Lightening Online

That’s what I am.

My brain doesn’t function well.

And I see the success of other bloggers and feel so “not up to the task”.

So instead of blogging what I want blog about.

I’ve let myself be crippled.

By thoughts of unworthiness.

By thoughts that no-one really wants to read what I’m writing.

By thoughts that maybe I don’t want to blog anymore.

Because if I don’t blog, I don’t have to face the thought that I’m not “popular enough”.

I feel like I’ve been taken back to my high school days.

The “cool” kids and the “who are you?” kids…

I know most “cool” bloggers are really nice people (well, I’m sure they would be if I actually knew them).

I’m just feeling overwhelmed and crippled by thoughts of not being good enough or funny enough or interesting enough.

Stupid really, when none of that is why I started blogging in the first place (to be “cool” or “noticed” or “popular”).

Why do we let our insecurities rule our lives?

I wish there was an easy way to simply “move on” with my life and not be obsessed with what people think of me.

To be free to be who I “AM” rather than who I perceive I should be.

I’m sure I’d be a much better person AND much happier if I could find a way….

We’ve just got home from a couple of weeks away and after an hour and a half of unpacking, I decided I have earnt the right to put my feet up for a bit and catch up on some online stuff.

When I opened up my blog, what did I find?

BLOG COMMENTS!!!

Lots of lovely blog comments.

My poor blog has taken a beating in the lack of comments department this year.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m writing uninspiring stuff or not writing often enough or whether those who read are just too busy or what the reason is…

But I’d almost forgotten that “rush” you get as a blogger when you check your comments folder and find a string of comments to read through.

So, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to those who have taken the time to comment over the past couple of weeks.

I will respond to them over the next couple of days.

And to anyone out there who hesitates in making a comment because they’re not sure if it’s valued, it IS!

I don’t know a blogger out there who doesn’t appreciate people taking the time to comment.

Even if they don’t always respond.

I used to comment a lot more on blogs than I do these days.

I’m going to work on that.

Thanks again and if you’re a lurker, please pop your head in and say hi.

P.S.  Will have photo’s of our trip (including some of Ayers Rock in the rain) posted over the next few days (that’s the plan anyway!).

I tried to set up a Lightening Online Facebook Page a while ago but never got around to actually publishing it (the story of my life at the moment).

Sometimes I just want to ask my readers a question or post something really brief and it seems like such a chore to do a full post on it and expect people to click through in order to answer it (different if it’s more of a discussion of course).

So, if you’re on facebook, please like my page:

And if your website or blog has a page on facebook, please mention it in the comments section or comment on my page as it would be nice to tag a few “like minded” pages.

What do you think? Is it a good move to have a page for your blog on facebook?

I would also love to hear suggestions on how you use it, does it help with blog growth, do you find you post even less on your actual blog for having one? That kind of stuff.

Many of you will have heard plenty about the recent Blogging Conference held in Sydney.

Australia’s very first “official” conference as far as I know.

Some years ago, when I was more heavily active in the blogging world, I remember reading all about the BlogHer conference in the US and being so incredibly jealous that I couldn’t be a part of it.  I wished we could have something like that in Australia!

Now we do.

And I didn’t go. 

Why?

Money?

…. a little.

Time?

…. a little.

Chicken?

Pretty much.

The thought of hopping on a plane (I’ve only flown once before and in a small plane), flying to a large city I’m not familiar with and meeting up with a bunch of “strangers” was just too much for me to even contemplate.

I will admit that in the days leading up to the conference, I was feeling a tad jealous and disappointed with myself for not being a part of it.

Everyone seemed so excited and I felt somewhat “out of it”.

Over the weekend, I enjoyed following updates on facebook.

In the days since, I’ve been eagerly trawling my reader for posts about the conference.

And, of course, photo’s of all those bloggers. 

It’s one of those wonderful things about the blogging world.  Even though I wasn’t there, I can still experience at least part of it through the eyes of other bloggers.

And feel like, in some small way, I WAS part of it.

You never know…. I might even go next year (????)

Probably.

Given I haven’t had time to wash my kitchen floor in WEEKS, let alone keep up with reading blog posts or writing many.

But how come nobody told me about this:

Aussie Mummy Bloggers

or this:

Aussie Bloggers Conference

????

I mean, they could have sent me a personal invitation or something couldn’t they? 

And does my absence from this:

Signify my falling out of the “inner blogging circle”???

(just kidding, I was never IN the “inner blogging circle” - if one even exists)

So, is anyone planning to go?

It looks like a lot of fun.

There’s been talk of something like this for years.

So, good on them for getting their heads together and getting something organised.

Well, I didn’t quite make it to 100….

51.  Hairful Wednesday

To cut or not, that is the question.

52. Thanksgiving Lunch

Absolutely gorgeous photographs!

53. Queensland Cruise - Day 5 Cairns

As you can imagine, I am SO totally jealous.  But happy for her of course.  I’d love to take a cruise…one day.

54.   Money Saving Tip #87

Kids come up with the zaniest things.  I love how they think outside the square.

55. Christmas Decorations/ Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect and be thankful.  Oh yeah, and I admitted that my lights from last year are still up!  Saves me a job this year!

56. More Shares and a Tutorial

Handy if you’re interested in doing some Christmas craft.

57. Letter From Jesus About Christmas

A good reminder of what Christmas is truly about.

58. Do you believe in miracles?

Help Becky’s dream come true.

59. Tatted Earings

I’ve never seen this done before.  It’s quite effective.

60. My Most Favorite Thanksgiving Cartoon

NOT Big Bird!!!!  *sob*

61. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hope all celebrating had a lovely Thanksgiving!

62. Traditions

I think I should write a post on our Traditions….

63.  Traditional Portraits?

I just LOVE this photographers work!!!

64.  Scenes

And more posts about photography.

65. Exhibition Update and Plans for the Future

66.  Bungee

67. Chantilly Cream and How To Make It

68. Angry Anus Burger from Hungry Jacks

ROFLOL.

69.  They Said

70.  Great Op Shop Finds

I have actually left a few more comments than the 70 I’ve listed.  Some blogs where I’ve left several comments over the week, I haven’t linked to every single time.

But I have achieved my main objective which was to get back into the habit of stopping to make a comment.  I’ve even added some new blogs to my google reader (it’s okay, I culled a few too that I wasn’t really reading anymore).

I’ve started a discussion on the 2009 Bloggies and related Blog Awards over on Lightening’s Blogworld. I hope you’ll come on over and contribute your thoughts to the discussion.

I’m closing comments on this post so that all discussion can be kept in the one place.

Please pop over and add your thoughts.

We’re doing a lot of coming and going at the moment so I thought I’d trawl the archives for a few posts you might have missed.

Here are 10 of my most read posts:

Candy Cane Bathsalts

Reducing the Grocery Budget : Budgets

Reducing the Grocery Budget - Fruit and

Reducing the Grocery Budget - Part One

M&M Cookies

Reducing the Grocery Budget - Meat

How Did This Happen?

Cleaning Doesn’t Need to Cost the Earth

Knitting a Tea Cosy

What Does A Nervous Breakdown Feel Like?

And here are some of my least read posts. If you’re feeling sorry for them, feel free to click through and make them feel loved. Some of them are older posts that you might have missed.

Pottering in the Kitchen

Simplifying Christmas

Mother Hubbards Cupboard Has Now Been Restocked

Strawberry Fete

Glass Deco

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Edible Playdough

I hope you find something of interest amongst these past posts. I should be back on deck in a couple of days. Look forward to catching up with you all then!

I know many of you are already familiar with the lovely Tiff from Three Ring Circus and the sadness of the plight her poor little Ivy has had to struggle with so far in her life. If you do, you’re probably like me and desperately wish there was something you could do.

Well, now there is. I’m a bit behind on my blog reading so have only just read about this petition to emplore the powers that be to reconsider their decision NOT to allocate Ivy the much needed drugs to help her condition.

I love that blogging gives us a voice. That it empowers us and gives us the ability to spread a message far and wide.

Please consider reading and signing this petition (if you haven’t already) and blog about it so that we can spread the word as far as possible.

You can read what other bloggers have had to say about this issue:

Sleepless Nights (Veronica has written a lovely post and set up the petition - thanks for giving us all the opportunity to stand up for Ivy Veronica)

Picklebums (who has some interesting links to the situation)

Sarcastic Mom (a beautiful Haiku dedicated to Ivy)

Schmidt Family Blog

Dutch Blitz

Republishing Veronica’s original article to help spread the word:

Frog Ponds Rock

Just Kat Stuff

A Little Space For Me

Fe….a life

Draco’s Rose

Redefining Perfect

Psychic Geek

Jenty’s Ramblings

As an interesting aside to this issue, I have just come across some new and wonderful blogs as a result of being united to help with this cause. I’ve been working on culling my reader and now I’ve just added more new blogs. LOL.

If you blog about this, please let me know as I’d love to link to your post here. Let’s unleash “blogger power” and show the government what we’re really made of.

Don’t forget to sign the petition here. We’re up to 190 signatures and the number is growing rapidly. How wonderful would it be to reach 1000 by the weekend?

Image via Wikipedia

FriendFeed

You may (or may not) have noticed a widget appear in my sidebar recently titled “friendfeed”. Inside that widget, you can keep up with all sorts of things that I am up to on the web. It will show you my latest posts (from my various blogs) as well as Twitter and other updates around the web.

If you’re interesting in stalking me (in a nice way of course), it’s one way you can keep up to date with how I’ve been avoiding housework keeping busy online.

Feedreaders

As part of my housekeeping post recently, I made mention of partial RSS feeds for feedreaders. For those of you not familiar with feedreaders, I’ve published a post on Lightening’s Blogworld that gives a very basic introduction to what they are and why they save you time: Using a Feedreader Can Save You Time.