I had a goal...

I while ago I had a goal.  I would lovingly post to my lovely blog at least once a week.  More often if possible.  This seemed to be an attainable goal for what should be a life journal right?  Then I started reading too many "other" blogs.  Somehow forgetting to come back to mine.  Throw in a little intimidation (seriously a post a day?), a little depression (some blogs portray life as pretty darn perfect), a loss for words (how many waterpolo games can I write about and still be interesting?) a little jealousy (that ugly green monster) and there you have it....two months I've been gone.  Eight posts lost to the blogesphere.......

I will be back, and better than ever.

I promise.

dear blog,

i have neglected you lately.  i am sorry.  i just have been so busy i haven't made time to write all my swirling thoughts down.

summer is coming.  maybe then things will slow down and settle in my mind.

love,
me

ps.  i did make time to sew.  i hope you aren't mad at me

Happy Bloggaversary!

It's been a little over a year since my dear friend Cheryl introduced me to blogging and I have to say I love it! Sometimes I have nothing to say, other times the words get all tangled in my mind and I can't get them out the way I want. When starting this blog, like pretty much everything else I do, I felt compelled to make it "perfect". The true reflection of my personality, style, sense of humor and so on. I would post, then go back and edit. Add more pictures, take some off. Wonder if I was conveying the feelings of the moment. Wondering what my feelings even were!  I would spend too much time agonizing over what to say, how to say it. I have evolved. This blog has been good for me. I have learned things about myself. I have grown. I have realized that it (said blog) is really and truly for me. I can and do remember the moments of the year past.  I appreciate them more.  I still fight the compulsion, daily, to go back and edit (crazy I know), add more from years when I didn't blog or journal......but I think it will all work out in the end.

excuses, excuses

I haven't posted for a while. Kids went back to school, it's been hot, I haven't had any ideas....excuses, excuses, excuses!

That really isn't true. I have had an idea, just haven't known how to get it across.....so I will try to start now.

I recently re-discovered the library. You remember, that quiet place where you used to go after school. Sometimes to meet friends, sometimes to do homework, sometimes to wait for a ride when it was either raining or too hot outside to walk? I used to go to the library all the time. I don't know what happened....I forgot all about it like an old friend you haven't seen in ages. So now I am catching up.......I love books. I love the smell, the way the pages feel, the sound of a new book binding cracking open. I also love to read. So I buy a lot (A LOT) of books. Some are worthy of filing on my book shelf to read and re-read. Some are a one-time shot and then go to the put & take shelf in our little community club-house library. I didn't realize how often I was buying books.....then I started to notice and thought hmmm.....I could be buying shoes!!! lol - not really but the thought did cross my mind....

anyway, I recently read "Handle with Care" by Jodi Picoult. You know her - she wrote "My Sisters Keeper". You probably saw the movie. I did. But I liked the book better.

The mother in "Handle with Care" was a pastry chef in her before life (before husband before kids). Throught the book the author inserts cooking techniques (and recipes) that apply to the story. They touched me so that I typed them out, yes all of them including the recipes. I am going to use them as jumping off points for future posts....

borrowed thoughts & plagiarism

Alright, alright. so there's 5 love languages in life, blah blah blah.But do you know about the 5 love languages of BLOGGING? That's right. I believe there are 5 love languages in this crazy blogging world...The thing is, we all speak a different language. And we go through phases, where sometimes one is more important than another. Most of us speak all the languages, but it's the order that can get us into trouble. Not every blogger is going to speak your same language. And feelings can get hurt when our blogging needs are not met by the people we blog with. So to shed a little light on the situation, I give you:

Lurking

*Lurkers Lurkers: (def.) someone who regularly reads your blog, but does not participate.

(They're just like secret admirers.... kinda)Some lurkers have blogs. Others do not. Some may subscribe to your feed, others have no idea what a feed is. But they come. Every day. For you.In real life, a lurker may be "delurked" through routine conversation. Because they may mention something that you wrote about, but did not receive this information from you. This is when you call them out and demand them to comment. (Because we know you're there!) Lurkers generally admire the bloggers they so quietly stalk. Sometimes, lurkers may be your ex-boyfriends wife. (Hi.) Sometimes they're people you've never even met. (Hi.) But they stumbled onto your blog, and they are here to stay. Lurkers are nervous about leaving comments. Sometimes they feel like they do not have anything witty to say. Or they disagree with you. Fear not, dear lurkers. We would probably love to hear what you have to say. But you don't have to say anything. You have permission to lurk as long as you like.

Commenting

*CommentingBloggers have egos.

Egos need to be stroked.Comments are a wonderful way for bloggers to interact with their readers. And as any blogger will tell you, they read each and every comment, and appreciate each and every word. Commenting provides feedback for the author; it lets them know if their words encouraged you, inspired you, touched you, made you mad, made you laugh.... Your words offer perspective, and help build confidence which in turn inspires the blogger to write more.Other considerations: every blogger loves comments, but not every blogger leaves comments. Some comment religiously, even when they have nothing to say, while others never comment, though your words have touched them on some core level.

Hyperlinking

*Hyperlinking hyperlink: the text that you can "click" on that will take you to another web page.

Hyperlinking is a simple service that shows you care. A link to another web page or site is exhilarating. It's like finding a hidden treasure. There are SO. MANY. GREAT. WRITERS. And most of them blog because they love it. And we would never have found them, if it wasn't for you, you hyperlinking fanatic. Hyperlinking also lets the other bloggers know you love them. It physically shows them that you are a fan. That you notice what they say. That you think they're brilliant. Or funny. Or awesome. Hyperlinking is a recommendation. It's as if you're saying, "Hey, if you like me, you'll LOVE this guy!" It's the ultimate compliment.Hyperlinking makes the world go round. I would have never found girls like this, if not for the hyperlink.

BlogRolling

*Blog Rolling: there is no greater gift than to be added to someone's blogroll. (except for commenting...)

Blogrolls are delicate things. People pay great attention to who IS and who is NOT on your blogroll. It directly affects their self worth. (Especially if you know you used to be on someone's blogroll, and now you've magically disappeared.) ahem.And while some of us may feel the desperate need to be included on the blogroll, we need to understand that they are beastly things and most are not updated regularly. (Even though after announcing you have updated and we're still not on it, we get our cyber feelings hurt and we try not to dwell on it, but for the love! What do I have to do to get on your stupid blogroll already?!?!?!) ahem.

Subscribing

*Subscribing: These are the serious blog readers.

Subscription to a feed makes bloggers feel warm and cozy. Especially when we see the numbers rising. (and falling. stupid unsubscribe button. grrrrr.) And although subscription numbers may not match up to comment numbers, and may leave us wondering, who the heck is reading this anyways, we feel secure. Because while you may not publicly declare your love for us, you subscribe to our feed, because you have to read us. It's a simple act that declares your love. And you do subscribe out of love, and not obligation. Because people that have aggregators like Bloglines and Google Reader, are serious blog fanatics. They simply do not have the time to comment on every blog they read. But they are reading.... oh yes, THEY. ARE. READING.

*****
So there it is. The Five Love Languages of Blogging according to me, the MomBabe.
Which is your primary language?

* plagiarised straight from here

Another place to visit.....

The other day I was going to post. About food. Again.

Then I thought, I should make a food blog, because, of course, last week we saw Julie & Julia (too cute btw). Will I try to cook 524 recipes in 365 days like Julie? Never. Do I have any desire to learn to bone a duck? Not really. However, I will continue to feed my family, that goes without saying. But don't count the days we have cereal or bagels for dinner.

I do like recipes. I compulsively tear them out of magazines and bookmark them on the web. Most of the time I never try them. They sit in piles, or scraps of paper in my recipe book that get passed over time and time again. The hope is that this blog will motivate me to get out of my comfort zone of memorized easy dinners, barbeque burgers or chicken and cook outside the box. One recipe at a time. Nothing fancy or extreme, just good food that everyone will eat, hopefully!

I have been trying to learn to make a cute little button for this endeavor, but no such luck.....so step into my virtual kitchen, pull up a chair and share some recipes!

come visit me at - thisgirlcancook.blogspot.com

seriously?

Somehow, somewhere, at some point in time, I stumbled upon this post.
I just can't believe how some people are so creative!
It cracked me up. Made me smile - a lot!
Seriously - people plagerize other blogs?
I had no idea!

Sometimes something I read makes me look at something differently and I might blog about it, ponder it, consider it. But to COPY? NO WAY!

How fun to be so popular! Kind of like when someone likes your shirt, skirt, pants, shoes, earings, bag - whatever (just NOT your husband) and goes out and gets one "just like yours".
{humming the song from Jungle Book - "i wanna be like you, u, u. just like you, u, u. i wanna walk like you, talk like you. you, u, u.}

Made me think of what I read recently at Mormon Mommy Blogs on a discussion Wednesday about how and why we blog. Do we list facts? Embelish details? Try to out do each other? Feel jealous? Like we don't measure up?

For me my blog has evolved, how about you?

A change will do you good (and me too).....

A while back I tried to change my blog. Nothing fancy. New template. Spring colors. You know. Something new, fresh, different. Something to do to avoid all the other things I should be doing. Somehow, somewhere the html code got all crazy. No matter what I did (or didn't do) I couldn't customize my font colors!

I tried all the suggestions found on the internet - no luck.
Blogger help - no luck, again.

FRUSTRATING!!!

So I have thrown in the towel.

No longer will I waste time changing my font colors, searching the internet for new templates, changing layouts, customizing this & that. However, I may retract this in the future - don't hold me to it.

This is it. My new look.

I am however, manipulating the font color for the topical guide......I can't quit cold turkey!