What happened? How to prevent it from happening again?

This is in answer to some questions I'm getting about the short disappearance of Meanderings and Muses, and how it was retrieved.

 Chances are you received a newsletter or saw my post at Facebook regarding the short disappearance of Meanderings and Muses

At the very real risk of being very repetitive, here it is again -

Hi, everyone!

You may have noticed that my blog of 16 years, Meanderings and Muses, disappeared.

Sixteen years.

That blog has served a lot of purposes over the years.

I’ve shared good news and bad. Shed tears. Shared laughter. Pitched a few fits. Hosted good friends. Recommended a few books and authors. Shared some beauty and spotlighted some ugly.

The thoughts of losing it were devastating and incomprehensible.

But—it’s back!

With the help of Maddee, Ryan, and Riley of the amazing and magic-making xuni.com, my Meanderings and Muses is back. I can get back to using it as my journal, my conscience, the place for spreading my news and I hope you will continue to pop in from time to time.

It’s now accessed by this link: kayebarleymusesandmeanders.com

Please bookmark the new link! See you there!

Take care,

XXOO

Kaye

I have received notes from some of you asking what happened - My friend Ann sent this:  "Kaye—What a nightmare. What the hell happened and do you have any advice to others to avoid such a disaster? If my website went down it would be… can’t even go there."

So.

the question "What the hell happened?"

The short answer to that is "I'm really not sure."

Last Wednesday, Feb. 28, I was just working on a post, closed it out for awhile, went back about an hour later to complete it and was met with an ugly screen telling me that Meanderings and Muses had expired.

No prior warning.  

None.

 the question "do you have any advice to others to avoid such a disaster?"

HA!

I jumped through all the hoops placed in my path to no avail.

Each hoop directed me to a different hoop etc etc etc and around and around we went.

And here's where I say, "Thanks Be For A Woman Named Maddee James, her amazing team of Ryan and Riley, her adorable pup Ripley, and the magic of xuni.com.

Seeing as how I successfully managed Meanderings and Muses for 16 years pretty much problem-free (not totally problem-free, but I was able to work through most of them by myself), my best advice to other bloggers is this.  Turn it over to an expert to watch over.  

Find you an expert!

I will continue doing the writing and the publishing, but now I know if I ever see that hateful ugly screen telling me I'm expired (don't you hate that word?!) I can run to Maddee and crew for a fix by experts.  Yay, xuni.com ! 

Y'all, blogging technology has changed.  I now know I am not qualified to troubleshoot, let alone fix, problems I might have been able to do a few years ago.

Find you an expert.

(Speaking of my friend Ann, that would be Ann Medlock, who I ADORE.  Ann is a poet, a novelist, an essayist, a speaker, a storyteller, and a woman who, at age 90, is someone  we can all look at as a role model.  If you haven't read her SILENCE OF THE SEAMAID, I encourage you to do so).

Favorite Books of 2023 - So Far

 

Seeing Lesa's list of her Favorite Books of 2023 - So Far reminded me to post my own.  

As usual, we share a fave or two.

Here's mine:

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan, published 2/7

All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay, published 3/7

Homecoming by Kate Morton, published 4/4

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, published 4/25

The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard, published 5/2

Silence of the Seamaid by Ann Medlock, published 5/4

The Truth Against the World by David Corbett, published 6/1

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, published 6/6

The Last Bookshop by Evie Woods, published 6/22

         -   Coming Soon and Not to be Missed   -

Sleepless City by Reed Farrel Coleman - 7/11

Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy - 8/1

Frame by Ann Medlock

 

• FRAME
• 
  
• “Gentlemen, set your frames.
• This here dance starts simple
• and gets tricky real fast.
• Your lady cannot do
• the necessary turns and
• flourishes if you do not
• give her frame.
• But if you got
• steady shoulders,
• rock-strong arms,
• sure footing,
• then there she goes,
• twirling, double-timing,
• knowing she can count on you
• for balance. Give way
• when she swings out,
• when she’s off balance—
• her spin will take her down.
• Then you got one bruised and
• limping little lady, don’t you know?”
• You ask what I need from you
• as I rescript my life, ending what
• I thought it was and spinning into
• what it may really be. No actions,
• no words are needed, only frame,
• only the pinpoint touch of your
• solid presence, only the still point
• without which there is no dance,
• and we know there is only the dance.

  

     - - - Ann Medlock

Favorite Book of the Year, so far

 

I read a lot of books. (You know that, right?😊 )


This year, so far, I have read a little more than 60 books.


Silence of the Seamaid by Ann Medlock is, so far, my favorite.



This excerpt from Elana Sztokman’s review sums it up perfectly - "Silence of the Seamaid is an engaging, enraging, and inspiring story about women and the will that it sometimes takes for them to simply live."



The entire review can be read here - https://independentbookreview.com/2023/03/03/book-review-silence-of-the-seamaid/

More here - https://tinyurl.com/aycwhsrn




This book touched me, resonated loudly, and satisfied me on multiple levels.

I cheered for Lee, even when I sometimes wanted to shake her.

I laughed with her, and cried with her. And I got angry as hell.

I admired her strengths and talents, enjoyed her curiosity, her eye for beauty, and her need for more.

Ms. Medlock's writing has us experiencing this elegantly written story with all our senses.

This is one of those books you'll hear me talking about, urging you to read, and placing in your hands if you don't do it quickly enough.

It is, most especially, I think, a book that will speak to women who remember the not so distant past when women were supposed to get married. That's it. Get married. Take care of the husband and the obligatory children. And not expect anything more out of life.

Silence of the Seamaid was published last year and is available at your favorite bookstore.  It is also right now available through NetGalley.com

I'll be interested in hearing what you think.

Happy reading!