Monday, May 4, 2009

Bella Bella


I created this blog almost five years ago. For 4-1/2 of those years, I was on Journal Space, and the last 6 months here at Blogger. My original intent was to post mine and other people's artwork on occasion. Instead the blog evolved pretty quickly to my interpretation of events that occurred in my life on a daily basis, and things that interested me, pissed me off, or made me laugh. The blog became a potpourri of my thoughts, opinions and a lot of BS. It really has no direction, or theme...an unintended stream of consciousness, via the keyboard. I am sure I have pissed off some people with my occasional smartassness...and certainly I wish that weren't the case, but I fear it is.

Lately I have been feeling over-blogerated...a bit limp with the whole genre. For sure I have spent far too many hours here than is warranted. I truly DO have another life, which blogging sometimes takes away from. I spend a lot of time, as I am sure many of us do, reading and commenting on other blogs. Don't believe it? Take a look at that massive list over there on the right.

I have met some really dynamic and intelligent people here...some who share my political leanings, and some who are just damned funny...or both. And I have discovered some bloggers who don't fit into those categories, but give me insights that I would not get otherwise. However, in a sense, none of my blogger friends are real. I can't have a real conversation with them...only bits and pieces. Nor can I see the nuances in their reactions to my thoughts, and the opposite is true. In a way, blogging and it's limited interaction is pretty cold.

Some of my favorites have quit, or have cut way back on their posts---there must be something in the air. In addition, I find myself thinking of things I can post...feeling pressured to do so. I've noticed for example, in my blog statistics of the last two weeks (during which I've not been posting), a dramatic drop in visitors. OK, ya don't post, ya ain't gonna get readers. But should I really be that concerned about NOT posting? Truly, it's asinine. Not to mention, somewhat self-important. Really, why should I even be checking statistics? It also has not escaped me that I get very irritated with bloggers who talk a lot about blogging, and how many comments they are getting, ad naseum. And here I am TALKING ABOUT BLOGGING. Jeez.

Given all of this, I am seriously thinking about quiting blogging.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, the foregoing was something I typed out, mostly for myself, as a kind of final post...maybe. Truth is, it simple doesn't matter whether I am blogging or not...to the cosmos, that is.

And then this morning, I checked my email and there was a comment on my last post, the tulip thing. The comment was left by Trish who has a blog, cleverly entitled, Menopausal Stoners.

Now that title alone makes me howl out loud. It tells me this is an original person and I know I'm going to like what she has to say. And I do. I also need to tell you, liking her blog is NOT because of the next thing I'm going to tell you. Nor does it have anything to do with the funny little cigarettes of which her blog title refers. NO, I'm not smoking...well, not since my male-menopausalness began.

It seems Trish has awarded B of Q the >Bella Award. I'm not sure of the origin of the Bella Award, but it doesn't matter. I am honored that someone would think of awarding this foolishness anything.

If one accepts the award, one is obligated to post it on one's blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. And... "Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered."

This is the first award for B of Q. I had a "shout out" from Dr Zibbs of That Blue Yak once, but this is the first award. So, if you think I'm going to turn it down...you are not familiar with my fragile ego. And it does encourage me to keep on pestering the ether.

The problem of course is, the 15 new blogs I need to discover. Not that there are not 15 worthy blogs out there to discover. But, Holy Moly dudes and dudettes, look at that list over to the right again. I can't very well discover a new to me blog, worth of an award, and not add it to my favorites, now can I?

So, there are some blogs I've already discovered that I feel deserve an award of some sort. I am going to fudge this a bit and include some of those in my fifteen.
Here are my first six:

post-raphaelite sisterhood


The Quiet Life

Stranger in a Strange Land


Rants from a Pointless Existence

Simon's Ramblings

The Voice Inside My Eye

Have to get back to my other life...more fine blogs later.

17 comments:

Mandazoid said...

Congrats on the award! I'm still around, poking my nose in here and there, from time to time. :o)

Oh and...yo mama!

jadedj said...

Amanda---well hells bells, as they use to say down in North Florida! I was just talking about you up there. One of my favorites, dropped out. Glad to see it's not entirely true. Don't be a stranger.

becomingkate said...

Please don't quit - so many of my faves are dropping out already. Congrats on the award!

Lou said...

Thanks dude, am rapt! Most honoured.

I am going to check out menopausal stoner too as she sounds like a woman after my own heart (and reproductive system lol), practically every Gen X'er in NZ is a pot head inclu yours truly. Jeez I am oversharing again...shut up Lou!

uamada said...

Thanks jaded - i had noticed you you seemed to have disappeared into the ether. Remember that if you are being read through a feedreader, it won't show up on your stats. AND it's not about blogging everyday. Just when the mood strikes.

jadedj said...

becoming---probably not going to quit, just seriously cut back. Thanks for the words of encouragement. And by the way, the only reason your name isn't on that list is there are already a bajillion people out there who follow you religiously, and I wanted to spread it around a bit. But know, that you DO belong on that list.

Lou---thought you might, and you're more than welcome.

uamada---you are right, and thanks for the reminder. Just trying to keep my priorities straight.

mr-stu said...

Whatever you do whether you stay or go enjoy what you are doing as life is to short to be tied down on anything, but do pop in to say hello

jadedj said...

mr-stu---good advice...and I definitely will.

Lori E said...

I think smartassness is highly underrated. I couldn't get through a day without it and actually start every weekday morning with a coffee group of the biggest smartasses you could ever hope to meet. We laugh out loud every morning often with coffee coming out of someones nose. You get a point if you make that happen.

Doug said...

Thanks for the shout out, jj. I have been cutting back on worrying about the blogging world, which is why I'm just getting around to reading my faves. I hope you are only cutting back, because I like your view on things.

jadedj said...

Lori---we (my family), being of the crass smartass types, shoot for big snot bubbles.

Doug---thank you for the kind words. I am for sure going to cut back on the daily posts.

PENolan said...

Funny how some shit works out

jadedj said...

PE---it is indeed. And having some shit to work the shit out always helps...not that I do, mind you.

becomingkate said...

jj - it's so nice of you to say that.

jadedj said...

becoming---I really mean that.

intelliwench said...

J, I was just left speechless by the gesture, hence my tardy acknowledgement. I was also deeply touched to be at the top of your list, until I realized that they were in alphabetical order. That doesn't make the award any less meaningful, however, and I appreciate the fact that you appreciate my weirdness.

jadedj said...

intell---weirdly, I do.