This and That, gardens and blogging friends and reading. . .

I’ve been busy writing another post about my history in French,part of a proposed continuing series that so far is hitting a high of one post a year. . . .I’m hoping to get it up this weekend.

In the meantime, may I direct you to my friend The Running Historian who just posted on our Vancouver meet-up— a great photo of another happy blogger-friends story. If you pop over there, do congratulate her on last weekend’s Half Marathon, would you?

And if you’d like to know what I’ve been reading lately, I’m finally making some headway on catching up my other blog, with a fewquick and dirty almost-reviews of some light reading.. . .

Oh, and back to add one more thing: A reminder that with Google Reader slated to disappear soon, I’ve put up a button on the column to the right so that you can follow me with Bloglovin’. It’s an easy-to-use, low-commitment way to keep track of the blogs you like to follow, and I’d be really happy if you consider me in that number.

8 Comments

  1. Madame Là-bas
    10 May 2013 / 9:48 am

    I am looking forward to your next instalment of your French history. We share the link of a French-speaking grand-parent and I do wonder how far my Manitoba- Québec roots go. One of my friends sent me photos of her sons at the half-marathon. She also sent me a first-hand account of Boston from a substitute teacher she met last week. It sounded terrifying.

    • materfamilias
      10 May 2013 / 9:27 pm

      I'm really lucky that one of my cousins continued the work done by an aunt and an uncle — she's traced my maternal roots back to 17th-century immigration from France to the Ottawa region, with a gradual move, then, to Manitoba, and finally in my mom's generation, to BC.
      Yes, I can only imagine how terrifying that crowd's experience in Boston must have been.

  2. Pondside
    10 May 2013 / 3:52 pm

    I re-read your last installment and look forward to the next. It's always such a pleasure to drop by your posts.

    • materfamilias
      10 May 2013 / 9:28 pm

      Really kind of you to say so!

  3. Unknown
    10 May 2013 / 4:09 pm

    I look forward to your next French history installment.

    As for Google Reader, another replacement option is The Old Reader, on which the Google Reader was originally based. The Old Reader has a similar look and feel, which is nice for those of us who don't feel like learning a brand new interface with completely different features.

    • materfamilias
      10 May 2013 / 9:29 pm

      Thanks, Susan. Good to hear from someone with so much more techie facility than I have. I have noticed references to Old Reader and thought I might check it out at some point as well. What I know I'm going to miss is iGoogle, with a number of my favourite sites pulled together for me on my desktop. Really not keening on new learning curves in areas I don't have time for!

  4. Anonymous
    10 May 2013 / 7:15 pm

    Dear Mater, lovely photos accompany this post. Read on to catch up on a few of your previous posts… wise and gracious response (exactly what I've come to expect from the "you" I've met in this blog) to the Anonymous comment the other day. I read the comment twice as well as your response and the heartful responses from other readers of your blog. I did find after thinking about it further that her first statement about fearing her comment would be removed due to it not being supportive, struck a bit of a note. I don't write a blog myself (probably lack of confidence in my writing skills even more than lack of time), but I very much admire those who share pieces of themselves in personal anecdotes, or just organinzing thoughts and musings, in addition to outfits and other lighthearted issues shared by women of a certain age. It is much deeper, and for me, an affirmation of what we share in the human experience of life. So when a commenter takes on judgment or chastisement it seems off, but on the other hand, any comment that infers any sense of disagreement can incite a defensive flurry of negative judgment in return. Sometimes an almost attack will take place on the commenter daring to express a difference in opinion. Though not on your blog as much as on others most likely due to the tone you set and the readers you draw in your warm and honest way. I think as long as the different perspective is shared respectfully, it can be useful to consider an opposing angle. I apologize for such a long comment and hope you will be able to keep allowing Anons such as myself to comment, but I shall investigate following you the new way also. Have a wonderful week end. Sincerely, Marysue

    • materfamilias
      10 May 2013 / 9:43 pm

      So good of you, Marysue, to take time to offer your careful perspective on this. I do think it's important to try to take as much of the worthwhile content from comments that might make me feel defensive at first reading. I've been really impressed (but not surprised!) that a number of commenters gave that Anon. a generous slant, even as they disagreed with her. Some of us are much more comfortable in this medium than others, and I do try to allow for that difference. I thank you for commenting, despite your discomfort. May yours be a fabulous weekend as well!

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