Welcome to my World---Woman, widow, senior citizen seeking to live out my days with a sense of whimsy as I search for inner peace and friendships. Jeez, that sounds like a profile on a dating app and I have zero interest in them, having lost my soul mate of 42 years. Life was good until it wasn't when my husband had a massive stroke and I spent the next 12 1/2 years as his caregiver. This blog has documented the pain and heartache of loss, my dark humor, my sweetest memories and, yes, even my pity parties and finally, moving past it all. And now I’m ready for a new start, in a new location---a continuum care campus in West Michigan, U.S.A. Some people say I have a quirky sense of humor that shows up from time to time in this blog. Others say I make some keen observations about life and growing older. Stick around, read a while. I'm sure we'll have things in common. Your comments are welcome and encouraged. Jean
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Facebook Feeds - Love them or Hate Them
My cleaning service comes in the morning so I’ve been picking stuff up to get ready for her. Thank goodness she comes once a monthly, otherwise who knows what my apartment would look like.
While picking up today I ran across a letter my realtor sent and I didn’t have the heart to throw away. It said, “This summer remember that the world is your canvas. Use your biggest & boldest brush to paint the town red raspberry every once in a while. Laugh a lot. Believe in everything. Think beyond the box and color way outside those lines - there’s so much more room to be creative out there! Redefine impossible. Subscribe to the idea that the sky is not the limit. (Just ask the moon.) Take time to capture calm and clear your heart. Stop worrying so much. Dream up new ways to show love. Write letters with pens and paper, and develop a passion for giving. Try at least one thing you’ve never tried before. Make happy your most felt emotion. Be the kind of person that you’d love to meet. Stop and smell the remarkable. Find simplicity. Create harmony. Provide peace. Keep calm and smile on. Discover that the best memories really do come from the craziest ideas.”
I googled the passage (and parts of the passage) and only found it in one place, on an Italian “lifestyle” Instagram account by Lorenzo Falkenburg. Words like that, that have the power to pump us up and remind us to be proactive in pursuit of happiness shouldn’t be passed around anonymously. I love the internet for making it easy to give credit where credit is do. (Hopefully.)
I love Facebook too even though a lot of people say its a waste of time and I'd agree if I didn't find more to smile or laugh about on my daily feeds than anything else. And since I’m always searching for blog fodder these are some of the things I saw this morning:
Once a week an art and wisdom meme shows and they are all lovely.
Unique Trees is one of my favorite feeds.
So is Lizmary's Cottage which posts mostly serene places in Europe.
This is from the Sketchbook Revival site where people post their latest work.
How could this not pull at your heart strings?
Another from Unique Tree.
This and several others up above from the Humor Lab.
Lizmary's Cottage
The trick to having a Facebook feed that pleases you is to not click on any advertisements. If something interests you go to Amazon (not google) and use their search feature for information. Also click the three dots in the upper right on Facebook things you don't want to see, then click on the 'hide' and check why you don't want to see it. It takes some time cut down on stuff you don't want but it's worth the effort. Aside from photos of family, I also see a lot of videos of puppies, kittens, elephants, pandas and two-toed sloths. They are my happy place. If friends or family post too much junk I don't care about I'll stop following them, just visit their page once in a while when I'm in the mood.
The Humor Lab
I get a lot of bird photography too.
A friend who has dealt with depression her entire life always posts memes like this.
And I love arty-farty stuff like this, the best fingernail commercial you'll ever see.
Last but not least, none of us escapes the political posts on Facebook but you can cut down on those you don't want to see. I get and welcome them from Pantsuit Nation, Occupy Democrats and a few other left leaning site.
You have very diversive interests! As do I ... cute baby animal videos, cooking for one, memes that make me laugh and children saying cute things. It takes a lot of will power to limit to an hour!
The one about "most of the time when you miss someone" touched me, and I laughed out loud about the Marjorie Greene one. Please do more posts like this one. ---Cheerful Monk
Jean, I appreciated the letter from the realtor so much, I read it several times. Think I'd better save it. Sometimes I need to be reminded how valuable life is. I've known people who seem to fade away, or diminish as they grow older, but it doesn't have to be that way. "...stop worrying...create harmony...provide peace...be the kind of person you'd like to meet." Wow! Hey, maybe you could forward the realtor's letter to our politicians in DC!
Loved all the Facebook stuff, too. It's amazing how beautiful trees, or cute pets can truly lift our spirits. And that dancing, well-manicured horse is truly amazing.
I got that letter from my realtor last spring and I can't throw it out. I'd like to make an arty-farty copy to frame and hang up.
Some of the trees are truly beautiful, some are weird and amazing. It's one of my favorite feeds. The dancing horse is something else, isn't it. I wonder how many bottles of polish it takes to paint its hooves.
My only complaint with FB (in general) is that the algorithm doesn't show me a huge number of my friends. Now and then I think of someone I've not seen post in awhile, go to their page and they've been at it! So I like a few things and they start to show up. I have ad-block on my computer and while I do see the sponsored FB ads, no longer see the ads in my sidebar. And yes, NEVER click on those links but go directly to the site -- even with the sponsored posts. You found some fun memes. And I am continually inspired by the Sketchbook Revival posts and Este MacLeod's page.
If you're not seeing the friends you want that means you're not 'following' them or they aren't posting anything. If you go to their page look for a link that says 'following' or 'follow'. If it says the latter then click on that.
I love Sketchbook Revival and don't know about MacLeod's page. I'll check that out. I found S.R. because of you.
She's EsteMacleod.com -- if you sign up for SR this year (you still can; videos up till April 20) she has a free tutorial as her "free gift" for it, even if you don't watch the video. Also, her coloricombo is free -- twice a week you get a color prompt and you do something with that limited palette. I think the idea is to get you to feel comfortable mixing your colors but it's quite a challenge. I'm way behind on this year's. But I love doing them.
These are great! Oh, it is easy to fall down the rabbit hole and find that I have spent too much time flipping through reels on Facebook. Thanks for sharing that letter. It really hit home for me and I will save it.
Bugga lost what I was writing which is so annoying so here is take 2 There are feeds I like and just as many I don't but that's normal and scrolling through Facebook is a pleasant way to waste time
Another tip I didn't mention is that you don't have to see the posts your family and friends put on face book. You just of to their page an click "unfollow". They wouldn't know and can still visit their page through your list of friends whenever you might want to catch up with them.
Well, as you know, I don't visit Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Never joined. I will spend a little time with YouTube for music, but that's it. I can't say I hate social media sites, I'm just not interested. There's so much piled up around here that I want to read or research or process that the thought of spending even five minutes scrolling through a feed designed by some algorithm doesn't appeal at all. I have friends who say, "But how do you keep up with friends and family?" Easy-peasy! We call, and we send letters and emails. Of course, I'm less social than some people, so it's probably easier for me to live that way!
You've got to be true to yourself and you do that in spaces. We all got along most of our lives without social media and photos attached to our hands. But I enjoy Facebook and now that my brother is near-by I carry my phone because it's helping my nieces fend and solve some of his problem.
I like my Book of Faces feed and how I have it set up. Any unwanted feed is usually tied to an individual and if they persist, I delete them and do the same as you, most don't have a blocked Page like I do and I can always visit but without having them sending me stuff I don't wanna be exposed to or bother with. I never look at Instagram, tho' I think one of the Kiddos set it up for me and I've never read a Tweet in my Life. Other than Blogs I don't use the Internet for that much anymore really, Life is full enough with pleasurable things and activities to feel tied to a device too much.
I'm not on FB because when I was on it I saw nothing like what you see. And that's the problem with it, if you only know mean-spirited people you get mean-spirited stuff. I am on Instagram and enjoy it because I get kind-hearted stuff in my feed. It's all a matter of who you know and where you're comfortable.
I only have three friends on Instagram and all three of them refuse to put their kids photos on Facebook so I don't visit there very often. I only follow a handful of people in my list of 93 friends and that really cuts down on the unwanted junk in my feed. Most of my feed comes from websites I follow, not random people I know.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you are using ANONYMOUS please identify yourself by your first name as you might not be the only one. Comments containing links from spammers will not be published. All comments are moderated which means I might not see yours right away to publish through for public viewing as I don't sit at my computer 24/7.
You have very diversive interests! As do I ... cute baby animal videos, cooking for one, memes that make me laugh and children saying cute things. It takes a lot of will power to limit to an hour!
ReplyDeleteMe too! I limit my Facebook time to one hour a day. Sometimes I don't need a whole hour others days I wish I had more.
DeleteThe one about "most of the time when you miss someone" touched me, and I laughed out loud about the Marjorie Greene one. Please do more posts like this one. ---Cheerful Monk
ReplyDeleteI nearly didn't put the Marjorie Greene in this post because I supposed someone will say it's body shaming.
DeleteIt's good to be selective but still leave a door ajar for new things to come in that might be of interest.
ReplyDeleteSo true!
DeleteJean, I appreciated the letter from the realtor so much, I read it several times. Think I'd better save it. Sometimes I need to be reminded how valuable life is. I've known people who seem to fade away, or diminish as they grow older, but it doesn't have to be that way. "...stop worrying...create harmony...provide peace...be the kind of person you'd like to meet." Wow! Hey, maybe you could forward the realtor's letter to our politicians in DC!
ReplyDeleteLoved all the Facebook stuff, too. It's amazing how beautiful trees, or cute pets can truly lift our spirits. And that dancing, well-manicured horse is truly amazing.
I got that letter from my realtor last spring and I can't throw it out. I'd like to make an arty-farty copy to frame and hang up.
DeleteSome of the trees are truly beautiful, some are weird and amazing. It's one of my favorite feeds. The dancing horse is something else, isn't it. I wonder how many bottles of polish it takes to paint its hooves.
My only complaint with FB (in general) is that the algorithm doesn't show me a huge number of my friends. Now and then I think of someone I've not seen post in awhile, go to their page and they've been at it! So I like a few things and they start to show up. I have ad-block on my computer and while I do see the sponsored FB ads, no longer see the ads in my sidebar. And yes, NEVER click on those links but go directly to the site -- even with the sponsored posts. You found some fun memes. And I am continually inspired by the Sketchbook Revival posts and Este MacLeod's page.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not seeing the friends you want that means you're not 'following' them or they aren't posting anything. If you go to their page look for a link that says 'following' or 'follow'. If it says the latter then click on that.
DeleteI love Sketchbook Revival and don't know about MacLeod's page. I'll check that out. I found S.R. because of you.
She's EsteMacleod.com -- if you sign up for SR this year (you still can; videos up till April 20) she has a free tutorial as her "free gift" for it, even if you don't watch the video. Also, her coloricombo is free -- twice a week you get a color prompt and you do something with that limited palette. I think the idea is to get you to feel comfortable mixing your colors but it's quite a challenge. I'm way behind on this year's. But I love doing them.
DeleteThese are great! Oh, it is easy to fall down the rabbit hole and find that I have spent too much time flipping through reels on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that letter. It really hit home for me and I will save it.
It is and sometimes that's just what we need.
DeleteThose are some great sites. Will be looking them up and following!
ReplyDeleteDeb
They make me smile, hope they do the same for you.
DeleteBugga lost what I was writing which is so annoying so here is take 2
ReplyDeleteThere are feeds I like and just as many I don't but that's normal and scrolling through Facebook is a pleasant way to waste time
You bet it is a pleasant way to waste time.
DeleteThanks for the tips on how to make FB more a place I want to visit. These days, I spend less than five minutes a day there.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip I didn't mention is that you don't have to see the posts your family and friends put on face book. You just of to their page an click "unfollow". They wouldn't know and can still visit their page through your list of friends whenever you might want to catch up with them.
DeleteWell, as you know, I don't visit Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Never joined. I will spend a little time with YouTube for music, but that's it. I can't say I hate social media sites, I'm just not interested. There's so much piled up around here that I want to read or research or process that the thought of spending even five minutes scrolling through a feed designed by some algorithm doesn't appeal at all. I have friends who say, "But how do you keep up with friends and family?" Easy-peasy! We call, and we send letters and emails. Of course, I'm less social than some people, so it's probably easier for me to live that way!
ReplyDeleteYou've got to be true to yourself and you do that in spaces. We all got along most of our lives without social media and photos attached to our hands. But I enjoy Facebook and now that my brother is near-by I carry my phone because it's helping my nieces fend and solve some of his problem.
DeleteI like my Book of Faces feed and how I have it set up. Any unwanted feed is usually tied to an individual and if they persist, I delete them and do the same as you, most don't have a blocked Page like I do and I can always visit but without having them sending me stuff I don't wanna be exposed to or bother with. I never look at Instagram, tho' I think one of the Kiddos set it up for me and I've never read a Tweet in my Life. Other than Blogs I don't use the Internet for that much anymore really, Life is full enough with pleasurable things and activities to feel tied to a device too much.
ReplyDeleteI have an Instagram and twitter accounts but I don't use them or visit them. I just don't understand the appeal.
DeleteI'm not on FB because when I was on it I saw nothing like what you see. And that's the problem with it, if you only know mean-spirited people you get mean-spirited stuff. I am on Instagram and enjoy it because I get kind-hearted stuff in my feed. It's all a matter of who you know and where you're comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI only have three friends on Instagram and all three of them refuse to put their kids photos on Facebook so I don't visit there very often. I only follow a handful of people in my list of 93 friends and that really cuts down on the unwanted junk in my feed. Most of my feed comes from websites I follow, not random people I know.
DeleteI loved that Opi fingernail polish commercial! I'll be watching it more than once.
ReplyDeleteMe too. It's like the Budweiser commercials that make you smile every time you see it.
Delete