please please pretty please....

can we talk about blogs and blogging

without hurting the feelings of anyone

~

last month i posted the information at the bottom of today's post. thanks kate.

it's so easy and wonderful and makes blogging so much more fun. often when someone leaves me a comment i immediately have something i want to say back to you. it might be a simple "thank you" or "i'm so glad my photos brightened your day" but if you don't do what's in the message below, more than likely you won't hear back from me. if i can reply to you immediately, then usually we become friends because all of a sudden we're sending emails back and forth to each other.

~~~~

i did get a note from someone confused by this information below. she didn't realize that she could be getting her comments in an email form in the first place. she was having to go back to her blog multiple times a day to see what comments had been left for her. if this sounds like you, just go to the "comments" on your post page and look for the box that asks for what email address you'd like comments to go to. enter your email address and wha-la. no more checking your blog for comments. they will come directly to you.

~~~~

also. some of you who do what i described above {checking your blog for comments} leave comments yourself on your blog, answering a question or thanking someone for what they said. once i have read a blog and leave a comment. i don't go back to your blog to see if you responded to what i said. does that make sense without sounding rude. i'm guessing some of those people are the ones i described above that don't have emailed comments coming to them.

~~~~

something else. often if you have music playing on your blog, it will take longer for my computer to load your page. so often when i am short on time, your blog will be neglected as i have to move on. so many blogs. so little time.

~~~~

okay

that's it for today.

here's the information i talked about. and if you have any questions, feel free to send them my way. many of you have asked for help with banners, blocking followers, picture resizing and template backgrounds and i am honored that you trust me.

Bloggers out there ~ you’ve seen it. It’s the ‘Noreply-Comment@Blogger.com’ message that appears sometimes after you click on reply to a reader’s comment.

I often respond directly to reader’s comments, but there’s that little grinch who always seems to show up like an unwanted guest when I have something I really want to say to someone.

There is a way to help rid this little problem and it’s so easy to do. Readers who have blogs can do the following:

• Open your blog and click on the Customize link. It’s in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
• Click on the Dashboard link, also in the upper right hand corner.
• Now click on Edit Profile, on the left hand size of the screen right next to your picture.
• This takes you to the Edit User Profile screen.
• Look in the Privacy section.
• Check the box that says, “Show my e-mail address”.
• In the Identity section, enter in an e-mail address.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on Save Profile.

slightly easier....

remember the recent post about the squirrels and how sneaky they were

~

well

i think these floridian birds are starting to take notes

~

gosh they were fast

i don't really ever do this.....

but

today i'm going to share a bit of my shopping with all of you

~

see this bag. i found it on someone's blog last week

as they highlighted the company who makes them

and

i decided that since i say these words all the time

{basically it's my motto}

i had to have this bag

~

it says

"everything happens for a reason"

with

YES

obviously in the larger letters

~

now

if it only had the small handles

i would have passed it up

but

it comes with a longer handle so that i can wear it messenger style

which makes my back happy

{which makes my doctor happy}

~

the quality is amazing

the packaging was beautiful

and

now i'm happy

too

*

proud to be part of the pack...

even with the 5 foot high snow drifts

everywhere

it's rather green here in wisconsin today

and

unless you live under a rock

you know why

~

aaron

you cute thing

you did good

really good

and

those other guys

you play with

they did good

too

~

and

christina

who cares

you still have an amazing voice that was delicious to listen to

*

time for a break...

my daughter turns 23 tomorrow. i was 23 when she was born.

i look back now and think

wow

how'd we do that

but we did something right. she's truly amazing.

~

i watched reruns of ally mcbeal on our "snow day" wednesday.

gosh. i used to love that show.

oh. and then i took a nap.

~

have you had the ghirardelli "milk chocolate with caramel" squares.

i think the label is misprinted. nowhere does it say hugely addicting.

~

i went to the doctor for my shoulder blade/neck pain.

she agreed with me. i'm a mess.

i'm doing traction again and will go back to physical therapy if it doesn't resolve itself.

fun

~

have a great weekend. i'll be eating birthday cake

and

watching the packers

win the super bowl. what. you heard me.

come on. it's our turn.

you know it is.

~go packers~

*

what's wrong with these photos....

two nights before we left florida

and

headed for home

this is the sunset mother nature blessed us with

and

then after being home only three days

this is the wisconsin reality she threw in our faces

~

actually i think mother nature must have a new

highly under qualified

assistant

that has a mean streak and was fired from his last job

working for her temporarily

{we can only hope}

~

anyhow

the sunset photo above is untouched

{straight out of the camera}

and

honestly

the sky was that orange

~

and

the snow photo

{also straight out of the camera}

well

it has been touched

and

crumpled

and

torn into tiny pieces

stomped on

and

burned

~

what

i'm not bitter

i'm not

~

seriously

i "savored" the entire minute it took for that photo to go up in flames

*

so i'm a bit nuts...

while i was in florida

i was taunted by the squirrels

okay

i wasn't really taunted. actually i was completely entertained.

but

oh they were tricky little buggers

~

everyday

when i walked around with just my portrait lens {17-55} on my camera

they were everywhere

~

they'd sing and dance and even smile at me like a party was going on

{once i think i even saw party hats and confetti}

but

as soon as i'd grab my zoom lens {70-300}

and

go back out to capture all that dancing and singing

they were nowhere to be found

so i diligently practiced my

"make like a tree"

antics

thinking

i can play this game

too

{you silly little totally charming and furry things you}

and

before long

i had them totally faked out

so

in the end

they gave up toying with me

{being completely cooperative the best they knew how}

and

then invited me to share in all their fun

as long as i'd teach them the hustle

~

hence

the tiny white party lights

~

wish you could have been there

*