June was a blur and one of the most detrimental months for my writing. Everything was put on hold and kept in suspended animation until further notice. But now is not the time to cry over spilt milk, it is over and done with. July ushers forth a new month, as well as the second half of 2023, a chance to redeem myself in the eyes of the writing gods.
The only highlight that transpired in the chaotic June month that was, or should I say, the past six weeks, was my illogical return to Instagram following a four year hiatus, after having sworn off all things Zuckerberg. Unfortunately, moving to Portugal forced me back into WhatsApp, which I can live with, but Instagram is a whole different ballgame. So what has changed since I last jumped on the bandwagon? The reels are an absolute nightmare! If you are like me, in pursuit of good photography and inspiration from other photographers, it has become incredibly difficult to weed through all the reels. Having to deal with the stories is challenging enough but the reels put me off the whole experience. I’m not sure how long I will stick around this time, but I stand by my old policy of not keeping too many photos up. This is something I learned the hard way years ago, when photos were pirated without permission. In any case, if you are interested, my handle is @frogdivaphotography.
As summer approached and the desire to eat fresh and refreshing meals loaded with vegetables increased, I began making my own yoghurt again but this time I took it a step further and experimented with Greek yoghurt. It took three failed attempts until I figured out the perfect incubation process and then the straining time to achieve the perfect consistency. Many recipes recommend incubating the yoghurt in an oven with the light on. Well that is a waste of electricity and defeats the purpose of living a simpler life. The idea is to keep the container in a warm place that is draft free. My solution? Cherry’s cat bed with a drawstring that she doesn’t like. When pulled tightly around the pot, it looks like a giant dumpling or a sad pumpkin, but it gets the job done! I aim to make the yoghurt every Friday night so that I can strain it first thing Saturday morning and have yoghurt for the rest of the week.
Homesteading is definitely my lifestyle now, not just to keep the costs down, but also because I find it a grounding and rewarding experience. It had made me realise how dependent I had become of fast food and food delivery services over the years. Sure, they are convenient, but there is a joy in cooking fresh meals from scratch, rolling out your own pizza dough, and making homemade bread. Now that yoghurt is a weekly activity, I use the whey for the bread the next day and end up with a loaf with an entirely different texture.
Although it goes against the grain of my core photography and visual storytelling, I have dabbled in floral photography lately. That is a sure sign of how stressed and tired I have been recently, when even my beloved clouds lose appeal.
I’ll let Cherry fill you on all the cat activities with her next blog entry. Suffice it to say that we are all becoming good neighbours. I am convinced they are my spiritual protectors and keep the rodents, ghosts, and bats at bay. Yes, bats. I hear them fluttering by and squeaking every night, and I really don’t fancy having them as house guests.
FrogDiva Thoughts 