Three Years of Silence

It's been just about three years since I last posted on this blog. There have been many ups and down in both worlds since then.

I'm considering resurrecting this blog for occasional posts. Is anyone still out there?

Jack Frost nipping at your nose

One of my very favorite things in life is the warmth of the sun. Sunshine and gloriously warm days fill my heart with gladness and I think really contribute to my overall positive outlook on life.

When winter approaches, my heart fills with dread. I don't like the cold and I don't like dealing with snow. I don't like being all bundled up and shivering. And I think winter is at LEAST twice as long as is necessary.

However, that being said, when winter comes to Second Life New England, I have to admit it is a beautiful sight. At least I don't have to worry about shoveling this snow and although looking at it actually makes the real life me feel colder, its all in my imagination...isn't it?

I am participating in the estate wide winter scene in SLNE. I have removed my pretty flower garden (relunctantly!!) and changed the trees to bare branches. There is snow on the ground and the pond has frozen over. It will make a nice little ice skating rink for those who are so inclined. My roof has snow on it and a snowman has been made.

My sim is open to anyone to come explore and enjoy. There is a nice beach for relaxing and watching the sunrise. There are paths to explore and romantic dancing in the gazebo or on the frozen pond.

I'm hoping for an early Spring...so come enjoy my little winter wonderland while its still around. I'm already dreaming of the warm sun to return.  :)



The pond has iced over. brrrr

A snowman resides in front of the garden. I can't wait for the return of flowers in the Spring!



The roof of the house is snow laden.



Water flows from the waterfall onto the frozen pond.

Only in Second Life

I was just thinking about my visit to Second Life last night. And as I was remembering it, I had to laugh.

Where else would you hear a desperate cry for help from a friend who had lost their hair and needed help in finding it? Where else would you be worried because where you live was so laggy that you were stuck in place and couldn't even move? Where else would you then have concerns because your home went offline and was unavailable for nearly a half hour and you hoped it would return intact.

But all is well that ends well. Happily, my friend got every strand of hair back and looks as handsome as ever. I can again wander freely around my home. My sim reappeared and nothing was lost to the Lindens.

I love Second Life. You just never know what is going to happen next.

A New Village for SL New England

There is exciting news in the Second Life Islands of New England estate! The Marblehead sim has been reconfigured to include a new village on the ground level. If you were fortunate enough to visit the now defunct Nantucket/Mystic sims, you will be in for a pleasant surprise! The new village is very reminiscent of that, but on a smaller scale. It is a quaint area, with adorable shops and is located next door to the popular Fort Sewall Community Center. That's where all the entertainment events are held.



New England village on the Marblehead sim

Besides shops, the new village will be featuring a small marina with boat slips to rent. There will be occasional visiting sea-going vessals, such as the Mayflower, which is currently at dock there.

Currently, the Mayflower is docked at Marblehead.

If you look closely and if you are very fortunate, you might even have a mermaid sighting. I have it from a good authority that the merfolk are just as excited about the new village as us landlubbers.

The Marblehead sim also features some very nice homes for rent, as well as some parcels you can purchase. Purchased parcels will allow more prims and the ability to place you own (approved) residence.

Wouldn't you love to live in a lighthouse? This one is for rent.

I'm just so excited about our new village. I hope you'll come for a visit. And if you do, be sure to stop into my little shop called Lavender Cottage. My store features cottage style decor items, such as art work, quilts, baskets, rugs, lamps, and small wooden accessories. I've set out a box of free shirts. No, these are NOT your usual SL tee-shirts. This are high quality dual layer shirts...so be sure to stop by and get yours.

Lavender Cottage, my store in the village at Marblehead.

Blog Analysis

My blog has been neglected! It’s been a very long time since I have written a post. I was thinking about that today and feeling a bit guilty about it and thinking it is about time I write something. But what?

I was just looking at the stat page of my blog…the part that only I can see. It tells me how many people have viewed the blog and what links they click on to reach which articles. I can tell how many people have viewed my blog in a given day and what country is represented. I can tell what operating system they are using and what referring site got them to my blog. It’s really amazing the analysis you can do about a blog.

It also tells me which articles are getting the most traffic. By far, my article with the most traffic was the one entitled “A Random Act of Kindness” which was posted on August 25th. Because I wrote about that experience, it helps keep it fresh in my mind. I have to say that each time I go back to that Starbucks, I do remember that someone paid for my order and I often have considered paying for the person behind me in line. But I haven’t done it yet. Maybe now that I have revealed these thoughts, I’ll actually do it next time I’m there.

The second most popular article was a cartoon I posted entitled “Funny Monday” on September 12. Someone must have posted a link to that cartoon, because I got a barrage of hits on it just a couple of days ago. I looked at the cartoon again. It’s cute and funny, but I’m surprised it has generated so much traffic.

My third most popular article was “Yellow Houses with White Picket Fences”. I admit that is one of my personal favorites. Some other folks like it to, because it has continuously gotten traffic since it was posted on July 16.

Other articles have gotten a bit of hits and some none at all.

Oh well, it just goes to show that hit or miss…you never can tell. And perhaps months down the road, a post will all of a sudden become popular.

Such is the world of blogging.

Three Dead Mice

"Three dead mice,

Three dead mice,

See how they lie,

See how they lie..."

No…I don’t mean the squeaky kind of mice! I’m talking about computer mice!

I really don’t like using a touchpad on a laptop.

I really don’t like using a mouse that has a wire.

I want a mouse that is wireless!!

I want a mouse that is wireless and works for a long time!!

I opened a desk drawer this afternoon, looking for a wireless mouse for a notebook computer. I found three mice in that drawer sitting upside down with their little beam legs pointing upward. I took them out one by one to test them. You guessed it….three dead mice.

Why don’t wireless mice work for a long time? I seem to be forever replacing them. Am I too hard on the little things? Do I move them around too quickly? Place too much pressure on them? What could I be doing wrong? Maybe I forgot to set the cheese out!

Oh well….off to the store I go to get a new mouse to feed to my computer. Let’s hope the new one is happier and lasts longer than the others!

And this brings us to yet another topic....the packaging! But I'll save that for the next post.

Herding SL Cats Out of the Bag

In Second Life, just as in real life, there is a special world of pets. A virtual pet can entertain and be a companion, just as a real pet can in real life. When you go looking for a pet in SL, you will discover that there is a wide variety to choose from.

I am a cat person. I have always owned a cat since I was a young girl. So it seems logical to me that I would want a cat companion in Second Life too. I have discovered that some are beautiful to look at, but move stiffly. Some have funny antics, just like real life cats. Some sound so real…you start to look around the computer to see if there is a cat ready to pounce on you. Some have annoying meows that you can’t wait to turn off. Then there are mysterious cats too, just as there are in real life.

It has been said that cats aren’t owned, rather, they have staff! I would like to introduce you to some of the felines that I have served in Second Life.

 

Muffin and Red are the dynamic duo! They are currently staying with my friend, Laird, and they keep him constantly entertained. Those two cats are always together. They follow each other all around. They are playful and powerful. They can easily push any avatar around to other locations…so beware!

Spot had a short life. He didn’t seem to take well to living on a homestead sim and he easily became disjointed. He was a beautiful cat, but lives mostly in my memory now.

While exploring a Japanese sim, I kept seeing a mysterious black cat everywhere. I finally was able to coax her to come home with me. Mystery cat can be found in many places. She is often seen guarding my store Lavender Cottage. She also loves to spend time bird watching. The unusual thing about Mystery cat is that no matter what angle you look at her…she is looking back. Her eyes follow your every move. Some might find this un-nerving, but I find it endearing. I know she is always looking out for me.

Karson gave me a cat that I just can’t get out of the garbage can. His name is Felix. You would think I never feed Felix, he is ALWAYS digging in the garbage looking for left-overs. He really loves fish. I often see him peering out from under the trash can lid, as though he is ashamed to admit that he loves to spend time there.

Karson gave me another cat too. Her name is Holly and she has stolen my heart. She is very sweet. She has a lot of energy and if she isn’t sleeping on the kitchen floor (which she does often), she is zooming all around the house. She is very obedient, though, and does come when I call her. She even enjoys taking a bubble bath…the first cat I have ever known to enjoy that.

And so, even in a virtual world, a cat's a cat and that's that.