Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about adding a little more personality to my blog – there’s been lots of discussion on Twitter and on the blogs about ‘voice’; this post at Unfinished Person caught my eye. Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I have a voice (and I’m not afraid to use it, as the saying goes), but do I use it on my blog?
And there are a great series of posts in response to Book Lady’s giveaway of Elissa Stein’s Flow. If you haven’t read them, click over with a fresh cup of coffee (or glass of whatever), and spend the next hour or so reading open, honest, thoughtful posts. Posts in which women use their voices (via the keyboard) to share personal experiences, thoughts, and concerns about periods, pregnancy, menstruation, menopause. These women rock!
I’ve been writing this book blog for two years, and I’ve always stuck close to a bookish theme, finding some way to tie a post to reading or writing. But, believe it or not, I do more than read and write! Today my voice brings you random thoughts of spring:
That picture at the top of this post is my bathroom window; and those little specks aren’t dirt, they’re ladybugs! A sure sign of spring around here is the annual ladybug infestation. They were there yesterday morning, around the windows, in the shower, on the bathmat. I don’t know how they do it – 1. how do they get inside?, 2. how do they know it’s the first day of spring?!
After last week’s tremendous rains (rivers over their banks, sewage system taxed, water damage to many homes in the area; they’re calling it a 100-year flood), the weather has been gorgeous the past several days. On Friday my older kids wanted to wear shorts to school; being ‘the meanest mother in the world,’ I said NO.
But, we’re in shorts this weekend, riding bikes, seeing neighbors after our winter hibernation, inspecting the green shoots coming up from the earth, and reading on the front porch (there, I tied this post to reading!). Assessing the yard includes picking up lots of tree branches that fell during winter storms, raking up acorns, and giving the composter its first turn of the year.
We have a fairly small yard, for which I hire a lawn service to do maintenance – spring and fall clean-up and weekly mowing in season. Now that the kids are getting older (and can help more), I’m thinking of taking back this chore. Considering safety and the green factor, I spent some time reseraching reel mowers – the non-motorized push mowers. I can buy a top-of-the-line Scott’s reel mower for less than the cost of three visits from the lawn service. J shook his head and said, “well, you can always re-hire the lawn service.” I’ll take that as a challenge!
Well, I’m off to draw with chalk on the driveway … what are you up to this Sunday?
You can’t be the meanest mom in the world, because I am! Vance has to go to summer school this year to graduate and I think he’s doing it there instead of on-line at home, so he won’t have to cut the grass!
Thanks so much for the FLOW shout-out, Dawn! I’m in full-on spring fever mode here and will be spending most of the day on the patio with my book, the hound snoozing peacefully by my side. Happy Sunday!
We have a reel mower. How well it works, in our experience, depends on the type of grass you have.
We use a reel mower and I think it’s fun a good workout. And I like the safety and greeness.
Love to see more personality in blogs. But creative writing is where I fail. When I tried to do some “thinking” posts early in my blogging life, I’d get zero comments. Perhaps that’s because no one knew me then, but I’m shy of straying off the path.
Well, I’d certainly rather have a ladybug infestation than the ant infestation we had at work last week! We had a reel mower for some time when I was growing up. It was certainly not state of the art and we certainly did have a lawn that was much to large, in a child’s opinion, for such a device. But imagine how much your neighbors will love you when they’re out on their patios enjoying a quiet evening and your lawn mower is making almost no noise as you mow the lawn!
I have told the Tour Manager for YEARS that if he’d buy a reel mower, I’d mow the lawn. The big gas-powered mower scares me, you see.
I have yet to see the reel mower. Which is a bummer. I’d totally be into it.
We have that ladybug infestation every spring (and fall, too!) here also. I’m always torn because I *like* ladybugs, but when they’re everywhere it starts to make you crazy. LOL.
I live in a rented townhome and don’t have a yard. I love the fact that spring doesn’t mean mowing and weeding around here
!
We don’t have ladybugs, but the rainy winter has led to a few ant invasions in our kitchen. NOT fun.
My favorite blogs are the ones where the blogger’s voice comes through – I try for that on my own blog (maybe too much!), and I think yours does. But even so, I enjoyed this change of pace, Dawn!
Kathy – I’ll thumb-wrestle you for the title
Rebecca – it’s cooler today than yesterday, but we were able to spend quite a bit of time outside (no reading yet – horrors!)
Wordlily – I have no idea what we have! A mix of real grass, crabgrass, and assorted weeds (thanks for the tip, I’ll find out what we’re supposed to have for lawn)
Beth F – maybe we can tempt you off the path
This was more of a brain dump than creative writing … just what was on my mind. I think it’s what I’d have told a friend in a phone call (casual)
Lisa – ants, ugh! I’m surprised I don’t see them, with how wet it was this week (fingers crossed). I’ve read quite a bit online about the reel mowers, and the concensus is that they’re much lighter and easier to manuever than those I remember (30+ years ago)
Susan – J has no faith in me mowing consistently (on a schedule, when the lawn needs it, not when I feel like it). I’m taking that as a challenge … will update you on my progress.
Megan – I hear you! The younger kids wanted to catch the ladybugs and I told them to leave them alone, that they bring good luck. We’ll see how I feel as the colony grows …
Florinda – you, too, with the ants! I hope I’m not pushing my luck. I was planning to write this Spring post as a Sunday Salon, then I read Boston Bibliophile’s post for today (apparently Sunday Salon is still supposed to be book-centric). I’d like to keep a ‘thoughts’ habit; we’ll see …
reel mower… hmmm.. how about an electric mower? they also save on gas
It might be a net energy savings over the long-term, YOUR energy.
I was using handheld hedge trimmers and it would take me 3+ hours to trim our hedges and then I found an battery powered one at a yard sale. It was the best $30 I spent on yard stuff last year and now it takes me only 20 minutes, I love it. I’ll spend the time and energy saved reading a book =)
The blogs that I visit the most are the ones that include a bit of personal info in their posts. Doesn’t have to be a lot but enough to give me a feel for who they are. I’ve noticed too that I get the most comments on personal posts. Personality is always nice!
I’m glad one of our signs of spring isn’t a ladybug infestation … ick. I like them and all but the word “infestation” is just ominous.
And I think the more a blogger uses their own voice, the more interesting their blog becomes.
I was thinking of maybe starting something with the idea of Sunday Sidelines – you know, about reading and whatever else just slipped past the censors over the week
If you and Marie start a Sunday meme, I would love to participate.
In the meantime, I am sending you a virtual Easter Basket. You can view it at my blog!
Happy Spring,
Donna
Ha ha, and here I am *dreading* that it’s almost time to wear shorts! Shows you what the addition of years and pounds can do for you! :–)
I have a friend in New Hampshire that complains about the ladybug infestation as well; fortunately, we do not have that problem.
Hope u had fun playing outdoors–have a great week.
I see glimpses of your personality here – but perhaps that is because I (sort of) *know* you! I ‘ll have to jump over and read the posts that inspired your thoughts here.
and oh yea, I get those ladybugs, too. I know of a house that has a bicycle with a reel mower as the front ‘wheel’ but have never braved to sneak a photo (I’d have to trespass!) – I’ve not seen them use it yet. Good luck to you on putting those kids to work.
I, for one, and so glad to see spring! It has been a bitterly cold winter this year, even in Florida, so I am glad that things are starting to warm up. I think your ladybugs are really neat, we hardly ever get them around here. My first notion that spring has come are the wild rabbits that seem to pop up all over the field where we go walking. I just love to see them!
We had a reel mower, but the crab grass took over our yard, so we killed the lawn and put in palm trees and bark. We’re so Californian.
Nicole – I can listen to an audiobook while I push the mower! I use the manual hedge trimmers, too; those power tools scare me with the kids around.
Ti – I may be airing my dirty laundry next week, to see what reaction I get!
Jenners – I mention the family from time to time, but I may start this ‘Sunday free for all’. Then again, I may not …
Donna – I like that name, Sunday Sidelines. I don’t think I’ll start an official meme, though; my schedule is too hectic to commit to doing the same type of post on a regular basis (note my wishy-washy response to Jenners, above)
rhapsody – we pushed it with shorts this weekend; Saturday was the nicer day.
diane – thanks! We enjoyed the nice weekend weather … now, it’s rain!
Care – that is so funny – a bicycle lawn mower! I’m not getting that fancy, but I am going to cxl the lawn service and try maintaining it myself.
zibilee – we get rabbits in the backyard evrey once in a while, but not many. That’s a fun sign of spring.
softdrink – Dude! I don’t mind the crabgrass/weeds, as long as they’re green and trim.
What a great post and I would love to cut with a reel mower, but I live in an apt. and don’t have a lawn! LOL
I’m sorry it took me so long to get here (just found among my WordPress.com stats). Thanks for mentioning the post, Dawn. I appreciate it and am glad it was able to generate some discussion among bloggers, both those who identify themselves as book bloggers and others. If there’s one thing I try to do with my voices on my blogs is generate discussion, even if most of the time is just a little.
Looks like you, though, are generating a lot here and hats off to you. Keep up the good work.
Serena – I’ve been keeping up with it! I put on my iPod with an audio book and walk, turn, mow. It took only 20 minutes the first few weeks, but the grass is thicker now, and it’s taking about 35 … I hope I stick with this.
Unfinished Person – thanks for stopping by. I have been writing more general posts on the weekend, and am quite enjoying the change.