I'm taking a break. I'll post in a few days if something cool happens.
Surf along my sidebar for other cool blogs to read. Oh, the Joys always has good stuff!
Story Time
Sent: Thu 7/15/99 1:20 PM
To: 'ihartpartly@hotmail.com
Once upon a time, there lived a golden-haired beautiful girl. She lived in a far off country called Lebanonindiana. Her parents were delighted with their golden-child (no pun intended). And everyone loved her. Now, at this time, the golden-haired beautiful girl was dating a semi-tall, semi-dark, very handsome prince. She liked the prince OK and he liked her back. They were happy and all was well.
One day, the prince's sister moved to Lebanonindiana from her previous kingdom, Lavergnehellholetennessee. The prince's sister was raven haired, and though she was not shy, she was lonely and the golden-haired beautiful girl began to be astonished that the raven haired girl should be lonely. So the golden-haired beautiful girl said to the raven-haired girl:
"Behold, fair raven-haired Great One, what ho to the ARBY for crisped frenchly fries and cowbeast patties in a fatted sauce? Come, O Great One and we will gain all the Calorie the ARBY has to offer!"
The raven haired girl was delighted to be with the Golden-haired beautiful girl and gave her a new name. This name was known throughout Lebanonindiana as "Constantina", but they called her Gina for short (Because even long-winded fairytale novelists need a break now and then....)
Constantina and the Great One became fast friends and enjoyed often going to the ARBY to enjoy Calorie and each other's company. Even when the prince became fatted in his ego and Constantina and the prince were not on the best of terms, did the raven-haired girl say to Constantina:
"What ho, yonder "V" household, I will go to visit my Constantina to make merry and dance round the Valentine God at the Center-of-Stake-Worship-Place."
They did dance and sing until one day, Constantina beheld a sight far distant that was glorious: The Young of University Brigham at Marraigecentralutah. With much weeping, the poor raven-haired girl did let go of her Dear Dear Constantina to go to Marraigecentralutah. And did bid her good fortune and best wishes. This broke the heart of the Raven-haired girl, who did mourn and fail to write her friend for fear of letting teardrops fall on the page thereof (or because she had to work everyday and her fingers were tired, OK? That's why I didn't write...but I'm better now, right?).
Then, one beautiful, glorious day, the communicative bell did ring within the raven-haired girl's household and there was much rejoicing therein because the Golden-haired beautiful girl had returned to visit heart to heart, calorie to calorie. They did go to the DQ and rejoice in each other's polite table-manners and affectionate snorting. They also did discuss love and all of the problems therein...until it was time for the Golden-haired beautiful girl to return to Marraigecentralutah. And the raven-haired girl was again barren....no script of words, no communicative ring, not even a cheaply-costing electronic mail, and no calorie to sweep away her barrenness.
And so the raven-haired girl continues in her barren state and devoid of all joy. And lo, she was taken to the medi-witch to find her innard difficulty. And none was found. She was taken to the fairy-sprite-psycho-analyst and PROZAC did reign her days. And her joy was not found. Alas, she was told, that unless Constantina did provide some sort of contact (maybe an email reply?), that the raven-haired great one would grow quicker than slow into a gray-haired not-so-great one before.
So I beg you, as one telling the story and living it, to please, please, please WRITE the raven-gray-haired great one before it's TOO LATE!!!!!!!
So I'll uh, talk to you later...
Love,
Kate
Please Note: The above email letter is an original, not to be reproduced/duplicated/used (like you'd want to anyway) without permission of Gina Constantina or Kate the Great.
Caption This #3
I resurrected this little number from my March archives.
Caption this in my comments section! Can't wait to see what you've got! No need to keep it clean... this IS a gross scene. (Look at me, I'm a poet.)
You can see more cool captions HERE!
Caption this in my comments section! Can't wait to see what you've got! No need to keep it clean... this IS a gross scene. (Look at me, I'm a poet.)
You can see more cool captions HERE!
Low expectations worked in my favor
Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...
So in previous years I expected a lot out of my big day. I reminded myself of a 5 year old that counts down the days.
This year I didn't expect anything special. You wanna know why? Because I get a lot of bonus cool stuff throughout the year and I am really grateful. Who cares if I get something special on one certain day of the year? Each one of my friends and loved ones do so much for me quite often, so a birthday doesn't warrant something extra in my new opinion.
So let me tell you what low expectations got me:
Liam let me sleep in until 9am.
Ian took us out to my favorite breakfast joint.
Ian took us to a place called "Jump on It" and we had SO. MUCH. FUN! I mean, SO MUCH FUN!
We went to the farmers market for fresh peaches, asiago bread and shaved ice... then sat in the shade and shared the icy treat with Liam.
While Liam napped, I uploaded awesome photos and started Liam's birthday letter.
While Liam still napped, I went to pick up the sitter. Ian and I went on a date to see The Bourne Ultimatum. (And it was totally everything I thought it would be.)
We got back to a very happy toddler and we took the sitter home.
Liam and I played and there was no whining (him nor me).
Liam went to bed on time.
I made fresh peach cobbler (while Ian went to get ice cream).
Robin called me and we laughed together like old times.
Drew (my brother in law) came over with two scrumptious pizzas from Peir 49.
We three laughed as we watched Duce Bigalow (on TV) and ate pizza and peach cobbler.
Kate called and sang to me just now. (And by the way, my birthday started last night when she took me on an ice cream date. I heart Kate. She is awesome and always makes me feel so good about myself. She's such a smart thing... I love learning from her. She's sexy too - see below photos. I was so excited she had new dating stories to tell me and I totally LOVED hearing about the things she's up to.)
Seriously, the best birthday EVER!
Thank you everyone!
Especially Ian and Liam!
So in previous years I expected a lot out of my big day. I reminded myself of a 5 year old that counts down the days.
This year I didn't expect anything special. You wanna know why? Because I get a lot of bonus cool stuff throughout the year and I am really grateful. Who cares if I get something special on one certain day of the year? Each one of my friends and loved ones do so much for me quite often, so a birthday doesn't warrant something extra in my new opinion.
So let me tell you what low expectations got me:
Liam let me sleep in until 9am.
Ian took us out to my favorite breakfast joint.
Ian took us to a place called "Jump on It" and we had SO. MUCH. FUN! I mean, SO MUCH FUN!
We went to the farmers market for fresh peaches, asiago bread and shaved ice... then sat in the shade and shared the icy treat with Liam.
While Liam napped, I uploaded awesome photos and started Liam's birthday letter.
While Liam still napped, I went to pick up the sitter. Ian and I went on a date to see The Bourne Ultimatum. (And it was totally everything I thought it would be.)
We got back to a very happy toddler and we took the sitter home.
Liam and I played and there was no whining (him nor me).
Liam went to bed on time.
I made fresh peach cobbler (while Ian went to get ice cream).
Robin called me and we laughed together like old times.
Drew (my brother in law) came over with two scrumptious pizzas from Peir 49.
We three laughed as we watched Duce Bigalow (on TV) and ate pizza and peach cobbler.
Kate called and sang to me just now. (And by the way, my birthday started last night when she took me on an ice cream date. I heart Kate. She is awesome and always makes me feel so good about myself. She's such a smart thing... I love learning from her. She's sexy too - see below photos. I was so excited she had new dating stories to tell me and I totally LOVED hearing about the things she's up to.)
Seriously, the best birthday EVER!
Thank you everyone!
Especially Ian and Liam!
It's Rare
So I had an entirely good day today. And it wasn't because of anything in particular. I must have woken on the right side of the bed or some prayers are being answered all of the sudden. I don't know. I am just grateful.
This morning Liam woke a little earlier than usual, but it didn't matter. We snuggled for a bit before Ian said prayers with us and left for work. We then went downstairs and I got him set up with some milk and crackers and I started working.
The second I logged onto the computer, my boss messaged me to call him. I talked to him and he seemed flustered that the day was the same as the one before, fire drill after fire drill. I did the projects he asked me to and he seemed grateful. I didn't even get any breaks this morning but to change a "scheduled" diaper for Liam and then I was back to work. Liam entertained himself so well, didn't whine, made jokes and just plain behaved [like I wish he did every time I had a packed a.m. work schedule].
Anyway, he continued to do well and I continued to stay balanced and my emotions under control. When 11 o'clock came, I turned off my computer and set Liam up with some pennies and a jar (a resurrected favorite). He put all the pennies in the slotted jar lid 3 times while I did the dishes [so we wouldn't come home to a stinky house around 5:30].
I did my usual get-ready-for-the-day routine and actually did my hair today... and my make up! I got Liam's lunch packed and loaded us and all our junk into the car at 11:43am!
I got to work and got caught up with what I had missed in my hour "away." Then my sweet co-worker, Lynette, called me to come over to her desk. I went over and she had a little birthday card for me and instead of buying me a present (because she knows I didn't want her to fuss over me) she got Liam a little magnet toy that he can play with at church. I was so tickled.
Before I left her desk in the reception area, I noticed a painting sitting up against the wall. This photo doesn't do it justice, but it's of the First Vision. There are captions at the bottom, hand painted as well, of the scriptures that go along with each of the three scenes. I was speechless over the spirit it emanated. Matt Chatterley, another co-worker, painted it and had brought it in to show a few people, as he had just finished it. He was in a training class all day, so I emailed him to see how much he was selling it for. I had the perfect place to put it at my house, though I knew it was probably out of my price range.
$2,000
I was so sad that it couldn't be mine. I replied to his email and said it was worth that and more. The feelings it brought out in me (and I am sure many others) were priceless. I would be honored to have art like that in my home. I do hope one day his art will be duplicated in print form so I can buy the copyrighted prints at local galleries for a much lower price.
The rest of the work day I continued to feel peace and satisfaction with myself. I discussed my job with my partner that I've shared an office with for 3 years. We are both continually frustrated with our jobs and it's really hard to take, but it's made us better friends. We truly understand the others feelings when it comes to our workload, the stress accompanied by it and how we cope. I never thought I would feel as connected to another co-worker. She really is a blessing in my life. She is just a mild soul that I love being around.
I picked up Liam and he was a pill the rest of the evening, but I tolerated his high pitched screaming better than usual. I even shared the screaming with some people in my neighborhood as I made reminder calls for the cannery assignments on Saturday. Luckily they understood and weren't in too much pain per my screaming banshee.
After getting Liam bathed and to bed, I checked my email. As I was doing so, there was a knock at the door. My new neighbor Ashley (who moved into Robin's house) was dropping off a Cookie Lee catalog that I had asked for and then nonchalantly asked if I wanted to go to the store with her because we started getting chatty. She probably wasn't serious, but I said, "Yeah, I totally need to go to the store!"
It was fun. It was nice. It was out of the ordinary. I totally hope she invites me to do that or anything else again.
That was my perfect day. I had to document it. It might as well have been my birthday. Who knows what mood I'll be in when I turn 29 on Saturday... Ugh.
This morning Liam woke a little earlier than usual, but it didn't matter. We snuggled for a bit before Ian said prayers with us and left for work. We then went downstairs and I got him set up with some milk and crackers and I started working.
The second I logged onto the computer, my boss messaged me to call him. I talked to him and he seemed flustered that the day was the same as the one before, fire drill after fire drill. I did the projects he asked me to and he seemed grateful. I didn't even get any breaks this morning but to change a "scheduled" diaper for Liam and then I was back to work. Liam entertained himself so well, didn't whine, made jokes and just plain behaved [like I wish he did every time I had a packed a.m. work schedule].
Anyway, he continued to do well and I continued to stay balanced and my emotions under control. When 11 o'clock came, I turned off my computer and set Liam up with some pennies and a jar (a resurrected favorite). He put all the pennies in the slotted jar lid 3 times while I did the dishes [so we wouldn't come home to a stinky house around 5:30].
I did my usual get-ready-for-the-day routine and actually did my hair today... and my make up! I got Liam's lunch packed and loaded us and all our junk into the car at 11:43am!
I got to work and got caught up with what I had missed in my hour "away." Then my sweet co-worker, Lynette, called me to come over to her desk. I went over and she had a little birthday card for me and instead of buying me a present (because she knows I didn't want her to fuss over me) she got Liam a little magnet toy that he can play with at church. I was so tickled.
Before I left her desk in the reception area, I noticed a painting sitting up against the wall. This photo doesn't do it justice, but it's of the First Vision. There are captions at the bottom, hand painted as well, of the scriptures that go along with each of the three scenes. I was speechless over the spirit it emanated. Matt Chatterley, another co-worker, painted it and had brought it in to show a few people, as he had just finished it. He was in a training class all day, so I emailed him to see how much he was selling it for. I had the perfect place to put it at my house, though I knew it was probably out of my price range.
$2,000
I was so sad that it couldn't be mine. I replied to his email and said it was worth that and more. The feelings it brought out in me (and I am sure many others) were priceless. I would be honored to have art like that in my home. I do hope one day his art will be duplicated in print form so I can buy the copyrighted prints at local galleries for a much lower price.
The rest of the work day I continued to feel peace and satisfaction with myself. I discussed my job with my partner that I've shared an office with for 3 years. We are both continually frustrated with our jobs and it's really hard to take, but it's made us better friends. We truly understand the others feelings when it comes to our workload, the stress accompanied by it and how we cope. I never thought I would feel as connected to another co-worker. She really is a blessing in my life. She is just a mild soul that I love being around.
I picked up Liam and he was a pill the rest of the evening, but I tolerated his high pitched screaming better than usual. I even shared the screaming with some people in my neighborhood as I made reminder calls for the cannery assignments on Saturday. Luckily they understood and weren't in too much pain per my screaming banshee.
After getting Liam bathed and to bed, I checked my email. As I was doing so, there was a knock at the door. My new neighbor Ashley (who moved into Robin's house) was dropping off a Cookie Lee catalog that I had asked for and then nonchalantly asked if I wanted to go to the store with her because we started getting chatty. She probably wasn't serious, but I said, "Yeah, I totally need to go to the store!"
It was fun. It was nice. It was out of the ordinary. I totally hope she invites me to do that or anything else again.
That was my perfect day. I had to document it. It might as well have been my birthday. Who knows what mood I'll be in when I turn 29 on Saturday... Ugh.
Kate the Great
Monday night I had an opportunity to go out, alone, and see my awesome friend, Kate, perform in Brigadoon on her birthday. (See last year's birthday celebrations with Kate HERE.)
I had no idea I would have the honor of hearing her speak in a Scottish accent for a long period of time. If she talks like that when she says, "You can tek it oot and bring it hOme" and I laugh my head off... Well, you can only imagine how hard it was to stifle my laughter as I sat in the audience, alone, watching my favorite actress flawlessly pretend she was from Scotland!
After the show (that Kate directed --AND starred in for one night), we embraced as I wished her a happy birthday and we took the above photo. She says she likes to avoid cheese at all costs, so I had to make a liar out of her. And, yes, Kate, you did leave a little cheese in the play, but how could you not? They fall in love in one day... and they frolick on a hill gathering heather for goodness sake! (It was a great show, though, thanks for inviting me! I had never seen Brigadoon before in my life!)
We and 40 other fans of the birthday girl gathered at a breakfast joint and laughed out heads off! And after laughing and chatting and jibing sarcastically about our tardy food orders for over an hour... the food was placed before us... and we ate and laughed and watched Kate perform just a little bit more. I would have probably reacted differently to a singing woman 18 inches from my face if the rest of the audience wasn't the cast from the afore mentioned play... along with me, they all were delighted and awed by her abilities and didn't find it one bit odd that she sang in her seat at a table for 4. It was awesome! A great night! I got home at 1:30 and it was so worth the missed Zzzz's.
I wish I could do stuff like this more often. Kate is a priceless friend that I have known for over 10 years... I am honored that she includes me in her life and makes me feel like one in a million, billion, gazillion!
Happy Birthday, Rita! Runt loves ya!
We and 40 other fans of the birthday girl gathered at a breakfast joint and laughed out heads off! And after laughing and chatting and jibing sarcastically about our tardy food orders for over an hour... the food was placed before us... and we ate and laughed and watched Kate perform just a little bit more. I would have probably reacted differently to a singing woman 18 inches from my face if the rest of the audience wasn't the cast from the afore mentioned play... along with me, they all were delighted and awed by her abilities and didn't find it one bit odd that she sang in her seat at a table for 4. It was awesome! A great night! I got home at 1:30 and it was so worth the missed Zzzz's.
I wish I could do stuff like this more often. Kate is a priceless friend that I have known for over 10 years... I am honored that she includes me in her life and makes me feel like one in a million, billion, gazillion!
Happy Birthday, Rita! Runt loves ya!
Great idea
I thought THIS was a great idea... I am going to participate. Won't you all join me?
All you have to do is leave a comment... one that is a funny caption for this photo.
All you have to do is leave a comment... one that is a funny caption for this photo.
5 things
Katie tagged me to complete this little meme...
5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Moving into my new digs with my first college roommates.
2. Starting a new job as a CNA and quickly getting promoted to the rehab unit.
3. Dating and dancing and missing Indiana a bit.
4. Eating like a college student.
5. Working out regularly
5 Things on my to-do list today
1. Vacuum
2. Pack up all of Liam's P.E.R.C. toys for return
3. Return library book
4. Call 3 friends that all have the same birthday
5. Make banana bread
5 Snacks I enjoy
1. Chocolate Pudding
2. Chocolate Ice Cream
3. Chocolate Candy Bars
4. Chocolate Pie
5. Chocolate Cake
5 Songs I know the lyrics to
1. Popcorn Popping
2. Because I have been given much
3. You are my sunshine
4. Close to you
5. Happy Birthday
5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Quit my job
2. Pay off our house
3. Put a huge chunk away for Liam's education and mission
4. Travel like crazy
5. Buy some land for Ian's recreation
5 Bad Habits
1. Blogging (though it is a good thing too)
2. Neglecting my personal appearance
3. Staying up too late at night
4. Losing focus
5. Not eating breakfast
5 Things I'd never wear again
1. Dress shoes with a big bow on them
2. Tapered pants
3. Neon colors
4. Banana clip
5. Maternity clothes
5 Favorite toys
1. My laptop
2. My camera
3. High speed internet
4. Sewing machine (but not recently)
5. Book of the month
Now I am tagging some new bloggy friends:
1. Danell
2. Kirsten
3. Jessica The Super Mom
4. Ashley
5. Yvonne
5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Moving into my new digs with my first college roommates.
2. Starting a new job as a CNA and quickly getting promoted to the rehab unit.
3. Dating and dancing and missing Indiana a bit.
4. Eating like a college student.
5. Working out regularly
5 Things on my to-do list today
1. Vacuum
2. Pack up all of Liam's P.E.R.C. toys for return
3. Return library book
4. Call 3 friends that all have the same birthday
5. Make banana bread
5 Snacks I enjoy
1. Chocolate Pudding
2. Chocolate Ice Cream
3. Chocolate Candy Bars
4. Chocolate Pie
5. Chocolate Cake
5 Songs I know the lyrics to
1. Popcorn Popping
2. Because I have been given much
3. You are my sunshine
4. Close to you
5. Happy Birthday
5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Quit my job
2. Pay off our house
3. Put a huge chunk away for Liam's education and mission
4. Travel like crazy
5. Buy some land for Ian's recreation
5 Bad Habits
1. Blogging (though it is a good thing too)
2. Neglecting my personal appearance
3. Staying up too late at night
4. Losing focus
5. Not eating breakfast
5 Things I'd never wear again
1. Dress shoes with a big bow on them
2. Tapered pants
3. Neon colors
4. Banana clip
5. Maternity clothes
5 Favorite toys
1. My laptop
2. My camera
3. High speed internet
4. Sewing machine (but not recently)
5. Book of the month
Now I am tagging some new bloggy friends:
1. Danell
2. Kirsten
3. Jessica The Super Mom
4. Ashley
5. Yvonne
Cherry Lip Balm
Note to self... DOUBLE check all of hubby's pants pockets before doing laundry. Cherry chap stick polka-dots ARE NOT what you want on your "darks" load that has all your "good" clothes in it. This can turn an otherwise cheerful wife into a growling, screaming monster! Hubby is still cowering and recovering from his wife's tirade last night.
Sorry, Honey, I still love you and hope you'll forgive my scary reaction... we'll be pink greasy polka-dot twinners and hold hands as we frolick to the grocery store together.
Meet you at the couch at 10:30 for SNL and some good make-up laughing togetherness tonight!
Sorry, Honey, I still love you and hope you'll forgive my scary reaction... we'll be pink greasy polka-dot twinners and hold hands as we frolick to the grocery store together.
Meet you at the couch at 10:30 for SNL and some good make-up laughing togetherness tonight!
For those of us that rely on it...
So, the Baby Einstein discussion... yeah, I've seen the reports. You can read more here. Here's another one. I hope to find more links soon, as they just barely got finished interviewing the creator, Julie Aigner-Clark.
Okay, so now that you've read these articles. What is your take on it? Everything in moderation is what I say. These videos are 20 minutes or less, so to have your babe watching an "hour or more a day" seems excessive. Not to say I haven't done this, but it's very rare when I do. Maybe Disney should think about taking the "repeat" option off the DVD menu, so the child is more apt to only watch it once per sitting.
Another thing... I don't think Mrs. Aigner-Clark created these videos to babysit our children. The first few of the 20 videos that I watched, I said to myself, these are just digital board books... MEANT to be watched WITH your child. So you can verbally identify each object that comes onto the screen. And in most cases, we've done this.
As sad as these reports are, I am not going to stop letting Liam watch these videos, or TV for that matter. If I am desperate, he will be placed in front of the DVD player. Speech delays or not, I am willing to make that sacrifice so I can provide a paycheck for my family. I work from home week day mornings... there aren't a lot of options when your kid WILL NOT play by himself. We are making progress with steering clear of the television though. This P.E.R.C. program has helped tons! Liam actually has toys that interest him... new ones every week. So I am grateful that my mornings are ridden with less guilt. Because we've all heard that TV before the age of 2 is frowned upon.
Anyway, please discuss. I would love to hear your take on this TV issue that "stunts" toddler growth.
Okay, so now that you've read these articles. What is your take on it? Everything in moderation is what I say. These videos are 20 minutes or less, so to have your babe watching an "hour or more a day" seems excessive. Not to say I haven't done this, but it's very rare when I do. Maybe Disney should think about taking the "repeat" option off the DVD menu, so the child is more apt to only watch it once per sitting.
Another thing... I don't think Mrs. Aigner-Clark created these videos to babysit our children. The first few of the 20 videos that I watched, I said to myself, these are just digital board books... MEANT to be watched WITH your child. So you can verbally identify each object that comes onto the screen. And in most cases, we've done this.
As sad as these reports are, I am not going to stop letting Liam watch these videos, or TV for that matter. If I am desperate, he will be placed in front of the DVD player. Speech delays or not, I am willing to make that sacrifice so I can provide a paycheck for my family. I work from home week day mornings... there aren't a lot of options when your kid WILL NOT play by himself. We are making progress with steering clear of the television though. This P.E.R.C. program has helped tons! Liam actually has toys that interest him... new ones every week. So I am grateful that my mornings are ridden with less guilt. Because we've all heard that TV before the age of 2 is frowned upon.
Anyway, please discuss. I would love to hear your take on this TV issue that "stunts" toddler growth.
Blog Happiness
Boy, that last post got a lot of traffic... a lot for me anyway. I was delighted that all the comments I received were positive ones. Every time I would go check my email for comments, I would get all nervous as I opened each one... I really thought folks might get offended. I guess the ones that were offended didn't leave comments (you know, followed my rules).
I do hope most everyone realizes that these are my observations, nothing more. I know we all have different styles and deliberate ways of doing things. I mentioned in the comments that we all have our preferences... some of us like political blogs, some of us avoid those like the plague and some of us don't mind using a little profanity, some of us steer clear of it. The options go on for miles. Choices, it's what it's all about. It's what makes blogging such an addiction!
I personally have quite a range of blogs that I visit... not all mommy blogs. I am particularly attracted to gross humor even though I don't offer it on my own blog. I love those bloggers that are basically in hiding... nobody that they know in real life is aware of their blog. After reading a few like that, I thought, "DANG, why didn't I think of that?" It makes it so they have a lot more freedom to say what they want, be anonymous, be whomever they want to be with no shame.
I've also noticed that blogging is a great exercise for aspiring writers. There are quite a few people preparing to be published and it's so exciting for we bloggers to witness their growth as they move into the world of fame and printed paper!
Anyway, it's been a fun time surfing this mighty bloggy world. It's such a wealth of information and support.
Thanks, All, for the positive feedback on my previous post. It means so much!
I do hope most everyone realizes that these are my observations, nothing more. I know we all have different styles and deliberate ways of doing things. I mentioned in the comments that we all have our preferences... some of us like political blogs, some of us avoid those like the plague and some of us don't mind using a little profanity, some of us steer clear of it. The options go on for miles. Choices, it's what it's all about. It's what makes blogging such an addiction!
I personally have quite a range of blogs that I visit... not all mommy blogs. I am particularly attracted to gross humor even though I don't offer it on my own blog. I love those bloggers that are basically in hiding... nobody that they know in real life is aware of their blog. After reading a few like that, I thought, "DANG, why didn't I think of that?" It makes it so they have a lot more freedom to say what they want, be anonymous, be whomever they want to be with no shame.
I've also noticed that blogging is a great exercise for aspiring writers. There are quite a few people preparing to be published and it's so exciting for we bloggers to witness their growth as they move into the world of fame and printed paper!
Anyway, it's been a fun time surfing this mighty bloggy world. It's such a wealth of information and support.
Thanks, All, for the positive feedback on my previous post. It means so much!
Blog Etiquette
Why won’t that cool mom blogger email me back? Why is there such low traffic on my blog? What am I doing wrong?
You all wanted to know some basic blog standards, didn’t you? A little mini etiquette class here on my blog? There is a lot of ground to cover on the subject, including comment behavior, attribution of posts, blogrolls, formatting, revealing personal information, blog addiction, boundries and more.
Here are some tips in no particular order:
Punctuation & Grammar: I have to say this is #1 in my book. I don’t like reading blogs that don’t have good punctuation and grammar. I also don’t like it when a big monster post is all one paragraph. It’s difficult to read and a major turn off! It’s hard enough to get through a super long post that is pleasing to read and flows like a novel… so you should expect that anything less wouldn’t get much traffic. ‘Nuff said.
Blogrolls: Be as generous with trading blogrolls as you want others to be with you, but never complain about it or expect reciprocation. No blogger owes this “link” to you. No, not even if you've blogrolled them forever and sent them emails telling them how much you love them. You ask once, hope for a polite yes or no, and then you let it go. This goes along with giving comments and not getting them back from the blogs you read. It’s nothing personal. I have run into this a few times, but I just keep reading their blogs anyway. If they are good writers, have great content and give you a belly laugh now and then, they don’t need to comment on your blog or even visit your blog. They have given you favor enough. We certainly don’t expect J.K. Rowling to read something we’ve written even though we’ve read all her books, do we? You can be a fan, but your “idol” doesn’t have to reciprocate. Think of it that way.
Addiction: Pace yourself. Develop a list of blogs you especially like, but don't obsessively visit every single day (unless you have the extra “me” time). I have only a very tiny handful I visit every day – you know who you are. I otherwise have about 50 blogs I visit, but I try to visit no more than a few a day. I find that by lightly cruising through a few different blogs a day, I don’t abandon my family or my job. (I guess #1 blogging etiquette should be: Don’t let your non-internet life suffer. Make sure your family knows they are first, checking your comments/email/most-recent-cool-mom’s-blog should be later in your list of priorities.)
Referencing an article or post: Do not be shy about mentioning (and linking) one of your older posts when writing a new post. Nobody minds this. No sense in rewriting something you’ve already written about. As for mentioning other people’s work… if you are blogging about a specific post on someone else's blog or on a news site, you should ALWAYS include the link in the text of your post (could be an a permalink or a typed link). Linking to the appropriate permalink seems to be more commonly done, and is definitely more helpful to the reader, than linking to the "front page" of a blog. If a blogger's site is set up to create "trackback" links, the trackback link should be used (I think blogger does this automatically when you link to one certain post). That helps the original blogger know who's pointing to their post, as well as helping you increase your blog's visibility. There have been times I’ve clicked the link to an article, only stopped because the permalinks didn't work. If you want your readers to be linking to a cross reference, make sure you’ve tested it!
Referring to another blogger: When you want to mention a friend or other fellow blogger, it is courteous to add a hyperlink behind their name or the name of the blog. The link should be to the front page unless you are mentioning the name in the context of a specific post. And, again, make sure your links WORK!
Comments: Comment sections are fraught with opportunities for poor etiquette, and although many bloggers have disclaimers noting their right to remove the ones that are rude or not to their liking, most have no guidelines for proper behavior.
Generally, if you are commenting on other people's blogs frequently, it is respectful to allow comments on your own blog. Some very public figures in the blog world don't allow comments. This seems wise as comments might get out of hand with the huge number of readers. If you want to make comments on other blogs, and you don't have comments set up on your blog, you should offer your email address to your readers in your profile or side bar. Many smart bloggers have begun to use the anti-spider method for displaying email addresses, something like me [at] me [dot] com. An obvious signal - I don't want you to use my email address for spam.
(That said, you could put your email up on your side bar in this format anyway. If you don’t have your email address in your blog profile, this is a safer way to “make it public” so we can contact you and share personal experiences and give you further support that we wouldn't want everyone else seeing in your comments section.)
Also note that you can turn comments off on any (or all) of your published posts. I did this once on a “spiritual” post that I didn’t want any feedback on. Bloggers do this for a reason, so if you have a comment on a “comments closed” post, email it to the blogger or leave it alone, but don’t go to another post and leave a comment there concerning the “closed comment” post.
Appropriate comments, of course, depend on the blog and the poster. An obvious overall guideline is to take your cue from the blog author, and other "guests." If you are on a personal blog obviously kept for a small audience of family & friends, it might be appropriate to post comments in the same tone as the posting… it would be entirely inappropriate to disagree harshly with their viewpoints (i.e. "Why are you freaking out about missing a pre-natal pill?!?! Are you kidding me?"). Generally, if a blog is personal, and you are intruding, keep your comments friendly and supportive. They aren't asking for your “wiser” viewpoint. On the other hand, political blogs or other blogs where a small group of people maintain a fast and fierce dialogue about current events would be a great place to voice your disagreement (with respect, of course), especially if you have a new, informed viewpoint.
The #2 rule about appropriate comments is to always make your comments applicable and unique. If a few people have already posted saying what you're about to say, please refrain (especially if your comment is nothing more than, "Good times!"). In addition, even if you have something REALLY great to tell everyone, don't tell them on a comment forum unless it is applicable to the discussion at hand. Even if you are visiting your best friend's blog, you don't want to leave a comment advertising your literary accomplishment on a post about your friend's latest issue with their toddler. Wait until your friend posts about the new book she's reading, or about how much she loves you (or email her). If you're visiting a stranger's blog, the rule should be even more strict; wait until you see a post about all the up-and-coming writers from your neck of the woods (or email that blogger).
Hiatus: If you are on a blog drought, let us know about it. Just a one sentence post. Even if you are only gone a week, we worry about you. Even if we’ve never met you in person, we care. It’s doesn’t have to relay what you are up to, you may not want to share that. Just do like you would at a corporate office… send an email out to the whole team telling them you’ll be gone so we don’t have to wonder. Most bloggers have figured out bloglines.com or Google Reader, so when you finally post again, we won’t miss a beat to comment and say welcome back… but for those that aren’t as blog savvy yet, don’t make them waste their time checking back every day.
And lastly… 2 things…
Boundries: It’s a given we all care about each other, maybe some more than others. We may not have met in person (or maybe we’ve been aquaintances/friends/what-have-you in person)… Remember that our blogs are public, but that does not mean we are best friends because you stumbled upon us and we seem to have a lot in common. So if you send a personal email to a fellow blogger and they don’t respond, don’t take it, well, personal, but DO take it as a sign. Especially when this happens time and time again. I am the type of person that loves most people and have found so many inspiring bloggers that I would love to strike up real life friendships, but it’s not always reciprocated and that’s okay. I took it personally the first few times this happened to me, but I’ve learned that I can still be an avid reader and not be best buds with the author. Mommy blogging is not on-line mommy dating.
Personal information: We all have different levels of security on our blogs. I don’t mind calling my son and husband by their real names on my blog. I never use our last name. I never refer to our town. I never refer to my blogger friends with their real names if that does not follow suit with their blog’s level of security. There are some very protective mom bloggers out there who have given everyone in their families nicknames and/or don’t refer to even the state they live in and/or don’t even post photos of their children’s faces. No matter what level of security you use, we need to be respectful of how fellow bloggers protect their identities. NEVER divulge personal information that you may know about another blogger, a) on your blog, b) in that blogger’s comments section, c) at a blogger meet up, or d) over email without that blogger’s permission. What we post on our blogs is what we want the "public" to have access to, nothing more.
In short: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Blogging is supposed to be fun. So if you don’t stick to the above “rules” you may not be punished for it… these are just some things I have picked up along the way. I know what I prefer… and if this benefits you, great!
Thanks for reading this super long post. I hope the grammar and spacing was to your fancy… ;)
Please email me any ideas you have and I will include them in an updated posting - ihartpartly [at] hotmail [dot] com
(I will be adding this post to my sidebar for constant reference, feel free to do the same.)
DISCLAIMER: Please don't take offense to my observations... I am not pin pointing anyone... I read all kinds of blogs, but most bloggers follow these "rules" because a lot of this stuff makes sense and seems silly to be posting about.
You all wanted to know some basic blog standards, didn’t you? A little mini etiquette class here on my blog? There is a lot of ground to cover on the subject, including comment behavior, attribution of posts, blogrolls, formatting, revealing personal information, blog addiction, boundries and more.
Here are some tips in no particular order:
Punctuation & Grammar: I have to say this is #1 in my book. I don’t like reading blogs that don’t have good punctuation and grammar. I also don’t like it when a big monster post is all one paragraph. It’s difficult to read and a major turn off! It’s hard enough to get through a super long post that is pleasing to read and flows like a novel… so you should expect that anything less wouldn’t get much traffic. ‘Nuff said.
Blogrolls: Be as generous with trading blogrolls as you want others to be with you, but never complain about it or expect reciprocation. No blogger owes this “link” to you. No, not even if you've blogrolled them forever and sent them emails telling them how much you love them. You ask once, hope for a polite yes or no, and then you let it go. This goes along with giving comments and not getting them back from the blogs you read. It’s nothing personal. I have run into this a few times, but I just keep reading their blogs anyway. If they are good writers, have great content and give you a belly laugh now and then, they don’t need to comment on your blog or even visit your blog. They have given you favor enough. We certainly don’t expect J.K. Rowling to read something we’ve written even though we’ve read all her books, do we? You can be a fan, but your “idol” doesn’t have to reciprocate. Think of it that way.
Addiction: Pace yourself. Develop a list of blogs you especially like, but don't obsessively visit every single day (unless you have the extra “me” time). I have only a very tiny handful I visit every day – you know who you are. I otherwise have about 50 blogs I visit, but I try to visit no more than a few a day. I find that by lightly cruising through a few different blogs a day, I don’t abandon my family or my job. (I guess #1 blogging etiquette should be: Don’t let your non-internet life suffer. Make sure your family knows they are first, checking your comments/email/most-recent-cool-mom’s-blog should be later in your list of priorities.)
Referencing an article or post: Do not be shy about mentioning (and linking) one of your older posts when writing a new post. Nobody minds this. No sense in rewriting something you’ve already written about. As for mentioning other people’s work… if you are blogging about a specific post on someone else's blog or on a news site, you should ALWAYS include the link in the text of your post (could be an a permalink or a typed link). Linking to the appropriate permalink seems to be more commonly done, and is definitely more helpful to the reader, than linking to the "front page" of a blog. If a blogger's site is set up to create "trackback" links, the trackback link should be used (I think blogger does this automatically when you link to one certain post). That helps the original blogger know who's pointing to their post, as well as helping you increase your blog's visibility. There have been times I’ve clicked the link to an article, only stopped because the permalinks didn't work. If you want your readers to be linking to a cross reference, make sure you’ve tested it!
Referring to another blogger: When you want to mention a friend or other fellow blogger, it is courteous to add a hyperlink behind their name or the name of the blog. The link should be to the front page unless you are mentioning the name in the context of a specific post. And, again, make sure your links WORK!
Comments: Comment sections are fraught with opportunities for poor etiquette, and although many bloggers have disclaimers noting their right to remove the ones that are rude or not to their liking, most have no guidelines for proper behavior.
Generally, if you are commenting on other people's blogs frequently, it is respectful to allow comments on your own blog. Some very public figures in the blog world don't allow comments. This seems wise as comments might get out of hand with the huge number of readers. If you want to make comments on other blogs, and you don't have comments set up on your blog, you should offer your email address to your readers in your profile or side bar. Many smart bloggers have begun to use the anti-spider method for displaying email addresses, something like me [at] me [dot] com. An obvious signal - I don't want you to use my email address for spam.
(That said, you could put your email up on your side bar in this format anyway. If you don’t have your email address in your blog profile, this is a safer way to “make it public” so we can contact you and share personal experiences and give you further support that we wouldn't want everyone else seeing in your comments section.)
Also note that you can turn comments off on any (or all) of your published posts. I did this once on a “spiritual” post that I didn’t want any feedback on. Bloggers do this for a reason, so if you have a comment on a “comments closed” post, email it to the blogger or leave it alone, but don’t go to another post and leave a comment there concerning the “closed comment” post.
Appropriate comments, of course, depend on the blog and the poster. An obvious overall guideline is to take your cue from the blog author, and other "guests." If you are on a personal blog obviously kept for a small audience of family & friends, it might be appropriate to post comments in the same tone as the posting… it would be entirely inappropriate to disagree harshly with their viewpoints (i.e. "Why are you freaking out about missing a pre-natal pill?!?! Are you kidding me?"). Generally, if a blog is personal, and you are intruding, keep your comments friendly and supportive. They aren't asking for your “wiser” viewpoint. On the other hand, political blogs or other blogs where a small group of people maintain a fast and fierce dialogue about current events would be a great place to voice your disagreement (with respect, of course), especially if you have a new, informed viewpoint.
The #2 rule about appropriate comments is to always make your comments applicable and unique. If a few people have already posted saying what you're about to say, please refrain (especially if your comment is nothing more than, "Good times!"). In addition, even if you have something REALLY great to tell everyone, don't tell them on a comment forum unless it is applicable to the discussion at hand. Even if you are visiting your best friend's blog, you don't want to leave a comment advertising your literary accomplishment on a post about your friend's latest issue with their toddler. Wait until your friend posts about the new book she's reading, or about how much she loves you (or email her). If you're visiting a stranger's blog, the rule should be even more strict; wait until you see a post about all the up-and-coming writers from your neck of the woods (or email that blogger).
Hiatus: If you are on a blog drought, let us know about it. Just a one sentence post. Even if you are only gone a week, we worry about you. Even if we’ve never met you in person, we care. It’s doesn’t have to relay what you are up to, you may not want to share that. Just do like you would at a corporate office… send an email out to the whole team telling them you’ll be gone so we don’t have to wonder. Most bloggers have figured out bloglines.com or Google Reader, so when you finally post again, we won’t miss a beat to comment and say welcome back… but for those that aren’t as blog savvy yet, don’t make them waste their time checking back every day.
And lastly… 2 things…
Boundries: It’s a given we all care about each other, maybe some more than others. We may not have met in person (or maybe we’ve been aquaintances/friends/what-have-you in person)… Remember that our blogs are public, but that does not mean we are best friends because you stumbled upon us and we seem to have a lot in common. So if you send a personal email to a fellow blogger and they don’t respond, don’t take it, well, personal, but DO take it as a sign. Especially when this happens time and time again. I am the type of person that loves most people and have found so many inspiring bloggers that I would love to strike up real life friendships, but it’s not always reciprocated and that’s okay. I took it personally the first few times this happened to me, but I’ve learned that I can still be an avid reader and not be best buds with the author. Mommy blogging is not on-line mommy dating.
Personal information: We all have different levels of security on our blogs. I don’t mind calling my son and husband by their real names on my blog. I never use our last name. I never refer to our town. I never refer to my blogger friends with their real names if that does not follow suit with their blog’s level of security. There are some very protective mom bloggers out there who have given everyone in their families nicknames and/or don’t refer to even the state they live in and/or don’t even post photos of their children’s faces. No matter what level of security you use, we need to be respectful of how fellow bloggers protect their identities. NEVER divulge personal information that you may know about another blogger, a) on your blog, b) in that blogger’s comments section, c) at a blogger meet up, or d) over email without that blogger’s permission. What we post on our blogs is what we want the "public" to have access to, nothing more.
In short: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Blogging is supposed to be fun. So if you don’t stick to the above “rules” you may not be punished for it… these are just some things I have picked up along the way. I know what I prefer… and if this benefits you, great!
Thanks for reading this super long post. I hope the grammar and spacing was to your fancy… ;)
Please email me any ideas you have and I will include them in an updated posting - ihartpartly [at] hotmail [dot] com
(I will be adding this post to my sidebar for constant reference, feel free to do the same.)
DISCLAIMER: Please don't take offense to my observations... I am not pin pointing anyone... I read all kinds of blogs, but most bloggers follow these "rules" because a lot of this stuff makes sense and seems silly to be posting about.
Do I look like a bag?
So tonight was Ian's company picnic up the canyon. It had rained right beforehand, so I was kind of dreading going up there with the slight chill and super wonderful mud puddles that Liam would be so tempted to tromp in.
We finally let him go to town once we finished eating dinner. I was so upset that I didn't have my camera to catch the messy fun he was having. If I had photos, this account would be on Liam's blog.
So we stripped him down, drove him home with just diaper, he went swimming in the tub, we got him pajama'd, said family prayer and put him to bed... AND THEN I went to the grocery store because we are completely out of eggs, milk and dishwasher tablets. Who can live without those things?
The point of the post is coming, I promise...
Important note... I took my wedding ring off to lotion Liam after the bath and left it in his room (I couldn't chance retrieving it to run my errands, I did think of it before I left.) The next recorded events of the evening I should be assumed single, yes?
On the way home I return some movies to Bl0ckbuster. I actually had to get out of the car to try passively to get a hand out. I rented Pride and it froze 3/4 of the way through it. I told the guy so he could prevent this from happening from someone else (and possibly get a credit for it) and all he said was "thanks." Thanks? I didn't get to finish the movie! So, I walked away... then I thought I should check to see if there is anything new out, and... you know... give them more of my business because they were SO accomidating.
I took Flicka up there to rent it. The same guy greets me like we hadn't just talked 4 minutes previously. The price comes up to $2.99 and I say, "So, is H0llywood more expensive than you guys? Don't they charge $3.99?" He says, "Yep! And our children's videos are only $1.99!"
I got in my car and wondered why I didn't ask him why he mentioned the children's videos. Would it have been so rude of me to put him on the spot and say, "By looking at me, what made you assume that I care about your children's videos? Is it that my hair is in a pony tail or the general haggard look I carry around?" (I just realized it might be my massive pink purse!)
NEVERTHELESS, I wish I had put him on the spot. Because I know single guys look at the ring finger. I am not that UGLY, GEEZ!
We finally let him go to town once we finished eating dinner. I was so upset that I didn't have my camera to catch the messy fun he was having. If I had photos, this account would be on Liam's blog.
So we stripped him down, drove him home with just diaper, he went swimming in the tub, we got him pajama'd, said family prayer and put him to bed... AND THEN I went to the grocery store because we are completely out of eggs, milk and dishwasher tablets. Who can live without those things?
The point of the post is coming, I promise...
Important note... I took my wedding ring off to lotion Liam after the bath and left it in his room (I couldn't chance retrieving it to run my errands, I did think of it before I left.) The next recorded events of the evening I should be assumed single, yes?
On the way home I return some movies to Bl0ckbuster. I actually had to get out of the car to try passively to get a hand out. I rented Pride and it froze 3/4 of the way through it. I told the guy so he could prevent this from happening from someone else (and possibly get a credit for it) and all he said was "thanks." Thanks? I didn't get to finish the movie! So, I walked away... then I thought I should check to see if there is anything new out, and... you know... give them more of my business because they were SO accomidating.
I took Flicka up there to rent it. The same guy greets me like we hadn't just talked 4 minutes previously. The price comes up to $2.99 and I say, "So, is H0llywood more expensive than you guys? Don't they charge $3.99?" He says, "Yep! And our children's videos are only $1.99!"
I got in my car and wondered why I didn't ask him why he mentioned the children's videos. Would it have been so rude of me to put him on the spot and say, "By looking at me, what made you assume that I care about your children's videos? Is it that my hair is in a pony tail or the general haggard look I carry around?" (I just realized it might be my massive pink purse!)
NEVERTHELESS, I wish I had put him on the spot. Because I know single guys look at the ring finger. I am not that UGLY, GEEZ!
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