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~ just one jane's thoughts on life

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Tag Archives: blogs

bangs or no bangs?

04 Monday Jan 2010

Posted by Jane Bretl in Writing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

blogs, Jane Friedman, Jane Koenen Bretl, new year, Writer Unboxed, Writer's Digest

New year, new look.

Inspired by a recent post from Jane Friedman of Writer’s Digest, I did a little cyber redecorating again. Her guest post, “5 Things That Make Me Stop Reading Websites and Blogs” appeared on the blog Writer Unboxed.  In it, she outlines a few easy blog fixes that can help ensure an online reader will stick around long enough to read the good content.  And I always trust her advice.  As she explains,

“I’ve been compiling best tweets for writers for half a year now, and have scanned tens of thousands of blog postings and homepages, all by following a Tweeted link.

Just as I have a sense about whether a manuscript will be any good in the first few minutes, now I have the same gut feel about blog posts. Only it takes seconds.”

Online or in print, there is just that moment to… at best, set that hook and at worst, make them turn away before they even see what is dangling there.

OK, good point.  I do want people to stick around long enough to hear what I have to say, at least when I am posting something other than ridiculous dog pictures.  Although I know my dear sister will always read to the end no matter what, I want to make these pages easy to read for everyone — even those with floaties, bifocals (oops, that’s me), web browsing smartphones, and yes, even those with illicit webpage access from your work computers (you know who you are).

Consider this bloggy change the equivalent of a new haircut — one that looks a little too much like my girlfriend’s haircut —  but if it suits us both, I’ll just wear a different barrette.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So, New Year, here we are.

What is out there that we have not paused to dream of yet?

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six degrees of bloggeration

11 Saturday Apr 2009

Posted by Jane Bretl in Foodies, good reads, seasons

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

blogs, vintage cookbooks

For me, one of the wonders of the blogoshere is this ability to find kindred spirits anywhere in the world.  Until very recently, I met people through the traditional walks and walkings of life, made many wonderful friends and interesting acquaintances — but my web of connections was based on where I lived, where the kids went to school; plus fate, luck, destiny, divine intervention and those six degrees of separation.  Along my merry way, I had not yet managed to meet someone who shared my vintage cookbook fetish, cooking contest winner fantasy, librarian aspirations and who is also an accomplished author who incorporated her love of food into her stories.  I did not spend much time thinking about the existence of such a person; but really what are the chances? And even if she did exist, how likely that our paths ever cross??

Viola!  Through fate, luck, destiny, divine intervention, the internet, blogs, and Karen’s trail of bread crumbs, I found such a person!  Does she play the harp?  We don’t know yet!  But just thinking about how wildly random this is makes me think in exclamation points!

The blog Vintage Cookbooks by Amy combines recipes from by-gone eras (the 70’s do count), vintage photos (photographic food styling in the 1950’s is quite amusing), cheeky commentary on culinary choices and… reviews of YA novels.

This is my kind of blog.

So, just in time for Easter dinner, check out her posts on Bunny Breads, and Baked Glazed Hams trimmed with candied orange daisies, and salad baskets with green pepper handles.  I find this so charming; you may be befuddled.  To each their own basket of goodies.

My friend Joan says that we all meet for a reason.  Tell me, have you ever unexpectedly found someone that shares your uncommon combination of interests?  I’d love to hear your list, and your stories…

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a real letter

12 Thursday Mar 2009

Posted by Jane Bretl in Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

blogs, mail

About an hour after my last post about the mail, I was surfing some of my new blog favorites and found this from Nathalie’s Notes.  Sounds like her mailbox receives the same assortment as most of us, but she says it so beautifully.

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Share a Story – Shape a Future

02 Monday Mar 2009

Posted by Jane Bretl in good reads, Motherhood, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

blogs, literacy

If you find yourself wandering around the blogosphere next week, check out this fun, worthwhile event (click here):

Created by a group of blogging librarians, teachers, parents, illustrators, authors and people passionate about literacy,  Share-A-Story — Shape-A-Future is a venue to share ideas and celebrate everything reading has to offer our kids.

Their goal:  building a community of readers, one person at a time.  Sounds good to me!  There are weblinks for each day, March 9-13.

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jane, candid

In 2009, I started this blog to share my sometimes thoughtful, sometimes funny, occasionally irreverent thoughts on motherhood, writing for publication and myriad creatures that got along as cats and dogs.

One day, I felt like stepping away from living out loud for awhile. Eh, life happens.

Fast forward five years -- I'll gloss over the details for now -- save to say that lucky for me an unexpected detour has provided some new material.

So here I am, standing at the corner. I've been here before, wondering which way to go. This time I choose living.

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topics to peruse in either the traditional or modern sense. You get to choose.

  • cancer, weirder than I thought
  • Foodies
  • get along like cats and dogs
  • good reads
  • Motherhood
  • Photography
  • seasons
  • something important, I'm sure
  • Writing

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