After just announcing my standing as “Unchallenged Winner of the Influential No Award Award,” I received a comment tonight telling me that my recent post, The Greatest Job in the World, has been nominated for a Hot Stuff Award at GNMParents, and that voting closes this Thursday. Cool, huh?
I want to state for the record that my “Unchallenged Winner of the Influential No Award Award” was 100% poking fun at myself and not at the nominees and winners of any of the recent blogging contests. Some of those people are my dearest blogging buddies, whom I wouldn’t offend for the world. Also, No Cool Story–who should receive some kind of award for most consistently creative use of Photoshop–wrote such a sweet post and went to the trouble of making those cute little buttons; I just had to have one. I admit that there was one afternoon where every blog I visited had a post announcing their nominations and I thought, “Gee, I’m obviously not doing very well at this blogging thing.” Then I thought, “Hello! I’m a 40-year-old woman with 8 kids! What’s with the 8th grade moment I’m having here?” and that was the end of it.
The reason I posted almost nothing last week was twofold: first, I was still sick (I actually went to a walk-in clinic Saturday, thinking I might have strep throat; I don’t); second, I saw in my sitemeter that someone had come here after doing a blog search for teen@ge boy$ (I’m scrambling this as well as I can to avoid getting a hit for that one again). I linked recently to an article with parenting advice for moms of teen sons, although the title used the word “boys” instead of “sons.” I didn’t click on any links, but the other blogs that the person pulled up with those search terms sounded like every mother’s worst nightmare. It so sickened and upset me that I actually had a moment where I wanted to delete this blog. I checked the time and saw that this “visitor” left as soon as he arrived–obviously my little mommy blog was not what he was interested in–but I couldn’t shake that horrible feeling. Tonight I changed the title on the post.
Also, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately. That post I’ll write about my mother, while going through a box of Kleenex, is still on the horizon. She was one of those people who told you exactly what she thought in no.uncertain.terms (while I stood there cringing and thinking, “Did she really say that?”). You know what? Almost universally, that quality seems to be what people loved and miss the most about her: her honesty tempered with dry wit (for those who didn’t know her–if I had to compare her to a blogger, I would choose Antique Mommy, hands down). I’ve been told that I’m very diplomatic, which is a nice way of saying I’m tactful; I am very much the peacemaker. The thing is, there’s a lot of my mother lurking beneath the surface. I just keep a lid on it for the most part.
What does that mean in terms of this blog? Looking back over the last couple of weeks, I’d say I’m posting about the things that mean the most to me: motherhood, my mother, family roots, beloved family members. I’m also unapologetically sharing a little more about who I am and what I’m all about. I started this blog because I wanted my kids to be able to look back and see what their mom had to say, a sort of memory-keeper for the next generation. Up until today, my kids would have looked and said, “Oh, puleeze! It doesn’t even mention that she listens to the B@ren@ked L@dies 24 HOURS A DAY!” [Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. I don’t play them during school or when I’m asleep.]
Maybe my readership will dwindle to my cousin in NYC, my aunt who just got internet access, and my cousin in Texas, since these topics could have limited appeal. That’s okay. You know what my greatest bloggy moments have been lately? My cousin emailed to say how she cried over my Where I’m From, and both my aunt (my mom’s sister) and my Great-Aunt Mayme called to tell me how much they enjoyed and laughed about the Aunt Mayme post. Aunt Mayme even recalled another cooking story: tossing one of her homemade biscuits to someone and cutting their forehead.
Stick around if you’re up for more about the glamorous world of motherhood and my crazy/sweet/funny family!
Hey now you forgot to list me in your potential limited readership. LOL
Congrats on the nomination! I had nominated that post for the Hidden Treasure Blog Awards.
I will keep coming around since i am a mommy-blog fan! 😉
The biscuit story about your aunt is great! Maybe she should write a cookbook? HeHeHe! She sounds like an adorable lady!
I love your blog, and really enjoy all your writing!! I actually read your post about Aunt Mayme to my oldest daughter, and we both wish we knew her!! 🙂 I admit, I have had a few 8th grade moments too, since starting a blog (how come everyone else gets more comments than me???) But you’re right, we have to keep it in perspective!!
I have a question: when you go to site meter, how do you figure out what search people used to get to your blog? I noticed a few locations I was wondering about, but I didn’t know how to check them. If you have the time to answer, thanks in advance!!
Have a great day!!
Congrats on the nomination! I so voted for you 😀
Thank you Mommy Dearest for all the props you give me, you keep me humble. By the way I was also not poking fun at awards….too much.
Daughters and their mothers, such an strong and often difficult bond. I looking forward to your post about yours.
You already know this: I love your blog, you are such a good writer and an inspiring one, thanks for sharing. I hear you on “unwanted visitors” specially form such a creepy search. I almost delete my blog once because I had a semi-stalker-wanna-be, thankfully he/she left, never to come back again. Maybe changing some search words will do the trick.
Keep writing, girl! I enjoy my “visits” with you so much (although the google search results that someone used to find your blog…Wha???? EWWWWWW! Bleck!!!!) but no, you never mind! I look forward to checking in to see what normal life is for other families who love each other and the Lord!
Write on – sister girl. You are a pleasure to read!
I am so sorry that happend to you. Glad you caught it. It is scary the world we live in.
We will keep reading no matter what.
I can’t wait to hear about the skull splitting biscuit!
Very well put, Dawn. I am glad that you didn’t delete your blog…I would miss getting to read your daily quips about your life. I’ve known you for a lot of my life, but I haven’t really KNOWN you until the past 6 months or so. I love that.
And I too have 8th grade moments with my stinkin’ blog as well. Like “I thought that was hilarious, but I only got 2 comments! Argh!” Why do we do this to ourselves?
Count me into that potential limited readership, too, Dawn. I just ran over and voted for you, too.
That google search you discovered is just another reminder of how sick some people are and how easily we can be found if we’re not careful. Makes me ill to think how you must have felt.
You know what? I think you should post straight from your heart. I post about whatever’s on my mind and most of what’s usually on my mind is not earth-moving. I don’t think your readership will suffer. At all!
Go for it. Post about the things that really matter to you and people will sense that and appreciate it. I know for sure I appreciate your blog. And I hope you win tht Hot Stuff button. 🙂