I apologize for adding a song NOT by a kpop band, but this one is on repeat for me ALOT. I looked up Liu Yu Ning for his singing on Octogenarians, and in his play list this song came up! I LOVE it!
@turtuallysarcastic
Life can be very hard at times can’t it? Then there are other times when the days are bright and filled with hope. Hang on to those days and try to believe they will come again.
I don’t know how old you are, but I suspect that I have easily more than a couple of decades of ‘life experience’ to draw from compared to you, and can say with all certainty that this will pass. These darks days really will pass.
One thing you need to remind yourself over and over again:
When other people are horribly mean and say such awful things to you – 99.9% of the time it has absolutely NOTHING to do with you. Instead it reflects what they are thinking about their own work.
Maybe they are blaming you for the poor work they are doing.
Mostly though – it’s okay and perfectly normal to doubt yourself – the important thing is to look on this time as a way to learn from it. Then you will dust yourself off and walk away. But it will take time. Your mental state is bruised and battered and will take time to heal.
Every now and then I have times when I feel like such a total loser compared to other people in my life. Those days have been hard. Last year when I was unemployed for so long, one day I said to myself:
“Okay, you can pity yourself all you want solid for an hour. Just wallow in it as much as you want and then let go.”
I sat on the back porch and resolved to feel how bad I was and that no one wanted to hire me or be my friend yadda yadda. Then I saw the birds at the feeder and they made me smile in their beauty. Then I noticed my flowers needed watering. Soon I’d forgotten about it and was able to let go of myself for the time being. (or else I’m just way to easily distracted and entertained!)
Be kind to yourself – don’t listen to those horrible people at work. Listen to the people who love you for who you are – period. They are what gives you the strength to keep going.
You will get through these times and look back on it and shake your head. But it takes time.
The times that I feel useless and alone and totally needed anywhere I look at the photos of my flowers and then KNOW that I do have something that is unique to me and that I’m good at.
What are you good at? What makes you smile and feel confident?
So I’m sending you some flowers here as if I’m sending a card in the mail. Beanies from around the world all have their arms around you with love and encouragement.
Also, I’d add this poem to your card:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
Just so you know, one of the reasons I like to send my cards of encouragement is that I’m really writing to myself.
This is to all the Beanies around the world who struggle at times and just want to make it through this day and the next.
You will do it!
Fighting!!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful post of encouragement Jo! The pictures are gorgeous, so is your heart. ♥️
I, too, received a card from Jo @turtuallysarcastic. I ditto whatever she wrote, especially on the be kind to yourself part. Dark times taught me that you don’t need everyone in your life -just those who love you are enough. Actually, it’s way more than enough when you can only focus on keeping who and what makes you happy in life. And health is the most important thing, period.
I had trouble dealing with things, too, sometimes. But I also got so much love and encouragement from Beans and it made all the difference.
Thank you so much for these words of kindness @stpauligurl. Its a tough time and my future dreams seem to be so far out of reach but I will always keep your words of encouragement in mind. Thank you for the flowers
The flowers from you hang on the wall above my desk, with all their kind and encouraging words, so that whenever the day gets tough, all I have to do is look up and smile. Thank you for caring so much for us, @stpauligurl! Love and hugs back at you!
Thank you @ndlessjoie – the past month was kind of hard for me as well and I once again learned that when I get out with my camera I feel much better.
Peonies seem to like my garden but I have sunflowers and dahlias growing. yeah!
I’ll post some more flowers soon.
These words are so true. It will pass. It always does. It doesn’t make it easier at the moment, though. But it will pass and you will learn from it, Turtie.
The best advice is being kind and gentle to yourself, because nobody else has the power to make you happy.
And I totally forgot to tell you, Jo. A wonderful rose and all the beautiful messages arrived on Friday. Thanks so much for your love, your time and your thoughts!
‘Beanies, be more kind to yourself in 2021’ – Turtie, Open Thread Jan.1st 2021. The irony. 🙂 But you are absolutely right, I just have to be patient for it all to pass. Thank you!♥️
Thank you for your kind words, StpauliThey are directed a Turtie, but we’ve all been there. @turtuallysarcastic, hold on to your heart, you’ve got this! Here (*runs for the group hug) 💚💚💚
@stpauligurl, I have no words to describe how much I love this card, and the flowers, and the poem.🥺 This is so touching and beautiful and I am so grateful to receive this from you! Forgive me if my reply is weird, I am too moved to say more, but thank you so much for the love!♥️
You are most welcome – as I wrote, many times they are words directed at myself. Doing this for others the past 15 months has helped me as much as them.
So who knows, you might get another ‘card’ one of these days!!!!!
I love you, Jo! Your card helped me a lot and I still read it from time to time to remind me that I matter. We all matter, no matter how small we see ourselves, we matter.
And she’s right, @turtuallysarcastic. We may not know each other personally but remember that we are here for you to listen to your rants, raves, and everything!
I am going to watch every show this writer does in the future. Too many screens and lines to capture! and I can only imagine how they cracked up trying to do this scene……
We used to sell this coffee at Starbucks, they probably still do now. It was crazy expensive. We were offered samples, but I didn’t want to drink poop coffee, no matter how good it might taste. 🤭
It is. Civetas eat the grains and when they poop them they are recollected. Their acids in their stomachs make the coffee special, it seems.
There is another variety but with elephants.
Vincenzo episode #8 – this show is just so crazy and funny every week. When our cameo baddie was awestruck by our hero ML – all I could think was:
He is all of us watching SJK….
These two were in “Arthdal” together (Ipsaeng and Eunseom).
I wonder if Joong-ki had anything to do with getting Kim Sung-chul to cameo in this episode.
Here it is, September 15 and halfway through the month of September. WOW!
Between the COVID-45 9 pandemic, fires to the north and south of us, massive unemployment and riots etc. I keep saying “It just can’t get any worse!” and then it does.
So I’ve decided to stop asking that and instead ask everyone
“So what stories and bits of smile and joy are we going to carry with us to tell when this is all done?”
For me it’s the little Annas Hummingbirds who fight over the feeder outside my window and keep me so entertained as I watch them guard the feeder then chase each other away. So then another little hummer dives in for a meal. It looks like there is a little male who was born this week. But there are two females that seem to be ganging up on him and now I find them both at the feeder several times a day.
Yes I am that easily entertained.
Last Tuesday when the air was filled with orange smoke and ash all the birds were gone from the feeders and I didn’t hear or see them flying for about 3 days.
Except the hummers – they never gave up!
Let’s be like the hummingbirds who are smart and fast that we don’t let anything stop us from living the lives we want! Heres to all you beanies to just keep beaning on…..
And with that, I add some flower photos here so you can imagine them feeding. Bird photos are not my thing – just flowers and landscapes. So enjoy them everyone.
The photos are just beautiful. I always say, don’t say things can’t get any worse because they always do. But this year really takes the cake, and I’m lucky enough to live someplace with ample water, no drought or fires and mostly no rioting, but plenty of “good trouble “ demonstrations. My advice to all is,
Plan your vote!
Thanks @bbstl – I like the sound of that plenty of “good trouble”!
We vote by mail here in Oregon so I’m ready to go when it lands in my mailbox. I’m going to get in my car and personally deliver it!
My state is a solid Republican state, I don’t know of my vote will make any difference but I will do my part! Hopefully that orange buffoon doesn’t get re-elected.
Mine is also and I know my presidential vote is irrelevant but I concentrate on the local elections that are so important, like electing a female governor!
@mayhemf – to be honest, I’ve been trying to get some shots, but if I get too close to the window they see me and fly off but I’ll see what I can do. They are such fun…
Try hanging around outside a few times a day near the feeders once the smoke clears. Ours tend to scold me when I’m close to their food (be it a favorite plant or a feeder) but they tolerate me if I’m at the window now.
A few years ago I neglected the feeder on the deck for a couple of days (before I knew better) and was out at the other end of the yard working in my garden. All of a sudden this little hummer came across the yard and started flying around in front of my face. Honestly it was just a foot or two away and it was definitely telling me that the feeder was empty!!!
I never forgot that scolding. And I keep all the feeders full all year long.
Thank you @ally-le – it’s been so smokey as of late I haven’t taken my camera outside so I’mm pulling from photos taken earlier this year or ones I found that I took in 2014 (which are the last two photos).
Thank you @korfan – I’ll try to post some more soon. They remind me of the days when the air was clean and fresh and I could see the sun and not have to worry about breathing!
You and me both @ndlessjoie! I think we should all wash our cars. It usually rains the day after I wash mine…
And you are welcome for posting the photos. I’ll try to post some more, but I have to resize them as many are over 10MB which is the limit.
To be honest, I put on my mask, pulled out the hose and power-washed off all the ash last Wednesday. I had to go into town and it was the only thing I could think of. But it worked.
We all need that reminder – sometimes we get so caught up in what’s happening around us that we forget to stop take a breath, and just BE – if not for a bit.
The hummers and all the other birds help me with that.
Apparently, I’m not out of TU rabbit hole. Look what I found this week!
It’s over 2 hrs long and nowhere near 100% subbed. I’ve been watching parts at a time.
But it’s still fun seeing all the behind the scenes videos that we haven’t seen before (or at least I haven’t)
There are many cute interviews with different cast members. Besides my favorite WX and LZ together there is a real cute one with Wen Ning.
But by far the highlight is with a Jenga game/interview with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. It isn’t subbed either but it is really REALLY funny how Jin Guangyao is totally focused on the game and..
Well, watch it yourself starting at 2:13:16.
These people are all just so beautiful even when not in costume!
I raise my hands in surrender and admit that I’m actually not that subtle in my love for the things of “The Untamed” and 🐰 & 🦁
… I actually did not find out until a few days ago that it was actually Xiao Zhan who gave Wang Yi Bo the nickname of 🦁. Us fans have always called Xiao Zhan 🐰 because of his 2 front bunny teeth, and then when Xiao Zhan was asked to give Wang Yi Bo a nickname, he said lion, and I quote, “…. Because he’s born in August, and his (western) zodiac is Leo (a lion).”
Yes…. I am counting down the days until his birthday… just 5 more days!!!
Apparently while isolating at home, playing with flowers, refining my sourdough bread skills (which is making all my neighbors happy as I can’t eat all the bread I bake), and looking for a full-time remote writing job I leveled up!!!
I’m now a Rooftop room dweller!!!
And to celebrate I thought I’d share some of the flowers in my yard and from a dahlia farm down the road.
Top to bottom:
Pink dahlias in my yard
Orange marigold – my yard
White dahlia – the farm
Echinacea bud – my yard
Zinnia bouquet – the farm
Enjoy the pretty flowers all you wonderful beanies!!!!!
Those are lovely, and also sourdough! I still have mine going from our lockdown in March/April, which for me is quite an achievement. Do you have a favourite recipe? I’m looking for new things to try with it (and especially with the discard).
That last photo was of a bouquet they created and was at there for people to buy. I was quite smitten by that green zinnia but didn’t have any cash on me and so I couldn’t take it home. However when I saw the final pic on my computer I was thrilled!!!!!!
I may go back there this morning….
These are mostly dahlias that stay in the ground all winter. The ones that I dug up, divided and replanted are a little slower.
Do your dahlias have buds yet?
IOTNBO Episode #11
How can this show be so consistently beautifully filmed, heartbreaking powerful and poignant week after week. I love how it makes me feel, and think, and wonder every time. BRAVO!!
I wasnt paying attention this episode but last time I checked, they have three directors working for this. Maybe that’s why it looks so nice. Scenes are properly allocated and they’re not rushing.
Watching this testament to John Lewis had me in tears. May we we all find a way to become our most truly human self. Love to all you beanies around the world!!! STAY SAFE and wear your mask!
This song showed up on my iTunes feed this weekend and it’s been on repeat and I can’t get it the song out of my mind. Then I looked up the lyrics in English and found out why it is so soothing.
This is the link to the MV with graphics that say even more….. https://youtu.be/Q-Tr9pU0YAw
It’s okay – we will all be okay…..
This song is full of so much feeling of warmth and love that I just can’t get it out my mind and heart – so I hope you beanies all over the world can feel a little of what I feel listening to this song.
***fighting or hwaiting!***
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was laughing so much watching those squirrels flounder around – and now I wonder if I should just let the little one in my yard just eat my bird seed.
Nah.
Apparently they can. I watched as a squirrel fell from a branch in a huge tree outside my building. I think the limb was at least 20 feet from the ground. And the little creature fell FLAT on its stomach, with all four legs out. I was shocked and watched as the squirrel laid there for a couple of minutes (I think to catch it’s breath) then carefully get up and then walk over and climb back up the tree.
Never forgot that. They are amazing – and annoying at my bird feeder – but still pretty amazing creatures.
We don’t have squirrels in Australia, so it was startling to see how acrobatic they are. Years ago when I visited Canada it was interesting seeing in parks and backyards.
Hello from crazy rainy part of my world – today is Monday, right?
I’ve had two phone interviews with recruiters from different companies today. One of them was a no go as it would have been a 2 hour commute. But who knows what will happen?
But now I feel free to spend time watching a drama this afternoon.
In the meantime I wanted to share some of my poppy photos for those of you who said you liked them. Poppies are amazing in how they grow and form pods, then the flower actually pushes and emerges from the pods. I hope the following photos show a little of how amazing they are.
NOTE: These photos were taken at different times and on different bushes. I’ll have to resize many of them so they fit here. But I hope all you beanies around the world can enjoy them while you are staying safe and well!
First of all: yay to those phone interviews!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!
Second: thanks for sharing these beautiful photos. I love poppies. In fact, when I’m in distress or suffering from pain, I try to imagine a green field full of red poppies to find some comfort.
It is cold and dark here and crazy raining off and on all day. But it’s supposed to warm up into the mid eighties by Friday and last through next week. sigh.
I also had no idea about that and only noticed it when I was going out in the early morning to take photos of the other flowers who would unfold and ‘bloom’ over several days. And this poppy would just explode over the course of an hour.
Thanks for the good luck wishes!
Normally poppies need to have their grains scattered in early April otherwise try to freeze them in the freezer and scatter them to soil, they will do great for several years just let them age naturally and birds with wind will do a good job to disperse them for next year.
Actually I’ve not tried to grow them from seed and always bought the plants and put them in my garden. For some reason this particular poppy plant has been very happy here and is now on it’s second summer in my garden. But I am saving the pods for seeds.
I’ve been working on the soil for years and I think it’s been helping.
Thanks for the good wishes on job hunting!!!
All the best with the interviews!, and hope the weather turns for the better soon. The photos (and the poppies) are just gorgeous – they’re like a story unfolding before your eyes. Incredibly precious.
Just finished a long forgotten Bollywood film: Jodhaa Akbar and loved it once again. A beautiful love story with music by A.R Rahman. It’s long and took a couple of days. It was worth the time!!
Somehow I’d forgotten how handsome Hrithik Roshan is with those green eyes of his.
And Aishwarya Rai was such a beeyotiful and badass empress!!!! Fun to compare it to Kdramas now after watching only them after so many years!
Me too. Maybe it was the fact that his character was so awesome for an emperor.
I especially loved him in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Oh heck the whole cast was gorgeous….. but for once he wasn’t fighting and killing others.
That is my favorite part of the whole movie! While I was watching it all of a sudden I though “I know what’s coming!”. Thanks for the link to the song it is so prayerful and the melody is beautiful..
It is after all A.R. Rahman.
A R Rahman is an Indian treasure. His music has so much of depth. It’s simple yet artistic. The train sounds he used in Jai Ho are absolutely legendary
So what does a beanie do when forced to stay home during a pandemic, and then finding oneself without a job, and no schedule? Well this beanie makes and sends cards to friends and family.
So in the process of creating cards I went out into the garden and started taking photos every day as the iris flowers started to bloom. I discovered that these flowers are amazingly, extravagantly, gorgeous, and detailed in a wonderful way. Which led me to working on different composition and aperture settings on my camera to get the detail I wanted.
Wowzzaaaaaaaaa – I’m so excited with the shots I got and wanted to share them here – cuz why not?
It isn’t a sense of bragging at how great they are – but more of a sense of awe that I was able to capture these incredible images!
And I wouldn’t have had the time if I wasn’t isolating at home and not working.
Enjoy!!!
Looking forward to these too! I love letter writing too, and the joy of receiving a handmade card is like nothing else in the world. I’m sure the recipients will be absolutely delighted.
This all started when a friend of my ended up with Breast Cancer, then early retirement from where we worked and on top of it has to stay home due to the pandemic. I was sending her my homemade cards now and then and she loved them. So I started writing her every day – and then that turned into a ‘theme of the week” for photos where I had to go back into my old pics and pull all sorts of shots. One week it was trees, then architectural and even portraits I’ve done of moms and new babies.
Well this has now gone on for 12 weeks now and it’s become sort of my “covid – diary” as she said she’s keeping them. Someday I’ll read them and see what I was thinking.
But it has become a habit. Last week she had her surgery in Portland so I made all the cards for the week in advance. But it was so weird not sitting down at my desk and writing her every morning, that by Thursday I was back at it.
Let’s just say it feeds my soul right now.
Oh what a beautiful idea! It will make for a lovely diary to read at some point of time. Maybe make it into a book or something 🙂 I’m sure she treasures it even more than you can imagine!
Your story reminds me of my craze for pen friends – I am not a photographer, but I love writing letters. I used to seek out pen friends in the early ’90s, and had many – just before email happened. Only one of them stayed on, and we met in person ~20 years after we first started writing to each other. We are now good friends IRL too, and meet and talk and email and message often, but because both of us like to write the old-fashioned way, we try to send snail mail to each other ever so often. My friend is far more creative than me and a bit of an artist, and designs letterheads and envelopes, so every letter I get from her is special. I have a carton full of her letters, and she has many of mine (mine are just reams of pages in bad handwriting, nothing creative involved). We always tell each other that one day we’ll swap and see how naive and crazy we were as kids and remained unchanged as adults…
The summer after my high school graduation *cough – we’re talking decades now* I met a friend when we were both in Birmingham Alabama. She was from PA and I was from OR. We have written letters all these years. There was a time that we didn’t keep in touch so much but now we are writing again. I think that i have every single letter she’s written to me.
Hey if you want a pen pal friend let me know – I love to write letters but it seems no one else does….. I’d be happy to send you letters.
The poppies are so amazing. One morning I went out in the garden to find that the blooms emerge from their pod in a matter of around an hour. Did you know that???? I’m trying to put the photos together to show how fast it happens.
I didn’t! Are you taking time lapse photos? In any case, these should be awesome. Poppies bloom here for a very short season, but they are so gorgeous. I try to visit the local flower shows around the time to make sure I get my fill!
I don’t know how to do time lapse photos but I did use my phone and take a video. Of course that is the poppy that took over an hour to fully throw off the pod. the first one I watched threw the pod off in about 45 minutes.
But now looking back at the video I listen to the sounds of all the birds that morning.
I’ve been slowly going through them to mark them and then I’ll add the times to each one so you can see the difference.
There is a Peony farm about an hour north of me here in the Willamette Valley. Talk about bliss – you would go nuts for how beautiful they all are…. And the fragrance…….
sigh – all the gardens are closed to the public right now so I’m just using my garden – and it saves on gas too!
Thank you @bbstl! They are pretty wonderful flowers aren’t they? I am thrilled with what I got and I feel like the little child who takes the artwork to mom and says “see what I did isn’t it cool?”
They do look like orchids don’t they @pickleddragon? I didn’t see that before – they are called Bearded Irises!!! It wasn’t until I started to really get those close ups and looked at them on my computer that I saw how gorgeous they are.
And of course early morning rain helps with the water drop effect.
And thanks for the compliment!
Ah nice! I missed the iris reference in the post and went straight to the photos (they were so distracting :D) – sorry my bad! I don’t think I’ve seen bearded irises before! I am not sure they grow in my part of the world, in the tropics where its dry and really hot and horribly polluted most year round :/ You’re so lucky to be able to wake up to so much beauty every day. 🙂
But I bet you have lovely flowers in your part of the world that we don’t have here. Yes I am thankful every day to live here in the Pacific Northwest…. except during allergy season
Hah! Yes, we have some lovely flowering trees here. In my neighbourhood, in March-April-May (the season just ended), the skyline is just a series of colours – reds from gulmohar (flame of the forest, I think is the English name) and silk cotton; yellow from laburnums; and purple from jacaranda. I have wasted many hours just staring at them. After that, we have to survive the long dry summer, and wait for the blip of a winter we have here for the flowering shrubs to bloom.
Thank you @snarkyjellyfish – they were certainly underrated for me until this past month.
There is an iris farm about 40 miles north of me but I went only for their english garden and rarely took my camera into the acres of irises.
Next year I’ll spend more time in the fields!!!
So color me hooked…
Oooh that sounds lovely – I can’t wait to see what pictures you have from that. English garden sounds nice too – the only thing I miss living in the city is having a garden. My mom’s is always fantastic and very English, though apparently her roses are giving her hell this year. I remember when we moved to the suburbs my mom’s only solace was having a garden, because we are very much city people. There’s just something about flowers and gardening that is so cathartic. I have lots of houseplants but it’s not quite the same, though it does help my small apartment feel alive.
I think irises may be my third favorite flower (after sunflowers and purple lisianthus). I love the unique shape and the texture added on the edges of the bearded irises is delightful.
I always remember you as the sunflower – lover!!!!! I’ll post more photos later.
But gardening is truly my therapy – pruning and weeding are even better for stress….
Thanks @edgarpordwed I’m having way too much fun making them into cards and sending in the mail. Funny thing is NO ONE writes back. But I get lots of texts…
It’s okay – everyone loves to get mail and I can still write and it’s my way to support the post office.
Thank you @eazal – it truly is my pleasure – after all who doesn’t like to see beautiful flowers in this crazy scary world we are living in right now..
Can I add a footnote to this? My friend who has cancer and has been the reason I ended up taking these photos told me today that my photos of these flowers calms her soul. I can’t think of a better compliment.
Sorry – I don’t have anyone else to share this with – but it is the ultimate compliment for me as a friend and a photographer!
Last week on DB there was a discussion about Roy Kim, and what we thought about a come back for him.
At that time I didn’t know he had a new song that had just been released a couple of weeks ago. So imagine my surprise when it showed up in my “new music” list. So I pressed play and couldn’t stop replaying it for hours. It sounded so melancholy so that when I was done working in the garden I went online to find the lyrics in English.
And indeed this is a song of remorse and sadness.
Roy Kim has such a beautiful voice and from seeing him in interviews over the years he seems like he’s very shy and maybe an introvert. Which is why his connection to the Burning Sun scandal was such a shock.
But I read on Wikipedia that he really wasn’t taking part like the rest of the men. Granted maybe he knew or thought if he didn’t take part it would be okay… But I find that I want to let go of that part and allow myself to enjoy his music.
Listen to the sadness and all the feeling in this song while you read the words. It is haunting and lovely for me. I hope you can appreciate it whatever you think about Roy Kim as a man and artist.
Glad you liked it @bebeswtz.
I listened to the song first and it made me feel so sad, but then watching the music video and how he expressed it visually was quite moving.
Even without knowing the words I could tell it was a very sad song. He is a very talented musician.
Can you link me to that discussion? His involvement was very blurry to me, I know he was called for interrogation but I’m not sure if he was considered one of the suspects. Nonetheless I stopped listening to his music which isn’t a big deal for me even if I liked his music. But anyways I should be sure of his involvement or the lack of it to make an opinion about it.
Actually if you click on the link to open the video in YouTube, in the comments section someone wrote out the whole story that he was completely innocent.
When you click on the play button, then click on the link at the top of the screen and it will open in YT.
Roy Kim was my introduction to the beauty and depth of kpop – and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. There are many other groups and singers that I like, but he is special and I’ve loved music for years. So to watch this video and feel the emotions is powerful and I only wish him all the best as he continues to grow up.
I’ve only listened a few songs from him and have seen random videos on variety shows. Also enjoyed his guesting on 1N2D. And as fans, that’s the only thing we can do for our idols. To wish them all the best and that they don’t do anything unlawful.
He has done a LOT of songs for different dramas which are all very romantic and lovely. I haven’t watched any 1N2D shows so I’m not familiar with that side of him.
Iirc, he went twice, first as JJY’s friend (unexpected as that was the concept on that episode, to bring a friend) then the 2nd time was to help the members make a song.
Alicia Keys wrote this for her mother and grandmother. The folks at CNN added the photos. Get your tissues ready.
Thank you to everyone who is working hard and staying safe!!!
stpauligurl
July 11, 2021 at 7:44 AM
#BVIPP
An oldie but definitely a goodie for me.
stpauligurl
July 9, 2021 at 2:34 PM
I apologize for adding a song NOT by a kpop band, but this one is on repeat for me ALOT. I looked up Liu Yu Ning for his singing on Octogenarians, and in his play list this song came up! I LOVE it!
stpauligurl
July 9, 2021 at 10:26 AM
My contribution to the #BVIPP BY @ally-le
This song makes me dance all the time!
stpauligurl
June 5, 2021 at 4:28 PM
@turtuallysarcastic
Life can be very hard at times can’t it? Then there are other times when the days are bright and filled with hope. Hang on to those days and try to believe they will come again.
I don’t know how old you are, but I suspect that I have easily more than a couple of decades of ‘life experience’ to draw from compared to you, and can say with all certainty that this will pass. These darks days really will pass.
One thing you need to remind yourself over and over again:
When other people are horribly mean and say such awful things to you – 99.9% of the time it has absolutely NOTHING to do with you. Instead it reflects what they are thinking about their own work.
Maybe they are blaming you for the poor work they are doing.
Mostly though – it’s okay and perfectly normal to doubt yourself – the important thing is to look on this time as a way to learn from it. Then you will dust yourself off and walk away. But it will take time. Your mental state is bruised and battered and will take time to heal.
Every now and then I have times when I feel like such a total loser compared to other people in my life. Those days have been hard. Last year when I was unemployed for so long, one day I said to myself:
“Okay, you can pity yourself all you want solid for an hour. Just wallow in it as much as you want and then let go.”
I sat on the back porch and resolved to feel how bad I was and that no one wanted to hire me or be my friend yadda yadda. Then I saw the birds at the feeder and they made me smile in their beauty. Then I noticed my flowers needed watering. Soon I’d forgotten about it and was able to let go of myself for the time being. (or else I’m just way to easily distracted and entertained!)
Be kind to yourself – don’t listen to those horrible people at work. Listen to the people who love you for who you are – period. They are what gives you the strength to keep going.
You will get through these times and look back on it and shake your head. But it takes time.
The times that I feel useless and alone and totally needed anywhere I look at the photos of my flowers and then KNOW that I do have something that is unique to me and that I’m good at.
What are you good at? What makes you smile and feel confident?
So I’m sending you some flowers here as if I’m sending a card in the mail. Beanies from around the world all have their arms around you with love and encouragement.
Also, I’d add this poem to your card:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
stpauligurl
June 5, 2021 at 4:40 PM
Just so you know, one of the reasons I like to send my cards of encouragement is that I’m really writing to myself.
This is to all the Beanies around the world who struggle at times and just want to make it through this day and the next.
You will do it!
Fighting!!!
tagging other beanies who have been encouraging to me as well!
I’m sure that I don’t have all the names
@eazal, @isthatacorner, @mmmmm, @leetennant, @carlybisek, @snarkyjellyfish, @manichan, @purplesheesh, @pickleddragon
You are all pretty great!!!
mmmmm
June 5, 2021 at 5:05 PM
Thank you so much for this wonderful post of encouragement Jo! The pictures are gorgeous, so is your heart. ♥️
I, too, received a card from Jo @turtuallysarcastic. I ditto whatever she wrote, especially on the be kind to yourself part. Dark times taught me that you don’t need everyone in your life -just those who love you are enough. Actually, it’s way more than enough when you can only focus on keeping who and what makes you happy in life. And health is the most important thing, period.
I had trouble dealing with things, too, sometimes. But I also got so much love and encouragement from Beans and it made all the difference.
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:06 PM
Thank you for your warm message!♥️
Mani-chan
June 5, 2021 at 8:27 PM
Thank you so much for these words of kindness @stpauligurl. Its a tough time and my future dreams seem to be so far out of reach but I will always keep your words of encouragement in mind. Thank you for the flowers
OLakes
June 6, 2021 at 3:41 AM
The flowers from you hang on the wall above my desk, with all their kind and encouraging words, so that whenever the day gets tough, all I have to do is look up and smile. Thank you for caring so much for us, @stpauligurl! Love and hugs back at you!
sirena
June 6, 2021 at 5:34 AM
Your words are so thoughtful and beautiful. @turtuallysarcastic is blessed to have such a wonderful and thoughtful friend.
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:16 PM
Yes I am!♥️
mugyuljoie is preciousss
June 5, 2021 at 7:56 PM
I’ve missed your lovely photos. They remind me that one of these years I really need to try to grow a peony again.
stpauligurl
June 6, 2021 at 5:19 AM
Thank you @ndlessjoie – the past month was kind of hard for me as well and I once again learned that when I get out with my camera I feel much better.
Peonies seem to like my garden but I have sunflowers and dahlias growing. yeah!
I’ll post some more flowers soon.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
June 6, 2021 at 9:00 AM
Sorry you’ve been going through a rough patch.
Eazal
June 5, 2021 at 11:17 PM
These words are so true. It will pass. It always does. It doesn’t make it easier at the moment, though. But it will pass and you will learn from it, Turtie.
The best advice is being kind and gentle to yourself, because nobody else has the power to make you happy.
And I totally forgot to tell you, Jo. A wonderful rose and all the beautiful messages arrived on Friday. Thanks so much for your love, your time and your thoughts!
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:23 PM
‘Beanies, be more kind to yourself in 2021’ – Turtie, Open Thread Jan.1st 2021. The irony. 🙂 But you are absolutely right, I just have to be patient for it all to pass. Thank you!♥️
Waadmay
June 6, 2021 at 1:29 AM
I love you ST
I know how you feel @turtuallysarcastic because I feel the same way about my life hugs
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:24 PM
Thank you for your empathy and especially for the hugs!♥️
Fly Colours
June 6, 2021 at 4:03 AM
Thank you for your kind words, StpauliThey are directed a Turtie, but we’ve all been there. @turtuallysarcastic, hold on to your heart, you’ve got this! Here (*runs for the group hug) 💚💚💚
mmmmm
June 6, 2021 at 5:53 AM
Groooof hug!
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:25 PM
Thank you for your kind words and the hug!♥️
Kudo Ran
June 6, 2021 at 11:19 AM
Thank you Stpauligurl Jo 😌🥰😘*hug*
TurtuallySarcastic
June 6, 2021 at 1:32 PM
@stpauligurl, I have no words to describe how much I love this card, and the flowers, and the poem.🥺 This is so touching and beautiful and I am so grateful to receive this from you! Forgive me if my reply is weird, I am too moved to say more, but thank you so much for the love!♥️
stpauligurl
June 7, 2021 at 5:15 AM
You are most welcome – as I wrote, many times they are words directed at myself. Doing this for others the past 15 months has helped me as much as them.
So who knows, you might get another ‘card’ one of these days!!!!!
purplesheesh
June 7, 2021 at 5:12 PM
I love you, Jo! Your card helped me a lot and I still read it from time to time to remind me that I matter. We all matter, no matter how small we see ourselves, we matter.
And she’s right, @turtuallysarcastic. We may not know each other personally but remember that we are here for you to listen to your rants, raves, and everything!
TurtuallySarcastic
June 8, 2021 at 1:37 AM
Thank you @purplesheesh!❤️
stpauligurl
April 10, 2021 at 3:53 PM
This show….
I can’t even.
I bet all the cast members got to write their favorite names….
kiara
April 10, 2021 at 7:03 PM
No Vinnie? Someone got Mr Vin. That was my choice before the show aired lol.
Eazal
April 11, 2021 at 12:51 AM
Corn salad 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I can’t get enough of this drama!
stpauligurl
April 10, 2021 at 3:49 PM
I am going to watch every show this writer does in the future. Too many screens and lines to capture!
and I can only imagine how they cracked up trying to do this scene……
Jingbee
April 10, 2021 at 4:19 PM
If you have not seen it yet, the writer’s other shows are The Fiery Priest and Good Manager.
stpauligurl
April 11, 2021 at 5:03 AM
I loved Fiery Priest from the first to last episode, but haven’t seen Good Manager.
blnmom
April 10, 2021 at 4:23 PM
We used to sell this coffee at Starbucks, they probably still do now. It was crazy expensive. We were offered samples, but I didn’t want to drink poop coffee, no matter how good it might taste. 🤭
stpauligurl
April 10, 2021 at 7:41 PM
Oh it’s real? No thank you!!!
that is a load of crap in my opinion.
heheheeee
Eazal
April 11, 2021 at 12:55 AM
It is. Civetas eat the grains and when they poop them they are recollected. Their acids in their stomachs make the coffee special, it seems.
There is another variety but with elephants.
Mani-chan
April 11, 2021 at 1:33 AM
It has anti-ageing properties amongst other things. Madonna drinks it I think.
stpauligurl
April 11, 2021 at 5:02 AM
I guess that explains a lot to me about her.
’nuff said.
stpauligurl
April 11, 2021 at 5:01 AM
uuummmmmmmmmmmm
nope
and nope again.
stpauligurl
March 14, 2021 at 1:52 PM
Vincenzo episode #8 – this show is just so crazy and funny every week. When our cameo baddie was awestruck by our
heroML – all I could think was:He is all of us watching SJK….
kiara
March 14, 2021 at 9:05 PM
These two were in “Arthdal” together (Ipsaeng and Eunseom).
I wonder if Joong-ki had anything to do with getting Kim Sung-chul to cameo in this episode.
stpauligurl
September 15, 2020 at 1:20 PM
Here it is, September 15 and halfway through the month of September. WOW!
Between the COVID-
459 pandemic, fires to the north and south of us, massive unemployment and riots etc. I keep saying “It just can’t get any worse!” and then it does.So I’ve decided to stop asking that and instead ask everyone
“So what stories and bits of smile and joy are we going to carry with us to tell when this is all done?”
For me it’s the little Annas Hummingbirds who fight over the feeder outside my window and keep me so entertained as I watch them guard the feeder then chase each other away. So then another little hummer dives in for a meal. It looks like there is a little male who was born this week. But there are two females that seem to be ganging up on him and now I find them both at the feeder several times a day.
Yes I am that easily entertained.
Last Tuesday when the air was filled with orange smoke and ash all the birds were gone from the feeders and I didn’t hear or see them flying for about 3 days.
Except the hummers – they never gave up!
Let’s be like the hummingbirds who are smart and fast that we don’t let anything stop us from living the lives we want! Heres to all you beanies to just keep beaning on…..
And with that, I add some flower photos here so you can imagine them feeding. Bird photos are not my thing – just flowers and landscapes. So enjoy them everyone.
bbstl
September 15, 2020 at 1:38 PM
The photos are just beautiful. I always say, don’t say things can’t get any worse because they always do. But this year really takes the cake, and I’m lucky enough to live someplace with ample water, no drought or fires and mostly no rioting, but plenty of “good trouble “ demonstrations. My advice to all is,
Plan your vote!
stpauligurl
September 15, 2020 at 2:46 PM
Thanks @bbstl – I like the sound of that plenty of “good trouble”!
We vote by mail here in Oregon so I’m ready to go when it lands in my mailbox. I’m going to get in my car and personally deliver it!
Zora
September 15, 2020 at 4:13 PM
My state is a solid Republican state, I don’t know of my vote will make any difference but I will do my part! Hopefully that orange buffoon doesn’t get re-elected.
bbstl
September 16, 2020 at 7:13 AM
Mine is also and I know my presidential vote is irrelevant but I concentrate on the local elections that are so important, like electing a female governor!
Blue (mayhemf)
September 15, 2020 at 1:41 PM
I would be lying if I don’t say I was a tad disappointed to not see the hummers 🙂
Beautiful pictures as always.
Fighting!!
stpauligurl
September 15, 2020 at 2:45 PM
@mayhemf – to be honest, I’ve been trying to get some shots, but if I get too close to the window they see me and fly off but I’ll see what I can do. They are such fun…
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 16, 2020 at 12:38 AM
Try hanging around outside a few times a day near the feeders once the smoke clears. Ours tend to scold me when I’m close to their food (be it a favorite plant or a feeder) but they tolerate me if I’m at the window now.
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 6:35 AM
A few years ago I neglected the feeder on the deck for a couple of days (before I knew better) and was out at the other end of the yard working in my garden. All of a sudden this little hummer came across the yard and started flying around in front of my face. Honestly it was just a foot or two away and it was definitely telling me that the feeder was empty!!!
I never forgot that scolding. And I keep all the feeders full all year long.
Ally
September 15, 2020 at 2:34 PM
Gorgeous pictures.
stpauligurl
September 15, 2020 at 2:48 PM
Thank you @ally-le – it’s been so smokey as of late I haven’t taken my camera outside so I’mm pulling from photos taken earlier this year or ones I found that I took in 2014 (which are the last two photos).
Zora
September 15, 2020 at 3:51 PM
Absolutely beautiful!
Stay safe and well always 🌺🌸🌹🌼🌻🌷
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 6:31 AM
Thank you @mrsz6 – you reminded me last week that I should post some more. You too stay safe!
korfan
September 15, 2020 at 8:31 PM
The pictures are fantastic!
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 6:32 AM
Thank you @korfan – I’ll try to post some more soon. They remind me of the days when the air was clean and fresh and I could see the sun and not have to worry about breathing!
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 16, 2020 at 12:40 AM
Thank you for the gorgeous photos! I’m looking forward to non stinging eyes and seeing the sky again soon (please be soon).
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 6:30 AM
You and me both @ndlessjoie! I think we should all wash our cars. It usually rains the day after I wash mine…
And you are welcome for posting the photos. I’ll try to post some more, but I have to resize them as many are over 10MB which is the limit.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 16, 2020 at 6:52 AM
I’d wash it, but I don’t think my sinuses can take it.
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 12:17 PM
To be honest, I put on my mask, pulled out the hose and power-washed off all the ash last Wednesday. I had to go into town and it was the only thing I could think of. But it worked.
TurtuallySarcastic
September 16, 2020 at 2:03 AM
I am not a flower person, but your pictures are beautiful. Thank you for your post, I could use a little reminder to not forget the good things. 😉
stpauligurl
September 16, 2020 at 12:18 PM
We all need that reminder – sometimes we get so caught up in what’s happening around us that we forget to stop take a breath, and just BE – if not for a bit.
The hummers and all the other birds help me with that.
Kudo Ran
October 17, 2020 at 12:38 PM
amazing and beautiful pictures 🙂 , thank you for sharing them. Hoping things are better for you now.
stpauligurl
August 7, 2020 at 8:44 AM
This showed up in my new music list today and I can’t stop listening. To all you beanies around the world – this is for you!!!!!
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 4:42 PM
Apparently, I’m not out of TU rabbit hole. Look what I found this week!
It’s over 2 hrs long and nowhere near 100% subbed. I’ve been watching parts at a time.
But it’s still fun seeing all the behind the scenes videos that we haven’t seen before (or at least I haven’t)
There are many cute interviews with different cast members. Besides my favorite WX and LZ together there is a real cute one with Wen Ning.
But by far the highlight is with a Jenga game/interview with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. It isn’t subbed either but it is really REALLY funny how Jin Guangyao is totally focused on the game and..
Well, watch it yourself starting at 2:13:16.
These people are all just so beautiful even when not in costume!
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 4:43 PM
just in case you miss this:
@linda-palapala @trinpie @kimbapnoona @shach @jenmole @zetteceniza @giegie0384 @1tea1 @alasecond @bcampbell1662 @egads @drawde2000 @marites59 @nightmoon @blueskye @lillamy @strawberry @gadis @gmelenco @artgirl @maybemaknae @bluekitchen @carmen @mrobles @noobita @zgs1994 @infinitize @bunny @shinayame @sweetsammy @larelle79 @mayhemf @persianrose @pinklolipop @dramalava @outofthisworld @neener @hades @llljr @growingbeautifully
Karmen ~ 🍜🏢🎭 ~ 📚☔🦋 ~ 🪂🌱💘 ~ ✨🍊💫 ~
August 4, 2020 at 2:53 PM
Thank you very much!
strawberry
July 31, 2020 at 4:47 PM
Oh wow! Thank you! I haven’t seen this huge compilation. Wahhhhh
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 4:49 PM
have fun!!
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 4:49 PM
That was supposed to be “out of the UT rabbbit hole!”
bebeswtz❣️Xiao Zhan is the sunshine in human form ☀️
July 31, 2020 at 4:50 PM
I posted this on my Fan Wall the week after it was released 😂😂😅😅😅😅
It was released in celebration for its 2-year filming anniversary and its 1-year airing anniversary 😊😊😊
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 6:07 PM
How did I miss this on your fan wall? Apparently I should have checked your wall…
Still it was fun finding it this week all by myself. 😅😅😅
bebeswtz❣️Xiao Zhan is the sunshine in human form ☀️
July 31, 2020 at 6:37 PM
HAHAHAHAHA
I raise my hands in surrender and admit that I’m actually not that subtle in my love for the things of “The Untamed” and 🐰 & 🦁
… I actually did not find out until a few days ago that it was actually Xiao Zhan who gave Wang Yi Bo the nickname of 🦁. Us fans have always called Xiao Zhan 🐰 because of his 2 front bunny teeth, and then when Xiao Zhan was asked to give Wang Yi Bo a nickname, he said lion, and I quote, “…. Because he’s born in August, and his (western) zodiac is Leo (a lion).”
Yes…. I am counting down the days until his birthday… just 5 more days!!!
marites59
August 4, 2020 at 11:15 AM
thank you so much for this. hope all is well with all of you ladies here.
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 1:17 PM
Apparently while isolating at home, playing with flowers, refining my sourdough bread skills (which is making all my neighbors happy as I can’t eat all the bread I bake), and looking for a full-time remote writing job I leveled up!!!
I’m now a Rooftop room dweller!!!
And to celebrate I thought I’d share some of the flowers in my yard and from a dahlia farm down the road.
Top to bottom:
Pink dahlias in my yard
Orange marigold – my yard
White dahlia – the farm
Echinacea bud – my yard
Zinnia bouquet – the farm
Enjoy the pretty flowers all you wonderful beanies!!!!!
WishfulToki
July 31, 2020 at 1:24 PM
Congrats!! You can have a rooftop garden now. 😀
pickleddragon
July 31, 2020 at 9:54 PM
HAHAHA I was thinking the same!
korfan
July 31, 2020 at 1:27 PM
Congratulations!
Zora
July 31, 2020 at 1:29 PM
Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing these lovely photos. The dahlias are beautiful!
Junie Bug
July 31, 2020 at 1:51 PM
Congrats!! The flowers are gorgeous 😍
beffels
July 31, 2020 at 3:45 PM
Those are lovely, and also sourdough! I still have mine going from our lockdown in March/April, which for me is quite an achievement. Do you have a favourite recipe? I’m looking for new things to try with it (and especially with the discard).
stpauligurl
July 31, 2020 at 4:47 PM
I looked at the King Arthur Flour website https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/ and the best recipe that I’ve found is this one: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/naturally-leavened-sourdough-bread-recipe
I make enough to get 2 cups of starter then put the rest in the fridge until I want to make some more.
This recipe is great. I can start it around 7 in the morning and the two good sized loaves are out of the oven around 2.
beffels
July 31, 2020 at 10:10 PM
I’ll check it out! I’ve been using this one – https://www.homegrown-kitchen.co.nz/2020/03/25/homemade-no-knead-bread/ – which has the advantage of being extremely easy but has a very long rise and I often forget 😅
stpauligurl
August 1, 2020 at 6:42 PM
That looks good. Thanks for the link @beffels!
pickleddragon
July 31, 2020 at 9:53 PM
That last photo!!! Uff.
stpauligurl
August 1, 2020 at 5:45 AM
That last photo was of a bouquet they created and was at there for people to buy. I was quite smitten by that green zinnia but didn’t have any cash on me and so I couldn’t take it home. However when I saw the final pic on my computer I was thrilled!!!!!!
I may go back there this morning….
pickleddragon
August 1, 2020 at 7:00 AM
That is a good idea!! It’s a great photo, so you did kinda bring it home 🙂
Eazal
July 31, 2020 at 11:10 PM
Congrats!!!
And thanks for all these beautiful flowers.
bbstl
August 1, 2020 at 7:45 AM
Congratulations and welcome to the rooftops! Enjoy the view 😁
And thanks very much for the beautiful flowers.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
August 1, 2020 at 10:24 AM
Yay!!! And you do have dahlias in bloom. I’m still waiting for mine…
stpauligurl
August 1, 2020 at 6:43 PM
These are mostly dahlias that stay in the ground all winter. The ones that I dug up, divided and replanted are a little slower.
Do your dahlias have buds yet?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
August 1, 2020 at 10:24 PM
One does, the other don’t. Mine stay in the ground all winter too.
stpauligurl
August 2, 2020 at 1:02 PM
It’s the same here. I have some that are barely coming up and others in full bloom.
Kudo Ran
August 2, 2020 at 3:11 AM
congratulations 😀 and thank you for sharing those gorgeous flowers <3
stpauligurl
July 25, 2020 at 4:55 PM
IOTNBO Episode #11
How can this show be so consistently beautifully filmed, heartbreaking powerful and poignant week after week. I love how it makes me feel, and think, and wonder every time. BRAVO!!
earthna
July 25, 2020 at 11:24 PM
I wasnt paying attention this episode but last time I checked, they have three directors working for this. Maybe that’s why it looks so nice. Scenes are properly allocated and they’re not rushing.
stpauligurl
July 26, 2020 at 5:07 AM
Well, I’ll certainly look for these directors and writers again for anything else they do.
stpauligurl
July 21, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Watching this testament to John Lewis had me in tears. May we we all find a way to become our most truly human self. Love to all you beanies around the world!!! STAY SAFE and wear your mask!
stpauligurl
July 6, 2020 at 7:04 PM
This song showed up on my iTunes feed this weekend and it’s been on repeat and I can’t get it the song out of my mind. Then I looked up the lyrics in English and found out why it is so soothing.
stpauligurl
July 6, 2020 at 7:11 PM
This is the link to the MV with graphics that say even more…..
https://youtu.be/Q-Tr9pU0YAw
It’s okay – we will all be okay…..
This song is full of so much feeling of warmth and love that I just can’t get it out my mind and heart – so I hope you beanies all over the world can feel a little of what I feel listening to this song.
***fighting or hwaiting!***
stpauligurl
June 18, 2020 at 6:30 PM
For all of you who struggle with squirrels – this is SO MUCH FUN to watch!!!
important – do not watch with full bladder…. you’ve been warned!
Kairoskat 💐
June 19, 2020 at 2:38 AM
Lol! Thank you. This was so funny 🤣
stpauligurl
June 19, 2020 at 4:51 AM
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was laughing so much watching those squirrels flounder around – and now I wonder if I should just let the little one in my yard just eat my bird seed.
Nah.
Possum
June 19, 2020 at 4:33 AM
I didn’t know squirrels could jump like that.
stpauligurl
June 19, 2020 at 4:55 AM
Apparently they can. I watched as a squirrel fell from a branch in a huge tree outside my building. I think the limb was at least 20 feet from the ground. And the little creature fell FLAT on its stomach, with all four legs out. I was shocked and watched as the squirrel laid there for a couple of minutes (I think to catch it’s breath) then carefully get up and then walk over and climb back up the tree.
Never forgot that. They are amazing – and annoying at my bird feeder – but still pretty amazing creatures.
Possum
June 20, 2020 at 12:35 AM
We don’t have squirrels in Australia, so it was startling to see how acrobatic they are. Years ago when I visited Canada it was interesting seeing in parks and backyards.
egads aka Dame Maggie
June 19, 2020 at 5:24 AM
Funny, but not surprising that the squirrels totally outsmarted all the obstacles.
My only issue with the video is why did he assume that all the squirrels were male?
stpauligurl
June 19, 2020 at 10:41 AM
What is funny is that he himself kinda calls himself out on it – a little….
Kudo Ran
June 19, 2020 at 1:25 PM
thanks a lot for sharing 🙂 ! that was some funny and amazing squirrels O_o hehe
stpauligurl
June 19, 2020 at 4:07 PM
It is always good to find a way to laugh in a good way during these crazy and trying times we live in.
kx
June 20, 2020 at 8:15 AM
This was amazing! I’m still scared of squirrels but they’re so smart and agile, I have so much respect for them now.
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 2:02 PM
Hello from crazy rainy part of my world – today is Monday, right?
I’ve had two phone interviews with recruiters from different companies today. One of them was a no go as it would have been a 2 hour commute. But who knows what will happen?
But now I feel free to spend time watching a drama this afternoon.
In the meantime I wanted to share some of my poppy photos for those of you who said you liked them. Poppies are amazing in how they grow and form pods, then the flower actually pushes and emerges from the pods. I hope the following photos show a little of how amazing they are.
NOTE: These photos were taken at different times and on different bushes. I’ll have to resize many of them so they fit here. But I hope all you beanies around the world can enjoy them while you are staying safe and well!
Eazal
June 15, 2020 at 2:25 PM
First of all: yay to those phone interviews!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!
Second: thanks for sharing these beautiful photos. I love poppies. In fact, when I’m in distress or suffering from pain, I try to imagine a green field full of red poppies to find some comfort.
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 3:38 PM
Thanks – I’ll post some more just for you!!! Hey it’s always a good sign to hear some kind of response when searching for work right?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
June 15, 2020 at 2:28 PM
Gorgeous! I don’t know about you, but it feels more like fall right now than summer. It’s supposed to start improving here in a few days.
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 3:44 PM
It is cold and dark here and crazy raining off and on all day. But it’s supposed to warm up into the mid eighties by Friday and last through next week. sigh.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
June 15, 2020 at 6:50 PM
My plants have enjoyed it more than I.
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 7:05 PM
oh mine too.
But the weeds are really in heaven now!
Karmen ~ 🍜🏢🎭 ~ 📚☔🦋 ~ 🪂🌱💘 ~ ✨🍊💫 ~
June 15, 2020 at 2:53 PM
Fascinating, thank you!
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 3:40 PM
You are most welcome. I would have never seen this for isolating at home while unemployed. What a treat it’s been!!!
bbstl
June 15, 2020 at 4:58 PM
Wow! I adore poppies and had no idea that is how they grow. Amazing!!!
Good luck with the interviews.
stpauligurl
June 16, 2020 at 5:43 AM
I also had no idea about that and only noticed it when I was going out in the early morning to take photos of the other flowers who would unfold and ‘bloom’ over several days. And this poppy would just explode over the course of an hour.
Thanks for the good luck wishes!
KdramaAhjumma
June 15, 2020 at 6:09 PM
Absolutely gorgeous 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
stpauligurl
June 15, 2020 at 7:06 PM
cahm-sam-me-dah!!!!!
Zora
June 15, 2020 at 8:20 PM
Did you grow them? I have tried to grow poppies last summer but they didn’t even sprout 😂
Goodluck on your job hunting. Fighting!
BC
June 16, 2020 at 4:01 AM
Normally poppies need to have their grains scattered in early April otherwise try to freeze them in the freezer and scatter them to soil, they will do great for several years just let them age naturally and birds with wind will do a good job to disperse them for next year.
Zora
June 16, 2020 at 8:41 AM
Thanks for the tip!
stpauligurl
June 16, 2020 at 5:41 AM
Actually I’ve not tried to grow them from seed and always bought the plants and put them in my garden. For some reason this particular poppy plant has been very happy here and is now on it’s second summer in my garden. But I am saving the pods for seeds.
I’ve been working on the soil for years and I think it’s been helping.
Thanks for the good wishes on job hunting!!!
pickleddragon
June 15, 2020 at 10:53 PM
All the best with the interviews!, and hope the weather turns for the better soon. The photos (and the poppies) are just gorgeous – they’re like a story unfolding before your eyes. Incredibly precious.
Kudo Ran
June 16, 2020 at 11:23 AM
thank you for sharing again beautiful pictures of flowers 😀 , instructive to see poppies at different shapes ^^ .
and hwaiting for the interviews !
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 5:50 PM
Just finished a long forgotten Bollywood film: Jodhaa Akbar and loved it once again. A beautiful love story with music by A.R Rahman. It’s long and took a couple of days. It was worth the time!!
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 5:52 PM
Somehow I’d forgotten how handsome Hrithik Roshan is with those green eyes of his.
And Aishwarya Rai was such a beeyotiful and badass empress!!!! Fun to compare it to Kdramas now after watching only them after so many years!
Peridot
June 11, 2020 at 10:22 AM
No denying that Hrithik is good looking, but this was the one role where I found him most handsome.
stpauligurl
June 11, 2020 at 1:49 PM
Me too. Maybe it was the fact that his character was so awesome for an emperor.
I especially loved him in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Oh heck the whole cast was gorgeous….. but for once he wasn’t fighting and killing others.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
June 10, 2020 at 6:03 PM
Oh! Shes in Bride and Prejudice. She is SO PRETTY.
Mani-chan
June 16, 2020 at 8:32 AM
She’s considered to be one of India’s most beautiful women. She actually won Miss World in 1994
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
June 16, 2020 at 9:06 AM
No wonder!
kiara
June 10, 2020 at 7:39 PM
Ohhh I want to watch it. Adding to my list.
stpauligurl
June 11, 2020 at 5:35 AM
It’s on Netflix – and be forewarned it’s 3.5 hours long!
kiara
June 11, 2020 at 5:42 AM
Thank you :).
sirena
June 11, 2020 at 6:04 AM
The costumes in this film are beautiful!
stpauligurl
June 11, 2020 at 6:58 AM
yes they are but what I love the most is A.RT. Rahman’s music. He is a master and I just love them all with the dancing and everything…
Peridot
June 11, 2020 at 10:23 AM
Yes, I especially liked this moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dG2FK3_NfQ
stpauligurl
June 11, 2020 at 2:25 PM
That is my favorite part of the whole movie! While I was watching it all of a sudden I though “I know what’s coming!”. Thanks for the link to the song it is so prayerful and the melody is beautiful..
It is after all A.R. Rahman.
Peridot
June 11, 2020 at 4:29 PM
It is beautiful. The whole scene is beautiful.
Mani-chan
June 16, 2020 at 8:33 AM
A R Rahman is an Indian treasure. His music has so much of depth. It’s simple yet artistic. The train sounds he used in Jai Ho are absolutely legendary
transient
June 11, 2020 at 11:22 PM
The costumes in this movie is very detailed and impresive
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 8:13 AM
So what does a beanie do when forced to stay home during a pandemic, and then finding oneself without a job, and no schedule? Well this beanie makes and sends cards to friends and family.
So in the process of creating cards I went out into the garden and started taking photos every day as the iris flowers started to bloom. I discovered that these flowers are amazingly, extravagantly, gorgeous, and detailed in a wonderful way. Which led me to working on different composition and aperture settings on my camera to get the detail I wanted.
Wowzzaaaaaaaaa – I’m so excited with the shots I got and wanted to share them here – cuz why not?
It isn’t a sense of bragging at how great they are – but more of a sense of awe that I was able to capture these incredible images!
And I wouldn’t have had the time if I wasn’t isolating at home and not working.
Enjoy!!!
bong-soo
June 9, 2020 at 8:25 AM
Beautiful. Thanks you.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:22 AM
Thank you @marcusnyc20 – it’s been a fun and satisfying challenge this spring. Next up is the poppies and peonies!
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:55 AM
Looking forward to these too! I love letter writing too, and the joy of receiving a handmade card is like nothing else in the world. I’m sure the recipients will be absolutely delighted.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 10:08 AM
This all started when a friend of my ended up with Breast Cancer, then early retirement from where we worked and on top of it has to stay home due to the pandemic. I was sending her my homemade cards now and then and she loved them. So I started writing her every day – and then that turned into a ‘theme of the week” for photos where I had to go back into my old pics and pull all sorts of shots. One week it was trees, then architectural and even portraits I’ve done of moms and new babies.
Well this has now gone on for 12 weeks now and it’s become sort of my “covid – diary” as she said she’s keeping them. Someday I’ll read them and see what I was thinking.
But it has become a habit. Last week she had her surgery in Portland so I made all the cards for the week in advance. But it was so weird not sitting down at my desk and writing her every morning, that by Thursday I was back at it.
Let’s just say it feeds my soul right now.
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:41 PM
Oh what a beautiful idea! It will make for a lovely diary to read at some point of time. Maybe make it into a book or something 🙂 I’m sure she treasures it even more than you can imagine!
Your story reminds me of my craze for pen friends – I am not a photographer, but I love writing letters. I used to seek out pen friends in the early ’90s, and had many – just before email happened. Only one of them stayed on, and we met in person ~20 years after we first started writing to each other. We are now good friends IRL too, and meet and talk and email and message often, but because both of us like to write the old-fashioned way, we try to send snail mail to each other ever so often. My friend is far more creative than me and a bit of an artist, and designs letterheads and envelopes, so every letter I get from her is special. I have a carton full of her letters, and she has many of mine (mine are just reams of pages in bad handwriting, nothing creative involved). We always tell each other that one day we’ll swap and see how naive and crazy we were as kids and remained unchanged as adults…
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 5:32 AM
The summer after my high school graduation *cough – we’re talking decades now* I met a friend when we were both in Birmingham Alabama. She was from PA and I was from OR. We have written letters all these years. There was a time that we didn’t keep in touch so much but now we are writing again. I think that i have every single letter she’s written to me.
Hey if you want a pen pal friend let me know – I love to write letters but it seems no one else does….. I’d be happy to send you letters.
pickleddragon
June 10, 2020 at 8:35 AM
Ooh that would be lovely! I’d be happy to write to you too 🙂 🙂 (note that I’m on another continent, a few timezones away!)
My gmail handle is the same as my DB handle. Send me an email, and we can swap addresses 🙂
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 7:23 PM
sent email
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:56 AM
I meant *looking forward to posts of poppies and peonies too!*
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 10:10 AM
The poppies are so amazing. One morning I went out in the garden to find that the blooms emerge from their pod in a matter of around an hour. Did you know that???? I’m trying to put the photos together to show how fast it happens.
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:43 PM
I didn’t! Are you taking time lapse photos? In any case, these should be awesome. Poppies bloom here for a very short season, but they are so gorgeous. I try to visit the local flower shows around the time to make sure I get my fill!
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 5:00 PM
I don’t know how to do time lapse photos but I did use my phone and take a video. Of course that is the poppy that took over an hour to fully throw off the pod. the first one I watched threw the pod off in about 45 minutes.
But now looking back at the video I listen to the sounds of all the birds that morning.
I’ve been slowly going through them to mark them and then I’ll add the times to each one so you can see the difference.
Zora
June 9, 2020 at 11:21 AM
Omg I love peonies!
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 12:10 PM
There is a Peony farm about an hour north of me here in the Willamette Valley. Talk about bliss – you would go nuts for how beautiful they all are…. And the fragrance…….
sigh – all the gardens are closed to the public right now so I’m just using my garden – and it saves on gas too!
Zora
June 9, 2020 at 1:02 PM
Sigh~ that is my kind of heaven..
I have been waiting for my peonies to grow. We’ve had crappy spring so they are growing so slow.
I love your iris pics 😍 Keep them coming!
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 1:55 PM
If they are coming up from the ground and you can see something they will grow and you will have those blooms!!!!!
**fighting!**
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:44 PM
This sounds so beautiful!
bbstl
June 9, 2020 at 8:32 AM
They’re gorgeous!
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:23 AM
Thank you @bbstl! They are pretty wonderful flowers aren’t they? I am thrilled with what I got and I feel like the little child who takes the artwork to mom and says “see what I did isn’t it cool?”
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 8:41 AM
Are they orchids? They’re gorgeous! beautiful photos too! You have a good eye 🙂
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:18 AM
Comment was deleted
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:24 AM
They do look like orchids don’t they @pickleddragon? I didn’t see that before – they are called Bearded Irises!!! It wasn’t until I started to really get those close ups and looked at them on my computer that I saw how gorgeous they are.
And of course early morning rain helps with the water drop effect.
And thanks for the compliment!
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:54 AM
Ah nice! I missed the iris reference in the post and went straight to the photos (they were so distracting :D) – sorry my bad! I don’t think I’ve seen bearded irises before! I am not sure they grow in my part of the world, in the tropics where its dry and really hot and horribly polluted most year round :/ You’re so lucky to be able to wake up to so much beauty every day. 🙂
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 10:11 AM
But I bet you have lovely flowers in your part of the world that we don’t have here. Yes I am thankful every day to live here in the Pacific Northwest….
except during allergy season
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:48 PM
Hah! Yes, we have some lovely flowering trees here. In my neighbourhood, in March-April-May (the season just ended), the skyline is just a series of colours – reds from gulmohar (flame of the forest, I think is the English name) and silk cotton; yellow from laburnums; and purple from jacaranda. I have wasted many hours just staring at them. After that, we have to survive the long dry summer, and wait for the blip of a winter we have here for the flowering shrubs to bloom.
SnarkyJellyfish
June 9, 2020 at 8:44 AM
These are beautiful! And I love irises – such an underrated flower.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:21 AM
Thank you @snarkyjellyfish – they were certainly underrated for me until this past month.
There is an iris farm about 40 miles north of me but I went only for their english garden and rarely took my camera into the acres of irises.
Next year I’ll spend more time in the fields!!!
So color me hooked…
SnarkyJellyfish
June 9, 2020 at 11:57 AM
Oooh that sounds lovely – I can’t wait to see what pictures you have from that. English garden sounds nice too – the only thing I miss living in the city is having a garden. My mom’s is always fantastic and very English, though apparently her roses are giving her hell this year. I remember when we moved to the suburbs my mom’s only solace was having a garden, because we are very much city people. There’s just something about flowers and gardening that is so cathartic. I have lots of houseplants but it’s not quite the same, though it does help my small apartment feel alive.
I think irises may be my third favorite flower (after sunflowers and purple lisianthus). I love the unique shape and the texture added on the edges of the bearded irises is delightful.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 12:08 PM
I always remember you as the sunflower – lover!!!!! I’ll post more photos later.
But gardening is truly my therapy – pruning and weeding are even better for stress….
Edgar Pordwed
June 9, 2020 at 8:49 AM
Wow so beautiful! 😀
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:27 AM
Thanks @edgarpordwed I’m having way too much fun making them into cards and sending in the mail. Funny thing is NO ONE writes back. But I get lots of texts…
It’s okay – everyone loves to get mail and I can still write and it’s my way to support the post office.
Edgar Pordwed
June 11, 2020 at 5:54 AM
Aah thats alright! Really it used to be a lot of fun to write letters and make cards.
Eazal
June 9, 2020 at 9:03 AM
These shots are beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 9:25 AM
Thank you @eazal – it truly is my pleasure – after all who doesn’t like to see beautiful flowers in this crazy scary world we are living in right now..
sirena
June 9, 2020 at 1:51 PM
These are beautiful.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 6:18 PM
Can I add a footnote to this? My friend who has cancer and has been the reason I ended up taking these photos told me today that my photos of these flowers calms her soul. I can’t think of a better compliment.
Sorry – I don’t have anyone else to share this with – but it is the ultimate compliment for me as a friend and a photographer!
now if they could just make me some $$$
pickleddragon
June 9, 2020 at 9:50 PM
What a lovely compliment! I’m sure your talent will be recognized soon. Make a book, or start a website to sell your photos.
ship-happens
June 9, 2020 at 8:34 PM
Whoa! These are gorgeous! You should submit these to a photography contest. Reminds me of Georgia O’Keeffe.
stpauligurl
June 10, 2020 at 5:27 AM
oh wow @artgirl – thank you for that compliment!!!!!
stpauligurl
June 8, 2020 at 1:51 PM
Last week on DB there was a discussion about Roy Kim, and what we thought about a come back for him.
At that time I didn’t know he had a new song that had just been released a couple of weeks ago. So imagine my surprise when it showed up in my “new music” list. So I pressed play and couldn’t stop replaying it for hours. It sounded so melancholy so that when I was done working in the garden I went online to find the lyrics in English.
And indeed this is a song of remorse and sadness.
Roy Kim has such a beautiful voice and from seeing him in interviews over the years he seems like he’s very shy and maybe an introvert. Which is why his connection to the Burning Sun scandal was such a shock.
But I read on Wikipedia that he really wasn’t taking part like the rest of the men. Granted maybe he knew or thought if he didn’t take part it would be okay… But I find that I want to let go of that part and allow myself to enjoy his music.
Listen to the sadness and all the feeling in this song while you read the words. It is haunting and lovely for me. I hope you can appreciate it whatever you think about Roy Kim as a man and artist.
bebeswtz❣️Xiao Zhan is the sunshine in human form ☀️
June 8, 2020 at 2:32 PM
Thank you for sharing ☺️
stpauligurl
June 8, 2020 at 3:54 PM
Glad you liked it @bebeswtz.
I listened to the song first and it made me feel so sad, but then watching the music video and how he expressed it visually was quite moving.
Even without knowing the words I could tell it was a very sad song. He is a very talented musician.
Zora
June 8, 2020 at 3:12 PM
Goosebumps~~ I love it! ❤❤❤
It was his association with Joon Jung Young that got him in trouble. I think he got cleared though.
Speaking of JJY…I missed the cast of 2D1N (Season 3) 😭
wapz
June 8, 2020 at 3:39 PM
Can you link me to that discussion? His involvement was very blurry to me, I know he was called for interrogation but I’m not sure if he was considered one of the suspects. Nonetheless I stopped listening to his music which isn’t a big deal for me even if I liked his music. But anyways I should be sure of his involvement or the lack of it to make an opinion about it.
stpauligurl
June 8, 2020 at 3:51 PM
Actually if you click on the link to open the video in YouTube, in the comments section someone wrote out the whole story that he was completely innocent.
When you click on the play button, then click on the link at the top of the screen and it will open in YT.
wapz
June 9, 2020 at 3:39 AM
Thanks a lot.
neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 9, 2020 at 1:42 AM
That was heartbreaking.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 7:15 AM
Isn’t it though??? You can feel his pain and sadness…
neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 9, 2020 at 7:24 AM
Yes and reading the title makes me sad too
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 7:34 AM
Roy Kim was my introduction to the beauty and depth of kpop – and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. There are many other groups and singers that I like, but he is special and I’ve loved music for years. So to watch this video and feel the emotions is powerful and I only wish him all the best as he continues to grow up.
neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 9, 2020 at 7:45 AM
I’ve only listened a few songs from him and have seen random videos on variety shows. Also enjoyed his guesting on 1N2D. And as fans, that’s the only thing we can do for our idols. To wish them all the best and that they don’t do anything unlawful.
stpauligurl
June 9, 2020 at 7:51 AM
He has done a LOT of songs for different dramas which are all very romantic and lovely. I haven’t watched any 1N2D shows so I’m not familiar with that side of him.
neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 9, 2020 at 8:18 AM
With his voice, it’s very OST-y.
Iirc, he went twice, first as JJY’s friend (unexpected as that was the concept on that episode, to bring a friend) then the 2nd time was to help the members make a song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFNv3oW9Nhg
Possum
June 14, 2020 at 3:11 AM
The melancholy of his voice is really cathartic. This song and especially the MV was an interesting one to leave us with.
stpauligurl
April 24, 2020 at 5:27 PM
Alicia Keys wrote this for her mother and grandmother. The folks at CNN added the photos. Get your tissues ready.
Thank you to everyone who is working hard and staying safe!!!