For the past three years, May 1 has signified the beginning of the WordCount Blogathon, in which a large and diverse group of intrepid bloggers agrees, en masse, to post every single day for the month of May. I decided to participate in the Blogathon the first time on a whim. I was in my first months of blogging, and I thought it might give me a jumpstart. The second year, I participated with intent, having learned some key lessons about what it meant to commit to blog every day for a month (Plan Ahead!). Last year, my third year, I decided at the last minute, filled with just a bit of trepidation.
All three years I really enjoyed participating in the blogathon, even with the inevitable feeling of hopelessness at the beginning of week 3 (2 1/2 more weeks of this, really?) and the exhaustion at the end, and the feeling of just not having one more interesting thing to say. Not even one. Still, I enjoyed the camaraderie, the discovery of new blogs I enjoyed reading, the guest post swaps and occasional theme days (it had been decades since I'd written a haiku).
The one thing that the blogathon didn't help me with, though, was becoming a more regular blogger. The blogathon gave me the structure and discipline to blog every day for a month--but not to blog regularly throughout the year. Of course, the blogathon is not to blame for that--I am. But one of my original goals in participating was to get myself on a regular blogging schedule, and that never happened. I am as haphazard a blogger as I ever was, even more so now, given the nearly 6 month silence here.
So, as May arrives once again (How can it possibly be May already?), I've decided that there will be no May blogathon for me. That doesn't mean there won't be blogging, however. What I've decided to do is less ambitious but possibly more important to my future blogging life. This May, I'm going to do what I meant to do all along with the blog and blog not daily, but regularly, at least once a week. I'm hoping by the end of May to have a bit of a rhythm, to feel excited about blogging forward into June and July rather than exhausted.
The first post will be the embarrassing one--the very long delayed post about my January trip to India that I meant to finish and post several months ago. Even as I've pondered other posts, I've thought, "No, I can't post about x, y or z (or, in this case, graham crackers, kale soup or mujadarra) until I get that damn India post up." And there it still sits, mostly written, in draft form, unposted. So, I'll start with that and then see where the rest of the month leads me. Meanwhile, I look forward to reading some of those brave bloggers who are participating in this year's blogathon and cheering them on from the sidelines as I mosey through the month.
Happy May!
Showing posts with label May blogathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label May blogathon. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
May showers bring June flowers
So, I was all set to do another wrap up post like last year's "Thoughts on 31 days of blogging," but here it is, 10:22 p.m. on 5/31, and any further thoughts I have on 31 days of blogging are not particularly coherent. Though this moment does, in fact, feel emblematic of the whole blogathon. You can have a plan, but sometimes other things get in the way, and then you need an alternative. And if you're a person who told yourself that you were going to finish the goddamn blogathon whether you liked it or not, then you're going to finish it however you can, even if you have to limp a bit across the finish line.
I don't know if I learned anything new, really, having done this 3 times now. I still know that I would have trouble keeping up with daily blogging for more than a month. But I also know that I really do like blogging, and it gives me impetus to continue. The one bit of advice I have for future blogathoners is to plan, plan, plan, and when you think you've planned ahead enough, plan some more. I felt pretty good through week two, and then I looked at my list of ideas for posts and I'd used most of them already, and the second half of the month started looking really, really long.
Thankfully, just when I was in need of a last post to get me safely into June, my flowers cooperated. I woke up this morning to discover that my oriental poppy (which, for reasons I don't understand, I seem to have planted right next to the compost pile) went from having one bloom to eight, overnight.
And while the clematis does not quite have a grasp on actually growing up the broken ladder as it's supposed to, it does seem to have mastered producing flowers for the first time, so that's something.
And with that, I wish everyone a happy June! Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Haikus of the Day
Today is the second blogathon theme day--Haiku Day! Unfortunately, I missed last week's theme day, but it's always fun to do haikus. (And it's nice to have a shorter than usual post to do on a busy day.)
As I did last year, I've written two garden-related haikus. My first is, in fact, a sequel to one of last year's haikus. It seems fitting to put them together under one title:
The Neighbor's Cat Visits my Garden
i.
The cat from next door
has napped on my baby greens.
Leaves crushed into soil.
ii.
I have moved the greens
to a new bed in the shade.
Please, cat, stay away!
has napped on my baby greens.
Leaves crushed into soil.
ii.
I have moved the greens
to a new bed in the shade.
Please, cat, stay away!
And the second, perhaps a common sentiment this month:
The lawn is awash
with violets and clover;
I don't want to mow.
with violets and clover;
I don't want to mow.
More poetry tomorrow, though not of the haiku persuasion.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
It's May Blogathon time again!
I can't even tell you how I've waffled over this. Should I do it, should I skip it, back and forth and on and on. I am, at best, an erratic blogger, and really, what I'd like to do is get myself on a steadier weekly schedule. But, as I know all too well, writing begets writing, even though, towards the end of the month, it feels like there's really nothing left in the world I want to write about.So, for the third year in a row, I'm going to take on this challenge. When I sat down to make a list, I realized that I have at least a half of a month's worth of things to write about. Let's see if I can make it all 31 days again. There are some structured days built in--another guest post day, another haiku day, even an official Wordle day (which I'm pleased about, as I've done Saturday Wordles unofficially both years).
I don't yet have the list of all of the other May bloggers, but as of a few days ago, it was 132! I'll post it when I have it.
See you tomorrow!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Blogathon is Contagious!
So, on June 1, the very day after the May blogathon came to its blessed close, Ms. Hannah Hart Sullivan, with no previous knowledge of the blogathon whatsoever, decided to pay some attention to her blog--Noted and Well-Fed--and blog every day in the month of June. My only conclusion is that the blogathon is somehow contagious.And although Hannah is now a grown up editorial assistant in NYC, I have a long lasting soft spot for her as I first met her when she was not quite 5 in my first year in grad school at the University of Oregon. Her fabulous mother--Ms. Sarah Hart, now proprietor/chocolate maker extraordinaire of Alma Chocolate in Portland--was in one of my classes, and I spent most of the semester thinking how cool she was and wishing she were my friend. It was one of the highlights of that semester when I found out that she was thinking the same thing! Almost 20 years later, most of it spent on opposite coasts, we're still friends.
Next year, I'm going to encourage Hannah to blog with the gang in May, if she's feeling so inspired, but in the meantime, go pay her a visit. I am already eying her blueberry muffin recipe . . .
p.s. the above photo is from June, 1992 and was made digital by Sarah's low-tech method of holding it up to the photo booth on my Mac and taking a picture of it. Therefore, the picture is backwards, but it's still all of us in our 18-years-younger versions.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thoughts on 31 Days of Blogging
So, Blogathon #2 is at an end, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved. It was a slog at times, no doubt. But like last year, I'm glad I chose to participate and delighted I was able to finish. I didn't do a round up post last year, but I'm going to follow the lead of several other blogathon participants and finish the month off this way. Tracy Doerr started it, and others who have followed include Jen Walker at My Morning Chocolate, Barb Freda at Babette Feasts and Kathy Murray at Out and Employed. Blogathon Coordinator Extraordinaire Michelle Rafter will include a link to all of them on her WordCount blog later this week.
So, here are a few things I learned/discovered/realized in these 31 days of blogging:
1.) Externally imposed deadlines work: I knew this about myself before and know it even better now. I work infinitely better with a deadline or some externally imposed structure. Why, otherwise, is it that I barely posted at all in April and then managed to do it every single day in May? Not that I would try to blog every day year round or anything insane like that, but I want to remember that taking up challenges like this works.
2.) It's much more fun when you have company: The camaraderie and feeling of being part of a larger group embarking on the same challenge was very helpful. The #blog2010 hashtag on Twitter helped with this as well as a Google group set up for blogathon participants. I enjoyed visiting new blogs and found some I really enjoyed, and, of course, I enjoyed having blogathon visitors at my blog. (Please come back once this is over!) I'd also like to do more guest posts. (Thanks, Lisa!)'
3.) Carry your camera with you every day: This is something I don't usually do but am planning to continue to do in the months ahead. In India, I always have my camera with me because I'm never sure what I might see. I'd like to have the same attitude here. Even in sleepy Western Mass., there are still surprises. (See the brief appearance of the AMHESRT sign and the sad toppling of a massive tree.) Even more locally, lovely things can happen in my own backyard. Having the camera handy makes documenting things (and blogging about them) much easier.
4.) Planning ahead helps . . . : At the beginning of the blogathon, I mapped out the month. That's not to say that I mapped a month of posts out ahead of time. (I can't imagine being that organized.) But I plotted out the first week of posts (even though I didn't post them all on the exact day planned), and I made a list of ideas in the categories I usually write about (food, gardening, books). As the month progressed, I moved ideas into the calendar and added new ones up top. I didn't write about every idea I had at the beginning, but I wrote about many of them, and having ideas in the queue, as it were, made it more manageable. I also kept some partially written posts on hand, some of which I finished and posted and some of which I didn't.
5.) But still leave room for happenstance: In my normal blogging life, I do this too much. I wait for things to inspire a post rather than planning it out ahead of time. But during this month, I realized that I would never post everyday if I left it to chance (that's where the planning ahead comes in). On the other hand, when things occurred, I wanted to be able to take advantage of them. I hadn't planned to write again on my love for the Delhi Metro. But when the NY Times ran a story on it, the timing was perfect to update and edit an earlier post about it.
6.) Have fallback categories of posts for when you need them: I don't think I would have made it through the blogathon without my various signs of the day, photos of the day, sentence of the day, poem of the day, etc, not to mention the always fun Wordles. On the one hand, these are probably less necessary when there isn't the pressure to post every day. On the other, I was delighted to have a reason to share the Infant Jesus Cement Blocks sign that otherwise is only seen by those standing in front of my refrigerator. And the chance to spread some Elizabeth Bishop love around can never be a bad thing, I don't think.
I think that's it for the moment. It's a sunny afternoon, and the garden awaits. I won't be back tomorrow, I can say with some certainty. But I'm hoping this stint of daily blogging will help me settle on a more regular posting schedule, so please check back in later this week. I promise not to vanish.
So, here are a few things I learned/discovered/realized in these 31 days of blogging:
1.) Externally imposed deadlines work: I knew this about myself before and know it even better now. I work infinitely better with a deadline or some externally imposed structure. Why, otherwise, is it that I barely posted at all in April and then managed to do it every single day in May? Not that I would try to blog every day year round or anything insane like that, but I want to remember that taking up challenges like this works.
2.) It's much more fun when you have company: The camaraderie and feeling of being part of a larger group embarking on the same challenge was very helpful. The #blog2010 hashtag on Twitter helped with this as well as a Google group set up for blogathon participants. I enjoyed visiting new blogs and found some I really enjoyed, and, of course, I enjoyed having blogathon visitors at my blog. (Please come back once this is over!) I'd also like to do more guest posts. (Thanks, Lisa!)'
3.) Carry your camera with you every day: This is something I don't usually do but am planning to continue to do in the months ahead. In India, I always have my camera with me because I'm never sure what I might see. I'd like to have the same attitude here. Even in sleepy Western Mass., there are still surprises. (See the brief appearance of the AMHESRT sign and the sad toppling of a massive tree.) Even more locally, lovely things can happen in my own backyard. Having the camera handy makes documenting things (and blogging about them) much easier.
4.) Planning ahead helps . . . : At the beginning of the blogathon, I mapped out the month. That's not to say that I mapped a month of posts out ahead of time. (I can't imagine being that organized.) But I plotted out the first week of posts (even though I didn't post them all on the exact day planned), and I made a list of ideas in the categories I usually write about (food, gardening, books). As the month progressed, I moved ideas into the calendar and added new ones up top. I didn't write about every idea I had at the beginning, but I wrote about many of them, and having ideas in the queue, as it were, made it more manageable. I also kept some partially written posts on hand, some of which I finished and posted and some of which I didn't.
5.) But still leave room for happenstance: In my normal blogging life, I do this too much. I wait for things to inspire a post rather than planning it out ahead of time. But during this month, I realized that I would never post everyday if I left it to chance (that's where the planning ahead comes in). On the other hand, when things occurred, I wanted to be able to take advantage of them. I hadn't planned to write again on my love for the Delhi Metro. But when the NY Times ran a story on it, the timing was perfect to update and edit an earlier post about it.
6.) Have fallback categories of posts for when you need them: I don't think I would have made it through the blogathon without my various signs of the day, photos of the day, sentence of the day, poem of the day, etc, not to mention the always fun Wordles. On the one hand, these are probably less necessary when there isn't the pressure to post every day. On the other, I was delighted to have a reason to share the Infant Jesus Cement Blocks sign that otherwise is only seen by those standing in front of my refrigerator. And the chance to spread some Elizabeth Bishop love around can never be a bad thing, I don't think.
I think that's it for the moment. It's a sunny afternoon, and the garden awaits. I won't be back tomorrow, I can say with some certainty. But I'm hoping this stint of daily blogging will help me settle on a more regular posting schedule, so please check back in later this week. I promise not to vanish.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A few blogathon discoveries
On the one hand, I think it's fabulous that 110+ people are participating in the blogathon this year. On the other, it makes it much harder to visit all of the blogs. I've tried, to some extent, but it just got to be a bit too much, so I've decided to go for quality rather than quantity, and I've been reading a (much) smaller number of them almost every day. Here are a few of my favorite new discoveries:
Popcorn Homestead: Joan Lambert Bailey is an American living in Tokyo, and she writes often about her garden and the gardens/vegetables/assorted green things that she sees there. Some lovely photos, and as an added bonus, she's actually growing her own popcorn!
Two Hands and a Roadmap: The blog of Tara Phillips, a writer/mom in Cleveland. Mostly, I like this one because it is often very, very funny. I've probably giggled more at this than at any other blog I've read recently. Besides, how could I not like a blog where one of the categories of frequent posts is "Sometimes I swear too much."
Babette Feasts: I should have known about this one, as Barb Freda, the woman behind Babette, is a fellow member of Freelance Success. But I didn't--my loss. Barb writes about food and kitchen-related things in a no-nonsense and useful way, and she has some really nice looking recipes up to boot. I've already bookmarked this burnt sugar ice cream recipe for this summer's ice cream experiments.
Chez Sven: Wellfleet Today: I haven't spent too much time on Cape Cod, but this blog makes me want to. Written by Alexandra Grabbe, who runs a B and B in Wellfleet with her Swedish husband Sven, the blog has some lovely photos and notes on things of interest in their part of Cape Cod. Since their B and B is green, there's an environmental focus as well.
My Morning Chocolate: A blog by Jen Walker with the subtitle "Writing, Experiments, Culture and Adventures in Food." This is the blogathon blog I've discovered most recently, but already I'm looking forward to exploring it more. And already, there's a link to something called rhubarb-oatmeal bars that I'm planning to make as soon as possible. (I'd make them tonight, in fact, if I hadn't promised Alex and Lizzie that I'd make the blueberry breakfast bars.)
I feel rather lame listing only these few as favorites as there are others I've read and liked and many (many) others I haven't read but might also enjoy. But what's a person to do. One can only do so much while blogging every day, going to work, working on a freelance gig, and dealing with two gardens in the lovely May weather. So be it, and happy Sunday.
Popcorn Homestead: Joan Lambert Bailey is an American living in Tokyo, and she writes often about her garden and the gardens/vegetables/assorted green things that she sees there. Some lovely photos, and as an added bonus, she's actually growing her own popcorn!
Two Hands and a Roadmap: The blog of Tara Phillips, a writer/mom in Cleveland. Mostly, I like this one because it is often very, very funny. I've probably giggled more at this than at any other blog I've read recently. Besides, how could I not like a blog where one of the categories of frequent posts is "Sometimes I swear too much."
Babette Feasts: I should have known about this one, as Barb Freda, the woman behind Babette, is a fellow member of Freelance Success. But I didn't--my loss. Barb writes about food and kitchen-related things in a no-nonsense and useful way, and she has some really nice looking recipes up to boot. I've already bookmarked this burnt sugar ice cream recipe for this summer's ice cream experiments.
Chez Sven: Wellfleet Today: I haven't spent too much time on Cape Cod, but this blog makes me want to. Written by Alexandra Grabbe, who runs a B and B in Wellfleet with her Swedish husband Sven, the blog has some lovely photos and notes on things of interest in their part of Cape Cod. Since their B and B is green, there's an environmental focus as well.
My Morning Chocolate: A blog by Jen Walker with the subtitle "Writing, Experiments, Culture and Adventures in Food." This is the blogathon blog I've discovered most recently, but already I'm looking forward to exploring it more. And already, there's a link to something called rhubarb-oatmeal bars that I'm planning to make as soon as possible. (I'd make them tonight, in fact, if I hadn't promised Alex and Lizzie that I'd make the blueberry breakfast bars.)
I feel rather lame listing only these few as favorites as there are others I've read and liked and many (many) others I haven't read but might also enjoy. But what's a person to do. One can only do so much while blogging every day, going to work, working on a freelance gig, and dealing with two gardens in the lovely May weather. So be it, and happy Sunday.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Blogs I Can't Live Without
Today is the first group blogging day of the blogathon, meaning that all participants have the option of writing about the same thing, the easy topic of our favorite blogs. Since I write mostly about food, gardening and books, I'm going to name a few of my favorites in each of those categories. (Alas, I haven't found an Indian-related blog that I read regularly, so I'm going to skip that category.) I'm also going to throw in a few miscellaneous blogs that I also read often, just to round it out to 10. (I have to say that blogs I can't live without is rather a dramatic statement, but it's getting late, and I don't want to parse words too much. Suffice it to say that these are all blogs I read, enjoy and recommend. Whether I could or couldn't live without them is another story.)
Food:
I hate to admit it, but I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food blogs. I do use the excellent Food Blog Search when I'm looking for lots of recipes using one particular ingredient or for variations on a particular dish, and that's led me to a number of interesting blogs and good recipes. On a daily basis, though, I find myself going back to the same few sites.
Smitten Kitchen: Beautiful photos, well-tested recipes, glimpses of an adorable baby--what more could one want? Deb has a recent book deal for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and it's well-deserved. I don't know why she didn't have one sooner. Favorite recipes from there that I've written about include the excellent chewy granola bars and blueberry buttermilk cake. Then, there's her recipe for creamed chard and spring onions with pasta, which I've made twice in the past 2 weeks and have had to fight Alex for the leftovers . . .
Orangette: Lovely writing and lovely recipes. Plus, vicarious glimpses into opening a new restaurant, as Molly and her husband did last year. Over and over again, I've made her spinach and green garlic soup and her warm chickpea salad, not to mention the banana bread with chocolate chip and crystallized ginger. I can only say yum. (Molly's memoir with recipes, A Homemade Life, came out last year.)
The Wednesday Chef: I'm a more recent reader of this blog, but I like Luisa's sensibility, her writing and the recipes she chooses. Now that my rhubarb plant is close to its usual massive size, I'm particularly intrigued by her recent forays into new ways to cook rhubarb. (Luisa's book, tentatively titled My Berlin Kitchen, is under contract. Not sure when it's due out.)
Garden:
A Way to Garden: Former Martha Stewart garden editor Margaret Roach has created a site with gorgeous photos, handy monthly to-do lists and a wealth of gardening information. There's also a forum, where you can ask gardening questions. The site has only been up for a few years, but it's an invaluable resource. Margaret's book, which she calls her "dropout memoir", is due out next year.
Garden Rant: I have to admit, I don't read this one as often as I'd like, but whenever I do, I'm glad. This is, in part, a reminder to myself to check it more often.
Books:
Like Fire: I may be biased, since Lisa Peet, woman behind the blog, is a friend, but I think she's done a fabulous job with Like Fire, where you can find news, reviews, interviews and all things bookish and often quirky. In Lisa's words, "Like Fire champions the offbeat, the independent, and the underdog." I'm all for it.
Keeper of the Snails: This blog, by British writer Claire Dudman, is a recent discovery for me. (I found her through a post she wrote on my beloved Barbara Trapido.) Since then, I keep going back, as Claire's posts are always interesting, and her last few reviews have made me want to pick up the books she's writing about immediately, even if it means paying lots of postage to get them here from Britain.
My Porch: Another recent discovery (through a review Thomas wrote on Maggie O'Farrell's new novel). Thomas is a prolific poster and reader, and I like his taste in books. He also takes on reading projects, which I admire in a person, even if I can't always manage it myself.
A few others:
The Daily Dish: I started reading Andrew Sullivan's blog at the Atlantic website during the election and haven't stopped. I don't always agree with him (and think he can be annoying, certainly), but I haven't found any other place that gathers up the quantity and quality of stuff that he and his under-bloggers do. I like that he sometimes focuses on stories the mainstream press isn't covering, and I like that he frequently posts letters from people who disagree with him. I often skim, but this is one I do look at every day.
Local or Express: I can no longer remember how I found my way to Robin Aronson's blog, but it's another I check often. I like Robin's musings and like to think that if we actually knew each other, we'd be friends.
Food:
I hate to admit it, but I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food blogs. I do use the excellent Food Blog Search when I'm looking for lots of recipes using one particular ingredient or for variations on a particular dish, and that's led me to a number of interesting blogs and good recipes. On a daily basis, though, I find myself going back to the same few sites.
Smitten Kitchen: Beautiful photos, well-tested recipes, glimpses of an adorable baby--what more could one want? Deb has a recent book deal for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and it's well-deserved. I don't know why she didn't have one sooner. Favorite recipes from there that I've written about include the excellent chewy granola bars and blueberry buttermilk cake. Then, there's her recipe for creamed chard and spring onions with pasta, which I've made twice in the past 2 weeks and have had to fight Alex for the leftovers . . .
Orangette: Lovely writing and lovely recipes. Plus, vicarious glimpses into opening a new restaurant, as Molly and her husband did last year. Over and over again, I've made her spinach and green garlic soup and her warm chickpea salad, not to mention the banana bread with chocolate chip and crystallized ginger. I can only say yum. (Molly's memoir with recipes, A Homemade Life, came out last year.)
The Wednesday Chef: I'm a more recent reader of this blog, but I like Luisa's sensibility, her writing and the recipes she chooses. Now that my rhubarb plant is close to its usual massive size, I'm particularly intrigued by her recent forays into new ways to cook rhubarb. (Luisa's book, tentatively titled My Berlin Kitchen, is under contract. Not sure when it's due out.)
Garden:
A Way to Garden: Former Martha Stewart garden editor Margaret Roach has created a site with gorgeous photos, handy monthly to-do lists and a wealth of gardening information. There's also a forum, where you can ask gardening questions. The site has only been up for a few years, but it's an invaluable resource. Margaret's book, which she calls her "dropout memoir", is due out next year.
Garden Rant: I have to admit, I don't read this one as often as I'd like, but whenever I do, I'm glad. This is, in part, a reminder to myself to check it more often.
Books:
Like Fire: I may be biased, since Lisa Peet, woman behind the blog, is a friend, but I think she's done a fabulous job with Like Fire, where you can find news, reviews, interviews and all things bookish and often quirky. In Lisa's words, "Like Fire champions the offbeat, the independent, and the underdog." I'm all for it.
Keeper of the Snails: This blog, by British writer Claire Dudman, is a recent discovery for me. (I found her through a post she wrote on my beloved Barbara Trapido.) Since then, I keep going back, as Claire's posts are always interesting, and her last few reviews have made me want to pick up the books she's writing about immediately, even if it means paying lots of postage to get them here from Britain.
My Porch: Another recent discovery (through a review Thomas wrote on Maggie O'Farrell's new novel). Thomas is a prolific poster and reader, and I like his taste in books. He also takes on reading projects, which I admire in a person, even if I can't always manage it myself.
A few others:
The Daily Dish: I started reading Andrew Sullivan's blog at the Atlantic website during the election and haven't stopped. I don't always agree with him (and think he can be annoying, certainly), but I haven't found any other place that gathers up the quantity and quality of stuff that he and his under-bloggers do. I like that he sometimes focuses on stories the mainstream press isn't covering, and I like that he frequently posts letters from people who disagree with him. I often skim, but this is one I do look at every day.
Local or Express: I can no longer remember how I found my way to Robin Aronson's blog, but it's another I check often. I like Robin's musings and like to think that if we actually knew each other, we'd be friends.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Believe it or not . . .
Given that I haven't managed to post for the entire month of April, it might seem unlikely that I'm going to attempt to participate in this year's May Blogathon again. But I am. (Attempt is the key word.) This year, more than 75 bloggers are participating, which is impressive. I'll be back tomorrow with a list of who they are, and then everyday with something or other for the rest of the month. At least I hope so.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Late Breaking Blogathon Additions
I was delighted to learn today that two of my favorite people are joining the May Blogathon.
Yay for Lisa at Mappa Mundi
and
Debi at The World Without.
I'm so happy to have their company in this!
Yay for Lisa at Mappa Mundi
and
Debi at The World Without.
I'm so happy to have their company in this!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Blogathon Roll Call
I'm going to put these links up on the side soon, but for the moment, here are the other participants in this month's blogathon. (There may be a few more to add in the next day or so, but I wanted to get the initial list up today.) I'm not familiar with most of these blogs, so I'm looking forward to exploring some of them (and seeing how everyone is doing under the pressure of daily posting) over the next month.
Vera Marie Badertscher: A Traveler's Library -- Books and movies that influence travel.
Heather Boerner: Self Employed Serenity -- Advice for the self-employed among us.
Melanie Bonsall: Expert Editing -- The online home of this editor, proofreader and writer.
Jane Boursaw: Film Gecko -- May Movie Madness and other film-related stuff.
Danielle Buffardi: Horrible Sanity -- Random thoughts of a mother and freelance writer.
Sona Charaipotra: Sona Charaipotra for entertainment topics and Ishq in a Backpack on travel and food.
Rosie Colombraro : Trust the Universe -- There is always a Plan B.
Jackie Dishner: Bike with Jackie -- Improving your life with the B.I.K.E. spiritual navigation tool.
Ron S. Doyle: Ron S. Doyle -- Online home of this Denver, Colo., freelance writer and founder of Twittercize and Blog Salad
Kelly Estes: Big Government in Your Wallet -- A political blog
Jennifer L.W. Fink: Blogging 'Bout Boys -- With 4 boys between 3 and 11, this writer knows her subject.
Sydne George: I'll Have What She's Cooking -- Good eats.
Debra Gordon: Wine on Tuesdays
Nancy Hall: Floating Ink -- How to fit making art into your every day life.
KT Hinderer: Write Beyond the Cubicle --Musings of a full-time freelance writer and editor.
Leah Ingram: Suddenly Frugal -- Tips for frugal living.
JoAnn Jagroop: This Dame Cooks -- Recipes from Alaska to the South Pacific.
Sara Lancaster: No. 2 Pencil.com Blog -- Blog of this Boulder, Colo., freelance Web & marketing writer.
Jerad Lopatin: Sign in Ink -- Everyday life as motivated by astrological happenings.
Sarah E. Ludwig: Parenting by Trial and Error--Parenting by learning, growing, staying flexible.
Lisa Mann: Sonoma on the Cheap -- One of the "On the Cheap blogs," this one for Sonoma, Calif.
Joy Manning: What I Weigh Today -- A food writer reflects on weight and body image issues.
Amy Rauch Neilson: Amy Rauch Neilson -- This blog's official launch date is Monday, May 4.
Jennifer Netherby: Jennifer Netherby -- Musings of a freelance writer.
Michelle Rafter: WordCount -- Freelancing in the Digital Age
Kate Reilly: Polka Dot Suitcase -- Finding fun in everyday life.
Meredith Resnick: The Writer's Journey
Melissa Sais: Digital Mom -- Raising kids in a digital world.
Brette Sember: Martha and Me -- One Martha Stewart makeover every day.
Kathy Summers: Eco Pregnancy and Baby and Health Writing Hints.
Jodi Torpey: Western Gardeners--Your online guide to gardening in the West.
Sarah Webb: Webb of Science -- Where science meets life.
Vera Marie Badertscher: A Traveler's Library -- Books and movies that influence travel.
Heather Boerner: Self Employed Serenity -- Advice for the self-employed among us.
Melanie Bonsall: Expert Editing -- The online home of this editor, proofreader and writer.
Jane Boursaw: Film Gecko -- May Movie Madness and other film-related stuff.
Danielle Buffardi: Horrible Sanity -- Random thoughts of a mother and freelance writer.
Sona Charaipotra: Sona Charaipotra for entertainment topics and Ishq in a Backpack on travel and food.
Rosie Colombraro : Trust the Universe -- There is always a Plan B.
Jackie Dishner: Bike with Jackie -- Improving your life with the B.I.K.E. spiritual navigation tool.
Ron S. Doyle: Ron S. Doyle -- Online home of this Denver, Colo., freelance writer and founder of Twittercize and Blog Salad
Kelly Estes: Big Government in Your Wallet -- A political blog
Jennifer L.W. Fink: Blogging 'Bout Boys -- With 4 boys between 3 and 11, this writer knows her subject.
Sydne George: I'll Have What She's Cooking -- Good eats.
Debra Gordon: Wine on Tuesdays
Nancy Hall: Floating Ink -- How to fit making art into your every day life.
KT Hinderer: Write Beyond the Cubicle --Musings of a full-time freelance writer and editor.
Heather Holliday: Zazou Marketing -- Putting your best words forward.
Elizabeth Humphrey: The Write Elizabeth -- Introducing creativity into daily life.Leah Ingram: Suddenly Frugal -- Tips for frugal living.
JoAnn Jagroop: This Dame Cooks -- Recipes from Alaska to the South Pacific.
Sara Lancaster: No. 2 Pencil.com Blog -- Blog of this Boulder, Colo., freelance Web & marketing writer.
Jerad Lopatin: Sign in Ink -- Everyday life as motivated by astrological happenings.
Sarah E. Ludwig: Parenting by Trial and Error--Parenting by learning, growing, staying flexible.
Lisa Mann: Sonoma on the Cheap -- One of the "On the Cheap blogs," this one for Sonoma, Calif.
Joy Manning: What I Weigh Today -- A food writer reflects on weight and body image issues.
Amy Rauch Neilson: Amy Rauch Neilson -- This blog's official launch date is Monday, May 4.
Jennifer Netherby: Jennifer Netherby -- Musings of a freelance writer.
Michelle Rafter: WordCount -- Freelancing in the Digital Age
Kate Reilly: Polka Dot Suitcase -- Finding fun in everyday life.
Meredith Resnick: The Writer's Journey
Melissa Sais: Digital Mom -- Raising kids in a digital world.
Brette Sember: Martha and Me -- One Martha Stewart makeover every day.
Kathy Summers: Eco Pregnancy and Baby and Health Writing Hints.
Jodi Torpey: Western Gardeners--Your online guide to gardening in the West.
Sarah Webb: Webb of Science -- Where science meets life.
Friday, May 1, 2009
May Blogathon
Given my sporadic presence here this last month or so, I'm feeling slightly dubious about my ability to be a prolific (or, at least, daily) blogger, but I'm going to try. Michelle Rafter, a fellow participant at Freelance Success, has offered up the second annual May Blogathon challenge. I had just started my blog last year when she and others did the first one, and I wasn't feeling quite up to the challenge. But perhaps because I had a lame April, I'm feeling more inspired this year. We'll see how it goes. Tomorrow, I'll post a list of all the other bloggers participating, and the month of blogging will begin.
One tidbit I can offer now, however: By the time the local news caught on to the story of the roving gang of snow blower thieves, 10 snow blowers in my little town alone had been taken. (And this was over a week ago, so who knows how many more are gone now.) My insurance company was speedy, and a check arrived yesterday for replacement cost minus the deductible. Since I'm not going to get a new one til the fall, this gives me some time to come up with an appropriate snow blower protection scheme. According to one friend (Hi Cara!), this sounds like I'm planning to "hire a couple of mafia goons to stand outside [my] garage and look menacing in case anyone else tries to rip anything off." Alas, the real plan probably won't be nearly as interesting . . .
Happy May!
One tidbit I can offer now, however: By the time the local news caught on to the story of the roving gang of snow blower thieves, 10 snow blowers in my little town alone had been taken. (And this was over a week ago, so who knows how many more are gone now.) My insurance company was speedy, and a check arrived yesterday for replacement cost minus the deductible. Since I'm not going to get a new one til the fall, this gives me some time to come up with an appropriate snow blower protection scheme. According to one friend (Hi Cara!), this sounds like I'm planning to "hire a couple of mafia goons to stand outside [my] garage and look menacing in case anyone else tries to rip anything off." Alas, the real plan probably won't be nearly as interesting . . .
Happy May!
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