Back On The Grid

 

After I posted my last post, I had the appointed phone call with AT&T where they were supposed to finish some paperwork and mail me my new aircard.

It was not simple. I went through the gauntlet. Again.

They rewarded me by telling me I did not have to wait for my aircard to arrive in the mail, but that I could go to a corporately owned AT&T store and, after the customer service person on the phone made a few notes on my account, I could walk away with my free aircard.

As it turned out, it was not quite that simple. I had to make yet another phone call and I still need to send in a rebate card, and check to make sure they credit my account $95.00. But I did walk away with my new aircard, which is compatible with my NEW HP laptop.

Could I be any more excited? My very own, brand new, not refurbished, not pre-owned computer!  It is beeeyoooouuutifullll!!!

I sure hope I can stay on track and write new posts at least a few times per week. More than that, I hope I can get caught up on all of your deep thoughts on your blogs and by your comments.

Honorarary Countdown…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Hard Drive

A couple of months ago,


This boy

threw one of these

into one of these

With


To which I had added
and

which spilled on this


and ruined this


The only other computer at my disposal is a very old one.

We live in the country, so it is also on dial up. It takes a month of Sundays to get signed in, not to mention writing new posts and adding pictures.


That is one of the several reasons I have not yet gotten back to my blogging routine.


Neither have I been reading the blogs of many of you, my treasured bloggy friends.




HOWEVER,

I recently received this in the mail...



will soon be receiving this...

and, yes, THEN

I shall blog again.

I am looking forward to it and have begun a (hopeful) countdown.

6 Days... and counting...

P.S. Sorry for the sorta dorky layout, etc. Takes too long to try to make changes on this PC and dial-up.

One Year Blog-A-Versary

(I don't know why Blogger is formatting weird, hopefully you can make sense of this)

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog. I started blogging before this, but nothing regular and not under this name. This is my true first real and consistent blogging endeavor.

I have discovered so much this year, especially about myself. Alot of it I learned through blogging. Most of it I will remember because of blogging.

And I have "met" so many new friends through blogging too (Hey, if my dad can meet his wife online, why can't I call my bloggy peeps my friends?)

I planned to write much more. But I did not know I would be rushing around trying to get ready to take a trip to say goodbye to my dear Great Aunt. Maybe I will write more when I celebrate my 200th post, which will be soon!

In the meantime, please celebrate with me.

Grab a cup of your favorite tea (maybe Zhena's Raspberry Earl Gray?) or cocoa (Salted Caramel Cocoa anyone?)...

Then grab one of these Tiara One Year Old party plates...

And help yourself to a cupcake, or piece of Pecan Coffee Cake...

Or at least take 10 minutes for yourself!

And, whether you've been reading all along -- or if you just started, consider yourself THANKED for being a reader of this blog, for your comment contributions, and for being a part of my little blogging world over this past year.

Blog Award. Gee. Thanks Gina:)

The Dardos Award is in appreciation of the merits - culturally, literary and individually- of every blogger who expresses him/herself on his/her blog. The conditions are to:

Be tickled pink, (I am!)
Copy and paste the award picture to your blog, (see above)
Write down the regulations, (ta-da!)
Link the blog who bestowed you the award, (Hi Gina!)
and finally Nominate 15 blogs for the award. (Hmmm...)


Gina over at Ginaagain, and again, and again... gave me an award. Isn't that sweet? It is especially meaningful cuz I'm pretty sure there are times when she doesn't share my point of view. I don't always have the same opinions as she does either, but I sure appreciate her point of view. And I love how real she is and how I share so many of the same struggles as she does. Thank you Gina, my friend with horns:)

Hmm, I will have to think about which blogs to nominate. Stay tuned...

M-I-C --- See Ya Real Soon

Has it really been this long since I posted? I guess it has been my 12 days of Christmas. Time has flown by -- though not how I anticipated.

I fully intended to post more frequently. I certainly didn't intend to miss my weekly postings at the least! I guess this just means I won't run out of things to say in the near future. If I could just carve out the time and energy to say something.

Mostly I just want to touch bases with my bloggy friends. I don't want to lose my vast numbers of readers due to laziness!

See ya reeeall soon~

(If you have never watched Mickey Mouse Club reruns, I apologize for my post title)

Lemonade Award

I got my first blog award on Thanksgiving week. Barb at Southern Dining Diva gave me the Lemonade Award. It is an award for those who show great attitude and/or gratitude on their blogs. I am guessing it is called Lemonade because of the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

Here's the cute award:

I know I am not always positive. But I do try to be encouraging. I think if I am not at least somewhat open, I present an untrue picture of myself and life.

I think it is discouraging when I read blogs where someone appears to be perfect and have a perfect life all of the time.

And make crafts and good food and take walks and have sheer, crisply starched curtains billowing in the breeze at the windows while trendy soothing music plays.

And babies play at her feet as she knits -- after homeschooling kids who always have happy hearts and are good artists.

Even though she has never had a professional pedicure and doesn't need time to herself outside of reading the latest quilting magazine and decorating her home and preparing gourmet meals to the delight of her ALWAYS adoring husband.

It's the comparison thing I talk about in my "Why But I Had A Tiara" post on my sidebar. I get that feeling that I just can't measure up.

Well, because I can't.

So I hope that is my little bit of encouragement to you -- don't compare yourself to what you read here or on anyone else's blog. You are only seeing what you are shown. And we don't like to broadcast our shortcomings and struggles as much as the happy things and the things we do have a handle on (even if we don't, it's not that hard to make it sound like we do!).

If you think for a minute that I have my act together, you are deceived:)

I am supposed to pass this award along. I am just so happy that I know TWO women who have been miraculously healed in the past month of serious sickness. How many times do you hear of THAT? They have had hearts trusting God through it all.

I asked for prayer for Elizabeth a few weeks ago. She is my friend from church and our small group ("House Church") who I got to know at Women of Faith. I want to make sure you read her update on her blog "Elizabeth Embracing Life". She was HEALED and it is documented in medical records! She is a mother of five, and was looking at horrible treatment but she was trusting in the Lord all along.

Deena is another lady whose blog, "Can I Be Pretty In Pink?" , I read regularly. I was initially attracted to her blog because of the little bird on her header. But, boy! I have been blessed by her spirit and grace as she has walked through serious, life-threatening cancer.

I'd like to give this award to these two ladies. Because when life gave them lemons, they not only made lemonade, but they looked around to see who might want some.

And I hope they will pass it on.

You ladies bless me.

Thank you Barb for the sweet award, my very first one. It will also remind me for the future how powerful our words are.

A Facelift

Noooo, silly. Not me. Scared ya didn't I? I mean, if I needed a face lift at my tender age of 29 that would be some serious sun damage for a lifelong Oregonian!

AAaaanyway, any minute now you'll see that my blog has had a facelift, thanks to my friend Darcy over at Graphically Designing. Ohh, I can't wait.

It has taken quite awhile to complete this project. I don't think it is because I am especially picky so much as it is that I have no idea how web design works. I know nothing about finding artwork for blogs. I mean, I don't know where to find it, I don't know what type works for what, I don't know what designers create out of thin air and what they buy and place or tweak or , or, or -- ANYTHING!

So, while I had a vague idea of what graphics I wanted, it was merely a concept with no idea on how to go about 1) accurately conveying my ideas to someone I only know through the blogosphere and, 2) how to implement it once I had figured it out. This has stretched me and I only made it through because of Darcy's patience and her willingness to go through long periods of "I don't know", "I'm too busy right now", "I am too overwhelmed" and "I don't know what you mean". Thank you Darcy for being patient with me as I clogged up your queue. Thank you for figuring out what I mean when I say what I want in a different language than you might understand. Thanks for creating something that I find joy in looking at.

I looooove it. And I hope it is a pretty space you all enjoy visiting:)

P.S. Yes, here it is! Did I mention I love it? I still have lots to replace and some new elements to add. So keep checking out my new sidebar items in case something new pops up.