Donna Fontenot / Living Boldly: Writing, Exploring, and Sharing Insights Sun, 11 Jan 2026 06:33:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 //wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-dcicon-32x32.jpg Donna Fontenot / 32 32 Time to Go //time-to-go/ Sun, 11 Jan 2026 02:12:38 +0000 //?p=6072 Chair near a window with clothes folded on it.

This is the last post I will ever write here. I’m done with blogging. I’ve been done for a while, really, but it’s time to shut it down deliberately. If you’re looking for something light or uplifting, this isn’t it. Some readers may find the following distressing and may wish to stop here. This is […]

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Taming the Beast: How to Make FSE Front Page Templates Stop Hijacking Your Homepage //make-fse-front-page-templates-stop-hijacking-your-homepage/ //make-fse-front-page-templates-stop-hijacking-your-homepage/#respond Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:32:34 +0000 //?p=6049 hammer breaking a block illustration

If you’ve ever set a static homepage in WordPress Full Site Editing (FSE) and wondered why your carefully crafted “Home” page content doesn’t actually show up on the live site… congratulations! You’ve met the Front Page template, the boss battle of block themes. But you can make it behave. And you can do it without […]

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My Go-To WordPress Plugins: The Essentials and the Extras //my-go-to-wordpress-plugins/ //my-go-to-wordpress-plugins/#respond Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:15:26 +0000 //?p=6002 Abstract light swirls with tool icons

It’s been a very long time since I last published one of these “favorite plugins” posts. Honestly? I got bored today, so now felt like a good time to dust off the idea and share my current lineup. The WordPress plugin directory can feel like an all-you-can-eat buffet at a sketchy roadside casino – lots […]

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Rebelling Against The Hollow Universe //rebelling-against-the-hollow-universe/ //rebelling-against-the-hollow-universe/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:09:10 +0000 //?p=5917 Illustration of a desolate landscape with ruined computers and shadows of people

When I first read The Hollow Universe by Jono Alderson, I felt something I rarely feel online anymore: Seen. Unsettled. Charged. It wasn’t just that I agreed with it. It was that I recognized it. This wasn’t a warning about a potential future. It was a stark, beautifully phrased confirmation of what I’ve been feeling […]

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How Small Brands Can Thrive Without Google, Meta, or AI //how-small-brands-can-thrive-without-google-meta-or-ai/ //how-small-brands-can-thrive-without-google-meta-or-ai/#respond Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:44:57 +0000 //?p=5905 How Small Brands Can Thrive Without Google, Meta, or AI 1

The Small Brand Crisis No One Warned You About If you’re running a small business or creative brand, here’s the harsh truth: The common advice used to be: “Be everywhere.” Now? It’s more like: “Own your space. Connect on purpose. Make it easy to be found by real humans.” This post isn’t about quitting tech […]

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You Can’t Turn It Off //you-cant-turn-it-off/ //you-cant-turn-it-off/#respond Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:16:34 +0000 //?p=5878 two women in love

There’s no off switch. Sorry, but you are stuck with it on the ON setting forever. Wondering what I’m talking about? Indulge me, while I tell you a little story. Once upon a time, 44 years ago, I frequently hid from the cops. Why? Because I wasn’t alone in my car, driving through the streets […]

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More Solid Than I Realized //more-solid-than-i-realized/ //more-solid-than-i-realized/#respond Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:32:24 +0000 //?p=5833 Two images of the same water fountain, showing how the water stream bends in the wind

The end of 2024 is fast approaching. It was a hell of a bad year. I’d planned to blog here about life after retirement, but it was far too difficult and painful to even think about, much less write about. I’ve been through more than one person should have to handle in just a few […]

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A Thelma and Louise Kinda Gal //a-thelma-and-louise-kinda-gal/ //a-thelma-and-louise-kinda-gal/#respond Sat, 30 Mar 2024 14:16:19 +0000 //?p=5754 desert highway

I often think about who I am, deep inside. Of course, there isn’t one simple answer to that. We’re all a mishmash of all sorts of things. But lately, life’s way of messing with me has proved to me what I’ve suspected in the past. I’m a Thelma and Louise kinda gal. I’m Louise, in […]

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A Name Is Powerful //a-name-is-powerful/ //a-name-is-powerful/#respond Sat, 09 Mar 2024 21:28:12 +0000 //?p=5730 pixie in forest

A long time ago, my mom put together an 8×10 shadow box which held little mementos of my childhood. Things like a charm bracelet, my cheerleader patch, and various bits of baby and toddler jewelry. My amazing friend, Jenny, is recreating it for me because over the decades, it became raggedy and beat up. While […]

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What Lurks in the Predawn Hours? //what-lurks-in-the-predawn-hours/ //what-lurks-in-the-predawn-hours/#respond Wed, 20 Sep 2023 20:35:13 +0000 /?p=5684 predawn ghost

I sat in the dark, curtains open. I’d been sitting at my desk for an hour or so, with only the glow from the computer screen providing some light. The world outside the window matched the room, mostly dark, with only a dim light rising above the rooftops across the street. Dawn was coming, but […]

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