Category — Friday Blog Roundup

Each time I opened up Facebook on Wednesday, my entire feed — ten or more posts in a row each time — was about Heather Armstrong. Either posts about mental health in general (and open offers of support) or Heather and her impact on the blogging world. Really, the writing world. Would blogging have curved along the same road without her? Maybe not. At least, I think she changed the blogosphere for women, if not all writers.

I have nothing profound to say. Just a quiet sadness for a voice missing from the world.

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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “That Day Again: 20 Coping Tips” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

I had No Kidding in NZ’s post about Mother’s Day for this week. The day is charged for lots of people and lots of reasons. It is fantastic advice and perspective for anyone struggling to get through Sunday.

Lastly, Infertile Phoenix gives another update about reconnecting with an old friend. She explains how infertility impacted her and writes, “She said she couldn’t be there for me because she didn’t know what was going on. I told her that, in retrospect, I don’t think anyone could have been there for me at the time. Even if they knew everything.” I don’t think people can truly fathom the emotional pain accompanying infertility and pregnancy loss. I think Phoenix captured that depth well in this post.

The roundup to the Roundup: Dooce. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between May 5 – 12) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

Every once in a while, someone sends up a cry of “We’ve got to bring back blogging.” (Um… some of us have never left.)

The latest one I’ve seen people talking about is StopGap: “Here’s what I want from this blog: Amateurism and enjoyment. Nothing good comes of professionalization in writing in its current form, I think, except sometimes better editors. And only sometimes!”

I am all for it. I mean, there are still people out there writing blogs. It never went away. Though social media certainly took a chunk, monetization took another chunk.

I love reading blogs. They are out there. You just have to look.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “How People Say They Don’t Understand, Without Saying It” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Jewish IVF gives an update on her life, trying to manage a very stressful situation after the loss of her mother-in-law. She explains the situation and writes, “So we move forward. We’re trying to make the best of the situation, or at least keeping our head above water until we get some better footing. Trying to deal with several ‘#1 top’ priorities simultaneously.” That’s all you can do — holding space for you while you move forward.

Lastly, The Barreness made herself a cake for her birthday. It wasn’t the birthday of her dreams. She explains: “Part of me wants to let it ride, another part of me felt disappointed. If I am going to be honest, and it is my blog, so I can say that. I felt kind of forgotten, and it didn’t feel celebratory. Lesson: no one is going to celebrate your birthday like you celebrate other people.” Oh yes to this so much. Please go over and wish her a happy birthday.

The roundup to the Roundup: Blogging is still around. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between April 28 – May 5) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

I need to sleep in this weekend because the Coronation coverage begins at 2 am next weekend. That’s the pre-show. I believe the actual show begins closer to 5 am or 6 am, but in any case, we are getting up super early to watch. Or not going to sleep at all. Or something in between.

I’m glad it’s happening now — before college. That we can watch it together. I will clearly need a lot of coffee to get through the day.

Are you watching?

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “Eine Idee” (Elaine ohne Kind)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Road Less Travelled has a post that serves as a good reminder that you never know how things will turn out. They moved closer to family to have support as they aged, and instead, they are the ones giving a lot of support at the moment. She writes, “I’m really glad we’re here and able to help out as much as we’ve been doing. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past 25 years, it’s to expect the unexpected — that life rarely unfolds exactly the way we think it will.” Hopefully, they will be there when you need them, too.

Lastly, It’s Inconceivable sends a letter to her body. It has let her down. Confused her. Frustrated her. I love the ending. I’ll give you a little taste: “Body… You have frustrated me, caused me intense pain, made me wonder why you haven’t worked properly when I’ve lost baby after baby, but then you’ve also fascinated me with your resilience, how well you’ve recuperated, how you have bounced back.” Go over and read the whole thing.

The roundup to the Roundup: Waking up for the Coronation next week. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between April 21 – April 28) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

I lost my blue Twitter checkmark yesterday. It was not a huge loss for someone who only uses Twitter to check if other sites are down or if people see the same bug. But it snipped one of my final threads to my work at BlogHer, keeping only the relationships because the site no longer exists. I was offered verification many years ago, and they made it very easy. So… goodbye, little blue mark.

It’s kind of weird to miss a job, but I really miss BlogHer.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “No Kidding Lessons from a Book About Fear and Danger” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Next 15000 Days has a post that begins with a beautiful poem. She captures a sweet moment at a pool. She writes, “It felt so good to smile at the child. For a whole decade, I was so heartbroken that I couldn’t smile at anyone. Especially not a child.” And I love the lesson learned at the end of the post.

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ unpacks a recent visit with her teenage niece — one who is also navigating health issues. I think a lot of times when we think about parenthood, we think about those baby/toddler years. But teens are part of the package, too. She writes, “But it was a good reminder too that it is not easy at all to be a parent. And I will admit, after they left yesterday I enjoyed curling up on the couch with my ipad, reading a book, then having a bit of an afternoon nap on a warm autumn Sunday afternoon.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Goodbye, little blue checkmark. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between April 14 – April 21) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

We are still in the throes of making our college choices, which means a lot of visits to college campuses. One of the nice things to come out of this stressful process is visiting old friends who are now professors on said campuses. I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in 24 years beyond the Facebook screen.

He met us at the end of a tour, and it was so bittersweet to hug someone who knew me from this different part of life. Like missing an old version of yourself while being grateful you can access it again. It felt like Alice returning to Wonderland and hanging out with the Mock Turtle for an afternoon.

It made me realize there’s still a purpose to reunions in this day and age where you can keep up with people on social media. There’s something different about getting a chance to be in the same room again.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• ” #MicroblogMondays: “This timeline is the only one we’ve got” (The Road Less Travelled)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Scientist on the Roof asks an important question: How do you get yourself out of a bad mood, especially when the things you used to do are no longer feasible? She also questions whether the feelings are coming from her or “am I mirroring people around me (some of them are going through some very difficult times) and absorbing their emotions?” It’s a good question.

Lastly, Bereaved and Blessed declared her 16th word of the year. I will make you click over to see what it is, but it’s remarkable that she has done this for over a decade and a half. Congratulations!

Finally, Dear John recounts a difficult trip she took with her daughter on the anniversary of his death. It was a beautiful place, but she was sad. She writes, “I feel inadequate and disappointed. Probably because I’m not up to conquering the world as easily as I could with your help.” I don’t think we’re always aware of our role in another person’s life — how we just make conquering the world conquerable by being beside them. It was a profound line I thought about after reading it.

The roundup to the Roundup: Seeing old friends. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between March 31 – April 14) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.