journal of a writing man

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Blowing raspberries

May 9, 2008 · 10 Comments

Friday May 9, 2008

The whole nation seems to me to be holding its breath and waiting in anticipation of what may occur with fuel and food prices, with the property market, and with the credit ‘crisis’.  I say crisis but, looking at the smug smiles on the faces of those who make their livings from credit I suspect they’re not overly bothered.  Heh ho.  It’s the rich what gets the pleasure/And the poor what gets the blame.

This place is now a veritable hive of inactivity.  Nothing is happening.  In a big way, nothing is happening.  I keep my brain ticking over by transferring journal files over–I’m in the middle of September 2005 now and shall very shortly be counting down the last twelve months.  I have plans for the future of the journal, seeking to find a way to avoid this periodic massive labour of file transfers as the WWW changes under my feet and I keep on writing.  How’s it go?  If you’re in a hole, stop digging?

I think my mistake is to keep all my eggs in one basket like this.  In a couple of months there will be ten years of entries here.  I think it’d be more sensible to start over, leaving the old stuff spinning as a live but inactive archive.  I’m wanting to change the style of the writing, too.  It has matured and changed over the years but sitting on top of a massive pile impedes that process, I’m sure of it.

Two, possibly three things need to happen before I do anything about it, though.  I must finish the transfer of the files.  That’s a given.  The ten-year anniversary of the online journal happens this coming June.  I’d like to get past that milestone, too.  And, finally, I rather fancy starting a new format, new look, new feel, possibly even new name journal when we move house.

The way things are happening I have those events in the right order.  The house move thing, though, may stretch the whole thing out a little.

I’m happy enough here.  Leastways, I am when Graham is at home.  If the property market stays frozen, I’ll go on being happy here, too.  The only thing I’d like is a little raised-bed salad vegetable garden to potter at.  I may have to be creative with a strawberry tower and a winter potato pot.  And a columnar containerised cherry tree.  Or possibly a raspberry tower.  King of fruits, is the raspberry.  Good for blowing, too.

Categories: personal

10 responses so far ↓

  • Kate // May 9, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    John,

    I’ll think of you next summer when the rows of raspberry bushes in the garden at the new place begin to bear fruit. I am not a jelly or jam maker so will probably put out a call: “Raspberries all yours, come and pick!”

    Ah, Kate, you get the reward for your snowy winters with a stonking good high-quality raspberry crop. They tend to be a bit mushy here. If you can’t think preserves, think pavlova. And raspberry ice-cream!

  • Mage Bailey // May 9, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    Sounding good John. We too find ourselves in a crashing housing market while living in a three story town house/condo. When I can’t climb the stairs, we sell. Until then, we like it.

    I first started two blogs with one as backup. That second one is now evolving more toward the visual leaving me blathering on in the first one.

    There’s a new design stair-climbing aid just come on the market here, Mage. I’ll try to remember to blog a link to it when I see it next. Not a stair-lift, more a sturdy, mobile rail. Brilliant idea, acting as an intermediate for those of us who may need a bit of a helping hand to keep our independence in a few years. Helluva lot cheaper, too.

  • bonnie // May 9, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    I’ve not heard of anyone growing raspberries here. I suspect our drought conditions are the reason.

    You need a slow climate, with cold winters and mildish summers for good raspberries, Bonnie. Best plan for you, I reckon, is to import them from Scotland… ;-)

  • Maureen // May 9, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    I have just planted 5 raspberry canes! 3 early and 2 late fruiting kinds.The house across the way from mine has been up for sale for 5 months now and has not had even 1 viewer.

  • CBG Dee // May 9, 2008 at 3:02 pm

    Ah, raspberries. Ecstasy on a vine. Goes well with chocolate, too. (grin)

    You intrigue me with your plans for a new style of journal/blog, John. I’ll be looking forward to that.

  • Mary Lee // May 9, 2008 at 3:22 pm

    Well, whatever you come up with, I’m positive it will be interesting, thought-provoking, and entertaining, John. I still have the fingers crossed for you on selling the house, but it seems everyon’e’s having a bit of trouble these days in real estate. And raspberries, and dark chocolate, a divine partnership!

  • gary // May 9, 2008 at 3:34 pm

    my goodness, best wishes to you, every day…
    btw–if you happen to think of a poem using “doggy” today it would be……

  • oldgreypoet // May 9, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    I’m genuinely working quite hard on the thought process of a new journal style/approach, friends. I don’t intend to pre-announce, though. I hate the idea of giving my ideas away before I’ve had a chance to code ‘em!

    Gary:

    SPOTTY DOG’S BLOG

    There once was a doggy
    who had a spiffy bloggy.
    He whiffled and whuffled
    and piffled and puffled
    but, sadly, couldn’t get beyond a good title.

  • Douglas Franklin // May 9, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    John, I believe that all of your writing is built on all of your past writing… I enjoy reading people with histories that are available.
    I’m in my thirteenth year, and I haven’t changed the archival format, and probably never will. But my style has changed and my “voice”, whatever the hell that is, has changed, I’m told.
    When I originally set up my files… well, after a coupla years, anyway… my files are readily transferable to any other format or program. However, I’ve never felt the need to go to another format/system. Hard-coded HTML is easy, and doesn’t change.
    Anyway, congrats on almost ten years of public exposure of your life!
    and, as always,
    Thanx for being here!
    Doug

    I do sorta regret that I didn’t stick with my original simple html, Doug. I did stick to keeping simple text copies on my hard disk, so the material’s there. Together with the pictures and the meta-links, though, it’s a bit of a job moving from one content management system to another so, when I hit a convenient point, I shall close this lot down, leave it spinning and available on the web just as it is now, and have the new and old point to one another. So I’m not planning or even thinking of dropping anything, just putting the load down by the side of the road forward. Oh, and congrats on your thirteen years!
    John:)

  • Bex // May 10, 2008 at 11:46 am

    I believe change is a good thing, John, just as long as we know where to find you, is all. Without your daily jottings, life would just be - well, not quite as good.

    If you find you are stuck there for the summer, why not do a veggie garden in containers on the back patio? Large pots can grow a nice vegetable just as well as the earth!

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