blogging201

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Tweaking the blog on Thirsty Thursday

Wine_GlassesYep, I’ve been fiddling about with the blog again.  Following a prompt at the beginning of blogging 201 I set up a new feature, with the category of ‘Today’.  This, it seems, has been confusing to my loyal followers (well follower… my mum if you must know) as she thought it meant ‘my latest post’. Well, for once, I can understand the confusion, and that, together with the pressure of posting every day (thought I was up for it. Not sure I am. Not sure you can cope with me rambling everyday either), so I’ve changed it to ‘Asides’. It was hard finding the right term, but I think that might cover it. Basically, I’m just going to bung all the random, shorter, day to day stuff on here that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the site. We’ll see how it goes!

Anyhoo… back to Thirsty Thursday.

Actually hungry(ish) Thursday today, because I’m on a ‘sort of’ fast day (5:2 diet, remember?).  Had a liquid lunch. Not one of those nice alcoholic ones either.  Nope, I’ve been a good girl.  I’ve bought me a juicer! So for lunch today I whopped in a couple of carrots, a couple of parsnips, a few sticks of celery and a red pepper and whiz, bang, out came the juice. Actually, it was quite nice, more like a smoothie than veggie juice, and four of my five a day right there, so I’m feeling all healthy and holier than thou.

Fuelled with all those vitamins and goodness, I set about making some wine this afternoon.  Ok, not quite so healthy, but I like to think of it as fruit juice of sorts. So now I’ve got five gallons of Merlot, a gallon of Elderflower, and a gallon of Elderberry on the go.  Should be ready in about three to four weeks.  My goodness, I love those kits!

The other day we had some of the Peach that I bottled recently, and I have to say it’s rather yummy, though it would be extra nice if we were drinking it in the garden on a lovely summer evening instead of snuggled on the sofa in the darkness of late October.  Haven’t tried the Chardonnay yet, but that’s pretty reliable as a rule.  Might have a sip or two this evening…

Cheers!

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Won’t somebody like me?

Yep, I’ve been a good girl and followed Blogging 201 instructions today and set up a facebook ‘fan’ page (and I’ve added the widget to my sidebar…aren’t I a whizz!).  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know I haven’t got any fans.  Hopefully I’ve got friends though and some of you might care to like me (pleeease…don’t make me beg..)  Why don’t you stop by for a chat at my fb page here it’s a bit new and I could do with some company!

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Weather Wednesday

I’m always really thrilled when I look at my stats and find people from so far and wide have been peeking at my blog. It’s really exciting to know that my dumb words are filtering out to the four corners, and I was thinking that I’d really like to know a little bit more about what it’s like where you are.  So I’m going to start with the weather (I am English after all!).  You’re on my new Today page, so it would be great if you would just pop a comment in the comments box below telling me where you are and what it’s like outside your window today.

Here’s my starter:

I live in a village, just outside a small market town which lies about 35 miles North of Nottingham (where Robin Hood came from, actually I’m only a couple of miles away from Sherwood Forest!), England.  After the left overs of hurricane Gonzalo passed our way yesterday, causing high winds which had me chasing after the chairs in the garden in torrential rain, there are blue skies overhead this morning and the trees are still.  It’s really chilly though, probably the coldest day of Autumn so far, I don’t have a thermometer around, but I think it’s probably no more than 7 degrees-ish brrr… Winter approaches.

I’m excited to hear about your world, so I do hope you have time to drop me a line.  I’ll let you know what the results are next Wednesday!

ta!

 

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Cheery Tuesday

DSC_0064I might as well give up, I can’t find anything interesting to say about Today, except that the can-can was danced in Paris for the very first time on this day in 1858.  Well, that’s quite interesting I suppose, but I didn’t want my nice new Today page to be just ‘this day in …’ that’s been done. To death.

Nope, I was hoping for exciting, interesting things.  Brilliant stuff I’d done Today.  Hilarious situations I’ve been in Today. Crikey, I even suggested a theme for each day of the week in my blogging 201 post outlining my goals. Yep, it’s supposed to be Terrible Joke Tuesday.

Hmm…well, promising that may have been a bit rash, though I will share my favourite joke with you (yes, I know you’ve all heard it before, but that’s it’s charm…)

‘What’s brown and sticky?’

‘A stick!’

Well, while you hold your sides with mirth, I’ll try and think of something else to share about today.

I’ve been bottling wine, that’s what I’ve been up to today. My homemade slosh.  Six bottles of Peach and six of Chardonnay, made from kits.  It’s not bad actually, perfectly gluggable, and very cheap and cheerful.  It only takes less than a month to ‘cook’ too, so it’s easy to keep a good stock up.  As well as the bottles I bottled this morning, we’ve currently got bottles of Merlot, Elderflower, Cabernet Sauvignon, and I think there might be a Elderberry left too.  All good stuff.

However, lurking in the garage, I have two demijohns full of my very own, no kit, yes made with my own fair hands, Marrow wine.  Except it’s not marrow, it’s courgette.  What can I say, they’d grown massive while we were on holiday, so they looked like marrows.  All the same anyway.

But I do seem to have invented Brown Wine.  It’s certainly not red or white, or even rose. Nope, definitely brown. And muddy. Well, it’ll clear, won’t it?

Actually, I’m not holding my breath. It’s been in there for a couple of months and there doesn’t seem to be much happening. Still, I won’t give up on my baby, I’ll keep racking it (decanting into fresh demijohns) and will watch it closely. And frankly, even if it stays brown and muddy, we’ll probably still drink it. Anyway, it might just be a slow mover, and will be ready in time for Christmas 2015. I’ll let you know.

Cheers!

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Between the posts

Well, Writing 101 is finished (boo…)

But hey….Blogging 201 is just starting (yay!!)

First challenge is to post at least three goals for my blog.  Hmm… that’s dead hard that is.

They’re asking me things like ‘why do you blog?’ and crikey, I don’t know.  I just do.  I like it, I like writing, I like interacting, I like reading other people’s blogs and pinching their ideas (not really, just getting inspiration, honest!), and I like seeing my stuff looking pretty. I like my friends and family to see how I’m keeping myself busy, and making them laugh, and wince sometimes (hehee).

Sooo…that’s why I blog.  Now I know.

The blogging 201 pixies are also asking me to set myself three goals for my blog.

So, what might they be…?

Ooh.. I’d like some more followers please.  It’s so lovely to see the dubree in the corner light up with likes or comments, but it really makes my day when I get an email saying ‘so and so is now following your blog’.  That’s splendid.  Yep, lets have some more of those, say reach 220 by end of November. Sitting at 180 as of this morning, so doable I hope.

Of course, to get more followers I’m going to have to do some work.  Have been publishing daily through the course of writing 101, so I’m going to give myself a break here, and just endeavour to post something at least three times a week.  Perfectly doable I think.

Thirdly, for your delight and entertainment, I’m going to establish a new feature.  No idea what.  I could do with your help if I’m honest.  Have come up with one or two ideas:

  • Madness on Monday – plenty of madness in the world to talk about methinks
  • Terrible joke Tuesday – hmm… know plenty of those too…
  • Wordy Wednesday – my ‘word of the day’. Today, by the way (ok I know it’s Monday, smarty pants… I’m just sayin’), it’s Balter, which apparently means ‘to dance gracelessly, without particular art or skill, but with some enjoyment’ – I do it all the time!
  • Thirsty Thursday – actually this one already exists in our house, but not in a bloggy way, more in a ‘time for a glass of wine’ way.
  • Fabulous Friday – well, I’m fabulous every day of course but not blingy, more sophisticated and genteel (hmm..!) but there is plenty of bling out there that catches my eye and makes me gasp with wonder at what people are prepared to wear.

What do you think? Any of ‘em any good? Well, I’ll leave it for now, and surprise you!

Anyhoo…there you are.  Three, perfectly achievable goals.  Better get off and start doing something now then.