ON BLOGGING ~ That's A Wrap...

I was curious to see if I could successfully wrap my text easily around images in Blogger. A few weeks ago Susan left a comment stating she was looking for a solution to this very issue on her Blogger blog. I will confess that the reason my images are always front and center is that I myself have had issues wrapping text cleanly around them when attempting a left or right positioned photo. This is true whether I am composing posts in the Edit HTML tab or the Compose tab view. It is especially annoying when it looks perfect in the editing view but then the Preview shows a complete disaster. Ugh. So I went searching around online for a solution.

One tip that I found in my instructional searches was that you should insert the image first. Then type your text after it. When trying to insert an image into existing text it doesn't seem to work so well. These first 2 paragraphs are the result of me inserting an image and clicking on Left or Right positioning when using the Edit HTML tab. Then I typed this text immediately after the image. As you can see, the text is wrapping itself right around the photos quite nicely. But what happens if I type the text first and then try to insert the photo? It has been said to cause a big blank space in the post where the image was intended to be. Lets give it a go...

This worked without trouble for me!!! But if you get gaping holes where your pretty photo was supposed to be, put the photo in first, then the text and see if that helps. Another piece of advice that I found in searching for tips on this text wrapping business for Blogger was that you need to ensure your actual settings allow for it to begin with. You can check this by going to the Settings Tab, click on Formatting and then make sure the election next to "Enable Float Alignment" says YES. I believe this is the default, but it doesn't hurt to double check if you are experiencing wrap issues.

Finally, I tried inserting the image and then typing the text in the Compose tab to see if the formatting worked as planned. I had to align the image position after inserting it which is different than when doing so in the Edit HTML tab, where I select and position all in the same step prior to the insertion into the post. It also left huge blank spaces between the image and where the next line of text began even though it looked fine prior to previewing. So I just went over to the Edit HTML tab and deleted those blank lines that were inserted for reasons unknown to me and things returned to a normal appearance. I find it easier to create in the Edit HTML tab because I can make sure the text is living cleanly amongst all the fancy tags that create the formatting instructions. But if you are scared of HTML, the Compose tab will let you create wrapped text - you just may need to use the Edit HTML tab view to see and remove the ugly gaps and other gremlins. The only other issue that could be causing trouble is if your blog's template is not set widely enough for the images you are inserting into your post. It might look just fine while composing/editing. And then when you preview or publish it disappears or gets chopped off. That would involve either resizing your images so that they are smaller, or modifying your blog's template to have a wider viewing space - like when watching movies on DVD and selecting Wide Screen instead of the normal view. Or just pick a different template.

Knowing how to get your text to wrap around your images in Blogger can make things more visually interesting, segment your thoughts into a more digestible format for readers or just be a way to express your mood at the moment. Hopefully these suggestions will help Susan out in her mission and do the same for your wrapping efforts. If they don't, we've got more research to do!!!

Image courtesy Wade Kelly via Fotopedia

ON FUN ~ Try These Shoes For A Change...

Image courtesy Philippe Jacquet @ www.photos-phil.com

At the age of 45, writer Regina Brett wrote a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer listing 45 lessons that life had taught her thus far. As a breast cancer survivor, many of those lessons were learned the hard way. Five years later she added five more lessons rounding her list up to 50 and turned her popular list into a book called God Never Blinks. I found her list to be entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking. I thought I would go through each of her lessons learned and write about how that lesson has or has not come up in my own life, now that I am 40 and feel old enough to have finally learned something.

"Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about."

~ LESSON #13

Wow. I was totally just talking about this very lesson with my dear friend in the blogosphere, Susan from Bear Swamp Reflections. And I swear I wasn't peeking ahead at the 50 Lessons. I look at the list as I write, not far in advance. I am a firm believer in this very lesson. I think it would make a fine motto. It is very hard to live this way, but when you do, things like jealousy and feeling sorry for yourself disappear.

We never really know a person unless we have lived with them their entire lives. And even then, it is still difficult to know them completely. The only other way to know a person is to wait for them to tell you their story. And trust that what they tell you is the complete truth. When you have that information, you can better relate to what it feels like to walk around in their shoes for a moment. Only then can you see how what they've experienced relates to what you have been through yourself.

People like to hide things. We wear masks. It protects that inner core but can also give off the wrong impression. Be careful what you reveal, but be even more careful about what you hide.

The fact of the matter is, we all have struggles. Mine might be of a different nature than yours, perhaps less horrific or not as lengthy. But to judge my struggles against yours is not fair. The worst of my struggles might be just the tip of the iceberg of your world of worry. But my worst still cause the same emotions that your worst does. It is all relative. Not equal. Just relative. And no less valid. It isn't a contest of misery after all. That's one of the few things I don't want to win.

And then there are folks who seem to have it all. They have all the things that you deserve but don't receive. But before you begrudge them, think about how they led their life before you discovered them in their happy place. How do you know they didn't work their tail off to reap these rewards? What kind of sacrifices did they make? What trade-offs? Don't be jealous. Maybe they deserve it and you should be happy for them. To know that sometimes the good guy does get what he deserves. Maybe they are spoiled brats. They get what they deserve too you know. They've often got that mask on to hide their imperfect world behind the fame and fortune. Struggles you would never consider surviving through to have material things that cause more trouble than they are worth.

No. We don't know each other. I don't know where your feet have been. They might be in pricey glamorous heels now, but we all started out barefoot. The shoes we grow into and out of along the way tell our real tale. And until you can fit your feet inside of them, you have no basis of comparison. So don't worry about it. Focus on finding your own shoes that make you comfortable and recognize that everyone else is just trying to do the same thing.

ON MOVIES ~ Movie Madness...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Insanity...

In case you hadn't noticed, there is a little college basketball tournament this month called March Madness. It is so named because of the format pitting higher seeded teams against the underdogs with a "one and done" elimination game allowing the winner to advance to the next level until there are only 2 teams remaining to battle it out for the championship. With a large amount of teams competing in the first round it is wall to wall basketball on multiple channels taking place all over the country. And with lots of Cinderalla stories causing upsets along the way it gets crazy. Thus the March "Madness" moniker. This madness is fun to watch. In the movies, madness can be entertaining to watch too. Sometimes scary, sometimes sad and sometimes madcap fun. Here are some examples we came up with. Share on your blog movies that feature maniacs, lunatics, psychos, crazed behavior or mentally tortured souls. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Shutter Island (2010)
• The Shining (1980)
• The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992)
• What About Bob? (1991)
• Girl, Interrupted (1999)
• The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Bitch Session...

Image by

Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

I know quite a few people who are happiest when they are most miserable. I don't enjoy this environment and thus avoid prolonged interludes with them as much as possible. Debbie Downer irritating. So when I come across a blogger who does nothing but complain, I move away as fast as possible.

Look. We all vent. For some, their blog is the only outlet they have for the stress, fear, problems and annoyances in their life. Which honestly makes me think that if they did less venting, they'd probably have real people in their lives that they could vent to instead of spewing it throughout the blogosphere. If that makes sense. There is a difference between venting and being a miserable person to be around. It is a direct correlation to the frequency of your complaints.

If you are having a bad day and that psycho stranger in the car next to you cut you off one too many times, that's a ventable offense. But if you vent about the bad driver, the stupid store clerk, the hold time on the phone, the government, the in-laws, your kids' teachers, the dog's bladder, your dead grass, the burnt pizza, your boss, the crappy movie ending, the shrunken laundry, the malfunctioning DVR, the smelly dude on the treadmill and your weight - I want nothing more than to show you photos of ruined families in Japan or Haiti, impoverished children in the Middle East or homeless people on our back doorsteps.

Problems should be occasional. And venting about them can be liberating and many times humorous in their release. Seeing everything as a problem is self-centered and complaining about everything all the time is obnoxious. Because everyone has problems. And we should take turns listening to them.

And yes, I did just spend an entire post complaining about complainers. Your turn to complain about me.

Do you find continuous complainers to be tiring? Do you leave supportive comments on their posts? Are they ever there for you and your complaints?

ON FAMILY ~ The Lesson of Tears...

Image courtesy Deanna Wardin via Flickr

At the age of 45, writer Regina Brett wrote a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer listing 45 lessons that life had taught her thus far. As a breast cancer survivor, many of those lessons were learned the hard way. Five years later she added five more lessons rounding her list up to 50 and turned her popular list into a book called God Never Blinks. I found her list to be entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking. I thought I would go through each of her lessons learned and write about how that lesson has or has not come up in my own life, now that I am 40 and feel old enough to have finally learned something.

"It's OK to let your children see you cry."

~ LESSON #12

Well, I don't have any kids to see me cry so I haven't had an opportunity to test out this lesson myself yet. But I have been a kid with parents. And though it has been extremely rare, I have seen them cry.

Part of the reason parental tears were rarely witnessed in my childhood was probably because most of them were shed in frustration with ME long before I was old enough to remember anything. I know that I was a baby who cried all day long and drove my poor young mother insane. I'm sure she cried along with me many an afternoon. My brother seemed to be a cakewalk after me I'm sure. I remember him being a happy kid so there were lots of smiles in exchange.

Another reason may have been that my family was relatively happy. Or at least that is how I always felt. The only time I remember my parents arguing openly was whenever we would move into a new home and there was wallpapering to be done. My brother and I learned to disappear outside for the day when the wallpaper supplies came out. Mom would yell at Dad for doing it all wrong. Dad would snap back at Mom to just do it all herself if she was such an expert. Blah blah blah. But usually it was a peaceful home, regardless of where it was located.

But I think the main reason I rarely saw tears was that my Mom is a pretty private person. I think she likes to keep her emotions in check and her guard up. She is a strong, independent woman who doesn't have patience for people who aren't. It takes a lot to rattle her outwardly. So when her parents were sick and in the hospital I knew it was major when the tears rolled down her cheeks.

I was probably about 10 years old. We were on a family vacation at the beach with my Dad's clan and my parents spent much of the time on the other side of the state checking in on her parents who had been hospitalized with varying levels of health decline unexpectedly. As the baby of her family and living far away from them it was very tough for her. But I didn't know how serious things were until I saw her tears well up when they returned to the family vacation.

I didn't think she was weak. And it didn't scare me. It made me see that my Mom had a great capacity for love. And that her heart was breaking. I wasn't jealous. It made me realize that they weren't just my Grandparents. They were her Mom & Dad. And at one point she had been their little girl.

I recall that moment of realization very clearly. And to think that my Mom had a life before me was pretty fascinating. Who would have thought that I wasn't the center of the world? I tried not to be a burden to her that day and give her space. I knew. After all, if something bad ever happened to her, I was certain I'd cry too.

Tears reflect tenderness to me. Not weakness. And I felt a stronger bond to my family having seen them capable of the same emotions that I felt. So I think crying in front of kids is OK. Wallpapering in front of kids is not.

ON BOOKS ~ Read, Review, Rehash...

This past Friday we gathered for our monthly Bumble Town Chat and dished about favorite quirky reads amongst other amusing topics. For instance, did you know that duct tape is said to be a good way to remove warts? See - these are the kinds of things you are missing out on each month in our chats ;0)

Each month, someone new stops by to test the waters and see how they like it. This month's newbie was none other than Lin of Duck & Wheel With String. Lin is a funny lady, people. She lives in the Chicago 'burbs with her lively family and entertaining cats, beloved frog pond and works on the fun side of the office with her great pallies, showing off her crafting skills with office supplies. In order to properly welcome Lin we tasked her with determining the topic for our April chat and here is what she came up with.

We are going to read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Then we are going to review it on our blogs. And then we are going to discuss our thoughts together on Friday, 04/22 at 8:30PM ET back in the Bumble Town Chat room. Anyone who wants to join in on this reading event is welcome!

How did Lin come to nominate this particular book? By using one of the best resources out there - her mom. If Lin's mom says it is a goodie, who are we to argue? I'm familiar with the title myself and have had it on my watch list:

"In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol..." (taken from Goodreads Summary)

If you've reviewed this book in the past, add your link to the dedicated page HERE. If you're planning to read, review and rehash with the rest of us now, stop by and add your review link whenever you've got it written. You certainly don't have to write a review either. You can just read and come by to talk about it on 04/22 if you prefer.

I am looking forward to a change of pace in my reading. I have spent the first part of this year reading The Count of Monte Cristo - you can read my thoughts on this Classic at Quirky Girls Read - you might be surprised by what I have to say. Having such a different setting and style to read now is going to be fun. I hope you'll join us!

ON MOVIES ~ For The Foodies...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Food...

I edit the Restaurants Blog for UpTake - a travel search engine site. This means that in addition to managing a small staff of writers, I also write posts of my own reviewing restaurants, bars, markets, cooking classes, food & wine expos, charitable food events and any other culinary functions going on in my region of the world or wherever I happen to travel. This is fun to get paid to do. But I don't get free meals and the food I eat for the cause is not without calories! I generally spend a portion of my weekends eating out somewhere and then writing my reviews for the upcoming week. All this focus on food leads me to thoughts of food in film. Here is a feast of selections I came up with that feature food in film. Share on your blog movies that are about growing, cooking, serving, eating or any other function of food, linking back here. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Animal House (1978) - What better example of a food fight in film is there?
• American Pie (1999) - Although this movie totally cracks us both up, I do always feel pretty sorry for that poor pie.
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) - Sometimes, candy dreams that come true aren't always as yummy as you think they would be. Just ask Veruca Salt.
• Forrest Gump (1994) - That box of chocolates he ate at the bus stop provided one of film's most famous phrases.
• Diner (1982) - I love pretty much everything about this Barry Levinson classic. Some of my favorite scenes revolve around food. Earl ordering the whole left side of the menu. Mickey Rourke's popcorn box trick. Kevin Bacon's fake ketchup blood. Steve Guttenburg demanding a bologna sandwich from his poor mother.
• Goodfellas (1990) - I still find the dinner scene at Joe Pesci's mother's house to be utterly disturbing, considering the brutal events leading up to that casual meal.
• Pretty Woman (1990) - I will never think of fancy dining the same way. I always giggle when pondering the silverware thanks to Julia Roberts' bumbling with those "slippery little suckers."

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Looking For A Mission...

Photo courtesy Pikaluk via Flickr

Every other week here I try to share some type of blogging related knowledge that I have come across in my wanderings. I call them Blog Tips but they are really only as helpful to you if they are something you need or want to know.

So this week I would like to ask - what do you want to know? I don't sit here with all this blogging expertise or anything. I poke around on the blogosphere when I want to know how to do something. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I strike out. But I have fun trying to figure it out. Who would like to send me on a mission to learn something for them and then report back here how to accomplish it in easier to understand Bumble-speak?

I would love to learn what you want to know and add that lesson or tip to our Blogging Tips page here for future reference by other interested bloggers. Do share in a comment below or e-mail me if you are too shy to shout it out.

**And on a separate note - for those of you social bloggers, this month's Bumble Town Chat is taking place tonight (FRIDAY 03/18) at 8:30PM ET right HERE. Myself and the rest of the bloggers from our new group book blog, Quirky Girls Read, will be hanging out until 10PM to introduce ourselves, talk about favorite quirky reads and anything else that comes to mind. Stop in at any point for as long or brief as you like. And if you can't make it but would like to be reminded about future chats let me know and I'll add you to the e-mail list.**

ON FUN ~ Peace Be With You...

Image courtesy MSCHAUT @ Amish Community

At the age of 45, writer Regina Brett wrote a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer listing 45 lessons that life had taught her thus far. As a breast cancer survivor, many of those lessons were learned the hard way. Five years later she added five more lessons rounding her list up to 50 and turned her popular list into a book called God Never Blinks. I found her list to be entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking. I thought I would go through each of her lessons learned and write about how that lesson has or has not come up in my own life, now that I am 40 and feel old enough to have finally learned something.

"Make peace with your past so it doesn't screw up the present."

~ LESSON #11

We all have something in our past that we dwell upon. Something that we wish had gone differently. Sometimes it is something we did and other times it is something that was done to us. And no matter how hard we try, it can't be changed. So why do we spend so much energy trying to do just that?

All that you can do with your past is build upon it. Accept it as a part of who you are and then figure out how to move forward in the direction you want. If you don't, it will do nothing but freeze you in time. You will be stuck there - on a plateau. Maybe you are lonely there. Or furious. Perhaps distraught. Or lost. It sounds cliche or rehab-speak to say that the first step is to acknowledge whatever that issue is. But that is really the only way to allow yourself to move on from things. To live in the present and direct your future course.

Ignoring or suppressing feelings eats away at your core and causes stress, unhappiness and pulls your focus away from where you would like it to be. You can't help other people until you help yourself. Admit how you feel to yourself and then allow yourself to LET IT GO. Then you can focus on the people in your life that provide positive vibes. Activities that you enjoy. New things that may be scary to try but could lead to great rewards.

It all sounds easy when in reality it is a very hard thing to do. But locking it all away doesn't work. You can survive, but you won't reach your potential in life if you do.

ON MOVIES ~ Feeling Bookish...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Books In The Movies...

This coming Friday, our monthly Bumble Town Chat will be a meet & greet with myself and the rest of the quirky girls from our group book blog, Quirky Girls Read. In honor of our book blogging interests, today's movie topic is all about books in the movies. Not movies made from books, but movies that feature books, reading, librarians, bookstores and the like. Here are a sampling of what came to our minds. Share on your blog some of your favorite bookish flicks, linking back here. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The Music Man (1962) - Scammer Harold Hill falls for Marian the Librarian
• You've Got Mail (1998) - Bookstore chain owner's takeover of an independent bookstore gets complicated when he realizes she is the online love he's been falling for.
• The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) - It would be nice if my librarian disappeared just as my overdue charges were being discussed. It would also be nice if my librarian looked like Eric Bana who plays the romantic lead role in this tale of a time traveling librarian in Chicago.
• Seven (1995) - Well read police detective figures out a serial killer's motives by digging deep into the classics at the library.
• The Breakfast Club (1985) - Not a very bookish film, but the entire movie takes place in a high school library while the student delinquents try to overcome their Saturday School detention.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Who Do These Blog Police Think They Are?...

Image by

Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

A few weeks ago, in our confessional about long-windedness, new blogger Desiree of Driftwood Ramblings left a comment wondering why some people force rules on you. That she had been "informed" without solicitation about what she should or shouldn't be doing to make her blog a hit. She wondered who exactly these blog police were and where they got the nerve.

I don't know, Desiree. I truly don't. For there aren't rules. There are pet peeves. There are things that work better than others for some people. But there is no Right or Wrong way to blog. First of all, that is because the reasons you blog versus the reasons another person blogs are likely vastly different. Knowing WHY you blog pretty much sets the approach of how you blog.

Second of all, what works for me might not work for you. We all have different personalities. Advance post plotting might be great for someone with a leaning towards order and planning. This would be far too restrictive for the mind that thrives on spontaneity.

I love to learn and to share. That's why I create Blog Tip posts on alternating Fridays. But I don't go around telling people they should do everything I know how to do. I just put the information out there in case someone else is interested or in need. You can't force things on people. Especially people like me. I instantly become defensive when someone tells me I NEED to do it THIS way. They might as well call me a big dummy. Doesn't go over too well.

If you are new to blogging, or haven't given your blog a real look in a while, I always recommend having a relative stranger (in or outside of the blogospere) take a look at your site and provide their reactions to what they find. Not criticism. Just one blogger's personal opinion. It can reinforce some things you've thought were good and can also point out some things from a different point of view. Good information to have and do with what you want - or don't want - to do.

That's the kind of exercise that is helpful to a blogger. Not a guide. Just guidance. When asked for. Don't be the blog police. Just be a blogger.

Have you ever received unwanted blogging advice? How did you respond? When you want advice, are you comfortable in asking?

ON FUN ~ The Chocolate Elixir...

Image courtesy Rev Dan Catt via Flickr

"When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile."

AMEN. I was born with a sweet tooth. I blame this on my mother. When she was pregnant with me she walked to work past a Krispy Kreme donut shop each day and would stop in and give herself, and me, a delicious melty sweet treat to start the day. This would explain why I weighed 9 pounds when I was born. But it also is what I consider to be the origin of my love of dessert.

I enjoy candy, ice cream, cookies, tarts, cupcakes, pies and anything else pastry chefs can whip up. But I especially love chocolate. Fudge, mousse, cake, brownies, bars, chips - pretty much chocolate covered anything will do. I even wrote an ode here before to my favorite sweet snack ever created. My father and I could make entire meals out of chocolate goodies. Much to my mother's chagrin. Her sweet tooth was just a preggo craving phase it seems.

Because I care very much about my health, diet and weight I do not have chocolate meals. I eat vegetables and whole grains. I go to the gym each weeknight. I try to live well. But when I come home each evening, I grab myself a handful of those mini foil wrapped treasures that I hold so dearly and savor every last morsel. It is my daily treat. My reward. For all of my hard work. My diet doesn't suffer. I have factored this chocolate and peanut butter piece of heaven into my lifestyle.

It makes me sad when I come home and the bag is empty of chocolate. No reward. No fun. Instant bummer. I firmly believe that people should work hard and live well to be healthy for themselves and their loved ones. But I also believe that to deprive oneself of the good stuff that makes them smile is wrong. Keep chocolate in your daily menu. Just make sure the routine around it makes the trade off minimal. What is the point of looking good and being healthy if you aren't enjoying yourself? And how can you enjoy yourself without a chocolate smile?

ON BOOKS ~ An Actual Review!!!...

Today I have an actual book review up on the group book blog, Quirky Girls Read. Can you believe it? I suppose if you want to venture into the book blogger world officially, you had better write a book review every now and then.

Sticking with my Classics theme, it is a review of a Modern Classic - one that had a great impact on me and likely has done so for young women ever since its publication. So take the time to hop on over and let me know if you've read the same work, what you thought about it or if I've nudged you to add it to your To Read pile. And while you're there, you might find some other topics of interest from this past week:

• Time Management for the Bookie
• Non-Fiction Rocks

ON MOVIES ~ Trimming The Fat...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Weight...

While Andy was off skiing in Vermont for guys' weekend, I attended our niece's 1st birthday party and pigged out. There were tons of kids and presents, laughs and love. And also quite a yummy spread of food. I enjoyed it all but was quite partial to the brownies with cookies baked right in. So as I was loosening my belt waiting for Andy to find his way home, I got to thinking about movie characters battling a weight issue. Here are a few that sprung to mind. Share on your blog movies featuring those who want to lose or need to gain extra pounds, linking back here for others to see. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Dreamgirls (2006) - Before Jennifer Hudson found her new figure in real life, she played the bold, bodacious and gifted Effie White whose full figure kept her talented voice from being front and center where it belonged in the musical girl group she helped to found.
• The Nutty Professor (1996) - Professor Sherman Klump's obsession with weight loss leads to a whole mess of entertaining chaos thanks to Eddie Murphy's talents.
• Shallow Hal (2001) - Jack Black's character Hal gets hypnotized to see only inner beauty and therefore experiences the joy of true love with obese Rosemary while the rest of his world can't understand why he's not still shallow.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Sifting Through The Results...

Image courtesy Sidereal via Flickr

A few weeks ago in our Blogging Tips post about Creative Commons, our favorite foodie, Lynn, @ Queen of the Castle Recipes left a comment admitting that sometimes it is confusing trying to discern which images on Google are legally reusable and which are not. This is a very good point and an opportunity for a simple tip that can save you the guesswork.

When you go to Google, and then click on the Images link in the top left corner, you can type in the person/place/thing you need an image for and magically a bazillion selections will appear for your perusing. But if you just want a selection of images marked for reuse - or other narrowing parameters for that matter - just click on that tiny "Advanced Image Search" link to the right of the search box.

You will be brought to a new screen with a variety of options to help filter your search. The blue highlighted section at the top is where you type in your search words for what you are looking for. The first line - "related to all words" is the same as the plain search box on the main screen. The subsequent lines make your search more picky.

The bottom section allows you to set the guidelines for your image results. The second to last line entitled Usage Rights is where you can make it easier to find re-usable images. From the drop down menu, the default "not filtered by license" will provide any and every result - just like the main search box. Selecting "labeled for reuse" instead will result in images that have been marked by their owners as available for re-use. Always visit the source site of the image you like to make sure the posted permissions or restrictions haven't changed.

The Advanced Image Search, Labled for Reuse process is how I find the lead images we use here for posts that don't feature our own photos. But remember, just because an image is OK to reuse doesn't mean it shouldn't be credited. In fact, that is often the only condition for legal reuse.

If you want another place to find reusable images, visit Flickr's Creative Commons pages which are sorted by attribution licenses. It is easy to stray away from the safety zones and find yourself a few clicks later on photos that are restricted so be sure to always resume your search from the CC pages, which I have bookmarked in my browser for ease of use.

Hopefully these methods will open up safe and quick image searches for all of your blogging needs!

ON BOOKS ~ Come Meet A Stirring Writer...

Today I am filling the fine shoes of Margot over on the group book blog, Quirky Girls Read. Margot provides posts highlighting award winning books so I decided to try to do the same. Except, true to my tendencies, I get a little off track. I basically use the post to gush about one of my favorite authors who happened to write some award winning work.

I'm not talking about a Classics author either. This is a living, breathing idol of mine who uses his words to inspire action. I hope you'll visit to learn about him or share your thoughts if his work is already familiar to you.

And while you're there, you might find some other topics of interest from this past week:

• How do you respond to all the literary hype?
• Review of the first book of a new paranormal trilogy featuring the underworld unleashed in a library.
• Young Adult flash back A+ review.

ON FUN ~ A Penny Saved...

Image courtesy MaeDae via Flickr

At the age of 45, writer Regina Brett wrote a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer listing 45 lessons that life had taught her thus far. As a breast cancer survivor, many of those lessons were learned the hard way. Five years later she added five more lessons rounding her list up to 50 and turned her popular list into a book called God Never Blinks. I found her list to be entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking. I thought I would go through each of her lessons learned and write about how that lesson has or has not come up in my own life, now that I am 40 and feel old enough to have finally learned something.

"Start saving 10% for retirement as soon as you get your first paycheck."

~ LESSON #24

Ooooo. I am all over this one. First of all, I have worked for a financial planner for the last 17 years so it is kind of ingrained in my brain. Second, I have pulled myself out of debt twice so I understand how hard it is to budget and save. Third, no one else is going to bail you out when you are retired or too old to work. Not the government, not your family, not the lottery. If you want the quality of life that you deserve, you have to create the funds you will need to not be a burden, to not have to worry and to not have to sacrifice later for all of the fun you had when you were young and stupid.

Teach your kids how to set aside a portion of their allowance into a piggy bank to be saved for a certain goal. Learning that process from an early age ingrains the concept in their impressionable brain and may even turn into second nature later in life. It also means they are more likely to have extra cash lying around for when you need it when you realize you forgot to save for yourself - haha.

Seriously. Just defer $20 a pay period to start. That small an amount can easily be made up for somewhere else in your budget by skimping on something else. And it will go right into your company's retirement plan that many times will even be matched by your employer. That is essentially free money.

Invest more aggressively when you are younger and moderate to more conservative as you near retirement. Don't panic when your account values move like a roller coaster when you are younger. You have plenty of time to be patient or reposition. When you are older, you won't have to subject yourself to that stress since you will have already made your allocation less volatile.

I know that you have to survive today to live for retirement later. I know there are circumstances that leave you in debt. But I also know that when you are earning money, the only way to keep from working your entire life is to set aside a few pennies at a time. It takes discipline. And devotion. Be strong, care about yourself and save for your future. No one else will.