I Have Moved…Come and See Me

       You may have noticed that I haven’t posted here in a few days…I have moved; that is my big news.   I sure would love it if you would come and see me at my new environment.  It will look familiar to you, it will still feel comfortable and yet, because change is change…it will be a little bit different.  I will still write about all that is going on in the world, my observations and opinions.  I had to move and expand my wings.    Come and see me anyway; relationships are no fun when it is only one -sided…if i write…who will read?  http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com  I miss your company and your comments on my blog!!!

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Jumping For Joy

       Thanks to all of the faithful readers, this blog is now celebrating 91,000 visitors!  You guys rock…thanks for being interested in what goes on in the world.  Thanks for sharing your points of view on the latest news, events, and life’s happenings.  You the readers are the best part of blogging.  Appreciate the comments that inform, observe the world, and communicate your opinions in a family friendly manner.  The world is an interesting place, dont ya think?

Read Full Post »

Baby Your Blog

Well, this past week has been a lesson on nurturing my blog.  This past week was a week out of the ordinary and I was not able to nurture my blog in the way that I normally do.  I began to think on that thought.  A blog is a bit like a baby…it needs to be nurtured to grow and prosper.

How do you nurture a blog, you ask?  First things first, if you have a blog already you need to evaluate it’s well-being.  If you do not have a blog…begin one.  You need to think about what your blog is intended to accomplish.  Mine was initially set up to develop some discipline, commitment, and to help improve my writing.  As it evolved, I learned more…and therefore; I have discovered what I want and need.  Some of those things have changed with time; and now, I know that  my blog needs some adjustments.   That is ok, it is called growing pains; things that don’t grow become stagnant…they wither and die.  If your goals change for your blog, then you must make changes.  That knowledge requires some re-evaluation. 

Read Full Post »

It Is Better To Give Than Receive (As long as you are going to keep receiving bailout money)

     Ok, ready for some more, I can’t believe it…what were they thinking kind of blog post?  It is better to give than to receive (as long as you are going to KEEP receiving bailout money).  Outrageous news reports of an alledged 12 day trip to Vegas for the top employees for Wells Fargo & Company. 

     In the past years, this has been an alleged tradition of all expenses paid which included many different extravagant perks such as helicopter rides, private concerts, food and entertainment…etc.  While companies are made to look good to their employees by giving away so much; to the rest of us…the companies who do this kind of thing are making a mockery out of the purpose of the bailout money for those companies who have been failing to be financially responsible. 

        How can these corporations, banks and such that have been receiving bailout money from taxpayers still be so blind?  Can they not understand the depths of the resentment of the American people for this financial chaos that we have all been plunged into?  Surely, if these behaviors continue…they will go out of business and deservedly so. 

        The thing is…today’s news of the 12 day planned trip was defended by the company…until there was an uproar and they cancelled the trip.   If that is what it takes, to prevent further financial misuse of the bailout funds, negative peer pressure and pressure from the media, to change their behaviors; then, we are just going to have to be more vocal when we are made aware of an abuse of the American’s financial investment in their companies.

          Let the other industry leaders be forewarned…American tax payers are fed up with the mess that has been made.  I think those at the top of the companies that have received bailout money should be legally responsible for any misuse of those funds.  Let’s see some accountability here by our leaders!

Read Full Post »

Special Needs-Growing Up Special Isn’t Easy

      If you are the parent of a special needs child then you know that growing up special in today’s world is not easy.  Finding ways to help your child be successful and to be as independent as they can be is often a challenge.  Too often those children, or young adults, are shuffled off to a seperate area or to a “special” program.  Acceptance is sometimes hard to come by.

        Therefore, it is vitally important to create an environment where your special person is accepted, loved, encouraged and challenged to spread their wings.  Finding appropriate venues to integrate them with “normal” or “average” peers is difficult. 

        When you are able to find a good fit…often you must force yourself to stand back and let them do and be.  That is easier said than done.  As a parent you are always in a protective mode…and you should be…but…you must also let them be as independent as they can be without interference.  🙂 

          Do you have some great experience that you could share with other parents of special needs children or children who have been adopted who struggle with issues?  If so, others could benefit from your successes and possibly even your struggles.  Check out this blog:  http://www.growingupspecial.com/  Introduce yourself and leave a comment.  You never know…you just might find others to share with. 

          

Read Full Post »

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow-Bye Bye Bessie

        Parting is such sweet sorrow…and I know this to be true.  Today, I lost Bessie.  We weren’t together long enough.  I had only known her for about 5-6 years.  Long enough to appreciate her…long enough to know all of her faults and her good features.  We were pretty much inseperable for most of this last year and a half.  I am grieving the loss of her. 

           Oh to be sure, Bessie could be tempermental…but, hey so can I when the mood strikes.   We were only apart for a couple of weeks last year due to a very strong virus.  It almost took Bessie from me this past summer.  We were lucky…she was able to bounce back.  I grieved the loss of her then too…but, i was lucky and got to have a little more time with her.  I don’t think I will be so lucky this time.

           After I posted to my blog early this morning…Bessie made a most unlady-like , violent popping sound and then she was gone…without any warning…no goodbye…see ya later.  Nothing!  She was  most silent; not as in a temporary silent treatment either.  One moment she was there, vibrant and alive…the next minute…my beloved computer was no longer with me.  I was left alone with my thoughts.

            Last time…the computer doc was able to rescitate her and bring her back to her full glory.  This sound that she made, sounded most ominous.  I don’t know if she has any more life left in her.  She will take so many pieces of me with her if she is truly gone.   The writings, the pictures, the look and the feel of her keyboard..Oh Lord, the files; this could be very traumatic.   Ahhhh….I am most blue.

              I am sending these greetings to you via my husband’s lap-top.  I don’t like driving another person’s vehicle and i most definately don’t like writing on another person’s computer.  If only i was independently wealthy….then, i would deck myself out with the top of the line…super streamlined…computer that would hum beneath my fingers and spill out all that I hold dear, to you my friends and readers. 

           Still, until there is no hope of breathing new life into Bessie…i will have to do the best that i can to communicate on this laptop.  It will be quite some time before i can afford to break in a new computer who will work with me and not mind my lack of technical skills.  If you don’t mind…send a few prayers Bessie’s way.  She could use a little help from above,  just like most of us!!!

Read Full Post »

Alpha Inventions-Have You Heard About Them Yet?

         Alpha Inventions, I wondered if you have heard of them yet?  I discovered them the other day when they made an appearance on my stat counter on my blog site.  I wondered who are they and; how, and why are they referring so many visitors to my blog.  Not that I minded the traffic; in fact, it was quite wonderful.  However, sometimes sites connect to your site that you wish had never heard of you; you know what I mean?  Some of them bring traffic that i don’t want associated with my blog.

         Anyway, i did a little sleuthing and found out it is a site that is relatively new.  From what i understand…it is a site that brings exposure to a multitude of sites-in real time.  So, as soon as you post to your site/blog others can see it at that moment.  In doing so, they are current on what information or products you are trying to bring to the world wide web.  I don’t understand all of the ins and outs of their algorithms…but, thankfully, it isn’t my job to understand it.  I am benefitting from someone else’s brillance.  That is ok with me.  In return, i hope that my blog brings something to them as well.

          Interesting though when you stop to think about the name.  Alpha Inventions…when I looked it up there were many definitions for Alpha.  Of course, we all know about the Alphabets…a listing of letters that begins with the letter A.  Then, there is the definition of Alpha as first or beginning-beta (as in beta testing).  Then, there is the definition of top of the line or dominant. And finally, to be the most prominent, talented or aggressive.  Congrats to Alpha Inventions for thinking outside of the box.  Think of it as free media publicity for your writings or your business/marketing site.  It is another tool to use to bring attention to your goals that you are trying to accomplish on your site.

            When you stop and think about it…all of those terms apply to http://www.alphainventions.com .  It is an experiment in transition i think.  However, a brilliant one…I think it will be fine tuned and will catch on like wildfire.  Like any invention…it will go through several phases of development.  In the meantime, enjoy the extra traffic that they send you…you won’t be sorry.

Read Full Post »

I Had To Look Both Ways Because Of The Traffic

       Extra, extra, read all about it…lookie here…you want traffic to your blog or website you say?  Do you update often?  Is your blog or website interesting to others?  Hey, then do i have a recommendation for you!  There is this new site that is so going to be the next online addiction; such as for those, who have found themselves addicted to twitter!  It is called Alpha Inventions.  It is a little complicated to explain therefore i am going to include a link to the blog that explains it…but trust me on this…it will increase your traffic like crazy.  It sounds like the inventor has bigger ideas for the site; but, it is a work in progress.  Today in just a short time…i had 166 readers sent to my blog because Alpa Inventions recommended my site here at www.writeasrain.wordpress.com. Hmmmm…does anyone else see possible potential here?  Crazy huh?  Try it out and see.

       Here is the blog about Alpha Inventions: http://alphainventions.com/  I am going to post to www.twitter.com and see if anyone there has discovered Alpha Inventions yet.  I think this is going to spread like wildfire to anyone who wants to create an immediate notification of anything/or subject/or idea that they want to spread the word about.  It has the potential to be a great PR tool.  This is a cool idea to read blog posts in real time as blog posts are posted to create an instant following.  Go Alpha!

Read Full Post »

High Traffic Scores

       Yahoo… I am so excited.  I did a little test on this blog site on www.HubSpot.com.   I got a score of 48…which they say means that, out of the hundreds of thousands of sites that they have tested, my blog scores higher than 48% of them in terms of marketing effectiveness.   Whoooooo Hooo. 

         But, i am a bit confused.  I am not a marketer.  I just write a blog on all kinds of interesting subjects (at least they are interesting to me).  However, I have written on so many subjects…that evidently, i have hit upon enough various subjects to be effective! 🙂  Cool Beans, I say. 

         Technorati has given me a rank of 372,003 which puts it in the top 0.53% of blogs that they track.  Yes…but, how can this be?  I am not a very technological person.  I only started blogging about 16 months ago.  There are things that I have discovered, which would now cause me to do a few things differently were I to start up another blog…but, that is how I know that I am growing and learning.  That is alright…that knowledge can be applied to future projects.   There is so much more to learn.  It is interesting…but learning new things leads a person to discover new passions.  Before long, you start accumulating large amounts of information that crosses over into other projects or areas of interest in your life.

         If we knew everything when we started out trying something new…would we ever push ourselves to go a little farther?  Probably not, human nature wants to be on familiar ground…to feel confident and comfortable in what we do.  However, the most personal and professional growth comes from pushing yourself to test your mettle…doing something that you do not think you are capable of doing.  I never thought i could do something like write a blog; and have someone come to it, and be interested in what i wrote.  But, i discovered when i gave myself permission to do it for myself…then, i was able to follow through. 

         Everyone tells me that it is simply because of content…regular, consistent postings that the blog is growing.  Writing is fun, reading the interactions in the comment section is rewarding to me.  Touching on subjects that can inform, or, share information is exciting.  Getting to know regular readers is the best part; because, they start to share who they are and what is important to them.  Some of the readers even post things that make a difference in someone else’s life…such as the comments on triple negative cancer…or, suicide prevention; or, some other post that affects people in a real personal way.

         It is a challenge to find something in everyday life that gives a small glimpse into what is happening in the world at that time…trying to make sense of how it affects me or others, that I care about.  Still…reading the report on the rankings of the blog…was eye opening to me.  That is because that isn’t why I started to write the blog; however, it is encouraging to learn as i go… and find ways to improve what i do.

        On top of that…my blog received a Google page rank of 4; but, now that i know it has room for improvement…i want to make it better.   A four is not too shabby.  But, what really excited me was that in the area of traffic…the blog was in the top 4.61% of all websites. 

        This, is like winning some kind of award; such as an Emmy, or an Oscar…maybe a Tony; Is there some kind of award for someone addicted to blogging?  hahahah.  Ahhhhemmmm, I would like to thank my mom, and my dad, and my teachers, and my bus drivers, and anyone else who NEVER let me talk when i felt the need (just kidding) ….LOL     Blogging is fun….Go check out your website rating on www.HubSpot.com.  It is a great tool to work with; if you are in the hopes of improving your site and making it more effective by reaching the people you most want to communicate with.  Find out what you are doing right…and, oh by the way, did you find out anything that you could improve from testing your site on Hub Spot?

Read Full Post »

Traffic Jam

        Who hates getting stuck in a traffic jam?  Yeah, me too…unless it is with my blog; then, i absolutely love, love, love traffic.  I am thrilled to be to say, that with the next 10 visitors; I will have had 56,000 visitors to this blog in exactly 15 months (minus two days)  🙂   That is totally cool!  Now, if only I was a marketer and had something to sell…hmmm…i could be fairly well up to my eyeballs with nickels and dimes, don’t ya think?  Too funny, as I have no business interest, other than writing that is.

         Anyway…i was just so excited to share this very important update,  lol…that i couldn’t wait for those last ten visitors to appear.  I remember just a few short weeks ago, announcing on a teleseminar with Michael Penland, that i was about to hit 51,000 visitors; and, that was on August 30th–that is only 6 short weeks ago!!!  https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/doing-something-new-is-scary/

        Wow, that’s 5,000 visitors in six weeks.  Every new blogging milestone far out-distances any goals that i have ever set for myself.  Imagine what an individual could do when they go about setting their sights on a goal with determination to achieve it!!!   Mind blowing to a girl who’s only goal was to set about being disciplined and writing every day; when possible…and trying to document the world as i observe it, in my own way.  Maybe i need to raise my expectations for myself; set a new goal or accomplishment to achieve.   I will have to think on that…what do i need to focus on or do with my writing that is different? 

         I guess it just illustrates the need to connect…and communicate; human beings share so many things in common with one another.  We all have opinions on the things that go on around us; maybe you have something to write about that someone else wants or needs to hear?

Read Full Post »