I sit down to write a post, and again, there’s just so much that it’s hard to bring into a cohesive post. So instead I thought I’d list a few things that I’ve come across and that really interest me.

I dropped social media, and it’s been 7 days since I let go of my public Twitter, and I’ve got to say, the urge to log in and reactivate it is strong. Because for some reason retweeting important information feels like making a difference in the world, when in actuality there are so many accounts doing the same that it’s just whistling in the wind, ya know? I’ll let the ones with untold numbers of followers do the heavy lifting.

I must admit that I’ve logged into Instagram because there are certain friends who dropped Twitter for the same stressful reasons, and IG is their home. I don’t post, comment, or share, and I’ve only checked in twice. I don’t follow very many people, so it’s easy to catch up without checking in daily.

I have, though, been reading a lot of blogs, thanks to this post, Blogs: How to Find Them & All the Blogs I Subscribe To by Leonie Dawson, who I tend to check into every few years, though I haven’t followed her regularly for a long time. I found that post via Why Me and My Business Don’t Do Social Media Anymore, something you know I’ve been interested in for a while. Granted she has a billion followers, so it’s a lot different for her, but I still like the idea. The internet is too loud, period.

And from that, we head into my list:

1: Pop-up newsletters. New concept to me, and I love the idea! I’m terrible with newsletters, though I know that building an email list is super important because if the platforms you are using for your business disappear, you can still contact the people who are interested in you. So maybe a specific, short-term newsletter will act as a challenge for me, and get the ball rolling.

2: Evernote. I’ve actually had Evernote for quite a few years, but haven’t really used it for quite a few. It’s upgraded and snazzy, with a dark theme (I use that on every site that has it). You can use it on two devices for free, but need to upgrade for more. The phone widget on Android is really nice and wicked easy to use. I’m saving stuff left and right, instead of bookmarking or putting into folders, at which I never, ever look.

3: Aspergers blogs. This one has a list of traits that is really interesting (scroll past the intro). The website is packed with information, too. At least two members of my family are on the spectrum, and there is a lot of the list that really, really resonates with me. 😂

4: Meteorological vs Astronomical seasons. I LOVE this!!!! I am ALL on board with the meteorological definitions, especially since here in the southwest, spring is already in the works a lot earlier than at the solstice. Heck, a friend posted that her lilacs were in bloom not long ago, and ours bloom early in the year and are gone before ‘spring’ is here. The 3 week difference between meterological and astronomical makes a big difference. And while it’s still hot enough for swamp coolers here, the nights cooled down almost as soon as September started…fall showing her colors. Trees are already changing – even some of the pine trees, which is unusual.

And last but not least,

5: Be the Lighthouse by Alexandra Franzen. I know I’m mentioned this post over the years, but every time I come across it (this time by pulling up Evernote again), it really hits home. As my friend Michael (check out his artwork…gorgeous!) told me, “Be the light, Pip. Be the light.” I forget that when I get really scared and depressed about the state of humanity and the globe – which tend to be the times I want to blog; a throwback to journaling pre-internet days.

Speaking of journaling, I’ve started doing that more regularly since stepping away from Twitter. Mortality is never far from my thoughts, and I’d stopped writing in part because I didn’t want anyone to find it after I die and learn more than they ever need to know about too many things, including, maybe, themselves. So I’ve come up with a compromise: I write in a spiral bound notebook instead of the pretty hard bound ones I normally use, and every week (or after a particularly emotional entry) I shred the pages. I get my feelings out, and don’t worry about something that would never affect me anyway cuz I’ll be dead, but still bugs me. Weird, right?

What do you guys (I need a better group term…I’m not southern enough to pull off y’all) think of the pop-up newsletter? Would you be interested in signing up and seeing how it goes?

Anyway…

Much love, and please, please get vaccinated and wear masks. Double-mask, even (I am). Delta is that contagious and too many are acting like all is well. It’s not.

Pip 🌻

©Pip Miller – September 2021