YOUR RAINFOREST MIND

SUPPORT FOR THE EXCESSIVELY CURIOUS, CREATIVE, SMART & SENSITIVE

Welcome to my Revised, Rejuvenated, Retrofitted Website/Blog

It has been a journey. These revisions. This upgrade. What was I thinking? After all, at my age, I should be retiring. Not upleveling my website/blog. And there were so many bugs to work out with this complex a change. There still are. I am not even sure those of you who have subscribed will get this in your email. Or be able to comment. And, by the way, I am not a fan of bugs! You know this about me. It is why my last relationship ended. He loved bugs. Sure, there were other more complex reasons, but still.

(photo by P. Ziemer, Unsplash)

So, how are you liking it?

For those of you with control issues, like me, it may take time to adjust. It takes a bit of sleuthing to get past the home page to the blog. Unlike how it was before when the blog was just there, in your face, rarin’ to go. But, you are smart people. I know you can do it. It is supposed to be more groovy professional this way.

For me, this process was a nightmare stressful. But that is no one’s fault. I just did not realize the technological wizardry that was involved. The time it would take. This is a darned big blog, after all. Imagine the complexity. The influx of bugs.

I almost gave up, too. Let’s go back to the way it was, I cried. It was fine the way it was. Why could I not be satisfied with the way it was? I should leave well enough alone, right? It was good enough. And, hey, I should be retiring, doncha know.

But I have learned a few things from this.

First of all, let us get our stresses straight. A website/blog revision is not worthy of the stress-o-meter. Seriously. You and I both know there are so very many events on planet earth right now that are stress-worthy. This? Not one of them.

Second of all, I am not too old. I am not retiring. In fact, I just had a professional photo shoot completed and am waiting to see the final shots. I will post them here and on other social media sites for your admiring, appreciative eyes. You will see for yourselves. 70 is the new 50. This decade will be the best yet. And, for those of you wondering, I still have all of my unruly, free-range hair.

So, I hope you like the new look.

And, may we all let go of what is not stress-worthy and make it the best decade yet. Amen.

___________________________________

To my bloggEEs: Thank you for waiting. I know it has been longer than usual. Let me know what you think of the new look. And, if I don’t respond to your comments, blame it on the bugs. Hoping to be rid of them soon. Let me know if you find any. Much love to all of you.

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Author: Paula Prober

I’m a psychotherapist and consultant in private practice based in Eugene, Oregon. I specialize in international consulting with gifted adults and parents of gifted children. I’ve been a teacher and an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon and a frequent guest presenter at Oregon State University and Pacific University. I’ve written articles on giftedness for the Eugene Register-Guard, the Psychotherapy Networker, Advanced Development Journal and online for psychotherapy dot net, Rebelle Society, Thrive, Introvert Dear, and Highly Sensitive Refuge. My first book, Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth, is a collection of case studies of gifted clients along with many strategies and resources for gifted adults and teens. My second book, Journey Into Your Rainforest Mind: A Field Guide for Gifted Adults and Teens, Book Lovers, Overthinkers, Geeks, Sensitives, Brainiacs, Intuitives, Procrastinators, and Perfectionists is a collection of my most popular blog posts along with writing exercises for self-exploration and insight.

71 responses to “Welcome to my Revised, Rejuvenated, Retrofitted Website/Blog”

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  1. renovatio06 Avatar
    renovatio06

    Aha, just like I had (semi–) anticipated: I’m cleared for commenting once I had replied to one of yours before. So I’m not reiterating what I said there other than: Great job, site looks 100% professional to my eyes, photos are great and thank god… the hair remained the same 😉 (even our highly adaptive selves can appreciate a modicum of continuity, I guess… 😉 )

    Pop the cork, break out the wine, champagne or whatever other treat suits you best 🙂 Kudos!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      For some reason, your longer comment is down at the bottom of this pile, renovatio06. I have no idea why but it made it here. Thank you for sharing your champagne and thoughts!

      Reply
      1. renovatio06 Avatar
        renovatio06

        Yup, as far as I can tell we’re (almost) back to how things used to work as far as commenting and replying and such, me thinks. (notwithstanding what others have found and mentioned, though, of course in our hunt for those pesky bugs … 😉 )

        Reply
      2. renovatio06 Avatar
        renovatio06

        B.t.w., fun fact that I hope the audience and you are going to enjoy, Paula: The wording “bug” for digital software by and large harkens back to the very early days of computing technology (you can crosscheck via Google or wikipedia, you don’t have to take my words for anything). Why and how is that?

        In the early days of computing, the first such machines didn’t even run on transistors and silicon circuits. They were gargantuan colossus’ filling entire rooms that did the computing by interconnected circuits with gates and tubes were a part of that design (that’s right, the old tube that once sat in your TV prior to flat panel designs and LED or OLED screens and such). The first computer programs weren’t digital code as we have known it for decades since, but mileage of punch”cards” being fed to the machine and every punched hole corresponded to the equivalent of a zero or one in binary code (Imagine that: the entire “program” was read from a paper roll; hence I’d have to assume even the verbiage “running a program” harkens back to these early days)

        Whenever the “machine” would return an error, technicians would have to go in and open the computer and check the tubes and the wiring. In most cases, what they found as the cause of the error were mosquitos or other bugs that had found their way inside the machine and got “fried” from the electrical charge running across. As they got stuck to the wiring, the capacity of that particular wire to send and receive signals was diminished, hence returning an error. And so… even today we speak of “bugs” when a program or a system doesn’t behave as the engineer had intended for it to run.

        Now, why was I bringing this up in this context: Maybe to hopefully give you a bit of a chuckle, Paula and everyone whose interest may not be in this line of work. But also, because I find it fascinating how we tend to extrapolate and apply familiar wording to new technologies and in doing so, appropriate an analogy to facilitate making sense of new things that we so far have little or no experience with and understanding of. I think… at least, not sure, whether there is a formalized theory on this or not. If not… let’s create one 😉

        Reply
        1. pprober Avatar
          pprober

          Ha! Yes. I’m chuckling. 🙂

          Reply
  2. Neeraj Avatar
    Neeraj

    I am still hung up on this post!….. more thinking on: # ‘insects’…# ‘symbols of transformation’….# ‘Jung’ …#’books’.

    I want to talk about another book today
    Transformation: Emergence of the Self
    by Murray Stein.
    The recommendation about this book is not so outwardly directed but directed to me as well. I actually thought on the similar line ( transformation and Jung) and purchased this book 2-3 years back….but never read it..it is just sitting in some bookshelf ( and its pages are slowly transforming into yellowish … mildly golden tinge!! ….as James Hillman would put it!….But today I felt it might be relevant to start reading or at least start scanning its pages again!….The synopsis of the book mentions that the book talks about the life of Jung and Rilke and how they underwent transformation……The book cover is adorned with a picture of a butterfly… another insect and an apt symbol of transformation/ metamorphosis…May be it is somewhat relevant to mention this book here… ( in general pardon me for totally ignoring the real/ practical issue of bugging and debugging…it is not the case that I am not aware of the ongoing nitty gritty associated with the website transformation, I do not have much to contribute to that…and also, while continuing the nitty gritty work, why stop the rest of one’s mind from not thinking on various issues.?!!! …)

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Ah, Neeraj, I have so many unread books piled hither and thither around my home. I do plan to read them someday. 🙂 Good to hear from you! (and glad to have you ignore the nitty gritty!)

      Reply
    2. Sheep’s Wool Avatar
      Sheep’s Wool

      Rilke 😊
      And Jung (though I still have lots more to learn about his ideas)!
      I like quotes attributed to Rumi too.
      I just wanted to affirm those names, that’s all.

      Reply
  3. Clignett Avatar
    Clignett

    I’ve re-read the whole bunch of replies to your blog, and I can’t find the 120something messages I received in my email box from the person Sue mentioned (I forgot the name already, and I deleted all the messages from my mailbox, tooooo much!).. was it a tech-guy trying to get rid of some bugs? Or was it a real reply that just went apepoop? 😳

    I really really like your new pic!! You look great and so much younger!! 🥰❤️

    And, as mentioned many times, I love the color green, especially of the scarab 😁! Nature colors, they are the best! Of course it makes sense in the rainforest, with all the different beautiful colors.

    The one thing that still bothers me is that I have to scroll all the way up again to leave a comment. When I read your blog, I usually read the comments after, and then reply to the blog, your questions and the comments, while liking some (or all) of them on the way down again. Now, the “logic” is gone, for me at least. Maybe something that can be altered? Or do I have to get used to it and try to set my “logic” in a different way?

    The reply or like to a comment is still an issue, for me it’s pressing ye like, then a get a “flash-screen” and back to the comment I want to like. The star is gone, press like again, and there it is.. I’m guessing that this is not the intention, but it works.

    Also, minor thingy, at the bottom of the blog there are 2 pictures with text in them. They’re both the same, text and background picture, although a different filter has been used for the pictures. Used to be 3, one with a different text and background picture and 2 the same but both with a different background picture as well.. Maybe an oversight?

    The bright white backlight is much better if I adjust it on my phone. Luckily I have 2 background settings on it, so the bak-backlight goes all the way down, and the “basic” one I just adjust to something my eyes can read without seeing stars after a while. If it can be adjusted, perfect, if not, I’ll continue to play with my lightsettings on my phone.
    Thanks so much Paula, for continuing and keeping us rainforesty-minded people together, with you! It means the world to me!! 🥰😘

    Reply
    1. Clignett Avatar
      Clignett

      Aaaarrrgghhh…. iPhone wordlist makes its own words again! Sorry about that? 🙇‍♀️🫣

      Reply
    2. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      So, the tech guy emails were part of the testing of the bugs. So sorry you got them. Good you deleted them and you should not get anymore. Let me know if you do. I think the comment situation may be the new way WP has set it up but I will pass on your comment and see. We all may need to adjust to the new structure. I don’t know if they can fix that flashing thing. I see it, too, but then can like.I think what you are seeing at the bottom is the link to my Instagram posts. So it may look odd but if you go to Instagram, it will make sense. Good to have you here, Clignett!

      Reply
    3. itssue42 Avatar
      itssue42

      Yup the deluge of emails was just for under 24 hours, and no, that person never showed up in the blog as actually leaving a comment at all. I like ‘apepoop’ 😀 that’s the explanation!

      Paula – Yes, ‘Like’ is working better now but still needs work. You have to click twice often to like something, or hold the ‘click’ a bit longer sometimes. And I still cannot see who has ‘liked’ a comment… so the tech folks have a ways to go.
      And yeah the flash box thing seems to only occur when you click too close to the star. So looks like the ‘star response’ is a bug that they just need to stop, and the “Liked by” is going to be the new way to ‘like’ a comment…. leaving us with NO way to know who liked a comment, EVEN when it’s a comment we left. Personally it is not at all a happy place for me to know that “somebody or somebodies” liked my comment and have no idea who they were!! Tech people may not call it a bug…. but it is definitely a service degradation.
      Withholding my opinion on their experience base (sorta) but just hope they are not overcharging for their learning curve!

      Also occasional comments I cannot “like” at all, even when trying many times, no matter where I click.

      Reply
      1. pprober Avatar
        pprober

        I’ll pass this on, Sue. I know they are working hard to get it all fixed. And, yes, there may be a couple of changes that feel like “service degradation.”

        Reply
      2. Clignett Avatar
        Clignett

        Hi Sue, it’s me who liked your comment 🤣😃!

        “Apepoop” is a word I use for Indie as well, whenever he has the “heebie-jeebies”, I tell him he’s going “apepoop” 🤣🤣

        Reply
  4. pprober Avatar
    pprober

    Checking to see if anyone has sent in a comment that you do not see here. Can you email me if you are not seeing your comments? paula@rainforestmind.com. Thank you! <3

    Reply
  5. Marina Avatar
    Marina

    Wow, a new website, you have a lot of courage, Paula! The green and white colours are fresh and crispy, and I do look forward to more rainforesty pictures and warmer colours. There are always bugs with new websites, so good luck with those!
    And by the way, what is too old? ‘Too’ is a word I try to rub out of my vocabulary. We are seldom too old for anything (well, except perhaps to become a famous ballet dancer or an astronaut… 😉 haha) and we’re only as old as we make us. So keep blogging, it’s such a comfort to read your posts and the comments!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thanks, Marina. I will look into warmer colors and more rainforest-y pics!

      Reply
  6. Nichola Weise-Hermon Avatar
    Nichola Weise-Hermon

    Hi Paula,
    I too have a blog, just turned 59, and am always tweaking everything to get the maximum efficiency and beauty from it. The real essence of the rainforest is its constant quest for renewal and rebirth. In this way, you are once again an example for us all.
    Having said that, I don’t like the bright white background of the site. I find it cold and sterile. I miss the picture of the rainforest that greeted me when I clicked because it immediately felt like home. It was warm and cool, compacted and noisy, just like our minds. Maybe the “tech guys” are more linear than rainforesty. Luv to you and all!!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thanks for the feedback, Nichola. Yes, to the “constant quest for renewal and rebirth.”

      Reply
  7. itssue42 Avatar
    itssue42

    Definitely can no longer see who likes a comment, even your own comment. Really need to know who liked your comment as part of the whole communication process. And yes, I’m still getting those notifications of just that one commenter. Other comments on this blog post are only providing a single notification…. something quirky went on in tech’s 2 a.m. nighttime processing 😀

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Sent this to the tech team, Sue. I appreciate your feedback and patience.

      Reply
    2. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Sue. I’m continuing to test the comments section with this comment. I think it may be that there is a change in the system and you may not know who liked your comment anymore. That may not be a bug but just a change in WP. I think that to like a comment, you need to click on the word ‘like’ instead of the star. When I hit the star, there is an odd flash. Are you still getting emails from a WP tech person? Do you get an email when someone likes your comment???

      Reply
  8. pprober Avatar
    pprober

    Hi everyone. Thank you for your patience. There are still more bugs being addressed. <3

    Reply
  9. Pulp Fusion Avatar
    Pulp Fusion

    Congratulations on the new design of your blog/website! It has a cleaner, perhaps more sterile, look to it, and a more functional feel to it. My eyes have, like clignett’s, some difficulty adjusting to the brightness of its whiteness, but I don’t see it as a problem.
    Just an observation I found amusing:
    The radiant greenness of the scarab (which I’ve now learned is not a bug at all) has snuck itself (perhaps unconsciously) into the renewed ‘Your rainforest mind’ blog/website. I think it’s quite fitting, since the scarab is known to be a symbol of transformation.
    Btw, I read ‘why my last relationship ended’, and found it very interesting!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thank you, Pulp Fusion. Ah…transformation. Of course.

      Reply
  10. Neeraj Avatar
    Neeraj

    Also found another book on the subject of becoming the elder ….she seems to be a Jungian author….And atleast for the sake of PUN I too wonder why these all Jung (Young)ian authors want everyone to become the elder!!! …
    The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul
    by Connie Zweig, Harry R. Moody

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Oh, that book sounds good, Neeraj. Nice pun! 🙂

      Reply
  11. itssue42 Avatar
    itssue42

    ok….. and here’s something unsettling. I did check the box that says to let me know when someone comments on the blog but……. between 2:17 a.m. and 9:24 a.m. this morning, I received over 100 (about 120) identical emails saying that ripeconceptselmerpretencio had left a comment. So …. something in the web site’s function seems a bit off today 😀 (Or if I’m the only one, then something in earthlink’s email system had a really serious stutter but unlikely as I only got 1 copy of all the other emails from various web sites during that time period.)

    If I’m being truly transparently honest about the like / reply section, I don’t like the new version. Instead of a simple click to like a post a screen pops up now every time asking you to verify your name, email, gravatar link and two boxes asking you to check whether you want notifications of new comments and of new posts.
    Don’t know if they intend you to check that every time or whether checking those boxes once in a lifetime will mean I always get notified when a new blog topic is posted? I’m assuming that “new posts” mean a new blog topic.

    But all in all, yes it’s a great new look. And great to be able to access all of the previous content. Definitely green colors work for me 🙂

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thank you for this detailed feedback, Sue. This should NOT be happening. I passed it on to the tech folks. These things need to be fixed!!!

      Reply
  12. Neeraj Avatar
    Neeraj

    My bad…I did not know the difference between the definition of true bugs and insects…https://rainforestmind.com/tag/the-school-of-life/ I can see five posts tagged with the school of life …it is indeed another good blog. About Scarab and the rain forest mind…that needs to be thought after.

    Reply
  13. Neeraj Avatar
    Neeraj

    I rarely might have commented on this blogposts, but I have read a few blogposts on this website over the course of the last 7 years, and that was helpful. I liked this new look specifically so as this does not focus directly on the very recent blog but on everything together.

    Now about the very recent post few thoughts that come to mind based on this post , I somehow felt I need to share those.

    about being elderly person: I feel in contemporary times we do tend to be healthier if compared to previous generations at respective ages…but then at certain other level I feel we do also need to accept our respective age as well. Be it coming of age, midlife or being elderly. Our ancestors have thought about “passages/ transitions ” for all these three stages of the life it seems, be it coming of age journeys, midlife passages, or elderly transitions. Although I am not some AUTHOIRY but still I take liberty to recommend one book here…”in the ever after” by Allan b Chinen…this book tries to distill wisdom from folktals/ fairytales…where the protagonists are elderly persons ( men/ women) …and from a Jungian perspective tries to understand the important task that are at hand being an elderly person…what did the whole humanity across the millenia have thought over this issue?
    I also like another blog to some extent ” the school of life” probably you and many who read this blog and comments here are familiar with the work of this particular thinker/ speaker…. He combines philosophy and depth psychology …..and present his views based on this in very accessible format…
    Again I am not some “authority person” …but I want to take liberty and bring this particular blog/ website to the notice.
    Scarab : nobody noticed here…but Scarab and Jung…there is this deep seated connection about this BUG.
    In general bugs as a symbol…I just reminded of so many of those….Kafka and the cockroach, Eric Carle and the Caterpillar, E. O. Wilson and Ants, …there is also this Sufi/ Hindu/ Indian metaphor-symbol for the soul…fireflies/ jugni…..there are so many soulful songs about Jugni…..and then offcourse Jung-Egypt and Scarab….

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Lots to think about here, Neeraj. Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I did notice that the scarab (once hksounds pointed out the error) has significance in Jungian writing and wondered how it might apply to rainforest minds. And I have mentioned The School of Life on other posts. About elderhood, well, I don’t know…

      Reply
  14. pprober Avatar
    pprober

    Only a few bugs remain as far as I can tell, Deborah. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Deborah Avatar
    Deborah

    Hi Paula. I like the new website. Looks great and sounds like no bugs are present.

    Reply
  16. Clignett Avatar
    Clignett

    Hi Paula,

    It’s a rejuvenation, this blog! Looking good!
    And looking forward to the new pics as well.

    What I encounter as “child diseases” as we call them in Dutch (instead of bugs – and the blog ís still a baby, so many more to come 🙈😵‍💫) is that for some people I can reply to their post, and some I can’t.
    The likes on reactions are sometimes just not accepted, whatever I try, and I can’t see who else like it.
    To leave a comment I have to scroll all the way up again, instead of “the old way to read the blog and reactions and then leave my musings.
    And lastly, I got your email, but normally I get all the nails from the responses as well. So now I’m a bit worried that the following respondes will just fly over my head and I’ll never read them..
    I’ve re-applied to the website/blog, maybe that’ll help?

    The blog itself looks great! I’ve needed to adjust the contrast, too much bright white fit me as a background, and no option for night mode..Maybe that’s an option you can (easily 😵‍💫🤣) put in?

    And eh.. the new 50-something is definitely not the new 30-something 😅😅

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thank you for the feedback, clignett. I will pass it on to the tech folks.

      Reply
    2. itssue42 Avatar
      itssue42

      And do agree with a couple people who have mentioned the bright white is eye-taxing. It feels like an unusually bright true white for a website instead of a muted off-white. Also this morning I can’t reply to others and can’t ‘like’ other posts but maybe that’s just me?

      I really like the overall organization of the site, logical and easy to peruse.

      Reply
  17. Clignett Avatar
    Clignett

    Hksounds, that’s exactly why I call all of them “creepy crawleys” 🤣! Beetles are not on my list of scary creepy crawleys, normally. But some beetles… nope!! For example the longhorn beetle.. or the kissing bug.. also nope! Or just a simple tick… yegh!! 🙇‍♀️🙈🙈

    Reply
  18. itssue42 Avatar
    itssue42

    Definitely like the new site a lot! 🙂
    Couple things that feel like bugs though: #1: When I leave a comment in reply to someone else’s comment it shows up at the very bottom of the page, instead of being associated with the specific person/thread I’m replying to. #2: When I leave aforementioned comment, it pops me back to the top of the blog page, so I have to then page all the way back down to where I was to keep on reading. Two pretty big negatives for me but I’m hoping those are just temporary bugs.

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Sending this to the admin team. Thanks, Sue.

      Reply
  19. itssue42 Avatar
    itssue42

    If I remember correctly, neither ladybugs nor lovebugs are bugs either. I think maybe humans like the sound of the word ‘bug’ so it has snuck in. 😀

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Ha! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Georgia Patrick Avatar
    Georgia Patrick

    It’s terrific and engaging, Paula. I’ve been slogging through the same WordPress jungle for the past year with that same voice in my head, which I still ignore: “When you get to 70, you don’t have to revamp your website further.” Here’s the reason why I’m doing it and I’ll bet you heard a similar call: Your work is not done and there are many people discovering you who don’t know your age and don’t focus on you. They love it that you have wisdom for them.”

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Yup, Georgia. We have so much more to give.

      Reply
  21. artyplantsman Avatar
    artyplantsman

    Not sure RFMs can ever really retire. Our minds need too much stimulation.

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      I’m thinking that some RFMs who are unhappy in their jobs/careers might retire from them and then find their stimulation post-career. But I know what you are saying, artyplantsman. We need to think deeply, to create, to find meaning and purpose, well, all the time!! And rest, of course, when we can. 🙂

      Reply
      1. artyplantsman Avatar
        artyplantsman

        Indeed. I am actually in that position now. Only two more years to go. I’ve always seen my job as being a highly inconvenient distraction😂

        Reply
  22. Sheep’s Wool Avatar
    Sheep’s Wool

    Congratulations on getting the new website up and running, Paula! Hurray! I love the green colour. It’s so vibrant and makes me think of depth.
    To echo other posters above, I am so happy to have you in my world. What you have brought to me already through your blog has been invaluable and a delight. I can hardly find the words – you have changed things for me and pointed the way to advancement through your reading recommendations too.
    Thanks to my fellow blogEEs for your comments.
    Paula, what you have said about creating and doing as we get older has been inspirational. I didn’t know the strength of the limiting belief or nudge I was harbouring about this. Your post brings rejuvenation (echoing the lovely comment by Patricia Koch above who talks about feeling the acceptance, appreciation and love of herself again now that she had at 4 years of age).
    Love to you all.

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      I was hoping that my talking about my age would give you all some inspiration. So, yay! Thank you for being here, Sheep’s Wool.

      Reply
  23. Robin Schapiro Avatar
    Robin Schapiro

    Right on time! Last night the too-old demon tried to get me! I’m 53 and starting a new degree program. I’m tired, I feel overwhelmed, and I’m the only one responsible for it, heheh! Also, I’m super excited about doing this. So, thank you, for reiterating what I know is true and especially true for me. I’m not too old and, in fact, couldn’t stop following new paths if I tried. Which I wouldn’t. Because that’s death or dumb, and I don’t know which is worse! xo

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Ah, Robin, you are so young! 🙂

      Reply
  24. hksounds Avatar
    hksounds

    I am sure I will get used to the new look, so if it is working for you, go for(ward with) it! It seems to have less contrast and that makes it harder and less comfortable to read.
    However, I would like to make sure all are aware that the photo you have put up and called a ‘bug’ is not a bug, ‘Hemiptera’ but rather a beetle, a scarab most likely. All bugs are insects, but most insects are not bugs. (As you know by now, I have this thing about accuracy.) https://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/true-bugs

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      I so appreciate this, hksounds. Such a gifted/2e person thing to do!

      Reply
  25. Lexie Avatar
    Lexie

    Hi Paula,
    I love your website/blog! So pleased to hear about your updates. You’ve helped me so much in understanding, accepting and loving myself. So pleased to hear you are not retiring!
    Kindly,
    Lexie

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thank you, Lexie. 🙂

      Reply
  26. Lucinda Leo Avatar
    Lucinda Leo

    Yay! I love everything about this, Paula. Thank you both for everything you do to make this wonderful blog happen and for being such an inspiration. I had a photoshoot recently too – out in nature feeling so much more myself than when I had the last one done a few years ago. Seeing the photos has been just what I needed to breathe new life into my own website (coming soon…!). Looking forward to seeing yours! Sending loads of love and appreciation for all you do. 🙂

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Ooooh. I would love to see your new pics, Lucinda! Thank you for being here.

      Reply
  27. Maureen Helen Avatar
    Maureen Helen

    Congratulations on your new look blog, which looks very good. Of course you are not too old! What nonsense! And what would you do if you retired, whatever that means? Some of us do what we love, which means we can never retire from what we love because it isn’t work in any conventional sense. Looking forward to seeing your new photos.

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Exactly, Maureen. I am doing what I love. Why stop now??

      Reply
  28. mkbeautiful Avatar
    mkbeautiful

    Hi Paula! I also love this post! I don’t mind most bugs except for a few. I hope your website bugs are gone soon!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thank you, mkbeautiful. Good to have you here.

      Reply
  29. Patricia Koch Avatar
    Patricia Koch

    Looking good.
    So glad you’re not retiring! Yes, 70 can be the new 50. Keep on keeping on. Groovy, man, groovy. Looking forward to reading more as you keep growing too.
    I just turned 70 myself and feel the decade expanding before me. May it be the same for you. I am diving deep into my painting practice again. And I have a book to finish. And more healing work to do ….and spiritual practice to expand and deepen …and more books to read…and..and…and.
    I am continually grateful for you, for your presence in the world, for your work, for your books and your blog. As I work with the material therein, I become ever more comfortable in my own skin and expand to more fully occupy that skin. The way I felt at age 4, before all the bad things started happening.
    Because of you and the books you recommended, I discovered that the parts of me that my family, my culture and even some in my spiritual community told me were wrong or needed fixing aren’t wrong after all. First I felt relief, then acceptance, of self and others. We simply experience the world differently. If they don’t get me, and many folks won’t, I can now give a mental shrug and move on to people who do get me, instead of worrying about what I did wrong, or what’s wrong with me, what’s wrong with how I communicated, etc. I can appreciate them for who they are too.
    Now, I cherish the people who do get me, remembering the others and how we cherished each other long before I knew how rare that was.
    Thank you for making all this inner growth possible. I am so glad to discover I am not alone.
    And cheers to you and all the other Rainforest Minds out there. As we children of the sixties used to say “Keep on truckin’.”

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Oh, thank you for this, Patricia. So much. <3

      Reply
  30. Jade Rivera Avatar
    Jade Rivera

    Hell yeah, Paula! Looking good! Can’t wait to see those pictures. <3

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Photos coming soon. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Leona Rechsteiner Avatar
    Leona Rechsteiner

    I hate bugs, but took the chance and checked out your new site, haha. It all looks great and I’m loving the green color.

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      Thanks, Leona. Just avoid the bugs. There are only a few left.

      Reply
  32. Laurena Rehbein Avatar
    Laurena Rehbein

    Hello Paula! I, for one, am a HUGE fan of this post. You are quite amazing and I am thrilled to have met you on this journey. Let’s hope this comment gets past any remaining bugs, and any remaining ones that pop up are quickly squished!

    Reply
    1. pprober Avatar
      pprober

      I think I figured out how I can reply to comments. If I do it on the comments page within the admin section of the blog, it works. I will check to see now.

      Reply
  33. pprober Avatar
    pprober

    Just testing this comment section for bugs!

    Reply
    1. renovatio06 Avatar
      renovatio06

      Hi Paula, not sure, why that is but I wasn’t able to place a comment other than this reply. I’ve renewed my subscription just to be sure that I’m still “in”, but still can’t seem to land in the usual text entry field to leave my 2 cents. So I’ll do it here:

      The new site looks fabulous! And I’m saying this as a former professional coming from that very background of having consulted clients and built teams very much along the lines of your trusted contractors for this relaunch. So … I dare say that I have a pretty good idea as to the challenges you found yourself confronted with and finding myself in the position of the person “on the other end of the equation” who needed to function as an “interpreter” of sorts and needing to understand as best as possible what the clients’ needs were and then formulate them in a way that the various teams were able to take as a specific “rulebook” for their individual tasks.

      So with that little “shameless plug” on my part, I can certainly attest to the new site looking 100% professional and also – IMHO – being better organized and well structured in how you present the information and expertise you generously kept providing “the rest of us” with (as I had hosted personal WP–blogs myself in the past and functioned not only as the sole content contributor to it, but also needed to configure and monitor and maintain the backend , I can imagine what the transfer of content and rearranging of it may have involved on the part of your technological confidants.)

      So, guess I’m saying you all have reason to celebrate this! (Personally, I seem to gravitate towards the “darker” appearance themes on my devices as of late as I’m spending almost all my waking time on digital media and find a darker background to be less offensive to my eyes; but that’s just me and everyone’s boat is floated differently, right, every “plant” in the rainforest needs a different set of conditions and nutrients, doesn’t it? 🙂 )

      So, kudos galore from me, “job” excellently accomplished from where I’m typing! (now, if I could become a “regular rainforest dweller” again in some way and get to comment directly – and yes, I’ve looked for an e–mail “receipt” to my renewed subscription in my inbox including the SPAM/junk folder and couldn’t find one even after hours … – that’d put the proverbial cherry on the cake 😉 )

      Looking forward to the next chapter in your journey (the photos are great and thank God… the hair remained as is 🙂 Even our highly adaptive and fluent selves can appreciate a modicum of continuity, can’t they…? )

      ¯\o/¯

      Reply
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