I’ve seen one blogger
After all, I’ve consumed far too much wine, turkey and various tasty things to be able to string together a coherent sentence or two.
So, for the love of all that is lazy, here are they are. In my not-so-humble opinion, of course.
Some are funny, some are sappy. All are a piece of the best I have to offer.
When God Negotiates
The Meth Capital
Mending Fences
Laugh, Anyway in honor of the Ever Lovely Madeline Spohr
Clearly, She’s Not
One Task
The Little Guy
Mid-Night Musings
Foul Air
The Price of Getting it Done
By the Light of the Moon
Happy New Year! May 2010 bring out the best in all of us.
Category: Blogging Business
Living on a ranch, my family has a fairly unique perspective on climate change.
We are able to see the effects global warming has on our crops and animals, and we try to accommodate those changes on a day to day basis. In turn, we are also able to combat climate change in ways that go beyond that of the average American.
Here are some steps my family has taken, or continues to take, to reduce our carbon footprint.
In and on our home:
* A large solar paneling system
* Energy Star appliances, electronics, windows, doors, heating and air units
* Sky lights
* Aluminum-lined roof sheeting
* Insulated walls built with 2×6’s rather than 2×4’s
* Environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
* Ceiling fans
* CFL light bulbs
On our ranch:
* A garden full of our favorite fruits and veggies
* Feeding scrap food to our chickens
* Composting our chicken’s waste to create natural fertilizer for our garden
* Discing our fields to reduce fire hazard and improve soil quality
* A gray-water irrigation system for our pasture
* Pasture and hay feeding our cattle
* Feeding our lawn and tree trimmings to our livestock
* Keeping a worm farm, and feeding it with coffee grounds
* Using a drip irrigation system for our garden, lawn and trees
* Trading goods with neighbors and friends
In our general lives:
* Always purchasing a living Christmas tree, and planting it after the holidays
* Reusable cloth tote bags for shopping
* Recycling
* Fuel-efficient vehicles
* Carpooling whenever possible
* Sharing magazine subscriptions with friends and family
* Donating and purchasing used clothing, furniture, toys, etc.
* Shopping locally whenever possible, including farmer’s markets
Our ranch isn’t fully sustainable year-round, but for most months of the year, we could easily live without stepping foot off of our own property. We hope, eventually, to be completely sustainable and eliminate our family’s carbon footprint altogether.
I’d love to hear how you’re fighting climate change!
Go here for some amazing suggestions. And go here to find out more about Blog Action Day 09!
Categories
The Comfort Zone
I spent this past weekend in Chicago attending the BlogHer Conference.
And while last year my post-BlogHer post was about stepping outside my comfort zone, I made an amazing discovery this year.
I didn’t step outside my comfort zone the moment I arrived at the Chicago Sheraton, I stepped into it.
These are my people. My community. My cohorts. People who get it.
I’ve never had to remove my shoes to count the number of people I’m comfortable around. Or unclench one of my fists, if we’re being realistic.
There in Chicago, I realized that the way I interact with my internet friends can easily translate to real life. I know not everyone “gets it”, this blogging thing, and that’s OK. I don’t get the NASCAR craze, but I’m not knocking people who drive around with the number 3 on their bumper. Or is it the number 8?
I got to be myself for three whole days. I talked endlessly with people about their passions, their hopes, their writing styles, their kids or lack thereof. We talked about weight issues and depression and parenting. There was talk about what blogging adds to our lives, and how we try to find balance. But mostly, there was camaraderie.
And only a little bit of drama. But, in the eloquent words of my friend Fran, “In a group as large as blogher, there will always be flawed motives. Human nature. I choose to focus on the good.”
And good it was. I learned so much. I came home with a renewed passion for writing, a few new tricks up my sleeve, a huge stack of business cards, and a happy heart.
Thanks to everyone who made it so very, very amazing.
*And if you’re looking for a post with pictures of my crazy time? It’s coming, baby, it’s coming.*
And just to hold you over:
Categories
Friends of Maddie
Have you ever thought to yourself, “What could I do to be a better person”?
Maybe try a little harder to help those less fortunate?
Most of us have. Some of us haven’t.
But regardless, there’s a great way you can honor the memory of the lovely and incredibly missed Madeline Alice Spohr, and help the families of babies in the NICU. 
Whose heart doesn’t skip a beat when thinking about sweet little babies struggling for life? Or, at the very least, whose heart doesn’t palpitate when thinking about wining a free Netbook from Intel?
Click on the link above, or go here and leave a comment. Oh, and don’t forget to make a donation. It’s not required, but dude. Karma is a bitch.
And so am I, if you win and I find out you couldn’t spare a dime.
Categories
BlogHer Bound
Two weeks from now, I’ll be in Chicago.
That’s 2049 miles away from my kids and my husband. Yes, exactly.
I’ve waited until today to “announce” that I’m going because, honestly? I thought I’d be hyperventilating and hiding in the closet right about now. I didn’t think I’d end up going.
Don’t get me wrong – I want to go.
I want to learn new things and network and take in the sights and blah, blah, blah. But mostly, I want to hang out with the people I hang out with through my computer on a daily basis.
Meghan and Heather & Mike and Christina and Kendra and Greis and Stacey and Kirsten and Kari and Maura and Megan and Marinka and Jessica and Insta-Mom and Fran can’t forget the Room 704 girls, VDog and Dawn and Leslie and… and… and… a gazillion other people I’d love to meet but I don’t know whether or not they’re going.
But. That’s far, far away from my babies. If something were to happen to one of them, it would take me an entire day to get back home.
Why not bring them and make use of BlogHer’s daycare? Because, uhhh, I’m planning on having a glass or twelve two of wine with Meghan and Heather & Mike and Christina and Kendra and Greis and Stacey and Kirsten and Kari and Maura and Megan and Marinka and Jessica and Insta-Mom and Fran and VDog and Dawn and Leslie.
And, this may surprise you, but I’m a completely different person without my kids around. The Mom in me refuses to remove the stick from her ass unless the children are not around, and will not be around.
So, I’m going. Alone. I’ll probably have to double up on my anti-anxiety meds while I’m gone, or maybe not with all that wine drinking, but I’m going and I’ll have fun and learn a lot and hopefully come home with a huge stack of cards from new friends I can stalk follow.
You know, just in case my old Blog Buddies decide they don’t like me without the stick.