Somebody ‘gets’ my gibberish!

Posted by goodoldgirl

~~Yesterday~~ Sunday, after a long day of doing practically nothing, I finally checked my blog only to learn that a very generous reader had nominated me for two blogger awards.

I have to say, I was completely bowled over — speechless even. (I know, hard to believe.)

READNCOOK, the kind blogger who bestowed these awards on my mishmash of random thoughts, made my day. In her post, Recognizing Others, she comments that one of the things that makes blogging rock is the way bloggers support one another. I couldn’t agree more! I don’t mean about the awards, which are really nice for sure, it’s the comments that really get to me.

It matters to me that folks take time out of their day to read what I have to say and send me a note to let me know my words touched them in some way. Whether my post made them laugh or cry, isn’t important. What matters is that we connected in a very human way in a time when more and more people seem to feel isolated and alone.

I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter some wonderful people since I started this blog three months ago and now I can pass along to them a hearty dose of the recognition that has been so graciously bestowed upon me.

About READNCOOK …

Don’t be mislead by the name of this blog, it’s not just about books and food. It’s also about art, beauty, health, history, humor, life, pets, relationships, teaching, and travel — an eclectic mix of many of my very own favorite things. So, be sure to check it out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

The awards …

The Liebster Blogger Award rules are:

Thank the one who nominated you by linking back.
Nominate five blogs with less than 200 followers.
Let your nominees know by leaving a comment on their sites.
Add the award image to your site.

1. A huge THANK YOU to READNCOOK for honoring my blog — Good Old Girl!

2. The five blogs I nominate for this honor:

3. Done!

4. Done!

The Sunshine Award rules are:

Include the award logo in a post or somewhere on your blog.
Answer 10 questions about yourself.
Nominate 10 to 12 other fabulous bloggers.
Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blog, letting them know about the award.
Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

1. Logo shared (it’s up there, on the right)

2. Ten things about me:

What is a favorite childhood memory?
Catching lightning bugs with my cousins then letting them all go in their room and waking up the next day to a screaming uncle who ended up having to repaint the room.
What is a real fear you have?
I’m claustrophobic.
How would you describe yourself?
A silly girl in old lady disguise.
What states have you lived in?
Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, Alaska
What is your style?
I’m supposed to have a style? Okay, jeans and a t-shirt.
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Eggs, biscuits, and gravy.
What are some of your hobbies?
Reading, writing, gardening, needlepoint, embroidery, anything with hand tools.
If you could tell people anything, what would be the most important thing to say?
Have faith, be honest, and play nice.
What is one of your passions?
My daughter — being a mom.
What is the one truth you have learned?
Nice guys really do finish last.

3. Fabulous bloggers I nominate for the Sunshine Award:

4. Done!

5. Done! But, here’s one more link to READNCOOK just in case you missed it earlier.

Karma – It’s a Wicked Thing!

Posted by goodoldgirl

Sitting here thinking about what to blog about.

I already milked my cataract surgery for all it’s worth so time to move on to something at least halfway interesting that doesn’t include body parts or involve a book review but can’t think of a thing.

Nope, not a thing.

Don’t you just hate when that happens?

You sit in front of the keyboard with your fingers desperate to type but there’s absolutely nothing floating around in your pea brain that’s fit to share with the rest of the world. At times like these, you suffer for your art in a way that only the truly devoted can understand. All you want to do is tap, tap, tap on those keys but not a thing pops into your head.

Blog writing 101

A friend gave me a book a few years ago about how writers should get out of bed every morning and just write. It doesn’t matter what you write. What matters is the physical act of writing. It’s supposed to get the juices flowing and the ideas churning and finally, when you least expect it, brilliance flies from your fingertips right to your keyboard and the great American novel is born. (LOL!)

I can’t remember the name of the book but I vaguely recall it was something along the lines of The Art of Writing, or maybe something sorta like that. Anyway, the gist of it was that if you want to be a writer, you have to be intentional about it. You can’t just sit down and start typing gibberish. (What?)

Carrying on …

I would share with you the actual title of that book except that I must have given it away (maybe to Goodwill) because I sure can’t find it on any of my bookshelves and I just wasted a good five minutes searching for it. I did come across a couple of other reads, however, that you might find interesting.

The first is What Is Karma? by Paul Brunton. It caught my eye as I was scanning the shelves because I’m pretty sure tonight’s writer’s block is really just payback for giving away that other book.

The second is Calendar Humanity’s Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year by David Ewing Duncan. This is a fascinating little book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about how we got to where we are today. Seriously, it’s a page-turner. (And, no, I’m not being sarcastic. Promise!)

When all else fails …

I spent another 5 minutes scanning Amazon.com for a title about writing that looked familiar but no luck. Did you know there are about a gazillion books out there that explain writing everything from books to screenplays?

I did come across a couple of interesting titles that might be worth taking a peek at, for example:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creative Writing, 2nd Edition by Laurie E. Rozakis

Naked, Drunk, and Writing: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay by Adair Lara

I have to fess up that I’ve not read either of these books. I also have to admit that I just love the titles so I might one day.

Maybe.

A Stat Hound’s Woe

Posted by goodoldgirl

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.