Thursday 31 May 2018

Time to Blog

Some of you blog every day, or almost every day. There used to be a time when I seemed to have a lot more time to blog, too; most of it happened in the morning before leaving for work. These days, I do not get up later or start work earlier (with some exceptions), and I certainly do not have less on my mind I want to blog about. And yet, somehow I can rarely bring myself to sit down and finally write this or that post.
For example, weeks ago, I finished reading a novel on my kindle. The review is more or less fully formed in my head - it only needs to be typed up and posted.

Some of this has to do with my eyes, of course. I already spend too much time looking at computer screens for work; I can hardly avoid that, but it tires the eyes, and although it does not endanger the healing process anymore (almost 7 weeks since the OP now), it does make things a little harder than they used to be.

Also, I have come to a point in my blog where I see less and less comments appear, and I wonder whether it is because my readers are so bored with what I post or simply too busy. There are a handful of you who still take the trouble to regularly visit and comment, and I thank you all - maybe you didn't know how much I really appreciate the dialogue with you that develops through comments (and is sometimes taken up by email and even "snail mail") and turns into friendship - well, now you do!

Anyway. It is the last day of May, and a holiday in my part of Germany. Since both O.K. and I work tomorrow, I did not travel to his place or he to mine, but are spending the day apart. The weekend will soon be here, though, and I'll be there again, with two birthdays we have been invited to and hopefully enough good weather for our customary Sunday morning run and some walks in between.

Last week Wednesday, I had another one of my regular check-ups for my eye. My doctor is again very happy with its progress; she now wants to see me again only in 2 months!

After so many trips there and back, I now know the way to the surgery by heart and can recall it in my mind anytime (as I do sometimes when I can't sleep). We are talking noisy, busy roads in inner city Stuttgart here - not the most idyllic walk, but usually by the time I have my appointments, the worst of the traffic has quieted down for the next few hours.
The walk from the train station to the surgery takes me about 15 minutes and leads past a Catholic church, St. Fidelis. 

From the road, you can see the court through a gate that is always open when I walk past. (I have nicked this picture from their website).


Last week Wednesday on my way back to the station, I decided to go through the gate and have a quick look around. After the drops in my left eye, I couldn't yet see well enough for reading, but I had no trouble walking along familiar roads, and to make out the features of the courtyard.


These angels are for you, Mum! They flank the large door leading into the church. I did not go inside, but from the community's website I gather it is beautiful, with a reduced, but not clinical style; serious but welcoming at the same time. 



The church was built in the 1920s. In 1944, towards the end of WWII, it was bombed, with only the outside walls remaining. The church was rebuilt during the first post-war years and the inside renovated first in the 1960s and then again in 1995.

It is a place that, even from the outside, appears like an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the big city.  We can all do with a bit of peace and quiet sometimes, can't we, no matter what religion we have or if we are at all religious.

30 comments:

  1. I always like reading your blog so
    please don't stop! I try to comment each time, but I too am blogging less and so am less on the site. And i too cant work out quite why. I am trying quite hard to get fitter so am consciously spending less time at the computer, that's one reason. As for followers, I never know what makes for a lot of comments but I do sometimes look at and follow nice blogs I haven't read before since some of my previous followers have quit blogging or lost enthusiasm as their lives have changed. I am so glad your eye is improving. It has been quite a thing. I was not aware that too much computer could actually damage the eyes- that is quite alarming to hear.

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    1. It is not the computer that damaged my eye, Jenny, it is just tiring, that's all. Reading - no matter whether on paper or from a screen - is dangerous after an OP such as mine, because there were several tiny cuts made on the retina. When you read, the eyeball makes lots of sudden, tiny movements, following the words and lines. It is those tiny movements that could lead to the cuts being torn open again, and of course that has to be avoided.
      Watching TV is different - in that case, it is the medium that moves, not the eye. That is why I was not allowed to read but there was no limit put on watching TV. My doctor explained all this to me.

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  2. I was just wondering about you last night, Meike, and checked to see when your last post had been written. I assumed that you were trying to reduce eye strain. Please don't stop blogging! You have friends here that would miss you!

    I love those angels, by the way.

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    1. Jennifer, you are right, I am trying to reduce eye strain - but to be honest, I'd rather work less than blog less ;-)
      The angels are unique, aren't they!

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  3. I too would really miss you Meike if you were to leave us here in blogland. You write so well and share such lovely places in Germany. However, I'm in agreement with you as to why many of us are faltering and consider quitting our blogs - the reasons seem to be the same for many of us, me included. BUT, I love blogging, and I love visiting my old friends, some people I will never be able to meet in person perhaps, but who have stayed with me over the years. Sometimes even we don't comment due to today's lifestyles keeping us so busy with other things - however I do always read posts even if no time to comment. Of course I tell myself I'll return later but by then another day has flown and there's already another post requiring attention, and more emails to reply to. . . . . . . and so it goes, like being on a treadmill.

    Meanwhile, I promise to do better. I do get exasperated with blogs loaded with pop up ads and shy away from them, and of course have given up completely on reading/commenting on blogs which have become hateful regarding politics and such. I want to enjoy what life I have left reading about interesting topics, travel, nature, kindness and beauty etc.

    Anyway, so glad to hear your surgery has been successful and your doctor has given you good news. Lovely that you stopped into the church - I recall you telling me your mum believes in angels, good for her, I know she's a lovely lady.

    The remainder of this year will be another busy travel one for us, mostly in the US and Canada. I'll continue to take photos of lovely places and hopefully have time to post. I am going to meet at least five blog friends over the coming months and I'm so excited about that.

    Take care, enjoy the weekend and your time with OK.
    Hugs - Mary

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    1. Dear Mary, I did not think of stopping my blog - I was just wondering what happened, why fewer and fewer readers decided to leave comments; maybe they were bored with my endless "happy" posts (or not believing my life really is like that; I do have such a lot to be happy about!).

      Your travelling is always interesting to follow, but I also very much like your "home" posts, with your potting shed and cosy interiors, and brilliant pictures of birds and other visitors to your garden.

      Youo too enjoy the weekend!
      Hugs
      Meike

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  4. I always enjoy your posts. I don't have a blog but enjoy reading what others are doing though I rarely comment. I notice these days that most everyone is having an issue with comments and finding them later in different places! Could this be why you have not seen as many? They are blaming it on the EU requirements about privacy which I know only what I've read on their blogs and the notice I see Blogger has added to some to make them compliant.

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    1. Thank you, Joyce! Lovely to see a first-time commenter (at least I believe this is your first one here) :-)
      Yes, my Mum also has had problems commenting here today; she meant to say something about the angels I posted for her but couldn't leave a comment. It seems to be different for various users; maybe MAC users have more trouble, as for me, everything is as it should be.
      As for the EU privacy requirements, that is my line of work... for the past 2 1/2 years, I have done nothing else but help my clients to get ready for it...!

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    2. So many people are complaining about it. I don't think it has been clearly explained. After I wrote the above post I did think, "Duh, she would know that!"

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  5. I love your wonderful blog, so I hope you will not give it up and even hope you might get back to posting more often...But for now, you should not be tiring your eyes....I've never had many people comment on my blog, but there are some faithful ones, of whom you are certainly one! I have had a post in mind for several days, but haven't yet actually done it. But we've been pretty busy, with good things...Be well!

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    1. Thank you, Kristi! Like I said in reply to the other comments here, I have not thought about giving up my blog, I was simply wondering why there was such a drop in comments.
      Yes, being busy seems to be the core of the "problem" :-)

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  6. At least you are blogging still - I actually managed a post for the first time in age this week... it’s a habit, and it is easy to get out of it...but i doread yours. I use Bloglovin and always get posts to read...but a bit worried as comments are no longer emailed so will have to go and check regularly..

    Have a lovely weekend :0

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    1. Thank you, Fi, I am sure it will be a lovely weekend, and I wish you the same!
      I'd seen on my blogger dashboard that you had written a new post and thought that it had been a long time since the previous one. I hope you are well.

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  7. Although i do not comment often, i do like reading, and seeing all the lovely places you visit!

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    1. Thank you, messymimi! It is good to know that the appreciation for my posts is not necessarily directly related to the number of comments.

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  8. I was almost tempted to write 'No comment'!!! :-) Seriously, I visit a lot of blogs that I don't tend to comment on very much. Even GB's. I think the same has happened to a lot of my readers because there are far fewer comments nowadays but when something major happens I know they are there. So glad your eyes are getting better. Mine are now as good as they will ever be and I can READ and BLOG again. It's wonderful.

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    1. That is great news about your eyes, John! This week, I did not notice any improvement on mine, but that's probably because I strained them quite a bit and did not have enough sleep most nights. We'll see (!) what it will be like after the weekend.

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  9. I suspect that the reduction in your blogging activity is also partly down to meeting OK. He has brought much happiness into your life as I am sure that you have done for him. Nowadays you don't need to look out into the world so much because you have got OK and he has got you.

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    1. Yes of course OK has something to do with it; it does make a difference that as good as all my weekends are now spent either at his place or with him as my house guest. That means I have shifted many of my former weekend activities to week nights or mornings, before or after work - time I used to spend blogging. There are absolutely no regrets, though!

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  10. I'd like to jump in here to say I read your blog faithfully, in fact I check it each morning to see if you've posted something "new." I seldom comment, but I ALWAYS enjoy your walking trips even though I can't imagine walking anywhere other than to the mailbox at the end of the drive. I especially love the views from your kitchen window and would post the view from mine if I knew how! I'll try harder to be a better commentator just please don't give up on us.

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    1. Thank you, Jill! I really have no intention to give up this blog, it has become an integral part of my life and is also my way of keeping track of things such as what I have been reading, where I have been travelling and so on.
      It would be lovely to see the view from your window, and learn more about your life as a Southern Belle! You could start your own blog... it is really easy 😊

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  11. I am glad to hear that you are not thinking of giving up. I'm not thinking of that either although I do blog less than I used to and the original reason I started blogging has long gone (and hence no Hebridean in New Zealand any more). Like you the comments are an integral part of the dialogue and my reason for blogging. This doen't apply to you or to me but many bloggers ignore all comments made after a day or two of publication so I do not comment on posts on those blogs if I'm catching up and am late commenting. If I don't comment on an old post (and with notifications now not coming by email on my old posts) it's simply an oversight.

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    1. If you gave up your blog, I would miss it, and so I am glad to know that you are not thinking of giving up, either. Yes, some bloggers seem to not use the comment overwiev on their dashboards to see whether there have been any more comments after a few days. I always check there, also under "spam" and "awaiting moderation", which I have set for posts older than 2 weeks. Every now and then, a real comment ends up under spam, just like some spam makes it through to the post masking as a real comment.

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  12. I hope you soon get round to doing a post about that book you have been reading. I soon have to suggest the reading for my Book Group and I just can't think of a single book to suggest. Ant ideas please?

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    1. The one I have last finished was in German, and I do not think it has been translated into English, Pat, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help there. I do read books I like, others I am less fond of, but I don't know which one would suit your book club. If I can think of one, I'll drop you a line on your blog!

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  13. I hope you don't stop posting, Meike. I always enjoy your posts. But it is physically impossible to visit, let alone comment on, every site you want to - and I've never been able to respond to every comment left on my posts. This gets even more difficult over time - and I noticed a lot of people dropped out when 'ABAB' switched to Wordpress! I did not set up A Bit About Britain with a view to making friends on line - that this has happened has been an unexpected, and uplifting, bonus. I feel I have friends, supporters - whatever - all over the world. Amazing. I don't know how some people manage to post something every day, though, AND leave helpful comments on other sites too!

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    1. Thank you, Mike - but I was not thinking of stopping my blog, merely wondering what had happened to it that made people comment less and less.
      Like you, I can not visit and read as many blogs as I'd like, so I really have to choose the ones that I find most interesting. I do not always comment, either; when the subject is a very controverse one or one I simply have nothing to say about (such as football), I wait for another post before I comment again.

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  14. Meike, I think one reason is that we use our computers for such a wide variety of things these days. Our online habits in general have changed quite a lot over the past 9-10 years, I think. I often find that I turn on the computer to do one thing, but then immediately get reminded that I need to follow up on something else - and whoops... Time flies!

    I also often read blogs via Feedly on my smartphone but then often without commenting, because while reading on the phone is easy, commenting on Blogger from there is tricky - involving both too many steps, and very teeny tiny print... I often think I'll go back later on the pc to comment - but then don't always find the time!

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    1. Like you, I often read blogs on a mobile device (not my smart phone, that would be too small for my eyes to read properly, but my tablet), but don't always comment then, as I prefer typing on a proper keyboard.
      Yes, time is definitely a problem for some of our online (and offline) activities...! :-)

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    learned lot of things from it regarding blogging.
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