2015-03-22T09:47:43+00:00

Episode 239: Making a Date…

March 22, 2015/Judy E Martin/13 Comments

For the very last Bogging 101 post, our task is to ‘set ourselves up for continuing success’ by working on an editorial calendar, letting our readers knows when they can expect us to post. Then we are to visit five other blogs and congratulate them!
The last part of that is pretty easy as I am always visiting other bloggers, and they have plenty for me to congratulate them about.The difficult part for me due to my technical ineptitude is creating a calendar…

Suffice it to say, I have now got a calendar, and I have even added some events to it. The tricky part is trying to sync it (or whatever it is you have to do) to my blog! I have created a page for it which I will publish tomorrow probably.

What you can expect from me? Well this is a tricky one. Apart from the new Free-For-All Friday feature I created in order to share other brilliant posts that I love, and an upcoming challenge I am going to be taking part in soon (I will reveal more about that tomorrow. See I have learned how to schedule a post at least) I do not have a set timetable of what I post.

You can expect to see at least one daily post from me, and possibly more. It all depends on what mood I am in; what I have seen that has tickled my fancy, or whether or not something has happened that I want to write about. I do not plan what I am going to post at all really. The one thing I do hope though is that whatever I do post can make you laugh, or at least smile. That part is in the rules 🙂

Episode 237: Bye-Bye To Blogging 101!

March 21, 2015/Judy E Martin/18 Comments

How quickly the last three weeks have gone by. I decided to have a go at Blogging 101 as there were still quite a few things that I didn’t really understand with regards to all things blogging related.

I am so pleased that I went for it in the end. Not just to fine tune some little cosmetic details that needed a bit of tweaking, but also to get the chance to interact with other bloggers that I hadn’t ‘met’ before. We had a pretty good class, and there were so many helpful people who offered good advice and support a-plenty.

I have had fun doing a couple of things that are a bit different for me, and I believe I even helped a fellow blogger who learned how to do something new through my Blogging 101 post (that’s what it’s all about, sharing)!

Anyway, we have got one last suggestion for a post for tomorrow then that is it. I shall miss it actually, but at least I will be staying in touch with some of my classmates which is an added bonus!

Episode 231: No Brand New Blog For Me!

March 19, 2015/Judy E Martin/19 Comments

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’.

Episode 228: Word For Wednesday

March 18, 2015/Judy E Martin/23 Comments

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?

Episode 226: Choppy Seas And A Chilly Breeze!

March 17, 2015/Judy E Martin/8 Comments

I like the concept of today’s Blogging 101 task. Yesterday we used a prompt which we had to interpret to fit into our blog’ today we have to read six other blogs that used the same prompt and comment on at least two of them. I have actually commented on more than that as there were some great takes on it.

If we felt like posting today (which I always do, then we could use one of the comments we left, expand on that and use the inspiration for the post. I love the beach in all weathers and I enjoyed the pictures that donegallizdoyle used in her post entitled ‘Wild Winter Beach’. I love the drama of the sea throughout the year and here are my thoughts on Portland and Chesil Beach, which unsurprisingly are only about five miles from Weymouth in Dorset, which I wrote about yesterday.

As well as spending a lot of time on the beach at Weymouth, Dad used to take us to Portland. I loved it there as well. The weather always seemed to be rather brisk, and very windy, and the sea is extremely hazardous. Not only are there many lost vessels lurking under the turbulent sea, but Portland Bill itself boasts not one, but three lighthouses!

Pulpit Rock – Portland. Photo by Kris Dutson

As kids we all used to love clambering over the giant rocks in Portland that came out of the sea. My brothers however would always climb to the top of Pulpit Rock (much to my terror as I hate heights and was terrified they would fall into the crashing waves below) Dad was not averse to clambering up the rock himself, but mostly he would be holding mine and my little sister’s hands, guiding us onto the safest rocks.

Occasionally, we would go further along to Chesil beach which was too pebbly and wavy for my liking! My family are all very strong swimmers, and although I can swim, I am more of a chicken than them, and when they played ‘chicken’ in the waves, I was only about knee-deep because even there the waves could be quite high.

Portland is on the Jurassic coastline in the UK, so there were interesting fossils to discover, and in time a museum was opened in one of the lighthouses showcasing some wonderful findings from around the area.

Again, the last time I went to Portland was when my dad had just died. We had gone down to Dorset for the funeral, and I wanted to go to Portland one last time as a special tribute to my dad. The last time he was well, was the summer before (he died in the April) and we took him and my stepmum to Portland. Dad was in a wheelchair by then and we sat outside eating ice creams and looking out to see on a glorious day.

We then went to the museum where Dad was explaining to my daughter all about the history of Portland making it interesting for her. He was a very educated and knowledgeable man, and loved to make people laugh as well.

Anyway, myself, Mr Grump, my younger sister and her husband took a trip to Portland on this very wet and cold April day. It didn’t deter us as we had some nice warm jackets; We visited the places Dad loved so much.

He would have so loved to have been there with us!

Episode 224: Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

March 16, 2015/Judy E Martin/22 Comments

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…..

Free-For-All Friday!! #1

March 13, 2015/Judy E Martin/44 Comments

Welcome to my first Free-for-all Friday. Today is all about sharing each other’s work. I was partly inspired by Josh over at My Friday Blog who decided that he would rather not accept any more awards due to all the work involved. However, on the last award he did accept, he did a little added extra which is what I would like to incorporate into my free-for-all.

I will be sharing links of posts that I have enjoyed throughout the week, and would encourage you all to go and have a look yourselves. It may not be the type of blog that you would normally read, but it is so enriching to broaden the horizons, learn something new, or see something from a different perspective.

Below are some of the brilliant posts I have enjoyed this week, and I would love it if you could post a link in the comments to a post that has touched you in some way, be it funny, sad, enlightening, whatever, it doesn’t matter (this is where I nicked Josh’s idea). It’s just lovely to be able to share with each other something we enjoy.

Wendy Of The Rock. Now this post really made me laugh. It is something that most of us can identify with, Having kids that think we are a ‘fail’ when it comes to being a cool Mum! There is a bit of swearing in this, but it is well worth a read.

Fill Your Own Glass. This is a great post for looking on the positive side of life. You know how some of us tend to get bogged down with always being negative, well Karen has given us a great tip on how to start the day on a cheery note.

Emmanuel Muema. This post is a very erotic poem and Emmanuel is a very talented young man; I have read several of his poems, and enjoyed them all. However they are a bit ‘racy’ !

Inventing Real Life This post was Marti’s account of a terrible road accident that she had been involved in, which she recounts on the anniversary of the event. This really touched me in many ways.

My Friday Blog. This post by Josh is a post cancer bucket list. I have only recently started following Josh’s blog, but I love it. He is very direct and speaks his mind, He is also very funny (sometimes I don’t even think he realises it)!

My Spanglish Familia This post really made me roar my head off! I love La Sabrosona’s mad sense of humour! She is definitely a woman after my own heart. She likes a double entendre as much as I do, and a bit of smutty humour. This is great!

Beyond The Picket Fence This post was another inspirational one. It is about finally succeeding even though nobody thought that you would be able to do it. It just goes to show what self-belief and a positive attitude can achieve.

But I Smile Anyway… Ritu is a prolific blogger and is absolutely brilliant! She writes poems, anecdotes and everything else in between! This post is part of a ‘Flash Fiction Foray’ I thought it was a really great story and a very clever ending!

My OBT Donna always has such wonderful and different posts. I have not only screamed with laughter at some of the stuff she has on here, but have been educated as well. This particular post is so funny, it amazes me the things people will buy. Check this stuff out!

Joeyfully Stated. This post is really sweet, about the interaction of a dog and cat! Joey has a great blog. She says what she thinks, and I love her style of writing. She makes me laugh a lot too! Oh, she does use a bit of swearing at times as well, but do check her blog out!

So there you have some of my favourite posts this week. I know you are going to enjoy them, and please don’t forget to leave links in the comments to your own favourite post this week.

Episode 215: Chatting With The Neighbours.

March 12, 2015/Judy E Martin/10 Comments

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.

Episode 212: Love Thy Neighbours!

March 11, 2015/Judy E Martin/7 Comments

Blogging 101 task for today is to continue being neighbourly. We are to visit four new blogs and to leave a comment on there. This is something that I like to do pretty regularly anyway as there are so many wonderful blogs yet to be discovered! Here are the ones that I have been to visit today:

Walk A Mile In My Shoes. I went over here as Stacey had very kindly visited me. I think blogging is all about sharing the love, so I checked out her blog which is really great. She not only has great taste in shoes but is a very friendly and welcoming person,

Forbidden Books Club. The name of this blog intrigued me straight away. I think we are all a little curious to know about something that is ‘forbidden’. I really liked what I saw here. I love books and always have so I am thrilled to have found this.

Nique Fornever. This blog I happened across is about a young navy wife and stay at home mum, who has followed her heart (and her husband) to live in a different country. It is her thoughts and feelings, and I thought it was something different for me to enjoy.

Crickets are Ok. This blog is very funny from the bit I have seen of it so far. I love the style of writing as well as Krissy’s sense of humour.

Those are my four blogs that I have commented on today for the first time. They are all different but all very worthwhile checking out as they each have lots to offer

Episode 209: Het Up With Headers!

March 10, 2015/Judy E Martin/27 Comments

I am pretty dreadful at taking photos and even worse at trying to crop them or Photoshop them (that would be a wonderful skill to have, what fun it would be to erase wrinkles, shave off wobbly bits and generally ‘tart up’ my photo! Anyway, back to reality and todays Blogging 101 task…..

We should keep on personalizing our blog, and add a header or a widget. Now I have kind of worked out the widget thing, and have already got plenty of those. As for the header, I do know I need something there as it is a bit blank, but when I tried to put my pic in there it cropped my head off! Now I know, it is probably a damn sight better to look at, but I wanted my new text to show(Edwina’s Episodes, I know, you can’t knock my originality) and that was above my head!

Anyway, I have gone back to my original photo, with text as the logo as it was before. I would like to just put a pattern in as a header or something like that, but don’t understand how to!

Does anyone else know how to do that please?

Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

Tag: Blogging 101

Episode 239: Making a Date…

Episode 237: Bye-Bye To Blogging 101!

Episode 231: No Brand New Blog For Me!

Episode 228: Word For Wednesday

Episode 226: Choppy Seas And A Chilly Breeze!

Episode 224: Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

Episode 215: Chatting With The Neighbours.

Episode 212: Love Thy Neighbours!

Episode 209: Het Up With Headers!

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Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

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