I really thought I'd written my last post here but I didn't know how bad it is out there. I went to Instagram to remain connected to you all but now it's self-destructing to get more advertising dollars so I don't want to write there anymore.  I used it one last time to let you know I’d written this post but from now on you’ll either have to check here to see if there’s a new post or sign up to Blogtrottr which I explain below.

Thanks for coming back to the blog with me and welcome to the newbies. Here we have no rules except for the requirement to treat everyone with respect and kindness. That's how I live my life so it's no surprise that I want that here too.  And it does need to be vocalised because there are new readers arriving here all the time and I want everyone to know what my expectations are.  I've been writing on this blog since 2007 and during the first few years I wrote everyday.  I had SO MUCH to say I couldn't keep it in. When I discovered this simple way of life, I wanted to share it with everyone and back then, no one was talking about living simply, at least not in the way I live it.

The focus here is on my home and up until now, my family as well. Of course I still have my sons and their families but my much-loved husband, Hanno, died in May 2022. Since then I've grieved, thought about my life and my future and came out the other end of that process knowing I want to continue to live according to my values and doing what gives me pleasure. I've always been a bit of a hermit and that hasn't changed so although my family visits me and I go out to see friends, my blog will remain one of the ways I connect with people. So my writing here will continue much as it was before. I'll write about my day-to-day life which always includes housework, gardening and sitting in the backyard thinking about life (and death). Other topics will pop up occasionally too - it will all be a reflection on what I'm spending time on and what interests me and hopefully you too.

I spent the last hour trying to find new ways for you to subscribe to my blog. Early last year, Feedburner retired and with it went an easy way to let you know I’d published a new post.  I found Push Notifications but don't know how to set it up and Blogtrottr which looks okay at the moment but might not work as I think it will.  I'll continue to monitor it closely and hope it sends you emails about new postings when you subscribe to it.  It looks pretty simple so give it a go and if I find any problems with it, I'll let you know.  I'll add the link to the right-hand column too. Of course, you might just want to drop by and check the blog yourself without receiving any notifications. That's fine too. If there isn't a new blog, read through my archives, there are hundred of posts listed in the right-hand column.  

I’d like to make a list of fellow, non-commercial, bloggers who are currently writing posts.  If you have an up-to-date blog which isn't about selling anything, send me a link and I'll check it out and will probably add it to the list.

Thanks for reading through all this. I wanted to get all the blog-related information out before I settle in and write about what I'm doing here.  I'll be back on the weekend with a post about the garden I've recreated in my backyard.  Thanks for being here. ☺️

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: 

A number of people mentioned they're using https://feedly.com and that reminded me that I had a Feedly account too.  It's a great site that allows you to make a list of the places you want to follow - news sites, blogs etc. I think it's better than Blogtrottr.

Gracie update: she wouldn't allow me to brush her face so I ended up cutting all the prickles out of her eyebrows, nose and beard with some little scissors. She was in the worst mood while I was doing it but when I finished, she raced around the backyard like a gazelle. Dogs eh.