#170-I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

WOW!  I HAVE 100 FOLLOWERS!

What does this mean to me?  Well, it means that there are at least 50 people out there who are Out of their Minds too!  But, most of all, it means that someone out there actually likes me.

Why did I start blogging?  Hell Danged if I know!   I have been telling stories for years that made people laugh (often these people had a few drinks in them).  Also,  my daughter has continually encouraged  me to write these stories down.  But, I never did.  I used to love to write when I was MUCH younger,  but,  I just couldn't seem to do it.  Probably because I didn't have a computer.  I had one at in my classroom, but, that was not for personal use.

A year or so after I retired I bought myself a home computer.  And then found FACE BOOK!  Wow, a whole new world opened up and I suddenly had a pallet on which to write.  I found that I liked putting little (well long, and their prompts kept admonishing me)  stories on my home page.  The next thing I knew I was putting stories with parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.  A running account of things that happen to me.  My daughter kept telling me that I needed to start a blog (probably because she was tired of me clogging up her home page).  

I was encouraged by one of my daughter's in-laws (and friend) who set me up with my first blog, on his site, in early summer of 2010.   By the way he has a great blog you might want to read:     The Last Word

I had a difficult time coming up with a name but family members have occasionally (ok, often) mentioned that I was out of my mind.  And then I had an epiphany and said to myself, that would work because this stuff I write comes from my mind, which makes this title true on two levels...yes, that'll work.  Then I went to visit my daughter later that same summer (2010) and she started me my own site (which I was sure I wouldn't be able to navigate...old dog new tricks mind set).  

When I started this I was certain that I would only have about 8 family members following (and 2 pity followers).  However, that's who I was writing for in the first place, With a blog I could write at length without getting scolded by a site program.   Then,  my daughter helped me run a giveaway.  She said that this would draw more people and once reading my blog I would acquire more followers.  Well, she was right, but I was conflicted over the fact that they may have only joined because her jewelry is fabulous.  And, this made me feel like a blog "Hoe" (trading favors for followers).  We've done 2 and I am not doing any more.  She does GREAT giveaways of  her own and I refer anyone who wants beautiful jewelry to go to her site:  Embracelets Design

Then something happened... I started to gather followers.  And, more amazingly, I stated reading the blogs of others.  If that wasn't fantastic enough, I became attached to many of the followers and found that I actually think of these relative strangers as friends.  That is when I started stressing out over pleasing them.  Worrying about my spelling,  syntax,  punctuation, my ability to get my point across, the frequency of my post, or the appropriateness of them.  I have always been the sort to be eager to please.   I diligently seek to never offend.  I have one post that has been sitting here for months because I can't seem to determine if it is OK.   The readers of my blog don't really know what a goof ball I can be.  But, my family does so, I didn't worry about writing for them.

That's when I pulled back and scolded myself, got feedback from my followers and decided to make a change.  I now know that I should write as though I was writing to those first 8 family members (and the 2 pity readers).  I should just be myself (who whom  who Ahhhhh, mannnnn lets go with whomever that is).  And, if I occasionally (ok frequently) mess up with the spelling etc....SO BE IT!  I should be me....pure (well, that's a stretch, but you get what I mean) and unvarnished.

Oh, yes, I got sidetracked.....Anyway, to my complete surprise, the number  of followers slowly climbed.  Then I found myself watching for number 100 (I even begged a few family holdouts who read occasionally, but haven't followed).  The numbers seemed to creep through the 90s then 100 finally came  on April 2nd (and I didn't have to blackmail anyone).

Thank you Siv Maria for being #100.  Wish I had a prize for you.  The best I can do is to ask my followers to check out your blog which is: Been there, done that.  (How come hers is purple?  The others were blue!)  Be sure to read her Monday, April 4th post (Change, Who Me?) because she has a picture of me (before my makeover).

Another SHOUT OUT goes to "M."  She just sent me instructions on how to embed a link.  I did manage to call up a few members of the C.R.A.P. (Computer Related Attacks by Poltergeists) squad when I had to go into HTML (scary isn't it...ME in HTML) and found (once I exited) that everything was blue and underlined?  So, her is her link too (I wonder what color hers will be?):                                                                                                                 

The Professionally Insane "M"   (hummmmm, purple.)  
(Well at least nothing else is purple or highlighted.  By George, I think I've got it....Whoopee!)  
(But this print is small but the "TT" says normal.  What's up with that?)  
(I'm leaving it just the way it is. I'm not messing with the poltergeists because it usually makes it worse).


Also, I am working on a blog to accept my 6th award from my family of followers, thanks to "M" above.  That will be coming up soon.


Finally, Thank you......ALL OF YOU (even the 2 pity followers)....... for putting up with me (and my little dots, red print,  poltergeists,  parenthesis w/italic, bold print, and the "ALL CAPS" shouting!)


LOVE FROM kt 4/3/11