Monthly Archives: February 2011

Do you blog or are you a frequent blog visitor instead?

Posted on February 25, 2011 | 16 comments

I’m excited!  I have been watching my Blog Stats steadily climb, and sometime this morning it reached the amazing total of 3000.  In fact, at the time of this writing it is at 3003!  That means that there have been 3003 visits to my blog!  Not 3003 visitors, because most are repeat visits by some people who come back again and again – which I love to see.   And not all visits mean a comment has been left, nowhere near that many on my blog – not even counting the spam that has been caught and blocked – but when I get to 1000 valid comments I will have to celebrate somehow.

Now I know that for many bloggers that number (3000) is a drop in the bucket, but for me?  That’s a lot of visiting, don’t you think?  And I have YOU, dear reader, to thank for that.  🙂

SO, my questions to you today are:

  1. Do you like to keep a blog of your own, and does it matter to you if you get many comments?
  2. Or are you a frequent visitor to blogs, not interested in maintaining your own but loving to read what others have to share and then leaving your comments?  (If yes, do you have favourites that you follow or do you keep searching out new blogs?)
  3. Or, do you prefer to just visit and not say anything … until you  leave me a comment today in answer to that last question? 😉

I LOVE to hear from you! When I started blogging it was with a certain amount of trepidation but now I don’t think I could NOT blog, I’d miss it and you too much.  So, leave me a comment?  🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

 

 

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16 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea, Preambles to Writing, Writing

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A writing contest – ending soon

Posted on February 22, 2011 | 4 comments

Do you like to enter contests?  Do you write for children or do you know someone who does?

I recently found the blog of Christy Wright Wild which you writers may wish to visit at  http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com

This month (which is almost over, so hurry!) she is putting on a contest with more chances to win than her usual offer.  If you write for children, this may be of interest to you.  Check it out and follow her directions at  http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/p/contests.html

I’m giving it a try.  And if you enter and win then please let me know.  I’d love to hear about it.

Do you like to share your written work before it’s accepted by a publisher?  Do you enjoy taking a chance at winning contests by entering your work?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

4 Comments

Posted in Preambles to Writing, Writing

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Do you feel safe on the Internet?

Posted on February 19, 2011 | 4 comments

While visiting another writer’s blog I was inspired to write on a related topic, but then something else came up, something on the news. The original topic will have to wait because this is something that has been brewing in my brain for awhile now.

How do you feel about Online Safety?

There is so much going wrong in that department. We often hear on the news about children at risk, and not only children. Too often there are stories about minors of all ages being lured into dangerous situations and relationships. Even adults of all walks of life get tricked into placing themselves in harm’s way. The Internet has become an easy tool to target the unsuspecting and vulnerable.

Admittedly, I post things about myself but I rarely mention personal details about my family members, nor do I call them by name or post pictures of them. And my children are all grown, but I have a young grandson. Maybe someday I will feel differently, but my concern is that I would put them at risk should I post information that would potentially lead the wrong person to them. What my daughters post on their own is up to them, though. I have no control over that anymore. I wish I did.

It amazes me how much personal information people feel free to tell in such a worldwide public venue. What has happened to privacy? There is so much talk these days about not allowing one’s children to get into websites that could eventually hook them up with the wrong people who make it their business to stalk the innocent. Then on the other hand … what I don’t understand is that there are parents/guardians who probably are concerned that way about their own children and would not allow them – when they become old enough to use a computer – to share things online that would put them at risk … but, those same parents/guardians share information and photos of those same loved children because they are proud of them – and rightfully so. But, where is the line, though? That is my question?

What I am glad about is that there are qualified, skilled people who track and hunt down offenders who – by using the Internet to get to them – violate the safety and rights of our most vulnerable. It takes a lot of dedication to find those perpetrators, and I applaud their commitment.

So, how do you feel about it? When is it not safe to share on the Internet? And when it is no problem?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

 

4 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea

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Announcing the winner of Bitter, Sweet!

Posted on February 15, 2011 | 2 comments

We have confirmation of our winner of a copy of Bitter, Sweet by Laura Best!  Yaaaay!!

Thank you to all who visited my blog and left comments at https://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/interview-with-laura-best-book-giveaway/

Shortly after 9:00 PM February 14 my husband pulled a name out of the basket holding the names of thirty-two entrants.  I am pleased to say — CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTI CRAIG! Your book will be in the mail this week.  🙂

In replying to my email informing her of her win, Christi said, “Thanks so much (to you and your husband), I’m thrilled! … I’m looking forward to reading Laura’s book.”

So, again, thanks everyone.  This was fun and a great learning experience for me.  I plan to do more reviews and interviews, and book giveaways when I can.   Please stay tuned.  🙂

Thanks for reading and participating, and .. Creative Musings!  🙂

2 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea, Reviews & Interviews

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We have a winner!

Posted on February 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Tonight is the night we all have been waiting for .. those of us who want to know who won a copy of Bitter, Sweet by Laura Best, that is.  You have been entered into the contest if you left a comment on this post: https://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/interview-with-laura-best-book-giveaway/

Tonight at 9:00, that’s 8:00 EST, my dear husband drew a name out of the basket and I have sent the winner an email requesting her mailing address.   When she has replied then I will post her name so that everyone knows who won.  If she does not reply by Thursday (Feb. 17) I will send another email.  If I have not heard from the winner by February 21 then I will have my husband draw out another name.
So, check your emails, everyone!  Is it you?

Thanks for participating, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

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Posted in Miscellanea, Reviews & Interviews

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Is the handwritten letter disappearing?

Posted on February 9, 2011 | 12 comments

I love getting mail.

Mail that our mail driver has to deliver to our metal mailbox that stands by the road. Mail that I have to hold in my hand to open. Mail that I have to pull out of an envelope and unfold to read its contents, perhaps finding a surprise tuck-in to add to the delight.  Or cards to open and enjoy.  Real mail.

Not the junk that a variety of companies send en masse. Not inky flyers that rave on about the sales and specials their retailers are offering, spreads that are designed to seduce would-be buyers by their promise of ‘better than the other guy’s’.  Not political printouts of some kind to remind constituents of another representative covetous of support and praise and claiming bragging rights.  No, none of all that.

I like real mail.  Letters from friends.  Deliveries of items I have ordered.  Magazines to which I subscribe.  Letters from friends …

Letters from friends .. so few now that the Internet has taken over.  So few now that I don’t write letters nearly as much as I used to do. In fact, if not for the publication that I publish I would receive hardly any handwritten mail at all.  My mailbox used to be a very busy spot. At one time I was receiving an average of ten letters a day – can you imagine that? But, that was back in the early 90’s when my publication – operated on donations then – was going worldwide and I had over five hundred members. Not now.  Now I send only within Canada and the USA – postage is too high to justify subscription fees to mail beyond.  And that is sad.  I miss my readers in Australia, the UK, India, Korea, South Africa, and other countries.

Email is nice, but there is nothing like a handwritten letter (or even typed and mailed.)  My script is not as good as it used to be, perhaps because I don’t write often enough to keep it nice – or maybe because I think faster than I can neatly write those thoughts.   There is that problem.  🙂

Another thing is real postage stamps.  Sticking them onto the corner of that envelope, artistically created colourful, commemorative, meaningful, real stamps.  And that can lead us into another whole topic – of collecting – which I do.  But for now …

I love getting mail, real mail.

How about you?  Do you like to receive handwritten letters?  Do you enjoy writing them?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

 

12 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea, Preambles to Writing

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Do you enjoy the quiet … or are you afraid of it?

Posted on February 7, 2011 | 8 comments

Today has been very quiet here.  Because my husband had to work all weekend – not his usual – and I had no way to church today, I sat at home and read my Bible for four hours in a quiet house.  No radio, no TV, no music playing — only quiet.  Delectable!  🙂

It is my habit to have the radio turned on most of the day – to listen to interviews and such once in a while, but mostly I listen to teachings and music on the Christian station.  Once today I turned it on, but only for a few minutes while I cooked and ate my breakfast, then off it went again.  And no TV at all today.  Not even set on a music station for ‘background’.  I didn’t even turn on my computer until the afternoon!  Now that is a biggie!

Do you know how tempting it was to turn on the radio while I was doing the dishes?  or later while having lunch or supper?  I resisted.  Why?  You know, I’m not even sure why I did that today.  It just was so peaceful here when I got up this morning, and since it is Sunday I decided to read for a few hours with no distractions.  Well, none except the little dog needing to go outside a couple of times, and wind and hail beating on the windows – which is a wholly different distraction.   Nothing major or constant, though.   Then I was enjoying the tranquility so much I stuck with it.  All day.
ALL DAY!

Have you ever done that?  Have you ever lived in a day of ‘quiet’ by choice?

I wonder why we think we have to always have noise going on around us – music, or constant talking, or something mindless .. as if we can’t stand our own company.  Are we afraid of the ‘aloneness’?  Do we avoid the quiet?  How does God get through to us when we aren’t allowing ourselves to listen?  And what about our own thoughts?  Do we even have any quality thinking time of our own?

Maybe reading is much the same thing except it is not coming at us in the form of noise from the outside.  But reading expands our minds, doesn’t it?  We do have to form our own images, they aren’t coming at us ready-made.  Hopefully we’re choosing good things to store in our brains because I believe it all blends together in there and comes out somehow sometime.  Maybe in the form of a bestseller!  😉

So, what do you think about all of the above?  And do you enjoy the quiet … or are you afraid of it?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings.  🙂

PS – at the time of writing this it was still Sunday but it will be just past midnight, so into Monday at time of posting.

8 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea, Mostly About Reading

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