pausing for a station break before T today …
notice anything different on my sidebar? …
THERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING THERE …
WordPress decided to change the layout format I had chosen for my blog … one minute everything was fine …
the next … shock and horror …
it seems the style I had … “Cutline” … has been discontinued and automatically replaced with something new and better ? … “Coraline” …
WHY …
I was perfectly happy with the way things were … in fact I had worked hard to get it fine tuned over time …
this may sound silly … but I shed some frustrated tears when this all happened yesterday afternoon …
imagine waking up to find your hair had been drastically cut and styled without your permission …
tech skills are not my strong point so this is all quite stressful … so much for the balance I always seek!
I thought at first I had lost links … tags … categories and more … accumulated over almost 3 years of blogging … seems they are not lost …
read this through clenched teeth: but I will need to transfer them all over to the sidebar …one by one
teeth still clenched: … mind you … this is supposed to be a matter of JUST dragging the items over to the right …
is that working smoothly …
NO … not at all … my header is messed up too!
and here I had just recently been singing WordPress praises … I wish they had used their time to create the super feature that Blogger has showing when favorite blogs are updated on the sidebar
I am grateful that my blog posts have not been lost or altered … that would make me really really sad …
I am not a happy camper at the moment !!!!
let me end this rant..and get on with tea …if you are still with me …
I had prepared my cherry T post ahead of time … it was going to be called …
“a bowl of cherries T”
cherry season is upon us and oh are they ever delicious …
my good friend … Lennie … frequently gifts me with great magazines … lots of them hot off the press …
I found the cover of Victoria so charming … it inspired me to do a bowl of cherries post which I have had in mind for T Tuesday
hope you have some time today to stop and enjoy whatever it is you Love … join the tea party over at Kimmie’s Art in Red Wagons … the more the merrier
“Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” ~Barbara De Angelis
*also wanted to mention there is still time to join in my giveaway here*
Magpie's Nest ~*~ Patty Szymkowicz 
oh yes, i read that announcement about coraline! i didn’t realize the move was made on your behalf, i had thought they would let you choose to switch over. ick. have you contacted them? i’m sure they’ve heard a thing or two from disgruntled users! it’s a shame… and i’m glad the info wasn’t lost, but what a pain to have to move it over. do you have the backup plug-in to save all your posts to date? and i like that feature on blogger too…
as for the cherries, such a nice spread you have there. aren’t hand-me-down magazines the best? 🙂
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I wonder just how much of our time is wasted with glitches like this. Hope you can get it resolved without too much ‘teeth grinding’…not worth a dentist’s visit.
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To quote Erma Bombeck, “If life’s a bowl of cherries, then what am I doing in the pits?”!!! Ohhhh, Patty! Don’t you just HATE it when they ‘upgrade’ things??? Why not ask for subscribers’ input??? I can totally understand your frustration and that terrible feeling of “now what”. Wish I were geographically closer to give you a ‘hug’ in person; virtual ‘hugs’ will have to do. Take a deep breath, and good luck with your re-do. Hugs & Love, Terri xoxo
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wow, maybe you should just switch over to blogger now while you have the chance, if I was there, I would help you dear Patty. can mr magpie help you? oh I am so sorry about this!! curses!! sending lots of hugs…xoxox
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OOOppps! Me again! I was so upset for you that I failed to compliment you on your gorgeous bowl of cherries! Seriously, that shot is so beautiful, it could easily be a cover shot for Victoria (on of my favorite mags!)!!! More Hugs, Terri xoxox
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oh, Patty, that’s a shame to hear! I’m not usually up to date to WP announcements, so I had no idea they were doing a “make over” to layouts. Though I know it’d take a serious issue for WP to mess up things like categories, archives and such.
I’ll be online all day if you need me for anything 🙂 (I have a web design class this afternoon, Gmail is SO SO slow there, but you can reach me anyway ; )
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oh, that’s really irritating.
I’m just very happy that none of your posts got lost somewhere on the way.
now, that would be a real disaster.
take a deep breath. enjoy your gorgeous cherries.
oh, and I love the quote by B. De Angelis – exactly something I’ve been desperate for recently…
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First of all let me say your cherry foto is tops…..wonderful….but this wordpress story….wellllllllllll….oh patty…this is awful just reading about it. Strange too…cause just last night I asked my husband …”what if all of a sudden blogger went on the fritz”…….cause I am slowly tranferring all my feedblitz read blogs over to my reader, etc. and told him I better make a list of all these blogs and websites incase some day blogger does something crazy…he JUST LAUGHED…..wait till I tell him YOUR story…..omg. At least you did not lose all your info but omg…all the dragging and dropping…..yeeee gads,,,,I feel for you girl.
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Oh no, poor you. I don’t like these events either. All technical advances are great, blogging is such good fun but when things like these happen, it always makes me feel helpless and vulnerable because the decisions are made for me and afterwards it takes me normally a long time to work out what to do.
And I’d rather spend my time joining your teaparty! The cherries look delicious.
Hope everything will be fine and you don’t need to spend too much time on re-organising your blog. xx
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Stupid WordPress… I bet they lose some bloggers over this. Take a deep breath.
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I can empathize that feeling…Patty…I hope things will be better….
lovely photographs – the composition, the color and yes I’m sure the tea is good…take it easy…we’ll still be here no matter what…. hugs steph
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Oh, Patty!!!! No, no, no! How can WordPress do such a thing?? Tears, yes! I feel nauseous for you. This blog is an expression of yourself and they came through and pillaged it without your express permission. My goodness.
Well, on another note, your quote about women needing time alone really hit home. I love it. I might have to copy it and use it somewhere…
Hope your day is much better
chirp!
lynn
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Sorry about that aggravation Patti! I am sending good karma your way!
What I would do to be sitting in that lovely wicker furnaiture with that lovely bowl of cherries, and the tea! Sigh….as I sit at my desk in work!
Thanks for the prettiness!
Hugs!
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I´m feeling with you – I hate when things like that happen! And you´re right about that blogger feature that lets you see your fave´s latest updates, it´s SO important for me, don´t want to miss it!
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How frustrating for you 😦 Hope everything can be restored. Blogging should be fun, right? Love your cherries. Hugs 🙂
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aww, Patty, I hope your day gets much, much better. The pics of the tea party are lovely!
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Well, this post is lovely — and I adore your cherry pix and that cover! I thought I was going to turn into a giant cherry during cherry season here!
I think that may be why another blog I read has a WAY-different look today. I’m sorry for the aggravation you’re experiencing. Yes, I’d shed tears, too! Will try to read backwards as quickly as I can!
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Well, all I can say is if this photo shot was post-trauma, it stirred up some incredible creativity! O-MY! Adore that last photo! …..Changing gears. I loved your analogy of waking up with the haircut you didn’t know you were getting…LOL! I feel my stress level go off the charts just thinking about WordPress’ decision…STINKY!! Here’s a quote from Mark Twain that sums up these kinds of moments quite well…”Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.” I have been known to recite this on more than one occasion…. Here’s hoping everything gets put back together and an extra hug for the day, XXo, Sue
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It’s bad enough when you spend all your time tweaking and getting things just right on your blog, then to have the rug pulled out from under you like that. Of course, I would LOVE it if someone came in and gave me a new haircut, but I understand the analogy. I only wish I knew something about Word Press. Gosh, I have enough trouble trying to get a WORD document to translate.
At least your bowl of cherries is gorgeous, you have some wonderful and caring friends, and one of these days thing will either be back the way you want them, or you will move your blog to blogger.
Happy Tea Tuesday anyway. Sorry your post is mostly the pits. At least it’s not a pit-y part-y.
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How frustrating!!! I recently changed my blog around – which is a very scary thing to do – just one slip of the button and everything can be so drastically different! I can’t imagine having that happen so innocently and not by choice! I hope things get ironed out for you soon – your blog is such a pretty one!!!
Your cherries are simply scrummie!!! Cherries and plums are my favorites at this time of year! i hope you can find some time today for sipping tea and spitting out cherry pits!
Happy Tea today! Kimmie
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oh Patty, this is so annoying, so sorry for you you have to rework so many items, no fun at all.
Love the cherries, we had some delicious ones last week too 🙂
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I am so glad you didn’t lose your previous posts. I love your bowl of cherries, and I agree that it could easily be on the magazine cover. What is the white flower on top of the cherries? Is that a Jasmine flower by chance. Oh and I also remember your birdie glass, love it!
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Back again, I just went back to your bowl of cherries T and saw your jasmine in the background and that answers my question about the blossom in the bowl of cherries. Loved the bird repeated on the flower pot as well as your blue bird glass. Very nice arrangement together with the magazine.
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Sorry to read about your Word Press snaffoo (for lack of a harsher word!) But you did NOT lose your faithful readers!!!! Hope you can rebuild your blog without losing your hair over it. ((((hugs))))
Your T photos are scrumptious!– and I am coveting your bluebird glass. What a special tumbler for your favorite beverage!
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Patty; sorry about the glitches. That’s maddening! No input from users – just do it! I’m so sorry and I would be very frustrated, too. I hope you can rebuild without too much stress. Wish I could help. Love your photos! Yummy! xxoo
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Oh what a bummer!!! I know some of the links on my sidebar are the only way to get to places I love, like your blog! If they wiped that out I would be so upset! Better add everyone to my favorites just in case Blogger decides to do something stupid.
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OMG!! Your blog is naked!!
LOL Hope you wrote to them and lodged a complaint!
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Dear Patty,
My heart goes out to you too…
But really I can’t say Blogger is any better – since I changed my email address it has caused me hours of research on their help line to resolve issues. I loathe the techno side of blogging, it’s so menu driven and no friendly back up on the end of a phone – just a comments info board of other users to plough thru.
This is a wonderful post tho Patty – so much emotion. Good to have a rant and rave!!!
Ooh I can see a spare chair, I think I’ll join you for some cherries, iced tea and a good old chinwag and promise I’ll make you laugh – OK?!
I just feel like a good magazine like Victoria to read too – now that would be good for the soul! I subscribed to it years ago and then they stopped publishing. ..
LoVe the birdie glass and planter – you are a great prop artist.
Beautiful quote from Barbara too.
Hey, I’ll say a wee prayer to St Anthony that he’ll find all your bits and put them in the right place – he’s good at that!
Take care
Shane
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Oh, I am so sorry this happened… HOW frustrating!!! I hope you get everything fixed to the way you like it soon. Why I really stopped by is that the blessing you wrote on Jill’s post is beautiful! roxanne
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WOW – Patty, I feel your pain! I’m sorry you were havin a tough and bad day. Send you Gypsy Woman to throw curses there way! On second thought – maybe not. Hmmmm, let4 go with the thought that all will be good and the swans will swoop in and make it all “OK” – sounds good to me. Hugs, sweetie, and may you have wonderful swan dreams tonight. Nite nite.
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Oh dear, why oh why do they have to change things all the time! Geesh!!! Sorry that they have not made you very happy, like we don’t have enough to do. Go enjoy your cherries they look yummy!!!
Hugs,
Debby
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Lennie is a guardian angel to all of us trying to find some calm serenity in our artists lives. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
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oh Patty im feeling your pain! i hope it resolves itself and you dont have to add everything one by one…
beautiful pic tho of your cherries….
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so that’s how real cherries look like — beautiful! in here we only have the canned ones — bloody red. so there’s indeed a techie update. i thought i have clicked something that i shouldn’t because the upper tabs are no longer the same. the feature where i can easily add to my blogroll the current blogsite i’m reading is nowhere. anyhow, the identical birdies on the plant box and glass make me tweet 🙂
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Oh my dearest… that’s aweful! I felt it in my stomach and yes, if it happened to me I would shed some tears!!! Our blog is an important thing in our lives, you stated it well “like cutting your hair without permission”… Keep on breathing Patty and I hope you will feel more relaxed soon!
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Oh no…that’s not nice! Fortunately all your wonderful posts are still here!
Your photo of your cherry bowl looks so wonderful.
It looks like an invitation. I just want to sit down there, have some cherrys and a tea and a talk about anything and everything.
(In german wie say “über Gott und die Welt reden” – ” to talk about god and the world” , do you know this in english too?)
Lots of greetings
from Imke
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Pingback: breathe in the quiet center … | Magpie's Nest ~*~ Patty Szymkowicz
Well…boo on WordPress! I was thinking about switching to them…we’ll see! I’m sorry you were so upset, Patty, I can hardly blame you…you’ve crafted a wonderful blog. Bless your heart…hope the tea was soothing. Your pictures certainly tell a tale of a sweet ending after all.
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Hi Patty, I thought it was something that I had done. At least you figured out that it was WordPress. I worked most of my spare time lately trying to get my WP blog so that I didn’t have a completely blank sidebar. I am still working on getting stuff back over there and maybe changing my mind over what I want there. It was a bit like having the rug pulled out from over you.
I love those black cherries. To eat and to look at.
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I am swooning over that bowl of cherries! What a wonderful arrangement!
A very happy summer photo ~ I’d love to sit down and read right there!
Blessings,
Katie
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