Jul 18, 2012 |
It’s already Wednesday.
Wait. What?
It’s already Wednesday?!
This week has gone by far too fast for me. Dot’s now enrolled in college. College! I’ve got ten resumes out for review, and I’m considering signing up with LinkedIn.com and Kickstarter.com. [If any of you have advice regarding either of those sites, please… I’m all ears!] We had our second class of cake decorating, and Dot’s creation garnered her incredible attentions. I don’t often put photos up on my Facebook page unless they’re linked to posts. But Monday night I posted her cake, as well as wrote about it yesterday. I don’t have tons of followers on Facebook, but I was really impressed to see that Dot’s Cake is my most popular photo to date. Way to go, Kid! I’m one proud Momma!
Last week’s “What’s the Word?” Wednesday Blog Hop was my most popular to date. I love seeing the diversity of writings offered up around the Blogosphere. Would you like to be a part of it?
“What’s the Word?” Wednesdays is a link-up that allows other bloggers and readers to share whatever they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends. What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s link-up is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow! In fact, you can link up as many posts as you want.
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
- You can now show your “likes” by voting for your favorite links.
So, c’mon. Join the conversation. After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
Jul 11, 2012 |
This week’s theme for me seems to be
In the Middle.
or, possibly,
On a Teeter-Totter.
It’s already the middle of the week. In four more days it will be the middle of the month. We are closer to the end of the year than the beginning. Yikes!
While the local craft stores and Hallmark Movie Channel are celebrating Christmas in July, my town is in the middle of a scorching heat wave. We hit 105 in the shade today. Sure, people will tell you, “But it’s a dry heat…” as if that takes away some of the sting. Lemme tell ya, 105 is still 105.
My eggplant and green pepper plants can’t decide if they want to survive or not. My Sweet Broom plants are hanging on. Luckily, Fred the Tomato is thriving. It’s in shade more than the others… I’m thinking one more day of this, and the back patio will become my impromptu potted garden.
Dot went swimming over two weeks ago and ended up with Swimmer’s Ear. She gets that the first swim each summer, but this year it didn’t go away. So we spent an hour at the Doctor’s office Tuesday getting antibiotics and ear drops. We had planned to go to the beach today, but the drive is ninety minutes long and involves an altitude shift that always leaves ears popping. So we’ve decided to put that trip on hold until she feels better.
We started cake decorating classes two days ago. The Wilton Method, Course 1. It’s going to be so much fun. That is, if I remember to take ibuprofen before going. As creative and crafty as I am, my hands don’t always appreciate it. In fact, there’s this little thing called arthritis that’s starting to get in the way. I am not a happy camper.
I had a sort of epiphany last week. A shift in attitude, a revelation of emotions. I can’t wait to tell you about it in a soon-to-be-posted blog. It’s actually very exciting! Usually when I share my emotions, I’m either very excited or very sad or very angry or… you get the picture. I mean, drama is what sells, right? You don’t want to hear that I was just content to sit at my window sipping coffee… do you? Well, guess what. I was. I did. And I continue to do so. And it’s awesome. But more on that later.
I’m also very excited to read what everyone has to link up this week! Jenn and Casey have made their move from Maine to North Carolina and it’s been fun to read about their trip. I can’t wait for them to share their new home adventures!
Well, I could write so much more about this Teeter-Totter, but I’ve some tending to get to.
What’s on your plate this week?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
What’s the Word? Wednesdays is a linky that allows other bloggers to share whatever is on their minds that they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends. What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s linky is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow!
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
- You can now show your “likes” by voting for your favorite links.
So, c’mon. Join the conversation. After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
Jul 5, 2012 |
I’ve written about Pinterest before.
I introduced you to This Thing Called Pinterest. I wrote an open letter about Pinning to Dear Pinners….
I’ve shared with you my own Pinterest account, and updated when I create new boards.
Today I discovered that not all my own Pins were linked accurately. Of course, as a blogger/writer, it’s important that my articles are attached to the Pins I create for them. So I spent about thirty minutes reviewing and correcting. It wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was a little fun seeing Pins from months ago that I’d forgotten about.
I tweeted about today’s revelation, which brought about the conversation “What exactly is Pinterest, and how do you use it?”
The best way to describe it is it’s a digital scrapbook. It’s a spaceless way to store your ideas, suggestions, likes and adventures. If it’s online and you like it, you can Pin it.
It’s easy to get an account. Typically, you need an invitation from a friend or you can request one directly from Pinterest. Once you have an account, you can Pin one of two ways.
You can search Pinterest itself. For example, in their search bar type “coffee” and you’ll be inundated with a mass assortment of flavors, cups, stores, ideas, stories… when you see one you like, move your cursor over it and you’ll see buttons appear: “Repin”, “Like”, “Comment”. You can pick and choose which actions you want. If you choose to “Repin”, a new window will pop up and you can select which of your Boards you want it Pinned to.
The other way to Pin is to download their “Pin It” Button. It’s a small download that you set in your internet toolbar. When you see something online that you like, you click your “Pin It” button, and it asks you which picture to Pin, and to which Board.
Your boards are your categories. Pinterest sets up a few to get you started. You can edit, delete, and add your own. My friend Keri has a board strictly dedicated to all things “Purple”. I have 36 Boards ranging from writing ideas to recipes to people and places and even a bucket list!
There are a few things to remember when Pinning:
- The Pinterest Terms and Privacy are very clear that you cannot Pin any copyright material. Many professional photographers have removed their photos due to this requirement. An alternate option is to include a watermark on your own photos: an unremovable mark that indicates you hold the copyrights.
- I pin my photos to Pinterest because I know they link back to my Blog. And traffic is currency in the Blogosphere. This doesn’t give others the right to claim my work as their own, but it does give you the right to Pin and share and say, “Hey, this is worthwhile stuff.”
- Laura asked if you need to get permission before Pinning. I’ve checked around and the main consensus is, that’s sometimes impossible. In the digital media world in which we live, everything is everywhere. You can’t always track back to the source. You should try, definitely. But if it’s already online, it’s shareable.
- You can’t Pin personal photos from Facebook or your computer. It has to be already online.
- Pinterest has very easy-to-understand Etiquette guidelines. Their Terms are written for every person to understand, not a lot of Legaleeze.
I love the idea of storing ideas online instead of odd-shaped magazine clippings stored in paper boxes. I love that I can put the same Pin on several boards. How often have you had to decide whether a clipping should be placed in “Recipe” or “Holiday”? Is a Dictionary a “Book” or “Writer Wishlist” item? Is a great blog article “inspiring”, “faith-based” or simply “A Good Blog”? With Pinterest, you don’t have to decide. You can Pin the same article to as many Boards as you have.
I also discovered that to get to the main article, you needn’t “backtrack” through other Pinners. Just click on the Pin itself. It will enlarge on your computer screen. Click again on the Pin, and you should be directed to the original posting whether it be from a blog, company, photographer’s page, or wherever it originated. It’s important to make sure that your Pins link back to the source as much as possible. It’s only fair to give credit where credit is due.
So. Are you ready to starting Pinning?
Just click. Pin. And share.
You’ll be glad you did. (And so will I!)
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 4, 2012 |
Happy Independence Day! It’s time to celebrate!
What does Independence really mean? Well, for America, today, it means we stand on our own.
But in general terms, “Independence” means freedom, liberty, self-reliance.
It can also mean ability, qualification, aptitude. I like that! I like that freedom doesn’t necessarily mean being separate from others; it just means being an individual.
For me, today is about creativity, learning to make-do with what I have. Being able to take care of myself and my family without wholly relying on others to do so.
There’s no shame in needing other people. But there’s a great satisfaction in being Independent.
There’s a certain pride in being able to say, “Look what I did!” and “See how far I’ve come!”
There’s also a joy in being able to pay it forward.
I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the support of my family, friends and readers. And while collectively I love you all, I appreciate each of you Independently.
Have your own stories to tell? Leave a comment or link up your blog posts and share!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
What’s the Word? Wednesdays is a linky that allows other bloggers to share whatever is on their minds that they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends. What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s linky is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow!
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
- You can now show your “likes” by voting for your favorite links.
So, c’mon. Join the conversation. After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
Jun 27, 2012 |
Wow, can you believe it’s the last week of June already? I can’t! I thought once Dot graduated that it would go by slower. Truth is, we’ve been enjoying so much family and friends time that the last month has flown by.
In other respects, it’s also been very slow. I keep waiting for any job opportunity to come my way. So far, no joy. I thought having so much time on my hands would lead to some great writing, but the truth is, it had an adverse affect. I’ve felt a little useless lately. A little non-contributive (is that a word? It is now!). But that stopped a few days ago. I really started reading and writing again (Have you entered to win your own copy of Louis L’Amour’s Short Story Collection? Click on the first link under this post to do so!).
I’ve been working on a new short story set in New Orleans. Except I know it won’t be a short story. Because it took me three pages just to introduce the protagonist (main character). Yup. That’s a big word. I’m trying to use bigger words, to grow my vocabulary. I’ve been perusing the web and finding that, while I enjoy the chit-chat language and vernacular, I also enjoy reading that which makes me feel smarter, that which challenges my language skills. If I have to use a dictionary at least twice a week, I like it. More than that, and I’m in Heaven. Every day, though, and it’s too much. So. Yes. I’m creating a smart protagonist. And I’m loving it.
I’m also coming to terms with my emotions. Dot’s a high school graduate. She’s practically an adult. It’s weird to see her going out with her friends so much. And for me to stay at home. We used to do family dates. Now, she’s got her group, and I’ve got… my chair. Not that I don’t have friends. I just don’t go out as much. She goes to movies and dinners. My friends and I just hang out at each others’ houses (mostly theirs, since most of my friends have cat allergies). I don’t mind. It’s just different. I’m not as social as I used to be.
May brought about the death of Dot’s boyfriend, and the end of my beloved FLASHPOINT, and several job opportunities that didn’t come through. I was pretty angry at God for a while, and I had to come to terms with that. I’m not ready to write it out yet. But suffice to say, that as always, I know God is God and I’m not so any time I think I know better… I’m an idiot.
So you can see I’ve a plethora of emotions that I’m still working through. I’m so thankful for my wonderful family and friends. They put up with me, keep me in check, and just nod and say, “I know…” when I start to cry. I’m also learning that just because I cry a lot does not mean I’m weak. I’ve already started a blog post on that, but I want to make it better before publishing.
I’m looking forward to someday soon being able to give back to my family and friends as much as they give to me. To tell Jaye, “Heck yeah, let’s have coffee!” and to give Megan a workable manuscript. To try new recipes with my mom. Just to let everyone know, I love them. I’m a people-person. And as Jaye told me today, “I’m your peeps.” I like that. I think that should be our motto whenever we see someone we know.
You never know what someone’s going through. And we’re all going through something. Nobody’s life is perfect, is stress free, is truly fine. Everyone has something. Wouldn’t it be neat to know we’re not alone? When we’re going through life, wouldn’t it be great if someone stepped along side and said, “I’m your peeps.” Even if they don’t know, even if we can’t share the load, wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to walk with? Wouldn’t it be great for others if we could say it to them?
“I’m your peeps.”
Yeah. I think the world might be a better place.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
What’s the Word? Wednesdays is a linky that allows other bloggers to share whatever is on their minds that they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends.
What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s linky is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow!
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
