… on a cold and snowy Saturday when I began this blog – February 11, 2013 to be exact.
The title of that first post was the same as the title for my blog: “Walkin’, Writin’, Wit & Whimsy” and I felt compelled for some reason to have a second title, i.e. “LINDA’S BIG ADVENTURE: ENTERING “THE BLOGOSPHERE.”
Shakespeare said it best: “Brevity is the soul of wit” and I get it … I can be witty, but long-winded too, just like that very first blog post.
Even the title of my blog is long and I used to think I should have used a short and succinct title that has a nice ring to it, maybe “Walk and Talk” – or maybe not. I actually like walking alone as it gives me time to think or just let my mind be a blank sometimes, until a squirrel runs over and looks up at me with pleading eyes. Yep, I see you kiddo, so I’ll just put my thoughts on “pause” for a few minutes.
As to the short blog title, on occasion, I’d be out walking and taking pictures and in the course of doing that, someone may happen by and we may begin chit-chatting. I’d mention my blog and they’d ask for the title as they simultaneously whipped out their smartphone. So, I’d start reciting the title, giving them the entire name first, pausing to stress there’s an ampersand and to be sure to drop the “g” on the first two words – by then they usually lost interest. So, I finally ordered some cards from Vistaprint to hand out.
That worked out pretty well if the person has good eyesight. The business card is cute, but some of the words are smaller than a font used in the White Pages. I know that comparison may leave some of you youngsters scratching your head.
Because the Walkin’ and Writin’ parts are easier to fulfill, I sometimes feel the need to bolster the Wit and Whimsy portions. I’m having lots of fun doing those categories.
Sigh … sometimes I just can’t help myself.
One of my 2022 New Year’s resolutions was to use up all the blog photos I’ve taken in 2021, then start anew. This was an effort to be more timely in posting about treks I’ve taken. But, even though my picture files are groaning with images from at least five treks last year, plus photo fodder for countless Wordless Wednesday posts, I cast that resolution aside, sauntered out the door, camera in hand, multiple times already in this young year because I felt the need to take pictures of the snowy and icy landscapes and to show you my shivering pals at Council Point Park who wish I would bring cocoa and cookies along with the usual fare and occasional treats more befitting them. Then I also found some fun pics in a Wintertime stroll around the ‘hood. When I first began my blog, some fellow bloggers lived in warm climates and had never seen snow in person – or, it was a rarity. Now, thanks to climate change, almost all of you, even in warmer climes, find ice and snow to be the new normal.
So, I broke that resolution, but hey – I’ve broken every other 2022 New Year’s resolution and, in record time, I might add. Maybe next year, I will round up a few of my favorite posts of the past decade. This is one of those favorite posts. Parker is the cutest critter at the Park, the subject of many “A Girl and her Squirrel” posts and sometimes a spoiled brat. You’ll be reading about that bad behavior in an upcoming post.
‘Tis the season for sharin’ the love.
This is my all-time favorite picture of Parker from that particular post back in 2020 and since we are on the cusp of Valentine’s Day, I’ll use the occasion to share it again. He looked so cute I wanted to scoop him up and take him home with me.
Today, on my blogiversary, it is Post #1,693. I know I have lots to say and future posts are already bubbling around in my brain, so I hope you stick around for a long time. I enjoy interacting with all of you and for my fellow bloggers, I hope you are enjoying your blogging experience as much as I enjoy mine.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Always nice to look back and remember your older posts. Iike Parker and his valentine treat. Your blogging cards are cute. It certainly is a simple way to direct people to your blog.
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Glad you liked this post Peggy. Yes, this was one of my favorite posts as Parker was so darn cute. I was going to put a Jacquie Lawson card in here, but decided to do Parker with that over-sized cookie instead. I did a post for Mother’s Day a few years ago, which was pretty funny, retelling some things my mom told me “a lady should do” and I used some of her old pics and my old pics. It was bittersweet, but also funny:
https://lindaschaubblog.net/2019/05/12/mom-n-me/
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That was an interesting post about your mother and your family. Your mother was a pretty lady. The last picture of the two of you was nice. You were a nice looking lady too. Memories are precious. Your mother had a very hard life after she was hit by the car. I know you will always miss your mother. I never forget my mother and she died 20 years ago. My dad was a stinker. He was always in the bars and cheating on mom with other women. He was a very grouchy and hateful man.
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Thank you Peggy – I appreciate you saying that. I originally intended the post to just show the first photo and the last photo of us together, but I decided to add more and it morphed into that long post. I am grateful for all the photos to be able to go back and relive those memories. My mom did have a hard life from age 11 on and her father was terrible and hateful to her and my grandmother; my father, as you read, was not a nice man either. My post for Valentine’s Day will mention my mom as it was her birthday, but is not just about her. I do miss my mom very much – we were very close, more so after my father left in January 1984.
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Mothers are the most important person to their children. I have to say my husband is a wonderful man and my daughter loves him very much. As I said my father was a stinker.
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You made a better choice than your mother Peggy … my mother and grandmother, even my great grandmother all made poor choices.
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My grandmother on my mother’s side was abused by my grandfather. He even let his brother come to his house and beat my grandmother up. It’s ridiculous how many men beat up women.
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You’re right about that … I don’t know that my great-grandfather or grandfather beat their wives, but they were very caustic with their words, almost as bad. After my great-grandmother was stepped on by the horse while saddling the buggy, he told her she was no use to him anymore. He treated her very poorly – she bore him nine children, worked the fields with him and he treated her like dirt. It is very sad.
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I hear so many stories of wife abuse in past generations. Your poor great-grandmother – so unfair to be treated so badly.
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Yes, treated with zero respect Peggy – very sad.
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Happy Blogiversary Linda! And my best regards to Parker. What a beautiful Valentine’s Card 🙂
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Thank you Jeanine – nine years and where did the time go? I hope to see Parker as I’ve been MIA in action at the Park all week. The weather has not been great with wintry mixes with ice and/or snow over ice. Ugh. He sure is a cutie pie in this shot.
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I was introduced to blogging by my daughter, who thought I should share my photographs ‘with others’. I had no real sense of direction; no idea of who would bother to read my blog … those tentative steps and the first few followers and especially the first comments, made me bolder. Blogging has been an enriching journey for me during which I have learned so much. Continue to enjoy your journey!
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and you are doing a great job of it Anne!
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Thank you very much.
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I was very much like you Anne. My neighbor kept pressing me to start a blog. I’d come home from my daily walk and she was housebound due to COPD, so she’d ask me what I saw on my walks. I’d describe things and occasionally took a photo. I don’t have a smartphone, so I’d send her pictures days later. She sent me some blogs she followed and said try doing this. I had just a few e-mail subscribers and didn’t even tell anyone but Marge (neighbor) about my blog for many months. Finally in November 2017 a WP blogger found me and things took off. I find blogging very rewarding. I hope we both have a long blogging journey.
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Happy Valentine’s Day, Linda!
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Thanks Pam – you as well. I’m doing a special Valentine’s Day post about my mom for Monday – she would have turned 96. It’s not my usual squirrel post that I often do. Stay tuned!
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Ok!♥️
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Happy Blogiversary to you and all the star critters!! Parker is SO adorable. Congrats on being able to come up with material for 9 years – that’s a huge accomplishment on top of all of the miles you’ve put on during your walks. All of the efforts are keeping you healthy and sane. I’m thankful our paths have crossed here in the blogosphere. Cheers to you and your posts to come!
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Thank you Shelley and I am thankful that our paths have crossed here in the blogosphere as well! My steps/miles are at an all-time low right now, so I will be needing to work very hard to catch up when/if the better weather arrives. You are right – walks keep me mellow and sane, as does blogging, even if I’m often a season behind “reporting” on my treks, or days behind in Reader.
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You’re a star blogger in my book! Keep on keeping on. 🙂
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Well that made me smile and likewise for you Shelley!
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💕🤗
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That squirrel is really cute! Happy Blogiversary!
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Thank you! Parker is cute like your chipmunk who was enjoying those rose hips. When I first followed you, there was a chipmunk in one of your posts who was very cute. They’re very photogenic!
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Yes they are pretty photogenic!
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Yes, oh to be little and cute again. 🙂
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All your squirrel friends should gather together to thank you Linda! I hope a “mob” of squirrel’s descend upon you to thank you for your tireless efforts to keep their tummy’s full!
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Well, right now, a mob of squirrels might descend on me because I’ve not been to the Park since Sunday morning. We’ve had snow, then freezing rain and though it was 40 yesterday and today, there was a glaze on the cement and we’re getting some more wintry mix tonight. My poor critters! I will make it up to them. 🙂
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and I know you will Linda!
They are all on a “Linda” watch! I can just see them with their tiny binoculars scanning the horizon now!
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Well I made it down there today Wayne – the streets were clear, so I plodded along in the street. The Park had a lot of ice on the path from runoff so I walked on the snow. The squirrels were happy, birds too – squirrels more. I am going to look for a pair of binoculars and put them on a squirrel for “where’s Linda?” I have some ideas for another Winter post the end of February before I return to the last five posts of 2021. You gave me a good idea. 🙂 I was so worried about them not finding food due to the nearly 10 inches of snow, then the freezing rain. I need to get a gumball machine, fill it with peanuts and teach them how to use it as needed.
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I have a pair of small binocs you can have Linda! I never use them!
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Great Wayne. I’ll give them to Parker … he is the smartest of the bunch!
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That is a perfect Parker picture! Happy blogiversary!
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It is my favorite picture of him Kate – he looked so angelic nibbling on his big cookie. Thank you!
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And so chubby! 🙂
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I sometimes wonder how they remain so nimble when they get so chubby. 🙂
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You are so gifted with words. Your stories, photos and good humor inspire. Happy blogiversary, and many more!
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Thank you Rebecca – this comment made my day! I really do love writing these posts and especially when I have some fun pictures to share, it makes it all the merrier.
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Happy Anniversary Linda! May you have many more! I’m always eager to read what you have in store! Those business cards are a neat idea. Did you see Dave’s blog this week about having your blog posts bound in book format?
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Thank you Joni – I am happy to read this. I like writing the long picture-laden posts from long treks, but I also like the posts I can have some fun with too. I’ve been collecting a few photos to make a funny post for the end of February. My post for Valentine’s Day will be a little different too – but no squirrel antics and heart-shaped goodies for a change. No, I didn’t read Dave’s post yet … I think I had one ahead of yours to read last night when I encountered the issue with exiting out of the comment and posting on another person’s blog. That is a fun idea to put your posts into a book form. I’d have to go thru my blog as I wanted to show someone an earlier post one time and there were grayed-out images instead of photos. I was a little horrified about that. I’ve had some weird things happen over the years singe I began my blog. (P.S. – The header image for this post is my header image I use for Winter on FB – I changed it to Valentine’s Day for a week. I made a lot of collages years ago and rotate them around for the season/holiday. It had hearts in one photo, so I “stole” it from myself.)
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I find your blog posts plenty witty. Congratulations on the blogiversary! Love the Parker pic with his Valentine cookie.
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Thank you Eilene – I am having a lot of fun with this blog which gives me a chance to be creative with words and pictures. Parker is a bit of a ham and it was lucky he picked that cookie up and began eating it with the red sugar side toward me to make such a cute picture. 🙂
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Well I LOVE Parker and the cookie!
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He is a cutie pie isn’t he DiAnne? I always thought I was pretty lucky to have him pick that cookie up, with the red sugar side toward me, as I was standing there with the camera. 🙂
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Happy Anniversary!!! Here’s to many more.🎉✨
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Thank you Ruth! I hope to be writing for many more years! Walking too hopefully – I got out for a walk today, first time since Sunday – lots of ice around here. P.S. – If you squint, on the business card you can see “Send joy in the journey.” Very tiny print. Remember I found a painted rock with that saying and had a picture of it in a post and you told me to put it on my blog home page? So, I included it on the card too. They have a template – why it was such small print I don’t know. They were a good deal on the cards so I can’t be mad about it.
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I got out to the farm on Wednesday when it was warm and sunny. I rode the 4 wheeler for a while then helped my husband stack some firewood, I then came home a finished cleaning the snow and ice off the driveway – wanted to get that done before it froze again. Looks like we have a couple nice days coming this week. I didn’t remember that conversation – thanks for reminding me. I still love the line and think it’s great that you put it on your card. 🙂
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Glad you like that line Ruth. I would have loved to have been out Wednesday afternoon when it was so mild – this Wednesday will be the same. Hard to imagine it now with the snow flying. Did you hear about the 50-car pile-up in Farmington Hills due to whiteout conditions?
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Snow squalls make some of the most hazardous driving conditions. I heard there were a couple of large pileups. We didn’t see any of that snow up this way.
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I heard them say on WWJ this morning that Livonia got six inches of snow and in Macomb County there was none. I got two inches, but we’re having another wintry mix and a two-day storm Thursday/Friday. I’m ready for Spring!
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Were ready for this round but like you we would rather have spring.🌞
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Well I sure hope March comes in like a lamb Ruth! The ice is the worst of this impending storm and if ice coats the trees after an entire day of rain – well that’s worrisome too. I have lots of older trees in the neighborhood and worry they’ll topple over with ice.
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9 years! Congratulations, Linda. To be honest, I’m a little envious of your verbosity, even if I can’t always keep up with it. You write with Wit and Whimsy at length; and, when I’m not otherwise employed chasing my tail like a mad squirrel, I enjoy your posts a great deal.
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Thank you for saying that Rachel. I do enjoy writing it but admit there are times when I wish I had waited until I was retired to begin a blog, but then partly it is my fault as I do write long posts. I stayed off here all day today – I’m having some WordPress issues. Yesterday WordPress had a mind of its own, putting comments wherever it wanted to – not where I put them. Scrolling down Reader on its own liking and then “unliking” with no rhyme or reason.
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Of course. Condolences regarding your difficulties. Warfare with WordPress: the thing that can bring even the most disparate of us together.
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Thank you Rachel – I was trying to catch up as I’m hopelessly behind here. This morning WordPress wrote me back and conceded there was a problem on their site, not mine. I had thought Friday night and all day Saturday it was my problem alone and I am using Windows 7, so thought that might be an issue, then I noticed for people where I wrote a comment and said to ignore that comment as WP went a little crazy, they said they had issues too.
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Congratulations on another great year of blogging, Linda! I’ve thought of making cards to hand out to people who ask me questions but never got around to doing it. Your card is very pretty. And I love the picture of Parker holding his Valentine treat. 🙂 I do plan to stick around reading your wit and whimsy for a very long time!
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Thank you Barbara! You used to be able to get business cards at Walgreens and I thought of getting some made there, then Vistaprint was advertising a big sale, so I hopped on their site and made them. I have not handed out that many cards, but it’s nice to have them on hand whenever I walk. I’d handwrite the blog site address but people would say they couldn’t read my writing. Glad you like them – I think it is an English Robin. That is one of my favorite photos of Parker. I know he posed for me, making sure to turn the cookie with the red sugar away from him and facing me to make a better picture. 🙂 Thank you – I hope we both will be blogging for a long time.
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Me, too. Parker is so adorable, and cooperative, too! 😉 ❤️
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He was adorable here and most times, but he does have his moments on occasion. In a few weeks, I’ll do my last Winter post and will have a story about him and walnuts. He was a bit of a brat that day but I was lucky to get pictures of him.
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Congrats on your blogiversary. Well done. Your business card is [was?] adorable. I’m glad we connected online. How else would I know how cute Parker is?
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Thanks Ally – sometimes it seems much longer than nine years. I’m glad you like the business card. I had a lot of them made as Vistaprint had a big sale, so I splurged. I’ll likely have them the rest of my life. I wish the font size was larger. I also put the blog site (the shorter one which involves less typing) to make it easier to find. I used to take photos of people I’d meet at the various parks and then gave them the card and said “look here in a couple of weeks for your photo.” I quit doing that as I’m so backed up with getting posts done. Parker was a real cutie pie in this picture for sure.
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Happy blogiversary! The picture of Parker would be perfect for a Valentine’s Card. He’s very cute. ☺
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Thanks Clare! You were one of my earliest followers … I was blogging 4 1/2 years and had just three or four e-mail subscribers, friends that followed me, but I didn’t even tell them about my blog until I’d been writing for a while. And you gave me an award too – my first one. I think Parker’s pic would make a cute card too. I should look into that. We have a local card company (Avanti Press) that used to look for contributions by photographers for use in cards. He sure is a cute little guy.
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Parker is a natural model. 🙂
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Yes, he is brazen too as he knows I spoil him a little more than the others. 🙂
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Happy Valentine’s Day and happy blogiversary! I love the picture of Parker and your business cards are very cute. I had some made a while ago but I don’t use them very often… perhaps I need to change that 🙂
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Thank you Janis. That is my favorite picture of Parker – he was cooperative while enjoying that cookie that was about half his size. 🙂 My blog name is so long, it made sense to do that after I’d be carrying pieces of paper with it written out. One time I was taking photos of Christmas decorations on a street with many older homes. I was interested in taking photos of Christmas wreaths. Many homeowners had wreaths on multiple windows. My post was going to be called “Wreathed in Smiles” and publish it Christmas Eve. I did just that but at one house, I took the photos, moved on, strolling down the boulevard and a few minutes later a car pulled over near me and they opened the window and asked why I was taking photos of their home. That was an occasion I tried to give them the blog title – they were still dubious and after they drove away I thought to myself “I sure hope no one robs their house tonight – I’d be a prime suspect.” I started carrying the blog site info after that and then got the cards.
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Love your blog card Linda, great idea! That is my favorite picture of Parker too!
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It has worked out well Diane – I used to write out the name and have it handy if the blogging topic came up. This works much better. They’ll last me a while. Parker was extra cute that day – he looks like he has one of YOUR Valentine cookies. Hope you are doing well and not in any pain. You fixed meals ahead, right or maybe your granddaughter is doing the cooking? 🙂
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This was one of the first blogs I came across and the most memorable with your amazing ability to tell stories especially with Parker & co. Happy Blogiversary ❤
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Thank you very much Zena – you and I bonded over nature in part since your mom liked to feed critters. There is a lot to love about nature – it helps to keep us grounded in these turbulent times.
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Your stories and lovely photos brought so much happiness to my mother who was such a nature lover. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤
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Thanks Zena – when I read your sad post about your mother’s passing, I thought of how you told me she was a nature lover and it brought me joy to know she enjoyed my nature posts.
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I often talked about your posts to her which she loved and loved even more when she saw your pictures. The happy magic you spread by your posts to people is such a gift ❤
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I remember you saying that your mom liked the posts and the pictures – that always made me feel good. And that you say I spread happy magic with my posts also makes me feel good as well – thank you for saying that Zena.
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