Old People Who Blog

I don't usually talk to my friends about this blog. Most of the women I know in my age group are not interested in anything related to the internet other than email. They look at me a little funny if I do mention that I am blogging.

Bloggers Over 50, a website I found recently, has a long blogroll of bloggers. They all seem to be in their 50's and 60's.  Looking for someone more my age, I googled "elderly bloggers"  and came up with The Ageless Project - a site where "elderly people"  -(:( I don't feel elderly) - can register their blogs under the decade in which they were born. The dates start back in the 1910's and there are some interesting blogs on this site.

Some of them have family members who are web designers, etc. and who maintain their blogsites for them.  I am patting myself on the back that I am learning to do this all on my own.   Sometimes I think that is more fun for me than the actual blogging.

Technorati

I spent quite a bit of time reading http://www.blogdoctor.me/. It is chock full of information - some of which is too technical for me. Or maybe there was just so much that I could not take it in. However, I am trying to follow his suggestion of claiming my blog in Technorati......and for that I am suppose to insert this code -  7KD5VBTRMMC4I - in a post.

The Technorati Help Page says:

We realize that putting this odd code text into your feed means that all of your feed followers (and perhaps Twitter, Facebook, and other sites) will see it, but it's the best method we've found so far to demonstrate to us that you control the blog. You can remove the code once the claim is complete

I am not sure why I need Technorati  (but I will keep researching)! This blog seems to be more about my trials and tribulations in learning how to blog more than anything else............But after all I am an old lady :) and doing this on my own.

Blog Reading

Blog reading is more than an "Occasional Pursuit" for me. I am always curious about other people...what they are thinking...and how they do things. I guess I am an info junkie.

I can't figure out a good way to keep the blogs I subscribe to.  At present, I use Delicious tags and keep it opened in the sidebar. I first have to click on my Delicious tag, then click on the blog, and then it takes at least 2 or 3 seconds to load the whole blog. Of course, I don't want to wait 2 or 3 seconds!! :-)

I use to have IE as my browser and I really liked their bookmark and feed sidebar.  Firefox that I am using now.....not so much.....though it works much better as a browser on my computer.

I don't like Google Reader,either. Probably because I have to click to get Google's homepage, click on my Reader account, click on the blog.......It's all just too much clicking for me.

I spend waaaay too much time reading blogs.  I open one blog that I like, and before I know it, I follow links from it until I have clicked way off into the web and found at least another million blogs that I want to save. I can't spend the whole day reading blogs. I still have a house to clean and a husband to feed. But  I'm so afraid I'll miss something good!!

I know, I know - the logical thing to do is  to set a timer and when it goes off, just quit. Sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn't.........depending on my level of will power on that day..........and even on my best days, that's not so good.

I would like to know how others organize their bookmarks and use their blog reading time wisely.

Another Template

I found this free header at Smashing Magazine. It is by CV Designs. Isn't it lovely?

I am trying another template from the new template designs in Blogger.  I really prefer a simple, essentially white and black, uncluttered look.  I know I have got to quit changing templates all the time. I'll never have a "brand" (I'm being funny). I'm beginning to think I just enjoy experimenting and learning how to do all this stuff rather than the actual blogging.

Also, I have added a couple of "pages" and intend to explore using pages further.
 
I spent several hours this past week trying to figure out Feedburner - finally got it configured in with the last template I was using.  I still don't quite understand it.  Since the Feed Chicklets still show, I am assuming it is working with this template.  However, SiteMeter is gone and I've got to figure that out again. Mrs. Mecomber, if you are out there, I could use a blog post about Feedburner! I like the way you explain things!

In my next life, I am going to Web Design school!

Blog Reading

I've been sitting at this computer for two hours this morning. My mind feels over whelmed.  I've been blog reading - mainly reseaching info on writing blogs.  Or at least that is how I started out.  There is so much information.  I bounce from one site to another......and get further and further lost in internet land.  I have got to find a better way to spend less time looking for what I want.  I do have my booksmarks categorized in folders, but there are so many of them.

Recently, I have started using Stumble Upon (just for entertainment - not for searching - well, maybe for searching what other blogs look like).  I highly recommend this if you are looking for interesting sites to read.  There are really some unusual blogs out there.

I said all that to say this:  Here is a good article about how to find a niche in blogging that I ran across in my wanderings around the internet this morning.  You need to scroll down the page to find it.

Have a great day!

Blog Reading

It is Sunday morning. My granddaughters, who spent last night with us, are still asleep on the pull-out sofa in the family room.  Our guest room is currently occupied by my son-in-law who has been staying with us. He and my daughter and granddaughter are moving to another country (oh, wait....another state....just feels like another country) and he has been in job transition while my daughter has already gone ahead.  Since I can't go out to watch news, knit, and have my cup of coffee, I am in the computer room (also the sewing and ironing room) trying to catch up on reading blogs.

My list of blogs to read and check out gets longer and longer.  I feel a little frustrated that I can't keep up with all of them.  One site leads to another and another...........I was on I'm an Organizing Junkie this morning and found another great-looking site, Reluctant Entertainer.

I here someone rattling around in the kitchen.  Guess I'd better go check.

Menus and Columbia Restaurant Salad Recipe

In searching the web looking for blogs by older people, I came acress this post by Nicholas Carr entitled "Blogging: a great pastime for the elderly".  He talks about a survey that says young people think blogging is uncool and only older people do it.  Oh well, everything always seems to be out before I am in.

I did get my menus planned for this week.  They are;

1. Pinto Beans/Cornbread/Columbia Restaurant Salad
2. Old Fashioned Beef Stew/Rice/Green Peas/Pear and Cheese Salad
3. Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes/Broccoli and Cheese Sauce/Canned Tropical Fruit Salad
4. Chicken Dressing Casserole/Quick Candied Yams/Green Beans/Fruit Salad

This allows for leftovers and for eating out at least once. The Columbia Salad Restaurant Salad is a signature recipe from a restaurant here in Florida.  It is very good.

Columbia Salad Recipe

1/2 head Iceberg Lettuce, torn

2 Tomatoes, diced

1 stalk Celery, diced

3 oz. Swiss Cheese, julienned

3 oz. Ham, julienned

1/4 cup Spanish Olives, pitted

2 tablesp. Romano Cheese

Dressing:

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Lemon, juiced

1/2 cup Olive Oil

2 tablesp. White Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Arrange salad ingredients in serving bowl or individual salad plates.  To prepare the dressing mince garlic and put in a bowl.. Add oregano, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.  Beat with a wire wisk until smooth.  Add the oil gradually and finally add the vinegar, beating continuously.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  When well-mixed, pour dressing over salad and toss.

New Blog Header

I have spent all morning making a new header for this blog.  Finally figured out that 1175 pixels will fit across the template (Minema Stretch) that I am using.  The width of a new header doesn't seem to matter.

I thought about changing the name of this blog to "Over 70 and Counting" inspired by  this blog I ran across last night.  It has a blogroll for bloggers over 50 with a lot of interesting looking sites on it.  If  I ever figure out how to make a bloggroll, maybe I could do one for over 70's!!  We could talk about our aches and pains and the trips we've taken :) .

I need to get out in the yard and rake oak leaves and cut back all of the dead stuff, but Thankfully unfortunately it is wet and rainy outside, as it was yesterday. This has been a weird winter.  We have lived here almost 50 years and I never remember another like it.

HTML

This morning my husband and I went to Ikea. I had something I needed to return and wanted to look at their shelving. We were there early enough for their free breakfast (that's how I got him to go!).

While we were finishing the meal with an extra cup of coffee - and their coffee is really good - he mentioned a newspaper article that he had read about how some people have been able to go into blogs and find out where the blogger lives. I reminded him that
1. I don't think a predator would be interested unless he has a thing for old, wrinkled, slightly overweight women.
2. We certainly are not rich and famous, and
3. Neither of us is running from the police.

I don't really think this is going to be a problem.

What makes me very excited about the above is that I am doing this whole post in html instead of composer. About.com has a 10 week class on XHTML and I am plodding through it. Don't know if it will really help with blogging that much but will see.

By the way, if anybody reads this and has advice or criticism about the set-up of this blog, I will be very appreciative of it!

Struggling to Learn How to Set Up This Blog

Every once in awhile, the solution to a problem will jump into my head early in the morning after I wake up.  One morning since I last posted, it dawned on me that maybe blogger will take png graphic files as well as jpg (and it does).  I had been trying to make my own title design with PSE and being able to use png's will make things easier as it enables me to use digital elements while keeping the background invisible.

I also was having problems figuring out how to size pictures to fit the title bar and did not really understand the instructions I found on the web.  Finally, I just right clicked on the title bar of someone else's blog that used the same template as I do and noted the properties of the photo used in their title bar.  The size was 800 x 170 pixels with a 72 resolution.  I still had to tweak this a little.  So now I have my own title though I need to work on it as it is by no means an impressive work!

Another idea I had is to make a quick draft of post ideas for the day early when my mind is working  and expand on it later - when my poor mind is tired and can't do any new thinking.

Every thing I have read on the internet (and in Google Blogger for Dummies that I just got from the library) talks about the importance of picking a subject that the writer is passionate about.  This has stumped me as there is not one thing that I stick with.  I am interested in a lot of things - particulary if there is something new to learn about it.  The only thing I can do is blog about whatever the thing of the moment happens to be……..thus the name “Occasional Pursuits”.   And wonder of wonders!  I was able to get a blogger domain name using the same words.

Working on Blogger

Well, it's the first day of March, and now I will have 2 months under "archives"!!  Of course, it doesn't matter that I started practically on the last day of February.

In doing some research on blogging this weekend, I found that Blogger uses Picasa Web Albums to store photos that it's users post.  Upon checking my albums I found that even photos that I had used and then deleted from my blog were in my Picasa Web Album - although some of the photos were repeats.  I deleted the repeats and hope I got the right ones.  The photos are still on this site this morning but, according to the article I read, sometimes it takes 24 hours for them to be deleted from the blog.

This morning, in trying to find the site about Picasa and Blogger - since I forgot to bookmark it - I couldn't find it but I found a lot of other sites about this subject..........so guess I will do some more research.

PS After trying in vain to reposition and add a new gadget, I found I could not make it work using Firefox for my browser but was able to after switching to IE.  (Not my idea - I found it after googling)

My Day

I walked 3 laps around the mall this morning with my neighbor.

Went to my grandson's and granddaughter's basketball games.

Came home and worked for HOURS on this blog and as, can be seen, made very little progress - but I'm getting there - stumbling around all the way!  I requested Dummies Guide for Google Blogger (or something like that) from the library.  Hope they send it soon.

In between those things, I did a little housework and made dinner.

I'm ready for some TV and bed.

This blog is a practice blog.  I am not sure where I am going with it - probably it will be just a journal.