Time for Tea? (March 2014)

Oh, you did have time! Great to see you - please, do come through. Wasn't that last hail shower a little sharp? Some of our newly emerged daffodils are distinctly frayed, rather than frilly. Though, truth be known, I feel a little like that myself these days!

Shall we sit in the living room? The stove is roaring, so we'll be able to toast our toes as we have a hot drink and A Little Something. Sorry about the capitals - after a couple of days with our wonderful Littlies and Biggies, and a lots of squashed-together-on-the-sofa time with The House At Pooh Corner, Himself and I seem to have mentally brought the entire cast back home with us! Yes, isn't he growing fast? Beach, kites and throwing stones into the sea never fails to raise all our spirits. Goodness knows when all the photos will get scrapped though - I keep telling myself there is no such thing as 'behind' in our hobby, but secretly I don't feel that way at all. What about you? I'd be really glad of another perspective! Yes, of course, there's more in the pot - another piece of lemon cake?

Oh, 'scuse the mumbling through the crumbs, but there's always so much I'd like to ask you. Such as, how do you manage to keep up with blog reading? I feel as if I am running to catch up most of the time - so much so that the small amounts of time I have for actually creating things just ebbs away. Do tell me how you manage to stay in contact with everyone. I know I could just Mark All As Read, but it seems so ... I don't know ... difficult to do somehow! Especially when so many of us are coping with illness, poorly people in our own families, ailing neighbors who need support, bereavements, broken sleep as we care for the very young and the very old ... If multiverse theory is true, I guess I could console myself with the thought that somewhere else, another version of me did respond to every post!

Are you planning on taking any classes this Spring? Anything taking your fancy? I'm very tempted by the Sketchbook Skool. There's something about fine black lines and white space and splotches of colour that sings to my soul. It must be wonderful to need nothing more than a pack of pencils or pens and a piece of paper to create something lovely. I say this with some feeling - see that pile of bags and boxes and sundry papers over there by the door? I have the glorious chance to head off to a crafting weekend (with very grateful thanks to Himself who thinks I need to get out more and is holding the fort) and am so looking forward to seeing Sandie and Ruth - but find myself in a state of total paralysis about what to take. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to stroll in with a lightweight portable kit?

Yes, I think it's cleared up now - probably a good moment to make a dash for it. Your toes are probably nice and dry now, but those clouds beyond the tree tops in the wood look heavy. Thank-you so much for our quick cuppa today, and I will be delighted to pop over and see you very soon! Yes, it's such a lovely meme of Abi's, isn't it? I always look forward to her lovely writing, and the little shared glimpses into lives across the world ... Take care, and see you again soon?

 

 

Comments

[Paul B]

Lovely photos Alexa, there's such obvious glee in your face :) Enjoy your creative session, hope you manage to grab something to take with you. As for commenting on blogs, if you have limited time, I'd say don't and use the time to create instead. Don't get me wrong, I love receiving comments. Who has a heart so assured that a little validation isn't welcome. But I don't write my blog for that purpose. I love that people visit my blog and I'm flattered if anyone takes time to read it. If people enjoy visiting my space on the web, i'm honoured enough. I don't crave that they leave a comment. In fact, I've toyed with the idea of switching comments off but then that feels like a step too far. I generally read blogs and don't comment. There are a select few whom I choose to comment on and want to comment on and I'm happy to spend the time doing so. As you say, there are heaps of quality blogs out there for people to read. The fact that someone has chosen to read ours when there are all those others, is loving enough :) Personally, I'd have more joy seeing something you've created on your blog rather than see you've left a comment. If someone is upset that you have visited and haven't commented, they need to ask themselves why they need it. And after all that, if I haven't convinced you, then type a standard all purpose reply and just copy and paste - done in seconds. Pxx

[Abi]

Thank you for having tea with me again Alexa. I'm pleased to hear you had lots of time with the littles. Pooh Bear is an old friend of mine too! Gosh, blog reading! It's a hard one. I don't think I have an answer except,never feel obligated to read blogs. I often find I have five minutes so open up the blogs of a few dear friends and write a few words to them. Little and often works for me. Regeardless if you read or not, we are thinking of you!

[Esther A]

Well, thank YOU for the invitation. It's always fun to share a cuppa with you! Nothing like a spot of Pooh for giving one a different perspective on life's troubles. You ask about blog reading... I keep up only by reading a very few select blogs, and only then because feedly tells me when there's a post awaiting my attention.

[Honoré]

Good morning Alexa. I am reading this post during my MSQT and first off, realized it was, indeed, "time for another cuppa tea." Secondly, I so enjoyed spending these moments with you, as I do, always, and 'meeting' Abi via this meme. Thank you for introducing us.

As a delighted receiver of your comments, know that I always appreciate your words, not only for my posts -our conversation, so to speak- but I've also marveled at your very thoughtful and right on contributions in other Blogland conversations. Leaving a comment says "I was here," but sometimes in a conversation we just listen. I think both are appropriate.

Perhaps what we are looking for is "balance" but I guess it's more like a rocket that is always correcting it's course on its trajectory -kinda zig zagging back and forth, back and forth...

Do enjoy your crafting weekend! I look forward to hearing all about it!

Cheers~

[Paul B]

Oops - I went off on one and you weren't even asking about comments lol. Just read your post back and now realise you were asking how we read all the posts (apologies for not reading back your post before leaving a comment). I use Feedly (sounds like you do too) and I just quickly glance at the batch of new posts. If there's something I'd like to read further, I save it for later. And I only read a select few. A lot of the time, I see the photos of the lovely projects people create and though I enjoy them, I don't pay much attention to the written parts in posts. Pxx

[Cheri]

Love the Pooh references - yes, he's an old friend of mine as well. I saw on Facebook that you would be meeting up with Sandie and Ruth this weekend - I'll bet you have a blast, regardless of what you do or don't get done! I've started going to these things with my computer and digi-scrapping - so much less to carry! As for reading blogs - I scan through them on my blog reader. If something catches my attention I click over to the blog to read and comment. There are some people who ALWAYS catch my attention. ;) I find that if I'm continually skipping over a blog or speed-reading through it in my reader, then it is likely not serving my needs and I delete it. So the number of blogs I follow is limited to start.

[Jacky S]

I get mine in Bloglovin....but like Paul....find I have to pick and choose a bit or I'd spend all day on the computer!! Some I glance at....some I read carefully but don't comment on....and others I read and comment....I just wish I had time to comment on them all!!

[Sian]

Lovely photos, lovely thoughts about lots of House at Pooh Corner!

Blogs? I do try to read for exactly the reasons you suggest - I can't skip by when everyone has their story to tell, but I am reading more in my Reader and clicking through not quite so often. I try to comment wherever I can, but if I have no time I don't worry too much. I hope they know I'll be back as soon as I can make it! And I love to see you (and the rest) blogging what you've been up to, so if you are using your time for that, then that has to be good

[Missus Wookie]

Lovely cup of something hot and a slice of lemon cake. I read blogs whilst drinking my morning smoothie. Does tempt me to delay starting work on occasion. I read them all in Feedly, can click through comment and return to Feedly easily so enjoy doing so.

[Deb @ PaperTurtle]

You are so very clever with your photos and tea invite...envelope addressed properly to blog friends. I love it! I enjoyed our little catch up here and am so glad to know that you are getting some time away to craft with friends. I agree with Himself! You need to get away! :o)

As for blog reading, don't worry yourself, my dear. I think everyone is feeling the same crunch these days. I concern myself with it too at times, but all I can do is all I can do. I'm off to check out that Sketchbook Skool - thanks for the link!

Have yourself an amazing weekend, my friend! xo

[Miriam]

Thank you for tea & cake Alexa, I do so love visiting you. I use Feedly these days and find it hard to comment on every post. I have considered switching the comments off but I really love the contact, I think commenting is a bit like texting, some times there's lots to say and sometimes I just want to say hello, thinking about you. Have fun on your weekend.

[Prairie Jill]

Aahh, what a lovely visit! Great conversation and lovely cake, too! I know what you mean about how hard it is to keep up with blog reading! (And thank you for all your visits and lovely comments on my blog - I think you know how appreciated that is!)
I love online classes, too, and I'm off now to check out the Sketchbook Skool class you mentioned.
Looking forward to tea next month!

[Sinead]

Hi Alexa! Thank you so much for the invite for tea, it's so lovely to catch up and hear all about what's going on in your corner of the world! It's been lovely warming myself beside the stove! I love the references to Pooh Bear and totally agree with your blog-reading conundrum. I find it difficult to fit in reading and commenting regularly, but try not to let myself get under pressure or feel guilt. Hope to pop around for 'tea' again soon :D xxx

P.S. Thank you also for the sweet comment on my last blog post - I'm so very sorry that I haven't replied to your question about how I photograph my layouts. What I usually do is wait for decent light (which is a rarity!!), then put my layout on the floor and put my camera on the tripod with the lens angled directly above and snap away! My camera is a DSLR, a Canon 1100D, and I've been using my 50mm lens to take layout photos recently, as you can bring the aperture right down to let in lots of light and avoid the fuzzy look that comes from having to increase the ISO. As for saving, I usually keep the photos at full size - even though they take a little longer to upload to the blog, the quality is great. Hope that all makes sense and sorry again I took so long to reply! X

[Julie J]

Oh I know just what you mean about the blog reading. And to make matters worse my phone and iPad can be so unco-operative sometimes when I want to leave a comment. But I think that most folks are probably just as busy and between the lot of us there'll be enough spreading the love.
And as for feeling behind on the scrapping I've never been caught up so I won't let it worry me.
Courses? Well no - I know I'm too busy to do them and I'll exacerbate any feeling that I need to catch up so I shall leave them until I retire.

[Karen]

Lemon cake and tea---what a lovely treat! And the photos of you on your brief holiday are a delight! We'll soon be off to visit our grandson in Chicago. We haven't seen him (except through Face Time) since the holidays so I'm eagerly counting the days! I have just a few blogs where I almost always comment, but read many more (primarily card and scrapbook blogs) through Feedly, and rarely comment. I try to limit my blog reading to once in the morning and once at night because it's so easy to click through to something else and find the morning has disappeared. Always interesting, but not very productive.

[Jemma @ Just-Jimjams]

Oh a lovely postcard invite and a great catch-up. Hoping that a weekend away with our lovely friends will restore some frilliness to you :-)

I don't consider I'm ever "behind" with photo scrapping ... I call it "having plenty in the pipeline" :-)

However, I am often "behind" with blog reading/commenting. Real life and immediate family is way more important, however much I value my long-distance relationships. After a blog-reading break I'll work on skim-reading the missed posts on Feedly, clicking through to one or possibly two posts per person to reconnect and possibly combining comments into one (especially if they have annoying verification hurdles to overcome).

[Jane]

I'm finding it hard to read everyone's blogs at the moment sometimes life is like that and as for craft I don't know when I'll be able to do any!!

[furrypig]

I am only just catching up with blog reading now and I love the idea of a portable crafting kit! Was fab to see you at the weekend and I hope we can repeat the experience in September xxx

[Wanda]

I'm somehow encouraged that you mention keeping up with favored blogs. I have relatively few, but still struggle some weeks. On one hand, I am reluctant to simply mark as read because I'm afraid I will miss something important but, on the other, it's de-motivating to see so many posts awaiting attention. For now, I'm trying to stay current with new posts and I'll hope to get back to older ones when/if time permits. I must say that I like Feedly's (my reader app since Google's demise) card view because it gives me thumbnails of everyone's posts, making it a little easier to pick-and-choose when time is an issue.

[Becky]

Great photos :) I know what you mean about trying to keep up with blog reading. Life has been full on for me recently. I find that I have to sit down and open up all the blogs I read just once a week and then read through those posts I have missed and comment on one or two of them. Ideally I would like to comment on every post I've missed, but if I did that I would never get any time to be creative! Like Paul, I write my blog for me, if anyone is kind enough to take the time to read it and comment, then lovely. If they read and don't comment, then that is ok with me too and if they don't have the time to read, then that is fine too! Hope you have lovely weekend away crafting :)

[Linda]

Your question about how to keep up with blog reading resonated with me too! I have got very behind with blog reading lately, and also blog posting! I am doing less and less with blogging. I think it's mainly because of the faffing around with uploading photos! Another reason is that I am sewing more and more and paper crafting less and less! Hope you enjoyed your craft weekend:)