HAPPENINGS AND HOLIDAYS

46 CommentsBlog-related, Life, Road Trips, Travel, Writing/Blogging

♫ I’m baaaack! ♫

(Well, sort of. It’s summer;  busy season for the dog business and road trip time in between.)

Have you ever experienced “Blogger Burnout”? This was me, big time!

My website had a meltdown and in a fit of pique, I decided to redesign it from scratch. It was going along fairly well, considering my lack of training in web design and backend coding, (thank you, Google!) until I hit the proverbial wall.

Certain things wouldn’t function the way I needed them to! Exhausted and bleary-eyed, I shelved the whole idea and fixed the old design. It’s obsolete and needs to be modernized, but I’ll try again later in the year.

Yes, I could ask for help, but as a stubborn Aquarian, prefer to figure things out for myself. That’s the best way to learn! Besides, pros aren’t cheap and I already spend enough money on this obsession hobby. Stay tuned for the new look Den, coming soon eventually.

~~~~~~

The best cure is a change of scenery and on July 8, we drove north to see The Hollywood Vampires. Alice Cooper, Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Johnny Depp in one band; how cool is that? It was a fantastic show! Sadly, Joe Perry fell ill two days later but was able to rejoin the tour on July 22.

Happenings and Holidays: Hollywood Vampires concert, July 8 2016

The next day, we took a side trip to Lindsay, Ontario, which houses a small but interesting museum, including “Ye Olde Gaol”. What a pleasant surprise to find a display of Neil Young memorabilia there! The original “Youngtown” in Omemee had been closed and many of the items were sent here.

Happenings and Holidays: Youngtown Museum display, Lindsay, Ontario

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** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT **

I was invited to become a contributor to an online magazine called “My Trending Stories”,  based in New York City. Stylewise, it appears to be a cross between Blogher and Huffington Post, so I decided to give it a shot.

My first article was published last week! Please click on the link below to take you there. I’m offering relationship advice, based on 40+ years of experience and would love to know your thoughts. Thank you so much!  If you happen to be a member too, let’s follow each other, yes?

COMING UP:
(click images for details)

July 29th | #FlashbackFriday

THE "SHE" CHRONICLES | #FlashbackFriday

 July 29th-31st | #CherishedBlogfest

Cherished Blogfest, 2016

August 1st | Battle if the Bands #BOTB

#BOTB Battle of the bands

August 1 | Question of the Month

Question of the Month(Taking a break from this one, as I’ll be away. Check out the other participants’ offerings.)

Date(s) T.B.A. | A Wealth of Liebster Awards
Thanks to:
J. Lenni Dorner, Dahlia, Spooky Mrs. Green,
Yolanda Renee, Pat Garcia

Happenings and Holidays Liebster Award

Lots of good stuff!

~~~~~~

In celebration of our upcoming anniversary (43rd!), hubby and I will be taking a short road trip to Michigan, Aug. 1 to 4. I’ll do my best to keep up with everything in between. We’ll be stopping in Ann Arbor for a night, then continuing on to Frankenmuth, a charming, Bavarian-style town we’ve been to before. The landscaping is gorgeous and it’s also home to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.  Some photos from our previous stay in 2014:

Happenings and Holidays: Frankenmuth Michigan

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So, how’s your summer going?

Are you participating in any blogfests?

Looking forward to your comments!

Debbie





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46 thoughts on “HAPPENINGS AND HOLIDAYS

  1. Leapin’ lizards, dear lady! I don’t know where to start! So cheers and hugs for everything 🙂 Sounds like you’re on your way up in the literary world. I’m so glad, you deserve it. Every single step is one more rung up on the ladder of success. Your holiday was amazing to read about. I’ve wanted to see the Hollywood Vampires since I first heard of them. Lucky you!

    1. Thanks, Diedre. 🙂 We’ll see what happens with this online magazine. Their website has a lot of technical problems. 😛 I have no aspirations; just doing my ‘thing”. If it works out – great! If not, oh well. My ambitious days are behind me. Time to just enjoy life and go with the flow. Much less stressful that way! 😉 You would have loved The Hollywood Vampires, I’m sure. The show was a blast and Johnny Depp has more musical talent than most people think.

  2. Hi Debbie,

    Good to have you back! 🙂

    I should welcome myself back as well into the blogosphere as well, having taken off for a long break this time as you know. It sure is overwhelming once you return, but a pleasure to meet up with friends from all over. Nice to read all about your experiences as well.

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂

  3. That would be an exciting evening to see these old goats..i mean superstars perform…hahahaaa. Actually I bet they were great. How was Johnny Depp? I am curious if he is good at being a musician. My uncle used to live in Ann Arbor..he was head of the German dept at the Michigan State University there. It is a beautiful city and I know you will enjoy it as well as Frankenmuth. I loved the Christmas store and met the old owner! When I was there, many moons ago just a bit out from the city centre towards the christmas store (on the right) there was a small museum dedicated to 2 Italian men who created a huge village and then a huge nativity with creche figures. It was AMAZING! I hope it is still there because the artistry was brilliant. they not only made all the people but all the clothing, food, buildings, tools etc…in miniature and the nativity was a sight to behold with all the angels flying above you. I hope you get a chance to see this

    1. LOL The “old goats” put on one helluva an entertaining show. Johnny Depp is a skilled guitarist; he actually started out as a musician but turned to acting for rent money. That turned out well, didn’t it? 😀 Interesting tidbit about your uncle. Ann Arbor has a couple of museums I want to explore. We’ve been to Frankenmuth before. I adore the town, with its beautiful landscaping and German food, just like my Oma and mother used to make. 🙂 The Christmas store was fun, but I don’t remember seeing such a museum. I’ll make a point to look for it, Birgit. Thanks for the tip!

  4. First off, super jealous that you got to see the ‘Hollywood Vampires.’ I bet they were so cool. Second, CONGRATULATIONS on your article. As soon as I’m done with this comment I’ll pop over. Third, you know my Michigan heart is dancing the happy dance for your travels. I LOOOOVVVVVVEEEE Frankenmuth! It’s so nice to have place to pop into when you’re needing some Christmas cheer and it’s 104 out! Great post Debbie. So happy for all of your adventures and your publication. GO YOU!!! This post makes me smile. 😀

    1. The Vamps were awesome and I would go again, anytime! Thanks for the congrats; it was nice to be invited to contribute, but the site is full of technical glitches and not user friendly. We’ll see how it goes! I appreciate your taking the time to read my article. Frankenmuth has such gorgeous landscaping and the German flavour makes me homesick. Great little town! I’m glad you’re smiling here. 😀 Cheers!

    1. The concert was a blast! 😀 Johnny Depp is a skilled guitarist; he actually started out as a musician but turned to acting for rent money. Thanks for the welcome back.

  5. Wohohoho! Debbie. Congratulatons on the feature – great article!

    And yes, I’ve been crazy-jealous about your status updates re: your music shows. So wonderful you experienced them.

    Hugs and so wonderful to see you back Debbie!

    Let me go schedule the Flashback Friday post now.

    1. Thank you, Vidya; I know you’ve seen that article before. I’m basically just recycling. 😉 Concerts give me a natural high (no other drugs needed) and keep me young! I appreciate the enthusiastic welcome back. Looking forward to your Flashback Friday post. Cheers!

    1. Yes, I’ll be trying out different web designs using a staging site. Much easier! There’s a flurry of posts coming up, but I’m still not in full swing. Thanks for dropping in. 🙂

  6. Debbie, I understand blogging burnout. I find I feel this more frequently than I did in the beginning and so I listen. That’s when I step away for a short while and it does a lot of good for the soul. Hey, I’m with you on trying to learn what you can and fixing problems yourself. I’m totally like that! My hat is off to you, girl! I can’t wait to see all your changes. Well, it’s getting late, I just wanted to stop off for a few seconds this evening. Have a good night!

    1. Thanks for dropping in, Cathy. 🙂 Yes, sometimes you just have to step back and take a breather. I’ll get it figured out, eventually. Enjoy the rest of the week!

  7. Blog redesigning and stuff, I tell you takes a lot of time but worth in the end. So it’s okay to go slow and do when you are up to it.
    43rd anniversary – wow! Stay blessed you both.
    Big congrats on your new assignment. Will check out the website 🙂

  8. I have seen Neil Young in concert. That was a good show.

    Sorry for your technical difficulties…

    Hope you have a very enjoyable trip. 🙂

    1. Good day, Myke! 🙂 Yes, Neil puts on a good show. We saw him in Nov. 2012 with Crazy Horse; such a memorable evening! I’ll figure out the technical stuff when I’m in a better frame of mind. We’re looking forward to this trip; Frankenmuth is a beautiful and serene little enclave. Thanks for dropping in.

  9. Hello there! I had signed up for the cherished blogfest but I am getting second thoughts. I know I am burning out in some ways, too. Still thinking about a cherished object, and hoping the next round of thunderstorms don’t take down even more tree limbs.

    1. Nice to see you, Alana! 🙂 We all have our limits and real life before blogging is a good mantra. Here’s hoping you don’t suffer further damage from the storms.

  10. I love your stubbornness. And you are right, you do get to learn more about the inner workings of your blog page and other stuff if you are able to figure it out. Sometimes it just takes time. It seems a few people have been MIA these past couple of weeks. We’ll all be back to our new normals soon… hopefully.

    1. That’s the trouble, Mary. I want to get it done NOW, but I’ve taken a step back and a few deep breaths and will carry on at a later date. Summertime is always slower in the Blogosphere. Thanks for dropping in.

  11. Very good points on the article, and perhaps the hardest is something you touched on- don’t control the things you can’t control. That includes the other person’s thoughts and feelings. And it isn’t always easy to know you’re doing it.

  12. Hi Debbie,
    Congratulations! I walked over with my fingers and read your article and also left a comment. But it looks like I left it under another person’s comment.

    As for internet burnout, I’ve been there. I know exactly what you felt. I do the same thing. I step away from a project until I have the energy and creativity spurt to accomplish it.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Patricia

    1. Thank you so much, Pat! 🙂 Unfortunately, that site has some technical problems. Hope they fix them soon! I did find your comment and replied as well. I’ve discovered that things will fall into place when I’m in the right frame of mind. Sometimes, you have to step back and re-assess.

  13. A variety of congratulations are in order so I just do one to encompass all.

    I experience blogger slowdown, but I won’t say burnout unless I’m just kind of burnt out in general for brief periods that fortunately don’t last long.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

  14. No worries, Shady. It’s still there. 🙂 Unfortunately, the site is not very user-friendly. You have to keep on clicking “Load More” and “replies”. Here it is:

  15. Hi, Shady; I’m glad you enjoyed the article and thank you for leaving a comment. 🙂 That site seems to have many glitches and I hope they improve it. I left a reply as well. As for the blog, the theme I’m using is outdated and has actually been retired by the developer. I’m looking for a new “responsive” (looks good on tablets and phones as well as laptops and desktops) model that I can restyle the way I want it. You’re not far off! I was only figuratively flat on the floor; in reality. I’d have a helluva hard time getting up, thanks to a wonky knee. 😛 Although not actively blogging, I was still keeping in touch with my “peeps”. Always a pleasure to visit The Shady Dell. Cheers!

  16. Welcome back, Debbie! Don’t worry about the blog – you can do it slowly; tiny little changes to start it off and then go on.
    Good luck!

    1. Thank you, Sid. 🙂 Problem is, I’m a “type A” perfectionist and want it to be completely flawless and done right now. LOL I’ve decided to get a staging site and play with it whenever I have some spare time.

  17. Good to see you back! Michigan – my home state and not too far from your home, right?

    Have not experienced blogger burnout which is a good thing because I have two blogs going full steam ahead. If anyone can figure out your facelift for you blog — YOU CAN! Hang in there.

    What a line up for that show — I bet it was awesome.

    1. Thanks, Carol! 🙂 Yes, Michigan borders Ontario. We are ~4 hours NE of Detroit. Glad to know you’re going strong with two blogs, plus all your other projects. I’ll figure things out, eventually. The concert was highly entertaining. Johnny Depp plays a mean guitar!

  18. You’ve been missed. I have to admit, I’m just as stubborn, but I’m also getting tired of trying to get online things to work. That’s pretty much why I use blogger. It’s so easy to use, and there is barely any maintenance. Plus it can be configured several different ways.
    That’s awesome you are a contributing writer!!!!!

    1. Thanks, Jeffrey. It’s nice to be missed. 🙂 Free website platforms do offer the advantage of less maintenance, but it’s like renting an apartment. You can live there but have limits on what you can do and you don’t own it. I’d rather be “master of my own domain”, (that wasn’t a Seinfeld reference 😉 ) despite the technical challenges. Yes, it can be frustrating as hell, but it’s a great learning experience. We’ll see where this “contributing writer” stuff leads. So far, I haven’t been impressed. The site has numerous technical problems and isn’t very user-friendly. People have a hard time commenting, etc.

  19. Good things are happening for you! That’s awesome! I love hearing about your adventures. Keep em coming!

    BTW, if ya need help on your Webby, hit me up. I can help.

    B

    1. Thanks for dropping in, Bren! 🙂 It’s funny how sometimes things just fall into your lap. I know you’re doing web design and will definitely keep that in mind. In the meantime, I got myself a staging site so I can try out different themes without disturbing this one.