Thursday, January 7, 2010

First Post of the Year; A Salute to Life’s Rollercoaster - A Post Holiday Catch of Breath; 2010 Blogging Goals; and Bloggiesta Reminder

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Welcome everyone to  a wonderful new year – 2010. A special year in that it brings in a new decade. Wow 2010, I never thought I would ever get to be this old.

It is our hope that each of you have had a memorable and fun filled time with family and friends over the holidays. We certainly did and are almost settled in at home again. Its amazing what two cats will do to your home while away.

Never the less it was a not stop ride with family and friends from the moment we arrived in Napa, CA.

Both JD and I are exhaling a collective sigh of relief since as fun as roller coasters are – we love them by the way - it is definitely a relief to get off and stand on stable ground again, catch your breath, and perhaps take a minute to change your underwear depending on the nature of the ride.

And just as we get comfortable and catch up with all the daily chores and requirements of life, we will be off again to visit more family in the Yorkshire England countryside. It too promises to be just as wild –only a bit more wet with better curry, beer, and fish and chips.

But in the mean time I plan to inundate you with various posts: new book previews, several reviews – they have been piling up; giveaways, pictures from Napa, and perhaps an author interview - if it all comes together before our UK departure.

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Now for the really fun stuff - Goals!

(Boring really, but they are never the less important.)

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General Blogging Goals for 2010:

  1. New Template
  2. Host a Challenge (which includes figuring out Mr. Linky – I am bad at it, ask poor Amanda at The Zen Leaf)
  3. To Finish at a minimum 50% of Reading Challenge Goals
  4. Integrate the two feeds I created for Layers of Thought – not sure how I did this one
  5. Implement several posts which I have planned and hoped to do and which I have been continually putting on the back burner

I will be adding to and marking this list as the year progresses.

**********************************************************************************Bloggiesta Reminder

As is fitting for any new year MAW Book’s Bloggiesta seems like a good plan. Its a way to learn about and force yourself to do the things for your blog that you have been putting off.

There is still time to join in – the badge below links to my original post and then to MAW’s site if you are interested. There will be a twitter hash tag for tweeted updates (#bloggiesta), mini challenges, and a collection of posts from 100+ participants. Your blog does not need to be a book blog to participate and if you cannot join perhaps snoop, loiter, and lurk around for useful blogging tips.

 blogiesta

For the next several days I will be updating and posting around the Bloggiesta. It is my first Bloggiesta and involvement in this sort of blogging activity so awkwardness and foibles will abound.

Laughing and commenting on mistakes is encouraged and welcome.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Shellie! Glad you had a great ride over the holidays, and we did miss you!

Unknown said...

Nicole -
Awww shucks! Thanks.

Will be by for comments on your blog soon.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Oh, wow, just when I thought I couldn't be MORE jealous than knowing about your Napa adventures...but England? The countryside of England? I long to go there. It's on my bucket list! LOL.

Can't wait to see your photos! And to follow your Bloggiesta progress. This will be my first one.

Marissafarrar said...

Hey Shellie - glad you had a good break. I know what you mean about the cats, they certainly like to make the place their own. Look forward to your blogs for 2010! Marissa

Hypatia Theon said...

I am so happy I found your literature blog, Shellie 'cuz, as you can see if you peek at my philosophy blog, I've been totally out of blogging for years, in fact, I had a hard time regaining editorial control because I'd lost e-mail, passwords, the whole nine yards.

With no help at all from the support, to use this word in the loosest possible sense, staff I finally got the dashboard back & posted a couple of lame topics, but I need inspiration from a muse like you, Shellie, if you'd be so kind as to accept that role, to get my blog up to date, as yours is. :D

Would it help if I said, "Pretty, pretty, PLEASE?

Dennis (Hypatia Theon) Wilkinson

Serena said...

good luck with your 2010 goals!

Unknown said...

Laurel -
No jealousy please... the flight is awful, and it will be very wet and oh so cold there at this time of year. But it should be very very green.

Your first Bloggiesta.. your participating?... Excellent a buddy ;)

Marissa -
Thanks!
My cats are crazy the younger one has totally destroyed everything he can in the house. The old one meows all the time - very vocal.
There is a blogger who considers herself "a cat slave". I am beginning to understand. :)

Dennis -
Thanks --- wow!

I feel totally honored and not sure I will live up to the lofty roll of muse... goodness. I bet you say that to all the girls? lol!

Sadly, there is not link to your blog on your google profile so I could not find it - which sounds very interesting by the way.

Serena -
Thanks a bunch!
Its great to have you as a reader.

Now off to start the Bloggiesta which I am late for...hope fully some award hilarity ensues... perhaps I should back up my blog first?

Hypatia Theon said...

Oh, dear, Shellie, see how much I need a muse? I don't even have the back link to my blog set right. [ http://hypatiatheon.blogspot.com/ ]<-- It's here.


Please don't get the wrong idea that I act like this with "all the girls" 'cuz we're both happily married, & I believe you love your husband as I also do my wife, as you may have seen in Baking and Selling Artisan Bread by the teachings of the Lotus Sutra: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt0ksy98ZnA&feature=channel ]?


X-my heart. I've never asked anyone else to be my muse. I'm not flirting with you. If I were you'd know it 'cuz I'm utterly shameless when I do. Here's an example, so you can compare the "loftier" relationship I'm asking of you with my flirting [ http://www.ne.jp/asahi/sweet/song/comming_attraction.htm ]<--- I'm Pearl Dragon.


I followed the link from your blog to Bloggiesta but Friday through Sunday is the busiest time of the week for our bakery & also I'm performing weddings.


Enjoy your Bloggiesta, & maybe when it's over you can inspire me to do the same to my dilapidated blog. *Sigh*


Dennis (Hypatia Theon & Pearl Dragon) Wilkinson

Unknown said...

Dennis -
Lol! yes I am happily married.

As for your blog - it doesn't look too bad. Mine was a mess when I first started, but I work on it all the time. I just think your too busy baking Zen Bread and playing World of Warcraft? Are my assumptions are correct? :)

As for your very interesting links...I have never baked bread, have a level 75 priest, dont speak but a word of Japanese and have enjoyed Japan - been to Tokyo twice. The food was amazing.

I will do my best to "amuse" you :)

Hypatia Theon said...

Yes, Shellie, I read your blog & saw the photo of your handsome hubby, so I knew. You're assumptions are 1/2 correct. Our bakery takes about 16 hours a day Tue. and Fri., Sat. Sun. Plus most weekends I have a few weddings on Sat. - Sun. or both. Whew! So I mostly edit Wikipedia and play on GetGlue on my "free" days, but there's also shopping and other chores & need for exercise, too.


I don't know World of War-craft. Those chat logs were from a few years ago playing Never-Winter Nights on Amaia, a "PG" rated server, so the challenge was to keep that story PG rather than get all erotic as one would on an adult server. I got the permission of the other player to "publish," so I have no moral qualms about showing it to others on your blog or elsewhere. I wouldn't, for example, show you the details of ladies on GetGlue that I'm flirting with now 'cuz that would be, uh, morally reprehensible by my standards, see?


What's a level 75 priest? I'm ordained in Universal Life Church [ http://www.ulchq.com/ ] but only perform weddings. I really respect people with a calling to full-time ministry.


Please, don't misunderstand. I don't need to be amused, I'm hours of amusement alone in a room. I need you to inspire me to do creative work. That's the duty of a muse, see?


Dennis, et. al. :D

Unknown said...

Dennis -

What do you say we take this conversation off the comments since I am sure most of my readers are not that interested in our banter? but you never can tell :)

I have a bunch of tips for you that I can forward as well.

layers of thought (at) gmail (dot) com

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