Tag Archives: blog posts

Nov26

Digital Creator

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Digital Creator

I recently accepted a friend request on Facebook from someone who I know personally as a retired teacher and a writer of science-fiction. Upon scrolling through his bio and posts, I encountered the term “digital creator.” As I’m not entirely familiar with that expression I decided to do some investigating.

A digital creator writes their own posts. A digital creator doesn’t just share posts that others have written. A digital creator produces original content. This can be in the form of writing, photos or videos. Live events also fall into this category.

A digital creator encourages followers to interact and engage in conversation rather than just react with a like or other emoji. Of course the content must be meaningful and have substance for that to happen. And it certainly does on my new friend’s newsfeed. Comments on posts are interesting and informative and well worth reading.

As my friends all know, I don’t usually scroll on Facebook. I post links to my blog and occasionally tag people in photos. I also check out a couple of writers’ groups I belong to. I do not consider myself to be a digital creator.

While I seldom scroll on Facebook, I just may make an exception and follow my new friend on Facebook. You see, normally I don’t follow people on Facebook. I have close to 600 friends on Facebook and I refuse to waste valuable time scrolling through all their posts. If it’s something important, send me a private message. Those I do check regularly.

A writer walks into a bar. The bartender asks, “Have you written your 1000 words today? You told me not to sell you a drink until you hit your word count goal for the day.” A writer walks out of a bar.

Happy Humpday!

Mar5

Different Things

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Different Things

I slept in this morning. My first cup of coffee was at eleven. Breakfast was pasta alfredo at about 1 pm. It’s humpday and it’s one of those days.

Today I read a blog post written by a friend in Missouri. It began by mentioning memoirs, evolved into family life, and from there went on to a craft project. Despite the fact that the rain exacerbates her knee and back pain, she always plows her way through to finding something positive. You are an inspiration to all of us, Ty. Thank you.

Sea snakes are harassing beachgoers in Puerto Vallarta. These poisonous creatures are dangerous. It used to be just the tides we had to watch out for. And I guess we can throw the jellyfish in with that too. I detest snakes so won’t be going to Puerto Vallarta anytime soon.

Time to embarrass one of my kids. My daughter just competed in the CPU Nationals (Canadian Powerlifting) and qualified for Internationals. She is off to Panama in October to compete. It’s exciting that I get to watch her live online. It’s almost like being there.

I found a great dentist here in Aguascalientes. His office is only a five minute walk from my house. A visit to the dentist isn’t one of my favorite pastimes, but he was excellent and I actually felt quite relaxed. I’ve even forgiven him for the white diet he put me on after the whitening process.

I won’t comment on Trump’s speech last night. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m not interested in sparring with friends who are staunch Democrats and friends who are staunch Republicans. We’ll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

I just signed up for a virtual program with NCW Libraries. This one is being presented as a part of Women’s History Month and deals with homelessness.

I’ve started to think about returning to Washington in May but, as usual, am procrastinating the arduous task of booking flights.

Have a great afternoon!

Nov29

Keep In Touch

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Keep In Touch

You still do Facebook? I don’t have the time. Several of my friends say that to me. But here’s why I do find the time. And you’d be surprised at how little time it takes. It isn’t necessary to become hopelessly addicted.

Every morning I enjoy looking at my memories. My nomadic lifestyle has resulted in me living in many places with many different people in all three countries — Mexico, USA and Canada. Facebook also reminds me of my friends’ birthdays. I check my notifications but do not click on most of them. Total time so far less than 5 minutes.

I belong to four writing groups. Writers in Mexico I seldom visit, Writers Forum has interesting info on everything from grammar to publishing, Women Writers is similar to Writers Forum but is a much smaller group and is all women, and I just joined NotNaNoWriMo where I hope to play a more interactive role. The time I spend in these groups varies anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes a day.

I DO NOT SCROLL. My friends know that if there’s something they really want me to know about then Messenger is the way to go. Of course there are exceptions such as certain holidays and events.

I post the link to my blogs on Facebook. That takes seconds.

I don’t leave Facebook or Messenger open in the background when I’m on other screens.

That is how I do Facebook.

I removed myself from Twitter long before it became X. And I don’t look at Instagram.

However I can now be found at @lovetowrite23.bsky.social. I follow a handful of people, mostly writers. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this yet, but I’ll give it a try.

I kept my American phone number this year so instead of just leaving voicemails my friends call me back too. And of course we text all the time. Unfortunately the Canadians still get voicemails as they don’t have a long distance plan to Mexico or the USA.

That’s how I keep in touch.

May31

Time For A Change

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Time For A Change

For the longest time I’ve been posting twice a week, Sunday and Wednesday. I write about whatever happens to come to mind at the time. I’ve decided to change it up for a while. There will be one post a week for sure and the day will vary. If you’re a follower of my blog you’ll be notified in the usual way. If you’re not a follower, I’ll still be sharing to Facebook so you’ll see the announcement there.

I’m much busier here in Washington than I am in Mexico. I’m finding it hard to devote the time I want to the book I’m writing so I have to cut back somewhere. Giving up fitness classes or Tai Chi is not an option. My health is a priority at this stage of the game.

My social life is busier here as well. I have more friends, many of whom have become family to me over the years. I’m in year eight now in Washington. Yes we do go to fitness classes and Tai Chi together, but there are also activities like Leavenworth Summer Theater that I enjoy.

It also looks like a trip to Canada is in order again this summer. I’m hoping to actually be with both of my kids at the same time, something we haven’t done in almost eight years. And of course I’m looking forward to seeing my granddaughter. I enjoy the video calls but what I really want is to hug her and hold her in my arms.

Last week I was out at Lake Chelan for the day. The weather was wild. Windy and rainy when I arrived. Then in a matter of minutes it cleared up and was sunny. The museum is always interesting and they revamped it over the winter. A video about apples was added and some of the displays were changed around.

Fire season has begun. We had a Level 1 warning over the weekend over a 250 acre brush fire out near the airport, about a ten minute drive from where I live. Thankfully it was brought under control quickly. We could really use some rain here but there doesn’t seem to be any in the forecast.

I’m headed into Leavenworth today. That’s where my hair stylist is. Yes, I know there are hair stylists here in East Wenatchee. And I’m reluctant to change that. I discovered Shears during Covid and Lisa knows my hair well although I’m only up here six months of the year.

Jurassic Quest is coming to Wenatchee and I’m contemplating checking it out. The movies were all pretty great and I’ve seen them in English and in Spanish. Now to see those dinosaur up close. I remember a ride at Disney where we were surrounded by dinosaurs. That was back in the 80s and I’m sure the special effects are greatly enhanced now.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

May10

Five Things You May Not Know

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Five Things You May Not Know

A friend challenged me to write a blog post about myself. He asked me to write about five things that most people don’t know about me. Obviously some people may know these things, but most people don’t. I have followers from all over the world who do not know me personally at all. So here goes.

One. As a young child I was double-jointed. Yep, I could do the splits among other things. Of course I’ve also been arthritic most of my adult life so I wonder if that might be why.

Two. If I ever accidently eat anything that contains liver it triggers a gag reflex. Yuck!

Three. A boyfriend once gave me a dog for Chanukah……a big dog even though it was a puppy. I was living at home at the time and my parents strongly suggested I give it back to the breeder after it chewed everything in sight and wasn’t the least bit interested in being paper trained.

Four. One summer I took a merit typing course in summer school. I wanted to learn to type and because I was in a university entrance program, typing was not offered during the regular school year.

Five. I prefer living in small towns rather than in large cities.

There you have it. Five things you may not know about me.

Feb22

Looking Back

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Looking Back

I was looking over some older blog posts. I used to share tons of photos which I don’t do anymore. That’s because I used to take tons of photos which I also don’t do anymore. Photos require time, time that I’d rather spend with people or writing. And writing has been my focus this winter. I don’t have the patience to sort through photos, edit them and store them in files. I really admire my friend Ann who has literally gone through thousands of photos and is organizing them all in files. They’re family photos that span a period of decades. My family photos are haphazardly stored in cyberspace as they haven’t really made it out of the ancient photo albums in any type of order at all. But the albums are safely stored in waterproof bins in my son’s basement. I wonder if he even looks at them or if they just come out of hiding when I’m in Winnipeg which has only been a handful of times over the last almost thirteen years.

Yes. This fall it will be thirteen years since I first arrived in Culiacan. I know. The news reports tend to focus on all the violence in that city, but Culiacan will always have a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories of the year I lived there and I always look forward to going back to visit my family there. When I arrive at the bus station I still have a feeling of coming home although I moved away from there twelve years ago.

Coming home. When I visit Winnipeg it no longer feels like home. I’ve been away too long and the city has changed. Of course I’ve changed too. I feel like I have two homes. One is where I am right now in Aguascalientes. I’ve lived in the same neighborhood now for four years. Not much has changed despite Covid. I no longer do a marathon of museums and art galleries as I did the first couple of years. My Spanish has improved and I now am more comfortable talking with neighbors or people who work in the tiendas and restaurants here. I don’t feel like a tourist anymore.

My second home is Washington state. I lived predominantly in Leavenworth the first few years. But last spring I moved to my forever home in East Wenatchee with Christina, Danny and seven chihuahuas. I was talking to Christina last night and she’s excited that I’m coming back in a month. I think she missed me. Okay, I missed her too. It’s been a great winter but it’s time to return to family.

Of course it would be nice if the snow would be gone. But that’s out of my hands. On Monday it even snowed in Tucson. It’s been a crazy winter for weather everywhere except here. I found it quite warm in Mexico this year. Last winter I needed an extra blanket and was glad I’d brought my lined quilted vest with me. But this year I haven’t even needed a light jacket. It did snow up in Durango about a month ago, but that’s miles away from where I am.

Time for my writer’s workshop on Zoom. Fingers crossed that the Internet cooperates today.

Happy Humpday!

Dec20

2022 Part 1

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2022 Part 1

I have decided to divide the year end review into two parts. Part 1 will cover the first six months of the year.

I woke up January 1st in Jilotsingo where I had celebrated New Years Eve with fifty-nine others. The next day I went back to Angie’s home in Pachuca. I returned to Aguascalientes after King’s Day. The rest of the month was spent getting together with friends and writing blog posts. I also had a SAIL training session on Zoom.

February was an exciting month. My characters started talking to me again and I was finally inspired to continue working on my book of fiction. My granddaughter in Kelowna also celebrated her fourth birthday. And I went to Culiacan to spend time with my Mexican family before heading back up north for the warmer months.

On March 1st I crossed the border at Nogales and headed for Tucson, where I spent a few relaxing days by a pool at a hotel. Then came the rather unusual but interesting Greyhound bus trip to Seattle where I was finally able to pick up an Amtrak into Leavenworth. One of the first things I did was get a Covid booster. I moved around a lot staying in Leavenworth and Dryden and did some pet sitting before finally settling down in East Wenatchee. It was wonderful to be at Sage Hills in person again and to resume teaching SAIL classes.

April was a fun month of garage sales, different from the usual tienguis in Mexico. Life Group resumed and a series of library programs began on Zoom. My characters continued to chatter so it was also a great writing month.

May was a little on the stressful side. The results of a biopsy were not what I’d hoped for and I needed to have a growth removed. On a more positive note I celebrated a birthday and had a delightful day in Lake Chelan. And I also received great news that while the growth indeed had been malignant, there was only healthy tissue left and no further sign of cancer. So no need for more treatment.

I had training in the A Matter Of Balance program during the month of June and I’m looking forward to coaching it when I return to Washington in the spring. And towards the end of the month I found myself on a plane headed for Winnipeg for the first time in five years.

I’m taking a break from blogging so no post this coming Sunday. 2022 Part 2 will be on December 28th.

Merry Christmas!

Jan4

Writing In 2022

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Most of what I write about in this blog are stories of my travels and my life while living in numerous different places. Occasionally I write about my family and friends. I also tend to shy away from politics and religion. And I also try to leave Covid on the sidelines.

In 2022, I’ve decided to write a little more introspectively. Is that even a word? I’m not sure just what that means at the moment. But it will be interesting to find out.

After having published two self-help books, I’m currently writing fiction. Imagination rules where fact once presided. A very different style, both enjoyable and frustrating at the same time.

For the time-being, I’ve shelved the idea of writing memoirs for my granddaughter. She turns four next month, so she won’t be ready to read them anytime soon. Thanks to Covid she believes I live in a cellphone. But videocalls are the best way available to maintain contact because we live in different countries.

Years ago I wrote poetry. However I don’t feel quite as creative these days. The idea of deciding if words should or shouldn’t rhyme has lost its appeal.

While I will still write about my travels and my life, in 2022 these posts will be interspersed with topics of a more serious nature. When the mood hits.

Perhaps this post is one of them.

Oct27

Changing It Up

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Changing It Up

For over a year now I’ve been posting on Wednesdays and Sundays. It’s time for a change.

I started writing this blog years ago when I lived in Guadalajara. At the time it was mainly directed to my friends I had left behind in my hometown in Canada. I replaced the mass emails with blog posts. My close friends know that I detest email and consider it to be snail mail. I don’t check it regularly.

What I do check daily are calls and texts on my phone, Messenger and What’s App. I don’t even check my stats on WordPress daily, although it is interesting to see that I have followers from a variety of countries, some whose names I can’t even pronounce and have had to look up on a map.

Over the years I’ve taught with people from all over the world. Everyone seems eager to come to Mexico to teach. People stay for varying lengths of time. Some return to their home countries although many keep right on traveling.

As for me, after six years here I reverted back to snowbird status. But I don’t return to Canada. I spend the summer and fall in the USA. Covid complicated things and I applied for and was granted two extended stays in foreign countries during the pandemic.

Just as my life has changed, it’s time to change up the blog posts. I do look forward to posting on a regular basis, but it won’t necessarily occur on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Thank you to all my readers. It’s gratifying that so many of you follow my blog. I appreciate your feedback and comments, although I seldom publish them on my page. I know that when I read other people’s blogs, I prefer to form my own opinion rather than scroll through a myriad of comments, and am determined to spare my followers from just that.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Jul15

6 Is Now 9 And Counting

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6 Is Now 9 And Counting

When I arrived in Mexico back in October, the plan was to return to Leavenworth in April. It’s been a very comfortable balance of relaxing in Mexico and a somewhat hectic schedule of volunteer work in Leavenworth. I also had decided to take two side trips to Canada so that I’d get to see both of my kids this year. My son is still in Winnipeg and in Kelowna I have my daughter and granddaughter.

But then COVID-19 reared its ugly head.

I am still in Mexico. It looks like I will be here until September. Should a miracle happen I would still like to go to Leavenworth. My Plan B is Canada.

Contrary to what ROCA has advised, there are no shortages of food, medication or supplies here.

I have a wardrobe of masks and physical distancing is the norm here. So are sanitizing mats, having my temperature taken before entering restaurants and larger stores, as well as an abundance of antibacterial gel everywhere.

I am well aware that these precautions are not being taken in every state in this country. But they are also not being taken everywhere up north in the USA or Canada either from what friends tell me.

Then there are the statistics. I don’t believe them. It’s impossible to get reliable numbers. There are way too many variables when it comes to testing. And are all the deaths being reported solely due to COVID-19? Or are there other factors involved?

Then there are the many conspiracy theories that many people dwell upon. Decades ago when I was in college I took a course in World History. My professor’s words have always haunted me, and even more so today. “There will be another world war in your lifetime. But it will not be fought with guns or bombs.” Interestingly enough, I also recall that this professor was Chinese.

But dwelling upon conspiracy theories and assessing blame on politicians is not helpful either. COVID-19 is here to stay and we need to learn to live with it.

Man’s inhumanity to man is what is at the core and it needs to be addressed. Selfishness is being displayed all too prominently right now. Instead consideration for the lives of others should be where the focus is placed. This virus does not discriminate between race, religion or socioeconomic background. And neither should we.

We are all in this together. And together we can get through this. Together.