Aaand we're into August now. My personal worst month of the year (July) has come and gone, whooppeeee! Beautiful, fresh, colourful, outdoorsy-scent-filled, rustic Autumn, here we come.  

Our home is a bit of a hospital ward now   as we are taking care of my elderly father (since early March), plus our daughter just had a hip replacement, and is staying with us until she is more recovered to go back to her place, which should be in the next week or so. This has been such a special extended time for her and my dad to have together. Very grateful for these memories being made.

I was thinking that it is has been nearly two years since, because of the pandemic, I let my hair go its natural colour (quite a nice silvery/mithril-white), and I am so glad I did: less cost, no chemicals, just plain 'n natural. It took me awhile to get used to the change, of course, and I am liking it very much (as are others). I wish I had done this a few years earlier, actually.  Embrace one's age as we grow older, I say!

Our veggie (and floral) gardens are flourishing. All except the tomatoes, which are doing okay, but not thriving like usual. We finally figured out that the bushes beside them have grown over this past year so that the tomatoes are not getting enough sun this year. We will rectify that next growing season in 2023 by moving the huge trellis on which they climb to the south side of the garden. I think we will notice a difference in harvest abundance then.  

Have a good August, everyone!  

I hear you there, jo (two months late)! July is personally my second least favorite month (February is #1), but the closer we are to autumn, the better.  Here in October, we are in peak fall colors, and I am loving it. The temperature still seems to be switching wildly between warm and chilly temperatures - I'm looking forward to when it's jacket weather all the time. 😛

For some reason, ever since June, this year just seems to be completely evaporating from under me. I know that time always seems to go faster, but for some reason it's just felt unusually fast. I've decided that I'm going to do everything I can to savor the rest of the year. October is my favorite month, and I just love November and December as well. I don't want these to disappear on me!

How has she been after the hip replacement? I hope that after a couple of months, she's fully recovered. 🙂 And your natural hair color sounds beautiful! Though I imagine it was a bit of a surprise for your friends when gatherings started happening again.  How did your garden fare this year (assuming it's not still going)?

This past weekend, I went cabin camping with some of my friends, and we had a very fun time (and were blessed with wonderful weather and gorgeous colors!). Next week, I'm planning to take a road trip (haven't decided where, but ideally somewhere in Minnesota I've never seen before). My dream trip would involve finding somewhere scenic and finding a nice place to write uninterrupted for the day, though it seems a little counterproductive to take a trip just to write. 😉

Speaking of writing, I'm happy to say that I've managed to do that consistently all year so far. I've even finished a couple of (smaller) projects! Right now, I'm focusing on a favorite story of mine, which is a darling that is also a sprawling mess that I'm not sure I can actually finish. 😛 I'm focusing exclusively on the first "episode" and hoping to finish a rough draft by the end of October. If I hit that target, I'll try to write a proper first draft by the end of the year (!!).

Posted by: @jo

quite a nice silvery/mithril-white

I must borrow this. Thank you.

Brief visit into Town Square. Thinking of the old times while appreciating new times.

Hello all!

Welcome back to the Town Square, cepp! 🙂 Good to see you, even if the visit is brief.

I opened my shades this morning, and was surprised by a blanket of snow over everything! It's not the first snow of the autumn/winter, but it's the first to last all day without melting. Normally I prefer to not get snow until after (American) Thanksgiving, but it's hard to argue with how pretty it is.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, it's coming up so quickly! Only a week and a half away now. I'm looking forward to it, but I do wish this year would stop flying by so quickly. I don't want Thanksgiving weekend to fly away, too! (As it is, there's no way I'm getting around to decorating this year. Every year I tell myself, "This time, I'll actually keep up with decorating"....)

So, I just "discovered" Discord. (I'd been aware of it for a while, but for gaming reasons, I finally was basically required to actually install and use it.) Has anyone thought about a Ditto Town Discord server? Does anyone here use Discord and might be interested in such a thing? (I just remember how Ditto Town used to be way, way back when it first started, and I wonder if the forum format just hasn't kept up with how people communicate these days, and maybe something like Discord might get people chatting more again.)

Hello there! First time stopping in the general chat thread!

I have really been enjoying the cold weather. I live where it gets really, really hot in the summer, and the cold weather doesn't last so long, so I like to enjoy it while it lasts. I just love dressing up warmly and being cozy in a blanket whilst I read a good book or play a fun video game. 

It's hard to believe it's already December.... wow.... the year is coming to a close and Christmas is fast approaching! My brother and I helped decorate the inside of our grandma's house. It was a lot of fun and it looks so festive and beautiful, making it feel a lot more like Christmas! ^^

I also feel there's so much "end of an era" going on lately. In October, I had to say goodbye to my old cell phone -- the first cell phone I ever had, since 2012 when I was 19-20 years old, because 3G would not longer be supported. It was a phone that had a pull out keyboard. You really couldn't do much except call, text, and play music but it was really all I ever needed to bring with me. I do love the new phone my grandma got me (we're on her plan) because I can finally play games like Genshin Impact (don't have the computer specs or space for it hahaha) and Hatsune Miku Colorful Stage, but my phone now feels more like a gaming device than a phone haha. I also still detest the touch screen keyboard, typos abound on it, but alas. I also just found out today that, in the Pokemon anime, Ash & Pikachu's journey is finally coming to an end. I first saw the anime when I was only 6 years old, and although I have not kept up much with the series after the dub cast change, I still would look here and there to see how Ash had progress, watched some snippets of newer episodes, I even really enjoyed the "I Choose You!" movie as a nice nod to the beginning as well as what's new. The final episodes of their journey is airing next year, and I'm definitely going to watch the send off. That show was my childhood, I still love it to this day, and I think I may even start catching up on the newer movies and series!

I do hope the new year will be nice. Already thinking of my resolutions. This year, I wanted to read more books, and I did! I still want to read more books. I do hope to write more in the coming year, and not just my usual dev work. So we'll see how that goes ^^

@kokoro-hane 

Hi and welcome!

It's always a little annoying getting rid of a phone you like because of some external thing when the phone still works fine. Still, ten years is impressive. (Insert "they don't make them like they used to" joke.)

I would probably rather have a good-quality basic phone than a smartphone and just keep my apps and stuff on my tablet, all things considered, but that isn't really a niche they make anymore AFAIK. I had a phone once that I got around the time that the first iPhone came out, and I was told by the person at the store that it was the main competitor. It had a sort of clamshell design, where it flipped open sideways to reveal a full keyboard with decent-sized keys (even bigger than the ones I've seen with slide-out keyboards, but still small enough that the phone was really compact). That's one thing that I wish they made as an option in any phones these days because I also don't really like the on-screen keyboard. It was such a handy device for texting, and if that's the main thing (other than calling) that you do with your phone, being able to hold it sideways and use a physical keyboard is so much nicer. Alas, I guess that was a design experiment that they decided most people didn't want, since I never saw another phone model that had a similar keyboard, then they stopped making ones with physical keyboards altogether. You can't even get a good quality flip phone these days, which is another thing you used to be able to get. I think the phone manufacturers just wanted to get everyone on board the smart phone bandwagon that they simply stopped giving us other options (quality dumb phones and semi-smart phones).

Unless they go back to giving us some more basic options, the best I can look forward to is seeing how the folding phones work out. That one that is the size of a normal smartphone but folds out sideways to be kind of like a mini-tablet? That could be kind of game-changing, if it can serve as both phone and tablet but more portable than a tablet. They just need to make sure that it's reliable quality and, most importantly, get the price point down to something a large number of people are able to actually afford. I'd even be interested in one of those smaller folding phones (the ones that fold like the second style of Game Boy Advances, if anyone remembers those), but again, it's about price point and reliability. 

@shawna

Yeah I really miss keyboard model phones, it'd be cool if someone comes up with a "smart phone" that has a physical keyboard. It just feels so much nicer to type on since you can feel push, which actually prevents typos lol. I've seen those new folding smart phones, gotta say that looks pretty neat and I like that idea so it's more closed and less likely to butt dial lol. I do wish there were more phone options out there -- some people just want a basic phone that does call and text. It gets annoying when you're in an intense gaming session and then RING RING phone call phone call xD Sadly I do not have a tablet either with the specs needed so oh well lol. 

Posted by: @rya

Here in October, we are in peak fall colors, and I am loving it. The temperature still seems to be switching wildly between warm and chilly temperatures - I'm looking forward to when it's jacket weather all the time.

Totally. Autumn is the best! ♥ So invigorating, rejuvenating, crisp ... it even smells beautiful.  

Posted by: @rya

I just love November and December as well. I don't want these to disappear on me!

Yes, yes, me too! But, sadly, they are gone for now , and I'm already looking forward to the Autumn of 2023.  

Posted by: @rya

How has she been after the hip replacement?

Months later   but she does not have any more pain, and can walk and bend over freely without a limp. So grateful for the excellent medical care she has received!

We had some delicious garden fare, yes. We are still using up the potatoes (buried in sand so they don't go soft and wrinkly), but everything else is gone. Oh, except some beans, which I froze for stews. I really missed our usual bounty of tomatoes, and am looking forward to placing the tiny plants in a better (non-shady) spot this year. Hopefully that will (and should) do the trick.

Posted by: @rya

This past weekend, I went cabin camping with some of my friends, and we had a very fun time (and were blessed with wonderful weather and gorgeous colors!).

My dream trip would involve finding somewhere scenic and finding a nice place to write uninterrupted for the day, though it seems a little counterproductive to take a trip just to write.

Speaking of writing, I'm happy to say that I've managed to do that consistently all year so far.

I'm focusing exclusively on the first "episode" and hoping to finish a rough draft by the end of October. If I hit that target, I'll try to write a proper first draft by the end of the year (!!).

Your cabin camping trip sounds beeeaauuutiful, Rya! And I do hope you can take a trip sometime, just to write. I don't think this is counterproductive, as one hears of authors going away to have uninterrupted time to concentrate. Go for it!  

Good for you for being so consistent last year. Did you manage to finish that first draft by the end of 2022? If so, how do you feel it turned out?

Posted by: @ceppault

Brief visit into Town Square. Thinking of the old times while appreciating new times.

Cep!!!!!!!!!! Always wonderful to have you pop by here. Yep, I often think of the old Town Square and how active it was. Some of us would be up until all hours of the night, just chatting. Great memories.

*waves to Shawna and welcome here to Kokoro-Hane!  

Life is tootling along here. Amidst joys and sorrows, God is faithful. We have been excited to get back volunteering at a very special organization in town, which provides housing and support to dear people who struggle with mental illness(es). We have a church service for them every few weeks, and also go there often just to interact with them, sometimes playing games; other times just chatting or being quiet with them.

Posted by: @kokoro-hane

I have really been enjoying the cold weather. ...

My brother and I helped decorate the inside of our grandma's house. It was a lot of fun and it looks so festive and beautiful, making it feel a lot more like Christmas!

for the cold weather, especially when the heat can be oppressive in summer there.

And how special you and your brother helped decorate your grandma's house! That pretty, festive atmosphere must have meant so much to her.

Hey folks.

Slept a bit much today, but had some neat dreams.

Reading lots, as I am preparing to do a Great Book Return to the library-- going out of town to visit my little bro and don't want things going overdue while I'm gone! ^_^

I need to pull my stuff together for the trip over the coming week. Get new warm socks, make sure laptop is updated, try on the new raincoat I ordered from the internet, and gather all relevant clothing items, personal technology, and hobby supplies for a great adventure. 😀

Honestly my biggest worry at this point is how badly my cat will miss me. :p I'll be gone a full month and we've only been apart one weekend since I got her.

Aaaand here we are again!  

I hope your great adventure was fun, memorable, and safe, Silverlily!

Town Square was last posted in in February, and it is now July ... our hottest, most humid, and often most parched month. But this year is different: we are receiving some lovely storms, which is such a gift for the farmers' fields and everyone's gardens. Often in July, the grass turns brown without regular precipitation, as it goes into dormancy, but not this year. Yet, anyway.  

We try not to travel distances much in the summer months, as we are not fond of hot weather, so our main times for holidays are Autumn and Winter. This October the plan is to spend a week in the beautiful Québec Laurentian mountains with all our kids. Excited!  

Our gardens are burgeoning—both floral and veggie. Beautiful! The bountiful harvest should begin sometime in later July and onwards.

We continue to volunteer with the wonderful Indwell organization, which houses and supports marginalized and vulnerable people who struggle so much daily with mental illness. I can't think of any better way of using well our days! ♥

My adventure was lovely, thanks @jo ! It was full of beautiful food, breathing space, art galleries, a cat cafe, time with seldom-seen cousins as well as bro, and a surprisingly deep amount of relief from some tricky brains issues that normally plague me. I came on the tale end of the local Cold Season and got to see the city coming into bloom as Spring came on, as well. <3

Life has been complicated back home, but not always in bad ways. I'm working on untangling some personal issues and also doing better financially than I was, and have been having a positive field day with art production, including a few pet portrait commissions recently. 

I've also made some new friends, a couple of whom I'm not sure are longterm but are sure fun to hang our with, and one of whom I've already bonded with very deeply.

I hope all of y'all are as well as can be, and would love to chat here more often!

Alrighty then! 🤣 Sure is quiet in here.

I miss those old days when social media is not what it is today. The various outlets really never replaced the sense of belonging I had here. It was considerably more manageable, too.

Greetings to all as you pass through the Square!

Posted by: @ceppault

Alrighty then!  Sure is quiet in here.

I miss those old days when social media is not what it is today. The various outlets really never replaced the sense of belonging I had here. It was considerably more manageable, too.

100% agreed, cep! And wonderful to see you. I love when you drop in like this. I, too, miss the non-social media days, and which social media was never developed. Gone are the days when the Town Square was hopping. Such great memories when there was regular, daily conversation there. I could easily live without Facebook—in fact, I'm hardly on there at all anymore. And I'm not on Instagram or Twitter; no desire to be, but NarniaWeb is such a foundational part of my life so that I really miss its more active days.

Ah well, at least it's still up and running (thank you, Tirian, fantasia, Rose, Glumpuddle). It always feels like a second home here.  

Hope you're doing well, cep, and a huge HELLO to ramagut too!  

Posted by: @ceppault

I miss those old days when social media is not what it is today. The various outlets really never replaced the sense of belonging I had here. It was considerably more manageable, too.

Agreed. I pop in every now and then when I remember, and I'm always so sad to see it so empty. Those early months right after the site started, when there were only a few hundred people and this place was super active were so fun. I remember doing those early Ditto stories almost live as people wrote short bits back and forth in some truly delightful shared creativity. 

Social media sites owned by huge companies and billionaires who don't care about any of us and will ban/block people at the drop of a hat, and 'curate' what portion of posts from people you know you can actually see, and care more about gathering your data than about community ... they'll never replicate what could be experienced from individual forums owned and run by people who cared about the few hundreds or thousands of members.