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 was thrilled with the success of the first Free-for-all Friday. It was wonderful that so many of you participated, either by sharing links to blogs that you have enjoyed over the last week, or by reading the blogs that myself and others had recommended. I know some of you even gained some more followers which is bloody fantastic!
This week I have also got a collection of corkers for you from various blogs that have caught my eye. Please go and visit them, they are worth it, Also if you have read something that you have enjoyed, then feel free to share it in the comments.
The Hummingbird Redemption This particular post I chose of hers was pretty poignant really. Rafaela reiterates that not every picture does tell a story, or at least not the one we were expecting it to be. I realised after reading this how easy it is, to get the wrong impression.
Behind The White Coat. I have been following this blog for a while now. Not only does she use some spectacular photos (all her own) but she writes some truly inspirational posts. Bring a doctor, she has many interesting tales to tell, funny, moving and in some cases heart-breaking. This one, made me laugh!
Dorkchops (That has got to be the best blog name ever)! We all need a helping hand sometimes in this crazy world of blogging, I know I do, That is why I chose this post. Very helpful, clear, concise and also very nice layout! I learned a few tips here as well. Her writing style is fun and open. Well worth checking this out.
Year of Awesome You This post really tickled me due to the sheer silliness of it. I have only recently encountered this blog, so was curious to find out more. She is one funny lady, and you really should check out her back story, as I roared with laughter when I did (plus I could identify with it as well).
My Grandfather Was An Undertaker As you know, I love a poem, and I am a bit of an old romantic too. Daleen has written a beautiful poem here as a tribute to her husband, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Travelling Banana This post was a really funny, but extremely silly joke. I loved the way she told it, and I groaned at the punch-line, but it really made me laugh. To get your giggle for the day, head on over to visit.
Fourth Generation Farm Girl Tonya has a really wonderful blog. I love her attention to detail with her recipes, her immaculate presentation in her photographs, her inspirational stories and her passion for her farm.
Nutsrok Linda is one of the funniest bloggers I have had the pleasure of reading. She has got a crazy family, and a host of hilarious stories to keep you entertained. I loved this one.
I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did, Have a lovely Friday.
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!
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.
Since I have been blogging, I’ve been lucky enough to have been nominated for various awards. I know that bloggers have differing views on whether or not they want to participate in these. I chose to accept the awards in the spirit they were given, and pass them on to others accordingly.
However, I have decided against accepting any more of these. I truly appreciate getting these awards, and am humbled that people have liked my blog enough to have nominated me for these awards. I would like to do something else instead perhaps.
Everyone appreciate more followers, and there are a few bloggers such as Opinionated Man at HarsH ReaLiTy, (he does loads for bloggers, Meet and Greets, inviting people to Guest Post, amongst other things), Linda from LindaGHill (with her ‘One-Liner Wednesdays’ as well as other blogging prompts and challenges) A Mommasview (she has her ‘picks of the week’. Blog posts that have caught her attention which she lists on a Saturday) and Austin from The Return Of The Modern Philosopher (He recently had a ‘Blog pitch party’ encouraging people to visit each other’s blogs).
Anyway, I know I only have a little blog, but I want to give something back, so I thought I might have a ‘Friday-Free-For-All’ where I can share some posts that I have enjoyed. It never hurts to have a bit of support.
What do you think?
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
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?
There’s something that I am quite proud of
Although it is not pleasant to boast
Even though it’s been only six months now
I have written my 200th post!
Some of them have been rather silly
Others have turned out quite sad
One of two have ended up funny
But most are stark raving mad!
At times I like to throw in a poem
Oh how I love a good rhyme
The problem is now I’m addicted
Blogging takes up all my time!
I blog when I get chance to
After finishing work for the day
I read other blogs in the meantime
To see what they have to say
I can’t stop this mad blogging habit
I’m finding it is rather fun
Oh hang on, I think I have new post now
Yep, that’s made it 201!
Todays’ Blogging 101 assignment is to publish a post you’d like your ideal audience member to read, and include a new-to-you element in it.
Hmmm, this is a bit tricky as I don’t have a specific audience member in mind. I am just bloody grateful I have an audience at all really! So for the purpose of today’s task, I am going to base my ideal audience member on someone like me. An ordinary person who blunders their way through life leaving a trial of havoc in their wake! Yes, someone who can bang into, trip over or knock down anything and everything! A klutz of the highest order.
This person actually loves interacting with other people, and actually once they get to know you, will appear to be quite outgoing and confident. On first meeting them though they will appear shy and awkward. They will smile nervously but not contribute much to the conversation unless asked directly to do so. Then they will stumble over their words and blush a lot!
This person loves to see the funny side of things. They have a wicked sense of humour, and a very dirty laugh. They can make something out of nothing and the double entendre is their best friend. Bursting into inappropriate laughter at times such as when they were asked to go and find a ‘scrotal sling’ for an unfortunate patient is second nature to them. When something tickles them, they are no longer shy, and usually succumb to the odd snort of laughter, hurriedly disguised as a cough!
This person would love the sillier things in life. The more ridiculous the better, and they will suddenly chuckle to themselves when it comes to their mind. They also love to tell others about it so they can share the laughter.
Well there you have it. This was by no means intended to be an egotistical post. I just thought that the type of person who would enjoy my blog would have some similarities to me!
I have included a clip of one of my favourite characters, Sir Lancelot Spratt, played by the superb James Robertson Justice. I know it is dated a bit now, but I just love his accent, the way he shouts at everyone terrifying them. Plus it is set in a hospital, which is right up my street anyway!
Enjoy!
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Free-For-All Friday!! #1
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.
Please share if you enjoyed this post :-)