New Years Thoughts

I don't like making New Year resolutions. I am not one for making goals, because I don't tend to keep them, just like I don't keep my resolutions (generally). I do like making a decision that I'm going to make a change, and then following through with it. That's how I got myself to brush my teeth regularly, and say my personal prayers every morning and night.

So, I avoid the whole new years thing like the plague. But this year, a friend posted an idea about things accomplished during the past year, so I'm thinking I want to do that. Kind of the whole positive reinforcement thing...grin. I liked her spin on things, but I guess I'll have to come up with my own...

The thing is, upon pondering the idea, I'm not sure I accomplished very much.

1. Participated in Nano again -- finished before the deadline.
2. Finished the nano write from 2007.
3. Made homemade marinara for the first time, from tomatoes from our garden.
4. Made homemade salsa from our garden.
5. Painted a painting for the county fair and got 2nd place.
6. Joined a critique group.
7. Painted my front room.
8. Gained back most of the 20 lbs I lost last year...sigh.
9. Survived my son going to basic and being gone for 5 months (precursor to mission -- dang it's gonna be hard)
10. Didn't kill or maim any of my children. (and while it sounds bad, believe me -- it's a temptation some days)
11. Survived our daughter's boyfriend going back to prison (AGAIN) and the resulting emotional roller coaster. (only 10 more times...?)

There are some things I want to do this year, so lets see if I can put them in a semblance of order.

1. Finish nano write from 2008.
2. Submit at least 12 items to a publisher.
3. Paint the rest of the 12 days of Christmas.
4. Paint and submit to the State Fair and win a 3rd place...
5. Submit as illustrator to LDS publishers.
6. Get my house in order.
7. Do better on our food storage.
8. Loose the pounds I gained and loose more.
9. Keep my children out of the ER. (second year in a row!! I know, now I've jinxed it.)
10. Keep coming up with blog ideas....lol

oh well...I guess that's about all I can come up with. Keep in mind that these are NOT goals...just thoughts about what I'd like to accomplish this year. I know -- I know it won't happen if I don't plan for it.

Code is Beautiful?

I think not.

My hubby has been studying computer stuff regarding HTML and XML. I thought he was learning Greek... I took a website design class when I was working in Salt Lake, and it was fascinating, but still not very clear. I got how to use the software, but wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.

Now I've been trying to update my blog, I like a fresh face once in a while. Especially since I started a new one relating to food -- I wanted a template that pictured food. All I could find was pizza and chocolate. Now, while I like pizza -- if that template had been around 5 years ago I would have been thrilled -- and love chocolate in moderation (can you tell I'm not young anymore?), I didn't like the look of either of them. I also wanted to get a different look for this blog, thinking it was time for something less "in your face"...grin. That hasn't been working either.

You see...I've found that the way things look make a big difference in how many people read your blog, or visit a web site. Remember how many times I've said Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Well that's definitely true when it comes to the internet.

Think about it. How many times do you go to a site and find it cluttered with adds, flash items, bright colors, etc. My first impulse is to close it down. I don't like sites that shout at me. I like ones that are easy to navigate, and easy on the senses.

I've been frustrated being tied to what someone else can create (especially when I have to see what's available for free...grin). Why can't I design my own? Not that I'm good at that sort of thing -- I think I've bemoaned my lack of creativity before. I may be an artist, but that doesn't mean I can come up with stuff off the top of my head. (grin -- I wish!)

So, I'm stuck with what I can find, or else I play with what I've got. I found a couple that I thought I could work with, but they aren't loading onto blogger like they need to. What's a girl to do?? Well, I figured I'd open my Dreamweaver program and see if it could help me. While it opened the code, it just tells me that there is problems with it and I'm not sure I know enough to figure it out.

There are loads of different pages out there, lots of people with apparently endless hours of time to spend on this project. It's amazing. For example, take the LDSNeighborhood site. It's extremely easy on the eyes, easy to navigate, and fun to walk around. For contrast, look at this site. This site's moving top bar and barrage of photos and items may be some people's dream, but this would drive me crazy. I wouldn't go to their site very much...if at all.

I realize these are two very contrasting view points, but I'm trying to illustrate a point. That's what I do...grin...illustrate. My, am I in a mood today...lol.

I thought perhaps you haven't been able to visit all the bloggers that grace the ldsneighborhood site, so I'll highlight a couple of them today in an effort to illustrate the different looks of each blog. Most of them used the regular Blogger template. Some of them have modified things.

First on the block, from left to right of the neighborhood, is New Neighbors. The blogger for this section is Cheri Crane, talented poet and photographer. Her blog is the green dot theme, which I have used as well, and is fun and light.

Next up is Health and Food. We have Keith Fisher and Candace Selima here. Keith blogs about wonderful, yummy things to do with Dutch Oven cooking, and has a customized header on his blog. Candace blogs about assorted health tips and her blog is a great template that looks like blue jeans.

In the Music block, Julie Keyser is the blogger, and today has a guest blogger. It looks very interesting, and I like the customized header on her's too. Great job, Julie!

And last for today, but NOT least, is C.L. Beck with the Write Up My Alley blog. Her's is a regular blogger style, and one that I have also used in the past. I like the soft green -- I think it's relaxing and doesn't distract from her hilarious blogs!

So anyway, that's all I've got time for today, but I hope I got you thinking about the beauty we find on the internet and how complicated it can be!

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I'm not Sure...

I took this test the other day, and I'm not sure what I think about it. Does it mean that I appeal to every level?? Or that a kid would have fun reading my stuff...hmmmm


Whatever...

I also came across an article on Carrie's site that I thought worth mentioning. I'm not big at espousing political views on this blog, I have another blog for that when I'm feeling in the mood. But I do feel this is an important thing to read, so please take a moment if you are even thinking Obama is a valid choice for president...

Once again...

Do you ever feel like your life rotates from one state to another? That you are on top of things, everyone is happy (or reasonably so) things are going well financially and you are accomplishing the goals you have set -- then boom, the down cycle begins and you have to start all over again? Doesn't it get tiring? I realize that this is what life is about, but it's so frustrating to feel like you've finally got a hold on things and then feel them slip away...

We had another cat die yesterday. The twin to the one that died before. It's kind of strange, we found him just laying in the field next to our house. My hubby thinks that perhaps he was in an animal fight, but we will never know. They're dropping like flies. This keeps up, and we won't have to worry about how much cat food costs...sigh.

My hubby buried him while the kids were at an activity, and was a little emotional about it. I felt pretty much nothing. It was a cat. Am I insensitive? I don't know. I've known a lot of death in my life, and the fact that a pet has died is sad, but -- I believe their spirits go on, just as ours do. He's happy, he's with his brother, and we have one less mouth to feed. Man, I'm cold. I hope this doesn't dismay or startle any of you...it kind of surprises me.

I finally got some writing done last night. It's been a while, because I don't write well when the schedule is changed. That's something I need to overcome -- I need to write regardless of the changes. But, I'm still where I'm at. I wrote yesterday about the book in a month challenge that Tristi is doing, and I think it's going to be a good thing. I really need something to get me going again. I also really need to finish editing two of my stories and get them out. sigh.

I'm kind of in a gray mood. I feel like I've probably pushed you all away at this point and I'm alone with my thoughts. Isn't it strange how the mind works? I envision blogging as a person alone in a room, opening a door to a crowd of people. These people are all opening their little doors to the world, sharing a little of themselves. Soon, either those people are sharing with others, or they are holding themselves a little off, preferring to just read what the others are writing. Soon, they become a group, a neighborhood of their own. A worldwide neighborhood of people sharing thoughts, ideas, frustrations, family and friends. Have you ever thought how much Blogging would help the world if we truly listened to each other? What an interesting thought... and story line...