Thursday, September 29, 2005

Self-Conscious

I'm a little unsatisfied with my blog's appearance. Now I'm not big on decoration. I mean, so it's a little spartan, big deal. But, unfortunately, much of the simplicity rises up out of my technical ignorance; I grab a ready-made template and get to work. That's not so bad, when it comes down to it, but it leaves me feeling small and ordinary.

I would like to have a nice masthead, for starters. Maybe add a booklist. I would like the site to sizzle with Cool.

I have tried to do little things, here and there, experimenting with my blog's design and function. I even put a site meter on it briefly. But I had to pull it off because I felt too much like King David taking a census. I'm still waiting for all of you to be struck down with a plague for my transgression. I apologize ahead of time for When It Happens. (That's not to condemn all of you sinners with site meters, by the way.)

This Web log is not about Pretty, Snappy, Big, or Cool. These are my stories. I want them, taken together, to be a reflection of who I am. Through them, I want to seize Life and hold it fast here, until it blesses me. To some extent, I just want to find some pleasure as I wander.

Ten years from now, today will be a non-memory for most. Blogs might have run their course. Our virtual communities might be scattered and shepherdless. That's okay. I'll remember.

I'll also remember that Will had a runny nose as he toddled between chair and couch. That Avery was wearing a Barbie nightgown and that Anna had a purple star bracelet on her right ankle. I'll remember that today is the day we left for a long weekend at Myrtle Beach. And that the toes on my right foot were driving me crazy with their itching.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That is nice, Anna. And I would be lying if I said I didn't think there was value in it. I've been greatly blessed by it myself. (You posted while I was still editing. Kinda shocked me. I have the unfortunate habit [compulsion?] of editing long after I've posted.)

Alison Hodgson said...

The thing is now I get to remember you have itchy feet too. I would have preferred to remember something about Laura or the girls.:)

Have a wonderful wonderful weekend.

Montana Sherry C said...

I like your clean and simple blog. Just your words standing on their own, without any...uh...

---
Do you ever just need a word from another language because it conveys what you want to say more accurately? But then get frustrated because your audience doesn't necessarily know that language? Well, I'm going to have to take a moment here to teach y'all a new word. Please find your seats and take out paper and pencil.

The word is bilas, pronounced BEE-lahss, and it is from Tok Pisin (aka Melanesian Pidgin), a fun little trade language I had to learn when I was teaching in Papua New Guinea so many years ago.

Bilas refers to any sort of exterior decoration that is not at all necessary, just pretty for pretty's sake. It can be used in a positive way, or, taken to the extreme, negatively.

Adornment and ornamentation come close, as does embellishment, but none of those get it quite right. I prefer bilas.

Class is dismissed.
--

Anyway, I like your blog as it is, sans bilas, to add in yet another language.

Jamie Dawn said...

Have a great time in Myrtle Beach. My family and I stayed there once, in the off season and got a great beach condo for $100 a night. I was recovering from one of my too many surgeries at the time, but we had a wonderful time there. I remember we went mini golfing at this really neat place with levels up about two stores or so.
I look forward to any changes you make to your blog appearance. My daughter helped me with mine, and I always prefer something simple and easy to read. I told her I wanted pineapples or palm trees. I love both of those things, and my house decor will reflect that one of these days.
Play around with your template. You may come up with something you like.