The girls have long thought it odd their photos could be found on the internet. At one time, they asked me to stop sharing them. Seems fair enough, given that it's their beautiful mugs that are shared. That's no small part of why you've heard a lot less from us here. Posts without pictures are, well, informative, but not nearly as fun to read. Photos break up the black-and-white page, add color, add depth to the stories. But their request makes even more sense now that we see images ripped from the internet, turned into memes with long lives sending messages those pictured most likely don't support.
So, I've been going through the task, removing the girls' images from the internet. It's been a lot more painful that you might think. It's like burning a scrapbook, erasing history. I think I die a little inside with each click of the "remove" button. Sure, I'll continue scrapbooking offline. The girls have always enjoyed looking back at those books in their down time. Sure, the words are still out there, but the images make the page.
I love my girls, believe them to be smart and beautiful and fun, want to share them with the world. But it's not my place to put it all out there for some company to capitalize upon, some jokester to manipulate. Thank you for sharing in their early years, our adventures, their images. Thank you for the kind comments, the recommendations, the love.
I'd like to use this space to continue sharing the knowledge I've gained over this nearly half century on the planet: traveling, gardening, horse stuff, kid stuff, homeschooling info, publishing, parenting, building and rebuilding. I'm sure I'll post now and again. But with Big Internet controlling content, controlling who can and who cannot make a buck for their efforts (it seems Jackasses and Ridiculousness is in; actual information is out), I've continued to focus on outlets that help support our family's need to cover the cost of hay, veterinarians, car insurance, groceries, and soon, college tuition and related expenses.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. I hope to see you all in person somewhere along the road of life. Meanwhile, hug your own, keep your memories alive through whatever journaling method works best for you and yours, and stay safe out there.
