Tag: Blogger

Blogging Community

~ Denise ~ 6 Comments

A while back I posted about the topic of  Community.  I wrote about the community of friends that we have met while feeding the homeless in Finlay Park.  This community has touched our lives just as much as we have hoped to help them.  It is a community that continues to exist, some members entering and exiting based upon what season they are in their lives, not shrinking though, ever growing.  What a blessing to be a part of!

There is another community that continues to grow around me that I’ve been blessed with.  That is my blogging community, one that continually surprises me by the depth of writing, the humor, splendid photography, encouragement, words of wisdom and just plain fun!

I am still trying to find time have a regular schedule of posting at least twice a week.  Somehow, either my journal pages don’t make it to the “publish” button or I’m off doing something else.   Still trying.  I can get distracted.  (I blame it on the meds, or menopause, or both.)

Where was I going with this…..

Oh, now I remember…….

So, I was surprised the other day when Sue over at Letters to Rosa nominated me for the Sisterhood Award!  What a treat!

However, it reminded me that I had neglected to properly thank and follow the “necessary protocol” for the Versatile Blogger award that Patrecia (a.k.a) Miss Whiplash awarded me.  What a ninny I have been for being so lax!

Now, as I have mentioned before I can be “a little” OCD about things.  When I can’t complete a “necessary checklist”  to the “proper specifications” I can have the tendency to procrastinate sort of let it go if not careful.

I like to think I am getting wiser as I get older, (at least that is what I tell anyone who will listen to me) – so I am not looking for the “necessary checklist” for the Versatile Blogger award and am just using the one for the Sisterhood Award, thus making the following changes:

Tell 7 things about yourself, nominate/recommend 7 bloggers.

Here are 7 bloggers to check out:

1.  I’m nominating Miss Whiplash for the Sisterhood Award.  Her blog title says it all “I’ve Been Thinking About“.  I like that so much that it is hard not to “borrow” it as a post title on a regular basis!  What a treat to read her posts!  She was one of the first bloggers that I really started following, and I’ve never been disappointed.

2 & 3.   I’m nominating Sue for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I’ve just recently started following her blogs.  She has two!  Check them both out, particularly if you like tails from Vermont and stories from family history.  You can find her at SueBahr.com and Letters to Rosa.

4.  Want to travel to far off places?  Have visual treats of color presented to you?  Stop by A Word in Your Ear and see what the Skinnywench has to show you!

5.  Need more?  Visit Patrick Latter Photographer at Canadian Hiking Photography for more gorgeous shots.

6.  A new blog I’ve started following is Being Fifty-Something.  If Sheryl didn’t have me at the title, she sure had me hooked at her “Why?” page.  But, I mean “Being Fifty-Something?”, is that not appropriate for me? (snort).  I’m nominating her for the Versatile Blogger Award.

7.  For some new bloggers on the scene I’m nominating Carmen and Grace for the Sisterhood Award.  They blog about sweet things…cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and books!  They are teaching the community that reading can be sweet.  You can find them at Reading & Sweeting.

If you want to check out more blogs, you can always check out my page; Bloggers I Follow.  I try to add to them as I add people that I follow.  There is no order of preference, just generally the order I started following them.

Now, for the 7 things about myself, in case you were wondering about all that…..

1.  I had Amish neighbors growing up.  When I was a child there was a sweet Amish lady named Lydia that help my Mom and even went with us on some of our family trips to Maine.

2.  My Great Grandmother taught me to play the piano when I was 5 on her upright piano.  I still remember the last song she taught me before she died.

3.  I have the piano stool from that upright piano.  My butt sits on it almost everyday at my vanity table.

4.  I almost drowned in our family pool pretending to be a mermaid.

5.  My favorite flowers are tulips, followed closely by lily of the valley.  Guess what my favorite Season is?

6.  My Mother wanted to call me Wendy, but my Dad thought I could get the nickname “Windy” for talking too much.  They chose Denise instead.  My school report cards had “talks too much” on them.   Apparently, the name selection didn’t effect the behavior.

7.  I like your comments.  I do, I really do.  I really appreciate all of you stopping by and reading and commenting on my blog!  Thanks for the encouragement!  I’ll try to answer questions left in comments in future posts or reply to your comments.  Thanks again!

Just Some Words?

~ Denise ~ 2 Comments

Compassion –  definition of compassion:  sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it

On Thursday I drafted a post (which I’m now glad I didn’t post) about a blog that I stumbled upon around a year.  My original draft included a link to the blog; fellow bloggers like ping-backs and the recognition.  I’ve decided against naming the blog because of their recent post which was put up and then removed.

This blogger writes about their life after losing their job and returning to living with their parents.  Some posts I find down right funny.  The posts are well written.  Some posts I find sad.  I can feel the writer’s pain.  Some posts I wonder, even if there is a fictional aspect to the material, how the blogger’s parents (particularly the Mother) would feel if she read the blog.  I guess it is because I am slightly older, okay, middle age, fine, in my mid-50’s and probably close to the blogger’s mother’s age than I’d like to think about.  There have been times when I’ve wondered how would I feel if I knew my children were saying things like that about me?  I would be very hurt.  It’s like I want to know the rest of the story, why do they act the way they do?

Sometimes the way the blogger makes fun of them is well, just plain mean.  But that is just what I think at times.  I often think of the expression “hurting people, hurt people”.

I noticed last night the blogger wrote a post that their parents found out about their blog.  The blogger is trying to produce a web series and a family member posted about it.  Surprise, their parents found out about it.   Their post said it was “weird” at the house and their parents weren’t talking to them.  There were about 7 comments from people saying things like “no big deal”, “what is the harm” “it is comedy” things along those lines.  I rarely comment on that blog.  I choose to yesterday.  I could feel the pain of all of them.  I wanted to help in some way.  I prayed for the right words.  Sometimes, I’m not sure if I “hear” right or if I’m just going off in my own direction.  I finally just sent this off with a prayer:

Comedy can be funny, or it can be mean and is left up to the reader to discern.  Only you know the intentions behind your words.  Only you can explain what you meant to your parents or they are left to their own assumptions.  Talk to them and it won’t be weird anymore.  Don’t worry they will still give you lots of material.  🙂

Words spoken in anger, and hurt can not be taken back and always have consequences.  Words are powerful and accountable.

…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. – Matt. 12:14-37

I think about words that I have spoken in anger and hurt over the course of my life, and will probably be guilty of doing again. How about those thoughts, or words in my head, left unspoken, but heard by God?  Sigh.  None of us are exempt.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:8

Thankfully, there is forgiveness and peace for all who seek it.

This blogger reminds me to keep a watch over my words.

Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:23-24

Thank you Jesus for forgiving me when I need it.  Thank you Jesus for all you have done for me/us.

I pray for Him to be known, really known in that family.  I pray for them to experience His peace.   My prayer is also for whomever reads this to experience His peace.