Comments on Old, Old Blog Posts

I received a comment today on a blog post I wrote way back in 2005 - I guess there's life in the backwoods of my internet experiences even yet!!

Blog Fodder?

Do you have some???? I sure need it. I'm at the bottom of an empty barrel when it comes to subjects I can blog about. 

I don't want to talk about that stinker Arnold - others have done that better than I could and the subject disgusts me.  Since American Idol is almost over, I won't discuss that either, or Dancing with the Stars. So You Think You Can Dance is coming back next week after a long hiatus. I love that show. It is fun to watch people who dance for the sheer joy of movement and expression,  especially when they are very good at it. Some of the audition shows are painful to watch, and other are downright funny, but I enjoy all of it, so I'm  looking forward to that.

I get to work with Mel again, which is always good, and then on Sunday, I am going to meet a blogger I have really wanted to meet in person for over 5 years! I know that I won't be disappointed - I just hope that she isn't!! I'll tell you all about it next week.

You Just Never Know...Do You?

EDIT BELOW:  When you put something on a blog, you realize, of course, that it is in the public domain and may be seen and read by anyone. Little do you know, however, how far and wide your little seeds might scatter and where they will ultimately land. 

Today I got an email that I very nearly chucked into the spam file....but something told me to check it out first. I opened that email, and it was from a woman who works for a nationally known TV program, on that peacock network. She had seen a photo of my kitchen on my blog and wondered if I would give permission for them to use it on the show. I couldn't believe it.

I am under no illusions here, and I know that my photo will be used as the "before" kitchen; or as my daughter says, the one they proclaim as the disaster.  Apparently the theme of the segment  will be "how to update old Formica counter tops" and since mine are over thirty years old, they certainly fit that category!

Doubtless it will do no good, but I did mention that if they would like to come and update my kitchen or den, they are most welcome!

They will let me know if my photo is used on the show sometime tomorrow after they tape. If it will be used, I'll post an update here so you can watch the show.

EDIT:   Apparently I misunderstood how it works. The show in which they might use my photo tapes later today and will not be on TV until sometime later. I also heard that they found "a much worse" kitchen than mine, so they may not use my photo.  Seems orange form*ca is worse than yellow.....LOL

"Do You Fit into the Blogosphere?", an article found in a local magazine ("Midtown"), I read recent statistics from "the State of the Blogosphere" by Technorati:

Believe it or not, 2/3 of bloggers are male and 60% are between the ages of 18-44.

75% have college degrees.

More than half are married.

70% say that personal satisfaction is the way they measure success.

71% blog in part to speak their mind.

72% blog to share their expertise.

42% have become friends with someone they have met in person through their blog.

82% post photos to their blog. 

So, how do you fit into that picture?  Or do you?

*******

I have been told that the way I will be able to comment on the blogs I cannot now leave a comment on, is if the blogger goes to "settings" and "comments" and clicks "full page" as the option (instead of "embedded below the post".) I would love for all of you to do that, of course, so I can speak my mind and let you know I've been there. 

And since I posted about not being able to comment, I've discovered a few more blogs that fit that category:

Poopie at Pecan Lane

Linda at A Slower Pace

quandlequeen at A Walk Through My Little World

Joared

Oma!

I'm sorry about the rude gesture in the photo; I would never do that to our Oma! I awoke this weekend to find this scratched into the sand on the beach below our hotel room. We were ten floors up, so this had to have been a huge drawing. Seeing as how I already had this post ready to put on the blog, I just had to take the photo, even with that gesture. Someone sure was mad at his Oma, wasn't he?

Recently, I received a book from TravelinOma as a prize won in a contest. The title was:

"No One Cares What You Had for Lunch
100 Ideas for Your Blog"

It was good, quick reading, and had some interesting links and good advice for how to write interesting blog posts . I was sure I could use some help, so I was eager to learn all the juicy tidbits!

The chapters have interesting, provocative titles, such as:

Count your blessings
Spill everything
Hang your head
Exit the comfort zone

In the chapter titled "Be Yourself", she quotes a blogger named Brittney Gilbert (http://brittney.typepad.com) who wrote:

"When I cook eggs I can't just toss the shell without first crushing it in my palm. I like the prickly sensation of the broken, jagged shell in my skin."

My comment to Brittney would be something along the lines of: "That would be an experience I would only need to have once." The important part is that her lines would evoke a comment from almost everyone who stopped to read them. Therein lies one of the secrets of good blogging.

If you happen to run across this book, I recommend it for blog fodder that you may not have thought of yet. And to TravelinOma, I say - THANKS again!

Click to embiggen. Didn't we bloggers already know this?

Can You Decipher This?

Last week I was driving around, thinking and musing, and I had an idea for a blog post. It was such a good idea that I just had to write it down, so I grabbed a napkin and at the first stoplight, I wrote:

disuse

decay

death

and then....

Work is an auspicious start to the new year.

What the heck was I planning to write about? If you can figure it out, I'd sure like to know.....

Believe

Here's an email that is tailor made for someone who doesn't have much to post about! You may have read this before, but it is worth a second look:





I believe - . . . that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.



I believe - . . . that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.



I believe - . . . that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.



I believe - . . . that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.



I believe - . . . that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.



I believe - . . . that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.



I believe - . . . that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.



I believe - .. . . that you can keep going long after you think you can't.



I believe - . . . that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.



I believe - . . . that either you control your attitude or it controls you.



I believe - . . . That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.



I believe - . . . that money is a lousy way of keeping score.



I believe - . . . that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.



I believe - . . . that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.



I believe - . . . that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.



I believe - . . . that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.



I believe - . . . that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.



I believe - . . . that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.



I believe - . . . that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for whom we become.



I believe - . . . that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.



I believe - . . . two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.



I believe - . . . that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.



I believe - . . . that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.



I believe - . . . that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I believe - . . that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Take Note: mr. kenju was admitted to the hospital today, and as of this moment, we are not exactly sure what the problem is. Please keep us in your prayers, and don't look for me to visit much in the next few days. I'll let you know something when I do.

A New Meme

I saw this over at Naomi's...and thought it was fun....Try it yourself and let me know if you do! The game is SCATTERGORIES ... and it's harder than it looks! Here are the rules:

*Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the questions.

*They MUST be real places, names, things ...NOTHING made up!

*If you can't think of anything, skip it.
You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

* If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry, but you can't use my answers!

My Name: Judy

1. Famous Singer/Band: Jerry Vale, John Lennon, (Tom) Jones. I am sure there are more, but the old brain isn't working so well tonight.

2. 4 letter word: Just: conforming to spiritual law, righteous, equitable, impartial, conformed to the truth.....what I try, and often fail to be.

3. Street: I have never lived on a street that starts with the letter J, but here in Raleigh, the Governor's Mansion is on Jones Street, and I have spent a lot of time there, through the years.

4. Color: There's no color I can think of that starts with J, but how about jewel tones (ruby, sapphire and emerald)?

5. Gifts/Presents: Jewelry, although I like it, a minimum of it is enough for me. I do not require a variety of anything but earrings, and they don't have to be expensive. Jasper, especially what they call picture jasper, makes wonderful pendant necklaces. Jade.....ah, now that's a favorite!! I could use that for color also.

6. Vehicle: Jaguar.....LOL....I have never owned one. I have heard that if you buy a Jag, you should get two of them, so you'll have one to drive while the other is in the repair shop!

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Junk! or Junque! Most souvenirs are junk, aren't they? I have seen some that are better than others, of course.

8. Boy's Name: There are so many; James, John, Jordan, Justin

9. Girl's Name: Jessica or Julianna

10. Movie Title: I can't think of a thing for this one, although I am sure there must be many.


11. Drink: I'm bad at remembering drink names, but juice is always good! Or maybe Java! a perennial favorite!

12. Occupation: Judge? I think that would be a nice one....gives prestige and all that, but the pressure to be fair must be stressful, I think. Justice of the Peace? Jurist? All pertaining to the law and all immensely interesting to me.

13. Celebrity: Jennifer Garner: she is from my hometown (Charleston, WV) plus she snagged Ben Affleck and has a very cute daughter!

14. Magazine: Ladie's Home Journal?

15. U.S. City: The only thing that comes to mind now is Johnson City, TN. I suspect that as soon as I publish this, I'll think of some better known ones.

7. Fruit: Juniper berries? Can you eat those? No? How about a jar of juicy jelly or jam in a good fruit flavor?

18. Reason for Being Late To Work: Juggling? Jabbering? Jail? Joints?

I often juggle many tasks, I jabber all the time, but I've never been in jail.....LOL. My joints sometimes don't cooperate with me. Ha! Maybe I'm referring to juke joints......roadhouses or dance halls. None of them has detained me lately.....LOL.

19. Something You Throw Away: Junk......there's that word again. Seems I accumulate a lot of it here.

20. Things You Shout? Jumping Jehosephat!! To be honest, I have never shouted this, but I know of some who have.

21. Cartoon Character: Jerry of Tom and Jerry, one of my favorite cartoons from many moons ago.

I am taking the liberty of adding another category = What you'd like to be. My answer is juvenescent, which means to grow young again (but not too young.....LOL)

A Great Story!

I just found a great story over at Granny Annie's. Go and read it and then come back here for another one. I'll wait. Go on.....

Back in the 70's, my son had a basketball goal on the driveway of our former house. There were often a group of boys from the neighborhood in residence and most were well behaved as they shot baskets and played horse. There was one who didn't always act in a good way, and his fun was achieved by sarcasm and trash-talking my boy, who was at least 6 years younger. I stood inside the house, watching and listening one day. I happened to pass in earshot and didn't like what I was hearing. When the mean, nasty, degrading talk became more than I could take, I went out and told the kid to go home if he couldn't treat my boy and my yard with respect.

He started to leave, tossed the ball over his shoulder and turned, saying..."Kiss my ass." From somewhere deep down inside, a memory of an insult I had learned 20 years earlier, I replied....."It looks too much like your face."

For several days, I berated myself for talking in a manner that was actually down on his level, and for saying in front of my boy, who was about 8-9 at the time. Finally, I sat my boy down and apologized for getting involved, and for what I had said.

Know what he told me? That the kid had a great deal of respect for me now that I had answered him in kind - and he probably would not be bothering my boy again. And he didn't.

At Church on Sunday....

the youth minister gave the sermon, during which he read a letter that a high school senior wrote as part of his application to NYU. I wish I could quote the letter verbatim, but it was too long. The one part I do remember, which gave all of us quite a good laugh is:

" Years ago I discovered the meaning of life.........and forgot to write it down."

The funniest part to me was that the person who said this was only 18 at the time. Such is the problem with all sorts of ideas. We go about our daily activities; running errands, working, driving here and there....while all sorts of wonderful ideas (or weird ones, or fantasies) run through our minds, and we don't make a note of them. In some instances, I'm sure that's a very good thing! But remember, you might just be discovering the secret to life and don't realize it - so write down your ideas. At the very least, you'll have blog fodder. And who knows - maybe someday you'll solve all the world's problems.

I'm happy that I wrote down that quote!