ON BLOGGING ~ You Say Tomato...

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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.

Cathy of Kittling: Books has a favorite feature of mine called Scene of the Blog where she features a different blogger each week and lets us peek into their world behind the scenes to see where all of their blogging takes place. For me it feels like getting to snoop into someone's medicine cabinet. Secrets, gossip, tell-tale clues and some things to experiment with for when I have the blogging blues.

I find it fascinating to see all the different ways and environments that folks use for blogging. Some are very organized and have special spaces. Others don't have a plan or space at all - they just blog on the go. Some have panoramic views, some use the blog as their view into the world. But all of these different ways result in the same thing...a blog to be proud of.

I am training a new co-worker at my office. Although we are very similar, there are some skills and comfort levels that are different between us. It is important to remember as I train her that my way isn't the right way - it is just the right way for me. She has her own way of doing things. As long as each way gets us both to the same result in the same amount of time, it doesn't really matter.

Blogging is no different than my training lessons at work. The time of day that I blog, the type of equipment I use, the setting I seek and the methods I use aren't going to be the same as another blogger. But it doesn't mean my way is better or worse than another. It is all about finding the combination that works best for me to be able to accomplish the goals or desires I have for this blog.

I can post lots of tips here and complain about blogging issues that bug the crap out of me. But they are just one way of looking at things. They are not a "how to" for bloggers. They are simply something to consider. Maybe they inspire, suggest or reinforce a similar or opposing belief on how to get things done. The goal is that they create thought and lead the blogger to engage, share or act. Whether they choose to agree or disagree isn't my concern. That they find a way to blog happily in the method that works best for them is the goal.

Has anyone ever tried to force their blogging methods on you? What do you do when you have a suggestion for a blogger? What is the one thing that makes your blogging process best for you?

ON FUN ~ You Sexy Thing...

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.

"The most important sex organ is the brain."

~ LESSON #9

You've heard of men thinking with the wrong head. Women are guilty of this too, you know. I blame this on the movies. All those sweeping romantic scenes showing the gorgeous guy seducing the lucky gal and falling head over heels in love, happily ever after. Bah.

First of all, how many times does the hot guy seduce the plain Jane in real life? Without beer goggles? And even under truly lucky circumstances, how long does he actually stick around? And who's to say she would live happily with him forever? More than likely he is a Mimbo or a Mama's Boy and that's certainly not making life a bed of roses.

So that sounds a bit harsh, pessimistic and wet blanket of me. But it is generally the reality. Hooking up with that guy because he is cute, bats his eyelashes that women would kill for and promises love is not a good enough reason to go all the way. As cheesy as The Bachelorette can be, at least that chicky takes the guys out for a few spins and tries to see through all the perfectness on their dates for the real dude underneath. But wait - then she talks herself into the fairy tale and hands out roses in search of a proposal. So maybe she's not the best analogy here.

Use your brain, not your libido. And if that desire is just too damn overwhelming to think straight, picture your parents having sex and kill the moment fast. Ask your friends what they think of your new infatuation and listen to their instincts if yours are blinded. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones - your heart and other organs lead you straight to lifelong bliss in addition to hot sex. But risking that for a roll in the hay can be sidestepped with a deep breath, a cold shower and patience. Nothing wrong with being a tease until you are sure they're the one for you.

ON MOVIES ~ Battle Axe...

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 Epic Battle Scenes...

As we end Sandy's selection month of June here at the Monday Movie Meme, for today's topic she has selected movies that feature epic battle scenes. Please visit Sandy's blog, You've GOTTA Read This for her full intro. post and picks. As for us, we had a lot of fun revisiting the guts, gore and graphics that make up awesome scenes of conflict in the movies. Share on your blog those battle scenes that are so epic, they make you stop everything to watch. Link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Battle of Helm's Deep. The choreography, cinematography, carnage and chaos are absolutely magnetic.
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Hoth Snow Battle. Even these old school graphics hold up remarkably when watching Imperial Walkers get tripped up by circling Rebel cables.
• The Warriors (1979) - Melee with the Baseball Furies. I'm sorry, but if you wear face paint and baseball uniforms as your gang colors, you deserve to have your bats used against you in a beat-down.
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) - The Bride vs. Tokyo - specifically young Gogo and then the Crazy 88's. Quentin Tarantino goes overboard with Uma in a visually balletic and glorious piece of campy and over the top bloody mayhem.
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The landing at Omaha Beach. This movie's opening sequence by Spielberg is quite possibly one of the most accurate, horrific and stunning sections of film regarding this lopsided and remarkable battle in WW2.

 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 ~ Label Maker...

Image courtesy UNIFORM natural via Flickr

Last week, Kaye @ The Road Goes Ever On left a comment on my Blog Tips post about using labels to set the tone of your blog and inspire your posts. I mentioned that overwhelming your visitors with an endless list of labels to sort through could be counterproductive. Kaye asked "How do you display only the labels you want to and still have access to all your labels?" Good question! I can give you the simple steps to accomplish this on Blogger.

• From your Dashboard, click on the Design link.
• If you already have the Gadget in your sidebar, etc. displaying your labels, click the Edit link next to it.
• If you do not yet have it set up, click the Add A Gadget link and scroll down to find the Labels gadget, clicking the + symbol to insert it into your blog.
• On the item called Show, click the Selected Labels button.
• Click on the Edit link.
• Go through and check or uncheck the labels you do or do not want displayed in your gadget on your blog's sidebar (or wherever you choose to place it) and click Done.
• Modify any of the other settings you like and click Save.

This quick process will display your selective list of labels on your blog, while keeping all of your labels viewable and workable for you and you alone behind the scenes.

If you use a platform other than Blogger, I cannot speak specifically to the label display process, but I imagine it is just as simple to accomplish.

ON FAMILY ~ Practice Wearing Purple...

Image courtesy National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution 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.

"Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple."

~ LESSON #23

In case you are not familiar with Regina's reference in her lesson to "wearing purple," let me first share with you the poem entitled "Warning" by Jenny Joseph that she alludes to:

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

I think of my mother whenever I read this poem. I shared it with her the first time I read it and told her that perhaps she could stop practicing so much right now ;0) My mom doesn't give a hoot what anyone thinks of her behavior.

She likes to talk to random people in elevators to break the silence because she thinks it is weird that no one ever speaks in that environment.

She found it hysterical to wear outlandish Halloween costumes to work each year when I was temping in her company and tell everyone that she was related to me.

She had no qualms about telling our waiter that I told her I thought he looked like George Clooney. Who wouldn't want to know such a compliment?

Her goal in life often seems to embarrass her daughter in public. But really she is just trying to teach me to lighten up and live a little instead of worrying about funny looks from strangers when I want to roll my pants up and wade in the fountain with the little kids on a hot day.

And for the record, she looks terrific in purple.

ON MOVIES ~ Prozac Anyone?...

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 Depressing Movies...

As we continue Sandy's selection month of June here at the Monday Movie Meme, for today's topic she has selected movies that leave you thoroughly depressed after viewing. Please visit Sandy's blog, You've GOTTA Read This for her full intro. post and picks. As for me, I was so relaxed not having to come up with a topic that I forgot entirely to post anything until I woke out of a sound sleep this morning realizing my lazy ways! As a result, I only have one selection for you today. Share on your blog movies that make you go totally bummed out and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Terms of Endearment (1983) - Oh sure, there are moments of levity and hope in this movie, along with a terrific cast, but it is not my idea of a pick-me-up by any means. Adultery, sickness, death, strained relationships....if not for a certain playboy astronaut next door, there'd be nothing encouraging going on here.

 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 ~ When It Is Good To Be Labeled...

Image courtesy christmasstockimages.com

When I first sat down to start this blog, I didn't know anything about blogging. I just wanted a vehicle to interact with other bloggers about books that I had read or wanted to read. But I also knew that there were other things I wanted to share on this blog. So I made a list on a scrap of paper that went something like this:

On books

On movies

On music

On sports

On photos

On family

On travel

These were subjects that I cared about and thought it might be fun to write about, share or experience. Some were things I cared more about. Others were things Andy felt stronger about. They were a way to categorize our overall interests. In making that list I created the labels that I would use for the base of our blog. This accidental decision led to a structure that was easy for readers to work with and one that helped me to follow a framework and analyze the direction our thoughts were trending.

Over time, I have added a few more labels to capture some other topics that weren't originally part of the plan - such as On Blogging. A flexible structure keeps things from crumbling, after all. It also allows for creative freedom rather than rigid work.

The labels that I set in place became the impetus for creating the posts I wanted to write and have helped me to stay on track with my desire for this blog's overall purpose. Having a manageable set of 10-15 labels makes it easy for me to work within but it also makes it easy for visitors to find their way to the topics that interest them most. There are no guessing games or never-ending lists of labels to peruse through and interpret. They see what we offer, click on the label and check out what they want.

You can be creative with your labels and still have them work in an effective way. No one says you have to be plain vanilla like me. You can be witty if you like. I enjoy labels that crack me up. They make me want to read the posts within them. But I do feel that too many labels is counterproductive. We hear time and again that blog visitors are skimmers. Blog readers have patience and I firmly believe that a lengthy post is not a deterrent. But turning a visitor into a reader is a different matter.

I have limited time to explore the blogosphere. I want to know what your blog is all about as quickly as possible. I want a snapshot of your personality, your purpose. It helps me to see if you are a place that I want to come back to and spend more time with later. Labels help to accomplish this goal. But if there are 50 different labels to sift through in a cloud my mind turns blurry and off I go to somewhere that doesn't make me work so hard to find my way.

You can make hundreds of labels that can be useful to you behind the scenes or for your own entertainment. The beauty is that you can pick and choose the ones that get displayed publicly. I've got tons of them living behind the scenes. They help me quickly pull up an archived series or set of thoughts on a specific topic. Depending on the blog platform that you use, they could be called labels, categories, tags, etc. There are ways to keep some behind the scenes and others out front and center by modifying the settings of your tabs, widgets, sidebar, plug-ins or what have you.

Think about your blog's purpose; your goals. Use those basic ideas to set your overall labels. And let them guide you to inspiration, evaluation and clarity. Let them turn visitors into readers. And enjoy the relationships that brings.

ON SPORTS ~ Hockey Town...

Tedy had his eyes on the prize...

The scene was set...

The boys pulled it off...

MVP...

Captain Big Z...

Timmaaaaaay...

The Bumble is celebrating and can't wait for the parade. His lifetime of belief finally paid off. Boston is Hockey Town once again :0)

ON FUN ~ Spotaneity With A Plan...

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.

"Overprepare, then go with the flow."

~ LESSON #22

I am a Virgo. Born in September, my sign states that I am supposed to be very detailed and punctual and organized. I am also supposed to be shy and a bit of a hypochondriac. Lets just say that not all characteristics of my astrological sign fit my true personality. But I will admit this much, I am detailed and I do like to be organized.

I like to conceive of a game plan, but I also enjoy spontaneity. I think this comes from each of my parents. My father loves nothing more than to research, review, consider and plot a travel agenda. I do believe he would pass out an itinerary if he could get away with it. He cannot get away with it because my mother likes to get in the car and just go for a ride and see where she ends up. This stresses my father out, not knowing exactly where the road leads or when they will get wherever it is that they are going. And how will they know when they get there? Oh relax, says my mom. It absolutely kills my dad to just stop when they get tired and find a place to stay instead of having a reservation in advance. But he does it because he loves my mom and the goofy adventures her whimsical impatience takes them on at the drop of a hat.

And so I like to read up on a region or specific location, just as my dad does. But it is more to get an overview or find insight into something off the beaten path. And then I like to hop into Andy's Jeep and let him pick a road and see where it goes. And then when we get there, we poke around and sometimes get delighted when we stumble across some of those things I read about earlier. And other times we decide the other things we find turn out to be pretty cool too.

Having a plan and being prepared for a variety of options is logical and easy enough to do. Letting go of structure and blazing your own trail is harder. But with that security blanket of a firm plan beneath your feet, where's the harm in letting them decide where to wander every now and then?

ON BOOKS ~ A Classic Lady...

Today over on the group book blog Quirky Girls Read I have a review of a Classic written by a classic lady. Women writers weren't as prevalent back in the day, but those that found success seemed to be held above the general opinions that women should be seen and not heard or taken seriously. I admire those ladies who stuck to their guns and found a way to fight through to get the works they wanted to write published.

This particular book was probably viewed very differently at the time it was published than the way I viewed it reading it in the current day. Back then it was received as a work of biting humor. Now, I see it as very tragic. Most of the witty parts went over my head.

It is a book about high society and a woman who falls like a stone out of its good graces. Was it possible to feel sorry for a spoiled and often stuck up gal? I thought so. Which is why the work is so admirable to me.

Hop on over when you have a chance to find out what book I'm reviewing and if you've experienced it as well. And don't forget to check out The Classic Bribe - a challenge and giveaway so easy even reluctant Classic readers can take part!

ON MOVIES ~ Somebody Better Do Some Splainin'...

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 Confusing Plots...

June is Sandy's month here at the Monday Movie Meme. Our beloved blogger over at You've GOTTA Read This is on vacation in Poland visiting family but didn't want to miss out on the movie posts she loves so much. So she offered to set the themes for the remainder of this month so she could create her posts in advance before she left and schedule them while she is gone. Plus, she finally gets first dibs on movie selections! Her first theme is all about confusing movie plots. Now, I don't mind a plot that makes you pay attention and think. But what I do mind are plots that leave you more confused at the end than when you started. We watched one such doozy this weekend, highlighted below. Hop on over to Sandy's blog to read the full theme explanation, share on your blog movies that make you go hmmmmmmm, and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The Good Shepherd (2006) - I knew nothing about this plot going in. I only knew that Matt Damon played the starring role. The cast was All-Star and it was directed by De Niro. Sign me up! It appears that I would have been better served knowing more about the history of the CIA going in. From what I have read on message boards since viewing the movie, those that are fans of and familiar with the history of the CIA evolution and involvement in the Bay of Pigs enjoy this film tremendously. The rest of us, not so much. There are lots of intricate plot threads, unanswered questions with lots of shadowy implications, and after almost three hours I still couldn't put it all together. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be commentary on Damon's character and the path his life takes or a history of the CIA through his eyes or just an espionage tale. Maybe all three. Problem was, I couldn't follow any of those pieces clearly enough to appreciate any of them.
  
  I thought Damon's acting was rather blase because his character was so rigid throughout. De Niro was not a big presence. William Hurt was good as always, but off screen too much. Angelina Jolie was on screen a bit much, but her transformation from vibrant to worn down was nicely done. Alec Baldwin hammed things up a bit per usual, meaning I couldn't take him completely seriously. Joe Pesci's brief scene was well done but also nothing entirely new for his typical roles. I didn't even realize Timothy Hutton was in this film until the credits rolled. John Turturro was good with the few lines that he was given - most of his role was standing around or beating up a Russian. Michael Gambon was quite good in his screen time - too bad there wasn't more of it. I most enjoyed Tammy Blanchard who is new to me, in the love interest role of Laura. She lit up the screen. Seriously - this cast was mammoth. The plots never ending. Read up on a brief history of the CIA and then watch this film. Otherwise, you'll likely be as confused as I was. Andy fell asleep before De Niro hit the screen - then woke up for the very end. I wouldn't recommend that approach either.

 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 ~ Just An Aside...

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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.

Typically, this would be the week for a Blogging Tip, rather than another BlogAnon meeting. But it seems I have maxed out my blogging learning capacity for the moment and don't have anything new to share today on that end. I get lazy with learning sometimes, despite the teacher in me. But I never seem to tire of opinions - thus another BlogAnon post for you.

As I was catching up with my Google Reader recently, I was reminded of how awesome blogs can be. They all look so different - reflecting the blogger's personality. Exuding their individuality. Even those technically challenged bloggers find a way to personalize the basic templates. I consider myself one of those folks. Some people change their blog's look often. Some never make a tweak. Others do so when they get bored or have something new to say. How you express yourself on your blog is more than just the words you write within your posts. It is in the layout you select, the visual pattern you display, the header image, the background, the font, the color scheme and the widgets that populate your sidebar.

When I visit someone's blog for the first time, I start at the top of their sidebar and scroll my way all the way to the bottom. I read their About Me blurb, see what kind of blog stats they promote, discover if they hand out blog love via the blog roll, peruse the awards they've been given, check out any links to their popular posts, browse through their Currently Reading shelves, find out what causes they support and always, always always let my eyes skip right over any ads getting in my way of learning about this blogger. Then I go and read the posts on the home page.

Once I've visited a blog and made my way through their sidebar, I rarely pay attention to it again on my return visits. Why is that? I think maybe because I put my blog blinders on and want to focus on the thoughts, the posts, the heart of the blog. Everything else is just filler. Filler that says a lot about the blogger's personality, but it becomes a personality I already know and enjoy - I don't need that refresher anymore.

That's why I try to keep our sidebar clutter to a minimum. I only put up over there to your right the things that I really care most about. The things that I hope each reader at some point will review once to get the gist. I have read that the top right spot - where most folks put the About Me widget/gadget/plugin - is the one spot that the reader's eye is drawn to on a regular basis, whether they go looking there on purpose or not. This would then lead me to believe that the farther down on the sidebar something lives, the less likely anyone will ever see it or interact with it.

I personally feel that anything coinciding with the eye level of the bottom of your lead post would also probably draw some incidental attention. But trying to gauge that consistently is a challenge. Especially for rambling Bumbles like me. Maybe my longer posts give some attention to those items farther down on the sidebar. I think they get a bit lonely and neglected down there.

From my standpoint, filling up your sidebar can be fun and expressive. Just don't count on lots of interaction with it.

What kind of sidebar do you prefer, as a visitor to a blog? Does the sidebar you have match your preference when visiting others? What kinds of things do you expect to see on a sidebar and what things do you wish would be banished from them altogether?

ON FAMILY ~ Daily Treasures...

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.

"Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save anything for a special occasion. Today is special enough."

~ LESSON #21

I don't really understand the point of buying fancy things if you aren't going to use them. This is the reason I didn't register for china when we were getting married. First of all, we lived in a tiny apartment with only two cabinets so there wasn't exactly room to store or display it. Second, my husband's nickname is Bumble - and we've all heard the adage of the bull in the china shop. Third, it seemed strange to hoard dishes for special occasions. Didn't it make more sense to ask people to give us nice things we would and could actually use every day?

I guess I'm not really a fancy gal. I don't own a gazillion shoes or dresses to die for. I wear the same stuff in a pretty standard rotation that is probably pretty boring but it is a nice enough wardrobe that makes me feel good about myself when I wear it.

I do like pretty things around the house though. I enjoy lovely framed photos and art, well coordinated rugs and nicely styled furniture with character. Decorating rooms is something I consider fun to do and believe that those snazzy vases or collectibles should be out in the open to be appreciated every day - not tucked away as if you lived in a museum. Of course, having big dogs or little children traipsing around can make that goal adjustable, but perching pretty things out of harms way is always an option.

I don't have a lot of bling either. But if I did, I think that I'd wear it all the time rather than keeping it in a jewelry box. I do have two pins that I retrieved from my grandmother's costume jewelry box after she died. One of them is a big, blue glittery looking flower that I keep propped up on my dresser to look at every morning when I get dressed. I always wonder where I could wear a gaudy, bedazzled pin like that. What kind of outfit would that go with in my boring wardrobe? Perhaps a wedding or some other event requiring me to put on an actual dress.

But if I lived each day as a special one, I would stick that pin on my t-shirt on the weekends, on my blouse at the office, on my coat in the winter. I would attach it to my purse if it truly didn't match the outfit du jour. Because it is a special pin to me, and it deserves to be displayed. Not hidden at home. My grandmother was a special lady who didn't wait for a special day to enjoy the finer things in her life. I think wearing her pin every day would be a good testament to her spirit.

ON MOVIES ~ The Art Of Giving...

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 Gifts...

June marks a very busy birthday month in our extended family. Lots of little ones growing bigger and having parties to celebrate. Which means lots of fun time with the family, but also gifts to be bought. I enjoy shopping for others, when I have an idea of what will make them happy. When I'm uncertain, I turn to their parents for suggestions. I suppose I could turn to the movies, because there are lots of examples there of gifts being given. The trouble is, they aren't always given with good intentions, or well received. Here are some moments in film that we came up with highlighting the act of giving a gift. Share on your blog movies that feature presents, gifts or other tokens being presented, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Meet The Parents (2000) - Before Greg is brought into the "Byrnes Family Circle of Trust," he is under the assumption that his girlfriend's father is a retired florist. On their first meeting, he brings him a rare flower believing it will blow him away. The confusing reaction he gets instead is just the beginning of quite possibly the worst weekend ever when trying to impress your girlfriend's family.
• Seven (1995) - A sadistic serial killer (is there any other kind?) makes things a bit too personal with Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) when he sends him a very disturbing gift providing an extreme twist at this movie's end.
• Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Arwen gives Aragorn her necklace as a sign of her love and commitment to him and the mortality that will come with a non-elvin life.
• Say Anything (1989) - Never, I repeat, NEVER give a pen to someone to remember you by. It only leads to heartache. Just ask Lloyd Dobler when his high school love, Diane, dumps him with a pen as a farewell present.

 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 ~ We Like You, We Really Like You...

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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 couple of months ago, I discussed Guest Posts in one of our BlogAnon posts. I had intended it as a way to share my opinions on them, but also to invite any of our dear readers to volunteer for providing a guest post right here. No one took the bait that would have allowed us to be lazy and not have to come up with a post idea - smart folks, you readers!

What it did lead to however was an invite to me to provide a guest post for one of our favorite folks, Matty @ Matty Thoughts. I took one of Matty's thought provoking posts about defining one's legacy and sought to answer it through my post. You can read it now if you like - it is up over on his blog as we speak.

But this post isn't all about self-promotion - though that is what guest posts are all about. I believe strongly in their power to introduce yourself to a new audience and build new blogging relationships. However, this post is more about Matty.

I know Matty. I met him. In person. I've shared that story before here too. He is a very cool guy. He writes fun poetry in his head while he mows his lawn - that John Deere is one of his favorite escapes! He found blogging due to a softball injury that ripped up his knee and caused him to be homebound for an extended period of time. The blogosphere turned him into an adventurous cook for his just as cool wife, Mary. I got to meet her too. We have bonded over Faulkner and Matty tells me she is quite the gardening expert so I will be picking her brain about how to grow more than weeds. Matty and I have bonded over baseball and blogging. And photography - he has a photo blog too featuring his terrific visions of his part of the world.

So when Matty fell off the face of the blogosphere I was more than bummed. He just went into blogging hibernation for a while. I tapped on his e-mail door and asked him what the heck was going on. I have a habit of doing that with blogging friends that I make. It seems Matty had gotten busy with his real life and just didn't feel all that much like blogging. I had this exact same conversation just this week with another blogging buddy, Cardiogirl. She stopped posting without warning and left me without anything to chuckle about for weeks at a time. So I e-mailed her too to make sure she was doing well and simply avoiding the blogosphere for happy reasons, as was the case.

I wasn't trying to guilt either of them back into blogging for my entertainment purposes, I just wanted to be sure that my friends didn't need something from me to help them through things. Matty has returned to blogging and has found his groove again. He jump started himself by overhauling the look of his blog. This got him back into the world of blogging without actually having to blog. Then he got excited about things again and eventually made his return a short time later. Part of his new blog overhaul was a desire to incorporate the voices of those who come to visit him. Thus the guest post.

We all go through blogging funks. Sometimes it is because we can't think of anything to say. Sometimes we have too much to say and it hurts to get it out. Other times we are ill, or disrupted by technical issues, or would just rather play with our pets, our kids, our friends. But don't ever stop because you don't think anyone out there cares. Whether you realize it or not, the blogosphere introduces you to people who like what you are all about. They may be too shy to look you up when you go away, but they do miss the virtual visit. On behalf of the shy bloggers, keep up the good work. Take a break, recharge, and then come back. Blogging is good for the soul. Not to mention the fact that I have nothing to read during my lunch break without you.

What do you do when blogging kicks your ass? Have you ever gone on blogging hiatus? What brought you back? What do you do when a favorite blogger stops blogging?

ON SPORTS ~ Make Way...

Image courtesy Kristen Kmetez via yfrog Photo

You are familiar with Robert McCloskey's children's picture book "Make Way For Ducklings," right? Where a mama duck and her babies waddled through Boston with the help of a kindly cop, making their way safely to the Public Garden? So they could put on their Bruins gear and root on the hockey team during the Stanley Cup Finals? No? Hmmm. That's the way the story went today. People visiting our fair city might just think we've quacked up, but when your hockey team has finally made it back to the championship round, you get a little spirited.

You may remember in years past that Andy has supported his favorite team by trying to grow a playoff mustache - one that I had thoughts of shaving off when he was sleeping. His devotion and belief in the B's has never wavered. Except for last year when they blew a three game lead and then a three goal lead in Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers and any opportunity to play on toward Lord Stanley's Cup last year. After that he packed up all his B's gear and stuffed it in the bottom drawer of the dresser. It took him every minute of the off-season to recover from that agony. But he did. He pulled his t-shirts, hats and jerseys out one day at a time until he could accept the team back into his broken heart again.

I have shared the stress that watching this team play causes for him. In a way I feel badly that most of the time he is stuck watching the B's games with me and our cat Tedy. Tedy is afraid of the hockey horn that goes off whenever a goal is scored for the home team. And I am just not a hockey chick. Oh sure, I understand the game. I watch with interest and support the team's play. But I don't have that passion inside like I do for the Red Sox. I don't live or die with every shot. And so when they advanced to the Finals and he was choking back some man tears, I felt bad that I couldn't bond with him more over the moment. I went to bed, leaving him up alone to celebrate with all the post-game coverage. I found him snoring happily on the couch in the morning, dreaming no doubt of slapshots and kick saves.

So whether or not you care about hockey or the Bruins, know that the Bumble certainly does. Along with one of the sport's original franchise cities. This city may have seen championships from its football, baseball and basketball teams lately. But the hockey fans here don't care about that. Those moments were cute and all, but the real athletes haven't gotten what they deserve yet. The ones who take pucks in the teeth, fight for their teammates and make their moves look easy while doing it all on skates. All their fans care about is hockey. The Cup. Even the ducklings know to make way for Bruins.

GO B'S!!!