What a journey!!

Whew!!! I thought I'd never get back!!!

A week or so ago, I set off to visit a few of my Blog Followers, and . . . (WOW !) what a journey it's been!

I tried dropping bread crumbs so I could find my way back, but then, you know, my neighborhood is full of seagulls and geese. Did you ever see the seagulls in Finding Nemo? They're the ones that cry, "Mine! Mine! Mine!..." and snatch every morsel as it hits the ground. So, crumbs weren't a great help. I guess I should take the GPS with me next time.

This time, I traveled far - going back to one of the first Followers to sign on to my blog - Jessica C at The Chickadee Tree. In addition to blogging about her crochet projects and crocheting in general, Jessica creates and sells chainmaille jewelry over on Artfire. Check out her earrings, bracelets and such here.If you like what you see, she's in the middle of a blog Give-Away for some chainmaille earrings. There's lots of ways to enter. Go to her blog for more info on this.

I'm also impressed with a huge crochet project she's taking on - a Tetris Blanket. Using 4" x 4" crocheted squares, Jessica plans to replicate a testris screen! Cool!! This one's gonna take a while but I look forward to seeing the finished project. (I've been a fan - er, "addict" - since the inception of the game.)Oh, yeah, in her "spare" time, Jessica is "Mom" to two little ones. Talk about a busy and creative lady!!!

Of course, before leaving Jessica, I needed to check out some of the sites on her bloglist - and, well . . . time really got away from me. That, and meandering from one to the other kind of headed me off in various directions and wandering around in circles and -- Well, let's just say a "momentary browser failure" helped me find my way out!!

So, if you have a few minutes (or just want to try to win those earrings) check out Jessica's blog. (You can enter for her Give-Away through June 30th.)

More wandering around the blogosphere...

My Blogmobile!

Okay, so I've been a good little painter for the last few days and have been producing quite a bit so I decided to take a little time and head out on my blogmobile and check out some more of my Followers' blogs. So settle in friends, I'm going to point out a few you may find interesting. I did. (My list of blogs I read regularly keeps getting longer and longer. I may have to give up books!)

My first stop of the night was to check in on Gleeza's blog to see what she's been up to lately. She's been a busy gal! In a post called The Nanie Pillow, she tells how, to commemorate her late grandmother, she took bits and pieces of some of Nanie's dresses and made patchwork pillows as keepsakes for her mom and aunts!! What a terrific idea!! I wish I'd thought of this sort of thing when my mom passed quite a few years ago. I'm sure they'll be treasured for years to come. Check out that post to see pictures of these beautiful creations. That post includes some instructions should you be interested in trying this for your own memories of someone dear.

After staying there a spell and visiting a number of Gleeza's recent posts, I moved on to drop in on Queen Ginya. Queen cuts right to the chase and gives us some food for thought in a recent post entitled "The tie that binds" and explores the concept of what binds us to who we are, where we come from and how we live our lives. In telling us how she herself is hard wired, she says we'll never see her running a marathon but "you may see me running amok, running scared, running off at the mouth or running off half cocked (??) but a 10K...nope." Brought a grin of self-recognition to my face! Check it out. It will make you think.

Back in September, the Queen did a post called "Acting my age...", she pointed out: "Life is too short to deal with regret." At that point, she related a tale of hesitating to snorkel in public for fear of embarrassment. She overcame that and went on to have an incredible experience. "I was in heaven! If I hadn't got over myself, I never would have had that experience. I decided at that point to not let any chance get away from me again." In an effort to further encourage her readers to live life to the fullest, she says: "Don't let yourself get talked out of enjoying all God's wonderful gifts... sing loud and strong as often as possible, try new and exotic food, dance even if you can't ... cuz (as I've said before) nothing hurts worse than regret."

So true, Queen Ginya!!

Even if it's the wildest thing you do this week, get out there and read a few new blogs. You'll be glad you did!

Laughing at the Public Restroom "experience"

I'm a bit brain numb today. I've spent the whole day trying to come up with a subject for today's post. (That's not ALL I did, but it was on my mind while I did all that other stuff.)

Then, tonight, I stopped by Christine's Posh Wash Soap blog. She hasn't posted in a while (since June) but I took time to read through several pages of her varied posts. She made me laugh - a lot.

I laughed hysterically at this one. It made me think of a plaque I've seen that says "I laughed so hard, it ran down my legs." I hope Christine doesn't mind me reprinting it here. (I think she got it from a chain e-mail.)****Let me preface this with the fact that we visited our local casino on Friday night. It was the most crowded we've ever seen it as there were numerous promotions going on that night. Late that evening, I went to the bathroom then proceeded to walk across the casino to the doors leading outside where there is a generous amount of seating available. After chatting with some folks out there for about 45 minutes, The Big Guy came to get me as he was finally finished for the evening. I called goodbye to my new friends and strolled out on his arm (back into the main casino, that is.) A good ways across the casino, a woman ran up behind me and whispered in my ear, "You have toilet paper hanging out of your waistband." Yep, I had a trailing tail of TP about 15 inches long dangling down over the seat of my black slacks. Do you think anybody else noticed? (That was sarcasm, you know.)

**********Here is the post that cracked me up tonight:

"A good friend of mine sent this to me... every woman will understand this one. This explains that unanswered question men have of why women go to the bathroom in pairs or groups.

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume " The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance." To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too. At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting. You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it?) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?" This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest? you've GOT to be kidding!).

It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door."

Thanks for the smiles, Christine!

*****I hope she comes back to the blog world soon. I want more of this - lots and lots more!!

Another trip around the world of my blog followers...

I sat down last night with intentions of posting here and then I got way-laid. SORRY!!

Once again, I'm beginning a trek through my list of Followers.
Every so often, I do take time to go through and check out who is following my blog and where each of you are coming from and what you that have blogs or websites are up to. I must say, I am always pleasantly surprised at what I come across in these adventures.

This time, I am beginning my journey with the newest of my Followers. I hope to come across quite a few items of interest to share with the rest of you. At least once a week, I plan to take a day and tell you about the great folks I've discovered among my Followers. There are a lot of you and when I venture into your blog world, I sometimes get really into it and read through several months worth of postings so this'll take a while but I'll get to you eventually. Please just leave a little light on for me 'cuz I tend to bump into things and make lots of noise when I fumble around in the dark!.

First up is "Jen". Jen has two blogs. At Haute Whimsy she shares a little of this and a bit of that, describing it as "whimsy, fashion, capricious adventures, prose and love." Today, she shared a dress she hopes to wear in celebrating her upcoming birthday.

On the other blog, Beachy Keen, Jen joins her close friend, Crystal, to tag team it with "the rambling prose and banter of two silly, hardcore Californians who have been best friends since high school... [a] world of periodic glitz and glamour, misadventures and ponderings."

This blog is done in a little different style than what most of us are used to. They share the writing. Some postings are commentary on current events and are done in a sort of point-counter point style with each of them weighing in on the subject. I found this a really refreshing approach. They also alternate in doing some very enthusiastic features on various Etsy shops they've found and like. Other posts include humorous stories and annecdotes and even a book review that they've also both related back to their own lives. Be sure to stop in and check both blogs out.

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Swimming on, I met "Vicky!" All I can say is "Wow!! You go, girl!"

Vicky is new to blogging, a wife, mother and recent empty nester who just recently turned 50. Having reached such a milestone, Vicky promised herself she'd "create and maintain a blog through her 50th year." Also, she set goals of doing 50 things this year - "things which were either interesting or fun, creative or hard, challenging or odd, outside of [her] comfort zone or simply something [she] hadn't done before." She's already tried kayaking on the Delaware and has gotten her act together to run a 5K this weekend! You can check out her blog here. I'm hooked and have become a Follower.

Vicky has opened a brick and mortar retail paint store and an Etsy shop, Fresh Urban Vintage, where she sells "upcycled, recycled, vintage and handmade originals." The b&m store sells paint as in wall and house paint but she has cultivated her craft whims through it by setting up Craft Wednesdays where she has a group of crafters come into the shop in the evening to work on a craft together - maybe learning new techniques or a whole new craft and sharing their friendships.

Some of you haven't given me a lot to go on in your profiles. Maybe you just want to watch from afar. That's okay. I appreciate you stopping by anyway. I'm just trying to get to know those who want to be known.

Like I said, leave a light on, you never know when I'll come by.

A challenge to all you bloggers ...

I've been triple dog dared!!

What can I do but take the challenge?

Jewel over at jewelstreetdesigns has challenged those of us who blog and have more than a few followers to get to know our followers.

She pointed out that most of us really can't remember all of our followers and asked if we took the time to get to know all of our followers? She points out that we all have our regular blogs that we follow but asked if they are the same ones who follow us. I know some are.

She's right. I do follow quite a few of my followers but maybe not all of you. In fact, there have been days when things got hectic and I really didn't take time to check out my new followers. Now, I'm feeling guilty.

Soooo....

Jewel has issued a challenge. She wants me to visit the blogs of all the people who follow me. She says it's okay if I only manage to visit a few each day, but won't let me stop until I've visited all of you !

Then, she wants me to comment on a post each of you have written and the post must be relevant. (As she says, I may find some new blogs that I've just got to follow or, maybe, I'll just cheer you up with my comment. At least, you'll know I've stopped by.)

I can do this. I will do this.

Of course, I can't start until I get back from this trip as I don't have internet access here. (These are pre-posted to run while I'm away.)

So, tidy up gang, I'll be stopping by sometime in November. It's going to take me a while 'cuz there's lots of you out there but I'll be by. So, please leave a light on for me. It may be late.

By the way, I'm passing that triple dog dare on to you!