Photo by Moses Pendleton
Yes, time for a fresh dose of Moses. I’m not sure if I’ve shared this here, but Moses has tens of thousands of photographs of his sunflowers. He also has thousands of hours of video footage of them. You wouldn’t think that something as static and motionless as a row of plants would make for interesting video footage. I’ll just say that his sunflowers don’t stand still when Moses is in their midst. You wouldn’t believe the energy in those fields when he is there.
I think this photo is my favorite sunflower photo so far. No, okay, this is my favorite, but the one above ranks a close second. That’s actually Cynthia Quinn, Moses’ partner and collaborator on the left. She’s so petite, and the sunflower so large, that at first I thought that perhaps Moses had dressed up another sunflower as the grim reaper. The photo doesn’t do the beautiful Cynthia justice. This is what she really looks like:
I lifted the Cynthia photos from the web and couldn’t find the name of a photographer to credit. Sorry, amazing photographer.
Anyway, here’s a spooky poem to go with the spooky photo. I really love October in New England.
Spellbound
by Emily Brontë
The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.
The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.
Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing dear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.
Ok Miss Annie you got me on that one… I LOVE that poem!
Gotta love a poem by a Bronte sister. The darker the better as Halloween approaches…
Oh your new blog layout is lovely
Hi Ann:
Your new blog page is very nice. NOW I have to learn where things are at
Great picture…and a poem I actually like ! The new blog page surprised me – I like the old title, sort of summed you up. It will take getting used to; I’m a creature of habit, I guess, and this is not yet my habit.
What a wonderful dark dreary poem for the Fall/Halloween season. I have to admit that Wuthering Heights is my favorite book of all time BUT I was completely ignorant of the fact Emily wrote poetry. Thanks Ann for introducing me to this fact. Now I am going to look for a book of her poems. Dear Ann you certainly do help keep life interesting.
Love the poem……….perfect for my FAVORITE holiday. I especially love this new layout – I feel like I have been announced upon my arrival.
I was also so surprised when I opened to your blog. I like it, but I like your old layout better for some reason. It seemed warmer or something. Not sure if “warmer” is the right word, but this one feels, more sterile. Something like that.
The post is great though!
New format! OMG, change. I hate change. I will try to overcome this problem, since I love your blog so much, but I *will* be addressing this in therapy next week. Aaaaccckkk.
Well, I woke up this morning to find the blog in its new format. I think I need to see if we can change the banner color. Very mournful. Maybe because if the photo just below. I just think it could be a little cheerier. Then couldn’t figure out where to comment. I like that you can see new comments on the side, though. What do you all think?
Also, I agree that the blog needs a better title. We just used “Ann Leary’s Blog” because that’s how everybody has google searched it in the past. I just felt that “Wicked Good Life” wasn’t quite right. Maybe we should have a blog-naming contest.
Ann great fresh format. Although we had some harddrive issues, so I am working off a lap top, so I thought it was my computer that changed the look,, I am also not internet savvy. But I must say that I like it.
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now but have not posted until this morning. Matter of fact I share your stories so often with my family that my son suggested I include you on the guest list for his wedding since we also live in CT. We do know more about you than some of the relatives! Anyway, love the new layout and think Wicked Good Life is a great title. Love your style!
Love the new layout of your blog, all is fine!
: )
One thing I like is that I don’t have all your comments coming into my email first so that I can approve them. Saves me so much time. But I’m wondering if spam will get right through or new commenters? Hmmm. SO many questions for a Sunday morning.
hmmmmm different but I like it…
Hmm, not so sure about the new layout. Definitely clear and crisp where the blog is, the header is a bit dark (but perfect for this Halloween period), and the comments section is certainly organized. To the point of being clinical. And a bit sterile? Used to be more of a conversational flow, now seems to be numbered entries on a chart, and, in reverse order, first comment last, last comment first, kind of ruins the flow unless you read from bottom to top.
Nice to see the emoticons got in though!
Ok, woke up late, very groggy, only to be very confused as I logged onto your blog! (Which was the first thing I did after feeding the cats and making a cup of tea)
I think I like it, but am like my dear sister Catherine, have a little bit of trouble with change. But I do like that you can see the most recent comments on the side. And if the comments do indeed go through immediately, that’s super cool!!! And such a time saver for you.
And Kim, yes, this was done just to announce your arrival back to the blog! hehehe
Ok, going to click on post and see if it actually does go right through. You may hear me cheering from here in PA if it does. hehehehe
Ahhh. Here it is. Some really cool things about the new blog. Newest comment first, easier to check back, more stuff on the side to look at and bunches of new internet feed stuff to learn, hopefully faster admit time. It is a little mournful or cold looking, a little more commercial. We seem to be a pretty warm and fuzzy bunch. Maybe as you said, a nicer color at the top and a title.
I love that ‘sleepy Hollow’ picture. It really sets the tone for the month.
wow, that was immediate admit.
I also like that if you comment o a previous blog, people will see it. I often have people comment on old blog posts and I know that nobody sees it. Have to sort out some kinks. Links within the blogs don’t seem to work. And lots of old photos won’t load. I have a very hard time letting go (see Where the Wild Things Are post). It’s hard for me to adjust to change, even if it’s for the better. I love that your comments go up automatically!
Wow, what a surprise and change!!!! I thought my laptop messed up so I closed and then reopened and still the new layout…
I agree that the old layout was warm and fuzzy but this layout is nice also, will take some getting used too..
Great post for this time of year, it fits perfect!!!
Wow! I love what you’ve done with the place. It looks great, but I have to admit I have a difficult time with change when it has to do with the computer. I’m not that great with computers; but I was able to find my way around your site pretty easily. I still love the format of your old site. It was very user friendly too.
It is snowing here again in CT!!! What will our winter look like if it is snowing in October?!!!
Ann, been gone for my anniversary for a few days, when did you change the blog foremat?
Kim says: “shut the #@%* up Tracy
WHAT SNOW?????????????Are you kidding? We just got lots of rain this weekend on Long Island. I WANT SNOW TO COME!
Ann,
Does the grim reaper in this picture have anything to do with the death of your old blog format? Or is it, once again, a freaky coincidence?
Speaking of your old blog format and since you asked . . . I do like the “Recent Comments” section as well as the immediate postings. Both will make it easier to keep up with the conversation. But what I find a little discombobulating (and it could be that I, too, am a creature of habit—read, lazy) is the placement of the comment button. I know I’m lazy, but I liked it when the comment button was on the bottom of your posts, which are often long hysterical stories. Scrolling back to the top to leave a comment seems to slow and interrupt the momentum of reading and joining the conversation. Also, on the old format, we could read in a chronological order the responses, which for your blog means following a conversation. With the new format, the chronology starts at the bottom of the page. This wouldn’t be so bad if you only had one or two people responding during the day and all posts were visible on the screen. But you often have 20-50 responses, which means if you’re joining the conversation at the 50th mark and like to start at the beginning (which I like to do), there’s a lot of scrolling up to read what everyone has written and then there’s a lot of scrolling down to leave a comment. In other words, I scroll down to read the post; scroll up to leave a comment; scroll down in order to scroll up to read the responses in chronological order and then scroll down to leave a message. I’m a little dizzy and in need of a glass of water by the time I’m ready to write something.
Also, the spacing between paragraphs seems to have disappeared, which condenses the text and makes it a little more difficult to read.
Anyway, these were just a few thoughts I had while reading and playing around in the new format. Please feel free to disregard them. Like I said, I’m a creature of habit and lazy to change something I’ve grown comfortable navigating and interacting with.
My posts got lost in the new format. –
It takes me awhile to get used to changes. I’ll live.
Gloria
My God that was QUICK!!
Gloria
Colleen, I know what you mean about the grim reaper. The colors are all so grim. That’s going to change. I do really like that I don’t have to keep approving you all every time you post. I guess I only need to approve new people now.
I’m interested in what you said about the comments being in reverse order now. You’re right, it did used to be like a conversation. Now, though, you don’t have to scroll all the way down to read the last few comments you might have missed. And, yes, all my paragraphs from previous posts have been jumbled together, without the proper spaces between paragraphs and I have a feeling that’s something I’ll have to manually undo. And I’m so obsessive about stuff like that, I’ll probably spend several days doing nothing but that. I won’t learn how to post an entry or edit entries until tomorrow. I feel like there’s something very “Dark Shadows” about my blog right now. Must get some color on it asap.
Maybe I’ll call it “Ann Leary’s Wicked Scary Blog”
So So So happy and relieved to see your blog is up and running again, beautiful pictures and all.
Gloria
Im confused…it is wicked scary for me, lol.. I’m still looking for the answer to the dogs towel and growl thing? ,I cannot find it. I miss the “Wicked Good Life”, but do like some things about the new format, I do like that you can see from previous. The photo scared me this morning, so Ann, you are right about the color. It’s a fun change…like Lupe, I have to figure out where things are. Oh, I got my bike a few weeks ago. It’s great!
I’m with Colleen, the scrolling back and forth made me a bit dizzy. Also, the “preview” button went away. I tend to use that because I don’t spell very well, and I need to edit before I “send” most times. The color (or lack of) doesn’t bother me too much, but then I mostly wear black, so maybe that’s just me. I do miss the fun Wicked title, but as creative as you (and occasionally we) are, some wonderfully inspired name will pop up soon. Generally I am reluctant with change, but this seems not too drastic. If it helps make less work for you Ann, like not having to go through every single post, even better. Also, everyone we know is here, so that’s reassuring.
Kim! Play nice! lololol You know I love you.
Ok, to add to the chorus, I love that comments appear immediately. But I don’t like that they’re backwards. I’m sure your web guy can change that.
I also don’t like that it doesn’t give you the option of saving your personal info so that you don’t have to enter it every time.
But another positive comment: I too like that comments to past blog entries show up.
We’ll get through the growing pains.
Love the new format! Haven’t been on in a while, as I’ve been so busy with work and my new class. As always, the pictures by Moses-so appropriate for Halloween!
Perfect poem for this time of year, I love it!
Ann:
About the layout and stuff.
First to say, that I was ‘attached’ to the home-y familiar layout and I could zip around the page, reading this one, skipping the other one… and I am resisting change, that is what.
Also, your photo seems to have not been (forget the Photoshop term) ‘dicered’ (this is not English, I know). It is when they smooth out the edges of a graphic to blend to the background, so the hair does not look ‘helmety’. Your hair is nice,and it flows around and stuff. The treatment of this photo reminds me of “Judge Forget” the television program, the stern look. You have lots of photographs. Is it hard to change them at will, like in Facebook?. I do not care about the title, as much as I care about the graphic. I think it is a diservice to your nice features! and nice hair…
And if you want to ‘shoot’ me, that shall be just fine!.
Lupe
I love all the feedback. Lupe, I think the reason I love you so is because you remind me of my mother-in-law, Nora. She is always frank (but in the most charming way). That helmet-hair photo is history now. I just need to find a better one. And I need to learn how to use this new system. I can’t post a new blog! And there’s so much to say! You won’t believe what you’re all missing out on.
Also, have been receiving emails from people who say that they have tried to post comments, but the comments are not appearing. What’s up with that?
Okay, I’m not adjusting to this new blog well at all. It is so WHITE. I’ll come around, but I just need to whine a little first. AND knowing you have a new great blog post that you can’t post for us is killing me.
Hmmm, Tracy, my info is saved each time…it’s all right there, don’t have to enter anything each time.
Seems there is something different for each person, perhaps because of the service from which we post.
: )
Ann, able to hook up at work again, my lunch period has been saved. I agree with you that the banner needs to be brighter. How’s the old bathroom coming?
Okay people, we’ve got to come up with a name for Ann’s blog. I’ll throw out a suggestion to get the ball rolling: Leary Lit.
Or what about “Outtakes from An Innocent a Broad”…that’s a blog title that is also a marketing tool!
I think “Wicked Good Life” is fine. I’ve wondered about the adjective “wicked.” Maybe it was meant to be subversive. Like this is a good life but it is no stepford existence. There is a mischief about it.
Gloria
Irma Bombeck once wrote of a dog watching a baby in stroller in the middle of a park. Why in a nice suburbia would the nice repectable, reputable people leave a baby unattended in a park, to be watched over by a dog. There may have been gentle but nevertheless subversive irony intended.
Gloria
I’ll be out for a few days doing computer service renovation. Good luck with the blog. I am certain it will return better than ever, with myself being a more informed blogger.
Gloria
Ann, I loved “Wicked Good Life” I thought it was a very clever title. I honestly did not know that wicked was a well-known adjective used in MA until my first visit to Cape Cod.
If you are going to change the title of your blog do it for the right reasons……..because you really want to change it or because you weren’t happy with “Wicked Good Life.” Don’t change it because someone make a negative comment on the internet. People who want to find fault with you always will, if you change the title they will find fault with the new one too.
The picture of you is great, so what if it was taken a few years early? It’s not your high school graduation picture or one taken at your First Holy Communion!!! The photo you used looks like you; that’s all that matters.
You have a wicked good blog and I enjoy reading it. Have a nice night!
Christine
I’ve been away from the blog for a while and it has really changed! I loved loved loved the title Wicked Good Life. I can’t imagine a title any better! Dead Nun Blog?! Ha! You always lift my spirits Ann!
Oops! Didn’t mean to put my email address in there! Did I pull an Ann??