Back to basics

Posted on April 16th, 2008 in Blogging, Daily by virginia

About 11 years ago, I started a website as a way to keep in touch with extended family and help the grandparents know what was going on in the kid’s lives. I posted pictures of the kids and wrote cheerful monthly newsletters about what the kids were doing and what was going on at our house.

Somehow when I switched to this blog style of website, I strayed away from the “Family News” format and started posting about other things.

Unfortunately, when I post about those other things, I find myself editing everything I want to say to death. The need to constantly over-analyze everything I write in order to make sure I don’t hurt someone’s feelings or reveal something that I shouldn’t is tiring. It also leads to severe writer’s block.

So, I’m going back to basics here. I’m planning to post on this site about once a week - probably on Mondays - with lots of pictures and news about the kids and I’ll save my rants, complaints and miscellaneous observations about other subjects for elsewhere.

I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile. Nothing has happened recently to prompt this change so don’t get your shorts in a twist. I am also considering implementing a user/password system - several of my children don’t like “a bunch of strangers” looking at the details of their lives. I’m looking at some options and I’ll give you a heads up before I implement any kind of registered user requirement.

kthxluvyabai

Happy blogday to me!

Posted on August 2nd, 2007 in Blogging, Daily by virginia

Hey, I just realized that today is the one year anniversary of this blog and I haven’t completely thrown in the towel!

I command urge beg you to come out of lurkdom and leave me a comment!

Kathy G’s not the only one living on the D-list

Posted on June 28th, 2007 in Blogging, Daily by virginia

D-List BloggerIn Hollywood, the A-list refers to the most bankable movie stars; the C-list refers to the least. The D-list refers to a celebrity who would be considered obscure enough not to fit on the scale. There is a similar ranking for bloggers. I am on the D-List.

All of the A-list mommy bloggers are heading for Chicago in July for a big Blog-Love-Fest called Blogher. All of my favorites will be there. Many B and C list bloggers will be there too. Hoping, I’m sure, to learn a few tricks on how to move up the ranks in the blog world.

I would love to go to Blogher 07. But when you’re a D-list bloglebrity spending money on a 2-day blog-job event like Blogher is like asking to buy those $1000 shoes I covet. Fun to dream about but unlikely to occur. I mean what’s the point? Living on the D-list means you have to live in the real world. And the real world doesn’t include dropping a grand on what’s really an A-list event.

There were several contests where you could win a Blogher registration. I thought about entering one of them. But even if I won the $206 conference fee, I still couldn’t justify the cost of travel, lodging and food/booze. I could probably convince my sister-in-law to let me sleep on her couch if I promised not to drool on her cushions but you miss out on a lot of the fun at these type of events if you’re not staying at the hotel with everyone else. I’d also feel a lot less guilty about going if I were working. When you’re a spender and not an earner it’s hard to justify expensive trips that don’t include your spouse. If I were an A-list blogger I’d totally go though. Maybe even if I was a B-lister. As a D-lister, I’d probably just end up in jail for stalking my favorite writers. Maybe next year I’ll be an A (B? C?) lister!

I’m not even sure I want to be an A-list blogger. During my brief moment of fame, it was pretty cool to have a lot of people visiting the site and it would be really cool to have a lot of comments to the posts I write - some of those A-listers get hundreds of comments per post. But one thing I learned during those few days when so many people were visiting the site is that it’s hard to see if my friends and family dropped by when the list of visitors is so long. And I really don’t have time to read hundreds of comments every day. There are floors to be mopped and clothes to be folded around here you know. I’d probably cry if I got mean comments from some troll who stopped by. And I really don’t want a bunch of ads on my website - in fact I pay to not have them on our message board.

I mostly blog for fun. It’s something to do that is just mine that doesn’t involve cleaning or sweating. I like that it helps us keep in touch with the kids who no longer live in our house and helps our friends and other relatives keep tabs on our goings-on. But mostly I like being able to have my say. Here are my thoughts, my perspective, my version of the life I’m leading and NOBODY gets to interrupt before I’ve finished what I wanted to say.

But… there is a part of me that would love to be one of the A-list bloggers. There is this clique of popular mommies out there that are all linky-lovey with each other and they’re all having fun, hanging out together. I want to hang out with the cool A-lister crowd too. I know that makes me sound like some whiny high school girl but there it is. I want to be part of the cool crowd. And the cool crowd is headed to Blogher 07.

I won’t be. Instead I’ll be at home whining silently to myself “all the other mommy bloggers get to go.”

May 5th : 24 Hours of Flickr

Posted on May 5th, 2007 in Blogging, Daily by virginia

Documenting 24 hours of your life in photos

12:01 am Friday Night Lites
Friday Night Lites

1:00 am Everyone is sleeping tight
Sleeping tight

2:00 am Smoke break then off to bed - but I’m not responsible for the hazy moon
Hazy Night

3:00 am Can’t sleep -shouldn’t this Bosley infomercial be boring me into slumber?
Still Awake

7:00 am No sleeping in today. Practice AP exam for both of our High Schoolers
No sleeping in todayLet's Go

8:00 am Awake but doesn’t want to be
StretchAwake but doesn't want to be
Flowers need watering
Happy wormHappy snail

9:00 am - 11:00 am Violet’s version of heaven: city-wide yardsales
Looking over the goodsI like it but is it worth 50 cents?

Favorite purchases
Favorite purchases: pretty purseSchool desk and old manual typewriter

Noon Angry chore children
Angry chore girl Angry chore boy

1:00 pm Chores continue…Periodic yelling from mowing Boy followed by loud laughter from Violet. Why? Bee patch.
Watching and laughing at brotherBee Attack

2:00 pm Kids chores are done, laundry calls me
Laundry
Getting ready for work
Getting ready for work
Relaxing
Relaxing

3:00 pm Science project: Trying to grow moldy bread under the sink
Under the sink to grow

4:00 pm The desk is banned from the house until it’s cleaned up and repainted
Dad lends a handAmerican Desk - The Crusader

5:00 pm Dinner at local Mexican restaurant - it’s Cinco de mayo!
It's Cinco de mayo!SteveDinner at Del RioViolet

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm School Musical - Thoroughly Modern Millie. Jon plays with the Pit Orchestra.
Pit OrchestraThoroughly Modern Millie production

11:00 pm Typewriter Repair
Typewriter repair

Midnight Goodnight!

Winning isn’t everything but it sure does make you smile

Posted on May 3rd, 2007 in Blogging, Daily by virginia

{{{{{{You Guys!}}}}}}

In case you haven’t heard, I won the Looky, Daddy! song contest. Thanks for heading over there and voting for me!

Today has been pretty exciting for me because there have been so many people visiting our site thanks to the linky-love from “Luther”. Literally hundreds of visits today.

When I started this blog last summer it seemed like the natural evolution of my website started back in 1997 (10 years ago!). Way back then I wanted a way to keep in touch with family that was living far away - primarily my parents who, after living across the street from us for 4 years, were living in Florida and dying for news of our lives. You know I’ve never been real consistent with phone calls or letters.

Back then, I started out with an online photo album with pictures of the kids. After a while, I added a monthly newsletter which was very similar to those Christmas letters people send out in their holiday cards (which I love btw). Eventually it all morphed into this - a way to keep in touch and keep me occupied during the day. Not an exciting blog, not a controversial blog, not award-winning either but I do enjoy doing it.

Superstar!I love to see so many of my family and friends coming to visit each day. Usually we get visited by 20 or so of you on a daily basis. I love that and I enjoy all the comments lately. I feel so loved :-)

Tomorrow my life on the net will go back to normal. But today…today I am mesmerized by my site meter. The numbers just keep clicking up.

So, to all the Looky, Daddy readers, thanks for stopping by - you’ve made me feel like a blog superstar today!

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