I’ve got a little secret
That I need to share with you
I’ve decided to quit blogging
As I have too much to do
My work is getting busy
And I have no time to post
My friendly ‘blogging buddies’
Are what I’ll miss the most
I love the whole community
And the blogosphere is so cool
I wasn’t really serious
It was just an April Fool!
I don’t think I am going to mess with my blog anymore now as it is pretty much as I want it to be. However, for the Blogging 101 task today I am to extend my ‘brand’ (it seems weird that I am a brand) with a custom widget, blavatar or fan page. Actually I have the blavatar and fan page, and 2 out of 3 Ain’t Bad (I think I have heard that somewhere before)! If you did want to see my Facebook page it is here.
My poor little blog has been primped, pruned and preened for all it is worth and I think I will just let it be for a while. After all my technical knowledge is pretty rubbish anyway (I have just had to e-mail Miss Hap’s school for instructions on how to open an encrypted e-mail from them. I could manage to get the password clue they gave me but still couldn’t open it! I was rather humiliated to get the step-by-step, dunce proof instructions by the very patient IT person by return.
So there you have my little blog, not too fancy, a little bit dodgy in places, and possibly rough around the edges, but it’s mine and I am proud of my ‘brand’.
As I may have mentioned, I love words. Well today’s Blogging 101 challenge is to ‘find an event from the listings and participate in the next round.’ I had a good look through all those events I can tell you, and as soon as I came across the Word For Wednesday event I knew that this was the one for me!
My word of the day has got to be ‘gobbledegook’! It’s great isn’t it? All those gs and os. A very round, voluptuous word in my opinion, a bit like me actually!
The definition of gobbledegook is ‘pretentious or unintelligible jargon, such as used by officials.’ Hmmmm not very exciting but it sounds great when enunciated.
This word is now becoming obsolete as it is deemed to be ‘old-fashioned’. However, I too am old-fashioned and I think this word deserves to get a bit more usage!
What say you?
For today’s Blogging 101 task, I have to publish a post on my own, personalized take on a prompt. The prompt of the day was places. We can interpret this prompt however we like to make it fit in with our blogs, so this is my take on places…..
My favourite place is Weymouth in Dorset which is depicted in my picture. I have many reasons to love this place. My Mum and Dad were both born here for a start. In fact they lived next door to each other right up until when they married in 1954. A few of my siblings were also born here, and my eldest brother still lives in the area.
I have very fond memories of this lovely little town, mostly made when I was a child. We always spent a lot of time at the beach as children, and I remember the fun we used to have building sand castles, collecting shells and catching crab. There was always something to do.
On the beach itself there was (and still is) a Punch and Judy show that all the kids used to watch huddled in a semi-circle and interacting with the puppets! There are lots of pretty, brightly coloured beach huts there too. At one end of the sands there are permanent trampolines there as well as some swing boats and a couple of small rides. This used to keep us amused when we had a bit of extra cash.
Another feature was the ‘Sandman’. He (and now his sons) have a little area cordoned off where he would cleverly sculpt all sorts of scenes out of just sand and water. It was amazing to see them develop and try to guess what they would become. In the middle he had a large container where you could throw coins and if it went in, then a bell would ring.
One feature I always spent a lot of time at was the ‘lost children’s hut.’ I don’t know how I did it, but I always got separated from my siblings and spent half an hour playing with the toys there until someone realised I was missing and came to claim me!
Unfortunately Mum and Dad divorced when I was 6 years old, but Dad stayed in Weymouth and it was still a large part of my life. My younger sister and I would very often get the coach down and spend a week with Dad and, in time, my step-mum. The beach was still a main feature as my dad swam everyday in the sea whatever the weather!
Years later when we all have our own families, and still we went to stay in Weymouth. Sometimes Mum came and we all stayed in a caravan park just outside of the town. When my eldest brother married in the church there we all came down to stay for a while and had a great time.
Myself and my two sisters and niece went off for a holiday before my daughter was born, and had a wonderful time. The weather was vile but of course, but we were not deterred and swam anyway. Us Brits are pretty hardy you know!
Sadly, the last time I went to Weymouth was for my beloved Dad’s funeral. He was very religious man and the church was packed. After living 82 years there, he was quite well-known. I always wanted to move to Weymouth myself, but that day after we drove past the harbour where my dad used to take us on Sunday mornings for a very early walk, I decided that it would never be the same.
Maybe one day I will be able to go back…..
Well today is all about me! As if you haven’t had enough of me already, my task for Blogging 101 today is to have an ‘irresistible About Me page.’ Hmmm, i have already messed about with my ‘About Me’ page, having updated it several times. I think for now I might just leave it alone. However, if I get a load of feedback telling me that it is rubbish then I will try to tweak it a bit. I know it is all about selling ourselves but I am very aware that ‘you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!’
I think my ‘About Me’ page pretty much sums me up. I am someone who feels that we all need a bi of laughter in our lives. It can get pretty tough sometimes, pressures put upon us, high expectations that might be difficult to live up to, plus the normal ups and downs of everyday life. We just need to take a step back, sometimes and try to see the funny side of things.
That doesn’t mean bursting out laughing at inopportune moments (not recommended, I have been on the end of may a dirty look for this crime), no, it just means reflecting back on a situation, and instead of cringing at some stupid thing you said or did, just laugh about it. After all, there is nothing you can do about it, so instead of stewing on it, make fun of it, or yourself!
I am not one to want to draw attention to myself, but being the way I am it happens. I have been at work walking back to my ward after coming out of the loos only to be told,
“You’ve got your dress tucked into your knickers!” Nice! Cringe, red face, look around to see who saw, frantically try to remember what knickers I have on and have been showing to all and sundry, are they decent ones? (chances are they will be ”work’ ones)! Why do people have to shout these kind of things out after you thereby alerting everyone to your plight? Honestly!
So, I have decided that laughing about things really is the best way to deal with it, None of us are perfect, some of us are less so,especially me, BUT I do have one saving grace. I love words and telling little anecdotes and stories. what a perfect combination. I can and do write about all my little ‘episodes’ in my blog. Sometimes I even drag my family into it. (Mostly with their permission)!
Today’s Blogging 101 task is to try out a couple of new themes, even one that you have no intention of keeping. I am not actually going to participate in this one because I played around with my theme recently and I kind of like how it looks at the moment!
I like things that are either really simple, or extremely loud and snazzy! Two completely opposite extremes. I am not a very arty or creative person (except maybe with words), so have to make do with the bog standard version of the theme,
My blog is pretty uncomplicated anyway, It usually follows the same kind of format, of writing an essay style piece about something, and posting a (hopefully) relevant picture to illustrate my point.
I tend to stick to what I know how to do, which isn’t a lot! I have worked out how to add videos which is great as I wanted to read some of my poems out and I have found this easier than I expected once I got the hang of it.
I love widgets, and have found the theme I use (Sela) is pretty generous with them so that enables me to put in my favourite blogs and blogging community. I can also put badges on there such as the one for Blogging 101!
I am on the lookout still for a lovely, loud and colourful theme, that is good for mostly text and the odd picture or video. If anyone knows of one that I have missed then I would love to hear about it!
I decided that I would participate in Blogging 101 this month as I am still rough around the edges when it comes to blogging! I wanted to learn more so here I am on day one. The task for today is to introduce myself and tell everyone why I am here. so here goes!
To start with, my name is not actually Edwina. It is my middle name, and I originally used it because I wanted to remain anonymous. I don’t mind being called Edwina at all though, as it is much prettier than my actual name of Judy! As I have plastered my blog all over my Facebook account now, and am no longer anonymous, it doesn’t matter which of the two names you want to call me.
My blog is all about trying to see the funnier side of life. I don’t think we have enough laughter in our lives. There is all the hustle and bustle, and stresses of everyday life that wind us up and stress us out, and I just want to try to put a smile in there somewhere to break it up a bit!
The fact that I suffer from anxiety can sometimes make it a bit tricky to try to think of something funny, but at the same time, I have found blogging does help me with my own issues, it is very cathartic.
Anyway, I like writing about the mundane (the everyday situations we all find ourselves in); the silly (I do love a bit of silliness! I am always showing myself up by doing the wrong thing, or putting my foot it); the wacky (occasionally, I read a news story that is really strange or weird) or just the bloody ridiculous! (Anything and everything else).Sometimes I even like to write a little rhyme or poem, just to add a bit of variety.
I like to put my own take on things, and although my personal stories and experiences are all true, I have written them from the humorous angle, preferring to see the funny side of a situation. The point of this is to make the reader (hopefully) smile, or if I am really lucky, chuckle. I would love it if I could get a guffaw, bellow or roar of laughter, but this blog is still young!
One last point. I do love to hear from people. I am lucky that I do have people who comment on my blog. I love to interact with people and hear their stories and experiences as well, especially the funny ones. Or just pop in to say hello.
As the great Charlie Chaplin once said, ‘A day without laughter is a day wasted’
Being pretty much a ‘newbie’ blogger, I am still trying to find my ‘niche’ and have decided that I haven’t got one. I don’t fit into any category really (story of my life)! In fact, i would even go as far to say that my poor little blog is the antithesis of most of the ones I read and enjoy, and here’s why…..
Travel blogs:
Now I love to read these, marvel at the beautiful places that people go to, and the wonderful things they have seen. However. you will not get me on a plane (unless I am knocked out), I get terribly seasick, and am a dreadful back-seat driver (as well as hating driving myself)! Oh and I get travel sick on coaches as well. The last time I travelled on a coach,it was about a 4 hour journey. Unfortunately I threw up all over the place in the small toilet, just as we arrived at the destination, which did not impress the driver one bit! I like trains though.
Cookery Blogs:
Oooh, I love looking at the mouth-watering dishes that some people have made, and beautifully presented on their blogs, complete with instructions on how to do it, Although I might have a go at some of these myself, I could never actually produce a blog that focuses on showing others how I made it. Oh no! I would have to clean up the mess first before I took any pictures, plus it would probably take me countless attempts to get it right, and actually resemble something that was edible. I can cook the basic stuff (apart from boiled rice), but only for my family to enjoy (I use that term very loosely).
Fashion and Beauty Blogs:
I do subscribe to a few of these types of blogs because I like pretty things, and am always looking for ways (miracles) to make myself look better. Maybe it might be a flawless foundation, or a figure-shaping (would have to be robustly re-inforced to deal with mine) dress. I love pretty hair styles and have long hair, as does my daughter, perfect for some of these beautiful braids that I have seen. Problem is I can ‘t do them. Not even after watching tutorials. Several times. That type of blog is best left to the experts to write.
Parenting Blogs:
These are the type of blogs I would go to for advice, seeing as my style of parenting is a bit wide of the mark at times.I only have one little girl, and I have been told by her that I ‘baby’ her too much. I admire those Mum’s that stay home with their kids, teach them all sorts of wonderful things, crafts, baking, life skills etc. They do a bloody good job, which is very hard work; I could not write one of these blogs, as my advice would be rubbish! I got ‘the look’ yesterday from my daughter when her friend called round to leave for school together. Before I even thought about it I said. “Why aren’t you wearing your tight-ies, its cold out and your legs will get freezing. Ooops. That went down like a lead balloon. Everything for me seems to have got an ‘ies’ on the end of it. Sockies, leggies, and so on, She hates it.
Craft Blogs.
I only wish i could do one of these blogs, I love crafts but am just not that good at them! It doesn’t stop me from trying though, and I have shown off a couple of things that I have made, here on my blog. The thing is, they probably don’t quite resemble the finished article that I got the pattern for. I tend to have to make a few alterations here and there where I have cocked something up and either left it, or tried to disguise it, I don’t think people would appreciate my style of crafting, which involves a lot of swearing, unpicking and re-doing, then finally a bit of botching!
So there you have it, I pretty much a square peg, in a world full of round holes! Bet you weren’t surprised though!
I would like to thank Tonya, who writes Fourth Generation Farmgirl for nominating me for the Harmony and Peace award. I am very flattered to be considered,and thrilled to accept.
This is a relatively new award created by the Idealistic Rebel
~IN HER OWN WORDS~
“I created this new award to celebrate all those who promote Harmony & Peace, and who add Love & Beauty to the world through their Blogs and through their lives. Their Positivity makes the world a better place for all of us.”
~The Rules~
These are the blogs that have made an impact in my world:
A diary of the second half of life. A life that includes parenting, depression, love, humour, faith, and grace. Not necessarily in that order. This lovely lady is also very creative, crafty, intelligent and wise.
Wendy of the Rock…’Coz No woman’s an Island
This blog is very funny,and honest, and one that I enjoy immensly
This lady has a very similar sense of humour to me, and I love the way she can laugh at herself!
A realistic approach to an optimistic life. This was one of the first blogs that I followed. I love the way she writes, and her clever use of language. She is a lovely person, whose posts are always a pleasure to read.
Moco-Choco is a blog about pretty, rare and unusual things! This blog has loads of beautiful and interesting things to look at, which brings a smile to your face.
I like this blog because it very often incorporates a song that reinforces a message. It can make you laugh and cry, but it is always heartfelt and honest.
pull up and listen…I’ve got a funny one for ya…I have to include this blog even though it is already very popular. It is so funny, original and downright silly!
Having fun blogging with friends
Lifestyle blog featuring the fabulous North East and beyond
Sharing my thoughts, poems, travel & art
Apps for any screen
Just your average PhD student using the internet to enhance their CV
Life in words
Exploring writing and the creative randomness of life. Snapshots of moments.
Aakashsoyanthone
...with a twist.
by Sam Allen
The jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard
Diary of a Dublin Housewife
Capturing Essence: Intuitive Watercolors, Fine Art, Illustrations, and Reiki-Infused Creations
Rants, humor, sarcasm, and a haiku-like substance? It's hard to know what's going to come out of our minds next.
Promoting a Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit
Photography, Birds and Travel
An onion has many layers. So have I!
Rants, Ramblings, and Regrets
A family from Michigan living abroad in Germany.
Rhyme and No Reason! 
Episode 215: Chatting With The Neighbours.
Further to yesterday’s post on commenting on neighbour’s posts, today’s Blogging 101 task is to expand on it a little. We can either write a post that is inspired by the one we commented on, or we can explain why we commented on one of the posts. I am going to do a bit of both!
The blog that I will expand on from yesterday is Crickets Are Ok. The name itself made me curious as to what the blog would be like, so I had to go and see what it was about! I read a crazy post entitled ‘Hey, how are you?’ which really made me laugh.
I totally got this post! The seeing someone you haven’t seen for ages, asking them ‘how are you?2, then after you have exchanged greetings being at a loss as to what to say next! That has happened to me so many times. I am not the most socially proficient person at the best of times, In fact if there were a course entitled ‘The Art Of Smalltalk 101’ my name would be first on the list!
Thanks God for Blogging 101 is all I can say. At least no-one gets the awkward gaps in conversation,the stumbling over words, or the constant butting in and talking 10 to the dozen because I have finally felt confident enough to talk. That is why I love blogging so much. It is almost as if I have found my voice, and not only that, people are listening and even commenting!
I looked at Krissy’s ‘about me’ page and noted that she too suffered with depression, something else we had in common. I then read another of her posts where she detailed what it felt like when she was in the throes of depression which really resonated with me. It is not an easy subject to talk about, but Krissy has managed to convey what it is like extremely well.
Anyway, the main reason I loved this blog and am now following it, is because of Krissy’s sense of humour. She too likes to try and laugh things off and see the funny side of things. It is her way of dealing with the challenges she has been given in life, and I admire her greatly for it.
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