A Blog About Blogging (Multiple Subjects)

[loulizlee]

I am not a professional blogger or even a frequent one, but I enjoy expressing my opinion from time to time.  I was born many, many moons ago, so it has only been just about the last 10 years of my life that I have had any one-on-one contact with a computer.  I received an Associates Degree when I was almost 65; I still plan to work toward a Bachelors Degree.  I can envision myself walking across the stage, or being wheeled across the stage, to receive my diploma, trailing oxygen tubes and with Depends stuck in the sides of the wheelchair.  However, back to the discussion of blogging.  I remember embarrassing myself in a computer class by admitting that I had just figured out what FAQ meant.  It took me even longer to discover that "blog" was a short form for web log.  I was a nerd in high school, but back then there were no computer nerds.  There were nerds who wrote poems and short stories, which I did.  I'm not sure how much difference there is in blogging and writing stories and articles, except blogging gets to its audiences a lot faster.  There are many subjects I would like to write about, but I haven't decided what to begin with.  It may be political, but I am presently sick to death of the subject.  I have heard the politicians, journalists, hangers-on, and the man on the street postulate on things they really know nothing about.  I'm sure there is much I could learn, myself, but listening to talking heads and self-appointed experts has not really taught me much.  Maybe I can come up with something to write about or just write about writing.  I'll think about it.

[natashaspy]

congratulations on the accomplishments.  you're never too old to become computer savy...   i'm sure anything you decide to write about will be perfectly fine! good luck!

[vicogden]

It sounds to me like your blogging skills are great.  I enjoyed reading your mini-blog on here because of your sense of humor.  You definitely don't need any talking heads or self-proclaimed experts... I'm neither... happy blogging!

[bessie1111]

Congratulations on your accomplishments.  You are an inspiration.  It's awesome that you have gone back to school.  Best of luck and blessings to you.

[loulizlee]

Thank you for your generous compliments, folks.  And, vicogden, I was not referring to FC readers as being talking heads or self-proclaimed experts.  I was talking about those people on television and other news media who are so impressed with themselves that they go on and on, just to listen to the sound of their own voices.  I think our FC members may be smarter than all of them combined!  Anyway, I'm still thinking about subjects for blogs.  If you have any suggestions, let me know.

[loulizlee]

Future Bloggers

I have a four-year-old grandson who, I am sure, is a future blogger.  In other words, he knows everything  about everything.  He is an authority on the culinary arts.  His favorite sayings are, “Catsup makes everything taste better” and “Peanut butter is my favorite food.”   I also think he is possibly a future meteorologist.  The other day while he was visiting my husband and me, he took the foam packing out of some boxes delivered by UPS and ran through the house singing “I love, love, love snow” while crumbling the foam up into little pieces and throwing them all over the house.  As you can imagine, we are still working on cleaning that up.  But it was fun. 
On the other hand, he is already a huge gamer (no money involved, of course).  He started playing games online when he was two.  He has super rapid reflexes and is usually on the fourth or fifth move before I can figure out the first one.  I can definitely see him blogging about online games – or online anything.   His father is a computer analyst and has taught him a great deal about computers already.   I remember when he was two  he started playing “baby” games and was into car chases, etc., in no time.  He would sit up on his dad’s computer chair, his feet high up off the floor, and his little backside rocking back and forth (he never stays still) and use the keys on the computer to play the games.   
Of course, there may be new and different things that he can blog about by the time he is grown.  His imagination knows no bounds.  I am sure he can be what he wants to be.  I’m just a grandmother, you may say, but I’m his biggest fan.  And grandmothers know everything about everything, too. 

[loulizlee]

A modern fable (blog)

Once upon a time, long, long ago (I think it was at least three months ago) there was a man who lived in the deep, dark woods.  His name was Mr. McGruff.  He had very few friends.   Do you know why, children?  Because he was so gruff.   Every morning when he got up, he went to the front door and opened it.  If the sun was shining, he would slam the door shut.  However, if it was dark and damp and rainy, he would put on his extra gruffy face.  Then he wandered out into the deep, dark woods.  He looked around for something to do to fit his gruff, grumpy mood.  Around him he saw bunches of dead leaves, branches, and flowers.  He picked them up and put them inside his computer bag with his trusty computer and dictionary.  With a snarl and a grimace, he started out again to look for something else fun to do.  The problem was there weren’t enough dead leaves and tree branches to make him happy/mean.  (Boo, hoo, hoo)    One day, he wandered farther on until he got closer to the edge of the deep, dark woods.  He went around a huge, dark tree and walked right into a large field of colorful wild flowers.  They were so shiny and pretty they almost hurt his eyes.  He let out a huge, thundering scream.  He was so angry he jumped into the center of the flowers and began tromping them down – almost every one.  With a deep sigh of satisfaction (which sounded like a snarl), he thought, Now those flowers will know who is the king around here.  HA!  The next rainy day, he went out as usual to gather more dead leaves and plants and sometimes even a poison mushroom.  He decided to check the edge of the woods again, expecting to see nothing.  To his surprise, he saw more beautiful flowers growing.   He was furious!!  His red face gleamed and his black eyes shot darts.  He proceeded to destroy the flowers again.  He went home and his super-smart girlfriend met him at the door.  “What is wrong, McWonderful?”  (Her pet name for Mr. McGruff.  She tried to calm him as he told of his McVentures.  However, he was never able to completely destroy the beautiful flowers.  They always returned.

The moral of the story:  Good will always overcome evil, and if you are McGruff’s girlfriend, you will need more containers for you dead leaves and branches.

[loulizlee]

As I listened to TV journalists, talk show hosts, and innumerable political pundits shake, bake, and carve up the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, I wondered how one can really know a person just by what they say about themselves.  The candidates, as will most people, want to show the best front they possibly can.  It has always been that way; but, in recent years, political candidates have gravitated to the position that they must win by any means, including bringing out the worst of the other candidate's behavior, as far back in history as they can find.  It makes me wonder, the older I get, if there is anyone that can be trusted.  I thought about a poem by Kipling that lists characterists to which all men (and women) can aspire and, in the process, they become the very best they can be.  There is a lot to be said about "old poets."

If you can keep your head when all about you
 Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

 If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

 If you can make one heap of all your winnings
 And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

 If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

[loulizlee]

I seem to be a person who has funny things happen to them all the time.  I'm 70 years old and can't remember things as well as I used to but, if I did, I could probably write a book.  Now I have a 4 1/2 year old grandson who has a similar sense of humor as mine, we both get each other in trouble.  On Monday, my husband and I took Jacob to Country Cookin' for lunch. Jacob always insists on sitting beside his Grammy when I am present. (I don't know what it is - maybe it's because his Nana and I are both big grandson spoilers.) I put my handbag on the floor between us. Tuesday when I went to vote, I put my hand in to pull my ID out of my bag at the voting place and came out with a handful of jello. I wonder how that happened?

[loulizlee]

Blog/Rant

I thought about another subject  to discuss on my mini-blog, but I’m afraid I may begin to rant, as I  have been known to do on occasion.  I wanted to talk about the overuse of the word “icon.”   I began to notice some time back that I kept hearing the word "icon" more and more, mostly in the news media.  It seems that every actor or actress that has ever had a semi-decent movie is an icon, especially after they die.  I read of icons sometimes I've never heard of.  A sandwich can be an icon, a car can be an icon, or anything you have heard of once or twice can be an icon.  It would seem to me that the modern useage of the word should be for something that is very rare.   Now it seems to be used to describe just about everything.  Now, maybe I can be an icon. 

[loulizlee]

I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SWAMP GAS
 The other morning between 2:30 and 3:00, I got up to go to the bathroom and happened to look out the back window. I saw a light in the woods behind our house. I watched for a few minutes and then saw another one. They looked like flash lights moving around. Sometimes they seemed to point up to the house, and the snow made them much brighter. I was getting a bit nervous, so I woke my husband. After watching them a while longer, we decided to call the non-emergency number for the sheriff's office. A nice young man came out and agreed there were, indeed, lights back in the woods. He went to investigate. After a few minutes, he called us back. He had discovered the source of the phantom lights.........
 Apparently, our neighbor's nephew had put some turkey manure back on the other side of our woods close to our property. There was plastic on top of it. The plastic on top of the manure caused light to bounce off it. The snow was making it much brighter. We were not being invaded after all. (Another weird happening in my weird life.)

[Azanne07]

congrats on all of what you did.

i personally prefer to write in a diary and keep everything private than blog on the net. and im 24 years old.

[msmoneybags48]

Louzilee, I am 54 and find your blogs a breath of fresh air.  I have a five-year old grandson, and he loves to sing church songs.  I think he is special.  He is my little shining star.

[loulizlee]

Thank you very much, msmoney.  I think every age of a child is wonderful, but 5-year-olds are at a great age.  I love watching and hearing the many new things they learn every day.  Jacob and I have a special bond.  He thinks I am funny. 

[msmoneybags48]

My grandson, whom we affectionately call "Dootie" is my special little man.  We go to church and I wanted to teach him about tithing. I give him a dollar and he gives 50 cents to Sunday School and 50 cents to church.  He sings and dances.  He is only 5, but I know he will go far in this world.   I know you have a special bond, Louzilee, with Jacob, and he loves you dearly.  I know Dootie loves me and his granddaddy (he calls my husband that).   He is 5 and at such an impressionable age.  I will have him until his graduation from Kindergarten and he will be going home with my daughter.  I tell him I will be glad when he goes home to Georgia, but I am going to miss him.  But I will always have those special memories of my special little boy.