I'M NOT REALLY A POLLYANNA ...

..... but I play one on this blog.    I do try to stay positive and  part of that is keeping this blog my "happy place."   That's harder to do some weeks than in others.

 

 

One thing I can do is  focus on is finding joy in the small ordinary beauty that can easily be  overlooked.   

 

 

 

 We are fortunate to live where we can walk safely in our own neighborhood (which has been OK since the beginning of "lockdown") and where we can see at least some of our family at a safe distance.   

 

 

But last week was one of those when maintaining my happy place really does feel very Pollyanna-ish.    (Does anyone else these days even know where that term comes from?)   Pollyanna was the ever-cheerful  title heroine of an old book -- written in 1911 (that was when my mother was a year old).    She was a happy girl through all her many travails.  She was meant to be someone to be admired, but because of her never-changing optimism, today the word has come to mean somebody who sees the good in everybody and everything--no matter what. That's not a good thing these days. We have to be aware of what's going on (and  do whatever we can to change it for the better, including voting!)  --

 

 

 

 

--   but still I do want to try to see the good in this world.   This picture is a screen-shot from a web-cam our oldest grandson and his wife have set up.  The robins have decided the top of their garage door is a great place to live.   So until the babies arrive, he says the garage door is currently off-limits for humans.  It delights me that my grandchildren care. 

 

 

Grateful that we are together in a safe place -- that we can get out in nature  and that we can  keep  in touch with family, if not in person then through texts, phone calls and pictures ...

... especially photos of the great-grandsons who are at the age where we're really missing a lot of changes.  Here is one of them texted by his mom, our older granddaughter.  

 

 

 Here's a picture of the Oregon coast from our younger granddaughter.  She writes that they are social distancing at the beach during some time off.  I was especially happy to receive this today (as I put this post together)  because I didn't get any of my own pictures of the sky last week.  

 

SHARING this week with the following:  Thank you to the hosts.

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;   ALL SEASONS;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY;  SAY CHEESE;  MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  and  SATURDAY CRITTERS;   

Comments

[Gaelyn]

I think there is nothing wrong with being a Pollyanna as long as you stay abreast of current events. Otherwise, life could be miserable. And such a bonus to walk in such beautiful areas nearby and still stay connected to family. Your great grandson is a real charmer.

[craftygreenpoet]

We need to focus on the good in the world, plarticularly at times like this, otherwise the bad news would be just overwhelming. Nature always offers solace and is so valuable for itself too. I love the robin on the nest...

[Adam Jones]

Lovely to see the Robin on it's nest.

[Kelleyn]

Yes, this week has been a hard one! I have stayed off the news for the last two days because it is bringing me down.

[Lea]

Reading blogs and looking at beautiful pictures (such as yours) helps keep me cheerful!
Thanks!

[Rambling]

I too am not a Pollyanna....Cute baby! Our baby is home from the hospital now...Scary week

[Lavender Dreams]

I stopped back by to tell you we started watching the old movie Polyanna last night. It made me think of you!!! Enjoy your weekend!

[EileeninMD]

Hello,
I remember watching the movie Pollyanna when I was a child. The photo of your great-grandson made me smile, he is cute.
The view of the beach and sunset is gorgeous. I love all the beautiful flowers. The robin on the nest is wonderful, the babies are probably grown by now. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your day, wishing you a great weekend. PS, thanks for the visit and comment.

[Anu]

Hello. So beautiful flowers and great photos. This is a nicely expressed:

"One thing I can do is focus on is finding joy in the small ordinary beauty that can easily be overlooked."

Thank you. Take care!

[Diane Bohlen]

Glad to hear that you are trying to be a Pollyanna. Nature is so calming too. you are lucky to have nature and family close by. I love walking in the forest with my friends (We are allowed to be outside in a group of 20 now) but there are only 5 of us walking. It saddens me that we can't visit our daughter's family in Victoria, Thousands of Kilometres away. Our state border is closed. planes are not flying yet. Thank goodness for zoom, and technology. Keep positive.

[Michelle Keltner]

The small things in life are where it's at, no doubt. Love seeing that little guy with his sunglasses on. So cute. Thank you for linking up and continue to stay well.

[JM Illinois U.S.A.]

in nature I find Joy. Be safe.

[Lady Fi]

Lovely shots! I too try to stay upbeat, but sometimes my heart is so heavy with all the injustice in the world.

[riitta k]

You are so right Sallie - happiness lies in everyday little things. Awful things happen in the US, we have had also demonstrations supporting 'Black Lives Matter'. I love the Oregon coast <3 Thank you for sharing your post at Friday Bliss.

[Elke]

wonderful posting from the flowers and bird!the sweet little grandson photo!
I wish you a good weekend, Elke

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Great sky.

[Peter B.]

Beautiful poppy shots. Yes, it can be really hard to stay upbeat these days. At work we used to have a term called "below the line". It's OK, and even good and healthy, to go below the line from time to time... complain, be negative, vent, whatever. Just remember not to stay there!

[bill burke]

Hi Sallie, nature has so much beauty and joy to share to the world, all we have to do is open our eyes and enjoy. Nice photo! Your great grandson is a cutie.

[Laurie]

Your great-grandson is adorable! I love the robin cam your grandson has set up, even though that wasn't the original purpose. I have been watching an osprey cam near my sister's house in Florida. So much fun to watch the babies fledge!

[Sharon Wagner]

There is much natural joy to discover in your photos. Stay well!

[mae]

I hated the book Pollyanna because my 8th grade teacher made me read it when I was ready for much more ambitious reading -- such as War and Peace which I read the same year.

It's really hard to stay upbeat and enjoy the small things these days because we know so many people are in such terrible trouble from want, disease, and oppression, both globally and locally. Great that you can be close to family for comfort and support.

be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

[Debbis]

oh sallie, honest i will be...i had no idea what pollyanna meant. after reading here, and a little assistance from google "an excessively cheerful or optimistic person", i get it. but there is a difference in trying to find the good and joy in things and just being fake! i try to find the joy in things, i try to keep my blog happy, like you and i think that is important!! if i feel a little bit down, writing here makes me happy!! your flowers are gorgeous, your great grandson is adorable, and thank your granddaughter for that gorgeous picture of the oregon coast!!!

[DeniseinVA]

Your happy place means we can share it with you. Thank you for being a Pollyanna Sallie. We can look at this post and enjoy your lovely photos. They always bring a smile.

[Sylvia D.]

Sallie, Thanks for being a Pollyanna. There is always good if we look. Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Sylvia D.

[Gattina]

It seems that you are pleased with your life for the moment after all that travelling and your pictures are beautiful ! What a cutie your great grandson !
Fortunately it seems to be quite peaceful in your area, in the News they always show the most terrible pictures !

[Wally Jones]

Thank you for sharing the beauty of your world, Sallie!

With a grandson who understands what's important in life, we all can have hope the future will be in good hands.

[Linda]

Nature gives us so many reasons to feel Pollyanna-ish, the world happenings are another thing.

[betty - NZ]

I think there are a lot of Pollyannas around and I don't think that's a bad thing--as long as we think for ourselves and don't let the world influence what we truly believe.
I love the little bright spots that you found and shared with us today!

Thanks for being a part of 'My Corner of the World' this week!

[Photo Cache]

You have a handsome little cuddlebug there.

[Paspii]

I love that nesting bird! Nature is so Great!

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Gorgeous nature shots ~ your great grandchild steals the show though ~ Love the bird in the nest ~ sweet ^_^

Be Safe, Be Well,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

[Alan Bates]

Great photos, I'm glad the relatives update you with photos. My brother is 5 miles from me in a locked down long term care center and I haven't seen him since the end of March. That weighs on me even though we talk at least once a day. So many little issues pop up that if could just drive up there they could be taken care of right of way.

[Bob Bushell]

The things in your garden is pretty, love them.

[NatureFootstep]

Hi Sally, I am not surprised you are a bit "Swedish" you have that look :) I love those yellow flowers but can´t see what flower it is. I wish I had one beach like that to take long walks on.

Take care, stay safe.

[Veronica Lee]

Oh yes, we boomers, remember Pollyanna well! I grew up on Hayley Mills movies.

Everything feels so surreal these days, Sallie.

Love your photos -- they always bring joy to me.

Praying for America.

[Linda Walcroft]

Nice pictures! I don't know what I'd do without access to nature right now.

[Florence]

What a year!!

I don’t know about you but I have just hit an emotional wall the past few days. 3 1/2 years of a presidential horror show, a pandemic with over 100,000 Americans dead and no end in sight, unemployment hitting 20% and the preponderance of relief going to major corporations instead of individuals, and now rioting (justified or not) in cities all over the country. Well, I feel like I’m in a state of suspended animation. And we are just at the beginning of hurricane season. I keep pretending that things are normal and doing the usual things but I keep feeling like Armageddon is just around the corner.

[Carol]

a Pollyanna like the book would see someone's weakness and liked them despite it - which is a good thing - finding happiness in little things is to my way of thinking a great thing!

[Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade]

Lovely blooms and isn't the webcam wonderful!? I want one for our deck, we have so much wildlife it would be fun to see what I miss when not looking out.
Thank you for your take on Pollyanna. I was taught it was a negative thing to be positive. Sad I know.

[Diane Stuckey]

Beautiful photos. Keep well, Diane xox

[Pat]

I loved the movie Pollyanna when I was a child--starring Hayley Mills! I try to remain positive on my blog, too, Sallie. I am a little more expressive on my personal facebook page, but even there I'd rather dwell on the good things in life more than the bad.

[Jeanna]

That's a beautiful shot to end your post on and your great grandson looks a lot like my sister and her grand daughter, it's the apple cheeks and curly hair I think. I love his 'do.
It's funny how much I'm hearing Pollyanna references, I wonder how that resurfaced. Were you a Haley Mills fan? I adored her. I strongly recommend the lesser known movie, Tiger Bay that she made with her dad if you haven't or even if you have seen it.
It's hard to picture Eugene in that kind of chaos and four businesses is a lot for a small town. Speaking of which, I always focused on Pollyanna's paralysis, even as a kid, but held out hope that she learned to walk again which maybe she does in the book. I picture the Disney movie with Haley Mills smiling under a quilt but not really sure about the ending.
There were a bunch of baby robins on my balcony left by a storm one spring and it was a nerve wracking experience to find a wild life rehab center when the mother didn't come back. I couldn't figure out what to feed them, but remember something about worms in a blender. They were painting my kitchen at the time. The painters came in, saw my baby robin warming station in the kitchen and didn't say a word, lol. I checked up on them in Robin Rehab and they were doing well.
Walking in your neighborhood and getting out for walks and communing with nature and staying in touch with your family are some of the most important things in life, no?
My sister lives on the UWM campus which I always thought of as kind of a joke being from the UW-Madison environment—I'm a snob—but she had quite the shock last night when the chaos was on her doorstep. I've told her a million freakin' times to move, achhh. That looks like some good social distancing at the beach, I don't see much of that going on here. I've never been out and felt safe as far as proximity and mask wearing is concerned. What's the opposite of Polyanna? Wouldn't it be funny if we changed places, attitude wise, like an episode in a sitcom? 'cause none of this is really happening, right, right?

[Junieper/Jesh]

Sally, hope next week will be better for you. I know, sometimes it takes much effort to put the negative aside, and focus on what good you have. I can see your family is a great asset and joy:) Your great grandson is a cutie! The yellow flowers are beautiful in color and shape and that sunset is gorgeous:)
Many thanks for sharing these experiences with All Seasons and have a beautiful week, Jesh

[Monika Ohson]

Your photos kept me smiling. Such pretty blooms and a beautiful robin and not to forget the handsome little prince.

[Lavender Dreams]

Family photos are so much fun to get during all of these sad times and I love the Oregon coast photo! I am just like you...I want my blog to be happy but I sure have felt sad these past few days. It's hard enough to be dealing with a deadly virus...and now our country in so much turmoil. Thanks for the beautiful photos and sweet thoughts! Hugs, Diane

[Penelope Notes]

What a cute little boy and that awesome sunset! Yes … I know the story of Pollyanna very well. Looking on the bright side helps but not if one buries their head in the sand and ignores the very harsh realities in our beautiful but ravaged world.

[Karen, Pixel Posts]

A lovely series Sallie. Beautiful blooms, and a gorgeous beach. I love the sunglasses on your great-grandie, how cute is that! I too try to find the joy, but in these troubled times, it is sometimes difficult.

[Jennifer Jilks]

It's an interesting post. I try to be positive, too. Now, however, I also feel as a privileged white middle class woman that I owe it to humanity to read about what is going on. We must bear witness and know what people of colour face every day.

I do have to turn the news off, as a person with anxiety and depression. But the stories and the work that has to be done to resolve the horrors is discouraging some days.

[// Heidrun]

Again MosaicMonday and here I'm, to read...

...I enjoyed your Post, dearest Sallie. Indeed, I agree it's the best to focus in life on the small things. Thank you for sharing.

Stay healthy and well.

Happy MosaicMonday!

[Sondra]

HI Sallie, so true my own blog of this weekend is dedicated to the fact that sometimes I just am not OK, and that is the way it is...if things dont improve in this USA, if everyone can't get the same treatment how can we pretend its all ok when it is not...Loved your photos, and that sun sky shot is amazing.

[EileeninMD]

Hello Sallie,

Happy June! Seeing the beautiful flowers is a joy. Cute shot of your great-grand, I love the sunset at the beach photo. Cute capture of the Robin on the nest. Take care! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

[Hazel]

Lovely Blog, and I adored the robin nest shot😊.I understand how you've been feeling, as I have only
been out if driving to the local Marina where I can park away from folk! A friend calls round and sits away from me on the patio once a week, and I see folk with shopping, that's all.

[Linda P]

There are things going on beyond our 'garden gate' that disturb us. I have thoughts on political issues, but blog about our daily life and try to keep things positive and neutral. It's easy during these difficult times to be over the top and be too positive or too negative about what we write about. Seeing your California poppies and other flowers, the natural world, your family photos make me smile. I wish you a peaceful and wonderful June.

[Lucy Corrander]

I know 'Pollyana' is no longer popular - but I like it. A determination to see good (and to be happy) can help nurture good and make it grow. It's not the same as being naive and refusing to see what's wrong. But if we were to concentrate only on what's wrong I don't suppose we'd survive. Keep up with posting california poppies and skies (and voting and trying to overcome the bad things too!) The good things will help give you the fortitude and stamina to do just that).

[Calendula]

Dear Sallie, maybe this pandemic makes us rediscover the ordinary beauties around us again. That's the positive thing to get from it! I love your photos with the little flowers and the nesting bird.
But of course it's hard not to be close to your grandchildren and great-grand-children. That's a misery.
Stay healthy!

[Angie]

Sallie - I figure we get enough of the negative from other sources, that it is OK for our blogs to provide an escape for ourselves and others. Sometimes focusing on "what I can control" feels like sticking my head in the sand, but I also think it is important to consider what actions will actually make a difference. In the current situation, it comes down to individual beliefs, which take generations to change - each of us can work on that (gently) with people we know. Voting is a must-do, no question!

On a lighter note, I laughed at your story of the robin. When we lived in Cleveland, we had our bicycles hanging from the ceiling of the garage, and every spring, whenever the door was open, a robin would try to build a nest on one of those bikes!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with Mosaic Monday - it helps all of us to know we are not alone. (By the way, I am deeply grateful for your faithful participation in MM - it means so much to me!)

[Margy]

My parents would have been a bit younger, Dad was born in 1912 and Mom in 1916. Dad left us early due to cancer, but Mom lived until just after her 97th birthday. Thanks for letting us know where the term Pollyanna came from. I tend to be like that, and try to see the best in people and times. Much harder right now, and the riots and looting right now in response to a horrible action seems so hard to understand. And I grew up in Los Angeles during the Watts riots and later the Rodney King riots. - Margy

[ellen b.]

Happy last day of May Pollyanna...I mean Sallie. This is your Pollyanna friend from Washington state. You could also accuse me of being an Ostrich with my head in the sand but only when it comes to things I have no control over. But wait...what do I have control over...not much. Sigh. and smile. Love what you can see on your walks and love the photos your dear grands send you. That beach shot is so lovely. Happy last day of May to you and here's hoping June is filled with many good things for you and our whole country.

[Amy Franks]

So good to see new life in the form of little birds nesting, such a cheerful thing.

[Stevenson Que]

Dearest Sallie, first of all Happy June! I'm so happy it's june because its my birthmonth haha. I know it's hard to always be cheerful all the time bot reading that you try to see the beauty in simple things, I think that makes you a Pollyanna :) Love these beautiful flowers which never fails to make me happy, and your granddaughter is super adorable!!!

Happy New Week, Happy New Month Sallie! Hugs from the Philippines!