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Allison Deraney's avatar

Girl - you are part of the ambiance here, one of the (lately, shrinking) reasons why I come back to SS. Keep pulling weeds. Keep writing. Don't slip out of my sight please.

I loved where this one went. You are tart and so smart. xoxoxo

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Julie Fontes's avatar

Also, I feel you on the shrinking reasons. I am discovering that really the key to including an element of online life in our days is to strike that balance—make sure that we are mostly in the real world and finding lovely like-minded clever people who live on the other side of the country or even world should be a little treat and not something that our minds are submerged in. At least with Substack, we get an email list to take with us if the social media aspect becomes too painful.

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Allison Deraney's avatar

One day, we will hike together my friend. And we will leave our phones behind!

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Julie Fontes's avatar

Thank you🙌🏻Same, Allison.

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Tandy's avatar

One good murderous cat antic deserves another, I always say – but this one’s hidden behind a link for the squeamish. 🤪😻

PS: the bug lived.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/02c1pbej67JmxEzyBza0aAq8Q

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Julie Fontes's avatar

What a beautiful kitty she is!!

My cats let the bugs live too. I wish they would eat the bugs, and not kill the birds.

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Rosemary Writes & Recovers 🌹's avatar

I have been taking a new found pleasure in getting my hands in the dirt this Spring, planting and watering, and transplanting & loving on my flowers and shrubs. It feels like a new level of sobriety, this late in life passion for garden dreaming. When I lie on my yoga mat at night before bed and close my eyes now, I see flowers.

<and, duh, non-slip shoes were required when I worked in restaurants a few life times ago and still are for my daughters who have served and hosted and cheffed more recently>

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Julie Fontes's avatar

I haven’t been in the garden because there has been a major construction project across the street for the past two years. It really detracts from the peace to hear intermittent hammer pounds and saw screeches. Even just thinking about it gives me a headache. But the last townhome has been erected, and now it’s mostly landscaping, painting and selling that I hear. I cannot wait to open all my windows during the day. I love that you see flowers while you lay on your yoga mat at night. That’s a good idea for quieting the noise.

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