50 Posts Already!?

Posted by random olio

Yesterday I posted my 50th blog post. I know for many bloggers out there that is not a huge feat, but for me it is exciting! When I started Random Olio I did not know where I was going with it, but each day I have loved putting my random hodgepodge into the world of ideas over the Internet. When I started I know I would never have imagined writing 50 different blog posts. Yet, I have loved every moment of it. There have been times when I felt: “What is the point of this?” or “Why am I even taking the time to do it?” I would get discouraged, and then I would hear from a blog follower, or a friend that said: “Your blog made me think about this idea differently. Thank you for continuing to write.” Those little comments encouraged me to keep going. Often we will be out and about in town, or I will be on the treadmill, or in the shower (where I do my best thinking), and an idea will come to me. I will pause the treadmill, or finish my shower, or send myself an email and come and write for a bit. Just enough to get the idea down and out of my head, then I come back later to expand on the idea.

So, thank you for everyone that has continued to read Random Olio over the last 1-50 posts. I am grateful to you! Feel free to post your comments and feedback anytime. I love hearing from you!

Since it is also Friday, I wanted to share a little fun with you. I watch Ellen and I think her “Dance Dare” is a hoot. Have fun watching her introduction video here:

Enjoy and happy Friday!

Do you know how to PLAY?

Posted by random olio

Last week, I had lunch with a friend and the topic of “play” came up in our conversation. It is one that always interests me. I am one that much of the time is led to do the responsible thing and NOT play, rather than to play and realize that the responsible item on the list really did not need to be done, or at least that it could be done later. What develops in us as we grow up that makes it harder for some of us to play, while it is easier for others? What does “play” mean to you? I find that I am my most playful self when I am around young children, especially if there is laughter, make believe, hide and seek, tickles, etc. I usually forget the surroundings I am in and jump in and play with glee. Does “play” for you mean you are just relaxing? What would it look like to let go and dance, sing, and laugh hard (you know when tears start spouting from your eyes)? Is that a normal everyday occurrence or does it come out as often as I cook (ever so rarely, mostly when my husband is traveling).

Is play for you climbing, running, biking, baking, cooking, organizing? Or are all those things work? Is play when we are in the “now” and when we are in the zone? That is a hard one for me to answer. You can be at work, loving the project you are working on, and in the zone, but does that mean it is play? Playing games, Wii, the batting cages, bowling, and skee ball are just a few forms of “play” for me.

I love this blog post from Nathan. It is a good reminder for all of us. Nathan, I hope you are doing well after your car was hit. Keep letting your daughter pull you away from work.

my kind of play: skee ball at Santa Monica Pier

“Live and work but do not forget how to play.” -Eileen Caddy

Do something this weekend where you “PLAY.” Chris: Batting cages this weekend? Are you in?

Sanding the roughness

Posted by random olio

I am in the middle of reading: “A Writer’s Coach” by Jack Hart. I love that he is from Portland and at the time of the printing was a managing editor and writer coach for The Oregonian.

On page 39, there is a paragraph on writing that resonates with me: “A writer who attended one of my workshops passed along this beautiful metaphor:”

Years ago I used to futz with every sentence, but then an editor told me something that really made sense. He said that when a carpenter builds a piece of furniture he doesn’t first make one side, perfect that, and then construct another side and perfect that. He must build the entre frame and then go back and put the finishing touches on each section. Even when I am on deadline, I think of what I write first as an imperfect frame that will be improved later.

This inspired me and reminded me of when I took shop class in middle school. I think we had to do a cooking class, sewing, and shop class. I actually loved them all. I love to bake, I am not half bad behind a sewing machine (although I hated threading them in middle school, these days they practically thread themselves). However, shop class reminded me of my dad, and his warehouse/garage. My dad was a carpenter/contractor and he had lots of tools, and I often watched him build things. In shop class, we built wooden bowls, made out of scrap wood glued together. We started with a block of 5-10 kinds of wood and we used a lathe and dug out the shape and form of the inside and outside of the bowl. Once we were happy with the shape, then we started sanding.

Just as with wood, we have to sand out writing. Whether a book, business report, ad campaign, blog, etc, after the shape has formed we can go back and smooth out the edges and roughness. Not all imperfections should be removed. Imperfections can give character, depending on the flaw. I still have my bowl, and because we used scrap wood, not every piece was perfect. I still look at that bowl and love the little imperfections in the wood. I fell in love with wood that quarter, and I have fallen in love with writing.

bowl from middle school shop class

The Versatile Blogger Award

Posted by random olio

Thank you, Robin from The Writing Life of Robin, for nominating me for The Versatile Blogger Award. It is exciting to be nominated!

I have been blogging for just over 2 months, and will be posting my 50th blog later this week. I am grateful for all the individuals that have found me via the Internet, friends, Facebook, and for all the comments and feedback I have received on this new adventure for me.

The rules of accepting the nomination are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated me.
Include a link to his/her blog.
Nominate fifteen blogs I enjoy and follow.
Lastly, tell you seven things about myself.

My list of seven things about me:

I often make up my own words. Either from putting two words together to make my own word, or because my mind is going to fast, what comes out of my mouth has not caught up with my mind.
I love babies and kids, although babies just have me at hello, but we have yet to start a family. Sometime. Soon. I think.
Information is my drug of choice. I love researching and learning new things.
Salt before sugar. I am addicted to french fries, onion rings, and a good burger, but usually only eat them when we go out.
I run and read. I run on the treadmill and read at the same time, making training for an upcoming marathon hard, as my attention span is not the same.
I am addicted to my husband. If you have read past posts you will see that trend. He is my best friend and I cannot imagine my life without him.
I am not afraid to ask questions. I would rather know the truth, details, information than not, so beware if you run into me, I will ask you questions.

Here are the fifteen bloggers I am nominating for The Versatile Blogger award. You can go to their blogs by clicking on the name of the blog.

DesignSponge

Grace is Controlled Daring

Books and Bowel Movements

Side of the Road Sessions

Feel Good Tribe

The Happiness Project

Lead.Learn.Live

Withywindle

Kevin and Amanda

The Writing Life of Robin – Thank you, again, Robin!

YOU in four words

Posted by random olio

Can you describe yourself in four words? I recently stumbled over this blog post where Lori writes about describing yourself in four words. It really got me thinking! I think how one answers this question changes from time to time. How would you answer that question today? Does your answer show where your priorities stand? I do not always like defining myself and putting walls around things, but I do find it interesting to see if my answer would be different today than it is tomorrow. I have seen this image floating around Facebook lately. The idea is the first four words that pop out to you are to describe you.

me on a rooftop deck in Austin

Tami in four words on March 12, 2012: Wife, Woman, Blogger, Creative

A little wisdom from Anne Lamont: “We begin to find and become ourselves when we notice how we are already found, already truly, entirely, wildly, messily, marvelously who we were born to be.”

How would you describe yourself in four words?