Today I am Thankful for Blogs

And if YOU are reading this, you can be thankful today, too. It was a toss up between the following for a writing topic today: hot flashes, mom, fire safety, and blogs. Blogs won. So, count 'yer blessings.

Sidenote: I am not doing that whole Thirty Days of Being Thankful thing because I believe we should be thankful all days of the year (I can hear a collective Awww!). Just like we should recognize and be thankful to Hispanics all year not just during National Hispanic Month.

I am a pretty serious reader. Now, unlike several of my sisters, my good friend S., and some other people I know I don't read 1000 books a week. I have a short attention span, so I prefer to read short things like the newspaper (in short article chunks), signs, papers that come home from school needing my attention and the like. But, I do love my actual books. It just takes me a good while to get through them. I have read some great ones lately, but that will have to be another post.

My love of reading has brought me gradually to blogs. After a rocky start, I have grown to love them and may be addicted to them. When blogging first started (yes, I am THAT old, people) I thought, wow what a shameless way for the me-generation to flaunt themselves and I was basically not interested. Then, my great friend over at http://cyberbones.blogspot.com/ painstakingly introduced me to her blog.

Now, I will digress for a minute here to tell you two things that have to do with Cyberbones. 1. This great friend has four kids, so she has introduced me to many, many things I did not know the first thing about. To name a few: allrecipes.com, sibling rivalry, post-partum depression, the joys of all kinds of coffee, gnocchi, etc. So, I will take this time to tell you - Cyberbones, I love you. 2. My mother was a faithful reader of my blog (and mama if you still read my blog from your heaven - I love, love, love you for that) and one day I was telling mama about something on Cyberbones' blog that was amazing (take your pick - can't remember specifically what) and mama said - I know I read it. I was like, huh? Mom in her amazing over 80 years had figured out (I didn't even know this - dangit) how to look up what other people are reading. Is that amazing??? Mama - I love you.

So..............fast forward a few years and I realized that blogging is a whole different breed. After becoming pretty avid about reading Cyberbones' blog, I eventually had to START my own blog. As you know, I wanted to be several things in life. Here's the short list: famous writer, decorated cop promoted to head detective (in a big city, not shot in the line of duty), restaurant reviewer, lawyer. So, to have people actually read what I am writing (and not because they have to - like I email them a "high priority" email, or tape a note to their chest) and comment on it???? That's like heaven. I am now pretty addicted to my blog and write everyday in it. Not a lot gets "published," but I have found I like it.

AND I love reading other people's blogs which at first I thought was.............NUTS. I am a little crazy about it. When I have time (not feeding six people, doing their laundry, cleaning up after them, otherwise tending to them, or working on that high stack of prints over there) I have been known to sit and read blogs for hours. So, (and I know that was a LONG WINDED introduction) today is a shout out to JUST A FEW noteworthy blogs and why I like them.

Cyberbones - this woman is who I would like to be when I grow up. She is a fabulous cook and baker, she has four kids who are well-rounded, she is world traveled, she reads like a 1000 books a week, and she blogs (almost daily) from Malawi, Africa. I learn things I didn't know from reading her blog and I have the extra bonus of her being my friend, so it feels like she's in my kitchen drinking coffee and I am getting the daily scoop.

http://pettijohns.blogspot.com/- this gal is just a great writer. She has a positive outlook on life, kids, and marriage and an old scrooge like me needs a dose of that every once in a while. Plus, she's dang funny and I can always use a laugh.

http://devonpondjumps.blogspot.com/- this lady is also a fabulous writer. And she's a young 'un. Boo! If I had just an ounce of her writing ability at my age I would hope I'd be famous. I am sure she will be famous soon and I can say I read her blog when............

The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan - okay he IS famous, but I do read a few famous blogs (famous in that they write for newspapers and such). I want to be Andrew Sullivan. Okay, so he's a gay man, but you know what I mean. He blogs, what like 32 POSTS A DAY??? I like to read his blog because it's kind of like reading NPR (which I am also addicted to - thank you, S.).

These are just a FEW SAMPLINGS of what I am reading nowadays. There are a few that request to remain private and that's cool. Know you're on my list and that I love your blogs, too. There are a few that suffer (as mine does a good part of the year) from regular updates. But, know that I am always waiting to read a good update. When a person that I don't know comments on my blog I go and check out theirs. So, B. if you read this - thanks again! Hope we can share reading!

So, that's my post. Thanks for blogging! If you have great blogs - send 'em my way. I am always up for another good read.