Hopped Up on Writing

I have been invited by my good blogging buddy Cathy to participate in something called a blog hop. At first I thought it was some sort of dance. I have since learned it involves answering some tough hard-hitting questions about writing in a thoughtful, and meaningful way and then passing on the challenge…I mean “invitation” to the next worthy writer who I assume will hop his or her on way to the next contestant.   The topic is “Why I write”

Cathy is one of my most favorite people in the entire blogosphere. I have been following her since the beginning.  She writes in such a way that conveys friendliness and warmth.  Her site is beautiful. Her photos are lovely and her recipes are yummy.  I wished she didn’t live so far away because I would love to visit her. Besides having a great blog she is such a great person.

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So hop on by to  Words and Herbs and visit Cathy and you will see why I like her so much.

Also see how Cathy answered her questions: Blog Hopping: Why I Write

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Before I get started with my questions I would like to introduce you to Steven Webb. He writes a wonderful blog called The Moving Road. Steven is a wonderful heartfelt writer who has a powerful message of encouragement all his own.  I believe he and I share a concern for others and a yearning to inspire people and say “Yes you can!”  You can also find Steven on Twitter and Facebook.  Go to his site and check him out and find out just how multi talented he is.   Once he answers the five questions and publishes his post I will put a link to it HERE.

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I blog and tweet about the good stuff, helping people see things differently and overcome their own adversity. Join me on this journey” – Steven Webb

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And the funny thing is…

It just so happens that I had just finished being interviewed by Oprah for her magazine. Funny enough she asked me these very same questions (AMAZING!  I know) and so out of the kindness of her heart and she is kind that Oprah. She has allowed me to feature the interview in its entirety for you here today.

That sounds far fetched. Are you making this up girl?

The Five Questions

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What am  I working on?  Besides the zillion and one drafts in my inbox?  My crazy mind has now engaged itself in the production of a feature length extravaganza in the form of a real life book. (yay!)  An escapist fantasy adventure that is now unfolding itself in bits and pieces into my eclectic imagination. The more I think of it the more it becomes real. At this point it’s practically creating itself; I close my eyes and watch it form.  I have pretty much erected the framework and now I need to fill in the details–the more I write  the more it needs to be written and the more I need to write it.

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How does my writing differ from others in it’s genre?  

I don’t have a genre at all in that I probably differ from most writers. Of the two hundred plus blog posts I have written no two are quite the same. I flutter and flitter around subjects and genres, styles and moods. Words are my paints in every glorious color of the rainbow, my brush slides and glides across the canvas,  and from it springs wide landscapes and broad vistas, from the tiny and seemingly insignificant to the giant elephant in the room. I try to capture that all-elusive truth with honest humor and silliness tinged with an underlying something that sneaks up and causes the reader to think or feel. That is what I aim to do anyway. I believe that any writer who wants to engage the reader must write from the bottom of their heart and the deepest reaches of their soul. Never hold back your truth.

Write what you LOVE, what you care about.

I write what’s in my heart, what I care about. I write whatever is floating around in my silly imagination.  Slivers and shards of life maneuver and twist themselves into my writing. I wear my heart on my sleeve and on my blog as well.

The thinking of deep thoughts

How does my writing process work? Most of it is spent thinking and not writing at all.  Ideas form in my mind and emotions swirl around them. I take notes in one or more of the very many spiral notebooks I have littered all over.  From that I will compose on the computer allowing the words to come out. If I have the luxury of peace and quiet the words usually just flow out like water. It is at times the easiest thing in the world for me to do.  I wish life were that easy…(sigh)
From there I edit it and tighten it up, smooth it out.  MM helps with the punctuation, which I am lousy at. He encourages me to tighten up my long winded run-on sentences which I sometimes do. Then I publish it and forget all about it…then it’s on to the next one!

Of course the book will be different. Much more rewrite and polish. And the publishing part will be more involved than simply clicking “publish”. I’m going to take what I do best and work with what I have and that’s all any of us can do.

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I’d write anyway. Even if there was no one to read it. That is how nuts I am.

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Have a great day and remember to visit my friends Cathy and Steven.

♥ Nancy

 

Seven Truths of Random

The all-knowing eye that knows all

Today I was swimming in the creative juices of my fellow bloggers (please don’t picture this) in the deep end of my reader pool when I ran across the daily post’s daily prompt. I usually skip this as I am usually full of ideas, but this one called to me.  It suggested I write down ten words off the top of my head, pick three, make that my title and write about it.

“What an excellent and intriguing exercise.” I said out loud to myself. ( I talk to myself a lot, think of THAT what you will)  but anyway, to go back to what I was saying: I thought what a great, um… I mean… ‘What an excellent and intriguing exercise.” And do I ever need exercise. I admit that my writing muscles have grown somewhat flabby lately, perhaps it’s the heat.  I don’t know but this idea by the fantastic people over there at the Daily Post got me going. I immediately made out my list of ten words off the top of my head.

1. Random
2. Mind
3. Spirit
4. Body
5. Money
6. Choice
7. Seven
8. Truths
9. Time
10. Destination

The thinking of deep thoughts

As you can see I have a lot on my mind.  Oh what a wealth of interesting subjects to write on I said to myself.  (See how deep I am.)   I was set to write all kinds of deep stuff.  Fantastic thoughts and wonderful ideas swirled in my mind. So many that I became dizzy just thinking about them. “This is exciting!” I said to myself ( I told you I talk to myself a lot.) This is a chance to show everyone how really hip and happening I am. How I’m so smart and oh so deep.  I gazed fondly at my ten words….

Which three to pick?  I knew right away random would be one of them…I mean random is so well…random.

I have been reading this book on innovation; “Where Good Ideas Come From.” The author brings up the valid point that many good ideas come not from one individual mind dreaming up them up, sitting alone in a room and thinking-thinking-thinking…many if not most good ideas come from a collective of minds.  A community. This brings to mind the community of bloggers here at WordPress and beyond.

This is an enriching  place, this blogoverse. I will read some posts and get instantly inspired. I have had the luck, foresight or both to have run into some pretty smart bloggers out there with much to say and I have learned much from you. Today was no exception….and so as I was saying ( sorry, if I am rambling) I was immersed in this fun “problem” of picking just three words to write a mind-blowing and oh so deep post about.

What’s next?  Random, mind and spirit popped up and instantly got me thinking…..hmmmm…sounds like Astral traveling; which could be an inexpensive way for a poor wannabe writer such as myself  to see the world and bring along some of my favorite blogging buddies. Oh what a time we’d have!  Skimming across The Atlantic..shooting to the Milky Way and beyond.  I couldn’t wait to pack my bags when it hit me—no chocolate! I forgot to include chocolate on my list—how stupid and so not like me.

Yum

So this chocolate thing got me distracted I must admit. I was forced, I say forced to focus my mind with a largish bowl of creamy and no doubt, fatty chocolate ice cream… this seemed to calm me and my mind was then free to stumble about to places it should not go when I put together another triad of words: body, money and choice. Since this blog is PG rated I knew this would not do. I immediately put together three other words: truth, time and destination. This made of think of writing an action packed story about time travel!  Whoo-ho! This is it! This is how I can show off my creative talents! I sharpened the imaginary pencil that writes in my mind and got to work only to realize that all the Science Fiction I’ve read in my life had come back to haunt me. I didn’t want anyone to accuse me of subconscious plagiarism as I discovered I was writing out the plot of  H.G. Wells‘ “The Time Machine.” So another three words would have to do.

I started to wonder about myself and my sanity at this point. The good people at The Daily Post need me to come up with something great and witty and deep..did I mention deep before? Did I mention how wonderful and smart the people are over there at the Daily Post? (this is me sucking up by the way) Did I mention that in the almost two years that I have been putting out this blog that I have yet to be Freshly Pressed? (hint-hint)

And so back to the wondering…I am wondering what to do and then it hits me; the three words; random, seven and truth—The Seven Truths of Random,.  How exciting and intriguing and…oh so deep. What a perfect title!

Instantly I remembered a quote:

  “Life is random and fucked-up and arbitrary, until you find someone who can make sense of it all for you— if only temporarily.”

~Matthew Quick

and then I remembered that I’m PG rated, and I have chosen not to use words like “fucked-up”  oops. sorry….but the meaning is meaningful; many of us are looking for meaning. I know I am. For someone to tell us the truth and not just seven random ones but all of them.  I thought I alone cannot but perhaps together we can. Sorry, this is where I admit that I don’t have seven truths for you, not even random ones but I do have something…a fantastic array of creative friends (that’s you guys by the way) that will never cease to inspire.  THAT is the truth and nothing but…and by the way, thanks for that!

♥

Strawberryindigo.

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Related articles

Daily Prompt-Haphazard (dailypost.wordpress.com)

Daily Prompt: Three-Tenths (angloswiss-chronicles.com)

Daily Prompt: Three-Tenths (theidol1.wordpress.com)

Daily Prompt: Three-Tenths (lifetheuniversenddepression.wordpress.com)

Haphazard (ambitiousdrifter.wordpress.com)

FUN STUFF to Ponder

  How to Perform Astral Projection (wikihow.com)

The Time Machine 1960 excerpt of film (YouTube)

How to Time Travel (science.howstuffworks.com)

 Astral Traveler by YES (YouTube)

English: Artist’s conception of the spiral structure of the Milky Way with two major stellar arms and a central bar. “Using infrared images from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way’s elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Previously, our galaxy was thought to possess four major arms.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Writer’s Lament

Hey you writers out there, are you like me? Do you long for days of uninterrupted silence? Do you fantasize about having hours upon hours of free time devoted to your only real love: Writing?

I may be the only one who’s so obsessed…and I am obsessed. I can think of nothing better than to tap tap tap my life away if only I had the time and the silence.  Oh blessed silence…can I be the only one who craves this silence?

I don’t have to tell anyone how noisy our modern world is already and the distractions…there are so many distractions. I get started with my tapping and before you know it, life rears its inevitable head and drags me back to reality for in which there is limited room for anything remotely resembling tapping.

Here I am in a rare moment, I have all afternoon and I’m set to write about one of my favorite subjects; Being Different in -The Daily Post’s Weekly Writing Challenge and then a million things happen and there is no time.

I am a mom and I have all the responsibilities just like everyone else. I probably don’t have to tell you this; we are all busy with our lives.  Most of us don’t have much free time and there is always some minor crisis to keep me more than occupied.

I admit that at times I can be hard to live with.  I tend to be lost in thought about something or another and there tends to be a lot of something or another’s swimming around in my half-crazed brain.  l admit I get pent-up and rather testy when I can’t get the opportunity to write…and like a junkie who needs a fix, once I get what I crave, I’m happy again. I do admit it’s an affordable addiction and who knows, perhaps all this craziness will pay off in the end?

I’m sure most writers and artists in general are a little on the obsessive side.  I mean I could name names but why bother. We all know this is true…and really when I get to think about it….even you; if you are any kind of writer at all, I bet you are a bit crazy too just like the rest of us…and that you know that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I guess I should be grateful. If I had it my way, I’d probably tap tap tap my way to oblivion…..I would be going a mile a minute..faster and faster and then suddenly I would just explode: KA-BOOM!

I could see the scene now…my spent carcass slumped over a burned-out laptop, dirty coffee cups and piles and piles of printed word surrounding me….What a mess…

OOPS….

I guess I exploded before I could write my entry for the Weekly Writing Challenge:

…and now for something completely different….  Hey! That’s DIFFERENT–I wrote about not writing what I was supposed to write about and then I exploded!That’s DIFFERENT!

Perhaps that will do…

MUCH HAPPINESS,

Strawberryindigo.

NOTE:

I have been off “adventuring”and have been limited on time, that is why I haven’t been posting much. I am not AWOL.  This is only temporary and I will be up and running at full speed in a couple of weeks.

I look forward to catching up with our visits after all this is over. I will be back full of wonderous tales about my “exotic” adventures.

Weekly writing challenge: The Sound of Blogging

I saw the headline: The Sound of Blogging. As if there was such a thing…but there is and it’s music to my ears  This is my first stab at the WordPress Weekly Writing Challenge and I want to make a decent showing. This idea made me stop and ponder a bit. I enjoy stopping and pondering. I think it is essential for a writer and me, in my long-winded way, am a writer, as most of us bloggers are.

I have mentioned a few times in the past the sound I make as I write; a rhythmic tap-tap-tap. It is how I describe what I do; it is in fact a sort of 4 finger quick-step, hunt and peck that has evolved into the tap-tap-tap. It starts slow then picks up speed and before you know it, I am going on at full clip. Not to say that my technique doesn’t need improvement. I will be the first to admit to that, but all in all it is a comforting sound.

When my family hears this tinkling of the computer keys they know that I am happy, they’ll get no trouble out of me. As long as the hot coffee flows I am content to be tap-tap-tapping the night away; writing my heart out.

I let the words flow like a melody that sings a song about hope and inspiration, compassion, kindness and how the power of love; the love of our planet and for our fellow humans can transform the world.   It is the song of life played out by a hack with a laptop and a dream that I hear in my tap tap tapping…and to me it’s the loveliest sound in the universe.

Thanks for listening,

Strawberryindigo.

Related articles

• tap…tap…tap… (pambustin.com)
• Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap (royaltease.wordpress.com)
• TAP…TAP.. TAP… Anyone Out There?!?! Oh! There you are 🙂 (thefabulouslane.wordpress.com)
• Weekly Writing Challenge: The Sound of Blogging (dailypost.wordpress.com)

While you’re at it check out those sounds…

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(Excellent music I like to tap to)

MASTERS OF STRING THEORY

An instrumental  journey through time on a string played by some the greats.

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Click here for some excellent tapping courtesy of The Nicolas Brothers

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The Typewriter Song

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Mr. Bojangles tapping with Shirley Temple

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The Diary of a Mad Blogger DAY 366

Madness

It has been 366 days since I published my first post and joined this wonderful world of the real and the surreal: the blogosphere. 

 I started this blog on a lark with no real idea or theme.  No organization or any kind of plan whatsoever. I was new to cyberspace and not technical in the least bit, fortunately, I can usually find some humor at my feeble attempts to do something, which can be often.  I still have trouble with the simplest things and the fact that I refer to these things as “things” is a testimony to my utter and complete lack of any technical knowledge whatsoever.  The road is long and strange but slowly I am learning.  Now after a year I am finally able to post a link without embarrassing myself ( I hope) 

On Being Fruity and Colorful

I did realise when I signed up to get a blog here at WordPress that I might be introducing myself to the strange and unusual world of cyberspace and I did have my reservations.  I considered many types of avatars and had decided on a purple nebula (really) and it was not until the last-minute I decided on using my real life image.   I am not one for pictures of myself. It takes some getting used to, but it’s me and it’s honest and that is what I try to adhere to.

I know what you are thinking:  How honest is someone who claims to be some weird name like Strawberryindigo?  It was a name I came up with for Trip Advisor and I just kept using it. If I knew then what I knew now I wouldn’t have picked something so…well, weird. In the beginning many people thought I had a food blog and kept searching my site for recipes.

But again I guess it’s me…and I like colors and fruit and so…what the hell, I could have done worse.

I feel free to write whatever I want. I feel I can expose my inner self by being somewhat anonymous. One day I may change my name, and my site.  Totally scrap the whole thing and start anew, but for now, I’m doing fine just being fruity and colorful.

A Community of Creatives

What I didn’t realise when I signed up to WordPress was the rich community of bloggers that I would become a part of.  It is refreshing to be around so many alive and creative people.   I value each comment and every “like” I have received. It does the heart good to see many of you returning again and again. I  look forward to our visits. I can imagine us as neighbors chatting over the back fence.  I am getting to know many of you through your blogs and comments and I have found you all to be some truly wonderful and amazing people. I have learned so much from you. This is a fantastic little community we are creating here.  I thank you for this!

  Typically, I am a  very shy and reserved person.  In the past I’ve mostly kept my thoughts to myself.   Through my writing here I feel connected to a whole world.  I am coming out of the shadows and into the light…..and it feels spectacular!

The Mad Blogging Part

I started this as a sort of online diary that quickly morphed into something else…just what that is, I do not know.  (If anyone has any thoughts on this please let me know because I am sort of all over the place.)   I guess what I’m attempting here is to train myself to be a writer.  A real writer.  Not just some hack with a laptop and a dream as I perceive myself to be now.  It is my life’s goal to succeed at this endeavor. I have found through trial and error that nothing makes me happier.  It is the air that I breathe and it is engrained in my very essence.  After many years of soul-searching;  it is what I believe I am meant to do.  I know this sounds grandiose and stupid and highly unlikely but I want to somehow make the world a little better because of my writing, if only in some small way…

I started this all as an experiment with the time period of one year. I wanted to see what a year of blogging would do and what I would become after all this….

…and I have found that I’m still in the act of becoming…

I will continue to blog. It’s in my blood now and I don’t want that to change. As my writing continues to evolve I will keep at it, I can’t stop anyway. Writing is essential to my existence. My plans are to eventually start submitting my work and see where that goes but I know that I still have some work to do–my journey continues.

Looking forward to day 367…

Strawberryindigo.

I want to let you know that I will probably never write so much about myself again in one post….I appreciate those of you who are still reading this and I commend you. Thanks. 🙂

Related Articles  

My Little Part of the Sky ( My first post!!!)

Diary of a Mad Blogger: the second attempt  

Across the Blogoverse

During these hot August days and nights I have been visiting some very cool sites of some very talented and engaging bloggers.  What follows is a sampling of some excellent recent blog posts that I have particularly enjoyed.

I call this ACROSS THE BLOGOVERSE

Spanning the virtual globe to bring you the finest blogging anywhere…

 A Gardener’s Optimism (wordsandherbs.wordpress.com) Cathy conveys the heart and soul of a gardener in her post. Beautifully written with a flourish.

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Weekly Image of Life: Beautiful (thismansjourney.net) A beautiful day shown in stunning photos.  Well worth the trip.

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 Anyone needing a smile? (gusgus64.wordpress.com) Gunta delivers.  A must see.

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What you don’t know can kill you (globalunison.wordpress.com) A well-written article about Hookah smoking. Naima is a talented writer for sure.

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Paraprosdokian (judysp.wordpress.com)  Judy Sp not only taught me something I didn’t know…she made me laugh.

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How I learned about Shinola (ctwfrank.com) There’s a lesson to be learned here.  Great advice in an enjoyable read.

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Read about Heart to Harp and of her experiences playing soothing music at the hospice unit in the following posts:

Finding new confidence in playing for others.(hearttoharp.wordpress.com)

Playing at the hospice the second week.(hearttoharp.wordpress.com)

This is the first installment in what will be an occasional series showcasing superb blog posts in a variety of styles and subjects across the blogoverse.

Happy Reading!

Strawberryindigo.

INSPIRATION

Karen H. from Midlife Chronicles was kind enough to bestow unto me…

THE INSPIRING AWARD

This is an honor and a surprise…

THANK YOU KAREN H. 

Karen H. is an inspirational one. In her blog Midlife Chronicles she is navigating midlife with wine, laughter and a twist of wry.  She also is a terrific writer who writes about commonplace events but makes it her own and breathes life into her words.  I highly recommend reading her blog.  Here and here are two posts to get you started.

The rules of this award were not passed down to me but that is quite alright since I’m not much for rules.  I do like to give credit where credit is due and definitely recognition.  In my wanderings around the WordPress universe I have run into many different kinds of blogs and writers.  Most are passionate about what they write, some are quite talented and a few have drawn me in whether it be by superb writing or by the personality of the writer. (or both) It is these that I visit on a regular basis and my list grows slowly but grow it does. New on my list is Marc Marrs’ Brown Eyed Music.

Marc is not only just a writer among other things, he is a songwriter and musican as well.

I have always admired songwriters. They are a rare breed. It takes a unique individual to straddle the two worlds of word and melody. To master these worlds and bring them to a colorful fruition takes a rare talent that most do not possess.

Music is important. It calms and soothes, it entertains and amuses. Music makes us feel the heights of ecstasy and the depths of despair. Music dares us to dream and music inspires.

Marc is following his dreams and that is inspiring to me, that is why I am awarding him THE INSPIRING BLOG AWARD. 

Marc Marrs is versatile and full of surprises.   He also writes movie reviews that are quite good. Stop by his blog Brown Eyed Music.

Give a listen to his Classical Trilogy to hear Middle Earth come to life or read his take on The Man of Steel himself; Superman and see ( and hear too) what I mean.

Wishing you an inspiring day!

Strawberryindigo.

A Beautiful Award

 

“How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?”

 **Lennon-McCartney**

 

 One of my all-time favorite bloggers and people is Cathy and when she graciously nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award  I was very pleased. What a fitting award coming from someone who is such a beautiful person herself.

Thank you Cathy!

Cathy’s site Words and Herbs (I love that name) is a sight to behold. Stunning photos, lovely words and inventive and completely natural yummy recipes.  Cathy is well versed in plant knowledge and lore. Her posts are always informative as well as enjoyable and definitely beautiful. I can’t say enough good things about Cathy and Words and Herbs.

I would highly recommend visiting her site.  It is well worth it.

There are rules that go along with receiving the award but Cathy and I know that some people are put off by them. I count myself among these people. In my humble opinion there are already too many rules in this world and this is supposed to be fun. It supposed to be a networking event; for getting a little recognition for having a good blog, perhaps upping the traffic a bit…

In the wise words of Cathy…”Accepting this award is purely a matter of choice – there is absolutely no obligation!”

 

That being said (whew) what follows are the rules for those that do like them:

~Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them~Nominate 7, 6, or fewer blogs that you enjoy~Notify the nominees by posting a comment on each of their sites with a link back to yours. Write a post to commemorate the event and paste the award image somewhere on your blog for the world to admire.

 

 

 THE WINNERS are…

  A Nature Mom: Encouraging outdoor play and exploring the wonders of nature… every day!   A Nature Mom realises the importance of nature in a child’s life.  There should be more blogs and moms like this. Beautiful all around.

 Mirth and Motivation: Motivate. Elevate. Laugh. Live Positively…  This blog promises and delivers. Beautiful, interesting and motivating for sure.

 

I would reccommend these two beautiful blogs for anyone needing some interesting and uplifting reading.

Happy Blogging!

Strawberryindigo.

 

 

 

 

Sisterhood of the World Blogger Awards: The strawberryindigo edition

Smiley Face (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Big Smile, one of my favorite bloggers in this whole big blog universe has graciously bestowed on me The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and I couldn’t be more pleased.  It always feels good to be included especially in this sisterhood of the traveling award.  Thank you so much Big Smile!   🙂

Big Smile’s superb blog Grandmother Musings is jammed packed full of useful and practical advice. I enjoy reading her interesting posts and it is always nice to see a new post from her in my inbox.  Defeat a bad attitude and Helen’s Porch have been two of my recent favorites.

It is at this point I must share SEVEN mostly true facts about me that many of you may not know. obviously this will be endlessly fascinating…obviously I’m kidding, please bear with me as I go on a seven-figure narcissistic tirade…

1. I am a shy, mild-mannered chicken in real life, not the loudmouth I portray online. (Shocking I know)

2. I have an uncanny ability to locate lost items in an almost paranormal sort of way.

3. I find it difficult to make any kind of decision at all while wearing a hat.

4. I am only 5 ft. 2″ but I am very good at standing on my tiptoes.

5. I am an ugly baker; everything I bake tastes good but it never looks good.

6. My lucky number is 13 probably because I was born on that day.

7. I invented the internet, post-it notes and sliced bread… and I am an awful liar.

 I would like to nominate my fellow sister bloggers for this sisterly award.

Drumroll please…

The Nominees

Shoes                               Shoes On The Wrong Feet

Karen H.                           The Midlife Chronicles

Mountain Mae                  Mountain Mae

Samantha Craft                Asperger’s Girls

Silly frog Susan               Sillyfrog’s Blog 

 Naima                              The Subterranean World

Ailsa                                  Where’s My Backpack

There are absolutely no strings attached with this award. It is yours to do with or not do with as you will.  Pass it on or not. The choice is yours. There are no rules here on “My Life in Color”  I’ve thrown them out.  Just have fun.

Congratulations and have a happy day!

Strawberryindigo.

Related articles

• Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award (francineinretirement.wordpress.com)

Diary of a Mad Blogger: The Second Attempt

It has been nine months since I published my first post and joined this wonderful world of the real and the surreal: The Blogosphere. The experience has changed me quite profoundly.  My family has commented on this and with a little trepidation. I suppose it is because they are somewhat concerned with my mental health.

In fact they think me quite mad. They say I’m obsessed with blogging. They say I’ve lost my mind. 

Is this the eye of madness?

Am I mad?  You decide…..

• I carry my camera wherever I go.  I will whip it out abruptly and snap pictures often of mundane things at strange angles. I will do what it takes to the right shot even crawling around on all fours, getting in someone’s bushes or just lying flat on my back on a neighbor’s lawn to get some sky shots.  I have developed no shame in these circumstances and luckily no one has yelled at me for sprawling out in their yard.
• I look at the sky and wonder if it would make a good background.
• “I can write about that” is sometimes the only thing that gets me out of the house.
• I have 18 spiral notebooks each mostly filled with outlines, notes, quotes and half-baked ideas.

• I feel strange if I don’t “check in” to my site for over 24 hours.
• I have been wearing the same yellow shirt that makes me resemble the female Jack Hanna for the last 9 months.
• I fantasize of being “liked”  by Matt Mullenweg.
• I chat online with a fantastic assortment of highly artistic animals, people and objects with odd pseudonyms. I myself am called strawberryindigo.  I do get a bit of eye rolling around the house for that one.
• I strut around like a newspaper tycoon; shouting out orders to the cat, keeping the print department up all night with last-minute changes and totally harassing my editor to the point where he won’t speak to me anymore.
• I am considering having “Strawberryindigo.” cards made.
• I am frequently found typing and laughing and swearing under my breath while consuming endless cups of hot caffeine.
• I sometimes dream in WordPress and that my life is an endless post written in bold italics with accompanying pictures.
• I will at times during the night wake up and start spontaneously giggling at an especially funny blog post I read earlier in the day.
•  Two words: “The Forums”
•  Fretting over the “Publishing Accident” earlier and looking like a complete idiot to 125 subscribers.
• Doing all of the above and having a blast!

“There is a pleasure sure in being mad, which none but madmen know!”

**John Dryden**

Have a fun day!  🙂

Strawberryindigo.

Related articles

• Strawberryindigo: The beginning (strawberryindigo.wordpress.com)

Strawberryindigo: The beginning

Out of the Shadows part two.

When I started this blog back in August of last year I had no idea what a rich community of people I would be meeting and getting to know through blogs and communications. I have found myself looking forward to chatting it up with some of my newly found blog buddies. Many of you have shared of yourself. Some of you quite a lot. I have found your stories to be funny and creative, inspiring and insightful, and sometimes quite sad but always hopeful. I have seen myself in some of your words and I have been bettered by them.

I have also been inspired by you all to share something of myself.

What follows is a post I did way back last September. At the time I think I really needed to write it but I wasn’t ready to share with anyone. Soon after I posted, I buried this deep in a sea of bad navigation and a flurry of others. I don’t think anyone saw it.  At the time I was relieved. Now I have reconsidered.

Those who know me by my blog alias; Strawberryindigo, may be surprised by the following post and then again maybe not, but for those who know me by Nancy, the following may explain much……

Out of the shadows

Tagged

Children playing a variant of tag. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will admit right here and now to the entire blogosphere that I am no athlete. I am one of those uncoordinated goofs with two left feet. It takes all the powers of my “mighty” concentration just to walk around without hurting myself.  You know I even flunked PE.

Keeping this embarrassing fact in mind I want you to picture this.

Here I am minding my own business…tapping away on my cute little lap top, tap-tap tap… and then out of the corner of my eye, I see her…it’s Morezennow and she’s running toward me…I smile because I really like her…She is an entertaining sort of person, witty and a genuinely funny writer.  I look forward to reading her blog http://morezennow.wordpress.com/

You should check her out.  Here are some of my favorite posts of hers to get you started.

http://morezennow.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/and-the-eyes-have-it/

http://morezennow.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/random-acts-of-blindness/

http://morezennow.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/and-the-search-goes-on/

Hello! I call out and then before I know it…I’ve been hit…I mean tagged!  And I am truly dazed and confused. The last thing I remember was a whisper in my ear….it said….

“I’m passing it on.  Feel free to decline.  And you have my permission (like you need it!) to break the rules, as we all know they are meant to be broken!!!”

Rules

1. You must post the rules.

2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.

4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

I must say right now that I plan on some rule breaking….I cannot run very fast and I could not catch all 11…..(Some people in this blogoverse run like the wind)

What follows are the questions: skillfully and creatively written by one of the  most entertaining blog buddies in the land of blogging;  Morezennow.

These I must answer.  MY questions are:

Ringo Starr and Friends (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. What would you do if I sang out of tune?   For one thing I would NOT stand up and walk out on you. I would lend you my ear so you could sing me a song but please try not to sing out of key.
2. Coffee or Tea?  I am a former coffee addict so I would have to say tea, to which I am currently addicted.
3. Soccer or Rugby?  Rugby because it’s so damn Manly.
4. Liberal, Conservative or Nunya Beeswax? Fiscally Conservative and socially very liberal…(a really impossible mix that shows my total ignorance and  misunderstanding of the whole political process)…with a touch of cutesy idealism thrown in for decoration.
5. Love or hate Stanley Kubrick? How can someone NOT love Kubrick…..He is the man who had Kirk Douglas run around shirtless, Jack Nicholson run around with an axe trying to murder Shelly Duvall and made us laugh long enough to stop worrying and love the BOMB…….. or something or another. 

   

   Slim Pickens as Major "King" Kong riding a nuclear bomb to oblivion in Dr. Strangelove. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Kubrick

6. What is your favorite era, where and why?  It is funny you should ask this (haha) I have always had this yearning to go back in time to the Roaring Twenties. It was a glamorous age full of cool cars, silky flappy fashion, bobbed hair and gangsters.(sort of like now but in black and white) I would totally love that.
7. If stranded on a desert island who would you most like to be with? This is a secret I cannot divulge. If I told you I’d have to kill you.
8. If you have children do you sometimes hate them a little? (Yes , I loves my chilluns but…)? No, but sometimes when I see them make the same stupid mistakes that I’ve made, I want to SCREAM!
9. What is your favorite novel and why? After much deliberation I must confess that I don’t have a favorite novel but one work of non fiction that stands out to me the most is  “Guns, Germs and Steel” by my favorite author, Jared Diamond. I have learned much from this man. He is an excellent explainer of why we humans are what we are. Well-written and highly intelligent. I would recommend it to anyone interested in that sort of thing.     
10. Sonny or Cher? Cher. I am probably dating myself but I remember watching the Sonny and Cher TV Show many years ago when I was a kid.  I hated her voice but I loved those costumes she wore. She reminded me of a tall colorful bird…Wow.
11. What is your preferred method of de-stressing? Gardening, hiking.. really anything that gets me out into nature and music. Music hath charms that lulls this tiger into a wimpy cat in 2 notes flat.

    

    sleeping kitten (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     

The tagged

http://gusgus64.wordpress.com/

http://aspergersgirls.wordpress.com/

http://newsferret.wordpress.com/

http://ohioken.wordpress.com/

http://championofthetenderhearted.blog.com/

These questions the tagged can answer if they choose, when they choose. I am following in the great tradition of the wise Morezennow and not asking any rule adherence. This is supposed to be fun. If it is not, don’t do it! And in the same token: anyone not tagged desiring to play along just join in.

The Questions:

1. What is the best gift you have ever received?
2. If you could meet any famous person, living or not, who would it be?
3. Have you ever walked out of a movie? Which one?
4. Do you have a pet peeve?
5. What is your favorite breakfast?
6. Do you have a favorite article of clothing?
7. If a tree falls in the forest would it make a sound if no one was there to hear it?
8. Have you ever seen anything that doesn’t exist? U.F.O’s, bigfoot, ghosts, etc?
9. Favorite summer song?
10. Name an animal that you identify with the most.
11. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go for an all expense paid holiday? 

    

    The Sangat Island resort. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember there is no pressure here. Please feel free to decline. I know these sorts of things can become a burden sometimes. Use this as you see fit.

Have a great day!

Strawberryindigo.

Adventures in Kreativ blogging: The awards

A couple of weeks ago I heard the news from a wonderful blogger who is responsible for the wonderful blog Heart to Harp. One of the newest on my must read  list. I was informed that I had been nominated for the Kreativ award. Wow! Thank you for the recognition Heart to Harp…and thanks for calling me wry. That is very cool, I have always wanted to be wry.

Heart to Harp is an interesting and inspirational blog written by a creative person who is up for challenges, plays the harp and shares my love for dark chocolate. I would recommend this blog highly. What follows are three posts to get you started.

http://hearttoharp.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/wow-my-first-blog-awards/

http://hearttoharp.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/weekly-photo-challenge-indulge/

http://hearttoharp.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/weekly-photo-challenge-down/

This being The Kreativ Award I decided to go with the whole “Kreativ” thing to be a little creative by breaking the rules a bit.  The rules:

• Thank the blogger who gave you the award and provide a link. (Thank You heart to Harp!)
• List 7 interesting things about yourself that your readers might find interesting…(I am not very interesting but I’m giving it a shot.)
• Nominate 7 other bloggers, provide links, and tell them.

♦ ♦The 7 “interesting” things about me:♦ ♦

1. I am a “wanna-be” visual artist who cringes at the sight of ugly paintings demanding such a hefty price and I think “Damn…I can make ugly paintings too.” So far no one has paid me a dime for anything remotely artistic but I still dare to dream.
2. I can write legibly with both my right hand as well as my left.
3. A former black coffee caffeine addict I now drink lots of Jasmine tea….It’s supposed to be good for you.
4. I have been known to laugh and cry at the same time listening to certain songs in coffee shops.
5. I have a strange almost supernatural power over cats.
6. My favorite Beatle is George Martin.
7. I am a terrible speller who has a wonderful and talented editor who prefers to stay behind the scenes but makes me seem a lot smarter than I really am…thank you Editor! (You know who you are)

I nominate the following blogs for this creative award.  There are no strings attached. Do with it or not do with it what you will. Be creative…no pressure.

This is supposed to be fun. If it is not your cup of tea, don’t drink it. I understand totally. I will still like you. I promise.  If I am a chain breaker and I get 7 years of bad luck from the bad karma blog fairy, let it be so…I will fall on the sword for creativity’s sake…..

  ♦ The Nominees ♦ 

Inspiring life’s journey   Total Trinity’s blog is positive, uplifting and totally inspiring my life’s journey.

Pieces of me and other sundry things  Beautiful and inventive photography among other things by Scott Brill.

The Nature of Things  sf4images has a talent for nature photography and the telling of an interesting tale.

Will of Heart   A Journey from the word of the heart.  A great blog, full of perspective and ruggedly beautiful photos. Heartfelt and true.

Contoveros   Mindfulness, meditation, spirituality, PTSD, Vietnam veterans, letting go.

Getting Better Man  Sedone’s self-improvement and personal development blog. You will be bettered by great ideas and helpful advice.

 Third Eye   Stunning photography. Colorful and full of life. A must see.

I highly recommend these blogs.  All are high quality and definitely award worthy. I enjoy visiting each and every one of them. You will too.

Happy reading!

Strawberryindigo.