Sparks and Butterflies

Guess what? I don’t comment back to people on my blog. I email them. Do I have some great blogging philosophical reason? Nope! I do it because with my comment system mixed with WordPress I can just hit reply in my email and it goes to the commenter.

Granted, I don’t reply to every single comment. Sometimes, I simply don’t have the time. I care about each one, because that person took time to do it. But if someone seems to really have resonated with me on something, has a question or a problem to solve, or whatever, I email them back. In fact, I’ve made a lot of my online friendships that way.

So please know, that when you don’t see comments from me on my blog – I’m not unresponsive to my readers. I just do it a little less publicly. I like it to be more personal. Once someone comments, I like to take it to a more personal conversation.

In addition… I WILL comment publicly if I need to. Not to trolls – they simply get deleted. But people who may be heated or have a different opinion may need to be responded to publicly as the situation calls for it. You never know.

There, I feel better now.

Never regret something that once made you smile.

-Amber Deckers

An update on how I’m doing on this Blogathon thing…

Ok… I think. Sort of. So far.

As far as the kids go, they’ve been asleep for hours. They left me alone for the most part (I told them why I needed to be on the computer so much.) They remain unphased.

Poe has been wonderful. He did all the kid stuff (meals, swimming lessons, medications) and has just been all around supportive. He’s been feeding me topics to write on, and not balking at all when he IS the topic. He’s not a blogger, but he always supports me. He’ll be heading off to bed in a few, ’cause he has to get up with the kids tomorrow so I can sleep when this is over.

Me – well, that’s another story. A couple days ago, we did a mess load of yard work. It was heavy duty and I’m really sore from it. Plus, I got sunburned on my upper arms and shoulders. Top that with all the extra sitting/writing, and I’ve got a crick of all cricks in my neck, but massage and heating pads are out due to the sunburn. My husband just asked me why I didn’t take ibuprofen. I could have smacked myself, if it wouldn’t have hurt the burn. So, I just took the pills. Plus, somehow, I got a bug bite on the pad of my middle finger. So now it’s itchy and swollen. Not really painful though. Makes typing interesting. Tried to put some cream/bandaid on it. No go due to the keys on my laptop keyboard. Ah well. I’m headed towards being REALLY caffeinated, and I’m hoping the crash coincides with finishing this and bed. Otherwise, my last posts may be a tad incoherent.

Our poor cats are so confused as to why we’re not all in bed yet.

So. Other than some stupid physical stuff that I wouldn’t have had with a little more forethought on my part, I’m okay. Anyone out there still reading? How are you?

P.S. those videos? Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I’m going into survival mode with 6 hours to go.

And while we’re at it – my husband’s feet creep me out. Now, I don’t have a foot thing. I know that a lot of people can’t stand feet, but they don’t bother me one way or another (unless you’re dirty. For goodness sake, cut your toenails before you hurt someone!)

But his… Are, well, bendy. He can flex and move all his toes. Like, independently. I can point. I can move my big toe. That’s it. The rest of the toes move with my big toe. He can pick things up. He’s also pinched me hard enough to leave a bruise. With his FEET.

I find it freaky. He finds it fun to taunt me with his feet.

I just posted on the internet that my husband taunts me with his feet. Time for coffee.

P.S. My husband say, “I don’t have freaky feet! My feet would be worshiped in other places. In fact… I can do things with my feet that some men can’t do with their hands.”

I have inflexible ears. Am I strange in this? The tops don’t fold in. I ask because my husband has bendy ears. May I suggest even gumby like. He can fold his ears in flush to his head. I cannot. Mine don’t even move. Both children inherited this trait. All of them like to mock me because I am not bendy.

I started thinking about it, and now I want to know. Is it normal to have bendy ears? Or are they the special ones?

I want to recommend to you my favorite books – it’s a set. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

The whole series.

I love them. Time travel, true love, the Scottish Highlands, the fighting, the mayhem. And yeah, there’s sex too, but they aren’t romance novels in the traditional sense. Sigh. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I married a James of Irish and Scottish descent who happens to be a red-headed warrior (or former Marine as the case may be.) They’re huge books, but so worth it. They are of the very few books that I’ve reread. Again and again and again.

Betsy is a fellow Blogathoner…

I’m not a reader of hers, but I wanted to give a shout out. She blogs at Licentia Loquendi. Her charity is the IAVA, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

From their website:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation’s first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans.

So if you’ve already given to Fisher House (heh) and are still in a giving mood, head on over there! By the way – the Blogathon across the board is up to $36,732.02!

Another one from Amy! And my guess is… It’s from her 3 1/2 year old.

What do Blue Whales eat?

According to Wikipedia – not only is it the largest animal to have existed, “it eats almost exclusively of small crustaceans known as krill.”

Now you know. And can pass it on to curious kids.

My friend Amy – yes, the same one – asked me some more questions. Some of this stuff is just not what I would normally write about, but hey. Content is content when you’re getting through the night.

She asked (again via Facebook):

Will solar power REALLY save you $$?

I haven’t the faintest clue. First off – don’t get on me about the environment here. We’re talking simply about dollars and cents. Not environmental impact.

And after reading about it – I have no idea what to conclude. There seems to be a debate about the whole thing. Basically – you won’t save money until you double what you spent to set it up. And you’ll spend a lot. I’ve gone around and around, and I can’t figure it out. Maybe my brain cells are just depleting. Here’s an argument FOR it and here’s an argument AGAINST the money thing.

I’m having a quick break while I finish dinner, and get started on the next post.

This is what happens when you don’t have a plan. Sigh.

But I do have more coming up. Still working on the videos, and have some more questions from friends to answer. I’ll make it. We’re more than half way through!!