Category — Secret Ode Day

Instead of going through the whole explanation again about how this giant love fest came to be, let’s save the space because you can click here to read about the project and find out how you can participate in the next one.

The words below come from the hearts of others around the blogosphere. If your blog is featured below, I hope you carry these good thoughts with you, use them to continue writing and continue putting your heart out there.

• Yeah, Science!: I can’t believe this woman even had to contemplate starting a blog.  Her writing is so honest and hilarious, that I get genuinely excited when a new post shows up on my feed.  It never even feels like reading, it feels like sitting down with a girlfriend who you’ve known forever and can be your free, uninhibited self with.
• Dragondreamer’s Lair: Kristin is one of the kindest and caring people I know. She never fails to reach out and give her support to anyone who may need it.
• Old Lady and No Baby: Amber is a pretty amazing person. She is one of the most dedicated commenters I have ever seen, and her comments are always kind and supportive!
• A Single Journey: Michaela is an amazing writer & talented story teller. I am amazed by her strength…I admire her honesty…my heart breaks for her pain & loss.
• Stirrup Queens: There are so many reasons why I love Mel, why so many people around the WORLD love Mel, but I want to show my appreciation for one thing in particular. Her unflinching support of reproductive choice. All reproductive choice. As a blogger with a large readership, she sometimes takes a hit when she posts about pro-choice issues. I admire her insistence on standing up and saying this is important. For us, and for future generations.
• The Lucky Life: She is one of the kindest spirits one will meet. She is someone who is also in touch with reality. She has seen terrible pain in her lifetime and infertility has also left its ugly scars, but the realism and the calm spirit that she is carries through in every post of hers.
• Are You Kidding Me?: I love her comments. She is not blogging very consistently now, but she is a champion commenter, and there is sense and logic to everything she says. I love her dry wit and how she always makes a valid point.
• We say IVF, They say FIV: She is very sensitive and I feel like she gets it. We are worlds apart, from very different backgrounds, and our lives are very different and yet, it seems she and I share this common invisible thread that ties our thoughts. I find that I would process a number of things the exact same way as she did.
• Kmina’s Blog: Her humour is a killer. She effortlessly seams in humour and sarcasm in her posts. Never out of place, never futile… I find myself grinning so often. She is also very kind, and generous with her comments.
• Kmina’s Blog: While I love Mina’s blog, where she really shines is in her comments.  She’s a frequent commenter – always thoughtful and frequently hilarious.
• Mrs. Spit… Still Spouting Off: Mrs. Spit is someone who is working hard to learn new things about herself and apply that knowledge to the world.  She does a fine job of expressing all the joys and sorrows and challenges of her life.
• Mama Said Knock You Out: Yo-yo Mama’s blog is a place where you can tell that someone is pouring their heart out.  Family life, annoying coworkers, adorable and challenging children – subjects that all lend themselves to giving a true glimpse at someone’s internal mental workings.

Love this project?  Click here to read about it and find out how you can participate in the next one.  When is the next one?  That’s the beauty of it – you never know when these kind words will show themselves, though I always post once I have a critical mass of blurbs.

Instead of going through the whole explanation again about how this giant love fest came to be, let’s save the space because you can click here to read about the project and find out how you can participate in the next one.

The words below come from the hearts of others around the blogosphere. If your blog is featured below, I hope you carry these good thoughts with you, use them to continue writing and continue putting your heart out there.

• I Can’t Whistle: Kate is not just an amazing writer she has the most beautiful outlook on life. Even as she endures difficult moments she finds a way to see the beauty in the stillness of a lake or deer that wander in her backyard. Her writing helps me be more thoughtful in my own life.
• I Can’t Whistle: Kate finds the beauty in this world and in everything around her, and she writes about it so eloquently and poetically.
• Sunny In Seattle: Sunny’s been through a lot with her current pregnancy and birth but she handles it all with honesty and a beautiful outlook on life. I also love the adorable stories of her little boy. She is also a very supportive blogger who doesn’t leave comments just to comment, she puts time and thought into what she says on other people’s blogs and I appreciate all the support she’s given me.
• Knocked Up, Knocked Down: Monica is an inspiration. Her strength is amazing. Her upfront and honest writing about the loss of her babies has helped many. She is a fantastic writer and her words allow the reader to feel as though they have known her forever. I have been reading along in her journey of pregnancy and cheering her through each step. I wish her and her husband endless happiness.
• Pour Away the Ocean: Eve is often hilarious, always thought-provoking. Most recently, after losing her son in utero and under threat of losing his twin sister, her writing has achieved a new clarity and beauty. The way that she expresses her emotions is brave and inspiring.
• Stirrup Queens: Mel has improved the lives of thousands, yes thousands, of women and men by bringing them together at some of the darkest times of their lives. She is as warm and sweet as cookies just out of the oven. She also plays a mean pennywhistle.
• The New Life of Nancy: Nancy is friggin’ funny and as honest as hell.  She’s not afraid to talk about things as she sees them and loves to stir up controversy.  I love the controversial posts the best because I love to read all sides of a topic so many people are passionate about.  I also love the story about Scary Guy Pills – I can’t get enough of it!
• I Want to be a Mommy: Not only has Batty Nurse struggled with IF and TTC, but she is also going at it alone.  I truly admire her for all her strength and courage and everything she has fought through.  And she still takes the time to make baby blankets for both her Etsy shop and to give as gifts to other TTCers.  She is so selfless and thoughtful of other people.  Batty Nurse deserves much love and at least an Ode!
• Barren Blog: Barren Blog is far and away my favorite.  The combination of humor and bitterness is perfection.  Sadly, she posts too little and I fear her long absence is due to yet another crushing disappointment.  Wishing you well Barren Blogger…
• The Creamery: I just love Whimsy. She’s fun and funny and happy and real. She’s a great writer, and she knows how to inspire real interaction with and among her readers. She uses pictures well (she did a photo essay recently about a tube of toothpaste that was just brilliant). She reminds me a lot of Swistle, actually, who comments a lot. I don’t know her in real life, but she just seems like one of the nicest bloggies in blogland. Plus, she has a seriously cute kid.
• The TaterTwins: Jayme is really inspiring. She’s been through A LOT, but she just keeps on living life and writing about it. She’s really entertaining and shares the cutest pics of her kids. She seems like she’s probably a really sweet person in real life.
• Waiting Lisa: Lisa is absolutely amazing. She’s authentic, sincere, and kind. Admit medical complications, adoption efforts, and general frustration with infertility, she’s hopeful. Her post “Dear Uterus” really moved me. I adore Lisa, I pray that she finally gets to adopt her little baby, to whom she’ll make an incredible mother.
• Woman Anyone?: WiseGuy is so often poignant. Her journey has been a long one but she manages to keep some humour. She has a dry wit which often leaves me laughing out loud. I never know what to expect from her and that is a big part of her charm.
• Hobbit-ish Thoughts and Ramblings: Mrs. Gamgee is one of the most generous and kind ladies I’ve ever known. Whatever you’re going through, she lends a sympathetic ear. She is one of the people I’d most love to meet.
• Creating Motherhood: Calliope continues to be one of my best bloggy friends. She is caring, witty, both deeply introspective and extroverted, and I love (and am a little jealous!) of all the ways she can seamlessly blend those qualities into her writing about the many facets of her life. Calliope never fails to warm my heart and her pick-me-up emails always land in my inbox at just the right moments. Love. her.
• Dragondreamer’s Lair: With all of her stitchery, book-reading, hilarious posts about her boys, and general feel-goodness, you’d never guess that comment queen Kristen is a thug, but she is. If a horde of crazed lunatics wielding dull, rusty PIO needles were after me, Kristen is one of the few who I’d want in my corner fighting with me. Her support for me through the past year (and more!) has been invaluable and I just want to send her a little shout-out of thug love.
• Dragondreamer’s Lair: Kristin is always there with an encouraging word.  She has helped me get through some really tough times in the past year.  She was one of the first bloggers I started reading, and I started seeing her EVERYWHERE I went to comment.  She is a major support beam of the ALI house.  I’m so glad to know her.
• Geek by Marriage: Heather is The Funny but even moreso, she has an unyielding heart. In the past year, she has been a friend in the truest sense, often selflessly going above and beyond to show her caring support. She’s a rare gem of humor, love, kick ass, and determination. I love her for it.
• Geek By Marriage: Heather is AMAZING.  She always makes me laugh and is so supportive.  She’s a true friend, though I’ve never met her in person!
• Miss Inconceivability: One of the first blogs I found when searing for others going through this IF craziness, I was immediately drawn to Frenchie’s balance of open mindedness and self preservation. She knows how to keep things in  perspective but at the same time honor her own feelings and needs.  On top of all that, she and I have an uncanny amount in common. Combine that with her sweet (but not pollyanna-ish) personality, and I desperately wish we didn’t live on opposite sides of the country so we could be IRL friends.   After adopting her beautiful son, Frechie found herself the stuff of legends with a “whoops” pregnancy that was discovered while preparing for an IUI cycle. It honestly couldn’t have happened to a better person.
• The Babbling Bitter (infertile) Bitch: Leda’s blog is relatively new, so her blog doesn’t reflect how much she cares for other people (yet). She has been an incredible force for those of us who lost pregnancies. She will cheer for you in the middle of her darkest moments and take the time to seek you out if you’ve been quiet. Leda, I’m thinking about you multiple times a day and wishing your dream will come true.
• No Oven for the Bun: Against all odds, Meg courageously blogs about her diagnosis of MRKH and how she and her husband are working to make their parenthood dreams come true. Her blogs show honesty and strength as a woman and a wife (and a future mother).
• Life According to Leah: When I first found Leah’s blog, I was won over by her down-to-earth posting. Something in her tone made me instantly like her, and as the months have passed my appreciation and admiration for her have grown tremendously. Her blog initially chronicled her and her spouse’s adoption process, and Leah’s posts have been crafted with equal measures of wisdom and patience and openness. She has done some neat things to reach out to the adoption community, even hosting guest adoption bloggers who discussed the different countries from which they were adopting. Now Leah’s blog is dedicated to both her adoption and her pregnancy–Leah found out she was expecting during her adoption process. She has navigated this complex situation with enviable grace. She is so sensitive to her readers, she leaves such kind, outreaching comments, and she is always so thorough at addressing her readers’ questions. To me she is a model blogger, and I am so excited to see her journey unfold.
• No Regrets: I love this blog because it’s honest and real.  She doesn’t candy coat how she feels and she responds to those who take her to task on her feelings with integrity and respect. Especially  when they do not give the same courtesy to her.  I appreciate her having the courage to bare it all, something that’s not easily done by everyone.
• A Fifth Season: Sometimes her posts have very few words in them but her ability to be concise does not diminish the readers ability to feel the pain behind them.  I am hoping that reintroducing herself to making music will help soften the edges of the wound she bears after losing her beautiful daughter.
• Taking the Statistical Bullet: I love how Katie recognizes other people in their IF struggles, but also posts about her day to day life with Will.  And now she’s pregnant with number 2!  Yay!  She’s just an all around great person.
• Maybe If You Just Relax: It is simple.  I simply love Jen’s sense of humor!  And hearing Olivia stories is priceless!
• Weebles Wobblog: I learn so much reading Lavender Luz’s words.  Her peaceful wisdom has become a bright spot to so many of my days.  I’m so glad I found her blog, and her.
• Delinquent Eggs: Adele rocks. She’s witty, thoughtful and insightful in her posts and she’s only been at it a few months at this point! She’s a light of joy to other bloggers with equally witty and insightful sunbeams of comments left in her wake.
• The Sweet Life: Vee’s story always leaves me feeling breathless: her powerful writing style, combined with her gutsy, moving story makes for an often tearful and yes, even laughter filled, inspiring read. Love her strength in sharing with us all the ups and downs very publicly, even though the “public” season for her is ending all too soon.
• The Mud and the Lotus: I don’t remember how I first found Sonja or if she found me, but I quickly became hooked on her down-to-earth writing style and deep compassion. Deeply spiritual and infused with Buddhist teachings, Sonja reminds me to keep things in perspective. Like any other journey through infertility, it is fraught with its own scary moments and troubles, but I always come back to Sonja’s blog for its optimism, hope, and clear-headed moments.
• Hopelessly TCC: Hopelessly writes so well.  He writes with humour and with his heart.  Plus it is so refreshing to hear a man’s voice.  He hasn’t updated his blog in a while, so I hope he’s OK.  Maybe some love from all of us will bring him out of hiding?
• A Little Blog about the Big Infertility: Sometimes you just connect with someone, and Jess is just someone I connect with.  We live on opposite ends of the earth, but some of the things we’re going through and enjoy doing are the same so it makes me feel close to her.  I just have to see the photo of her with ‘Mr Ultrasound’ on the side of her blog to feel right at home!
• Life From Here: I don’t miss a word Luna writes. Her heart is as big as her brain, and let me tell you, they are both HUGE. Her series on building her open adoption as well as the powerful story of the birth of her daughter had me (and others, judging by comments) gripped. Her posts tend to make me think and see in a new way.

Love this project?  Click here to read about it and find out how you can participate in the next one.  When is the next one?  That’s the beauty of it–you never know when these kind words will show themselves, though I always post once I have a critical mass of blurbs.

Instead of going through the whole explanation again about how this giant love fest came to be, let’s save the space because you can click here to read about the project and find out how you can participate in the next one.

The words below come from the hearts of others around the blogosphere.  If your blog is featured below, I hope you carry these good thoughts with you, use them to continue writing and continue putting your heart out there.

• Sprogblogger: Susan is one of the nicest people I know in blogland–she is funny, direct, thoughtful, and a terrific writer.  But mostly, it’s her straight-up honesty that has kept me reading.  She doesn’t sugar-coat, dance around, or keep very personal things personal.  I have tried to write more like her every since I found her because I admire how open she is every single day with us.
• Where the Wright Day Takes You: I love this blog because I always feel at home here.  The topics and posts usually feel as if they could be written by me.  She’s honest and caring and loves the Outer Banks!!  How can you not love a blogger that loves the Outer Banks!
• Edenland: What is not to love about Eden? She is honest, funny, and thoughtful. She tells you like it is–straight from her heart.  Eden is all of that and so much more.  She is truly awesome!
• Destined to Be an Old Woman with No Regrets…: Lindsay is a wonderful read….she touches your heart with the truthfulness of her words….she is a wonderful cook, and posts beautiful photographs. Also, she is a wonderful support to those she follows, and not only are her words kind, but they are also very soothing. I have been reading her blog for a long while now, and I am always looking forward to reading her posts. Needless to say, I am so happy to have found her.
• Destined To Be An Old Woman With No Regrets: Lindsay has overcome many obstacles to get where she is today.  Now, she’s taking us through her PPD and still putting up beautiful photos that she takes.
• Destined To Be An Old Woman With No Regrets: The Steadfast Warrior is a very honest writer, not afraid to bare her soul and share even her most difficult times.  In doing this, she helps spread a little light of hope for so many.  A little light that tells others they are not alone.  She also posts some amazing photographs – many of them tell just as much of a story as her blog posts.
• Conceive This!: I love Murgdan’s humor! She is now pregnant (yay!), but still so humble and cautious and always make us laugh! I am so glad she is still blogging, you never know what you’ll read when you visit. If you haven’t you have to and then you’ll be hooked!
• Venting Vagina: First off who wouldn’t love her blog name. She is currently in her 2ww and writes with some awesome humor but with reality. I just love her and I bet you will too.
• Heidi’s Notes from Vermont: Just a very funny, Jewish gal up in Vermont. We are so different, but have so much strangely in common. Her blog gives a great laugh and she is just a crazy funny cool blogger. She was phone sex operator once too, LOL!
• A Woman My Age: I knew this blog was special when just the other day I was telling a coworker about a “friend” I “met” two years ago who just adopted a baby boy and I recounted some of her journey.  I talked about her as though I knew her intimately as I would have any friend.    With Death Star you have this sense that you are in her living room, sharing a cup of coffee and chatting. And I don’t even know her real name or what she looks like.
• Twangy Pearl the Elastic Girl: An excellent attitude and fantastic illustrations make this blog a high point.  The dachshund drawings are adorable, the horse animations are incredible.  And through it all runs a thread of optimism and joie de vivre that is infectious.
• One Eye Open and Dreaming: Flying Monkeys has a unique and amusing perspective on life.  For example, a recent post included pictures of the beauty of the Grand Canyon contrasting with an eagle dining on road kill and an interesting road sign.  She also makes cupcakes that look so good, I want to crawl into the screen to eat them!
• I’m A Smart One: Fundraising for Parenthood for Me, wacky conversations, amazing family moments, the plight of today’s children…this blog has everything.  Plus, soon, we will get to see Frank perform!
• I’m a Smart One: What can I say about Kym? She’s amazing. She is so supportive, funny, charming and always the first to reach out and share her love. I admire her strength and tenacity, and the strong spirit of giving back and paying forward that she exhibits in the ALI community and in her real life.
• Creating Motherhood: Calliope’s blog is the one that either rush to read first or save to savor last in my blog reading.  She’s shared her IF journey,  caregiving for her grandmother who had alzheimers as well as everyday life with it’s ups and downs.  I really appreciate her honesty and openness as well as how she looks out for others in the IF blogging community by being a steadfast commentor and encourager of them.  She takes fantastic photos which I never tire of and it’s always fun to see her header artwork change.  Cali has got to be one of the most creative people out there!  I love Cali’s style of writing… it makes me feel like I’m out with one of my girlfriends for coffee – just sharing what’s going on and providing laughter and support!
• Our Family Beginnings: Lindsay is a combination of biting wit, super-smartness, and enormous heart.  She is the glue that holds together TOOTPU, the DC face-to-face group.  She is an amazing mother, an amazing friend, and though I’m not inside her marriage, I’d venture a guess to say that she is also probably an amazing wife.  The blogosphere is a better place because of her.
• Mrs. Spit … Still Speaking Out: Cheryl is not only a talented writer, she has a huge heart and this is evident in much of what she writes.
• In Our Own Weird Way: If I could pick one blogger to sit down and have a cup of coffee with or enjoy a dinner, it would be Ms. J.  Not only is she honest, but her humor speaks to me.  She writes so openly and honestly about her experiences, that you can’t help but feel connected to her.  I appreciate her candor, and look forward to following her as her little family continues to expand.  Ms. J, you are one phenomenal woman!
• Dragondreamer’s Lair: Kristin is always supportive and loving and kind and realistically upbeat and there for the entire ALI community. It would take an entire blog to mention all the ways she has done wonders for me and others, but suffice it to say that she is a CHAMP. One day, I’m going to start a crochet group just so that I can invite her as the Most Honored Member.
• Dreaming of Quiet Places:  Quiet Dreams is a woman of great strength, compassion, kindness and love. She always provides supportive and thoughtful comments on my blog, even when I’ve been a jerkheard and haven’t commented on hers in ages. I consider her a friend, one that I admire and respect, and I truly hope that we get to hang out in real life one day.
• Apron Strings for Emily: Emily writes beautifully, about what it is to live as a family of 2. She writes about her identity as a person, a wife, a music junkie, a nurse-manager and an infertile woman.  She talks about not just what it is to be infertile, but what it means to make that part of your life, to integrate it into your marriage, your hopes, your dreams and your cultural identity. She speaks, eloquently about the need to maintain yourself and your sanity and your relationships at the forefront of your life, inspiring me to live a life that is whole and full.
• Everything Happens at the Right Time: Everything Happens is a real life friend of a friend for me, and our mutual friend spoke so highly of Everything’s courage, wisdom and tenacity.  She reminds me that the most important attitude we can have in our struggles is resilience, informed by hope and determination.  She’s honest and smart and kind, loves those around her, and never fails to balance the hurt and sadness of infertility with the joy in her life.  I’m thankful to know her.
• Weebles Wobblog: Her writing is infused with this sense of peace, as if she has taken a deep breath before she writes and she passes along this peace to the reader as well.  She has opened my eyes to open adoption.  She embraces all who come into her path and we are all lucky that she shares her world with us.
• Here We Go Again: There is so much that I can say about HereWeGoAJen, but I will say what so many of us in the ALI community can say about her – she is our cheerleader, our bringer of kleenex and chocolate, our commiserator, our celebrator and most importantly, she is our friend.  If I could take only one thing with me, from this community, it would be Jen. I am blessed beyond all measure to have her in my life.
• LifeDeathPreeclampsia’s Blog: Life and Death doesn’t blog as much as she used to, but she is no less a part of my life. I think about her and her 2 lovely children often, and she is a surprising source of comfort and information.  She pops into my inbox and on my facebook page when I least expect it, bringing me words of wisdom and good cheer that I didn’t realize I desperately needed.
• Of Cabbages and Kings: Jen is whip freakin’ smart. Her writing is this great amalgam of humor and heart. When I found her blog I immediately devoured the archives, and I wondered how it took me so long to stumble upon it. She leaves the most thoughtful comments–full of even clarity and gentle sentiment–like the big sister I never had. Gotta love it.
• Little Blue Birds Fly: Bluebird is the sort of giving person who doesn’t realize that she is so giving. She, through her blog, allows us to see and participate in her life, bringing a depth of experience to my life, that makes me a better person.  I know she struggles with the give and take of the blog world, feeling like she can’t post if she’s not reading, but I don’t think she understands how many she touches and the joy she brings.  She brings me fresh perspective, and another way to look at things. She takes me places I wouldn’t otherwise go, and I’m terribly thankful.
• Oh, The Possibilities: Seraphim is exactly what her name depicts, not just an angel, but a strong one. The Seraphim weren’t your grandma’s angels, fluffy white, playing on harps.  Nope, these angels are all about strength and power and determination, just like this blogger. I’m lucky to read her posts, and still enthralled that she can out swim a shark.  But I won’t be coming to swim in her ocean any time soon, just saying.
• The Road Less Travelled: I sure hope this blog gets lots of ode’s. I hope LoriBeth is drowning in Odes.  She  is the view that is so rarely spoken of – a mother who misses her Katie, but still continues to live her life. She reminds me to be of great courage and strength, and she posts some great articles too.  Also, she scrapbooks, and you can never have too many of those.
• The Road Less Travelled: I have learned so much from Loribeth, from living your choices with grace to what it is like to be child-free after infertility and the devastating loss of her Katie.  She is a wonderful writer, a caring person, and beautiful individual.
• Thinking Miracles: If I could make a miracle, if I could wave a wand, it would be for Heidi. I’d bless her with all the flamingo kitsch she could bear, and more than that, I’d have Blue and Honeydew with her and Jenn.  Families come in many shapes and sizes, and we don’t hear as much from lesbian families. These two have taught me so much, and I wish I could make their dreams come true.  I can’t, so I settle for following along, celebrating success, and trying to bear the load of sorrow.
• Service is Joy: I will start off by saying that Sarah DOES NOT POST ENOUGH.  Having said that, she is a tireless cheerleader for the perinatal death community. She is an educator, a care taker and a light for us.  We are singularly blessed and fortunate to have her in our midst.
• Bloorb This!: Chicklet has such a matter of fact and unapologetic way of blogging about life.  I recognize myself in so many of her stories, even the difficult ones, and she makes it easy to laugh at myself.  Better than that – she makes it okay to laugh at myself.  This is a blog I always look forward to a new post from!

Love this project?  Click here to read about it and find out how you can participate in the next one.  When is the next one?  That’s the beauty of it–you never know when these kind words will show themselves, though I always post once I have a critical mass of blurbs.

Dear Mrs. Spit pointed out that it had been a long time since the last Secret Ode Day and it has–nearing on two years.  But since it is the embodiment of my kumbayaness and because I think we could all use it right now, I am hearby resurrecting the Secret Ode Project and doing a call for Odes for the 4th Secret Ode Day.

Oh, wait, you’re new and you don’t know what it is?  Well, basically, I had this neighbour growing up whose parents had a floating family holiday where they decorated this tree outside the house with lollipops in the middle of the night and part of the day was to invite all the kids in the neighbourhood to harvest them.  You never knew when the day would happen, so every child woke up each morning and ran to the window to see if the tree was decorated.  And the lollipops were that much better because they were unexpected.

A Secret Ode Day follows the same idea: odes are collected (see below) and compiled and posted here on a day when you least expect it.  And then you get to see an anonymously written note about how wonderful you or your blog is when you wake up one morning.

Oh wait, that’s the other part.  People simply don’t tell other people nice things nearly enough. We save our best words to say when the person can’t hear–I’m not just talking about after the person is gone, but how we tell good stories about others or think kind thoughts about another person, and they never know. Therefore, here is a chance to anonymously let a fellow blogger in the community hear how much their words and actions mean to you.  If you want a sense of the types of statements people submit, read through past secret ode days.

How to submit:

• Fill out this form: Secret Ode Day Form.  You may submit as many blogs as you like, but fill out the form anew for each individual blog.
• You can submit a blog that has already been blurbed in a past Secret Ode Day, but try to spread the love.
• I ask for your email address only to have a way to ask a question before I post if I have one; all blurbs are posted anonymously AND I will never reveal the identity of the blurber no matter how much the person begs.
• Whenever I have a critical mass of blurbs, I will post them on a random day.  You wake up to the lollipop icon and the possibility of kind words said about your blog.
• This is on-going: whenever a new critical mass of blurbs comes in, a new Secret Ode Day goes up.

The beauty of Secret Ode Day is that just because your blog doesn’t show up in one post doesn’t mean that there won’t be a paragraph about it during the next post. It’s just always a surprise–sort of like waking up in the morning and finding the trees decorated with lollipops.

It feels as if it has been a sufficiently long enough amount of time to be a surprise today. And to be honest, it just felt right today. Every time I’ve gone to post it, I’ve paused. And today, I reworked this top portion of the post and then hit publish. Why today? I don’t know except that it felt right.

For those who have no idea what they are about to read, last summer, we started an ongoing project called Secret Ode Days. The idea behind it came from a neighbour who had a floating family holiday where they decorated a tree in their front yard one morning every year and all the kids from the neighbourhood were invited to come harvest the lollipops. Therefore, all the kids in the neighbourhood woke up every morning with this anticipation that this could be the sweetest day. And when it did happen, it was the best day. I hoped these words would be like those lollipops–popping up when you least expected them and making your whole day.

The other impetus for this project was that people simply don’t tell people nice things nearly enough. We save our best words to say when the person can’t hear–I’m not just talking about after the person is gone, but how we tell good stories about others or think kind thoughts about another person, and they never know. Therefore, here was a chance to anonymously let a fellow blogger in the community hear how much their words and actions mean to you. It is also your semi-regular reminder to pick up the phone and call someone you love today and tell them how much they mean to you. Go ahead–you can leave the blog open on the screen. Nudge, nudge (and not in the wink, wink way) go pick up the phone. We can wait for you.

So here is the third string of odes for the Secret Ode Day project. Secret Ode Days pop up unexpectedly. Whenever I have a critical mass, I will post a set of odes. It may be tomorrow. It may be next week. You may be waiting months to see them again.

Want to join in the love fest? Write a paragraph (or two or three) about your favourite blog (or blogs!) and send it to thetowncriers@gmail.com (do not post them on this entry or it ruins the surprise. Anything posted here will simply remain part of this love fest–so yes, say kind things about a fellow blogger…cough…or myself…but if you want to write your own secret ode, email it to me)

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Anyone can submit one.
• You can write one about someone who has already had a paragraph written about their blog (there is no limit to how many odes can be written about a person).
• All paragraphs are posted anonymously.
• You can write about more than one blog (giving each a separate paragraph). If you’re in a particularly loving mood, feel free to write ten of them!
• You do not need to have a blog to submit one.
• Whenever I have a critical mass, I will post a new Secret Ode Day entry.
• The beauty of Secret Ode Day is that just because your blog doesn’t show up in the current post doesn’t mean that there won’t be a paragraph about it during the next post. And just because you appear in one post doesn’t mean that you won’t be mentioned in the next post too. It’s just always a surprise–sort of like waking up in the morning and finding the trees decorated with lollipops.
• If you have a submission, send it to thetowncriers@gmail.com. Be sure to include the url as well as the blogger’s name if possible.
• If you want to write one about me, create a fake email account to send it. All entries are kept anonymous from the blogger. So the only way to keep it anonymous from me is to make up a fake name and email account!

The Odes of the Day:

Niobe at Dead Baby Jokes

Niobe records her grief over the loss of twins with piercing clarity and raw honesty. Her intelligence and mastery over words make for posts that are incredibly beautiful and poetic, often rich with literary allusion. She also posts some stunning photographs. But aside from all that, I think what keeps me coming back to her blog daily is her unfailing honesty and vulnerability about and in her grief. That, and the dark humor, which the world needs more of.

IVF2Women at Babies on Ice

I’m still waiting for the denouement of this riveting story. The writing is in turn funny, thought-provoking, and with an underlying humanity. This is gamete donation from the other side of the fence, from a couple who know what it is to struggle.

Pam and Dtrini at Baby Wanted: Apply Within

A dual-voiced blog from Pam and her husband. Not only do we get to hear from the (often absent) male perspective, but their love for each other shines through and is an inspiration. They have now moved onto to donor eggs and I wish them well!

Serenity at Serenity Now!

Serenity and I started blogging at around the same time. I have always been touched by her sincerity, her honesty, and by her willingness to reach out to others. She has been knocked down so many times, yet she always gets back up and somehow manages to muster up some hope for whatever comes next. I’m glad she has gotten her golden ticket.

Thalia at Thalia’s Fertility Journey

I think that Thalia is one of the most amazing women in blogland. Hers was one of the first blogs I read, and at that time I never dreamed that I would have to go through what she has been through. Before she got pregnant, I was always amazed at her strength and willingness to continue no matter what roadblocks were placed in her way. I am thrilled that she finally has a healthy girl.

Patience at The Impatient Patient

Patience has always inspired me probably more than anyone else. With several losses and a failed adoption behind her, she still manages to get out of bed everyday. This woman is a true survivor, and whenever I start feeling down on my luck and like I don’t want to keep going, I think of her. I want so badly for her to finally become a mother.

Julia at Here Be Hippogriffs

Julia’s blog was the first IF blog I ever read. She is one of the few bloggers who is dealing with balanced translocation. I am seriously in awe of this woman. She lost so many pregnancies, but never gave up on adding another biological child to her family. Through each pregnancy I found myself stalking her blog and hoping so hard that this would be it, and with each loss I have cried for her. I am so thr
illed that she finally has her twins.

Ultimate Journey at Still Trying After All Those Pills

Last year, Ultimatejourney at Still Trying After All Those Pills dealt with some tremendous disappointments, the biggest of which is discovering the need to go through with DI after finding out her husband has azoospermia. She writes with honesty and warmth. She tries her best to keep a positive outlook, but also doesn’t hide the fact that she wishes things were different. I was laughing out loud as I read about her and her husband’s search for their “baby daddy.”

Matthew at Maybe Baby

Matthew at “Maybe Baby” is not only one of the few guys out there blogging about IF, but also one of the most personable and enjoyable blogs out there about IF. He writes with realism and optimism about the ups and downs of the journey, and frequent comments from wife Constance add a rich conversational depth. Plus his graphics are really cool, and he’s often very funny.

And another ode to Matthew at Maybe Baby

While I like to think that my husband and I have really strong communication skills, it certainly takes a lot of work to truly understand one another. That said, what I appreciate about Matt’s blog is that he offers another glimpse into the male perspective and ultimately I think that helps me to understand my husband and my own situation that much better. Matt’s writing is sensitive, funny, thoughtful and all the things that make me want to go back again and again for more.

Sarah S-P at The Island

I go the “The Island” daily for Sara S-P’s latest news, for links to interesting information (everything from research to celebrity gossip), for the fascinating cast of characters (from Crack Lady to difficult Boss L), for the cool setting (New Orleans), and just because Sara has started to feel like a friend. Reading back through her archives made me cry over her loss, and I can also resonate so strongly with the ongoing frustrations over TTC, IUI, and so on. Sara’s determination and dedication have put me in her cheering section.

Nancy at The New Life of Nancy

As a long-time follower of Nancy’s, I find myself hoping and praying for her almost as much as for myself. She often brings “behind the scenes” issues in the blogosphere out to the forefront, allowing for an intelligent conversation. I know that she’s opened my eyes on some issues, and caused me to think, really think, about how I feel – behave – comment, on other issues. Never afraid of an argument, she does a great job of “calling out” things that she feels need to be out there, and in turn, she opens an honest dialogue with people

Chicklet at Blurb This!

I can’t understand how anyone could read this woman’s writing, and NOT love it. She’s honest about what she’s currently dealing with, shares the gory details in a way that makes them readable, and finds a way to give everything she writes that dash of snarky humor only she can provide. Reading her blog has helped me to open up within my own blog. And I love love LOVE the conversations she and her hubby have. I strive for a marriage that is that honest, that real, and still that fun.

If you are on the list, no, you can never know who wrote this about you. The point is that it’s a secret ode. But you could probably write a post on your blog thanking them and they’ll see it. And if you have felt intense love here, pay it forward with your own secret ode.

Keep them coming. Whenever I have a critical mass, I’ll post them. If you’ve been moved to write about your favourite blogger (or bloggers) or want to pay it forward with an ode of your own, email me a paragraph at thetowncriers@gmail.com.