#also i keep imagining how hard it must be for the va’s to record these things like UGHHHHHH | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theghostpinesmusic · 5 years ago

Video

youtube

I've been having a hard go of it lately, mostly because of *gestures at everything*, but music has, as always, been the thing that helps me keep my head on straight the most. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of JRAD in particular and I'm starting to feel like I really understand, for the first time in my life, what it is that has drawn so many people to the Grateful Dead's songbook over the last almost-sixty years. I can't claim to be a *good* songwriter, but I've been writing songs and thinking about what makes a good song for twenty years, and Hunter's songs are just so incredibly elegant and beautiful that it makes me wonder why it took me so long to hear it. Everything in its time, I guess.

Anyway, thanks to my tendency to need to neurotically dive into things I'm enthusiastically about as opposed to just casually liking things like actual humans do, I've always tended to have one band in particular that eats up most of my listening hours for years at a time, that I end up driving cross-country to see and that I spend way too much on records and merchandise for. In college, it was Phish (because of course it was), then Phish broke up, and for awhile it was Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and then Ryan Adams freaked out (because of course he did). Then Phish came back, and that was pretty much 2009-2016. It took seven years, but eventually I got a little burnt out on neo-Phish and at the same time came across a northern California band called Chris Robinson Brotherhood.

Traveling around the northwest to see these guys play in tiny dive bars and basements (and once, memorably, in a VA cafeteria in Redding, CA) was the most fun I've ever had as a music fan. Going on winter CRB tour over Christmas break became a yearly ritual that I looked forward to for all of summer and fall each year. Then, suddenly (or so it seemed to me) the band broke up, and right afterward, the band's guitarist, Neal Casal, one of my biggest music idols and just a heartbreakingly nice guy, hung himself to death, and that was that.

Right before that happened, though, I took a trip down to Oakland in the fall of 2018 to see JRAD play two nights at the Fox Theater, and the second night of that run was what I imagine church must be like for people who believe in God. Like, the ones who *really* believe in God. It was amazing. Then this past summer, JRAD played a show at Red Rocks that I watched live from my couch, which they dedicated to Neal. They played a take on "Brokedown Palace" that they almost couldn't finish. People in the audience cried. The band cried. I cried. It was one of Neal's favorite songs. I saw four JRAD shows later in the summer and they were amazing. I had tickets to see five more this summer before COVID-19 hit; now, I'll have tickets for summer of 2021, and we'll see if it's safe to hold concerts by then when we get there.

So, "The Wheel." It's one of my favorite songs, not just because it's a great song, but because it's about the medieval concept of The Wheel of Fortune, which I teach my HUM 148 students about every winter. I'm always tempted to play this song for them. But I don't.

This is one of my favorite JRAD versions of the song because it showcases everything I love about them. All of my favorite improvisational rock comes from bands who are able and willing to listen to each other, and communicate through the music, and they're locked in in this sense from the very beginning of this version. Tommy throws in a few teases of the song "Joeline," by another of his bands called American Babies, and then we're off into the song proper:

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down You can't let go and you can't hold on You can't go back and you can't stand still If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will

Pure Chaucer-by-way-of-Americana, that.

Post-verses, the jam calms down into Marco doing a gorgeous but understated mellow piano thing until, at the 9:00 mark, he plays the main riff from Coldplay's "God Put a Smile On Your Face," which causes him and Joe to both burst out into laughter. I love this so much: it's completely unplanned, it happens, they both laugh, and without breaking stride Joe switches over into the drumbeat from the Coldplay song. The jam builds in intensity from there until the whole band is improvising around "God Put a Smile..." except for Joe and Scott, who start jamming *at the same time* on the Benevento/Russo Duo song "Becky." This finally all resolves (somehow) into a reprise of "The Wheel," but we aren't done yet, because Tommy teases Radiohead's "The National Anthem," which then leads to the whole band turning the end of "The Wheel" into a "The Wheel"/"National Anthem" medley. And it's so perfect because it's unplanned and arises organically from these guys' musical talent, their willingness to listen to each other, and the fact that together they likely have more music-nerd knowledge than a whole room full of indie record store owners. In all likelihood, they just had "The Wheel" written on the setlist when they walked out on stage, and everything else happened instead.

Anyway, this is how and why these long, meandering songs bring me joy, especially in times like these. I can only hope that if you've read this far, long, meandering essays also bring you joy. If not, thanks for hanging in anyway.

And check out A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay. It's not just about "The Scientist" and "Clocks," it's a real good album, from back before Coldplay got all...Chris Martin-y.

Cheers!

#music #live music #almost dead #jrad #joe russo's almost dead #grateful dead #coldplay

1 note · View note

iamconstantine · 6 years ago

Text

RWBY EPISODE 12: I’M GOING TO WATCH ANOTHER EPISODE TONIGHT WHY NOT

* Oooooooohh boy this teacher...Thisss teacher * So there’s been a Faunus revolution and a war for their rights, but I’m guessing they still don’t have every right they should. There were mentions of another civil rights protest in the first ep and the White Fang so it’s more like a step towards full equality than anything. * I would like to thank the teacher for asking if any of the Faunus kids have been discriminated against while stopping in front of the only visibly Faunus girl in class. /s * This is where the black silhouettes kind of become a problem. The joke of all the students turning their heads to follow the teacher only sort of worked because the silhouetted students weren’t doing it. The kid who raises his hand to the discrimination question is just a black shape, so I can’t even see his Faunus traits. * Also there was a girl sitting next to the bunny girl and she just vanished but whatever it’s not that big a deal * I like this guy’s VA. He has a lot of energy * Cardin’s face is just so punchable * Nora looks so cute in her uniform! * The line about repeating destiny gives me the feeling that Cardin is going to become a full-on villain eventually. * Also there is ridiculous irony in that the guy who hates Faunus is named after a bird * Pyrrha is having none of Cardin’s crap and I love it * Oooh the music is nice here * Have you ever been having such a rough time that your friend brings you up somewhere high so you can jump off the edge * Pfffffft Pyrrha pulls him away like he’s actually gonna do it * Pyrrha is officially best girl.

* I understand how Jaune’s a little hurt by this but he has to face reality. He’s just not as good as everyone else and that might get him killed one day. * There’s a new layer to this conversation since it’s between Pyrrha and Jaune. Pyrrha is pretty much the #1 Beacon student leveling with him. She’s not using her experience or skill to say “even *I* have trouble sometimes!” she’s keeping him equal with her and everyone else * The “I don’t belong here line.” Always sad. Usually true. * Man I really feel bad for Jaune...Like he can’t just give up and call it quits but Beacon’s not being easy on him. Every class, every fight is beating him further and further down * I--?! Okay Jaune really doesn’t belong here I guess?!? * Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh * Man...so this retracts a lot of stuff I’ve said about Jaune before. Boy literally has NO training, no experience. It’s like he’s been hired at a job he has no experience in * How, exactly, does one fake transcripts to this degree, though? If he’s been doing such a bad job, surely Ozpin or Glynda would have checked his records to make sure they were correct by now. Plus “I got my hands on them” seems seedy * On top of just wanting to be a Hunter, Jaune also has one of those family legacy problems. Again, another trope I see often, but it’s heavier here. This is a world full of monsters and only so many people are brave enough to fight them. I imagine it must be hard having a family line of world-known heroes and just not live up to them * On the oooother hand I can’t 100% what Jaune’s doing, because A) Beacon is a school that doesn’t pull any stops, so on top of just being unable to keep up with it, Jaune could get himself killed, and B) Jaune got admitted into Beacon by lying while everyone else genuinely tried and trained. For as much as he wants to be a Hunter, he hasn’t done too much of the work to deserve a place at Beacon, even if he’s trying now * “I don’t want to be the damsel in distress, I want to be the hero!” Jaune. My boy. My man. You aren’t. You just aren’t. * The line about being the lovable idiot is yet another expectation subversion. I’ve seen Jaune’s character before: character not nearly as skilled as everyone else, kind of a coward, more of a problem than a help, but still “lovable.” Most other works don’t really touch on this, but when the “lovable idiot” character is aware of their place, it’s really hard accepting that the kindness and support given by your friends/teammates is always layered on top of pity. * Jaune physically recoiling from Pyrrha actually hurt to watch * *Cardin crawls over onto roof* Me:

* SERIOUSLY CARDIN JUST GO AWAY NO ONE LIKES YOU. YOUR MOTHER DOESN’T LIKE YOU. * You mean to tell me Pyrrha and Jaune just had this super loud conversation on top of the DORMS?! * IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN * I said last episode that I felt like it was only developing so much but this episode is probably my favorite so far. It gives more insight to Jaune, develops his relationship to Pyrrha, and sets up a new problem with Cardin. * I also cannot believe that of every show I have ever watched I have never before felt such an intense hatred for a character as I do with Cardin * I know this opinion isn’t universal, but I think Jaune is made sympathetic while not coming off as too pathetic. He shouldn’t have faked his transcripts, he shouldn’t have lied about everything, but he is well-meaning and really wants to succeed, even if he’s not willing to accept help yet * Miles Luna’s voice acting while Jaune was lashing out really threw me off. I really felt the anger coming out of Jaune * BTW these recaps/analyses/whatever are MILES LUNA/JAUNE ARC HATE FREE ZONES. One of them is a fictional character and the other is one of the writers of the show who just so happens to provide the voice. Like seriously I understand criticizing writing and not liking a certain character but some of you act like Jaune/Miles came into your home, shot your dog, and ate all your Doritos. C H I L L * Anyways this episode was really good bye

#rwby #my thoughts

6 notes · View notes

duchessabroad-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Trek in Phong Nha

*sorry about the delay family haven't had wifi! This is from the past few days! I woke up and was promptly picked up by my hike people. There were 8 of us in my group- all but two were American! The homeland! We were quite the range of people one med student, one couple from sf in tech, two guys finishing up their residency, and one couple in finance working in Ho Chi Minh. Our guide was named seven which was easy to remember. So we get back to the base and they tell us to basically bring one change of clothes for at night and then we pile back into the van and drive off to the national park. Then after some beautiful views we pull over on the side of the road grab our stuff and start climbing down the mountain after jumping over the guardrail. A note on foot wear. They gave us boots, they are camo and lace up the calf. I looked very good. The guides, we have one guide and two porters, are wearing essentially sandals I wish I had gotten a picture. They carry all our stuff and scamper up and down mountains in sandals. It was impressive. So we hike down the mountain and it wasn't actually that hot because we were in the jungle at this point. Then we get to our first cave and it's awesome!! We climb in and run around taking picture. It is like a huge antechamber with all these stalactites and there are even a few bats flying around. Then we had lunch/snack time and we were all feeling good. It's all very leisurely and we are all like "wow the website said this would be super hard but this is so easy!!!!" We spoke far far too soon. After cave numero uno we hiked up the mountain we had just hiked down (a bit tricky) and back down the other side. This is not like hiking I've ever done, I do not know what sadist discovered this "path". we had to rock climb at some points and we used the trees as support all the time. I put on a long shirt, pants and gloves because the rocks were v sharp which actually made it easier to climb! It sounds scary but the porters were all half my size carrying stuff and were still helping us all do everything. Not sure if you can tell but the staff we had were awesome. Our guide explained everything to us and while our porters did not speak English they caught us when we fell ~~swoon~~ and made scary jungle animal noises whenever they thought we were too relaxed and wanted to scare us a bit. We finally get down to our camping site which is all set up for us because this is Vietnamese glamping. Our guide goes "anyone want to go swimming?" To which we say sure! Sweet naive children that we were. Next thing you know we are fully strapped into harnesses with helmets on and we literally belay down some rocks to go into the Hang Va cave system and go down an underground river. It was an extreme lazy river through the cave and we just floated down and back t was hilarious. Then we had to rock climb back out of the cave. I'm really not accurately explaining how difficult this was- we had to clip into these clip things with our harness hooks (sorry don't know the technical names). Also now we are all completely soaked and these are the same clothes we hike in tomorrow. So then we got back to camp exhausted and our kindly chef had made us a five star Vietnamese feast and we all feasted and then drank rice wine which is essentially Vietnamese moonshine. Yuck. This is where things got yet again exciting. One of the girls at the table goes hm there's something bleeding on my foot. It was a LEECH!!!! Leeches are a thing in the jungle so then we all screamed and ran around while the guide and porter laughed at us and flicked the leech off. If that wasn't enough then someone went to the bathroom and came sprinting back - sprinting because a rat had found its way into our toilet. So then we did the screaming running around thing again. The spiders were the size of baseballs and the moths basketballs. Nature is rather scary to be honest. So then we all jumped into bed, did a thorough, leech/spider check and fell asleep. Then we were up for another 5star meal and it was time to go back to the cave. However before we could begin we had to get back into our dirty wet clothes because we were traveling light. I leave it to your imagination what that felt like. We went to the cave we had gone swimming in yesterday and went down a different passage. (Just to reiterate yes we did have to belay into the cave again) Here is where I have a lot of questions for cave explorers. Our guide has us climb a pile of boulders and then we squeeeeeeze through a teeny tiny hole and an enormous cave system opens before us. But honestly what kind of caver is like "hmmm yes let's squeeze through here!!" I have firmly ruled out cave explorer from my plans, I only like it with a guide and map. It was so so weird inside tho it looked like mars. And also please keep in mind we at various times have to jump into the cave river and walk along that way. Then we get to portions where we have to clip into the side of the mountain and use our rope pulley thing as a handgrip (yes the dreadful harness is firmly on for the whole day). Mom you would hate it- even I felt claustraohobic at points. It's also completely dark so we all have headlamps but you cannot see anything without them at all very eerie. I also could not figure out how to get my helmet on straight so it was mildly askew for the entire trip and I occasionally forgot to turn on my headlamp and would have to freeze confused as to why I couldn't see until our guides would come up and turn it on for me like the child I am. So after going all over in this gigantic cave we then came back to camp, had lunch and then began a trek back to the road. However camp wouldn't feel like home without one final run in with ~nature so a snake slithered by and we all ran around for a bit. Then we hiked directly up a mountain. About ten minutes into the hike my legs were trembling which isn't shocking since i haven't done an ounce of real exercise. All the guests were dying except for one guy who must be like a super marathoner but we all forced ourselves to keep up because none of us wanted to be the weakest link. Then we made it to the top! Then we had to go back down the other side... it sounds easier. It was not in fact easier. In fact I would say it was harder. Again, I suppose there was some unseen trail we were following since we didn't need to actually hack at vines to get through but that was about the only indication this was a trail. Then we made it down!! We were a panting filthy mess of a group. Seven and our two porters had not even broken a sweat. Then we got in our gloriously ac'ed van and headed back to the main office. Once there we first had to pick all the leeches off of us (!!!!!!!!) and then change so we could return to the real world without scaring anyone off with our appearance or smell. After the leech encounter of the night before I had taken matters into my own hands and despite the scorching heat I wore long leggings tucked into my boots and socks, a tank, and a long sleeve- tucked into my gloves. Therefore the frustrated leeches trying to get me were futilely stuck outside my clothing. I felt very powerful when I realized my plan had succeeded. Also two of my fellow tour guests offered to let me join their private car to hue, so despite the allure of a 7am train the next morning I decided to skip the train and just go to hue with them! Yahoo!! So then I got to hue in record time and collapsed into my bed completely delirious with exhaustion. Today I did the craziest thing- I just hung out in my hostel all day long and rested. It felt amazing. I then walked around and had dinner at this restaurant where I was the only non Vietnamese mostly on accident cause I got lost and ended up in a neighborhood rather than the touristy section. But blessing in disguise cause the food was bomb.

4 notes · View notes

wendyimmiller · 5 years ago

Text

Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener

The latest in the on-going correspondence between Marianne Willburn & Scott Beuerlein.

__________________________________

May 14, 2020

Lovettsville, VA

Dear Scott,

My heart aches for you and your family coping with the loss of your mother. In a normal year it would be emotionally draining, but right now, with the ability to have less than ten people at the funeral? I am deeply sorry you have had to cope and grieve while normal life is upside down – I cannot imagine. It was this time last year that we lost my father, and that was hard enough.

The arrival of spring has brought back a lot of that tension and sadness. Memory adheres gently to seasons. For years I could not see pumpkins on porches and smell cinnamon in stores without experiencing waves of psychosomatic morning sickness brought on by having not one, but two, romantic Septembers. And now, Dad is messing with spring.

I have had words with him about it. Proper out-loud words to the sky when I’m in the vegetable garden, which is one of the reasons we needed to live somewhere without visible neighbors. That and the outdoor restroom facilities.

I have wondered many times over the last year what Dad would think about my garden now. It is very young, but the last time he saw it, it was a newborn, and for the most part not to be seen. Dad never went in for ornamentals in the same way that he loved his vegetables and the natural world around him. My guess is that he would have nodded gently, raised his eyebrows over some of my kaleidoscope combinations, and then pulled up a chair in the vegetable garden and asked for a beer.

Dad and I in the garden that fed our family during “the college years” in Iowa.

My very earliest memories of a purely ornamental garden and the high ambitions of its creator – a good family friend – are equally strong memories of the bemusement my father felt for such frivolous things. I can still see the marble statues…hear the plans for an amphitheater being discussed with animated hands as mosquitos danced around us in the dusk…and I can still see my father shaking his head.

I must have been ten or eleven and no doubt more focused on one of the wonderful treats Mr. Willson had prepared for us indoors to care what an amphitheater was. Now I routinely stand with gardeners in their Edens and discuss overreaching plans that are based in fantasy and a glass of red wine – including my own.

The only shot I have of Mr. Willson proudly standing in his California foothills garden.

He is gone now too, but I so wish I had had more time to see his garden and his marvelous plans with wiser eyes. I have an aloe pup (of a pup of a pup) he gave me that sits on my desk next to this picture.

Speaking of wiser eyes – or at least, eyes that are now wise enough to recognize how thoroughly un-wise they are – what a brilliant column on the evolution of gardeners in Horticulture this month! No rebuttal from this quarter – you nailed that one. Judging from my young adult children, and my own memories of being supple, invincible and insufferable, it is not only gardeners who go through this “I-know-everything-I’m-a-rock-star” phase.

The fermenters for one. If I am lectured one more time at a party on the merits of lactobacillus by a bearded, gym-ripped Adonis with a koi tattoo on his calf, I may lose my carefully curated reputation as a well-behaved guest. Or as you might say, ‘my shit.’

I get it dude. You can pickle cabbage. So can I. So can three-quarters of the population of Poland. May I assume you’re also fostering a rare sourdough starter you brought back from a hostel in Bratislava last summer?

Whew. That’s obviously been building up.

But as you say (much more wisely, gently, and 100x less arrogantly than I seem to be able to express), it’s payback. I cringe to think of the party-goers I have annoyed with my new gardening discoveries that read to them as ancient history.

And the ones I’m currently annoying for that matter. It’s all relative. Until we leave this Earth with cherubims and seraphims at our heels, there is always someone older and wiser that wants to punch us in the mouth.

Perhaps all this confidence is as it should be. If in those earliest days of discovery, we were to come up against the enormity of all that we know right now that we don’t know, and not experience any wins that made us feel special…made us feel like we alone knew the answer…I think we’d most likely run scared, and turn our talents to ditch digging or politics. I have never felt less able to call myself an expert on growing things than I do now, more than twenty-five years into growing things.

And I feel almost panicked over how little time there is to absorb all that I’m hungry to learn. I’m at it 24/7 and there still isn’t enough time. Life gets so complicated so quickly that dropping everything and offering my unpaid services to Keith Wiley or Fergus Garrett or Panayoti Kelaidis for a year in exchange for knowledge unbound requires that I fake my own death.

One view (amongst hundreds) of Keith Wiley’s garden at Wildside in Devon. Yes, I know we’re back to England and it’s a sore point with you, but when I see a garden like this I realize the enormity of what I have left to learn.

Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. Why can’t we have two decades in our twenties? One to try everything and one for keeps. Or is that what our thirties are supposed to be?

But enough of philosophy and supple young joints.

We too have had one of the most glorious springs in memory. Long and lingering, it has allowed so many early bloomers such as epimedium, dicentra (I know, lamprocapnos, &$%@! taxonomists), claytonia, brunnera, trillium, mertensia, narcissus, leucojum, kerria etc. to hold those blooms for weeks – right up until the freezes we had that you sent from the Midwest.

Self-seeded and superb – Brunnera macrophylla

Even the sanguinaria held on longer than two days. After the freezes, the temps stayed cool and revived almost everything. My newish ‘Rose Marie’ magnolia took a huge hit – both blossoms and leaves – as did ‘Jane’, but as Michael said, now they can boast of a tough childhood.

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’

One of the most surprising semi-casualties was a Rodgersia podophylla ‘Rotlaub’ I have grown for five years since I brought it back from Dancing Oaks Nursery in Oregon. It has weathered much in the way of crazy springs, flagged a little, but never been hit so hard by a cold snap. As I thought of it as an early emerger, I was gobsmacked that it couldn’t pull itself together for a night. But when I went back to my records, I realized that the warm winter had gently made me think that we were later than we were, and with all the days blending together right now, who the hell knows what day of the week it is, much less where the rodgersia should be.

Still, lesson learned, filed away under ‘fail,’ and thankfully the plant has begun to re-sprout. I understand from a friend in Colorado that this is a normal state of affairs in a region that giveth and taketh away every May, but it’s hard to see such a gorgeous plant on its knees. Again, this is where you cannot beat hard experience – and many years of it.

The Lord giveth….

And the Lord taketh away.

Meanwhile, in more resilient quarters, each spring I come back to epimedium and brunnera as two genera that are woefully underplanted by the general public. It’s not their fault. For whatever reason neither is commonly sold. It probably has much to do with how they present in 6” pots – not as much come hither as a greenhouse begonia. But so much ease, and so much to offer shade gardeners tired of staring at hosta. Unaffected by the freezes, and by most things really Except for Southern blight on the brunnera in the summer months – yep, that scourge is in my soil in places.

A little ‘Jack Frost’ brunnera in the midst of some blushing E. x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’

I share your enjoyment of ostrich ferns and try very hard not overuse them in my quest to conquer Japanese stilt grass. They are overusing themselves I fear. Plant one, you have a hundred; and as you say, late freezes halt them only for seconds. They have already shoved out a robust stand of Arisaema triphyllum and are heading for the A. ringens and A. consanguineum if I don’t pull out the shovel. And move the arisaema. Such beautiful Jurassic monsters.

Do you grow vegetables somewhere on that plot of yours? The asparagus are coming in well this year and the kale is putting a little green in my juice every day.

Wait, that’s every week. I’m forgetting. It’s the wine I drink every day. The wine.

Especially at the moment.

I have put off mentioning COVID-19 and the unbearable state of things until the end of this letter, and quite frankly, I am tempted to sign off and leave it there, the entire business is so upsetting. But in response to your question – should we build gardens for nursing homes and tend gardens for first responders during this pandemic – the answer is of course yes; but then, we should build gardens and help our struggling neighbors where we have the ability at every opportunity.

Though it seems like this will never end, it will. The true question is, will we do these things when it is all over? Will the new Victory Gardeners keep gardening without a pandemic to worry them? Will people still remember to bring a bouquet of tulips to a nurse’s door, or plant up a windowsill garden for an elderly friend when there are stores to be shopped and weekend recreating to be done. Will I?

I hope so. We are not judged so much I think by what we do when the emergency is obvious and push comes to shove, but what we do when the world stops shoving and we can quietly return to familiar routines. Your thoughts are laudable and wonderful however. Do not let my cynicism blight them.

As for your promise of you both joining me in the UK next year on a garden tour, you might want to ask yourself if you are truly safe in a country whose beloved horticultural institutions you’ve publicly disparaged. I’m not saying I would rat out your identity, but then again, I’m not saying I wouldn’t. Of course I wouldn’t let them hurt Michele – she’s one of us.

Make sure Michele brings this picture tucked into her passport. They may require proof.

As for me – do I want an Olympic level smart ass sitting in the back of the [exceptionally comfortable] coach, sipping red wine and throwing out occasional witticisms to the raucous laughter of all present? I sat through that once already remember.

What the hell. But I’m telling you right now, I’ll have the microphone this time and I know how to use it.

My best to you both,

Marianne

P.S. We got a new puppy. An Irish Wolfhound named Nessa. Mungo is currently seeking legal representation.

P.P.S. Love your mossy walks. LOVE them.

Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener originally appeared on GardenRant on May 14, 2020.

The post Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener appeared first on GardenRant.

from Gardening https://www.gardenrant.com/2020/05/lingering-springs-bittersweet-memories-and-the-evolution-of-a-gardener.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

turfandlawncare · 5 years ago

Text

Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener

The latest in the on-going correspondence between Marianne Willburn & Scott Beuerlein.

__________________________________

May 14, 2020

Lovettsville, VA

Dear Scott,

Dad and I in the garden that fed our family during “the college years” in Iowa.

The only shot I have of Mr. Willson proudly standing in his California foothills garden.

Whew. That’s obviously been building up.

Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. Why can’t we have two decades in our twenties? One to try everything and one for keeps. Or is that what our thirties are supposed to be?

But enough of philosophy and supple young joints.

Self-seeded and superb – Brunnera macrophylla

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’

The Lord giveth….

And the Lord taketh away.

A little ‘Jack Frost’ brunnera in the midst of some blushing E. x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’

Do you grow vegetables somewhere on that plot of yours? The asparagus are coming in well this year and the kale is putting a little green in my juice every day.

Wait, that’s every week. I’m forgetting. It’s the wine I drink every day. The wine.

Especially at the moment.

Make sure Michele brings this picture tucked into her passport. They may require proof.

What the hell. But I’m telling you right now, I’ll have the microphone this time and I know how to use it.

My best to you both,

Marianne

P.S. We got a new puppy. An Irish Wolfhound named Nessa. Mungo is currently seeking legal representation.

P.P.S. Love your mossy walks. LOVE them.

Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener originally appeared on GardenRant on May 14, 2020.

The post Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener appeared first on GardenRant.

from GardenRant https://ift.tt/2WTIAZp

#GardenRant

0 notes

persseius-blog · 7 years ago

Text

funciones de un asistente

Factors to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant

Making use of a virtual assistant can shave hours from the workweek, but learning which tasks to delegate might be tough, whether or not you happen to be beginning or rising a enterprise. Most virtual assistants are contract or freelance staff who do their jobs from property and target on administrative tasks which are similar to people of an executive assistant or secretary. Web pages that specialize in contract employees, such as odesk.com and elance.com, have thousands of listings for virtual assistants.

With all the quantity of virtual assistants are increasing, their experience now runs the gamut, creating it a lot easier to uncover someone who fits your organization, says Jaleh Bisharat, vice president of marketing and advertising at oDesk.com, that's based in Redwood City, Calif. In 2012, oDesk had 25,000 postings for virtual assistant jobs, compared to about 2,500 in 2008.

Entrepreneurs can use virtual assistants for everything from creating vendor or customer support calls to sending out thank you cards to potential customers. It truly is essential to create trust, just as you would which has a everlasting employee. "They come to be a workforce member who just occurs to work remotely," Bisharat says. Not sure wherever to start?

How do I turned out to be a virtual assistant? I worked like a virtual assistant and I have employed my own virtual assistants also. Here are my recommendations to get started off.

1. Make your mind up if you ever will operate as an independent contractor or an worker Independent contractors are self-employed and run their particular companies. Over the other hand, some VAs want to deliver the results for an established provider that matches VAs and consumers.

The right way to Turn out to be A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Up to date February 1, 2018

A number of many years in the past I desired to enhance our family’s income, but I didn’t desire a ordinary career. I had responsibilities I couldn’t straight away drop or hand off to another person so flexibility, building my personal hrs and functioning from residence had been major. Also, I didn’t have a enormous budget for new tools or elaborate teaching. I became a virtual assistant. It turned out to become the right runway for any full-time on the web occupation.

How to turn into a virtual assistant.

Disclosure: Some links below are my affiliate back links, that means, at no more value for you, I may perhaps earn a commission if you click by and make a purchase. Read my total disclosure policy here.

What on earth is a virtual assistant? A virtual assistant (VA) gives you providers to folks, organizations or corporations, but they work on-line in lieu of going into an office.

It is an excellent work-at-home chance and one particular from the most cost-effective approaches of making money internet for the reason that it is only a matter of charging many others to get a ability you presently have.

Staying a VA (virtual assistant) is good due to the fact you just charge to get a skill you previously have. CLICK TO TWEET What do virtual assistants do? The online world has created it possible to complete a wide selection of important things remotely, or, “virtually.”

Lots of people hear “virtual assistance” and imagine only of administrative tasks like typing and answering emails. But the range of tasks VAs do is much more broad.

You can find many companies you may supply practically. Right here can be a partial listing:

Email management Calendar management Travel arrangement Creating Ghostwriting Graphic style and design / creation Net style / development Researching Editing Tutoring Audio / video / photo editing Consulting / counseling / coaching Bookkeeping Copywriting Advertising / Promotion Social media management Undertaking management Customer support Transcription Programming App advancement Data entry Visioneering (people today send you images of their room/house/yard and you also provide strategies for improvement) Something else you can do without having having to be inside the very same bodily place as your client Simply how much do virtual assistants make? It will depend on your skill level plus the variety of services you offer.

Duties like data entry could possibly fetch $10-$15 an hour, but if you've got a specialized ability or expertise, you can make $100 bucks an hour or extra.

Most VAs set their very own charges, so you are in manage. This is a different purpose lots of people are making the leap into virtual support.

How do I turn into a virtual assistant? I worked as being a virtual assistant and I've employed my own virtual assistants too. Right here are my recommendations to obtain began.

one. Choose in case you will operate as an independent contractor or an worker Independent contractors are self-employed and run their own businesses. Over the other hand, some VAs prefer to perform for an established company that matches VAs and consumers.

Independent contractor vs. worker Not certain no matter whether you wish to work for yourself or a firm? Right here are the positives and negatives for each:

Pros of currently being an independent contractor

You perform for your self, which means you call all the shots. You set your own pricing, you choose your own customers, you happen to be your individual boss. Your perform hrs are set thoroughly by you. Any cash you make goes straight to you, instead of currently being funneled by your employer who keeps a percentage. Cons of getting an independent contractor

Operating and getting accountable for your own business. Like making any organization, this alternative will take a great deal of time, vitality and hustle. The obligation rests absolutely in your shoulders. Discovering your very own clients. This may be hard, especially on the beginning before you decide to have delighted consumers who can advise your providers. Right here during the U.S., you happen to be accountable to withhold and shell out your very own revenue taxes, like Social Safety, Medicare, and so forth. Pros of currently being an employee

You might be only liable for your operate in the agreed upon instances. It is an amazing situation for those who favor to clock in and clock out without having obtaining to stress with regards to the company otherwise. Clientele are typically matched with you by your employer, or, supply a platform exactly where it’s effortless to connect with new customers. No desire to discover all of your consumers yourself. You have a built-in help technique. Countless businesses deliver assets, tools, neighborhood and assistance for their VAs. Cons of currently being an worker

You should reply to an employer. This may suggest you've guidelines to observe. You could possibly have less versatile hours depending about the customers your employer matches you with. Your pay is generally determined for you personally. You may favor becoming an independent contractor if:

You like networking and hustle. You’re an entrepreneur at heart. You like having full manage. You dislike becoming an worker. You don’t require a great deal of cash flow perfect away (during the occasion it requires a even though to build up your consumer record). You might favor remaining an employee if:

You favor currently being in a position to clock in and clock out. You’d rather another person obtain clients and tell you when and the place to show up. You like clear boundaries so do the job does not spill in excess of into other components of one's daily life. You'll need revenue perfect away and really do not have or power to “pound the pavement” or building a small business. What about starting at a VA business then moving out on my very own? This really is doable, but it is often tough. One can find legal and ethical challenges to take into account.

Most VA businesses contain clauses within their legal contracts prohibiting you from taking their consumers with you in the event you make your mind up to leave. For instance, you may have to agree to not get in touch with any of their clients for a specified time frame. To put it differently, in the event you deliver the results for any VA organization and therefore are matched with a consumer, you can’t leave that provider and inspire your consumer to employ you on your own.

On the other hand, for those who determine to depart a company and start your very own VA organization as an independent contractor, and get your individual consumers, this may possibly be an alternative.

two. Get a web-site This is often important for independent contractors. Consumers desire to become ready to find you, so a presence over the net is crucial. It offers you a much more expert appearance, an opportunity to highlight several of your knowledge and a chance to describe your system.

Use my step-by-step manual to create a website, or possibly a site if you want to frequently include articles or blog posts. (Note that the publish title is “How to begin a Blog” however the similar ways work to start a web site with this particular one particular smaller tweak).

Independent contractors: a must-have An employed VA: optional (but not a bad concept in case you should venture out by yourself later on)

Be beneficial While you interact on social media and network with other VAs, be incredibly mindful to not run into as spammy. Mass emails or “cold” emails to people who don’t know you are seldom productive.

I understand the want to produce an revenue, but get the time to offer beneficial details very first. This may are available in the type of genuinely useful articles written on your site, or it may possibly are available in the kind of genuinely valuable (and respectful) suggestions to somebody you meet internet.

In my case, I casually offered some tips to a pal on Twitter and it turned out to become the start off of the doing work relationship that lasted pretty a though. Exactly where can I work being a VA? If functioning as an independent contractor and getting your individual customers is not really your point, give some thought to operating for any organization that matches VAs with customers. For some VAs, the assistance in discovering clients is well worth sharing the income.

Organizations to contemplate are Belay Solutions (formerly eaHelp) and Upwork. I’ve personally employed VAs from both. Belay can be a far more elite support with very thorough employing and matching processes. Upwork is usually a bigger platform and simpler to join, but you’ll be competing with a lot more VAs for that very same jobs.

Another providers to contemplate are Priority VA or Fancy Hands. I do not have individual expertise with both, but have heard very good important things about them.

que hace un asistente administrativo

https://diigo.com/0cexk1

0 notes