Approaching Glory

Why I Typepad

 I've blogged here at Typepad for 6.5 years now.  That's kinda amazing to me.  I can remember when I first went into Barnes and Noble trying to find a book on the "new thing" I'd heard about - blogging.  I was quite pleased to find the young salesperson caught off-guard about a subject he had never heard about - made me feel like a techie - lol!

Before coming to Typepad I had a website named Approaching Glory.  I had inspirational writings on it and I did the html coding myself (okay - so without Pete Levelle I wouldn't have been able to do anything)  Anyhoo - lots of hours went into its creation and hopefully it ministered to some people.  It's the first time I ever got a picture of the size of the Net.  I heard from people all around the world.  However,  I got the notice this past fall that the host was taking the sites down - so I copied my files and figured I do something else with my writings sooner or later.  Still trying to decide what would be the best way to post them again.

But somewhere in the midst - I came to Typepad.  And somewhere in all of this, I've longed for the day when I would be able to have my own url. Today is that day.  I start this year with my very own address, with endless possibilities ahead, and some new directions for my blog.

And let me tell you - I can NOT say enough good things about the folks at Typepad.  They have been great hosts and super helpful.  If you ever want a blog - they get my five star stamp of approval :)

PS - if you ever get bored out of your gourd and you want to read the past 6.5 years of my life - take a look at the archives!

And Some Things Never Change....

Thanks to Far Beyond Pearls for this bit of laughter. 

Backward Glances Part 2

Go read the last post first then come back.  Okay - now.  In addition to needing to see the whole picture, I am discovering my need for the human element.  I am very much an independent, individualist, and somewhat of an isolationist.  I thoroughly enjoy my "alone" time.  To. A. Degree.

The older I get, the more I realize I really like "my space" as long as it is close enough to the group's space so that I can "see" the group and dive into it when I want.  I may march to the sound of a different drum, but I want to know the rest of the parade is around somewhere. 

Which brings me around to my topic - thought I'd never get there didn't you. I find myself in the river not knowing from when I cometh, not having the equipment I need, and not knowing where I'm going.  I have had one person attempt to help me - thank you thank you thank you. But - if I am understanding what I've read, I will need to

1. get a domain name
2. find another host
3. learn more about PR than I ever knew existed (or know exists)
4. start said new blog and get it up and running, advertised, visited, established in ninety days
5. get re-hired for the new blog
6. do what with this blog?
7. do what with the people who visit here?
8. I've got four years of my life on this blog, can I save that? pictures, comments, etc.
9. do I slurp it and make it into three volumes of a book - think Booksmart
10. will I lose friends?

I can not tell you how I've struggled with this.  My hubby thinks I'm nuts.  Shut it down he says and just re-direct people.  It ain't that simple.  We're talking major overhaul - people to contact, rings to notify - new categories - blah blah blah.  "Just do it" is his motto - this means - "We need the money."

By now if you are still reading , you think I've lost my point.  Trust me - I haven't.  I'm doing a backward glance and I've discovered that I entered into something that I needed the "whole vision" for with just a partial first segment revealed.  This an elephant and I thought it was a rabbit.  I have discovered I needed both the book, "How to Do this for Dummies" and a person beside me explaining the task.

You see there is a vast difference between painting for the market and painting for yourself.  Ditto with writing.  My blog was - well - my blog.  I won't lie and tell you it isn't tempered somewhat due to not wanting to be offense.  However, essentially - it is me.

Okay I leave you with this - if I start a new blog do I take this name with me?  Do I just start completely over? Oh Lord.  My idealistic self is wrestling with my "we have needs self".  I need some of the human element.

Would people abandon me?  I don't know.  I like to think I write well......

Backward Glances Part 1

Okay - I'm miffed.  I am a person who learns by first seeing "the whole".  That means when I take a class, I appreciate a teacher who gives a quick overview of the course and then attacks the segments.  You give me an instructor who starts with the first segment, without giving me an idea of where we are going, and I get frustrated.  Might be an innate control thing but let's not go there.

That being said - I find that I have jumped into the river and I am soaring downstream without the equipment I need and no idea where I'm headed.  Not. A. Good. Thing.  I saw an opportunity to make some money.  I felt good about it because:

• I can write (or at least I like to think I can)
• I would get to pick and choose the where, when, what I would do (that's always nice)
• it would get me enough money to cover the homeschool expenses and the extracurricular expenses for Jbird (this would be a REAL help for our family)

So I did the leap.  And what I found out is - that what I don't know on this topic could fill and entire house with peanuts. Now who is responsible for gaining this knowledge - me.  But when I was complaining talking to my cousin about this, he said something that blessed me.  He was telling me about a little boy who comes into the library on a regular basis and is always asking for help with the card catalog.  My cousin has watched him and says he's real a bright child and eager to learn.  This little urchin approached D and asked for his help (again).  D was really busy with something else at the time and told the child that he could go look up the information himself.  The kid looked down and said he didn't know how. My cousin said, "Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know.  And then all of a sudden you begin to realize that there are some things you do need to know.  Or stated this way:  Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. Maybe you don't even know the questions to ask. And of course, you don't even know how to learn it or who to learn it from."  D got the information for the boy and then told him that he would teach him how to use the system for himself.

This brings me to this point:

• nothing substitutes for the human element

To be continued......

Beginning - Again

Well, I decided to take the plunge and try out Typepad. I've admired Moveable Type for quite awhile but didn't have the savy to get the program up and working for me. So Typepad was really what I was looking for. However, there are still some issues I'd like to see raised as they continue to develop the program. I hope people will begin to make some templates specific for Typepad (other than the ones offered by the site). I love artsy sites and don't have the time or inclination to learn everything I would need in order to have the blog look exactly the way I want it. But I'll learn how to use it all eventually - or I'll just write a ticket!

By the way, the little girl in the picture in my header isn't me - it's my Mom. Her name was Gloria. I've always loved this picture of her. I also made a link to the place where I've posted the longer articles from the old web site, Approaching Glory - The Articles. Take a look when you get the chance. I'll be posting new articles from time to time.