Random 5 for September 17, 2023 – WordPress, scammers, porking up, allergies, transitions

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Would you pull these out for mums?

Hello WordPress, what’s going on? – The prepubescent cherubs at WordPress have been fooling around with the reader feature. It used to be that I could easily access someone’s post on their blog with one click from the reader. No more. It took me a while to figure it out. It takes me to a page that contains the post but isn’t on their blog. I don’t like that. Instead of a simple click, it takes at least two until I figure out how to get there. It also has a “comment” feature on the reader. How can you comment if you haven’t read anything but the first two sentences? Here is the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” saying in action!

Speaking of IT folks – I’ve been getting more scams than ever. For the past few months, I’ll get an email that is a “receipt” for something I didn’t buy with a note at the bottom to call a number if I want to cancel. Hmmm…I smell something. I checked my PayPal account and my credit card – no charge. I put them in a scam file and am scrupulous about checking my statements. I can see how a trusting soul could get all fired up, call the number and give their credit information to “cancel” the order. The pox on those scammers.

Winter porking up – This past week my cat Morgan had a dental. It took a few days to recover but her appetite came back better than before. (Is that because the offending teeth have been removed or something else?) Normally I would have thought the former but Gracie, my picky cat has been eating like there is no tomorrow (or Fancy Feast!) and the other two are eating quite well too. Part of their cycle (in living life in the wild) is to “pork” up for the coming winter when food gets scarce (but not in this house!). I wonder if people do that too. The upcoming holidays are certainly a “pork up” time. For many people it takes all winter to drop that extra weight. Mother Nature has her ways.

I hate getting old! – Let me count the ways! Yesterday I worked outside. Not for long, I had to move a peony and pull weeds. I spent two hours working in dirt. I’m not a very allergic person but that sure kicked up some allergies. I had irritated eyes and a runny nose the rest of the day and all night. I understand why older people don’t plant stuff. It’s bad for your health. Except for tomatoes. Everyone should have a tomato plant on their patio. Mine is still pumping out little beauties that are very sweet.

And that brings up a good point – It’s the time of year when people pull out their summer flowers and plant chrysanthemums. My summer flowers are flourishing. I don’t want to pull them out and I don’t have any other place to put mums. By the time I need to pull the summer flowers, mums will be either picked over or all bloomed out. It’s a dilemma but I’m sticking with my gorgeous summer flowers for now.

So how was your week?

 

68 thoughts on “Random 5 for September 17, 2023 – WordPress, scammers, porking up, allergies, transitions”

  2. I’m finding that it takes me at least five steps to leave a comment on some WP blogs. I log in, write a comment, then the system won’t give me access to push the publish button. It covers it over with a list of who has recently commented on my blog. Thus I refresh the page, re-write my comment and then am permitted to push the publish button. Apparently this is the new normal?

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    • Everyone is complaining about it. I don’t know if they can’t fix it or they are oblivious to it. Sometimes it takes 5 steps to get to the person’s actual blog. If someone spends time designing a blog I expect they want people to visit it rather than leave a comment on a bland screen.

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  3. In our climate we never have snow, rarely freezing cold and the birds, squirrels and even the tortoise have steady food all winter long, yet they all display very specific behaviors to add winter insulating fuel and in the case of the jays and squirrels, are hiding acorns and other seeds and nuts in my planter boxes and pots. I guess the cats could also have an instinct that tells them to beef up a bit? Bottom line, it’s good to know everyone is eating well!

    And again referencing our mild winters, plants and even flowers continue all winter long, but not looking very good. There are cycles, and I have to get out and deal with it. It’s hard sometimes to force myself into that seasonal cleanup when we’re still having summer weather. But it must be done!

    Hope your allergies aren’t too encumbering, Kate! And for the record, I concur with your feelings about getting older. Not a fan!

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    • Sometimes I wait too long to clean up and then have to work outside in freezing weather. There is a sweet spot between too early and too late. I will start to do some work this week but not the front. That looks too nice.

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  5. I hate when they mess with features in programs. Most of the time they add more steps. They’ve done it in WordPress repeatedly – added steps. Even posting this comment, underneath me it says “log in to leave a reply,” and I’m already logged in. This just started happening since Friday. I subscribe to emails for the blogs I read regularly, so I don’t have to click in the Reader. I don’t know if it shows up as a click on the blog when reading from the Reader. 🤷‍♀️

    I use MS Word all the time for my writing. They’ve added steps in that program, too. I thought they were supposed to be upgrading, but it seems more like a degrade.

    My roses bloom through October, and my begonias are still doing spectacular.

    I’m with you on aging. I hate growing old. Since my last birthday, I’ve been struggling with accepting this very thing. But, I have to, considering the alternative.

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  6. Your mums are amazing looking; I agree with the crowd to not pull them yet. I’ve definitely noticed a new look-and-feel with the WP Reader, and I’m not sure I like the changes at all, but fortunately I’ve not encountered any of the navigations issues you have. I think. I wish they would stop messing with things. – Marty

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  7. I would not pull those beauties out, and I still have mine. I was out and about yesterday, and the price of Mums this year is outrageous. A decent sized pot was $32.98, and in our area they’ll be toat with the first frost. WP is annoying right now, and scammers become ever more bold and creative. It takes diligence to stay ahead of them.

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    • Wow! That is $$. We can get a good size for around $25 with smaller ones less. I think WP is formatting for more commercial blogs. Hopefully that won’t leave us in the dust.

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  8. Oh, and I don’t like the new reader either. It took me a bit to figure out how to get to the post I wanted. Before, it was just one little easy click. I don’t see any advantages to the new style.

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  10. I’m leaving my summer flowers in place too – BUT I adore mums so I compromised (sort of)……I bought some beautiful mums, potted them up and they are “decorating” my front porch and deck. Works for me!

    Hugs, Pam

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  11. Speaking of WordPress: When I click on “like” on your page, nothing happens. It used to work for me, and I know your page works because other people have been successful. I also have other WordPress problems, but I’ll spare you.

    My summer flowers are still doing well, but I should get some mums soon. I like them.

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  13. No, I’d leave the Summer plants in place. I have heard we will have a very mild Fall, so you might get some mileage, maybe into October, with them. You could get some mums and keep them on your deck to replace your porch pots in case these flowers bite the dust with an unexpected hard freeze. I had issues with WP just today, but in the past as well. You shouldn’t have go thru all these machinations to view and comment on the actual blog site. Then I switched browsers and tried to log onto WP and it said I used the wrong password. No, I did not do that.

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  14. We always have a tomato plant in a large planter. All the tomatoes cracked this year with all the rain we had though. Glad Morgan is eating well.

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  15. I only have perennials (or self-seeding annuals). I got enough gardening to do without removing and replacing seasonal plants.

    Don’t get me started on WP’s most recent ‘improvement.’ Ugh, I don’t want to have to sign in every cottonpickin’ time in order to leave a comment. Too often when I do it triggers some inner catastrophic meltdown event where I have to copy my comment and start all over. What as pain in the tuckus!

    Hope sweet Morgan is fully recovered from her dental ordeal and continues to enjoy her meals.

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    • At my last house I used less and less annuals as the pachysandra filled in. I relied on two planters flanking the door to give color and it worked. I’m not quite there yet but as you can tell I drag my feet on seasonal changing. I plant in May and pull after the frost. Time for a holiday wreath anyhow.

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  17. Yes!! I so agree with the “if ir ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Wish the WP techs would get that through their head!

    I have also got oodles of those receipt scams, annoying!

    My parent’s have a tomato 🍅 plant and they have been getting more than they can eat, so they give them to us. 🙂

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  18. Glad the cats are eating well Kate. Maya has been reacting to the heat and not eating very much (unless ‘nice’ things). It’s been cooler today and she’s emptied her bowl.
    I’d keep the summer flowers. Our roses are still going crazy.
    WP always seem to be tinkering somewhere.

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  20. No! I would not pull anything out for mums! But I never had any luck with mums. I must have been over watering them.
    I hate what WP has done to the comment section of the reader. I hate the other changes they have surreptitiously made to the reader the last few months. I like to read the comments from oldest to newest. Old at the top down to the last new. I don’t think I am making sense.
    I am glad that the Sassy Cats are all in a peaceful healthy harmony!

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  22. We need a blog for us old farts who don’t like things to change once we’ve figured them out. As for those “receipts” I get those all the time too. They go right into the dumpster.

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    • I wish they would keep a “simple” blog format for those of us who blog for fun. I don’t monetize, seek large scale followers, etc. Just the basics. I haven’t changed my blog format since I started 12 years ago. Simple. Easy. I can usually roll with the punches but these reader changes are annoying.

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  23. And here I’ve also spent hours in the garden, but pulling out acres of mum roots that took over when the roses died (and flourished with unexpected tropical storm rain). I needed to make room for the giant marigolds and second batch of zinnias that Andy germinated for me. The mums always come back in the summer–just one bit of root left after the yearly weeding and it’s chrysanthemum blitzkrieg. But I don’t mind. They provide some ground cover during the hot summers here.

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  24. Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternatives ~ we’re still alive instead of pushing up daisies AND we won’t be here forever . . . which would really get old. Just ask Dracula!

    I like the summer blooms which look like they are NOT on their last legs. You might buy a couple of mums and leave them on the back patio until they are needed.

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    • So true about the alternatives! 😉 I have a lot of summer flowers blooming on the back deck. Maybe next weekend I’ll start emptying the deck rail planters. Two are starting to wane.

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  25. Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternatives ~ we’re still alive instead of pushing up daisies AND we won’t be here forever . . . which would really get old. Just ask Dracula!

    I like the summer blooms which look like they are NOT on their last legs. You might buy a couple of mums and leave them on the back patio until they are needed.

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