I confess that I may be the laziest person I know when it comes to photography. This week I put the macro lens on my camera and hung around the garden with it. To take wonderfully clear photos with a macro lens, you really need to have it on a tripod so it can …Read More

    The word “Gothic” is thrown about a lot when it comes to literature.* Gothic is an interesting word. You know who the Visigoths were: those unsophisticated, crusty and crude pre-Germanic types who swooped down on the slothful, stuttering remains of the Roman Empire in the fourth century and gobbled them up. They were fairly …Read More

  “Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.” — Hal Borland

  Lots of interesting Saturday Serendipity links today. Hope you’re having a fabulous September Saturday! Bits and Bobs Life for the Amish is changing fast. We see it even here in Southern Illinois. Harry Dean Stanton made every film he was in that much better. RIP, awesome Harry. Everyone heard about that sneezing panda video …Read More

  Today was a porch kind of day. It’s September, right? So the weather is a bit schizophrenic. The a/c has been running non-stop during the day, and when I made the decision to take the day off from working out, I put on leggings and a long-sleeved tee. Sometimes I feel like I’m being …Read More

  I spend a lot of time in my house. By a lot I mean that I often don’t even leave the property 4 or 5 days a week. Many people I know leave their homes each day to go to work, to activities, or to the market for food. If we lived closer to town–we’re …Read More

    I’m so excited to welcome lots of new subscribers to the Handbasket! Thanks so much for joining us. I love it when you all drop by and chat, or even just peek in. (I’m a lurker on lots of blogs myself.) I do my best to respond to comments right away, and I …Read More

  For eight of the last eleven years we’ve attended Illinois’ DuQuion State Fair. It’s one of two state fairs in the state. I get it. Illinois is a very loooooong state, so having two state fairs is handy. Husband doesn’t like large crowds, and I melt like butter if it’s over eighty-five degrees, so …Read More

How was your weekend? Did you spend it reading, playing, exercising, or working? I spent a lot of time online tracking Hurricane Irma, worrying about friends and relatives in Florida. I also read stories about thefts of recovery supplies in Texas, and looting in Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. Who does that? I hope there’s a …Read More

  “Honor your commitments with integrity.”– Les Brown