Blog Your Little Heart Out

I was asked recently how I find time to blog.  This may have been said in that jellyfish compliment kind of way---you know:  it sounds like a compliment, but it’s really a sting.  Similarly, another friend recently said, "Wow, Beth, you sure do read a lot of books, I just don't have time to read!"  I guess the jellyfish meaning here is they are busy taking care of their children or working a job or scrubbing their baseboards while I am cuddled up all day with my nose in a book and the pool boy, Paco, massaging my feet. Of course there is no Paco.  And I don't read during daylight either.

After the kids go to bed, I usually read instead of watching t.v.  Don’t ask me what’s going on with the Kardashians or who is Lost or who was eliminated on American Idol or Dancing With the Stars. But I can never say that to people because it sounds like I’m looking down my nose at those who watch t.v. 

Which I most definitely am not. 

I used to love t.v. before I got too old to stay up late.  Now I just want to crawl into bed as soon as the last prayer is said and the last lullaby is sung, and I usually just choose to read (on most nights except Thursday.  The Office and 30Rock—YOU ROCK!)

But I digress.

So anyway, it’s easy to blog.  First of all, if you’re interested in starting your own blog, look up in the top-right corner of my blog.  You can click on Create Blog and Blogspot will help you design a blog and get started.  That part is easy.

You will have to play around with it a little bit, and over time I’ve added things like the counter at the bottom of the page, pictures, Blogs I Follow, and so on.

Writing is fairly easy too.  I tend to get an idea in my head, and then I think through the idea while I’m mowing the lawn or showering or as a means of blocking out Jack’s constant chatter.  When I finally sit down to write, it’s when the kids are all in school or bed, and by then I’ve got my idea pretty well diagrammed out in my steel trap of a brain. 

What was I talking about again?

Hmmmmm. 

So then I type it all out.  I use Windows Live Writer to do my actual typing.  I downloaded it from somewhere when I got frustrated with Blogspot’s terrible picture downloading process (I hear they’ve fixed that now, but I still use Windows Live Writer).  Then I click on publish, and WLW transfers what I’ve posted to Blogspot. 

My friend Wendy recently started her own blog, (click here to see it) and it’s fabulous.  And I’m so jealous because she has actual Followers who type actual Comments at the end of her posts.  I have one Follower (thanks Stephanie!) and used to have another who I think pulled out of following me because she was embarrassed to be the only one willing to commit to my fledgling blog at the time (come back, Maria!)

If you would like to become a Follower, go to the top-left of this page and click on "Follow". I think you have to “follow” in order to “comment”, but once you become a Follower I’d love to have any input from anyone!

Well, good luck to you if you’re going to try blogging.  And let me know if you do, I’d love to follow you!