2008 in review: Blogland and beyond
Hey. Still grateful here.
Just a little more than a year ago, we decided at the last minute to go to Norway for the holidays. My husband’s grandmother was gravely ill, and we hoped to see her one more time. (She died just a few days before we got there.)
I put out a desperate call to a bunch of blogfriends, asking if they would be willing to guest post in my absence. I was humbled with the response. I had guest posts for almost every day I was away.
So I’m still grateful.
For …
For …
Linda Jones for letting me blog at You’ve Got Your Hands Full.
Linda also gave me free rein to redesign the blog, which I did over my crazy summer. I had some hits and misses. A photographer promised the use of an image then wouldn’t return e-mails or telephone calls. So I scrambled for a suitable replacement, and I got something even better. I called on someone I knew, Kristine Freed.
With the help of Kristine and Sherilyn Brinker of Brinker-Freed Photographyand new mother-of-twins Kerrin Laari and her 5-week-old babies, Elise and Ian, I had a fabulous image to use on the blog.
None of it would have happened, though, without Jo-Lynne at DCR Design. She made the header and buttons, arranged and rearranged everything and even called me to give me a crash course in making my own changes. (Though I’m still fairly hopeless in that department.) I would have made a big announcement on the blog by now, but I’m having technical difficulties with Typepad, and I haven’t been able to sign on. As soon as I get it figured out, though, I’ll get something posted.
For …
For …
Citizen of the Month for a great experience, The Interview Experiment, and meeting two new blogfriends at A Juicy Life (now Notre Vie Juteuse since she moved to France) and The Would-Be Writers Guild.
For …
For …
Bob for his review of Final Salute.
For …
For …
- Everyone who stopped by to read and/or comment.
Happy New Year.
Posted by Becky @
3:46 pm |
I’m a guest blogger
Hey, I’m over at Gunfighter’s place today. I’m filling in while he’s on vacation. Go on over and say, hey!
Posted by Becky @
3:46 pm |
Mom Road Trip, aka Devra and Sarah’s (and Meagan’s and Aviva’s and Jill’s) Excellent Adventure
I know some crazy people, y’all.
So there’s this little conference in California called BlogHer.
And this blogging group called the Silicon Valley Moms Blog, which includes Moms Blogs in eight other cities, including DC Metro Moms Blog, which is where two crazy people I know — Devra and Sarah — blog.
And they’re taking off on the Mom Road Trip of 2008 this week in a brand-new vehicle with wireless Internet, cameras and constant blog updates. They leave Washington, D.C., on Saturday and head for California, hitting Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and Reno on the way.
My family just returned from vacation where we drove straight through from Florida to Iowa … and back. I only have one wish for the Mom Road Trippers:
On the road of life, may you enjoy Smiley Face Pancakes along the way.
(That’s what we had for breakfast on our road trip.)
Happy trails!
Posted by Becky @
10:17 am |
Betcha didn’t know I was savvy
If you haven’t heard from me lately, it’s because I’ve been working on the launch of Being Savvy: Tampa, one of the city blogs on The Savvy Source for Parents. Other cities (so far) are Atlanta, Austin, Charleston, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Nashville, New Orleans, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
And little ol’ me.
They gave me the keys to my very own Tampa blog. I don’t know what they were thinking. I’m just trying to keep my hands at 10 and 2 and keep from crashing into anything. In any case, it should be a fun and interesting ride.
Come on over. Take a look … and get a load of all the fun stuff we get to do in Tampa.
Posted by Becky @
10:58 am |
You’ve got your hands full!
Yes, I do. Now I’m blogging at You’ve Got Your Hands Full.
Go check it out!
Posted by Becky @
4:34 pm |
Politics: The Telephone Game
CityMama at the MOMocrats accused Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., of leaking a photograph of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wearing a turban. Where did CityMama get her information?
CNN’s Political Ticker.
Where did CNN get its information?
The Drudge Report. (CNN editors: “No need for fact-checking. Get this published now!”)
Where did Drudge get his information?
An e-mail sent by “stressed Clinton staffers” “obtained by the Drudge Report.”
Really? Hmm.
I found the picture published by HAN-Geeska Afrika Online in September 2006. Anyone with a mouse and five minutes could have found it. It’s already been “circulated.”
Posted by Becky @
11:26 pm |
You less-than-3 me, you really less-than-3 me!
Magpie Musing gave me a <3 award, a blogtreat created by Magneto bold too, who explains it this way:
When my daughters and I want to express our mutual admiration in public we say ‘Less than Three’. If you look at it sideways:
<3
It looks like a heart. So I heart you.
Thanks, MM!
I’ll be busy passing it on.
Posted by Becky @
6:03 pm |
Brought to you by the letter E
Dad2twins honored me with the “This Blog is Rated E for Excellent” award. Wow. Thanks, D2t! (Is it just me, or does the award look crooked? I keep wanting to straighten it out. Nah. It’s straight. It must be an optical illusion with the crooked E and all.)
It took some time, but I found that the award originated with Project Mommy, a 23-year-old mother of two girls. She wanted to show her appreciation for the blogging community she’s found. She asks that anyone who receives the award turns around and gives it to at least 10 (or more) blogs, and it doesn’t matter if they’ve already gotten it. So now I need to pass along the award.
Ack. I still haven’t given out the Thinking Blogger Award.
Or the Nice Matters Award.
Finding the origin of the Thinking Blogger Award was easy. I mean, it has its own Web page. The Nice Matters Award? Different story.
I got it from Stimeyland. She got it from Oh, The Joys, who got the blue version (made by Something Blue and Motherbumper) from The Journey.
Oh, The Joys also got the original version from from Arkie Mama, Slouching Mom and Spinning Yellow.
Slouching Mom got it from MP, who got it from Purple Valley, who got it from Ramblings From Life, who got it from Just a Minute, who got it from PENSIEVE, who got it from Deb’s Lucky Patch, who got it from O So Mo Love, who got it from Our Happy Happenings, who got it from Sit With Me Awhile, who got it from Karen’s Ramblings, who got it from My Life as Annie, who got it from justabeachkat, who got it from My Montana Moments, who got it from Pieces From Me, who got it from All Stitched Up, who got it from — the blog that started it all! — Bella-Enchanted.
So, yeah. I’ve got some awarding to do. I’ll get to it, I promise. I just can’t guarantee that I’ll get it done before 2013. (What … am I running for president or something? More on that soon. Promise.)
Posted by Becky @
12:30 am |
I’ve been experimented
The second half of my experience with the Great Interview Experiment is complete. Tiffany of The Would-Be Writers Guild just posted her interview with me.
The first half, in case you missed it, was my interview with Alisa of A Juicy Life.
So … if you want to read more about me, go check out Tiffany’s interview. Or just go check out Tiffany. She’s nice. And she likes Beckys. So if you are one (a Becky), be sure to leave a comment. Oh, and she’s celebrating her birthday, her husband’s birthday and her blogiversary. Go wish her a happy, happy, happy!
Oh, and Neil? Thanks for putting me in touch with two incredible bloggers. It was fun. Here’s hoping you get that 3,000-comment post!
Posted by Becky @
3:15 pm |
The Great Interview Experiment: Alisa of A Juicy Life
Neil at Citizen of the Month started The Great Interview Experiment on Jan. 18, 2008, after deciding, ”We all should be interviewed, at least once.” So I signed up and interviewed the next person to comment after I did: Alisa of A Juicy Life. She runs The Juicy Pear, a pottery studio in Los Angeles, and Art-Works Studio, where she and her husband, Bruce, teach art classes for children.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here is a story of amour and bonheur. A story of the loves of Alisa’s life: her husband, her dogs, her art, pears, wonderful food and République française. Reading through her blog, I was struck by how happy she is. Turns out one meaning of her name is “great happiness.” It fits.
Joyeuse Saint-Valentin, Alisa and Bruce!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your dog Daisy in July. How old were you when you got your first dog? What kind was it? What was his/her name?
We got our first dog “Dixie” when I was about 6. She was a white Shepherd mix. Sweet as can be. My sister and I would dress her up in skirts and shirts. She was so great. She was a mom and had seven puppies after a romp with Reddie the Irish Setter that lived down the street. The pups were like golden retrievers, we kept one “Buffy” … she would steal bread and sleep with it. They both lived a long life, Dixie passed away when she was 18 and Buffy lived until 17. I will always have a dog (or two or three). We currently have three.
Augie, one of Alisa’s three dogs
Congratulations on your recent marriage! What was the first thing you noticed about your husband?
The first thing I noticed about Bruce was his blue eyes … they are beautiful.
Getting married after 11 years together on 11/11 is pretty cool. What made you think of that?
Our first date was on Nov. 11, 1996. We were married 11 years later, on our 11th anniversary of our first date.
Alisa and Bruce on their wedding day
Your photographs of food make me hungry. What would you prepare if I brought a bunch of blogfriends over for dinner?
Duck. For sure. Most people here in the States don’t eat duck, and it’s so so so good. I would also make either my goat cheese-and-leek tart or the new tart I just tried, roquefort and onion. I have a great recipe for orzo and arugula salad, which is fresh and light. I’d also have a couple good baguettes and a plate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping … AND a couple bottles of a good Côtes du Rhône or Bordeaux wine. For dessert … either crème brûlée or a good flourless chocolate cake.
[Becky: Délicieux! Magnifique! Who's coming with me to L.A.?]
Where did you grow up and what brought you to California? (That’s assuming you grew up somewhere other than California … )
I grew up in Lansing, Mich. Born and raised there. Youngest of four. My father was a golf professional and my mom a stay-at-home-mom. I left Michigan when I was 23 and went to New York City. Didn’t know anyone. I tell people I grew up in New York because I sure did. I left New York three years later and moved to Los Angeles, again not knowing anyone. The sun brought me here. I’ve been in Los Angeles for 18 years, although Bruce and I moved to Las Vegas for one year to rock climb. It’s time to leave L.A., though. I’m tired of the traffic, the smog and so many people. I will miss the ocean (I live 1-1/2 miles from it and bike along it three to four times a week) and the weather. That’s about it.
What made you fall in love with France?
Everything. My first trip there was 15 years ago, went to Paris and Nice. I have never been to a place where I felt so comfortable. When I arrived in Paris, I actually felt like I had been there before. I love — the language, the people (they are not rude … at least not to me; I have met some very lovely people there), the food, the wine, the lifestyle, the countryside, the architecture, the history and the Tour de France. My favorite village is Saint-Antonin Noble Val, located one hour northeast of Toulouse in the Tarn-et-Garonne. I also love Lourmarin which is in Provence, and Najac in the Aveyron and I love the Dordogne. I love it all.
Alisa in France
Are you or is your family French? (Gigi and Mathieu [Alisa's niece and nephew] sound sort of … French.)
No. I sure wish … it would make it easier for us to move there. I do speak French, though. Bruce and I have been taking private lessons for three years. My sister is married to a man whose mother is from Nice. That’s where Mathieu (spelling) comes from. Gigi — Georgia — was named after the Republic of Georgia (once part of Russia). My sister adopted this lovely little girl when she was 3 months old. Went to Georgia and picked her up. She’s a pistol.
What will you miss the most when you move to France?
Peanut butter. A good clothes dryer. The ocean. Southern California weather and a few very close friends.
Why “juicy pear”?
I love pears. Not eating them but the way they look. So not perfect! They are all different and unique. I want my pottery to be not perfect … nothing is from molds, no two pieces are the same. “Juicy” because a hard pear is horrible! Some people say that Bruce and I are the “Juicy Pair” …
What inspires you?
People who are risk-takers, free-thinkers and go-getters. Life is too short to moan and groan about things. Take a risk, take a chance, do something different, try something new. When I hear about people who have followed their dream or taken a chance, it makes me smile and realize that our goal to sell the house and sell the business and live in France isn’t crazy.
Were you always an artist? Or was there one thing (person, class, event) that made you want to be an artist?
No. I never thought of myself as an artist. Bruce is a painter, started drawing and painting as a young child. He can draw anything. I was a gymnast growing up. Very athletic, not artsy. I took a pottery class when I was 38, and it was so easy for me. I loved it. Bruce is the one who got me to take the class. He said that all of us are artistic; you just have to find out what it is. I found it in clay.
If you could talk to your 20-year-old self, what would you say?
Don’t get married before you are 35. Stop and smell the roses. THINGS don’t make you happy.
What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
That I’m pretty anti-social and a homebody. I’d be happy living in the country with just Bruce and the dogs.
Posted by Becky @
10:02 am |
