400!

This is my 400th post. When I started this blog in the fall of 2008, I could never have predicted keeping up with it for this long. I spent a good portion of my life writing in journals, and keeping everything very private... then for the past several years that kind of writing started to cease. But I discovered a different avenue for my writing, and so much more, in this thing called blogging. I didn't have anyone following me for the longest time, and then slowly, my following built up, and in indeed I follow a lot of blogs myself. It is a great enjoyment for me to go perusing the blogs.


I want to thank all of you who follow me, and those of you who visit regularly, and leave me comments. It means the world to me.

I look forward to another 400 to come.

on following

I have a lot of followers, and I have never heard from the greater majority of them.  I do have a generous amount of blog followers who actually follow me, and let me know by commenting, and I'm really thankful for those of you who do that.  You know who you are.
I wonder about these quiet "followers", though.  Are they just following so their picture shows up on my blog, in the hopes that others will click on it?  I know some followers are actually people who have something to sell... so I think that's their motive.
Today I actually got a comment from a new follower.  That was a nice for a change.
The numbers lie, I think.  Ain't that many people following me!  But the numbers look good.  Oooh, I'm popular.  Yea, right.

And then there are those people whose blogs you comment on repeatedly and they never respond back in kind.  Do you get that?  I mean a little hello once in a while wouldn't hurt.

So thankful for those of you who DO say hello.

(a camper's shrine.,circa 1986, taken with a Canon AE2 film camera, Kodak Color Film)

3 year blogaversary

This is my 3 year anniversary of blogging. I still can't believe I've done it this long, but I guess it is a mainstay in my life.

Also of note is that Logan will be 22 months old tomorrow. He is just eatable, he's so cute. He's starting to say lots of things. He loves buses, cars, dinosaurs and teddy bears. Here are some pics of him, mostly taken by his mommy, Melissa, on her cell phone.

(Logan and Mommy)

(Logan in mommy's running shoes)

(Yum!)

friday afternoon

I have finally finished writing my novel! It is over 500 pages printed out, and I feel a definite loss now that it is written. Of course, that was only the first draft, and there's lots of work to be done on it now. But I wrote "The End", and I'm glad for that. I can't believe I wrote that many pages, and I'm proud of myself. Granted, I don't think it is the best of novels by a long shot, but I did it, and that's what matters.

Today I deleted about a dozen blogs that I was following. People who have apparently stopped blogging...mostly those who haven't made an entry in three months or more. Except for a friend who doesn't get a chance to blog with her busy life, and hasn't blogged in a long while. I follow around 46 blogs now, and most are fairly consistent with their blogging, and I keep up with all of them. There are quite a few bloggers who never respond to my comments by making a comment on my blog, and that can be a little annoying. You would think if you put out the effort to comment, that they could at least say a little something. I don't get that, but still I follow their blogs and continue commenting.

Today I printed out a picture I had scanned of me and my mom when I was 5 years old (she was 32)... I made a birthday card for her, which is August 24th; she'll be 84. The writing on the card isn't so great, but I know she will love it because I made it. I will write LOTS of words on the inside, because I know how much that means to her.

melting in the city

It was blazing hot and humid yesterday, reaching about 95F, with a heat index of 102. The air quality was poor, and I could feel that in my lungs, making it harder to breath. The ac was working all day in the bedroom, so I holed myself up in there. Come evening the compressor wouldn't kick in again, so I was without air. Came into the living room here at about 4:30 am when I couldn't take the heat in the bedroom any longer. It was a little fresher in here, the morning air at about 72, and there was a coolness to it.


I only like hot weather when I am up in the country, surrounded by trees, and preferably by a wide running stream. But in the city, as you know, I can't stand it.

I am having a lot of trouble leaving comments for certain bloggers. I know Blogger is to blame, but it is making me very annoyed now. There have been quite a few of you who I've wanted to leave comments for, but it was impossible.

5pm now, and 85 degrees with high humidity. Would be nice if a thunderstorm passed through, but there's only a slight chance of that. Perhaps I should bang my drum to beckon the Thunderbeings.

Blogger being a bitch

Just a note to say that if you don't see your comments (or at least 4 from the previous post), it's because Blogger is screwing up.  I appreciate your comments, and publish all of them, of course.  I hate to lose any.  I hope that Blogger can restore them.  Reminds me of the transient nature of the blog itself.  No doubt it could be gone tomorrow, and wouldn't that be a bummer?  Hopefully, they won't let that happen.

two years blogging

Earlier this month... the 8th, to be exact... was my two year anniversary of blogging. Seems I skipped right over it, but at least I remembered in the same month.


I am still enjoying my blogging ventures. I still keep up with reading other bloggers I follow ( and I follow a lot), and try to leave comments more often than not.

I know I started blogger without a digital camera, and it was a while before I got one from a friend... a 1.3mp camera, and I was delighted to have it. I have certainly upgraded since then, first going to a Canon Power Shot A1000 IS, and now using a Nikon 3000 DSLR. Each camera I cherished while it was in my hands, even the 1 mp one. A camera records, with amazing precision, that which we can and cannot see. And then there it is in the photograph.

Tomorrow I think we (the photo group) will go on a short photo walk. Too bad we don't have much time for the group (just one hour). There are sure to be a few shots to share, however mundane.

I look forward to entering my third year of blogging with you.

Barbara  

meandering last night

I get out of bed after having slept a couple of hours, then sit here at the computer, perusing links and reading blogs. A lot of what I read has to do with opening to new creative inspiration ... people discovering a new writing style, or a sudden yearning to draw or paint. It also has to do with opening to new psychological and philosophical insights.. wanting to learn of different spiritual paths, and delving into holism, embracing the Goddess, or Buddha, or Jesus. Many different people with myriad things bringing them forth into their lives. Then there are some elders, who've walked the path of the creative or the spiritual, and offer teachings, in their own ways, or show the results of their own learnings, through words or pictures or songs, or other forms of the creative. What a varied, yet often the same, tapestry.

It's nearly 4am. I pull up my blog on a separate window, so I can listen the music as I write. It soothes me.(Yet I've decided to remove the music, because it's getting rather repetitive, and I can 't figure out how to change/add songs!) The radiator is hissing. Not the best sound, but at least there's heat coming up. It's 16°F/-8°C; pretty cold for these parts, I'd say, but probably not for some of you Canadians out (up) there.



Time to try sleeping.

to blog or not to blog

I read fellow writers who actually write, and leave me in the dust with my empty palette of verbiage. I am caught in the knot of words bulging from the stumps of trees. Impressed by haiku, but counting syllables just to make sure. This is old territory; the stomping ground of linguists, where bone is bleach white or decorated with brilliant gemstones. I have moved my table to the other side of the room. I watch now, constant observer of the new twist on the old tongue. "I grow old, I grow old..." I want to mold things with my hands, and keep my mind blank as slate... what I have to say is erasable; a babble-icious destructable, verging on "delete this blog" at a moment's notice.

whatever gets you through the night

In the dark of morning I wake again. I don't mind it much. I slept a few hours, and it's still what I consider late night, not early morning. Like it matters.
I need to do housekeeping, but that's not something you start doing at two in the morning.... of course, you could... but I'm not!

I go to my Blogger dashboard to check for updated blogs... always good to read what people are up to, and often, what they are making/photographing/drawing, etc.,.
It's funny how you end up moving into a community of bloggers, recognizing "followers" in many different places.
"My" community consists of lots of creative people; art-makers, craftspeople, photographers, writers. It's quite a bunch of creativity!

Dear Yoon See dedicated a post to me yesterday because I had recently reached my 100th post mark. A creative soul, with a heart as big as the sky. She expresses herself in a way that embodies life and great joy. How fine to be able to communicate with someone like this who is so far away (she is from Malaysia!)

Seems there is always someone awake somewhere.... someone writing, someone reading. I like it.

blogs and a camera

I have about 35 blogs that I'm following at the moment. When I first started blogging, I'd never have thought it would be possible to follow so many, but it is. I am thankful to the people who don't blog every day... if there were that many updates in one day, I'd never get around to reading everything, and I do like to read each blog update. I am getting to know so many different people, and I see these familiar faces in my own comment section and in the sections of many other bloggers. There are groups of us who all follow each other, and it's very cool.

This seems to be the new way to meet people on the internet. I've had meetings in groups and forums over the years, but now I seem to meet most new people via this method. It's also been great to read the blogs of those people I've known for many more years, away from "bloglandia" (I'm not too fond of that title, but I know people use it). Its given me a chance to look more deeply into their lives, as well as their creative pursuits.



I miss reading people who have not updated in a while. I wonder where they are and what they are up to.... Update your blog, so I have something to read!

**********

Oh, my camera arrived. Yay! It comes with a 150 page user handbook, God help me. It will take some time before I learn how to use its many functions. I especially look forward to shooting in black and white. It's a bit overwhelming what these digital cameras can do. I am so old-school, versed in the simple functions of speed, f-stops and film. This is a whole nother smoke. You can bet I'll be keeping it on "auto" for a while.

I wanted to post a pic of the latest art doll I'm making, but I completely forgot that I'm making her for a challenge in one of my Yahoo groups, and we're not supposed to post any pics until after it's over. I don't even know if I'll have it done in time for that, or even if I'll be entering the challenge. But for now I won't post her, just in case.

lé blog

My attention span is short. I realize this (again) when I am reading another person's blog. Some entries seem to go on forever, and they don't always take me along with them. We are all guilty of this, sooner or later, I would think. But I like blog entries that keep me hungry for a little bit more... The eloquent discriptions of people or place, the photographs of works in progress and works completed... The simple passings of the day.
My attention to my own writings is quite evident to me. Words and passages seem constricted, and often unable to flow. This happens. Sometimes there's lots of crap to get out before I really get into it. Sometimes I just don't.

............

I remember reading, some time ago, about the quandary of whether or not to make comments on one's blog, in response to a reader's comments. I'm not sure what is the right ettiquette here. I go through phases of responding to comments, and/or visiting the person on their blog, and commenting there. Do people return to see if I commented on their comment? Do you? I do sometimes, myself.
...................


I look at the statistics for my blog, and delight in seeing people visit from all over the globe. Sometimes I recognize the place, and have a good idea of just who may be visiting from there. Most times, it is a bunch of people from places unknown to me. Sometimes people find my blog through a link from someone else's blog, or from a link I leave after my name in online group emails. Sometimes people are doing a Google search for certain words, and they choose to check it. It's fun to see where people come from, and sometimes you get repeated visits from some unknown person.... like a visitor I have from Mountain View, California. This person has, every now and then, checked out my blog since I first started it. I always wonder about that person in Mountain View.

It amazes me how people live their everyday lives, and then manage to blog and create so many wonderful things. I wonder if one certain blogger that I frequent ever goes to sleep? How do people maintain more than one blog.... and not just 2, but 3, 4; even 7! Some people need mansions for their words/pictures, I suppose. For now, at least, I am satisfied with my one room, my one simple blog.