Share 4 Somethings—May 2024
For the 2024 edition of “Share 4 Somethings,” Jennifer asks us to share each month:
- Something loved and/or disliked
- Something accomplished
- Something improved upon and/or that needs improvement
- Something noticed
I also share my previous month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
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Something Loved
- HEARING AND SEEING AUTHORS ON YOUTUBE
Do you like to see what an author you’re reading looks like?
When I’m reading a non-fiction book by an author I don’t know, I sometimes google them on YouTube so I can see what they look like and hear how they speak (they often have interviews posted).
For example, my Tuesday morning book club is about to start this book: DO/WALK/ Navigate earth, mind and body. Step by step. I have never heard of the author Libby DeLana, so I looked her up and watched some of this interview about her book. And discovered she is a fascinating person!
I sometimes only listen to a video for a minute or two, but those few minutes of seeing and hearing the author is enough for me to recognize them more as a fellow human being with a passion to share something instead of only flat words typed on a page. It makes what they write feel a bit more personal and stay with me a little bit longer.
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Something Accomplished
- STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM
I didn’t begin eating strawberries until I was an adult. Now I can’t stop.
Every spring we buy locally-grown fresh strawberries to make several batches of strawberry freezer jam. This year, Jeff, Jenna, and I made 7 batches to keep in our freezers and enjoy all year long. I use this recipe from the Sure-Jell package, which is easy and delicious.
With the strawberries we had left over, we also made strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, and a strawberry cake, some of my favorite desserts. (I also love Strawberry Pretzel Salad…I didn’t remember to make that this year!)
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Something that Needs Improvement
- DELETING PHOTOS ON MY PHONE
Uh oh. Looking at my iPhone storage a few weeks ago, I discovered I only had 9 GB of remaining storage. How did that happen? Mainly because I have SO MANY photos and videos on my phone.
I thought I had already deleted quite a few photos this past year and transferred several more to more permanent storage, but there are still many more to go through. It feels like a monumental task.
So I’m taking baby steps. For one year, I’m committing to a daily search of that date’s photos (it’s super easy; type in the date, not year, and only those pics pop up). Here’s my search for May 28.
Usually about 10-20 photos will show up up from all the years past. That quantity is small enough for me to enjoy (time-wise and emotionally!) in less than a minute or two a day.
Baby steps. But I’m already seeing progress.
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Something Noticed
- THE NOISY CICADAS
What’s that noise? If you’re in the Southeast and Midwest U.S this month, the answer is likely this: Cicadas.
Lots and lots of cicadas. And they are indeed very loud. They say this is the first time since 1803 that these two broods emerged at the same time, and it won’t happen again until 2037.
It’s not a bad sound though. It’s actually a nice background hum, similar to white noise, so I don’t mind it at all.
What is something you are loving, accomplishing, improving, or noticing this month? Do you have an overload of cicadas where you are?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
Lisa, you will mind if they land on you! 🙂 They have on us on our walks. Mike ck’d the decibel level, and it was up to 93 and rising. I don’t mind cicadas rising, but landing is yet another thing, especially if one lands on me! Then it’s my voice that does not, I assure you, recede in the background! 🙂 Actually, I know what you mean and have often loved what I have called the “shaking sleighbells of August,” usually when they crop up in St. Louis. But yes, it all depends upon the brood.
Love you, and have a blessed Memorial Day as we remember . . .
xo
Lynn
Ha. I’m sure you’re right, Lynn–I do NOT want the cicadas to pile up on me. 🙂 And yes, remembering with gratitude today those who have protected our freedom…
Thank you for sharing about being able to look up the author and not only see a picture, but that there are often times interviews that you can listen to. I want to give that a try the next time I start a book!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is SO good! Sorry that you missed making it this year, but all of the other things you mentioned sound equally delicious!
Thank you for the tip on how you are going about sorting out the pictures on your phone! I would never have thought of that and it is something that I need to try!
I understand about the Cicadas. We’ve already had our turn a few years back on hearing them!
It is definitely helpful to me to hear the author’s voice (even if I don’t see a face) via a video or podcast so I can “hear” them in my head as I read their words. The photo tip was something I saw online. The drawbacks are that it’s a slow process, and it can make me sad when I see photos from years ago of people I no longer get to see in present times.
I just have to ask: How old is that cute little guy now? It seems to me that he is growing up so fast! I always enjoy your monthly recap in photos, Lisa.
The strawberries are so amazing this time of year, too. I cannot get enough of them.
Have a blessed week!
Thanks, Martha. Our little guy turned 3 years old already. I can’t believe how fast he’s growing up! Seems even faster than when my own daughters were young.
Your grandson is getting so big! That toy riding tractor brings back memories.
What a good idea to look up videos of authors we’re not familiar with.
I’ve had to delete some of the photos on my phone. I kept getting warnings about running out of storage space–the warnings have stopped now, so maybe I deleted enough for a time. I need to look into offloading them all onto outside storage.
We don’t have the current brood of cicadas, but my son’s yard was overrun with Brood X a couple of years ago. We tried to eat on the deck, and they kept dropping onto the table or us–some of them while in the act of mating. They were neat while hatching (Jason said they sounded like Rice Krispies popping), but were so many and so noisy, we were glad when it was all over.
If your phone has stopped warning you about storage, maybe you’re safe for a little longer. 🙂 I love the ability to take so many photos these days with such ease, but it does create a new problem of overload and of keeping them organized. Every few years I get the motivation again to clean it all up, but it takes so much time.
I just sort of realized this weekend that I could look up authors on youtube and both see and hear them (why that never dawned on me before I’m not sure!). I had fun searching for different authors and a few that I read on kindle and don’t have author photos were not at all like I pictured them! I can’t wait for strawberry season. I love fresh strawberries.
I have really enjoyed hearing/seeing authors as well! Looking at the list of authors I’m currently reading, I actually was familiar with the voices of several of them, which is surprising since there are SO many books and authors in the world. ha. I guess I tend to read several of the same authors every time they publish new books.
Never thought of finding an author on you tube. I will have to try that. that is a great idea. thanks!!
What’s strange though is when it’s someone I’ve been reading awhile, and then when I finally look, I see they are totally different than I was imagining in my head. ha. But I guess we’ve been doing that for years with radio voices too. 🙂
What an interesting idea to look up an author on YouTube and see if they have a video to get to know them better. I never thought about doing that.
My grandmother used to make strawberry freezer jam and it was one of my favourtie treats on vanilla ice cream. I don’t have her recipe, but I hadn’t realized there was one on the box. Perhaps it’s the one she used. Thanks for sharing that it is a delicious recipe.
Happy Friday, Lisa.
I move my photos onto the laptop but I’m a bit slack at it so I have thousands on there still – it does creep up on you. Now why didn’t you eat strawberries?
Lastly, I’m the reverse on authors. I don’t know what they look like and am often surprised if I go to see them talk because I didn’t realise I’d created an idea of them in my head, which is of course, not correct! Ha! #WeekendCoffeeShare
I’m super slack with my photos too – note to self, must cull. Interesting re your strawberry comment – here in South East Queensland we’re just heading into strawberry season (even though technically it’s winter) with the season lasting from Mother’s Day to Melbourne Cup Day (in November). Thanks for linking up with us.
I love hearing the authors too even if they are not always how I expect.
I like you idea of how to delete pictures from a phone. I think I’ll give it a try. We have lots of strawberries that are going into the freezer. Perhaps I need to make some of the freezer jam.
Hi Lisa, Cicadas remind me of my childhood and Summer! I need to do some deleting of photos. I take so many and half the time I don’t look at them or use them. I’ve been reading a new book ‘It’s In Your Hands – Your steering wheel, Your choice’ by Dr Jane Foster PHD. I interviewed Jane this week for my podcast and found her very informative. You may find her book of value. Thanks for linking up ad sharing with us at #WBOYC? and have a lovely weekend. x
Lisa, Thank you for your weekend coffee share. The strawberry freezer jam sounds delish. I noticed the noise of cicadas when I was in Illinois last week.
This is a great way of sharing things Lisa and I enjoyed your 4 somethings. We have cicadas in summertime here too but now that it’s winter they’ve all gone to ground, their noise can be deafening! Photo storage is. areal issue for many of us, thanks fto the tips. Thanks for joining us for #wboyc this month
I haven’t made freezer jam the last few years, but my mom always did that when I was little. I also love your idea about cleaning out your photos from your phone!
Very cool setup for your coffee share. Beautiful photos. No cicadas here yet (Kentucky USA) but we expect them. My dog will go crazy!
That one second every day is a fun idea! I’m always googling people! I haven’t made freezer jam in a long time. I need to delete some photos too. I started doing the daily search, and then stopped, for no reason other than forgetting. It’s funny though because on my phone, if it even picks up the word or the number of teh date in a photo it will bring that up as well. I have friends and people I follow have been sharing about the cicadas.
I’ve been using my regular camera more because I have so much bloat on my phone — it’s not just the photos that are taking space, but also important apps and those apps need to be updated regularly.
Ugh, the pictures, though!! I am in the same boat. I used to be good at transferring them to my computer, getting them printed, all the things…not they rot and take up space on my phone. It is an ongoing process. I hope you have a great week! https://encounterswiththedavisfamily.blogspot.com/2024/06/share-four-somethings-may-2024.html