This is where I stand up and say, “Hi, my name’s yearstricken and I blog. It started in October of this year. The blog, not the writing and the drawing. That’s been going on for years. A lot of it (most?) done in secret. For years I’d make late night walks to the curb to put “stuff” in the recycling container. I didn’t want anyone to see the amount of paper I’d written or drawn on or question me about the amount of time I’d spent scribbling.
I have used up more paper than I care to admit. I’m saddened to think of all the trees that had to give their lives to satisfy my needs. As restitution, I have put most of my writing on my computer. The drawings require paper, but I erase a lot, which is a form of recycling. It’s been a while since my husband has innocently picked up a piece of paper thinking it was a harmless grocery list only to find he was face to face with a poem in free verse. That was awkward and unsettling for both of us.
My poor family has had to endure a number of painful and uncomfortable moments when I have either thrust a piece of paper into one of their hands or cornered one of them by saying, ‘Would you like to hear what I wrote?’ It’s the equivalent of being accosted by a dirt-encrusted wino who puts his arm around you and asks for some spare change. Except the wino lives with you and is called mother or wife. That’s me, folks.
But that’s not the end of my ability to unsettle. Earlier this year, I started sending out my words to a select group of strangers, called editors. You have no idea the amount of sorrow and regret I caused them. Response after response came in saying, ‘We’re sorry…we regret to inform…’ Talk about guilt.
So I started blogging. My family is visibly relieved. Editors throughout the United States are sleeping better. And I discovered that blogging is an acceptable form of begging for spare change, or in blogese, asking if someone would like to hear what I wrote.”
The world of blog is full of creative, kind, funny, brilliant, and generous people. And kind, I mentioned that, right? One of these shiny beings who creates ten beautiful things before breakfast every day (or so it seems) nominated me for an award. Her name is kathryningrid. She lives over on kiwsparks street. She has regular parties there, and if you go, she will encourage you to dance, sing, paint, make pictures, and build castles out of words. Thank you, kathryningrid.
I am supposed to share seven things about myself you don’t know.
- I have never owned a house.
- I deliberately shoplifted once when I was a teenager: a tube of Coppertone. This year I had to have cryosurgery on two small patches on my face because of too much sun exposure when I was young. See, crime never pays. Back then, Coppertone didn’t protect your skin.
- A few years later, I accidentally shoplifted a tube of lipstick. I was at a drugstore looking at makeup sets and was wearing a wraparound skirt with large pockets. When I got home, I found the lipstick in one of the pockets. It must have fallen in when I was picking up the sets. It was bright red, not my color. I didn’t know how to explain it to the store clerk, so I threw it away.
- I love music from the likes of the Carter Family and their album Gold Watch And Chain: Their Complete Victor Recordings 1933-1934. My children prefer toothpicks in the eyeballs to this kind of music. Oddly “toothpicks in the eyeballs” is not the name of an actual band.
- I am not particularly musical but during a very difficult time in my life, I wrote two blues songs.
- I find it difficult to talk about myself. Writing is different. It’s more like what you do in a confessional: talk about yourself with the hopes that whoever is eavesdropping will forgive you and love you anyway.
- The first time I took a blood test, I passed with an A-. Not bad, huh?
One of the rules of the award is to nominate others. Three of these websites I was going to pick had just been nominated, so I didn’t include them. Once I have time to work more on my website, I will make a blog roll like I see on the real bloggers’ sites.
- You Knew What I Meant – smart and funny
- k8edid – funny and nobody makes buttons like this woman
- steadily skipping stones – good discussions, funny stories
- heretherebespiders — great pictures and stories from the land of leprechauns
- winsomebella – a pleasure to read (and with pictures!)
- A Lighter Shade of Grey – geese in the skies and good words come from her
- corpora – an applied linguistics researcher who plays with words
- Boomerrantz – funny boomer ranter who now goes by her real name
- kvenna ráð – bring oxygen, she may take your breath away
- Fresh Local and Best – the food! the pictures!
- A Feast for the Eyes – more food! more pictures!
year-struck 
What a nice surprise! I thought if I ever got nominated, I would nominate you, but I guess that’s out of the question in this case. And thank you for the links to new-to-me bloggers, I always love that.
As I was reading the beginning of your post, I was totally relating to that, “hey, read this” thing. But I only started doing that after I became a blogger. Just last night I gave a relative my url, as I lowered my eyes in shame for being a bloggwhore. Love me or hate me, but whatever you do, read me. Here’s my phone, we can look it up right now…
I have enjoyed reading what you have to say.
We are all the same, aren’t we? It’s so nice to meet to many great people/writers here on WordPress.
I have not been following your site for very long, but I know I will find good writing that brings about a knowing laugh or an insight or two. I am glad you were awarded the versatile blogger award–I too would nominate you in the future, just as I would steadily skipping stones. It feels like a family to read and read throughout the blogging community. Congrats, you VBlogger, you! I look forward to exploring the other sites you mention, besides the one I already knew.
Thanks, Patti. You were one of the first to follow. Thank you for reading and being so encouraging.
Hello Year (that is your first name, right?),
Thanks for nominating me. 😉
I do like your sense of humour and your up-close-and-personal writing style. If you feel like something less “work-like” see my other blogs.
Where do I find are the rules for “The Versatile Blogger”? Seven things about myself, is it?
You’re welcome for the nomination. Here are the rules:
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.
Thanks for the links to your other blogs.
Thanks so much for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. I have, however received it, and several others on a number of occasions. I’m actually behind on fulfilling the nomination rules for the last few times I was nominated. So, if you would like to remove me from your list and nominate someone else, I will understand.
I appreciate how valuable these awards are for the purpose of networking, so thanks again for thinking of me!
I knew that some had received this before. No need to fulfill the rules; I just wanted to acknowledge you.
Thank you for the shout out. You have a good thing going with your blog and I look forward to more time in the confessional. A marvelous way of putting it, mind you.
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts. And I may need a long time in the confessional.: )
LOVE this post! You are a very good writer. You really should stop shoplifting though, or at least start taking more useful products.
PS – thank you for stopping by my little blog, greatly appreciated!
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. I’ve given up shoplifting, but I do occasionally “borrow” photos from Google.
Thank you! I’m sorry I’ve not fulfilled my obligations yet – a bad weekend got in the way!
It took me a full week to get around to it. No worries.
Thanks for another set of links to another set of cool-sounding blogs. Now I’ll *never* get anything else done. Oh yeah, I didn’t before. Never mind, then! I will definitely get on over and do some exploring. But don’t think just because you provided all of these other distractions you’ll now be rid of me. No Ma’am! 🙂