Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?

 Bloggers MIA

Image by Freepik

Hello friends! I have a mystery that I would like your help in solving. I have spent quite a bit of time today looking for new blog posts from favorite bloggers who seem to have disappeared from the blogosphere. And many of these are bloggers that I feature in my right hand column so that I (and others) can easily find their blogs and their latest posts.

People like Andrea Nine who wrote "Living on Cloud Nine" and Shellie from "The FABulous Journey." And how about Laurie Bronze from "Vanity & Me?" I can't even find newly written posts from some of these folks on Instagram, where I know many bloggers have moved to. 

It makes me worry about people, whom I have come to know as friends through reading their blogs over the years, when they suddenly aren't writing new blog posts. Has something happened to them? Are they sick? Or have they simply decided not to blog anymore? 

I do see posts from Shellie Bowdoin on FaceBook from time to time, so at least I know she is doing well. She and her husband are missionaries in the Philippines and I have followed her through her son's cancer diagnosis and healing and her daughter's wedding. But, she hasn't created a new blog post in a very long time. 

It seems like so much has changed over the years since I began blogging. There used to be soooo many bloggers and here lately folks seem to be dropping like flies from their blogs. It's kind of sad to me. I realize that for folks trying to make money that Instagram is a huge pull, but there is still something so lovely about being able to visit people's blogs and look at pictures and learn what is happening, or not happening, in their lives. I have always been drawn to lifestyle blogs because you can really get to know people through them. And whether you live near or far from them, we all share so much in common. And there is such a sense of community in blogging. It still thrills me that I have folks in England and Canada, as well as the USA, who read my blog! Who would have thought that could happen for little old me??

I'll be the first to share that I know my blog pictures aren't of the professional Instagram-like quality that some writers boast. And, I've always said that I live in a home and not a museum. So everything in my pics are far from perfection. But the thing is, we all share a love of home. Of making, and styling, the very best lives we possibly can. And, as bloggers, we love sharing that with others. 

So, I promise, that if I ever decide to give up blogging, I will be sure to let you all know before I disappear from the blogosphere. So you won't have to worry about me. Or wonder why I am quitting. And Andrea, Laurie and Shellie-if you're reading this, please let me know that you're doing okay. And please know I really miss reading your new posts! And, if any of you dear readers know something I don't know about how to find these bloggers or why there are no new posts on their blogs, please do share with me. 

And many thanks, as always, to each of you for taking the time to read Debbie Styles Life! Each of you has a special place in my heart! ❣

Until Next Time,

Debbie (this and that)

Early Autumn Home Decor

 Decorating for Early Fall

Hello friends! Can you believe that September is underway? And that, along with some cooler temperatures, has me thinking about how I want to decorate for early Fall around the house. So, as promised, I'm sharing what I have accomplished thus far. 

I decided to decorate the little faux pine tree that sits atop my curio cabinet with Fall color ribbon and some lovely Fall leaves. 

It's cheerful during the daylight hours and absolutely stunning at night when it lights up the corner of our dining room. Sooo pretty!

And on the dining room table is a bowl filled with pumpkins and squash. I found these at Dollar Tree and was pleasantly surprised at the quality. 

The colors are just right to match the table and cabinets in the room. 

And on the foyer table there is a new Fall flower arrangement along with a gold pumpkin. It's a little early for too many pumpkins just yet, so I will save the rest of my collection for closer to October. 

And then, it's always fun to add a few simple items around the house which speak to Fall like this apple orchard tea towel.

And this gray and white pumpkin that I picked up at Dollar Tree. Doesn't it look perfect on the shelf with my other gray/white bathroom decor?!

I've really enjoyed changing a few things up around the house as September gets underway. And I'm sure I'll be adding things here and there as Fall truly gets underway. I'll keep you posted. 

Tell me, how are you preparing for Fall at your house? Be sure to share in the comments section!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

The Best Laid Plans Go Oft Awry

 And Then, Life Happened......

Hello friends! I thought I would pop on and let you know how things are going post surgery, as I promised I would. I am almost to the two week mark past my first eye surgery for cataracts and things along that front seem to be going well. My eye was blurry for several days following the surgery, which is normal, but I had no significant pain or problems otherwise. I wore an eye shield at night for the first week and am continuing with antibiotic eye drops three times per day, for a total of three weeks. I have also discovered that I can now use my mid-range music glasses as my long distance eyeglasses now and still use my bifocal glasses for reading. This should help me to get through the weeks until my second eye surgery happens. This second surgery had to be delayed because......both my husband and I caught Covid. My husband developed symptoms a couple days after my surgery and I succumbed about three days after him. 

Thankfully, neither of us have developed worse symptoms other than the usual fever, aches, congestion, tiredness that comes with a "milder" case. It still makes you feel pretty crummy, though! And so, here I am wearing two types of eyeglasses so I can see both near and far. It's an inconvenience, but certainly not something that I can't endure. I'm trying to stay positive as I await my second surgery which is now scheduled for the end of October. 

This was not the plan, however, life doesn't always go according to our plans, does it?! 

I'll be back in a few days with a new post in which I will share some of my Fall decorating ideas. Happy September to all. May some more comfortable temperatures be on the way soon!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

A Vintage Top for Fall

 I Am Vintage

Hello everyone!  I thought I would pop on and share a new top for Fall that I found, in of all places, at the Tractor Supply Store. What? Doesn't everyone buy their clothes at the Tractor Store? Just goes to show you I can find clothes to buy just about anywhere! 

Seriously, though, this is a beautiful top and is a vintage style. I love the color and couldn't wait to wear it with my soft, brown knit corduroy pants. I guess this could be considered a peasant top because of the tie at the neck, but it seems to be more streamlined than most peasant tops. I remember having a similar type top back in the 70's which is probably why it was billed as "vintage." But since I, too, am vintage the top and I get along very well together! 

One of the reasons I decided to share this top is to encourage you to look in unusual places for your clothes. The Tractor Supply Store typically carries heavy duty clothing for outdoor work such as tough jeans and flannel shirts. But, occasionally, they have other items for daily wear and I lucked out and found this top on clearance. It was a great find and I'm pleased to have it to wear this Fall. 

And while I was there, I met a friend! (The Mr. thought it was great fun to take my pic standing with this metal rooster!)

So, over the years I've shared clothing with you that I bought at the drugstore, online, via thrifting, shopping at regular department stores and now at The Tractor Supply. Cast your nets wide, ladies, when shopping for clothing! You never know what great finds are out there just waiting for you!

As I type this, I am preparing to have the first of two cataract surgeries this coming Tuesday. I'm feeling a bit nervous about this and would appreciate your prayers for a good outcome for both eyes. The second surgery will be nine days after the first. Everyone I talk to tells me that cataract surgery is "nothing." And while that is reassuring to me, surgery is never nothing when it is happening to you! So, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. (And please, no scary stories about cataract surgery in the comments. That won't help me.) I'll let you know how things go in the next post. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

The First Leaf of Fall and This and That

 A Little Bit of This and That

Hello friends!  I'm afraid this is one of those posts where I may be all over the place with what I'm sharing. It truly is a "this and that" kind of post! I spied this leaf on our back porch yesterday and have dubbed it, "the first leaf of Fall." To me, Summer has flown by and soon we will be into September. Kids are heading back to school already, although so many are now homeschooled that we still see kids in stores and restaurants all through the year. This morning I sat out on our back porch with our dog, River, and noticed how cool the morning air was. Another sign of cooler temps eventually heading our way. I know that we will still have many hot days ahead, but I must admit that I am looking forward to Fall this year. Fall, along with Spring, are my favorite seasons. The colors, the crispness of the air, the smoky smells from chimneys and leaf burning all bring a sense of excitement. Of course, Fall leads into Winter which is my least favorite season. We haven't had bad winters for quite a while so we will have to see what this coming Winter will bring. Will it be as mild as last year? Time will tell. 

The Mr. and I have really been enjoying the fruits of summer. The melons and blueberries have been so sweet and delicious! I miss having fresh fruits in the winter. We don't garden so our fruits have come from Sam's Club or the grocery store but we have been lucky in finding really good produce this year. 

I've enjoyed many good meals this summer. This is a delicious new salad choice that I enjoyed recently at Panera's. The salad is filled with greens, fruits and nuts and topped with chicken and a poppyseed dressing. Delicious!

And, The Mr. and I have discovered that we really like shopping at Aldi. You can really get a bang for your buck there! We found these vegetarian meatballs in the frozen foods section and they are absolutely delicious! I used them in this spaghetti and meatballs dish surrounded by broccoli. The meal was tasty and nutritious. I find that I like the frozen vegetables at Aldi better than any other I have tried at other stores. I don't get compensated by Aldi, I just like to shop there. 

In other news, I bought new sheets several weeks ago and haven't shared how pretty they are on the blog yet. I love going to bed and laying on clean, crisp sheets that are soft, comfy and pretty! Even though our mattress is queen size, I bought king size sheets to have extra sheet hanging down on each side. Anyone else besides The Mr. and me play tug of war with their sheets at night? Using king size sheets seems to have solved the problem! Plus, the longer side sheets give the illusion of having a dust ruffle on the bed.

And, finally, these three turkeys wanted to pop on the post and say "hello" to everyone! Cassie has reminded me that she hasn't been able to write a blog post in a long time. And, of course, when River and Garden heard that they had to chime in and say, "me too," so perhaps in the near future I will take my chances and hand over the blog to these three crazy furballs!! Who knows how that will go?!

Hope you all enjoyed a little bit of this and that today. Be sure to let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie (this and that)

What's In My Book Basket?

 A Few Good Books

Hello friends!  As promised, I'm sharing with you the books that are in my book basket right now. As you know, I enjoy reading and always have two or three books going at the same time. I find reading to be relaxing and one of my favorite things to do each day. Some days slip away without my visiting a book or two but those days are few and far between!

My friend, Sharon, was kind in letting me borrow the latest, and final, book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. I have been a Maisie Dobbs fan since the first book in the series came out in 2003. Without giving info that would be a spoiler, I can tell you that this final novel (#18), "The Comfort of Ghosts," ties up many loose ends in Maisie's life. I'm kind of sad that this series has ended and am currently hoping to find another mystery type series that I will enjoy like I did this one. 

I found "Sister Eve and The Blue Nun" by Lynne Hinton at our local used bookstore recently and decided to give this series a try. This mystery series features Sister Evangeline Divine, a young nun who is trying to decide whether to stay in the monastery life or join her detective father in the detective business. There are several books in this series as well. This particular book is interesting but isn't keeping my attention as well as the Maisie Dobbs books. Sometimes it takes me awhile to get into a series, though. So, I will continue reading this book and see what happens. This is also a later book in the series and I may benefit from reading the first book in order to feel more "grounded" in this particular series. 

"The Year at Thrush Green" is one of the books by my beloved British author, Miss Read, aka Dora Saint. I find Miss Read's books to be gentle stories of life in British villages and they always feature wonderful characters who come to life in ways that make them seem like they are your friends. This particular book takes each month of the year and highlights events happening in the village of Thrush Green that impact the lives of all of the characters such as Winnie Bailey the doctor's widow, Dotty Harmer the quirky lady who befriends animals and Albert Piggott's wife, Nellie, who loses a dear friend and must bravely carry on running "The Fuschia Bush" tea room by herself. Whenever I feel rumpled in spirit, a few minutes of reading a Miss Read book always calms me and makes me feel better. Even though I have read all of her many books time and time again, I still return to them frequently as do many other readers. I belong to a couple of FaceBook groups that are dedicated to Miss Read fans and everyone in the groups is in agreement about the beauty of these books. 

So, that is what is in my book basket at the moment. Have any of you read any of these books? Do you have some good titles to recommend? Please let all of us know in the comments!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Celebrating Nine Years of Blogging

 I Have Been Blogging For Nine Years!

Hello friends!  Today, I am celebrating Nine years of Blogging here at Debbie Styles Life! Can you believe it?!  What began as Debbie This and That and then morphed into Debbie Styles Life has been going strong for nine whole years. Wow! 

I have to say that those nine years have really flown by. I'm not going to do a lot of flashback photos this year. Most of my readers have seen those pics before. But, if you are interested, you might want to go back and visit some of my earlier posts from my beginnings in 2015. I have come a long way! 

My words for this year are Courage and Contentment and I have been practicing these words in many ways. Just being content with life as it presents itself and having courage in facing everyday concerns and problems. Knowing that my Lord is always in control and I don't have to be. This isn't easy for me and many days I falter but I am always reminded that God is present in my life and I take joy in knowing that truth. And I try to bring that joy to my blog whenever I post! 

To be honest, I wonder each year if this will be my last year of Blogging. But the blog is the one thing that is wholly mine to make decisions about and to design as I like. I am so grateful to be able to share my thoughts, home decor, devotions, and lifestyle posts with all of my precious readers. How could I part easily with such gifts as each of you? And so, I soldier on, not posting as frequently as in years past, but still here in the little section of the internet that is mine. There sure aren't as many bloggers around as when I began nine years ago, but those of us who continue to blog feel strongly about the importance of reaching out to our readers. I feel that I am part of an important community and you are all such an important part of my community! Thank you for being here!

So, with that being said, I am just going to celebrate and do a little happy dance today for Debbie Styles Life and invite each of you to do a little happy dance as well! And be sure to check back for my next post on Monday as I will be sharing what has been in my reading basket with all of you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie (this and that)