« May 2006 | Main | July 2006 »
You must read this post by sweet Sarah at In the Midst Of It. It took my breath away.
* * * * * * * * * *
You're probably already reading her, but if not, don't miss BooMama. Prepare to laugh!
* * * * * * * * * *
Lastly, Barbara at Mommy Life shares a story that cuts to the heart of a very important issue.
* * * * * * * * * *
It's hard to believe we're approaching the 5th anniversary of September 11. A fellow blogger named D.C. Roe is undertaking an impressive effort to memorialize each of the 2,996 victims on September 11, 2006. The effort is named, appropriately, 2,996. D.C. writes
2,996 is an effort to bring together 2,996 bloggers in a massive memorial to the victims of 9/11.
On September 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the attacks, 2,996 bloggers will each post a memorial to one victim. We will remember the innocent victims of that day–we will not remember the murderers.
It's simple to participate--all you need is a blog. You sign up by leaving a comment at DC's blog, or by e-mailing him at dcroe05ATyahoo.com (remember to replace the "at" with the @ sign). He will assign you a victim to memorialize on September 11, 2006, and he'll give you a link with information about that person. I've already received my assignment and am very moved by the process of reading more about this particular man.
This is such a simple way to pay tribute in a powerful way. Please consider participating, and be sure to publicize this effort on your blog. If you plan to sign up, please leave a comment below. I'd be interested to see which of you are participating.
Hubs was out of town on business last night, as was Chilihead's husband. Being the problem-solvers we are, we took this excellent opportunity for a girls' night, and she and her kiddos came for a sleepover. The kids watched a movie and then all sacked out upstairs, while Chili and I got into full blogging mode downstairs (she had brought her laptop, of course).
So, we're sitting in my kitchen, me at my desk and Chili at the kitchen table, fingers clicking away furiously, when Chili says, "Oh my gosh, you have to see this. I'm going to e-mail it to you."
"Um, yes," I replied, "or I could just walk over there and see it."
Because, you know, those 8 feet from my desk to my kitchen table are an awful strain for a girl who has some bloggin' to do.
I often make reference to the Google searches that bring people to my site, and I frequently receive e-mails from people asking how I know what these searches are. For any beginning bloggers who might be reading this, I thought I'd tell you how to do it.
I use Site Meter to track my blog traffic. It's free, it's reliable, and (don't say I didn't warn you) it's addictive. There are similar web counter sites out there (if you have one you like, feel free to share the URL in my comment section), but Site Meter is my favorite.
If you haven't installed Site Meter on your site, I'd highly recommend it. It's easy to do (as evidenced by the fact that I did it all by myself without calling Chilihead late at night whining "I'm stuuuuuck...."). Once it's installed, and you have logged in, you will be taken to a page called "Site Summary". Most of the information there is self-explanatory. Over on the left side of the page is a header called "Recent Visitors". Underneath it are listed all your options for finding out how people came to your site, where they are from, how long they stayed, etc. The second line in that section says "By Referrals"; click on it. As you look through the list of referring websites, look for sites that begin with http://www.google.com... or http://www.msn.search.com... (these seem to be the two most common search engines, at least for my site). If you click on that particular line, it will take you to the specific search criteria that the person was using when they clicked on your site. Make sense?
In addition to being interesting (and ohmygosh funny), it's an important security feature, in my opinion. It gives you at least the tiniest feeling of control to know who is visiting your site. If creepy searchers are stringing together some otherwise harmless words into a questionable phrase (and yes, it's happened to me and to more than one of my friends), you can make the necessary adjustments to your site (i.e., removing the words in question). You can't be too careful.
(And if you're reading this wondering what in the heck a "meme" is, here is a definition for you. It's quite the bloggy word; throw it around and impress your friends!)
- Yesterday my mom participated in WFMW for the first time (yay, Mom!), so if you missed her tip, you can see it here. (And will you please leave her a comment and help me try and get her addicted to this blogging thing?)
- Katherine posted a thorough and realistic look at potty training.
- Amy at the Motherload suggested a smart method for creating kid snacks. Tina had a clever idea on the same subject.
- Chilihead and Gabriela came up with some activity ideas that are truly inspired bits of parenting.
- KimC offered some fun ideas for kids' summer lunches.
- Jane's paper idea is going to revolutionize my art cabinet.
- Traci thought of way to help us save all of these good ideas we run across, whether they're from a magazine, or from WFMW!
- Then there's this one, from Minnie, which made me laugh OUT LOUD.
- Lolly's idea will help you keep track of your ever-growing list of birthdays and anniversaries.
- Joy's idea for prayer time with children is precious.
- Amy has a great idea for teaching your kids your phone numbers.
- If anyone's kids are bickering as much as mine are this summer, try this idea idea from Barb.
- Stephanie shares a wonderful method of managing her (and my!) addiction to little girls' hair supplies.
If you're doing Thursday Thirteen today, feel free to enter your link below.
Kim C over at Life In a Shoe is live-blogging her labor today. Yes, you read that correctly. She's giving birth at home to her 8th child. I plan to follow along with her and do lots of sympathy breathing today; thought you might want to also! (And somehow--somehow--she managed to post a WFMW post in the middle of labor. Can you believe that? Superwoman, I tell you!)
First things first...what REALLY works for me is a long and happy marriage like the one my parents have--happy 36th wedding anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Back to regularly scheduled programming....
Susie pointed me toward this creepy, but informative, article. Evidently the head lice of the world are uniting in revolt against over-the-counter cures.
Now let's just come clean for a moment, shall we? Have your kids ever had head lice? Mine have. I confess that, before they did, I thought it only happened to families who lived in total squalor. I am by no means a great housekeeper--but head lice? Nope, couldn't happen here.
UNTIL a couple of years ago, when my oldest son shared a community batting helmet at a t-ball game. Yep, he came home with head lice. And he passed it to both his brothers. I was mortified. I completely freaked out and called the nurse (who was, I'm sure, chuckling to herself--"Isn't this lady supposed to be an experienced mother?")
So I'm writing this to tell you that if it hasn't happened to you, get ready, because it likely will. It doesn't mean you're a slob, or that your home is about to be condemned by the health department. You're not a bad mom, or a dirty one. To help you avoid a frantic call to the doctor, here's what worked for our family:
See? This isn't that bad. Don't panic. If it happens to you, let it be one of those humbling motherhood experiences that reminds you that NO ONE has her act perfectly together.
Leave your Works-For-Me Wednesday link below! Remember to link directly to your WFMW post, NOT to the front page of your blog. Guidelines can be found here.
For a sobering look at what Christians around the world are enduring, visit the Persecution Blog. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
* * * * * * * * * *
Have you seen the Blogging Chicks blogroll popping up all around the blog world lately? It's a great webring run by my blogging friend Michelle. For more information, go here.
* * * * * * * * * *
Jamie at Surviving the Chaos is one of the girls I met at the Kansas City blogging lunch. I love her writing style; you should check her out!
* * * * * * * * * *
I've told you about her before, but I'm enjoying her blog so much I thought I'd tell you again--you will love Planet Nomad. EDJ, her husband and children live in Mauritania, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Yes, that Sahara Desert. (And I complain when my kids track in sand from the sandbox??) It's a predominantly Muslim country, and she and her husband own an English bookstore and teach graduate students. Right now they are visiting family back in the states; her observations of American culture after so much time in Africa are fascinating. And a little embarrassing, really--we have way too much, don't we?
* * * * * * * * * *
Remember that tomorrow is Works-For-Me Wednesday. Can't wait to see your clever ideas!
In the car this morning, I was listening to talk radio, when a story referencing a mayor came on. Here was the ensuing conversation from the peanut gallery in the backseat:
Adam: Does [Our Town] have a mayor?
Me: Yes, her name is [Insert name].
Stephen: We have a GIRL mayor?
Me: Yes.
Adam: Really? Girls can be mayor?
Me: Yes, of course they can.
Stephen: I guess we have to have a girl mayor because we always have boy presidents.
Well, I'm home. Jules is not, in fact, a crazy serial killer. Shalee is not, in fact, a middle-aged bald man in a wife-beater t-shirt. The entire group was a bunch of amazing, funny, courageous women who have left me challenged, encouraged, and laughing so hard that my cheeks have only just now begun to stop hurting.
First, here's who all was there, in no particular order...
Chilihead at Don’t Try This at Home
Jules at Everyday Mommy
Shalee at Shalee’s Diner
Janna at Bread Crumbs
Susan, a self-proclaimed lurker
Jamie at Surviving the Chaos
Michelle at This One’s For the Girls
Tina at Antique Mommy
Sarah at Sarah’s Other Blog
Mary at Aunt Murry
Kristi at Basketballs and Babydolls
Addie at Life With Little Women
Beckah at Happy Mom
Lammyann at Lammyann Life
Michelle at Love to Chat
KPJara at Can You Hear Me Now?
(Did I leave anyone out? If I did, PLEASE e-mail your URL and remind me. I'm operating on very little sleep!)
Now for the details.
Chilihead and I left our fair city at the crack of dawn Saturday morning. It was an easy drive to Kansas City, and we arrived a few minutes early for lunch. As each blogger arrived at the restaurant, it was like greeting old friends, not meeting strangers. Even those of us who hadn't yet read each other's blogs found ourselves drawn together by this strange and funny blog world. Here are some pictures.
Here is Sarah, Shalee, Antique Mommy and Michelle:
Here is Kristi, Addie and Beckah:
Here's an awful picture of me looking strangely excited about my barbecue (mostly I just wanted you to see the nametags we improvised--napkins tucked into our shirts!):
Here is Jamie, Jules, and the always be-spectacled Chilihead:
Two lovely sisters, Michelle and KPJara:
Here is Shalee sniffing the Antique Mommy's oh-so-famous Cole Haans. This makes more sense if you've read this post by Antique Mommy, and if you've witnessed first-hand the spunky Shalee's tendency to do or say just about anything:
Shalee and Lammyann:
After lunch, about half the crew headed to Jules' house for lots and lots and lots of talking. And laughing. And crying. And praying. And more laughing. Then Shalee and her husband graciously hosted Chilihead and me in their home for dinner:
Because any gathering in which I'm involved will always include dessert, we adjourned to Cold Stone Creamery. We laughed so hard that it took great effort not to squirt ice cream out of our noses. Very strange looks were shot our way by people at surrounding tables!
I'm sure it's no surprise that after the dessert, we headed back to Jules for a lot more talking, a lot more laughing, and a little bit of wine. Jules' home is just like Jules--full of life! It's the type of home where every corner invites exploring, examining her husband's artistic creations and her impressive antique collection.
After a bit of sleep, we shuffled around Jules' house some more, talking with her delightful husband and her sweet son (who, by the way, calls me "The Shannon". I have a "the"!). We all headed to breakfast and said our goodbyes, and Chilihead and I hit the road. We used the opportunity to stop at the interesting little flea markets/antique stores along the way, like this one...
...and this one:
Be sure and ask Chilihead about the gorgeous table she bought for thirty dollars. THIRTY DOLLARS!
This weekend surpassed my best expectations, which were set very high. I continue to marvel at the type of women I meet at every turn in the blog world--women of such substance and intelligence, who are making courageous choices every day for their family, who manage it all with such humor and grace. Go check out their blogs in the list above--you're in for a treat. A special thanks, again, to Shalee and Jules for planning and hostessing this bunch. You two are great!
Counting down the days to the next big blogging get-together in Dallas, in October...
I've pre-scheduled this post to publish while Chilihead and I are on the road to Kansas City. We left at the crack of dawn this morning, headed to a lunch get-together at which we will meet (among others), Jules, Shalee, Addie, Michelle, Chrissy, Antique Mommy, Rach and many more. Honestly? I thought I'd be more nervous than this, headed to my first big blogger gathering. But I really have the sense of going to meet old friends. It feels good to be stepping out from behind the relative anonymity of my computer and enjoying frienship the "old-fashioned" way.
Shalee is planning to post audio of our lunch over at her site; I'm not sure when she'll be able to get it posted, but go over there and check! I'll be the one who sounds like a hillbilly.
I'll try to check in while I'm gone and let you know how it's going. If you hear thundering gales of laughter coming from the mid-section of the country, that would be us.
...but a friend e-mailed it to me. Still, it's good for a laugh (or cry, depending how much time you spend in your car).
My friend Jules has a wonderful new series going called "Everyday Things". In it, she gives us all a chance to pay tribute to the ordinary details of life that so often go unnoticed. Visit her site if you'd like to play along.
My "everyday thing" is more accurately an everyday sound. My mother sewed, and the solid whirrrrr of her sewing machine was a common background noise to my childhood play. It was a way to be reassured of her presence, even without seeing her. Often I sat at her table with her and watched her work, and the hum
of the machine was so soothing. With each vibration, I knew that something beautiful was being created (usually for me), and this was deeply satisfying.
Now my children hear that same whirrrrr when they play, from my machine. They may not think much of it now. But I hope they feel even a fraction of the thrill I feel when I hear that steady hum and know that something is being created with love. I hope that someday, when they're adults, that solid whirrrrr will make them think of home, and of things accomplished there.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Speaking of Jules, she's launching a summer writing contest, and you can check out the details here. A little birdie told me that first prize is going to be a custom cartoon for your blog. Jules is the artist behind my fun cartoon; don't miss this chance to get your own!
The Antique Mommy has asked to see what my favorite coffee mug looks like. Are you ready? Here goes...
Every morning, I sleepily stumble downstairs and pour myself a nice, tall Diet Coke before fully opening my eyes. NO COFFEE. Ever. Cannot stand the stuff. When I was a child and when I was pregnant....I don't mean that I was pregnant and a child simultaneously, I mean "when I was a child and then again later when I was pregnant"...oh, never mind. Anyhoo, at both separate times the smell of coffee made me sick to the point of gagging. Over the years, I've managed to learn to tolerate the smell, though it's still sometimes hard.
This is a bit of a social handicap, actually. Other people can say, "Hey, let's go get some coffee." Getting coffee is a social milestone. Playgroups are planned over coffee. Hard-hitting PTA deals are negotiated over coffee. Serious stuff.
Sometimes I play along. "Let's go get coffee," I'll say, which actually means, "Let's go to a coffee shop which, I hope, serves Diet Coke so I can sit across the table from you and be sociable and breathe through my mouth so I don't have to catch a whiff of the coffee you so enjoy and I wish, wish I could enjoy with you."
But I digress. Back to Antique Mommy's coffee mug meme. I tag Sarah, Lauren and Michelle. Show me your coffee mugs. Or Diet Coke cups. Or whatever gets your motor going in the morning.
I know that you are all perfectly lovely people, really. With the exception of a couple of weird Google searches over the months, all the evidence would indicate that the readers of this blog are nice, wholesome people who are not inclined to abduct gullible Oklahoma housewives.
My husband, however, thinks you're more likely a bunch of crazy serial killers blogging from a hiding place in the bushes across the street from my house. No offense, or anything.
And I love him for this--I really do. It is his job to protect this family, and he does it well. But my blogging has been a bit of a stretch for him. I try to be careful about what identifying information I might post here. I don't use my children's real names, and I don't post their pictures. When I asked Hubs, a few weeks ago, if I could begin referring to him by his first initial instead of "Hubs", he looked at me as if I'd asked to post a picture of him in the shower. So "Hubs" he will remain.
All of this to say, it's more than a little stretch for him that I'm leaving bright and early Saturday morning to join this little blogging get-together in Kansas City. I'll be staying Saturday night at the home of my dear blogging buddy Jules. She has graciously e-mailed me several pictures of me of her lovely home so I can prove to Hubs that she lives in a normal neighborhood, in a normal house. He is comforted to know that I'll be traveling with one of my best real-life friends, Chilihead, who is so good at giving dirty looks that she could stop a serial killer dead in his tracks.
And if, by some crazy chance, you haven't heard from me by Monday afternoon, it means that Hubs was right, and I'm locked in Jules' basement. Come to Kansas City and find me.
