Day 6 Of The Blogoversary---No, Say It Isn't So.

Day 6 of Shake It Shake It--I'm going to miss this lady

Awwwww...Say It Ain't so...Say It Ain't So...Day 6 of blogoversary week. 

Thank you ALL for being here, you made this so much fun.

During this week of truly celebrating how amazing blogging has been in my life, I have decided to use this time to introduce a new weekly series here:

"Get To Know" Thursdays.

This Thursday series will be about the people I've met, that bring the funny.

Humor is necessary in my life. I've blogged, here and there--no real details, on the importance of laughter to me, and to my home. I may depend on it more than most, I know this. It's why I keep the PPD button up on my site.

Humor, to me, is more than just telling a joke. It eases my day, it takes the edge off of a tense situation, it builds intimacy like that, it stimulates, it relaxes, and makes me feel at peace--all at the same time.

I am drawn to funny people, and feel an instant kinship with them.

There is a release, and a relief, with humor. When you are barely hanging on, because of life's battles, there is humor, to provide you the respite you need. Sometimes, you just need a 3 minute break from it all. Just a mini vacation.

My love, for the people, that can clear my mind from the grey clouds, even if only for the time that I'm there, is why I've decided to start "Get To Know Thursdays."

The very first blogger in this series is FranceRants. I met France, through a tweet from Ann Imig, where she invited us to follow France. I clicked over, read this post, and became a follower.

The next week, I read this, and became a regular.

I hopped around, and then did decaf coffee spits ups  to these fave posts of hers:

Silent Birth Rant.   Ohmygosh. Do you love to laugh out loud? I do. And I was slapping my knee on this one. I know, I know, I'm a dork that slaps my knee when something is funny. But, this take on Kelly Preston's silent birth story killed me.

Then, there was France's Sandra Lee Rant. How she describes what her niche would be on The Food Network Channel is one smartass sentence after another. I knew I liked this woman, no doubt, after this post.


Her latest post, is previewed here:   Meditation Rant

How did a lesson in meditation get me kicked out of a 60^th birthday party?

Well, let me tell you…

In the summer of 2010, I had the unexpected opportunity to get a free meditation lesson by a trained professional.  It happened at my neighbor Evelyn's 4^th of July party, where I met a couple that were another neighbor's friends from way back when.  Harmony and Ziggy (all names in this story have been changed mostly to protect me) were from Northern California and were the free loving hippie type, which is exactly what I'm not.

Their hippiness attracted me, so I approached Harmony and Ziggy and began bombarding them with questions (Are your shoes made from hemp?  Do you shave your armpits?  Is that a henna tattoo on your leg, or is it just dirt because you don't bathe often in effort to save water?).  Not only did Harmony and Ziggy tolerate me, they actually continued to talk to me and soon we were in a discussion regarding spirituality and meditation.  They revealed their thoughts on spirituality (Which, I still have no idea what they were talking about) and I revealed that I had just tried to read a book by Thich Nhat Hanh to learn more about meditation but only made it to the third paragraph.  [continued here ........ ]

You MUST  get to know FranceRants.

Seeing as we're all friends here, and confessing our humor dependencies and all.

Thank you, France, for kicking off the new and only series here, "Get To Know Her Thursdays."

Now, go, visit France, and finish up her Meditation Rant....
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Only 2 days left of the Blogoversary Week. Yet to come: THE giveaway, and a nice little cherry on top of this wonderful sundae week, on Saturday. A sundae, even though it's Saturday. It's Okay.

THANK YOU, for being here. You don't know what it's meant.

Off with ye now, to France's...

 
love you guys, xo

Blogoversary Day 5: The Week's Going Too Fast!

Shake it--Shake it, it's Day 5 of the Blogoversary

Thank you, to all of you, for visiting yesterday at Kel's Place, MomGotBlog, as Kel helped me celebrate the blogoversary week, with my first interview. It was so fun to answer questions and to give my opinion like a woman to be dealt with. I was into that.

This blogoversary week is going so fast: we still have a new weekly feature to announce, and a giveaway!! BUT, for today, I want to spotlight my First Followers.

My First Followers: they made me jump out of my chair when I saw I had ONE follower. Then, when I had TWO. Oh, there are few things more exciting to a new blogger than getting her first followers.

This blog was born under a lucky sign, because these two women who were my first followers, didn't just click the follow button, and bye-bye. They were my only visitors for the whole month of March. If they missed any posts, they'd go back day by day, and leave me comments under every single post they had missed.

I remember waking up one snowy, Saturday morning, opening up the computer and seeing SEVEN comments awaiting me. My lovely first followers had left me comments for every single post they missed.

How did they know I needed that? How did they know that would keep me going? I know I've never been able to keep up on any new blogger's site like that. I'm sorry that I haven't, because the joy these two women brought me for the entire month of March...I just can't explain with words.

We all say we'd blog even if no one came to read. Yes, that may be true, but blogging is so much more fun, when you have someone who makes you feel as if your posts are not just going to the wind.

Here are the introductions, to my lovely first followers, who remain loyal to me to this day, and I to them:

My Very First Follower:  Shari, from Earth Mother Just Means I'm Dusty.

I discovered Shari 's blog  on  a morning in January, with a post she had up on being awakened by her pug's collar, that had become entangled in her glorious red hair during the night (don't ask), as he leapt out of her bed and tore down the hallway, her hair flying along with him. She lost half a head of hair that morning. I came back every day, and clearly, this was a woman who was not out to impress. She wrote of all her mothering faux pas, and of not being able to find a clean glass in her kitchen if her mother's life depended on it. She.Was.Fabulous.

I shyly left her a comment--I think I asked her to marry me. She EMAILED me back, and told me she was packing her bags and could I be waiting at the airport with a Starbucks, please?

Then--bing--I had my first follower! Shari was following me. And she stayed faithful through the first lonely months of blogging.

This kind, kind woman...let me tell you, you can't imagine my surprise, when I came to see her name elsewhere. This woman, obviously, had other things to do. But she kept on visiting, and leaving me comments.

I found out, months later, that this kind stranger had read for the part that went to Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. Yes. And I further found out that this woman is a comedic playwright, and a 2006 Telly award winner. The list of her accomplishments goes on. I knew none of this, and now that I do, I am humbled by her kindness toward me.

Her blog is one of humor, love for her children, husband, and pugs, and is dedicated to the Almost-Fabulous. Shari also writes for MommyPoppins, and MomInTheCity, among many others. Ah, Shari, the DustyEarthMother.

Oh--and this is good--she also accidentally has her mother, Mama Rose, following me.

I adore you, Shari, and this post of thanks is LONG overdue. Thank You.

My Second Follower: Again, how fortunate can one blogger be? My second follower is the one of a kind, sensational, Naomi of Organic Motherhood with CoolWhip.  I met Naomi, before I had a blog. She encouraged me to begin one. Over and over, she'd encourage me to just start one. But I compared myself to her, and thought, "I can never do what this woman does."

I had followed Naomi over from a post I had read on mamapedia. I was so charmed by her honesty as she wrote of her failings on a playdate, as she tried too hard to make friends. How wonderful, to read someone not pretending that everything they did was perfect.  Instant admiration, on my part. I was so taken in with her, that I continued to visit her every day. When I finally did decide to start my own blog, I wrote one of my very first posts--when I was a week old--on this new blogger I had found, Naomi. 

Naomi's posts are filled with honest recounting of the transition to motherhood, as she raises her young children. She writes of mothering, of marriage, and finding friends when you're a mother. She does this all with a fantastic wit, and makes you laugh at the absurdness with which you sometimes can find yourself in. I love her.

As time went on, just as in Dusty Earth Mother's case, I found out what a marvel Naomi was.That she had continued to leave me comments, when she was a very busy woman: she is a published author, a contributing writer at many sources, and involved with teaching children's classes. Currently, she is the voice of  Baby Lucha, at SheKnows. 

How did Naomi, and Shari, find the time??

They just did.

Which is why, today, is dedicated to Earth Mother Just Means I'm Dusty and Organic Motherhood with CoolWhip.   My first followers.

You both changed my blogging life. Thank you.




MORAL OF THE STORY: Be ye kind, leavest the Comment Love.  Especially to the wobbly-legged newbies.
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Blogoversary Day 4: My First Interview

Hello! I'm so glad to see you here today, for Day 4, of Blogoversary Week. I am really enjoying all the recapping, and the firsts, and the celebrating, of one year of blogging.

I've written before of the love I have for the people and readers and commenters I've met through this blog. Blogging has provided incredible opportunities in this way.

It really is the most fascinating thing about blogging, after having a place to write. There is no way to write enough about how much I have enjoyed meeting all the people that I've met.

One of the amazing people I have met is Kel, of MomGotBlog. I don't remember how, through some rabbithole, I'm sure. If you're new to her, you'll become a regular:

Kel came up with a great idea of having me do My First Interview and be featured as the Blogger Of The Month, at her place, MomGotBlog.

Talking about myself? My face up all MONTH? Who doesn't like that? Sign me up.


MomGotBlog is also MomGotFood, and MomGotGame, where she writes on her main passions: life, food, sports (SHE SPEEDSKATES!) coffee, wine, and O.P.I. nail polish (you love her already, don't you?)  

Please stop over today at Kel's lovely newly designed site: MomGotBlog, find out a bit more about me, and about Kel.
After all, it is STILL blogoversary week

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Comments Closed: Please come say Hello at MomGotBlog.  THANK YOU! See You for Day 5 tomorrow! xo  Thank you, Kel, I am so very flattered, honored, and happy to be your choice for Blogger of The Month. Truly.

Blogoversary Day 3

Day 3 of The Blogoversary

So happy to have you here today, for Day 3 of the week-long blogoversary celebration!

Thank You, for celebrating along with me.

You all know how to make things fun--and this blog is here one year later, because of your kind visits. So, honestly--thank you.

It's Monday, and Mondays are the day that our son, Baby Emperor, aka "Baby E," gets to vent, and post, on this blog.  Believe me, he waits for this day, and writes furiously in his journal on a daily basis, in anticipation of Monday Baby E Post Day.

Today, we are running Baby E's first post. It originally went up, at no planning of my own, but at his request. He was tired of me always blogging about him, and he--in the meantime, having no chance for his say.

We ran his ventpost, and received many, many requests to feature more "Baby E." We decided to give Baby E Mondays, and he's been posting on Mondays since.

Here's what he had to say, that first Monday of his, when we began with "Baby E Speaks:"

Me and My Mom at Lego Discovery World in Chicago

Our youngest, Baby Emperor aka Baby E., has just put his foot down.

For the past two months, since I began this blog, it seems to him, that whenever he speaks I RUN and grab one of the blog tickler notebooks I have stashed all over the house, in anticipation of ...well..blog fodder. He has noticed this.

In my defense, the boy doles it out continuously. Today, finally, he has declared his limit. After an incident this morning, he saw me running for the notebook in the laundry room. I heard him shout after me, "Don't put that in your blog, either!"

So, in all fairness, it is his turn to turn the tables today. He speaks, he dishes out the dirt, he airs the dirty laundry.

Here is all the scoop that Baby E finally gets to voice. It's His Turn....buckle your seatbelts and put up the lap tray...

I swear to type the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as dictated to me by Baby E: I am his fingers:

"Mom has a crazy chocolate problem. I have to stop her from getting any in stores. Like The Chocolate Factory place here...she wanted to buy a little paper bag there for 6 dollars. She'd eat worms if they were covered in chocolate. She is crazy. Well, not really crazy, but pretty crazy.

She also likes coffee. Like another crazy problem. She always has it. 24/7. I have to stop her all the time from her friends inviting her. Well, she doesn't like tea, though. Yeah...not so crazy...but pretty crazy.

She always runs away from librarians. (whispering: Mom, can I tell the part about why?) OK. This is the part about why: cause she always has late fines cause she didn't finish the book on time and she has to finish. So she hides in the car and I have to go in the library for her. Well, see, for instance, yesterday I was walking out of the library and I happened to have a librarian walking out with me, and Mom practically stomped on the gas when she saw me walk out with the librarian. When I got in the car, I heard lots of deep breathing and like, so, ummm...she sends me in to do her dirty work.

She fights with people at the bank (whispering: can I tell the part about the bank thing?) OK. Here's the bank thing that happened yesterday. I was sitting down reading books at the bank, and all of a sudden I heard this, "Nuh-uh " "Yuh-huh" "But this is supposed to be a free bank!"
And I went over and heard mom say "what do you mean you won't put in a check cause it's from a different country??" and something like that.

She calls BuildaBear "BuildaBear then try and pay your mortgage." She says I have to say that comes from one of her favorite comedians in the world,  Jessica Bern. Jessica Bern is funny. My mom laughs out loud with her and then says," you can't read this one."

My mom is awesome. She is funny. We laugh. She loves me. She makes me do school. I don't like the math part.

I'm done, mom. Can I please have lunch now? I really wanna have lunch now. Like really now. Like I need to...dying of starvation. dying. really dying this time. Don't make it late like you did yesterday, either."


*Score. Tied. EVEN.*

"Mom! Lunch!"

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Thanks for being here today. Later this week: lessons from a first year, my first interview,  a surprise weekly feature introduction AND a giveaway!!! Oh, only 7 days...will we make it??

Shake It -- Shake It Like It's A Blogoversary

Day 2 of Shake It Like It's Your Blogoversary

Hey, so good to see you here on Day 2 of the celebration week of this blog's 1 year anniversary.

It was beyond sweet and wonderful to read your comments from yesterday. Thank you.

I'm printing that stuff OUT and folding it up nice and tight and carrying it with me in my breast pocket to pull out and read whenever anyone tries to tell me I'm NOT all that.  Like at the post office. Oh, yes, I am--all that, and pulling it out.

I might just laminate it, too, and tape it to my dashboard. Yes. That would be cool.


Today, during weekaversary, I am celebrating my very first guest post. It was for  LOL., and ran on April 23, 2010. I WAS SO PROUD.

The post was called, "Hasten, Children, The Hour is Nigh," and I had SO MUCH fun writing it. Here it is:

Me: “Children, 'tis morning! get thee down, do not be as fools!”

2nd Oldest: “What is she talking about now?”

Oldest:  *sigh* I think she wants us up and downstairs for breakfast.”

Baby E: “Do we have to come down already, Mom?”

Me: “Hast thou not heard my words? Do ye not hear? That I have had need to raise my voice to you, yet you have not quickened your step? You think that all is well, but I have asked you to complete the task assigned unto you—and yet it is to be seen!”

Oldest: “Alright, Mom, we’re coming down….but we have off today, and all week, remember?”

Me: “Off? It is slovenliness! You speak of slovenliness! I have not languished in my bed, and yet I am renewed of strength and spirit! I strike while the hour is present, I have shown you this ten times by ten times, so you may see it as truth. But you still have no faith in my ways!”

Baby E: "Mom, I don’t want to have breakfast now. I want to just stay upstairs and play with my Legos for awhile first. We're off, Mom.”

Me: “Laughter? Play? You shall hear neither until our tasks are done on this day. And when your stomach cramps with hunger, then where shall you look for what was once laid before you? No, child, no, I warn you to be careful of which master you choose to serve.”

2nd Oldest: “We’d better go downstairs, I know her.... she won’t stop.”

Me: “Do my sons refuse their mother? Is it because I am a simple woman? Is it because I do not strike fear in your heart? No, it is not fear that I want you to act upon, but love….yes! love, for what else is there for me to give? Children, come, come! That I may quench thy thirst, and warm your bellies with that which I have labored to set before you.”

2nd Oldest: “*sigh* Don’t tell me, let me guess, Mom’s been staying up late watching The Ten Commandments again.”

Oldest: “Yup. Easter time.”

Me: “Come, my oldest, for my love for you is stronger than any fierce wrath which you may have, O my teenage son. Come to me, all my sons, arise! to greet a day, let us go forth, let the trumpets sound! and let us surrender our hearts to the treasures of a day of which we have never seen!
The Caravan awaits to take us to our journey. We must go with all speed!”

Baby E: “Does that mean we're supposed to get in the van? Guys?”
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I was so excited to be featured at my friend, Robin's, site, Laugh Out Loud. She was one of the very first bloggers I met. If you'd like to be part of the all star line-up of the best of the sit-down comedians at LOL, send your funny post or story to laffylady@gmail.com.  If you're featured, then you can proudly have the LOL button up on your blog, too.  I hope you try it.

See you tomorrow for more of weekaversary! And, thank you for being here with me this week, and celebrating. There'd be no party without you.