For Thanksgiving this year, I was and remain grateful for much. The unending drama of this year is continuing and getting worse as the COVID cases are rising, but thankfully our little clan has been healthy and well.
Another thing I’m extremely grateful for is my readers! I’ve been blogging for three and a half years now and it’s been “my” thing that gives me space to think, write, and converse with others. I’m humbled by the support from my old-time readers, friends who keep up with me via blog, and new visitors.
When I first started blogging, it felt like I was writing into a void; but I met several bloggers who started conversations with me, which makes blogging more meaningful. I’m astounded by the wealth of talent, creativity, skills, and ideas from bloggers and this motivates me to to become better at what I do (although I’m still figuring this out).
My household clan gets a happy update from me each time I get a new follower notification; if they are busy doing something else, I make them stop to cheer for me. lol. It shouldn’t be about the number of followers I get, but I have to admit that gaining more boosts motivation and happiness. Eeeek, I said it, wrote it. blushing…

I’m so glad to have overcome my fear of blogging. The risk was worth it and have added so much to my life! It took me six ambivalent years before my kindred friend Pamela heard all my excuses and told me she’s going to talk me through my doubts while I registered my blog name on WordPress. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be dreaming of starting a blog. Thanks friend for your one-of-a-kind cheering and thank you blogging friends for your friendship and support!!

Albert Einstein
Categories: Random Thoughts
singlikewildflowers
Welcome to my blog! My name is Esther and I'm so happy you are here. I'm an avid nature photographer and a daydreaming thinker. My posts revolve around photos of nature's beauty, homeschooling adventures with my 2 kids, sporadic reflections on my child's heart condition, Bible reading reflections, gardening feats, and other mish mash things. Hopefully you'll leave encouraged, pensive, or smiling at the simple things of life. Thank you for stopping by and hope you'll find some interesting posts to read!
…and what an inspiration you are my friend…what a community you’ve created just by sharing your life with us in such a beautiful way…thank you, and I’m so proud of you🌺
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Love your sweet thoughts!! Thank you as always!! My cheerleader and dear friend. God had to have us meet…Village Voice at Barnes and Nobles.
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We enjoy reading your posts, some fun and lighthearted, some worrisome but they are all you and we are glad you are part of our blogosphere!
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Awwww. that is so sweet of you Linda! I’m so glad we are blog buds and we get to talk about life together. I haven’t met you but it seems like a neighbor nearby. You are special to me. 🙂
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You are special to me too Esther … there is a fellow blogger who has a feature every so often that is called “if we were having coffee, I’d tell you” … I kind of like that feature and us communicating 3,000 miles apart, kind of feels like sitting down over coffee sometimes.
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Awww, thank you Linda! It would be nice to have coffee together and talk and talk and talk. That sounds good!
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Yes it would Esther! I’d like that too. Last Friday I connected with a high school friend I’d not seen or spoken to since 1978. We talked for four hours. I am going to write a post about it this week or next as it was an unusual backstory.
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Wouldn’t that be so fun?!
You should write a post about reconnecting with your high school friend. My goodness, you guys talked after 42 years. I hope you continue to keep in touch!
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I did write a first draft of it tonight – I had some ideas bubbling around in my head so the post just kind of took off. Part of the reason I’m here late tonight was I wrote it, added some pictures of us from high school and when we got together the year we graduated (1973). The pictures are kind of small but that’s fine – it will work. I have to proof it tomorrow night and will post it Friday. It is something else that we have these robocalls. She said she got a call from her own phone!
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I’m going over to your blog to read this post!
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(I’m trying here – I can’t reply to you at the other comment for some reason) I didn’t know that about Dove Sensitive Skin Soap Esther. I won’t be going to the grocery store for a while, so will tuck that info away. I used to use vinegar for shine for many years. And my mom would put mayo on my hair and a disposable shower cap then sit under a bonnet dryer or out in the sun (if you dared) … then rinse it twice with vinegar to cut the oil from the mayo and give it shine. I will let you know about the witch hazel too.
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I tried the Dove soap as shampoo the other day. Don’t know if it helped or if it’s just my mind, but there is less hair falling out. Usually when I smooth my hair, I get one or two strands on my hand. I just did it and nothing. Way too early to tell, but if it works I’m all in. I forgot to bring vinegar to the shower so I used regular conditioner (that is anti-hair thinning).
Beauty regiments are tough…mayo in hair?! I’m sure it worked wonders. When you do research on this home made recipe, it’s amazing how much you can use as cleansers, enhancers, and other things.
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Well that is really good to know – at one time I had some of that Dove Sensitive Soap as I tried lots of soaps after Purpose Gentle Wash changed their formula. Many years ago my mom went to a hairdresser who had taken some training under Jheri Redding. He was a big influence on hair in the 70s or maybe 80s. His Redding hair products were used in almost every hair salon, but not available at any stores. It was like Nexxus today. Anyway, this hairdresser said she learned a lot studying under him and she told me about the mayo … you had to use lots of vinegar to cut the oil (and smell, not that vinegar was better).
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Today I rinsed my hair with diluted vinegar water for the first time. My MIL told me that Dove soap for shampoo and vinegar rinse will help with hair loss. We’ll see. So far it hasn’t been as bad as before but I have to use it more consistently.
Chris has been concerned about my hair loss too and he told me that onion peel juice helps. Kind of wary trying this.
Jheri Redding is sold on Amazon but limited in the number of products. Good things stick around!
Lots of hair experiments going on these days.
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I hope it works for you … I put my hair in a scrunchie every day on top of my head so it looks like a pineapple, but the scrunchie is not tight. I used to use those jaw clips (can’t think what you call them and I think they broke off hair). I am letting my highlights/lowlights grow out, but I don’t think it is that. I liked the highlights that I had for years and then stopped when working from home. Got them again in 2017 and she did lowlights – I did not like the “tiger look” … it no longer looked natural, but I like the girl who does my hair (it’s a small shop owned by her/her husband) so I’m using this opportunity of not visiting their shop since October 2019 to let them grow out. I’ve been cutting my own hair, just the bottom layer, not the other layers. I did not know about the onion peel juice – do you make this yourself or buy it? Jheri Redding has been around many years!
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that leaf photo is a great composition – the action 0 the colors and the mood! well done
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and glad you are growing as a blogger – we al have different experiences with it and then we change as it changes – but very glad you part of the blog arena and glad we have crossed paths – 🙂 loving forward to more in the coming year as well – and hope 2021 has wonderful things in store for us all
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And thank you for the comment about my picture! I tries something new without the kids looking at the camera. The leaves were so plentiful that I wanted to capture that too.
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well keep experimenting 🙂
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and discovering new things along the way…
Have a good Monday!
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😊💕
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Thanks Yvette! Am happy that we got to become blog friends and you connected me with another blogger, Linda Schaub, because of our mutual interest in Thoreau. I love how people connect and begin to be more than just a blog name.
Despite my hesitation, I’m glad to have started my blog. Post by post…finding my niche and voice.
Thanks again for your support! Love to hear from you always and wishing you a good start to December. One more month of 2020 and we start new. Don’t know what’s there for us, but 2020 has been too much.
God bless and take care!
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Esther, I admire your passion for blogging, and I’m thankful for your blog. I’m happy that you’re a part of this community, and I love the variety in your posts.
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Thank you Diana! I always like hearing from you with your cheerfulness, positivity, love for God, and support you give to me. Appreciate it so much.
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You’re utmost welcome, Esther! It’s always such a joy to talk to you! I also appreciate your support and motivation. Take care. 💙
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Same here!!
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