Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Lost in A Sea of Procrastination

I returned from our 'Mission Trip' to Ct in late July and then after a few days at home headed promptly to our PA cabin in the woods. I have found that after the last several mission trips that I need to get away and decompress. The cabin is the perfect place to do that...peaceful, quiet, serene, completely unplugged from the rest of the world. Our mission trips are physically exhausting and emotionally so as well, you get caught up in the needs of your 'resident' that you're there to help, you are meeting and guiding teenagers through the work process and you are busy with your own youth group and the challenges, ups & downs, and all the emotions they bring to the table. I love it all but you run on adreniline all week and then crash when you get home! The week also brings you to many introspective moments, prayerful times, some tears and lots of laughter.
Truth be told I've been hiding out since my return, catching up on all the blogs I love to follow, and living vicariously through my friends in blogland. I have to admit that I'm still struggling with the schedule of daily blogging...often I would rather just read yours than post my own. I think that might classify me as a 'lurker'??? I'm not very good with electronics and am having difficulty posting pictures. I have been thinking of hiring a teenager or college student to help me learn when school starts again in Sept. Your blogs are all so beautiful and your words so eloquent that I'm somewhat embarassed by my little blog. I really do want to get better at this, I'm just having difficulty learning my way around right now.
I pray you'll be patient with me...as I am aware that this blog is seriously lacking in 'curb appeal'! I hope to remedy that soon, by the way does anyone know of any tutorial books on blogging??? Maybe I should look into that, hmmm???

12 comments:

  1. Hi , I think you write beautifully and your blog is lovely .

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  2. You'll get there. It would probably be wise to have someone come over and help you. My oldest son helped me. I told him what I wanted for my background and he set everything up. You can make the side bar cute by uploading fun pictures. You can also copy/paste cute things when you see them on other people's blogs (like the kitty clock) When you see something you like, right click it to open the link. Click on the link to open the page and then cut and paste the http code on to your blog. You do this through you customize button at the top of your blog, then click add page element and chose the HTLM/jave script button. After awhile you will be comfortable with it! Good luck!

    :0) Sharon

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  3. i can only load one picture at a time on my blog. my daughter has tried to teach me but hey, i'm 51 and not computer savvy. oh well. i have gone to youtube and put in how to do blogging things and it not only tells you but shows you how. maybe i should do that for loading pictures. ya, i think i will.

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  4. Hello and thanks for commenting on my blog!!!
    It looks like your doing fine so far, but you really need to jump in and play around with things. Once you figure it out it's pretty easy!

    I'd love to see your crazy quilt tote. I've made several crazy quilt pillows and they always turn out to be my favorite pillows.

    have a lovely day!!
    xoxo Cori

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  5. hi diva! thanks for sharing your thoughts about your mission work. i truly admire you for devoting your time in a way that's so meaningful to so many people!!
    i understand your frustration with the "techno" side of blogging....believe me, there's SO much i still don't know!! but, you're able to express yourself beautifully through the written word....the rest will come, i promise!

    thanks so much for visiting my blog and saying hello. i truly appreciate your sweet comment!! :))

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  6. Hi Diva, Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Glad you liked the post! Try going here:
    http://howcanidothat.blogspot.com/
    http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/
    http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help/web/faqs?pli=1
    http://20stickyposts.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-02-07T20%3A42%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=10
    http://www.youtube.com/BloggerHelp

    I'm new at this too and these sites helped me. A lot of it was trial by fire. If you get stumped with adding photos, I can try to help you via email. My email link is in the side bar of my blog - just click on it. I can't make any promises, but maybe we can help each other!

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  7. no, you should post! What lovely writing! Would love to hear more about your mission trip!

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  8. Thank you for your kind words and prayers regarding my hubby. I really appreciate it.

    I understand about needing your alone time after all your work. When I took tour groups around the world, I would always ask for a seat away from everyone on the way home. I loved most of my tourists, but after giving 500% ,100% of the time I really needed to 'vedge' & to replenish.

    As for posting pictures, etc. I could help you as I also have blogspot. Basically, the area right above where you type your posts has a line of icons. To the right , 3rd from the end, if it is set up the same as mine, is a picture of a picture. This is the picture upload icon, To the right of that is a film icon, and to the right of that looks like an eraser.

    Click on the picture one,then click on choose an image, it will ask you from where, and you choose your picture. I have a Mac, and so it is easy to drag a picture (or more) to my desktop.

    Then I choose to get the picture(s) from my desktop. Then I click, choose another image and choose another,etc.. I can get 5 at a time. Then I click UPLOAD. It sometimes takes a while, so I then minimize it while I continue to post or put labels for the tag, in the lower right box.

    When it is done, you will see the pictures oin the posting area. If you have minimized, maximize to bring it back on your desktop, and when complete, click DONE.You can click next to a picture to write.It depends upon your set up/configuration as to where the words will come.

    I like choosing my pictures from the desktop, so that I do not have to go to my I-Photo for every picture. It is easier for me to put the pictures from my computer onto the desktop.Then I trash the desktop pictures, because on my Mac, they are still in I-Photo, or wherever.It is a duplicate on the desktop. So, I guess that you have to know where your pictures are, etc. for your computer.

    Hope that this helps. To the left are other icons which you can click on to create links, etc. When the box comes up for the link,for example(with green in the icon ), just type or paste in the url address which is after the http above your viewing screen-where you type in addresses. Then click DONE. I always check my links,after I have posted,to see if they bring me to the correct site that I am linking to, ie-another blog, Etsy site...

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  9. My sister helps me with my blog, I could never have done it without her help. Thanks for leaving the suggestion re: the Crocs, several other people mentioned them also. I will check them out. Have a good day.

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  10. Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment on my blog. Thank you for your generous time and work with the young on your missions.

    Sometimes life takes up a lot of time...even if you just come to visit us when your time allows for it.

    If you need any help with your blog, please let me know I will help you.

    Have a great week!

    Sharon

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  11. Hi there,
    I'm glad your trips were successful and fulfilling. Of course you would need some time to decompress!
    You asked about any Blogging books. There IS a magazine called Artful Blogging (at Barnes and Noble) or (Michael's, sometimes).
    However, I'm only willing to get into all the hype, up to a point. I've never even used a downloaded background or banner. And I try to keep my side bars as uncluttered as possible, just because.
    You're doin' great! Thanks for stopping by the other day.
    M.L.

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  12. My beautiful online friends were my tutorials...and I paid a wonderful person to do my blog for me. I was afraid I would lose it if I tried. That is the only reason it is pretty. She worked with me as I gave her my vision of what I wanted. The beadboard background..the Rooster and the little cottage...
    She worked with me...and I love the results. We have done three so far.
    I would love to learn..but I am just not secure enough yet.

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