leaders’ brunch and with the broader membership. The women took the microphone to share the remarkable works God had accomplished in their lives over the past year. Among them were young children, just three and four years old, eager to thank their leaders -though, truthfully, many simply wished to hold the microphone. Their tender, heartfelt words brought tears to my eyes. What a generation of little ones being raised in the Lord, grounded in the knowledge of Scripture. May they grow and flourish as they walk with our Lord Jesus.

Needless to say, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. 

I had to change my Blogger theme, and I’m not thrilled about it. The problem was caused by auto-pagination, which happens when the post limit is reached due to size, programming, or template settings. I had no idea there were post limits! Some themes don’t have this issue, which makes me wonder about my previous blog. I’ve been reading up on ways to work around it and am still figuring things out, but I’ve noticed that some Blogger themes are definitely more troublesome than others.

The Simple template is the best for stability. 

I was using the Soho template with large text and plenty of extra-large photos. I noticed that some of the fonts I experimented with were messing up my posts, and I couldn’t get them to look right. Eventually, it seemed to crash - at least that’s how I interpreted it. Some ideas to make the blog run more smoothly include 

• using a jump break (which I’m considering), 
• avoiding pasting from Word or Google Docs, 
• compressing large images, 
• and switching to a different template.

The Future of Blogger

There’s really no future here. The platform hasn’t seen an update in eight years, and they don’t respond to complaints—in fact, they shut off the comments. No one knows what’s happening or if anyone is even running things. Are they just waiting for us to fade away? In the meantime, back up your posts and start exploring another platform now so you can get comfortable with it. I’m not giving up blogging. I’ll find a new spot and just keep checking things out.

That’s it for me today. My husband is out front, digging in the yard, while I’ve spent nearly the entire day trying to figure out this blog. I’m done, and though I’m not thrilled, at least it’s working for now.

Until next time, have a great evening and enjoy your weekend, in case we don’t catch up before then.

Debby

You're making me mad, Blogger

The only thing fueling her frustration was a sink full of dirty dishes.

Well, well, well,  today I learned that Blogger has a mischievous streak I never knew existed. This is a new one. I poured my soul into a post about yesterday, only for it to display a measly third before rudely lopping off the rest. To add insult to injury, it’s on a strict one-photo diet. I even ran experiments on my practice blog, and still got served the same reception. 

I honestly have no idea what to make of this. Some of you have never experienced the bizarre things on your blogs that I have. This is my third blog, and I thought, 

“Third time’s the charm.” 

Turns out, that’s what you get for putting faith in charms. 

(Not that I actually believe in them) 

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh! 

This and That and some Blogger Issues,

This is Mt Shasta in the distance, 

looking north 

January has brought us delightful weather, with crisp mornings that chill us until around 10:30. As the sun climbs higher, the air gradually warms, and by the afternoon, the pleasant temperatures invite us to throw open the windows and keep the screen door open till dinner time. 

Clover Creek Preserve is a great place for many of my leisurely walks, where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of diverse waterfowl and other birds, as well as vernal pools teeming with life. Numerous benches are strategically placed along the paths, inviting you to pause and soak in the serene surroundings. This 128-acre basin not only provides a tranquil escape but also plays a vital role in safeguarding over 5,000 acres of the Clover Creek watershed from flooding.

A great place to people watch, too! 👀

That is Mt Lassen in the distance, looking east

Looking west...

It truly looks like winter, with all the barren trees so 

It shouldn't be long before we start seeing signs of spring...

Although our rainy season isn't quite finished, we often experience brief interludes of sunshine that last a few weeks in the winter.  Without these dry spells, we might find ourselves drifting straight into the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. 

And yes, I know, some of you might secretly enjoy the idea of California taking a dive. 😉

I've been enjoying sitting in front with Laydee - the sun has been warm and feels good to both of us.  

☀️☀️☀️

"You talking about me?"

I wish I could tell you that by now, Laydee is wheeling happily down the sidewalk. She doesn't like it. She's a bit stubborn about it and resists. I think we might have waited too long, because she isn't having it at all.

We have until February 9 to return it for a full refund. 

🐾🐾

Laydee has found a way to manipulate us - one step, one treat, and then she won't budge until she sees the treat in our hand.  Then we're back to one step, one treat. If I reverse it and give one treat first, we end up waiting for that one step, which doesn't come. 

No, no, no, Laydee, it doesn't work that way. 

Oh well, what can we do? I can't force her, nor would I want to. The warm weather has her up, and about - but long walks are out of the question. So we're leaning toward option two: a cart we would push her in. We'll see how the rest of her training goes...

The daffodils are blooming on the hill beneath the redwoods. The vinca is starting to bloom with its periwinkle-blue flowers. By summer, they will have taken over since they grow like weeds here - trying to choke out everything. 

I'd keep them, but they don't play well with others. 

The other day, I whipped up some Hamantaschen and also baked a delicious banana bread with pecans, but my husband told me he prefers walnuts.

 That's fine - MORE for me.  

A Shoe In...

It's that time again for my husband to get four new pairs of shoes from the VA. He visits a quality shoe store, selects what he wants, and the VA covers the cost, including orthotics. This year, he chose a dress shoe and a work boot, but his hiking boots and sneakers are still good, so he’ll wait on the last two pairs since he doesn’t need them right now.

I need some new shoes this year, and with the money saved from not buying his expensive ones, I can treat my tired feet to a nice pair, or two. 

Blogger is giving me issues again. I can't leave comments on your blogs or reply to comments on mine, which is really frustrating.

Until this issue clears up, I'll answer comments here. 

I've been facing issues uploading images, and my blog theme is acting up, similar to when my blog went POOF a couple of years ago. 

I'm convinced Blogger hates me. 

To Janice and Carla, who asked how my folks landed in San Francisco. 

My parents followed a job offer when my dad's army buddy, a successful general contractor, mentored him. A few years later, he got his contractor's license. 

❓❓❓❓

I believe that's all the "This and Thats" I needed to share. I hope everyone keeps warm with the snow system and dropping temperatures coming your way. I'm not very well-informed about it, but please stay warm and be cautious. I assume you all are very accustomed to it and know how to manage it effectively, or else you wouldn't be living there. 

I would gladly embrace some snowfall here - It was approximately 5-6 years back. And we all enjoyed it.