During the last week or so many of you have surely seen the blog meme that's been circling around the blogisphere. While I've not been tagged by anyone specifically for this meme, I thought I'd pick this up anyway, for fun, and share my answers to the questions. Why do we blog, that's always an interesting question.
1. Do you promote your blog?
I suppose when we get down to the nitty-gritty, our leaving comments here and there in the blogisphere is a promotion of sorts. That seems so cold to me though, so I tend not to dwell on that, as I feel that comments are much more than just base self-promotion. I have a link to my blog at my Etsy shop. But I do not know if this encourages people to visit my blog, though.
2. How often do you check hits?
In the beginning I wasn't even aware of this. Once I found out about it, and how to, I did. The novelty lasted about two or three days--LOL! Since then though, I never check such statistics. I've long felt that people will come. And if they leave a comment and/or keep returning so much the merrier!
3. Do you stick to one topic?
When I started this blog, it was very much about crafts and crafting. But very quickly my little corner of the blogisphere transformed into a place where anything can be celebrated--the home, arts, family & friends, reading, gardening, inspiration and musings, travel...I feel it has become a happy miscellany. Life is a beautiful thing and I enjoy sharing many aspects of it with others. But not just the joy...life is full of all things--sadness, illness, death, hardship of many kinds. I don't bring too much controversy here, though--there is enough of that in the newspapers, news, etc.
4. Who knows about your blog?
Family and friends, all near and far and in cyberspace, the blogisphere. I'm not shy about my blog. Blogging has been a great extra way for me to keep in touch with family and friends, especially since I live so far from most of my family and friends. What I share at the blog gives them a sense of my life here in Norway. I get to share things visually with them I might not get a chance to otherwise. Blogging has also enabled me to meet people the world over--what a terrific thing! I've been lucky to have made some wonderful friends via the blogisphere. Blogging keeps us connected and sharing things as it is not always possible to meet face-to-face. There's a sort of jokey comparison between real life friends and cyber friends. To me friendship is friendship. That's not a joke to me.
5. How many blogs do you read?
At present my list stands at 142. During the course of a week I do try to keep up with everyone's updates and leave a comment. I did not realize how high this number was until just the other day! Lately I'm feeling a need to make a slight reduction in how much time I spend online. Sitting in front of the computer for many reasons consumes much more of my time. So I may have to stretch my reading over two weeks instead of the usual one--LOL!
6. Are you a fast reader?
This is a hard one to answer...Reading from a computer screen takes me longer to look at, take in and read, than say a printed page--book, magazine, newspaper, etc. I find it stressful on the eyes a little bit to read from a computer screen too long.
7. Do you customize your blog or do anything technical?
Well, in some ways, yes. Typepad offers lots of options, depending on which type of account one signs up for. There's a lot of layout options, fonts, etc. So I make the most of the options I have. It's fun to play with layout, photo placement, inject a little color when appropriate. I try to make the presentation as beautiful, readable, enjoyable as possible. I've been learning HTML from Dear Husband, and this has been helping a lot. And I love dabbling in photography and using photos to enhance or tie in with the written text of my posts. Being a very visual oriented person, I find photos/graphics important elements in how I present my blog.
8. Do you blog anonymously?
Yes, and no...I do use my own first name here, and the real names of friends (when they use their real names), but I do not use the names of those very close in my family. I do not share photos of our nieces and nephew, though they are very important to me and my husband and our family life. It is only within the last month that I shared a photo of myself here. I thought it time to put a face to the words and images. All content shared here is true though--very honest and sincere. It is a slice of my life. I try not to be too anonymous, if that makes sense. And I find I read and linger more at other blogs that are written in a very personal/personable way.
9. To what extent do you censor yourself?
Well, we all appreciate and maintain a certain amount of privacy, I think. From a content point of view, as mentioned, everything I present is truthful. I try to be as much me as I possibly can through the written word and images here. I've shared some heartache here at times, because that's life too. I share a bit of everything. Mostly this is a happy place. I see myself as love in motion. And at the risk of sounding silly, I aim to spread a little good cheer and sunshine along the way every day if possible--this blog is an extension of that feeling, that intention.
10. The best thing about blogging?
Meeting people all the time! Old friends, new friends--all of you! It adds that little "extra" to my day to be able to share things here with as many as want to be here, as well as stop by and and see everyone else too. Being a part of the blogging community--blogging, reading blogs, taking part in swaps, etc.--makes me happy. To share in everyday wonders and big life wonders with others is a great thing. It's all good!
Since this meme has been making the rounds for a bit, I'll not tag anyone...But if you would like to take this up, please do and share your own thoughts and answers. Or let me know what you think here.
Happy Day to you all! :o)
This weekend Dear Husband and I hope to start doing some garden clean up for fall. I took a stroll around the garden this afternoon to see what needs doing right now. There are signs of fall...turning leaves, funny little mushooms growing in the cracks of the stones on the terrace and much else. But I was surprised to see so much of summer still lingering...She sure seems reluctant to leave, does summer! There are many lovely things blooming again, for one last party before the frost comes. 
I close with a few lines from a lovely poem I found today, "September Sun"...It reminds me that very soon I will be wending my way across the ocean to my dear folks there...The road calling me home...May you all have a lovely weekend--the last of September! :o)
Hi, everyone! A teeny, tiny post today...This evening I added some new items to 
I was tagged by 
Once again a lovely friend has sent me some thoughtful goodness...I received a package from 
A big bit of excitement here this evening...Charlie got stuck on the roof of the porch! How he even got up there I'm not sure... Dear Husband was on his way home from work, so not here for another hour. I tried and tried with help of a ladder too, but being too short of arms and legs, I could not stretch enough to reach him. (I do not like ladders, being somewhat fearful of high places--I was shaking & worried the whole time.) The neighbors were not home. I ended up calling my father-in-law, who lives not far away thankfully, and he came and saved Charlie, my nerves and basically the day! (Tusen takk, pappa!) And look at him now...Mr. Innocent...fast asleep...all's well with the world. Oh, how I love this boy of ours! 
Oh, but it is sooooo good to be feeling better again and more human! And it is wonderful to be at the sewing machine and creating again! Yesterday and today I made these two new tote bags. They are 
Yesterday I had a wonderful surprise in the mail... A package from 
Some loveliness that I did not get a chance to share last week due to feeling unwell, was these two pairs of gorgeous earrings I ordered, which were created by Samantha Leonard. If you have not seen 
