Family

Stumbled Upon Friday

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12


I was at my sister’s house for dinner Friday evening, keeping her company in the kitchen while she made chicken tacos. Great recipe, by the way. Anyhow, she was yammering on about something or other and I decided to see if I could surreptitiously check my blog stats for the day.

So, I pulled out my iPhone and, while it was tucked ever so slightly under the table, checked my blog.  Hmmm, 43 views. Well now!

My average day runs anywhere from 0 to about 15 views so 43 in one day is pretty spectacular. Now, before you start thinking I’d hit the Freshly Pressed jackpot, let me set the record straight. That did not happen. (Not that I haven’t had a wishful think about it from time to time.)

But something very odd did happen, and it took me the better part of the weekend to finally get a clue, but more about that in a sec. By the time I got home Friday evening, my total views for the day was pushing up-up-up. To cut to the chase, the total views for Friday was 133, Saturday was 166, and the total so far today is 269. (Is it after midnight? If it is, then I mean yesterday.)

Dashboard data

I finally got curious this evening about what was causing my views to soar and started poking around my dashboard. Turns out all those extra views were coming from one place. I clicked on that link in the list of referrers and it took me to a page that said, “A member of the StumbleUpon user community added your page to StumbleUpon’s index of high-quality, human-curated content.”  Say what!?!

The first thing that popped into my pea brain was (stealing from Sally Field here) they like me, they really like me! The second thing was that my sister is going to be s-o-o-o ticked about this.

You see, my sister has been blogging for a couple of years now and switched her blog to WordPress about six months ago. If you haven’t read her blog you should. You can find it here. She writes from the heart about things that are important like family and faith. I, on the other hand, write about silly things like light bulbs and my eyeballs.

She talked about blogging so much that I finally decided to try it and, well, I enjoy it. I didn’t expect to but I do. Anyway, we’ve had this unofficial contest going ever since I started blogging to see if my views could catch up with hers. When I started, she was ahead of me by about a thousand views.  Today, though, my views caught up — then skipped on ahead.

Back to topic

I have to say, though it’s nice and all, that I’m not too sure I’m thrilled about this sudden spike in views. You see, I looked at my dashboard under the top posts & pages  section and it revealed that practically all of the views are to just to one post. That means all those folks who stumbled upon my blog also stumbled right back off of it without looking at a single other page.

I don’t know about you, but I find that kind of disheartening. I mean, did they even stay on that post long enough to actually read it? Or, did they see it was just a recipe for Quiche and zip right outa there lickety split?

I’m a bit concerned that all those views may be hollow. No substance. No heart. Empty.

Real people blog

In the short time that I’ve been blogging, I’ve come across a lot of folks who, like my sister, write about things that are close to their hearts and, in doing so, they touch other hearts and bring helpful information to their readers. They encourage other writers and photographers and artists. They honor and support other bloggers with awards and recognition. And, sometimes they share parts of themselves that the rest of us really have no right to. Blogging is a community and I’m tickled to be a part of it.

I owe my sister a debt of gratitude for sharing with me her passion for blogging and for getting me off my duff and my fingers onto my keyboard. (Actually, since I sit when I type I guess I’m still on my duff. But, I’m doing something productive as well, so it’s all good.)

Thank you sweet Rosie, for being my inspiration.

And, thank you to all the other bloggers who have opened up their worlds to me and made me feel welcome in this community. Your “likes” and “comments” on my posts are more meaningful to me than all the views I’ve received the last three days times a gazillion.

Okay now, enough with the mushy stuff.

Let’s be real

Just because I value “actual” views way more than the “empty” views, it doesn’t mean I want the empty ones to stop. I am after all still in a contest with my sister for the most views — so keep ’em coming!

273 and counting — that puts me about 200 ahead of you sweetie!  🙂

A few of my favorite …

In case you’re interested, below are just a few of my favorite blogs. I encourage you to visit them often and read them well!

http://preacherswifeintheknow.wordpress.com/

http://broadsideblog.wordpress.com/

http://subtlekate.wordpress.com/

http://jensinewall.wordpress.com/

http://coffeekatblog.wordpress.com

http://aslongasimsinging.wordpress.com

http://notlostjustweird.com

http://notquiteold.wordpress.com/

http://ellepeterson.wordpress.com/

http://eclecticfaerie.wordpress.com/

http://year-struck.com/

It’s about time!

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8


Do you ever notice people’s clocks?

I think clocks say a lot about who we are. Even if you didn’t buy it yourself, if you have it hanging on the wall or sitting around, that monstrously huge timepiece that plays a song every 15 minutes says a bit about you. I mean, let’s face it, most of us would chuck it into a closet if we didn’t like it.

My sisters’ clocks …

My youngest sister has a wall clock in her kitchen that chirps like a different kind of bird every 15 minutes. Personally, that would drive me bonkers but she really likes it. What does that say about her? I think it says she has a calm spirit that allows those chirps to just wash right over her. I, on the other hand, have a frantic spirit that makes every one of those chirps ding my brain whenever I hear them.

My other sister (the middle one) has the clock mentioned in the first paragraph. Somebody gave this masterpiece to her — and she really likes it. What I think this clock says about her is that she likes shiny things hanging on the wall and she likes being serenaded. As for me, when the music plays, loudly, it startles me (… it’s that frantic spirit of mine).

My tick-tockers …

So, about now you’re wondering what kind of clock(s) I have. Well, I have a clock hanging in the kitchen that I found at a local consignment shop (it’s from the 60’s, I think). It’s in the shape of a coffee cup with colors that match my kitchen wallpaper. So, what does it say about me?

Maybe it says that I like things to be matchy-matchy, or that I like vintage accessories, or that I’m thrifty, or maybe not. I think it says that I got really lucky and stumbled upon a neat clock for my kitchen and had sense enough to buy it. And, by the way, my kitchen clock doesn’t make even the slightest peep.

The clock in my bedroom, though is a whole other ballgame. It was a gift from Mom about twenty-five years ago. It’s a big mantle clock but, in my opinion, not too terribly over the top. (I’d have a pic but I’m too pooped to climb the stairs.) It does, however, chime every 15 minutes and strikes the hour much like a grandfather clock. (It even sort of looks like the top of a grandfather clock.) So, why do I keep it (in my bedroom no less) even though it makes noise? What does it say about me?

Hmmm, I think it says that I like knowing what time it is in the middle of the night but don’t want to have to turn on the light and/or dig in the drawer of my bedside table to find my glasses so I can see the alarm clock next to my bed. Besides, waking up in the middle of the night and hearing that soft chime makes me feel secure … that all’s right with the world and that I can go back to sleep.

Silly?

Probably, but that’s okay, Mom gave it to me.

A Stat Hound’s Woe

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4


So, I all but ignore my blog for a few days and what happens? Not a thing!

No one (well, hardly anyone) visits my blog for days – and days – and days.

What gives? Do I have to write a new post every day? Really?

So many books. So little time!

Can’t do it. Got too many other things to do! For example …

  • Reading: my stack of books-to-read is growing, and growing
  • I need to fill out my 1040 – yep, I pushed it to the edge this year (haven’t even started)
  • Work, work, work, work, work
  • Emmie and Ollie (my cats): they need some attention soon or they’re going to blackball me out of the family (caught them in a corner whispering the other day, nothing good can come from that)
  • My garden: pitifully small as it is, I still had to take a big chunk out of last Saturday to clean it up and get it ready for Spring planting (that’s assuming Spring ever comes back, been pretty chilly here the last few days)
  • House cleaning: nah, that one won’t fly
  • Sore ankle?  oh, never mind

So, have I convinced you that I’ve got a lot on my plate?

Speaking of plates, it’s time to fix dinner.

AACK!

Let me think. What’s in the fridge?

I know! I can make Good Old Girls Shrimp Fried Rice and broccoli with cheese sauce. Only takes about 40 minutes! Here’s how:

1 Box of Frozen Broccoli with Cheese Sauce (I like Green Giant)
1/2 Pound of small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 Bag Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice
2 eggs
2-4 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
1-2 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Onions (can use dried if you don’t have fresh onions)
Garlic Salt (as much as you can stand)

Follow directions on box for frozen broccoli. Green Giant requires 12 minutes in boiling water – on each side.

When you turn over the broccoli, put the rice in a pan of boiling water per instructions on box. If using Uncle Ben’s, takes about 12 minutes to cook.

Good Old Girls Shrimp Fried Rice

Melt butter in saute pan, add onions, add eggs and scramble in pan (chop into small bits while scrambling), add garlic salt to taste. When eggs are done, add shrimp, stir and let simmer. When rice is done, drain and add to egg and shrimp mixture. Mix well. Serve with broccoli and bread of your choice. (I like the Wheat Bolillois from the Walmart bakery. They freeze nicely and are easy to heat in the oven.)

Serves two to four, depending on how hungry you are.

Yum!

PS: My daughter loved this when she was a kid.