Anna's Writing and Networking Blog

Writing: The ebbs and flows

2017-06-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

I knew before I could read that I was living my life as a storyteller. Even as a child I personally experienced ever single moment with an internal responsibility to remember absolutely everything, because one day someone would be left to recall, it all. It was hard for me to learn to read, but stories told--of me--include, the fact that I was able to recite every nursery rhyme I had remembered at the age of 18-months. I apparently was born to remember things.

When I was finishing my BS Degree, I had some time to take some amazing advanced writing classes. I was thrilled with every moment I participated in the honor's college forms of non-fiction writing course. It's strange how such an activity can cause a pause in the actual act of writing. I had been on a several-year roll of actually making money with my writing skills. Hit-or-miss, sometimes. But, still making progress in my own mind with my "writing career."

The classes I took in 2015, shook my writing up.

The advanced writing classes combined with coursework in Sociological Theory and Research created a much deeper understanding about the words I want to write and what I want them to mean.

Whatever flow of writing I was on before that time, has slowly become less relevant and harder to keep doing. Returning to full-time work has also made my writing time more valuable. Gone are the days I would word-play all day, or spend twenty hours researching.

I refuse to accept the label, "writer's block" to me that is an excuse and writer hypochondria. I have always been writing in my mind and every moment in life is written in my memory. Well, most every moment, or at least my perspective of every moment.

I prefer to refer to the past year and a half as a processing pause. My actual writing may have ebbed but that in no way should mean that my writing has been blocked. I have been formulating the many ideas I have and deciding how to go forward. I am looking forward to putting more words on the page.

Updating Writing Resume and Social Network: Introduction

2015-08-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

With the exception of a few "i's" to dot and "t's" to cross, I have earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. I need to pay my last term of tuition, fees, finish my thesis project and presentation. My goal is to have this done before the end of 2015. All of this means it is time for me to get out there and make some money!

Credentials, degrees, and writing workshops are all wonderful but mean nothing if I don't follow-up and make the most of it all. The next year will be a transition for me. Balancing my personal life, and maximizing my education and experience is about to pay off, or not.

Where better to start than right here on my Writing and Networking blog. I'm not sure how long ago I started this blog, but clearly this is the perfect place to build my foundation, keep track of everything, and monitor my progress. I have a few blogs, a few places I have been published, and constantly work on building my "network". It should be expected since I was one of the first "paid" bloggers on the internet--a claim to fame--I have fun thinking about when I struggle. All of my blogs are still on the Families.com website in some form or another. They have become more difficult to find as the past ten years have passed.

I am also working on my resume, and will be looking for a "day job" after the first of the year. We will see if it was worth it for a 52-year-old woman with 32 years of "mothering" experience, 15 years insurance experience, and two divorces to work hard and complete a degree?

I am excited about the next transition in my life and looking forward to having all my study time back. When I am tempted to think everything I have done so far is out-of-date, I consider the value of longevity my mark has made. What is needed now is an update and reconnecting with networks I have worked so hard to develop.

What better place to start then the place I built sometime in the past before I focused the past two years on completing my degree. I am starting here--again! Even, if this is only my little place on the internet, I am happy to have this foundation to build on during this transition.

First things first, working on my resume. Stay tuned for updates!

Earning a University Degree

2015-06-07T10:01:00.001-07:00

When I turned 50 years old, I found myself in a position to--finally--complete my four-year college degree. The first two years finished and paid for, I decided to do what I should have done when I was nineteen. That was two years ago and here I am 52 years old and graduating for Portland State University, Urban Honors College with my BS in Sociology. Some would wonder, why a research degree in Sociology?

The truth is that I looked at Journalism and the current lack of professionalism today and decided Journalism was not the kind of writing I wanted to do in my future. For some reason reporting facts has become pleasing shareholders, advertisers and catering to sensationalized stories of extremes. I am too old and to be honest want to write with more depth, insight and wisdom. Journalism and reporting have been excellent backgrounds for me. Becoming one of the first paid bloggers was exciting and interesting for me. In fact, my whole life experiences have led me to this place in life and now I would like to write what I want to write about.

I have two classes left to take and my Honors Thesis to write and present. I will take part in the only actual graduation ceremony in my whole life this Thursday. I will have my degree by September and I am excited about what this means for my future writing projects.

A Sociology degree is actually a very logical progression for a person with a journalism background. I have been educated in more in-depth interviewing techniques and have the academic authority to analyze the content of the interviews I conduct. My education and skills give me license to write ethnographically and to share my experience, insight and participation in life with qualitative research skills. My social connections and academic capital offer me access to professors and peers with abilities in areas I might be weak. I can actually write something that is legitimate, important and possibly worth the time and effort.

I am excited about the future of my writing and I am looking forward to spending more time on "MY" writing.

I am not really a Feminist, but...

2014-05-22T12:34:00.001-07:00

Sociology 302 Middle Range Theory Essay 1/2

Bourdieu’s middle range theory of linguistic markets specifically in relationships of power, work well with the middle range theory of Chatfetz gender inequality. An example of the way I have experienced this interaction happened twenty years ago for me. I was hired as a “sports writer” for a local newspaper. Entry level, decent pay, with an editor, section editor, and two other staff writers. I was the only woman. Very quickly I realized my dream job was in reality a situation whereby I was being exploited.

A week after I started I learned one of the other staff writers would be taking a three month leave from his position. I spent much of my time entering the names and stats of local high school sports events, and was never invited to attend the beer drinking, talk about the local teams, lunches with my three immediate co-workers. I was assigned the stories about things such as twin brothers who both had good records in track and the girl who broke her arm and made a tennis team comeback.

Bourdieu theory of linguistic markets are about exchanges of capital and resources that effect our ability to participate. By excluding me from the sports talking, beer drinking, lunch my co-workers reproduced a level of hierarchy and defined the rules of the field for me. Their actions were a form of symbolic violence. Oppression that was not seen, excused by the fact that they did not want to be viewed as sexually harassing me since I was a woman, they leaned on the fact not inviting me to participate would no expose them to such a claim from me. I could have remained silent in response to their form of symbolic violence but, I am a survivor of child abuse and domestic violence and when I recognize I am being exploited, or in a violent situation I walk.

Chafetz macro theory focuses on the division of labor as organized by gender. Writing for a newspaper at that time was highly based on advertising revenue. Chafetz theory is that capitalism demands labor exploitation and patriarchy exists to serve the of capitalism. Patriarchy ideology legitimates and controls behaviors that support gender stratification. Chafetz”s MESO theory is that women are offered a different ladder and their labor is concentrated at the low end of the labor force. I entered data while the men had long lunches talking about the ins-and-outs of the topic I was hired to write about. It was clear I had limited upward mobility, a low possibility of advancement, and no opportunity to move up. In fact, it became clear that I was probably hired for the short period of time one of my coworkers would be on leave. I had a choice to remain silent and wait to see what happened when the coworker returned or cut my losses and refuse to play along with the game. I did not remain silent and I left the position before my coworker actually left on his leave.

Okay, it's not over until the Fat Lady Sings!

2009-03-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

And, sorry if this offends fat lady's but, I think my "people" understand exactly what I'm really talking about. I will choose to blame the Long Cold and Snow filled winter for my Last posting of despair. It's very clear and has been since I left the Golden State that gray is Not my color and I have known for years I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder -- or whatever it is they like to call SAD in my part of the woods.

As is usually the case for my life living under these blooming clouds--I typically have at least one major melt-down before the daffodils pop up and say Yellow in the spring. Given, the circumstances I am planning to allow for the additional possibility that I will actually have two or more this time around!

One Down!

And, I am back up for another round of trudging through the long dark days of Not Living in the Drought affected area of where I live...even, though I long for the lazy life of San Diego more then anything right now! Please let me out of this Twilight Zone!

I digress... Just know that it's nothing but the lack of sunshine that takes away my lack of motivation, hope, and creativity! It's hear like the daffodil bulbs--waiting for the warm glow of the spring, Sun Breaks to be just enough to make me bloom one more time...

Until then, I hope the sun is warm for you now, leave me to mope and feel sorry about the Real things I am sorry about so I can take another swing at what everyone knows is my passion that will bloom again soon!

See ya, and please remember I do so love lemon in my ice tea!

Distracted

2009-02-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

So, does anyone else ever wonder if hard work pays off? Do you ever sit and wonder if the mission or idea you have is just a waste of time? Have you ever just frozen up and considered how websites and blogs are really all about making something out of nothing?

It is no secret that I was on a mission when I decided to create a place for Adoptive parents, foster parents and the parents of special needs children. It was no secret that I wanted to contribute and create not only a place for myself but, for others... to pay it forward and to perhaps just one time make a difference that might help a Child.

It's no secret that when I did--there were other's who wanted to jump in and do what they could do. And, that I went out on a limb and shared my mission with someone else 50-50. No secret that I learned it's best to not do business with a friend or family member. I guess, I just believed I was immune to the truth of the adage.

How many times in my life will I consider the ODDS and think I am somehow above the advice of those who tried the same and felt the burn?

The past few weeks I have been wondering if my mission even means anything to anyone besides myself? Is it worth the bother to invest my time and creativity into something that may only now be a black hole...

Could I see my mission be More if I just let go of the vision I shared with someone else and felt so on fire about, only to lose the person because of differences in opinions?

Was it a sign when my entire website was destroyed because I lost a friend and then all the files in the HTML of my website--with no real ability to recover? Is there something I could do that might show my time even matters?

I have been distracted for the past few weeks. I have been in thought about the way I spend my own time and where it might matter the most. I could go back all gung-hoe and really get things up and running Again--Alone. Or, I could move on and find a new idea to keep my mission?

Guess, I will be distracted a few more days? I wonder if anyone will bother to send me an email and let me know my time is worth their trouble?

Virtual Reality -- 25 years of going Paperless

2009-01-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

Going paperless has been My Dream and vision since I started my career, way back in 1983 as an insurance customer service rep... My boss spent $3,000 (BACK THEN) to buy one of the very first Apple Computers and the "visions" about the paperless office started to take form way back then!

One thing I did learn from my first real boss, John P Woods, is to Trust nothing you don't see in writing! Our office may have been cutting edge and we may have been thrilled we could send Mail Merged letters to our clients printed on our Dot Matrix printer but John, knew we would never escape our need to Hold the Records in our hands.

During my whole career as an Insurance Agent I have watched the records go "paperless" supposedly. What I saw in most cases however, was a lot of double work with one foot in both realms. Add all the security issues related to the Lack of Paper, and computer hackers and there is the big obstacle for going 100% paper free.

Today, I am of the mind that some parts of business can and should be 100% paperless and where that's possible do it and don't worry about keeping a paper copy. For example it should matter much if your Advertising, Newsletters, and Website Content is kept virtual (just remember to back it all up), but the contracts made for the advertising and the access to create the website--is going to and should require a certain amount of Hard Copy.

I have tried to go paperless for well over 20 years now and would have to say that I am pretty close to 90% paper free! I would be silly to print out the pages I publish on the Internet, and I don't need to keep hard copy of advertising or newsletters--but, I sure do need some kind of secure--off line--record keeping system to Keep Up with all the legal and security related issues!

Paperless is still a wonderful goal for any business, but clearly 25 years after the first rumblings it would be the way of the future the goal might need to be made a little more realistic! Reduced Paper record keeping is my approach and will be until it is a easy and secure as opening the locked file cabinet in my office can be.

So Blond!

2009-01-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

What a Week! And, yes I am blond. Thanks to my Geek-Hero Patrick, for saving the Day! Whew!

I have a way of Checking little boxes and not always knowing what checking a box might do! It's an even bigger problem when I check the box, not knowing what it will do, and then Forget I even checked the box in the first place!

For those kinds of problems it's good to know I can find an Expert to bail me out. I have learned that using Joomla! means all the little boxes mean and do more then I might ever expect. Thankfully, this time it only required unchecking the box I had checked and forgot I had checked!

It seems that sometimes I take 5-steps forward and 3-steps back. The good thing is with the New Website and Redesign on Adoptive Parents Network we are working out all the bugs and blips as they happen! Rather then our last go around where we just kept moving forward leaving the blips to build on each other.

It should start to show pretty soon that We have learned a lot during the past 4-years of website building! The new site is being developed slower then we had hoped, but this time it will function the way our visitors and members learned to expect from Me and the projects I am part of!

Things appear to be ready to start really building the content and connecting everything together. I haven't looked at the SEO issues all of this may have caused--It seemed a little pointless with the complete re-do!

Anyway, I am still so excited about the next few weeks and the Ideas we are getting for our members! It seems we can see the light at the end of the tunnel on the Programming and development side of YOUR computer screens! All we need to do now is put everything BACK where it belonged!

I am learning to use Joomla!

2009-01-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's a well known fact that the website for the Adoptive Parents Network has had a few blips during 2008 but, I am happy and a bit distracted working on it! We contracted a professional to Set everything up and now it's just a matter of me learning how to use Joomla!

So far, I am excited about the progress the new remodeled Adoptive Parents Network website has made during the past several months. The experience I have gained in both putting together websites and blogs since 2005 and my experience parenting special kids has made me very confident with the Nature of the Network we plan to create.

This project has some exciting plans and will be unfolding one little thing at a time. Our new community forums using PhpBB3 are ready and the information and resource sections have been started. Joomla! is amazing but, requires a great deal of putting together. Our template seems to be working very well. Right now there is a huge amount of content to put on the site as well as a large number of things to set up!

The exciting part is that with the development of this site we feel confident that our members will enjoy the changes and redesigned website!

...When Major Catastrophe Occurs

2008-12-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have decided it doesn't only apply to those issue in life--but, those in virtual reality as well! When there is a major catastrophe the only thing that matters in the end--is: "Attitude".

November 2008 will go down in my Personal and Professional memory as one of those Months I would rather not remember! Except for the fact that I have little choice. Thank goodness this blog isn't about the Personal stuff as I am not ready to write all of that.

Of course, I am not anymore inspired to write about the Professional events that have made November 2008 a month I will never forget! I should actually be thrilled that in all of the time since I started my website and blog career I have NEVER suffered this lesson before. There is however no excuse for ignorance and sadly as well as I knew all of the rules--no prior losses gave me a false sense of security.

Bottom-line is backing things up really does matter. Ask me, I know very well at this moment. But--even more important backing up often and knowing how to Re-Install the back up is really the most important factor!

Silver lining I guess can be found--sometimes not everything is gone... and sometimes a full new start is a blessing in the end....

If anyone has missed me it's been a few weeks since my main website suffered a disaster and since November 7, 2008 I have been doing my best to recover.

Rule One--when you pay for some major changes to your website be sure to make a full and complete back up.

Rule Two--when a huge mistakes happens grieve and move on...

Hopefully, by the start of 2009 I will be right back into the roll of things. Back up and feeling better. Recovered and perhaps even better!

Blogs are like Housework!

2008-10-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have decided that creating a website and writing Blogs is a lot like housework! There is always more that can be done, and other things that require regular upkeep.

Actually, just like housework building a website and writing blogs is all about what I decide I want to put into it. Just as I know it's always better to wash the dinner dishes before bed--because the work will be harder if I leave it until the morning... I also know there are some things best done when putting together a nice site.

Of course, I have never had much difficulty in paying someone else to clean the bathrooms and floors in my home--and there are some things I am happy to pay to have taken care of when building a social network! Database junk and some of the host level programming for my big website is one thing I would rather pay to have done correctly.

I write on several blogs and just like a good mother my Blogs are a real reflection of my efforts. But, just like laundry it seems just when I feel all caught up I turn around and find a pile of new things to wash, dry, fold and put away.

I have been doing housework and laundry for almost 30 years now--and working on websites since 2005 and it is my firm conclusion these types of personal obligations bring on the same kind of "Never Finished" stress...

Some of us just feed on the never ending projects and the one great thing is that the Internet has made it possible for those of us who do enjoy the torture of a never finished project to share our joy and sorrows with each other!

I write a "to-do" list for housework... and for website work how about You?

Personalize Blog Posts with MyLiveSignature.com

2008-10-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have seen several bloggers who have taken the extra step and personalized their signatures. It's something I have wanted to do but, until today I never took the time.

I found a very easy and simple website to create this signature:

Creating this signature didn't take much time at all, At MyLiveSignature.com and didn't even require registration with the website. However I did register and it seemed like there may have been more tools when I logged in.

I am very satisfied with my FREE signature considering it didn't require any special skills or take much time. I had been interested in an Animated Signature and found that at the MyLiveSignatures.com the animation feature is a "paid service". So for now I will be holding out and looking for a place to create a free animated signature...

Somethings, I don't mind paying for but, my name blinking or scrolling is pretty low on the priority list of Blog Bling-Bling I am willing to pay for.

While I was there I made a Signature for HappyMomAnna to add to some of my HMA things..

MyLiveignature.com offers several methods to ADD the signature to your social networking sites...

I am sure I will go back and play around with things or find other signature sites! It's always fun when I find a useful tool to make something simple and unique!

Fun with Favicons

2008-09-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

I noticed them a long time ago and have enjoyed them very much! I especially like the way they show up on my "Favorites lists" or in other spots while I surf the Internet.

Have you noticed them?

Look up in your Browser Bar at the top of the page and you might notice the Blogger Favicon just before the URL address. The distinctive Orange square with the white "B".

That's a Favicon and with just a few short steps I was able to make one for the Adoptive Parents Network website and blogs! Which is nice because using the Favicon is just another way I can connect the website with the blogs and give the connected features a branded icon.

I have noticed they show up in several other places such as the FEEDJit Traffic Feed

They also show up on my computer's "Favorites" menu which makes if nice for me, since they all match and my eye doesn't need to search the list for the APN blogs and website.

All you need is a picture or graphic and it only takes a few steps!. The biggest problem I had was the fact that it is such a small image. I am happy with my first try and looking forward to working on the graphics for this blog soon.

I found this website: was easiest for me to use since I didn't have to do much more then upload my picture and follow a few steps.

Protect your Face and Space

2008-09-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

One of the fastest growing crimes in the United States during the past decade has been identity theft. In 2008 an estimated 6 million identity theft crimes are expected to take place in a variety forms and will cause problems in a variety of degrees.

Social Networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have become easy places for Intentiy Theft Criminals to collect personal information and create a new form of identification.

While social networking some of the information we provide may seem worthless but for a criminal the information we provide can become all the ingredients for a new "identity".

Two very popular social networking places many people tend to expose themselves to identity theft the most are Facebook and MySpace, however protecting yourself should be a concern no matter what social networking site you join.

The National Cyber Security Alliance advises we consider our activity on social networking sites and the information we offer the same as a "billboards in cyberspace." Most of us do not publicize certain things going on in our lives and homes on billboards--and we should consider what we post on the internet the exact same way. In order to stay safe from identity theft online it's vital to be careful about the information you post:

Keep social network profiles safe and secure and limit access

Create unique passwords

Use up to date anti virus as well as Spy ware software programs on your personal computer

The Basic and Key information criminals use in order to create a new identity can often be discovered with ease:

User Profile are a great source for personal information that can be used to identity for someone else.
- Personal Pictures,
- City state, and in some cases even the complete address,
- Full name and birth date,
Add the options for personal journals and you may be giving information about upcoming vacation plans, or other times a criminal may know you won't be home. Comments you make may offer clues about you and your family such as what you do, when and where you do it.

A criminal with a little time and a computer can send follow up emails and gather more personal information. Often these emails may appear to be from an "official" source and ask for verification of more confidential information such as a social security number, pen number or password.

Other casually posted information posted on social networking pages may include:
- Favorite music
- Relationship status,
- Cell phone numbers,
- Previous employers.
Any of this information could be used to create credit card accounts.

Many people using social network sites are at great risk because of the "trust" level that can be achieved when meeting and making new "friends" online. Some users of social network sites take information at face value and share their information in by casual conversation, comments and blogs.

How can you protect yourself?

Set profiles to private, allow access to only those you invite or add to your list.

Be careful who you share information with.

Make sure that your password is different for your email accounts as it is for your MySpace, Facebook or other social networking sites.

Pay attention to the social network sites you belong to and read their bulletins as often any security issues are announced.

Report any unusual things about your account, email or posting with your username to the website and change your password

As a Social Blog Networker I also practice these habits:

I always write about things in the future without specific details about times, dates and places.

I share the details as if I am a reporter writing about something that Has Happened...

I use a Pen Username and keep my personal information protected as much as possible

The most important thing to remember is to keep a close eye on your credit and any mail you get at home or email. A great deal of personal information is public record so understanding the ways that criminals use to steal your identity is the greatest form of protection protecting your personal information is a part of modern life and includes far more then just your social networking activities...

Finally! Catching Up!

2008-09-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering where I have been?

Working my fingers to the bone and geeked out is where I have been. It has taken me a little bit of time to get caught up from the big business change that took place with Adoptive Parents Network and thankfully I believe I have everything under control.

I have managed to add the sections I wanted to add with the use of blogs and I am very happy! At the same time (ever so slow)I am starting to understand the administration for Joomla! Sort of!

On the Adoptive Parents Network I have been busy working on the APN Blog Network a blog social networking group. The 2008 Contest was announced and there has been some great interest.

The children are finally back in school -- Whew Wee that was a long summer!

I am sure looking forward to a more organized routine around my home and being back on track with all my website work.

Blogs for a small business

2008-08-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

The number one thing you should know before you start your blog is that it is Always a work in progress. Just the moment a blogger believes they have everything perfect a new widget, gadget or service can be discovered and a new round of "better" starts!

Not very long ago the whole idea of creating an internet web presence was all about creating what I call (or heard called) the Website Business Card. Many businesses paid hundreds of dollars to have someone who knew how--build a "static" website with all the important information about the business...and that was just about the best the average person or small business could ask for.

These "static" Business Card websites of not long ago often cost a business a going fee of $350.00 just to put a static website together with the visitors to that website finding an email link and a few minimal things but, for the most part offered no more then contact information, and some special pages with some information that mattered most about the business.

Pretty boring, and not a lot of reason for people to come back for a visit.

However, the biggest problem not long ago for small business who paid the $350.00 for the website to be created was that all too often these business owners were left with a website and no access or clue how to update information. All that money paid to a hotshot who put up the page, but little or no information for the business owner to be able to do anything with it.

And, in many cases these expensive sites were controlled by fly-by night developers who collected the money set up the page and then vanished from the face of the internet. Leaving the business owner with something they didn't have any ability to change, control or access.

As the internet added new interactive features another round of expensive services became available for the small business owners with websites. Forums and chat rooms, offered something interactive visitors could register to joining, log-in and interact. And again pulled money out and paid for these things to be added to their websites.

Well, today with the services and tools these business costs and the lack of control over a small business internet site are a thing of the past. Today, any business owner able to run his or her business has more then enough talent and skill to create exactly what they want and need, and the costs can literally be Zero!

Today by creating a blog a business owner can offer far more then a static website business card without the investment of even one penny. Not only this but the blog in itself can also create a business income!

It is so simple and affordable that I almost want to shake any small business owner who is resistant to spending the time investment required to accomplish as much as they can by creating their own blog and building it.

Stay tuned for some future post about the simple ways to make a blog not only part of a business internet presence but also a part of the business income.

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Changing a Blogger Blogspot.com Template

2008-08-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you read this blog now and than you might notice things look a little different this morning... That's because the template I was using wasn't working for me! I believe I did something at some time and cause a little glitch which resulted in a graphic refusing to allow itself to be replaced.

After messing around with my HTML template code it's very possible I just put something in a spot and caused a problem. Not sure and it became clear that as a blog publisher I had a few choices.

I could hunt and peck looking for whatever had caused the graphic to be stuck in the header and I might or might not figure it out?

or

I could go through the relatively painless-but, time consuming process of an extreme blog make-over.

Truthfully, it really isn't that difficult to change template for a blog. The trick with changing a Blogger Blogspot template is transferring the various page elements (or as they are now called Gadgets). And, even transferring the blog gadgets isn't that technical but, rather time consuming more then anything else.

I simply take a few steps to make it just a little easier. I just use my computer system NOTEPAD and open up each blogger gadget I would like to keep and copy the code inside to the notepad. Once the new template or theme is uploaded I will be able to retrieve the gadget code and just drop in into the new layout.

I save the Notepad documents and then before doing anything else back up the existing template or theme. There are two ways to change how your blog appears when using the Blogger Blogspot tools. The first is by selecting one of the themes offered and just picking that theme. Often this choice is simple and many of the gadgets will transfer.

The other choice is to find a theme you like either free or paid for by a blog template designer. If this is a choice then the change is made under the HTML editing under the Layout area. Once you have a template you like, downloaded and unzipped it can be uploaded right at the top of the HTML editing area. These kinds of changes usually make it necessary to save all the code for the gadgets and often deletes the gadgets in the existing code. If it's been saved it's only a matter of going back and putting all the gadget code back into the right spots in the page element area. A step that isn't very difficult but takes time, selecting all, copy and paste...

I always suggest starting a private Test Blog before messing around with a template change on an existing blog. As wonderful as it is to have some many options created by talented people--not every template is perfect and depending on the possible problems a blogger may find a template just doesn't work for their needs.

The other major thing to keep in mind if you have a well developed blog or using tracking code inside of the HTML is that some of that code placed directly in the HTML will be lost with a template change as well. It there is code from Feedburner for the FeedFlurl or and paid blogger or tracking code directly placed inside of your blog HTML it would be a good idea to also copy that code on the Notepad before uploading a new template.

The place I find most of my template is from another woman who is making her blog something special. I really love Amanda's Blog Templates offered at Blogger Buster. I selected this template Grid Focus which is one of Amanda's newest XML Templates and so far I love it!

More than Just a Blond Moment

2008-08-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

It has been said in someway or another that the Pen is more powerful than the sword!

Never before in the history of the world has it been more possible for the ordinary person to put "pen" to the page... Or at least, entertain an audience while doing so.

It's possible with all this modern internet technology that even the most blond or in some other way judged as "less able" person can write the thoughts on their mind. While it may have always been possible for anyone with any ability to write something--It is now possible that anyone who can write may write something--that is actually READ by someone else.

No longer is there a huge set of standards, or rules that apply to those who would like their words, feelings or opinions to be known. Today, anyone with a computer and an internet connection is the Editor and Producer of what words they wish to be known. Not that this means anyone will take the time to read anything just written by someone sitting behind a keyboard.

I have always made use of the weapon of my pen when needed. My words have often been both loving supportive and when needed can be cutting and quick. This part of me is not something that has just popped up with my journey on the Internet. My words on paper or from my mouth have long been a blessing and curse--for both me and for the person they may have been directed.

For those of us who suffer lose lips, and fast typing skills... and practice our writing skills may often spend long days blogging our hearts out to the thin air... Not thinking they add up to much of anything until attention is taken and an issue is made.

Sometime back in April attention was made to one of the places I like to write. Attention from a National News outlet. In my wish to make that place I write better some uninvolved person around the world who was paying attention to that spot actually believed all the changes and pretty tweaks I made were because she had taken issue with that writing spot. She believed my efforts were some competition with her for some deep rooted issue...

My writing was getting attention. And some thought that what I had to say, and the way I wanted to present it was for some self serving need to compete. NOT. This kind of think really irritates me as I write for my own reasons and sometimes my writing is more powerful then a sword.

This attack from someone I don't know triggered a serious of different events which actually have led to consequences of words I write.

My Tip of the day is that no matter how blond you might be, remember that putting the words out here into the public is much different then the bedside tablet you may have spent your lifetime jotting whatever thoughts came to mind--good, hurt or angry.

It's important that those who are blogging and interested in building a readership keep in mind that with Success often comes and unseen effort to Put Down from those who Know about the success you might be having.

It's important to keep in mind that if what you are doing means nothing--there won't be anyone around to criticize it! The more successful you are with blogging or writing the more issues might be made from those who have noticed!

After all, if your words are not noticed there wouldn't be anyone responding in anyway to the scribbles on the table in the bedside table. Public writing is one thing but, people reading what is written is another. No one would attack if the goal of being noticed had not been taken and proven successful.

Moral: When and if those who want to attack you do so about your writing, blog or website, Chalk it all up to the fact it is a positive sign of attention!

Now without any more blabbering on the topic after several months of not getting it--I do and will now go on with the work I have been doing since I was just a little girl... Writing my words the way I write them.

Bravenet Guestbooks

2008-08-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Guestbooks used to be one of the most easy things to add to website or blog. They were also one of the original and only methods a visitors was able to post a message on on a website or blog. Not too many years ago there were few tools that made it possible for visitors to leave their remarks for a website owner or blog writer to read and know someone had visited. There was a time when Guestbooks were on nearly every website...

I have noticed that as technology has made it possible for those of us "ordinary people" to build own blogs and websites along with the variety of more advanced tools, the need for the old standard Guestbook has fallen victim! Today, even the most blond, middle-aged, self-taught, left-handed, female on earth can take advantage of some of the most basic tools offered.

The problem is that I still love Guestbooks and always enjoy passing by and saying, Hello, when I visit a website or blog I find interesting... Maybe because one of the very first things I added to my very first website HappyMomAnna.com was my Bravenet Guestbook!

It's hard for me to let go of one of the few original things from my very first day of building what has become the Adoptive Parents Network, so I decided that it's not going to be lost or forgotten... I still use my original Guest Book on the AdoptiveParentsNetwork

I use several Bravenet tools and still host the old website HappyMomAnna.com on the original account. I have found their Website Hosting packages to be perfect for the things I wanted my site to do. I have have always built my websites with a variety of tools and services offered from several sources. Bravenet is one of my favorite because of some of their very simple to use tools.

The Guestbook is one I like very much. I started My Original Bravenet Guestbook sometime in the spring of 2005 and have had it linked in here and there since.

Tag You Are It... Delicious.com

2008-08-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have had an account with Delicious.com for years now. I started using their social bookmarking services when I was working as a Blogger for Families.com. While working there we were asked to open an account an "TAG" our blogs.

I still have my account along with the nearly three-years of fairly regular bookmarks. My link is right in MyBlogLog.com widget as one of the services I belong to.

Are you asking yourself, "What is Delicious?"

It took me a little while to figure it out myself, so don't feel silly for not understanding that Delicious is a social bookmarking service.

I can tell by the look in your eyes as you read "Social Bookmarking Service" that means something, but still no clue what?

Delicious.com allows users (me, and you) a free account to keep tags, as well as save, manage and share web pages. All offered from a centralized source. Delicious.com puts the emphasis on the power of the community, by offering a great tool for people to discover, remember and share information on the Internet.

With Delicious anyone can bookmark any site on the Internet, and then return to it from anywhere rather then needing new or different bookmarks on every specific computer itself (oh, I can't stand a new computer for that!) With Delicious your account holds a single set of bookmarks each one kept in sync between all of the computers you might use... Including turning on the New one for the first time. When using someone else's computer or one at a hotel, your bookmarks are there just as created right on the Delicious website.

Delicious is considered a "Social" bookmarking service, because not only do you have the ability to keep your bookmarks in order but, you share them with other users as well. Friends who use Delicious, can exchange interesting bookmarks, explore the site to find interesting users to network with. The Subscriptions and Network features can be used to keep track of Delicious tags and other users you find most interesting.

Delicious service can be added to a Feedburner Blog or as a Service on your MyBlogLog.com accounts and widgets. I am sure there are many other ways Delicious can be added and used in your social networking--but, being Blond the only things I can tell you are those I have figured out so far... Feel Free to add your comments about Delicious.com and let everyone know about how you have used Delicious.com Social Bookmarking Service.

Hang-Ten, for Now!

This post is not sponsored or underwritten by any form of advertising.

Plug into Social Networking FAST with MyBlogLog.com

2008-08-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Do you have a blog?

Do you have a Yahoo account?

Then that's all you need to get started and make yourself a very nice widget like the one I have in the right column.

MyBlogLog.com is a Yahoo product that offers a free and paid service for Blog Writers. I have used a combination of both types of accounts and starting out with the Free service is a great way to get started... You can always upgrade to the paid later.

With a MyBlogLog.com account you can connect with other blog writers and join their communities. Keep track of who writes what and analyze where your visitors come from, what they read and how they leave your blog...

I especially like the Widget that can be made with links to so many different Social Networking site. Go ahead and click on the links in mine and visit the places I need to go visit and re-arrange or clean up. If you click on the FaceBook link then you will see My Facebook account... Click on the Yahoo Answers link and see the questions and answers I have made at Yahoo...

With MyBlogLog.com it's very simple and easy so... If you want a Widget like I have just click the link for MyBlogLog.com and you will be ready to open an account for your blog and make your own... Which is very simple even I could do it!

The Life of a Website Developer

2008-08-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

If you are not a member of my website AdoptiveParentsNetwork.com than you may be wondering where I have been for the last several days?

As many successful business often do there has been a change with the ownership of the Adoptive Parents Network LLC. After a year of the Adoptive Parents Network being a joint effort between myself and Melissa (as well as her husband) they have decided to leave the business and focus on an added baby to their family.

With this change is has been a great time for me to go through my Internet sites and blogs to clean everything up and make things work from the bottom-up so to speak. There is nothing more irritating for me then to find websites that are out dated, obsolete or otherwise not worth the band-width so I am in the process of cleaning up all of my garbage that may be littering the Internet.

Today, I have been working on the Original website I started in March 2005... HappyMomAnna.com Since I have had this URL and website for so long I have decided to make it my official Profile, information, and resume site. I have been working on cleaning it up and plan to also use this as a place to keep the common pictures I use on my blogs and websites. At the moment I suspect there may be several different places I have been using for my hosted pictures... So I plan to start making my life easy by organizing and moving my hosted photos to one place!

It's always best to start at the foundations and transition times are a great time to go back and make sure old things work well and reflect pride.

As well as cleaning up some of the past things that pointed to my direction I am also spending some time making sure things are linked well--and that links are working. Now that can be a huge project and it only happens one link at a time...

I am looking forward to getting finished with my trash picking up and moving on to the fun things about building a website and writing blogs.

Some things you ADD can Mess your site up!

2008-08-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

~
If you are a blogger it might be easy to add this and that to your blog page. It seems there is no end to the variety of little widgets and tools a blogger can add to their blog in order to make it pretty and count for something.

This morning I was happy I wasn't one of the website owners, or bloggers who came to find out that last night anyone with a sitemeter.com script of widget had been sucked into a situation where:

SiteMeter is bringing down every site where its counter code is loaded when the visiting browser is Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and 7.0. The error may also affect Internet Explorer 5.5

It appears that the first reports about this BIG problem were made by One Project Closer

If you use a Sitemeter.com script on your website or blog I would recommend reading the Blog Post HERE there is not only some great information about the problem but, also many of the comments offer some specific details about some of the things other Webmasters and Bloggers are noticing and doing in order to deal with this problem...

This is just another thing that comes with being part of the Wild West!

~

Bravenet Affiliate Hosting Services and Tools

2008-08-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

Check out all the great FREE tools and services that Bravenet offers. Amazing!

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Give your visitors their horoscopes each and every day.

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Promote reciprocal linking with other websites to build traffic.

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Enable visitors to do keyword searches on your website.

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Seen and Not Seen

2008-07-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

As a former Newspaper Girl there was a certain luxury in knowing that my "work" would not count until it was edited and set to print for the next edition. Writing my words and knowing they were being read included a certain delay. Not True now that I am an Internet Blogging lady!

It seems that all of my Little Projects are starting to merge back into one very large network of interrelated blogs and websites... And at this moment it seems all of my projects are demanding a certain amount of my attention! Nothing like making WORK for myself!

This blog is starting to shape up and I am looking forward to adding lots of little things as I continue to plug into the world of Social Networking. I must confess this little blog has been neglected the most of all my projects.

So here is a quick update on the different things I am doing as far as "My Stuff" goes:

The AdoptiveParentsNetwork My Business partner decided to take the placement of a newborn sibling for one of the two boys they have adopted. This means she will be parenting 3 children including a newborn--during the summer when there is no school. Needless to say, I can accept the fact that's a lot of work and adding the responsibility of a Website to the mix and it's not hard to see where a Good Mom would need to draw the line.

So along with resuming my attentions to the administration of the APN Forums I am also rattling my mind for direction to take the Adoptive Parents Network LLC as a business. I have some ideas and plan to make some announcements very soon at the Newer Blog for the site. The APNBlog will be the main News and Information blog for the AdoptiveParentsNetwork.com site and one step at a time I have been getting that Blog off the ground and integrated with the big site...

This morning I found a Wonderful Review at Lisa Reviews of my oldest and first website work... On my Blog that used to be called: A RAD Mom's Journal which has been changed to New Memories Be sure to Check out Lisa Review and leave a Comment if You Would please! I was so happy to hear that she liked the Dark Template for that Blog as I have been considering updating all my blogs to a lighter color... I was also surprised that the negative point Lisa Reviews had to point out was that I didn't have an "About Me" page... I thought people might be tired of hearing About Me so never really wrote up anything... That's going to be the next thing I do when I publish this Blog Post!

Other then that a good deal of my time has been invested working on the blog I plan to write for PAY and profit in the future. Blogs are not worth business paying for writing if they are just New and empty. Had I been thinking more clearly I would have held off using the New Memories Blog for paid writing and developed my other blog first... Live and Learn and on the Internet it's never to late to shift and build a wing of a persons Networking. I am looking forward to getting finished with the site design of A Mother's Guide to Sanity My work on that blog has given me a Pile of Drafted Blogs just waiting to be proofed and published here on this Blog...

Anyway--That's just part of the story of my current Networking Load... I haven't even started to talk about all the Widget kissing, rating, commenting and Friend Invitations taking place as I travel the Brave New World of Social Networking... I sure hope you enjoy this tale from a middle-aged, blond, former Vally Girl!