Monday, January 28, 2013

Let Me Reintroduce Myself

 This is a fun blog fest hosted by Stephen Tremp and friends  Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest

I am a woman of a certain age who is pre-Barbi, pre-vampire, pre-Iphone, Ipad, pre-electronic age, but using parts of it.

First, the superficialities:  I miss the "second look,"  you women know what I mean.  You are in a group of people, or waiting in a ticket line, or waiting for a bus, train, or plane.  And. . . there is a nice looking man among the group and you make eye contact and his eyes sweep by you never to return.  

I look at my older face in the mirror and think, hmm, eye lift, face lift?  No, no, and no I think, even though a few of my friends have done these little adjustments and they do look good.  Still ... I wonder.

My favorite everyday reading material is "The Wall Street Journal" especially the weekend editions.  So many good articles, ideas, book reviews, great sports writing, etc.  My husband and I share and sometimes read parts of the columns to each other over morning coffee.  I know, I know it sounds rather old fashioned, but it is one of the pleasures of having more time.

I read all the time, especially mysteries set in foreign countries which for a few hours put me in another part of the world.  I write this blog, but am not writing a book, so I cannot talk about the process as many of you do, but ... I am a "lover of words" and appreciate the time, effort and the "drops of blood on the forehead" that it takes to write a book.

I am a clipper -- I clip articles that I think might interest my friends and family and mail them.  My dad did that and I am continuing the tradition.

International politics interest me which probably reflect my love of travel and hearing from people from other countries.  I especially like seeing all those red dots from all over the world on the spinning globe on my blog which make me feel good to have made this small connection with them.

But the true loves of my life are my family.  My wonderful husband whom I met at our 20th high school reunion (and who made it possible for me to return to college and get my degree), my two wonderful sons, a step-daughter and her husband,  daughter-in-law and sister, and four grandsons.  And my friends who put up with my quirks.

My writing goals are to improve my blog and my writing and to  get more "techy." for example, I cannot figure out how to add the widgets/logos.

And, as you can tell if you have read this far.  I am not hip, but I like to read the blogs of those of you who are.


49 comments:

  1. haha well i don't think i would be considered hip either---and i know what you mean about the second look thing---old age as they say ain't for sissies huh-----i love your tradition of passing on articles---and i loved this blog--fun read :)

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  2. I'm not hip either...well, hippy maybe.... thanks for dropping in on thefeatherednest.

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    1. Thanks Lynn (for always being there) and MBJD who led me to Stephen's blog list.

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  3. I'm a clipper too- and got it from my Dad at that. Didn't know that was a thing! :)

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    1. It shows a little extra effort to mail these clippings -- no email or forwarded email and the recipient can re-read the articles and is flattered (I hope) by the extra attention. But not negative and advice stuff is what I try and avoid.

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  4. I'm not hip either. But at least I can kinda feel that way from reading other cool blogs. :)

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    1. It keeps me younger, I hope, reading those blogs.

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  5. Adding logos is easy. Just go to your Dashboard, select layout, then Add A Gadget, then select IMAGE. You can click and drag just about any image from any site to your desktop, then upload it by selecting choose File once you select IMAGE. Easy!

    You can also copy and paste a pertinent Web link there too.

    ANd thanks for participating in the Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest!

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    1. Thank you Stephen, I will try this and thank you for the "Re-introduce Myself Blogfest." It does add some energy to January. It is 20 degrees here in Colorado.

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  6. I'm right in the same place as you--maybe a bit further along the line. It's been such a long time since anyone's eyes swept by me. I attract babies in the supermarket. We instantly connect. So, maybe I'm not so hidden beneath the persona of age.

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    1. Love your last line, a first line for a poem? "Hidden beneath the persona of age,
      Is a spirit that is always there,
      and transcends time and space,
      and is ageless."

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  7. Hi, this is my first time here, and I feel that I now really do know a bit about you (and like you already).

    Great post, and great blog!

    Kathy M.

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    1. Thanks, Kathy, one of my favorite friends lives in Portland -- such a beautiful place.

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  8. Nice to re-meetcha. Yeah, I know what you mean about the second look. If a man does that anymore, he's usually older than Methuselah. Tough. Kids and animals still find me appealing...

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Yes, dogs and kids take us as we are, no pre-judging.

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  9. So nice to meet you, and yes that second look...Oh well,

    Anyway, I read further and really enjoy Downton Abby. Not because I 'want to go back to a simper time' that's crap and every time I read that in a review it drives me nuts. It's a look into the past and at the class differences and how truly horrible it was for women and the poor. Oh well, didn't really mean to go there. I just love the history, and really what did happen to that cowboy?
    I'm follower 99 so wanted to be number 100!

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    1. Yolanda, I guess I love the acting and the long takes -- no jumping around with the camera, so you do feel as if you are watching a play. Tough times for women from poor homes and the health issues were daunting. Thank you for being 99!

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  10. Great to meet you. The second look is nice. I got one the other week and it flummoxed me. I guess because it'd been awhile. Maybe I had something on my nose. lol

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    1. Hi Pax! Your picture looks pretty cute -- I think the whole second look thing is that you feel appreciated, even if it is for a moment or two.

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  11. I'm a giver of plenty of second-looks. You certainly have an interesting take on it. So pleased to meet you! :)

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    1. I'm glad. It makes a woman feel appreciated no matter what her age. Thank you for being 100 on the follower chart! I have only published one book, "Hobbes Goes to South America" for my grandchildren, using a stuffed lion puppet as the narrator.

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  12. Hey, if you figured out how to put up that globe thingy, I say you're pretty hip! I'd love to have that on my blog. You seem very blessed to still be kicking, reading, blogging, have a husband you love... Great post, and it's really great to meet you.

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    1. Here is how you do it. Go to the globe on this blog site and on the lower left hand corner is the word "revolvemaps" click on it and follow the directions. It is fun to see who in the world reads your blog. And I am blessed and happy to meet you!

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  13. I've never seen that globe with dots before. It's a lovely! Wonderful that you read articles with your husband in the morning, and congrats on going back to college. I can't imagine how hard that would be. Nice to meet you!

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    1. The Globe can be addictive, be warned :) I loved college, except for the math which was hard for me after so many years. My regret was that starting later, I ran out of years, would have loved to go on, so many more things to learn. It's great to put a name to a dot! Nice to meet you as well.

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  14. Hey,

    Love that you clip and send... I think that is a *great* tradition... I received a real type-written letter fron an old WWII Veteran friend of mine the other week (in response to an email from me!!!) and I shall pass this wonderful letter onto my kids... for the sake of history and tradition :)

    PS... if you ever wrote a book, I'd read it - I love your blog "voice."

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    1. Mark, you know how to make a gal feel good. I do write short stories sometimes, let me know when you have the "fractured fairy tale" thing again. I'd love to join you.
      Clipping is fun -- I see a story and my mind instantly connects with a person who might enjoy it. Then there are the letters you save -- another blog topic. Wall Street Journal had a great article on stay-at-home-dads and I thought of you, but no where to send it :(

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  15. Hi, it's wonderful to meet you! I used to be a clipper too.

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    1. I know it takes time and sometimes you lose the article, etc. if you don't cut it out right away. Great to know that the younger, hip bloggers out there do this sometimes. A pleasure to meet you.

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  16. Hi, it's great to connect with you.
    I'm looking at the red dots flashing feverishly on your globe at the south eastern section of Africa... that's me in South Africa... it's fascinating...

    With regards to the nip and tuck issue...
    During the recent Miss America pageant, Miss New Mexico cited a favourite quote: "If it bags, sags or drags, it has to be nipped, tucked and sucked."
    Remember, this is a comment coming from a girl who is barely out of her nappies (the Americans call it diapers) I'm sure most of these contestants are between the ages of 18 and 27... more or less...
    So by the time these girls reach their 40's and everything starts moving southwards, will there be anything left to nip, tuck and suck? I wonder what they're gonna look like when they hit their 50+ years?
    I rest my case.

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    1. It is great to connect a dot with a person. Hello, hello!
      What I have noticed lately is you see a recent picture of a celeb and you cannot tell who it is, the surgery changes their faces so much, yes they look younger and smoother, but . . . . Also, having so much anesthesia is not good, long term. I hope you use the globe, but I can't help thinking that since it is free, it's probably taking note of all we do. Oh well.

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  17. People who think that they are not ' hip' often are....
    Hello from Trelawnyd in North Wales

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  18. Thank you John, for the "hip" thought. Is that a Scottish Deerhound in your photo? Oh how I miss having a dog. I used to show English Setters and my last, best dog was a Gordon Setter. Hello back to you from Castle Pines, Colorado on a very frosty morning, 27 degrees F.

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  19. I thought of you Monday as I struggled into Denver through the snow, then back home through the snow. Not fun! When I passed a sign for Castle Pines, I though "If you lived here, you'd be home." I was at my first ever visit to the Tattered Cover (on 16th)!

    I don't think your shared mornings are old fashioned at all; I think that's wonderful! I feel like I miss out on time with hubby and my kids due to my insomnia, but morning is the one time of day I can usually get some sleep.

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

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    1. Next time, Shannon, you have to stop, have a cup of coffee and a view of "Pretty Woman Ranch" and Daniel's Park Road. We are only 10 minutes or less from I 25.

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  20. Very pleased to meet you, and forgive my tardy time keeping, I sort of lost my way somewhere. :)

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  21. Hello, from you newest follower!

    For what it's worth, coming from a stranger, I think you're beautiful. Also, the fact that you clip interesting adds for loved ones, says you're a caring person, who enjoys making others happy. Yay you! Lastly, I love your globe, people- tracker-thingy. I tried to put one on my page, but can't figure out how. I know you said you can't work the widgets, but I'd love to know how you got that one up. It's great meeting you! I look forward to reading more of your posts. :)

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    1. Hi Celeste, and thank you for your words and adding your pretty face to the group. I am not part of Google plus so don't know how to contact you concerning the globe thing. So if you have checked back, try this. Go to the globe, in the lower left hand corner is the line "revolve maps" click on it and it should give you the steps. It is fun and a little addictive.

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  22. Well I must say it has been heart warming to witness all the global connections your reintro has
    created my friend!. Give yourself alot of credit for venturing into the world of blogging . I appreciate your curious, life-long learner mind and your dear Russian heart and am grateful to know you. Isn't it wonderful to be able to connect with kindred spirits around the globe via a little blog?

    Thank you for writing it.
    always, I.S.

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    1. Thank you so much for your thoughtful words. We have been friends for so long so there is a plus for being of "a certain age." And we both have a part of our hearts in Europe, having parents who were born there, so you do understand the "quirky" part of my personality.

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  23. So fun to read the comments from around the world! Good for you. I agree with anonymous - give yourself lots of credit. And a formal thank you for all the clippings you send me!
    With much love and respect.

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    1. Even though this is a cliche, thank you CQ for always being there for me.

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  24. What a breath of fresh air you are! I love the fact that you enjoy the simple things in life. Spending time reading the paper with your hubby, enjoying your family, traveling, and blogging. One doesn't always have to write a novel to appreciate the written word. As an lover of art doesn't have to be an artist.

    As much as I enjoy the high tech world, I remember my childhood in the 70's with my parents and brothers sitting in the den chatting and watching all those WONDERFUL family shows...

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    1. I think we all have to realize that we have parts to play in our lives. And now, my part is on the sidelines. I watch the world in amazement, the latest music, celebrities, tech gadgets, are foreign to me, but that is the way it should be, just the way it was when we were growing up and appalling our parents. Thank you for your words!

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  25. The simple things in life are often the best. You seem like a really nice person. So nice to "meet" you!

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  26. Thanks, Sherry. Glad to meet you as well. This blog challenge is fun and I hope you signed up for the April blogging from A-Z Challenge.

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