Category Archives: NaBloPoMo

Filed under Crochet Education, NaBloPoMo

Tagged as problem solving, success

November 20, 2012 · 11:40 pm

Choosing The Path of Tears

One of the reasons I got involved with charities and volunteering is because it’s a choice.

Memories were triggered for me today….

Once upon a time in college I did a lot of work with severe and profoundly handicapped children, affected mentally, physically and developmentally. The forgotten ones in our world, the ones who are often wards of the state, whose families have abandoned them because they can’t take the pain or because their medical need for care is too great.

One of the medical facilities I volunteered in had designations on every bedroom door as to whether or not to resuscitate or try to save the young life that lived within. We walked into those rooms each time knowing that the child we worked with today might not be there tomorrow. And though we were officially there to help with physical and educational therapies, most of us knew we were also there to hopefully make a difference and help make the quality of life for one young living being a little better.

I thought for a time that I would go into that profession as a music therapist.

And then I watched nurses and professional after professional working with these kids, their pro hearts grown hard and cold. Because it’s too painful to get too close and they had a job to do. They couldn’t afford to break down. And so many no longer responded to the cries of the children when they were scared or in pain and there was little comfort from their caretakers. It’s not that they were mean or anything, or that they provided less than excellent care. It’s just that they had lost their ability to be soft inside. There were only a handful of professionals who seemed to have held on to their compassion. And it was far too few.

After witnessing it again and again, I finally realized that I couldn’t do the work I was doing as a means to feed myself in life. I did not want to take a chance of becoming hardened and cold because years of a broken heart made me so and because it was my job. I didn’t want to have to make ends meet in life this way.

So I chose a different path, the one of a volunteer.

As a volunteer, I know I can walk away at any time. I generally haven’t been paid even when I organize events. But I *choose* to be there. I have no other reason or motivation to be there other than to serve. My next meal does not depend on the volunteer work I do. And though my heart may be broken again and again in service, and I may receive little thanks, my compassion remains intact.

It is often a path of tears, but it is also one of heart.

4 Comments

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as charity, service, volunteering

November 18, 2012 · 11:36 pm

How About A Brainy Game That’s Truly Brainy? Advancing Science With Play…

Yesterday I was introduced to a new concept in crowdsourcing – using games to solve biology problems.

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of crowdsourcing, it’s a model for production and problem solving, distributed on a large-scale to a “crowd.” In other words, work is distributed to a mass of people, and those people get bites of it done. This can be used to solve problems, or just get “stuff done.”

Crowdfunding is a cousin to the idea, what with KickStarter and others who help fund projects via a collective of people. Each person contributes in general a small piece of the solution, but together the “crowd” levies a formidable impact.

Most of us in the blogosphere have probably heard of crowdfunding, even participated in it. But crowdsourcing for real life biology problems might just be a new one for you like it was me.

Enter stage right an idea developed by Carnegie Mellon and Standford University call EteRNA. It’s a free game developed by scientists to explore the basis of designing RNA, something that is apparently considered the “dark matter of biology.”

Personally, I like puzzles and games and find that it helps my memory, the flow of my work day and even helps give me a break when I need to walk away from work or a stressful situation. The challenge of solving a puzzle is both rewarding and in many cases, meditative for me. However I also get bored once I’ve mastered them. So the idea of working with real patterns that might actually help advance science? Well that got my attention!

The concept of the EteRNA game is based on learning how to “fold” RNA. Apparently, there are ways that RNA will fold and ways it will not. However, it’s my understanding that when they gave the problems to computers to do, they weren’t having any luck in getting the answers they needed. However, when they took the concept to a game, just in the short while it’s been around, players of the game have solved many problems.

It’s not the easiest game up front, let me just tell you that. I have no background in biology, nor do I understand some of the concepts they are presenting with the RNA stuff. However, I have an eye for pattern. Get me into something and though I might not be able to explain it to you, I will find a pattern. And that’s the part I bet they’re counting on.

CMU has set the game up well to carefully step you through some tutorial basics to help you learn the ropes. I recommend taking your time and following them. And then to just explore and be patient. I’ve been through several puzzles and each one is quite different, and yet based on a similar set of rules.

So check it out. If you’re a teacher, definitely consider showing this to your students. I heard that the #1 “folder” for this game is 12 years old. And who knows, if you’re geeky like me, it just might be one of the more fascinating things you’ve done with a spare 5 minutes here or there.

I’ll be there as AberrantCrochet of course! Seeing if I can get close to the top. 😉

So what do you think? Have you tried the game? Do you think an artist’s eye might have an edge?

Filed under NaBloPoMo, Useful Resources

November 17, 2012 · 2:57 pm

School Is A Prison

“Go do your homework!” I tell my son, exasperatedly. Unfortunately, he has extra homework this weekend because he was sick for 3 days earlier this week.

Then I hear it. Drag, scrape, drag, scrape. I look up and see this:

Ball n’ chain…

And I hear him say, “It’s like a ball and chain, only it’s a backpack. School is a prison. Ugh.”

He looks up with his little quirky grin. The one where he’s trying to keep a straight face, but can’t help but chuckle at his own clever joke.

On the one hand, I bust out laughing with him. He’s turning out to be quite a funny young man. However, I feel for him.

I’d rather he were outside riding his bike, building a fort, inventing a robot or something else right now.

So much homework for these kids. And so little time for life.

Filed under Friends and Family, NaBloPoMo

Tagged as homework, motherhood, school

November 15, 2012 · 11:09 pm

NaBloPoMo Haiku

Jennifer over at Another Jennifer had a great idea for a NaBloPoMo post. A NaBloPoMo haiku! I enjoyed the yarn related haikus back in August, so I had to jump on writing a haiku for another thing I’m passionate about.

Here’s mine:

NaBloPoMo rocks!
It pushes my writing skills.
I’m my own rival.

I wrote it today, so I’m posting it today, even though I already posted earlier. After all, with NaBloPoMo you’re not supposed to bank posts. You must write every single day. That’s the point of the challenge.

So, here we go. A second post for today that does not count for extra credit. Woo hoo! I’m getting wild now!

How about you? What’s your haiku poison?

Filed under NaBloPoMo, Poetry

Tagged as haiku, nablopomo

November 15, 2012 · 9:01 am

Ever Know Someone Who Has To Be “An Expert In Everything?”

…even in fields they’ve never touched?

Our very distinguished daughter. (I love you honey…) 😉

I’m reminded of a conversation with someone once about selling the home they’d lived in for 25+ years. The owner voiced many concerns over the idea and work she wasn’t sure might need to be done or even the paperwork involved.

“Have you talked to a real estate agent? They could really help you know what you need to do and talk to you about the market right now,” I said.

“No,” she said, “I already know everything I need to know about my house and this neighborhood. There’s nothing worthwhile an agent could ever tell me.”

O_o? Seriously?

I think my eyes glazed over right there. I thought we were having a worthwhile discussion up until that point.

In my mind, this type of mentality is the very source of division and stagnation. When people claim to “know” how everything works in areas they have no perspective.

There is wisdom and growth at the center of many approaches and views. Thank goodness for the experts in my life who can give me other viewpoints and ways of seeing things. I am not eternal enough to contain all the truth and insight of the universe. I have expertise, experience and a perspective that is very useful in many ways. But it ain’t everything.

How about you? Have any “know-it-all” stories? How do you handle them?

Filed under NaBloPoMo

November 14, 2012 · 10:16 am

She Will No Longer Be Ours….

The sun is shining today. We haven’t seen sunlight the last few days and it’s been cold and dreary. Exceptionally cold and dreary for us here in Central Texas at this time of year.

And it’s killing me that I haven’t been out doing shows. This is the kind of weather when my crochet sells really well at the local shows. We don’t have a lot of winter here.

One of my best outdoor shows ever occurred when a cold front moved in about mid-afternoon. Until then, folks were milling around in shorts. Then the cold wind came in and suddenly my booth was full of earlier admirers who now had a “reason” to buy, or at least an excuse. They could now justify buying some yarny things.

It was awesome for me of course. But I also noticed the sense of relief in people’s eyes as they bought what their heart smiled at. For themselves. People don’t generally buy for the holidays here until the first chill. Which often isn’t until December.

But we actually had freezes the last two days! Freezes! We don’t usually see those until like… February!

And now…

The sun is streaming through my kitchen window, as I sit here and type, my coffee steaming nearby. I’m using Grandma Leona’s coffee mug today. All the letters have long since washed off, but it still sports the little waving alligator from the blood bank she regularly volunteered for. She was O-.

I look out the window at the bird feeder, hear her little chuckle and I feel blessed.

This is my favorite time of day in this room.

The sun is uninhibited. My kitchen is alight with a warm glow. It only happens during this morning window of about an hour, as the sun peeks between the oak and pecan branches just right and streams through the windows. Even my cats know this time of day in this room. They surround me. The glow has always made me smile. It even makes the dirty dishes look a tad romantic.

Dear son is feeling better but still home sick and restless today. As he flips on some rock music to do his homework by, I am reminded that I have a lot to do. But I want to hang onto this moment a bit longer.

Today is the last day I am owner of this house.

I wonder what mornings will be like in the new house? I’ll have lots of time to find out. But my time here is running out… like a slow drip, falling slower… or is it faster? But nonetheless winding down to the last drop.

“Good to the last drop….”

Sixteen and a half years…. It’s a long time. I glance around. The height chart on the door frame long since erased so we could show the house. All trace of little fingers gone. Scribbles on the walls, long since cleaned and painted over. We do get to lease back this home for another month until we close on the new place.

But tomorrow it is done.

She will no longer be ours.

But I suppose in a way she already isn’t.

Still…
I’ll hang on to her today…
Just a bit longer.

I don’t want this day to end too quickly, or to end without thought.

4 Comments

Filed under NaBloPoMo, Random Thoughts

November 13, 2012 · 11:09 pm

Five Positive Things…

I remember hearing once that humans need an emotional and experiential bank account, just as much as we might need monetary savings. That every positive experience is a deposit into that bank account. And that every negative experience draws against our savings.

Since negative experiences use up so much energy (why is that?), it’s important that we have a larger bank balance of positive things to make up for the negative draws that come in life. It’s our job in life to invest in our positive returns.

However, when the balance sheet gets out of whack, when negative experiences (and actions) outweigh the balance of the positive, we can actually go bankrupt, emotionally and mentally. The withdrawals finally pushing us into the red and even taking a toll on our physical health.

I believe that attitude is a magical place of being that magnifies our experiences, both positive and negative. I believe that when we focus on nothing more than survival, we do not really live and do not really fill up our banks. I believe when we are too afraid to take risks, we deny ourselves potential growth in returns. I believe that the relationships we forge in this life are gems that accrue interest. And that the memories and experiences we choose to create are like the parable of the talents. We are all given them. How rich and colorful they are is up to us.

No matter what experiences others may place in my path, I have the ultimate power to create any experience for myself that I wish. And with good tending, those positive experiences beget more positive experiences. And eventually, my returns are so great. Like stocks, my “money” begins to work for me to make more “money…” and I am simply rich… if I choose to be.

I don’t believe the Law of Attraction is simply a wishing game, but a life of active investment and participation.

And so…

I choose…

Five Positive Things

1. No matter how tired my dear hubby may be, he comes home to me with an evil smile, a swooning kiss and a love I never doubt. Today he worked from home, which made it easier with son home sick too.

2. I had the most amazing meal tonight, especially for a Tuesday, cooked by my dearest. Going out to eat is often a disappointment thanks to him. He cooks on Tuesdays while I take dear daughter to taekwondo. And to think we’re saving money!

3. The people at Whole Foods were incredibly positive and polite to me today. I’m sure they are all the time, but I haven’t been there in a while. It was nice to have someone cheerfully ring me up.

4. I spent some lovely one-on-one time with my daughter today. We shared a few jokes and hid a t-shirt for dad for Christmas.

5. My son was home sick today, but between naps and moaning, his fever came down and he read 3/4 of a book and enjoyed it. Two years ago, he couldn’t see well enough to enjoy reading. Today, we have just 10 more sessions of vision therapy to go. (We hope.)

6. (I had to add one more.) Our house is officially sold in just little more than another day. I have spent 16.5 years here. I spent 17.5 years in the house I grew up in. Change is afoot.

What about you? What are five positive things for you?

7 Comments

Filed under Inspiration, NaBloPoMo

Tagged as law of attraction, nablopomo

November 11, 2012 · 10:56 pm

Suffering in Korea – Veteran’s Day Tribute To Grandpa Chester

Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day.

There are many veterans in my family, including my husband. But at this time, I think most of my two grandfathers, each who served entire careers for the army.

My Grandpa Chester wrote letters and poems for Grandma Leona while he served overseas. During her last couple years of life, Grandma shared these letters and poems with me and asked me to type them up for her. Some of the letters were getting brittle and I wanted to preserve anything she’d let me. I marveled at the works she showed me of his hand. Grandma said Grandpa was always a little self-conscious about his writing, but it was something special to her.

The following is a poem Grandpa wrote during his time in Korea. I asked Grandma if I could share this on my blog sometime. She said she thought it would be alright, but I never did post it before she died. It seems appropriate today. I plan to include this along with other writings from my family in a book someday. Seems we’ve all aspired to create through pen and paper, typewriter or keyboard.

God bless you Grandma and Grandpa – I miss you both.

If you wish to share this, please send people here so Grandpa gets proper credit. Thanks. And please note, this poem is presented exactly as it was written. I did not think it right to change anything even though some of the language might be sensitive.

Suffering in Korea

Below the Russian Border
Korea is the spot
Where we are doomed to serve our time
In a land that God forgot

Fighting the mosquitoes
Digging the ground with picks
Doing the work of gooks
And too damned tired to kick

Down with the lizards and snakes
Down where I get blue
Right in the middle of nowhere
Ten thousand miles from you

We freeze we shake we shiver
It’s more than we can stand
But we are not convicts
We are guardians of the land

We are soldiers in the ordinances
Earning our meager pay
Guarding the people of Korea
For two sixty a day

Living with only memories
Just waiting to see our gals
Hoping when we get home
They haven’t married our pals

Nobody knows we are living
Nobody gives a damn
Back home we are soon forgotten
We belong to Uncle Sam

And when we get to heaven
We will hear St. Peter yell
Bring in those guys from Korea
They’ve served their time in HELL.

By: Chester William David Combs

Grandma told me she thought this was written in 1949. However, it seems the US did not get involved in Korea until 1950 and I believe Grandpa was actually in Japan in 1949. Or at least officially. Still, there was something about my grandfather being part of a special group serving in Korea that I don’t have enough information about, nor that Grandpa would talk about. All I know is he had some part in helping to set up the new government and grandma was presented with a gift from the new Korean … someone? I’m not sure. But grandma had this poem stuffed inside a letter and she still had the gift from Korea.

Let’s not forget our veterans. Thank and hug a veteran today.

5 Comments

Filed under Friends and Family, NaBloPoMo

Tagged as grandpa, korea, veteran, veteran's day

November 10, 2012 · 11:23 pm

A Day Of Volunteering For A Steampunk Event – NaBloPoMo

Well, the kids and I volunteered to help out The Robot Group (from Austin) at a steampunk event called Showdown At Unobtainium. It was a long day and the kids had a blast. TRG brought out several teckie items for folks to check out, including a spin art exhibit, some electronic musical do-hickeys and a robot that draws pictures on eggs. Amongst other robots and engines brought. My kiddos are involved with KidBot, a spin-off from TRG. And they helped out with the spin art and Lego Mindstorms demos, amongst other things there. They’ve grown up going with me to shows, so they fit right in without a hitch, talking to people and making everyone at home. The guys said they really appreciated it.

Along with us in the “Mad Science” section was Austin Hacker Space, The Edge of Imagination Station who brought a very cool stop animation demo and Besser Education who served some very interesting ice cream experiments made with dry ice. The version of ice cream I tasted was slightly cinnamon with chunks of a variety of hard candies ranging from wintergreen to orange. Definitely a different experience.

I took tons of photos, acting as unofficial photographer for TRG’s efforts, which I will have to upload tomorrow. I also met a few interesting people I would like to blog about.

So stay tuned for better details – after some sleep and some morning coffee! I’m beat and my feet are giving out on me. Night folks!

Filed under NaBloPoMo

November 9, 2012 · 10:21 pm

Your Age Is Not Relevant – Crochet Ruminations

There are plenty of hobbyists who have crocheted for a very long time when they think of start dates to present. However, it’s a little tiring when someone like me gets a lecture about crochet from someone, just because they are older. When I know for a fact they’ve never lived and breathed the art as I, they’ve never explored their skills the same, nor taken the risks I have. And I’m pretty sure if we added hour for hour, effort for effort, my “crochet age” would likely dwarf theirs in a second.

I’m just excited when others are crocheting. I don’t care if they’re as fanatical about it as I or not. But I don’t appreciate being talked down to, simply on the basis of age and with nothing to do with skill.

I don’t know why crocheters do this to each other at all. Painters don’t do this. They recognize artists wherever they are on the time line. Potters don’t do this. At least not in my art circles. But crocheters (and knitters) will.

Age alone does not equal knowledge and skill.

8 Comments

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as age discrimination, crochet ruminations

November 7, 2012 · 11:45 pm

When Dreams Are More – A Story About Gratitude – NaBloPoMo

It’s the month of November, the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. The month we supposedly deeply feel, express and show gratitude in all its forms. And yet, right out of the gates, I have felt like complaining this first week. I’ve read things that have gotten under my skin, been irritated with tasks I’ve been volunteered for (ahem, voluntold for), there are things I want to get done and haven’t been able to, and there’s my struggling to be and do everything, everywhere, all at once. Plus there are very real and unfair things taking place at this time in my life. Things I can’t control and just have to deal with or ignore. If anyone has a right to complain just a little, it’s me.

And yet there are blessings too. And there are times I think, when the only way to deal with things is to shift our state and be reminded of our blessings.

And so I often find inspiration comes in unusual forms in my life, if I’ll just but listen.

I am a dreamer. It is part of who I am. I have always dreamed dreams of significance. As such, it is really interesting sometimes the things that come out as wonderful experiences and lessons that often only the dream world can provide. I keep saying I’ll write a book about my dreams. Maybe someday.

One night I had an opportunity to reflect within during my sleep. There were all sorts of things dreaming through my head that night, but at one point, I suddenly became aware of a single state of being – Gratitude.

In my dream, all the people of my childhood began to flow before my eyes, like a river of stories. But they weren’t the major figures that are easy to look back upon and remember. The people I was reminded of were those who played small but important roles, whether I was aware of them as a child or not. Some of them had faces and others, I did not know them, but I was shown stories of the roles they played that at some point made way into my life.

The grade school principal who I rarely saw or was aware of, but who depended heavily upon my mother as PTA president, the parent volunteers who put together the carnival I bought my first jewelry at, the mother who part-time coached my basketball and volleyball team one year, the grandmother from church who rode the bus with my brother to make sure he got to basketball tournaments without mishap, the friends of my parents who were great about supporting their role as parents and sometimes took us kids to give them a break, the lady at the concession stand who always had a smile, the mothers who volunteered to cook in that hot cabin kitchen at summer camp whose faces I can’t even see, the teenagers who listened to my stories as a kid, the girl who taught me to make mud pies. And there were so many more. Such small and even tiny events in my life throughout my childhood and then on into my adulthood.

So many people who had indirect and yet important positive influence upon my life. And it was time for every one of them to be told “Thank You.” Thank you for who you were then and who you are now. Thank you for the small roles you have played, even if you didn’t think it mattered or anyone noticed. Thank you for doing things the best you could or stepping out to do a small thing that had a trickle down effect upon the Soul that I AM. Thank you for taking the time to Smile and to Listen. Thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t know you. Thank you for playing chase with a couple of bored kids stuck at an adult gathering. Thank you for loving my parents and believing that their job was important enough to support, even when you did not have children of your own. Thank you for judging and encouraging me at the science fair. Thank you for sending my teacher that info on volunteer opportunities for young kids. Thank you for taking the time at the grocery store to tell me that a bag of apples can help you make a long drive better than gallons of coffee. It’s saved me time and again!

Yes – those carnivals you slaved over meant something and positively affected us as kids. Yes, taking the time to laugh at our jokes and look at our creations made a difference. Yes, that piggyback ride at the church picnic made for a positive reference point in my sense of community. Yes, that handful of change you gave me at the store, when you didn’t even know me, touched my heart. Yes, that heart-felt talk you had at the city council meeting changed my life for the better, even if you weren’t sure what you were going to say or who would agree with you.

Your insecurities don’t matter. What does matter is what you did in spite of them and I thank you.

Thank you for the sense of community you fostered and gave me as an internal foundation to return to time and time again. You have been a great teacher to me, even if you don’t remember me and we pass unknowingly on the street today.

We have connected, you and I. And I am so very grateful!

Filed under NaBloPoMo, Random Thoughts

Tagged as dreams, gratitude, november, thanksgiving

November 6, 2012 · 8:18 am

Use Those Like And Share Buttons! #ItsFrustratingWhenYouDont – NaBloPoMo

Day 6 and we are well underway for the annual November NaBloPoMo.

I am cruising through, finding new interesting blogs and writers, new discussions to get involved with. It’s exciting, inspiring and then bang!

No like buttons. No share buttons. Nada. Zip. Again and again. Not even the standard blog like, much less the Facebook like. And don’t even get me started on hard-to-find RSS feeds. Hint: Make it easy to subscribe to your blog by any means that works best for me.

Bloggers! Use those social sharing buttons! Make it easy for other bloggers to fan your work, support you and help you along! Especially during NaBloPoMo!

And what I’m guessing is, if you don’t have easy ways for others to share your work, then it’s unlikely you are very involved with sharing the work of others either. And that’s not how this social stuff works. So, come on. It’s not hard. Just take the time and do it! Share and be shared!

And I’m not saying you should share anything you don’t really like. More on that later….

Don’t know how to add buttons?

Well, the first place I’d send you to learn how to add buttons to your particular blog will be the forums for your blog’s platform. The information in those user forums will likely be the most accurate, helpful and up to date.

However, here are a few articles to help:

Facebook “like” buttons for Blogger blogs: http://www.bloggerplugins.org/2010/04/facebook-like-button-for-blogger.html

“Share” buttons for Blogger: http://maketecheasier.com/add-share-buttons-to-blogger/2011/05/26

More instructions for “share” buttons on Blogger: http://www.digitalkonline.com/blog/bid/54870/How-to-Add-Social-Media-Sharing-Buttons-to-your-Blogger-Posts

Facebook “like” buttons for Wordpress blogs: http://mashable.com/2010/05/07/wordpress-facebook-like-buttons/

“Share” buttons for WordPress.com blogs: http://jamal919en.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/how-to-add-share-buttons-in-your-wordpress-com-blog/

“Share” buttons for WordPress.org blogs: http://tripozia.blogspot.com/2012/08/adding-stylish-share-buttons-to-your.html

iFrame and JavaScript help: http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/04/adding-facebook-like-buttons-to-your-site-is-damn-easy/

Adding social sharing buttons in general: http://mashable.com/2011/03/11/add-social-sharing-buttons/

You might be wondering why I didn’t hide all those links above?

Well, as a courtesy, it’s nice sometimes when you’re sending folks to a bunch of links to let them see the links first so they can decide if they are safe or not. I tried to pick pretty mainstream links, but by posting them, you can see the names of the sites outright.

If you have more helpful links to add to the list, share them in the comments below!

Filed under NaBloPoMo

November 5, 2012 · 11:09 pm

I Need Better Routines – NaBloPoMo

As we draw closer to the official sale of our home and then the purchase of our new home, I am star-struck by the chaos of it all, in a deer-in-the-headlights sort of way.

And realize, I need better routines.

Why? Because the ones I had before all this *change* have not stood up to the test of anomalies in my life.

After a couple of unpredictable hurdles, my routines have weakened and some even fallen by the way side. Which means they’re less help anymore.

Good routines and habits are the way to sanity for me and for many high-performing folks. Some of my friends try to refer to me as organized. But I know that’s not quite true. I’m not as organized as it is that I constantly seek organization. I am in constant pursuit of it; continually studying to find a better way.

Why? Because I haven’t found it yet. And because without a good sense of direction, I waffle in the wind. And I have trouble remembering things. Habits help me get stuff done so I don’t have to remember anymore. It just happens. Routines help me do more than the average bear. All the pursuit and studying means I have lots of ideas I can share to help others, but not that I’ve found the perfect balance personally.

For now, I find myself finishing many anomalous deeds, but also in need of adding others to my already full schedule. But when ever I pick up a ball here or there to add to my juggling act, it seems a few must be dropped to wait on the ground.

So I need to slow down and meditate for a bit on the matter.

To let myself visualize the parts of my days, weeks, and the hats that I wear in life.

To imagine how the pieces can fit together again, only this time with the new pieces flung into the mix.

There are times I think a 3D computer model might actually be useful to map out facets and aspects, and help me write a new program for my day.

There are only so many waking hours. And today I gave several away to others without return.

Having time for others is important, but where do you give and when?

I am beginning to wonder if I should have taken some “vacation” time off from some of my usual duties while handling such larger than life changes.

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as nablopomo, routines

November 4, 2012 · 11:10 am

The Courtship Behind Successful Blogging – NaBloPoMo

“People are watching you, whether you realize it or not. The question is: what are you showing them?” ~ Jeff Goins

You can’t love blogging and not love communication. If you’re going to blog, you have to embrace the fact that you are entering a world of fluid conversation and community. Neither of those aspects work too well without a sense of relationship.

There are different types of successful blogs and the relationships behind their success. Blogging for larger businesses is of course different from blogging for individuals.

If you subscribe to a blog owned by a company, it is likely you do so because you like what they have to sell and perhaps want to know when they have new information, releases or sales, etc.. And as a reader/fan, you likely hope the said business will listen to your opinion when you comment.

It behooves the business to communicate directly with their customers. You are, after all, their greatest asset, the established customer. If they want to keep you as a customer, then they should invest in your experience.

When you are an individual, the relationship takes on a more personal pitch. And make no mistake, successful blogging is about developing a successful relationship. To create a successful relationship with readers, as with any kind of relationship, your blog must court.

There are of course all kinds of relationships in the world. The relationship between life-partners, between co-workers, between mother and child and best friends. They all have variations on their rules. But they all have a period of getting to know each other.

What are you going to say and how?

Successful blogging is a casual communication skill that rides a balance somewhere between traditional writing skills and effective public performance, whether we’re talking about public speaking, or something less stuffy like the art of story-telling.

So what experiences are your readers having?

If blogging is a conversation, do you do all the talking? Or do you listen too? If blogging is about community, how do you fit in? Are you an active and contributing member? Or are you the quiet one in the corner who never gets involved or helps with anything? Or worse yet, the arm-chair warrior who always complains, but never has anything to positive to give? Or the pyramid scheme salesman of the family?

If blogging is like a performance, what is your purpose? What information and message are you trying to get across? And can you keep it succinct? What emotions and experience do you wish to invoke? What memories will your reader walk away with?

If blogging is a courtship, what kind of date are you? Always talking about yourself? The gossip? Or concerned with things that don’t matter much to anyone else? Are you careful about your appearance, manners, behavior? Are you articulate and a good conversationalist? Or are you shy and hope someone else makes the first move and then feel disappointed when things don’t turn out as envisioned?

And most of all, are you true to yourself? (Don’t be a fake.)

If a blog was the perfect date (or best friend), what attributes would it have?

As you ponder on these things, here’s an interesting article I found about the value of blogs vs. traditional print in science.

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as blogging, BlogHer, courtship, nablopomo, readers, writing

November 3, 2012 · 6:48 pm

Blogging – What’s In It For You? – NaBloPoMo

Are You Getting The Most Out Of The Experience?

Yesterday’s post stimulated some serious thought on my part about the whole blogosphere experience. Those of us who are really into the social media experience across several platforms and genres tend to have an innate finger on the pulse of the culture and reasons (both spoken and unspoken) behind the relatively new universe of blogging. After all, it’s a new frontier that’s barely about 13 years old, the same age as my son.

But what about you? Why blog? What’s your specific purpose? What’s the point?

It’s within our human make-up to have purposes behind the actions we take, the experiences that we choose, even the things we ignore or pass by.

So if you’re going to blog, what’s in it for you? What do you get out of it? Do you blog for yourself, writing what you want? Or do you blog for others, trying to write what readers want?

What is your vision? What are your goals? Fun? Education? Controversy? A writing exercise? A journal? A journey? To make friends? Network? Sell your products? Find yourself? Stave off boredom? A place to whine? A creative expression? Humor? What?

Do you expect visitors? Do you simply fling words out to the Universe at large, hoping they might come back to you in some new form? Or do you blog to find your voice?

Why do you do it?

Because…
it seems to me that if you’re going to blog…
if you decided you wanted to jump into this world…
then you must have at some level hoped you would connect with others.

Whether your purpose is kinship or contention, somewhere you probably wished, or expected, that your words might be read…
that those words might actually impact someone…
somewhere out there.

And no matter your purpose, no matter what you think you might get out of it personally, content and delivery is what will determine whether your words are ever really heard. Yet to be successful, you must have the former to go with the latter.

Some thoughts to ponder until tomorrow….

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as blogging, what is the purpose of blogging

November 2, 2012 · 11:23 pm

Writing Prompts Bite – NaBloPoMo

It’s NaBloPoMo time of year again. National Blog Posting Month. That month of November for writing that is so near and dear to my heart.

Yes, that’s right, I’m going to plague you every single day for the month of November – already.

And I have less of an action plan ready than I did last year, but I don’t care. I’ma doing it.

I didn’t want to use November 1st as the obligatory announcement. That’s so last year, and the year before and, well you get it. How interesting is that? The whole world of NaBloPoMo all writing to let everyone know this is it. The big month, the time of year we all look forward to. Just how many posts like that can you read? And just how much can you tell about a writer from that?

Still, here I am, day two and what. I’ve got nothing. No ideas. I’m tired, it’s Friday and I haven’t had an interesting idea all day that doesn’t require a couple of hours of research. (Darn it Julia, you’re doing it again!)

So I head over to check out prompts. What can I write about that isn’t researched or journalistic but still interesting, or entertaining.

I use NaBloPoMo as a writing exercise to write. That’s what it is to me. A chance to push my skills and make the commitment. A pledge to annual training. A tribute to my readers. An exercise in intelligent discussion. A step into a bolder me, because it ain’t no exercise for sissies. AND it’s FUN.

And today’s prompt? “Where would you like to live?”

Seriously…?

I can’t. I just can’t. That’s like my second grade paper.

And so I looked over the other prompts, which were just as boring as the first. Who wants to read that? Um, ‘cuz hey, I like NaBloPoMo because it’s fun and creative. And creativity wasn’t even slightly provoked in those questions.

I want to know more. I want to know the story behind the story.

I want to know, what’s the first thing you think of when you see the color blue and why?

I want to know, if you sat by the railroad tracks nearest to your home, what birds you might see?

I want to know, what food in your life has had the most impact upon you and how?

I want to know what it was like to hold your first grandchild?

I want to see things not just from a different angle, but from your mind.

Why do you write? And why should I read?

I want to notice you.

Make me.

6 Comments

Filed under NaBloPoMo

Tagged as blogging, nablopomo, writing prompts

September 13, 2012 · 8:38 am

I realize my life is more interesting, but you still need to get one of your own…

Ever have one of those lives….?

“Is there anything you don’t do?”

These are the words I have heard over and over again the last couple of months, from completely unrelated directions. From folks who do not even know each other. Whether it’s the crochet hooks I carve, the piano tools in my truck, the two-week gluten-free paleo meal plan I wrote, the charities I support, the new kids’ robotics group I’ve embraced, the books I’m writing or the tech event I’m going to help the host with – these words have recently popped up everywhere. And I’m not even touching on all the mom hats in my life.

I can make one of these for you if you like it. $1.50, free shipping and my thanks!

On the one hand, the question is a bit confusing and absurd. Of course there’s plenty I don’t do. What kind of question is that? Wait, am I supposed to answer that? Still, the repetition from all directions was getting my attention. And I had to work hard not to suddenly stare at the speakers when the words popped out of their mouths, as if I was caught on the set of Twilight Zone or Doctor Who (oh if only).

So the question has been repeating in my life and now inside my head. “Is there anything you don’t do?”

The words were expressed each time with amazement and shared as a compliment. Which I found a bit embarrassing with each broken-record-exact-quote-repeat. I nearly found myself ducking, as if catching some ball out of the corner of my eye that had been chucked at my head. Yaaaaahhhhhhh…….! Where’d that come from? I didn’t say anything to warrant the statement. It came out of no where.

Sure, I have a lot of interests and have done a lot of things. A lot of people have. And I’m a pretty open person. But I don’t generally tend to talk about every facet of my life, except as it relates to someone or a conversation. Maybe if you ask a question or get to know me, but there’s no need to talk about unrelated facets when we’re trying to get something done. It’s just not logical to do that.

The only exception is really this blog, where I tend to write about whatever crosses my brain and the keyboard at the same time. Sometimes it’s analysis I find interesting, want to record and think others might enjoy. And sometimes it’s simply analysis that I myself am in need of, and work out in writing. Sometimes I’m even experimenting or actively exercising my writing skills. It’s a blog. It’s fluid like that.

Still there was no logical reason, not even from my own behavior, to warrant the repeated question. These people don’t even read my blog that I’m aware of. But I find that when the Universe repeatedly throws something in your lap, especially from seemingly unrelated directions, perhaps it’s begging a second look. What are you hounding me for Universe?

And I’ve begun to wonder – what is it that I don’t do?

I mentioned this repeated message to an acquaintance a couple weeks ago. They suggested that perhaps what I’m not doing is getting rest and taking care of myself. That I’m doing too much and not saying no enough. This is not too unlike a conversation a good friend of mine and I had about 8 years ago. About how when people are so amazed at your super-human ability to accomplish and handle so much, that it probably should be a sign of being out of balance and how it’s not healthy, nor necessarily something to be proud of. That no one is meant to keep up that kind of pace and not pay a dear price. If you care about your kids and family, pace yourself and invest in your quality of life so you can stick around and be a good parent and mate, not a crabby-cranky-exhausted-sick one.

Truthfully, I must admit that I’m not sleeping enough this week since the kids went back to school and because I’ve stayed up late to get work done. Even tonight I’ve been wrangling with cleaning up an audio file for hours. However, I also know in my heart that rest and downtime is not what this message is about. I’m pretty anal about that already. No one knows better than I the importance of pacing your life. It was one of my life’s biggest lessons and nearly cost me mine. I literally woke up one day and could not get up. Umm, been there done that, got that bat right between the eyes. And that’s not it this time.

So back to the question, only this time slower, with a grin, a twinkle and a sly tone…. What is it that I don’t do? Hmmmm….

The interesting thing is that though it took me by surprise and now has my attention, this experience does not feel like a warning. No… I’ve felt that warning before.

There are new things afoot in my life… This time it feels like an invitation.

And perhaps one to play a game I haven’t tried before.

Filed under Editorial, NaBloPoMo, Writing

December 3, 2011 · 11:07 pm

Six Business Points That Getting Stuck In The Snow Taught Me

Pretty evening view out the hotel window. The streets are iced.

Yesterday I attempted to get out on the snow-covered streets of Prescott, AZ to meet fellow yarnies at a coffee shop. Well, it didn’t go so well for me. And I learned a few things that can be applied to business as well as life.

1. Experts don’t always know what’s right for you. You are the only one who truly knows your background and circumstances. And it’s your job to know your reasonable limits. Locals I talked to were saying, “Oh, this snow is nothing. You can drive in it. No big deal!” However, the weather turned out to be not quite what even locals expected. In analysis, I think my problem was complicated by drought weathered tires and the fact that I have seen snow less times in my life than I have fingers. Meaning I have not really driven in real snow either. (We generally get ice if we get anything in Austin and everything shuts down – hence I don’t get out in it.) My tires seem to have good tread, but we had 6 weeks of over 100 degree weather this year in Austin and it probably doesn’t make it easy on the tires when it comes to maneuvering in snow, nor do I have 4-wheel drive.

After scraping some of the snow off. It was at least 3 inches.

Though several people seemed OK out there driving, there were people like me having trouble. On my way back there was even a van that had once been behind me, flipped on its side from trying to make it up a hill. A local driver with more experience and better equipment might truly have been fine driving out there, but I should have thought better and not gone out in the weather.

2. Things are not always as they seem, but with a little pause and think, you can likely figure it out. Folks crammed into the downtown area of Prescott for the parade and other Christmas activities this weekend. Lots of families. After all, Prescott is Arizona’s “Christmas City.” It took quite awhile to get out of the hotel parking lot because of all the parade goers. Or so I thought until I saw the main road. Perhaps the amount of traffic in the hotel/shopping center parking lot should have been a clue that traffic on the main road wasn’t normal. If I had stopped to figure out that piece of information, my decision process would have been much different.

3. There is no shame in letting others know when you need help. Getting unstuck requires space to work. People can’t help you or give you the space you need on your own without knowing something is up in the first place. I had worked my way out on the roads and got maybe a mile down the way before I realized that I didn’t have a lot of visibility and that I was having some trouble with the slick roads after all. With a white truck, I knew that other drivers might not realize that I could not drive as well as they could in the snow, that my vehicle would not be as visible and it definitely did not have a very good turning radius. As a result, it was possible that others might not give me the room needed should my truck fishtail or should my u-turn not work out as well as I hoped. I threw on my hazards and looked for a safe place with enough space to safely turn around. I couldn’t find any at first. Finally I pulled into the snow-filled middle turn lane for a left turn into a parking lot that looked big enough to turn around in. Which is where I got stuck.

4. You are not committed to an action if the follow-through turns out not to be in your best interest, or not in the best interest of others. Do not force what will not likely work, especially when the environment of the game has changed.
In the end, you must preserve yourself and others. I had pulled into the center snow filled lane thinking it would have more traction and that I could just make a u-turn and head right back the way I came. This seems logical under normal driving conditions, but here I got stuck. I attempted a few times to continue to make that u-turn, but physics proved that it was not going to work for me as long as traffic continued the way it was. I was too stuck and my truck was starting to drift in a circle. I might have been fine should I have been the only person on the road. As it was, though it seemed logical, my initial idea was too risky and would put both my life and the lives of others in danger. My goal to get home safely had not changed, but I needed a new course of action.

5. Baby steps are the backbone of any successful outcome. Keep the end goal in mind, but focus on the NOW. Getting unstuck from any situation requires focus and patience. Drop your main attention from the desired results to the immediate steps necessary. My end goal was to get back safely to my hotel. I even had a comforting picture in my head of sitting in front of the fire with hot tea and relaxing. Oh how I wanted to be there right then! However, my main focus needed to be on the first problem, getting unstuck from the ice and out of the center lane with traffic coming at me from both directions. If any cars around me started to skid, I was a sitting duck.

First baby step, get out of that spot. The road finally cleared in both directions enough so that I could slip and slide my way back into the lane I came from without mishap. I was finally moving, and that baby step was solved. However, it put me still going (slowly) in the wrong direction. Next baby step, change lanes and find a well-traveled road I could turn onto so I can hopefully work my way around a loop to come back. Baby Goal: avoid stopping since I seem to get stuck when I do. Other baby steps towards getting home safely were also required. Stay away from pedestrians (I marveled at the amount of people walking around cars that are slip-sliding in the ice) and be still if they come near you. Keep a slow steady pace. Start braking half a block away from stop lights and flash your brakes so those around you can see you and compensate in case you skid. Keep the hazards on. Focus on the right now, so you can get to the future. Be patient. Work cooperatively with traffic, knowing everyone else is also having to focus on their baby steps. Roll down your window, be friendly and let others know that your next move depends on them moving first. They might not realize the situation, so it’s not a bad thing to let them know. And do not try to turn into a parking space surrounded by pedestrians and cars when your truck obviously won’t take the turns under these circumstances. While you’re at it, pray for everyone.

Eventually, all these things inevitably led to me to the driveway at my hotel, which at an incline had me stuck again for a bit, and then on into a parking space way in the back of the lot. I may have had to walk a ways, but I didn’t mind, because it allowed me to park safely. I’ve been in a horrible car wreck that I was lucky to walk away from. And I spent over a year in physical therapy regaining strength in my left arm and hand as a result + years of pain. I’ve worked hard, overcome a lot and never want to repeat that experience, for me or for anyone else. I feel blessed.

6. Fear (not panic) is a motivator that can keep you alert and clear the mind. However, STRESS requires a lot of energy and recovery time. Allow for the reboot when there’s stress. After I got back, I realized my goal and relaxed by that fire with some crochet and tea for a bit. However, after a short while, I had to head upstairs before completely passing out from the intensity of the day. I didn’t lay down for long, since we needed to meet friends for dinner and would be walking, but the bit did wonders for helping me finish out my day.

Not bad for a life lesson, huh? Goes to show, lessons can be drawn from even the mundane, and all experiences have value. Y’all stay safe out there and Happy December!