13 Changes
It’s been just over a year since I moved my blog from WordPress.com to www.AliceAudrey.com, and just under 4 years since I started blogging. Much has changed in that time. Here are some that I have done, and some I am anticipating:
1. I learned a little bit of HTML. When I first started, I was afraid of pictures.
2. I learned a teeny-tiny bit of CMS (Content Management System – another blog programming thing). I was originally afraid of it, too.
3. I published over 1,800 posts.
4. I made my own banner.
5. I got my dd to make a gravatar for me. (Yeah, I’m still wowed. Let me bask a little longer. I promise I’ll be over it soon.)
6. I put in a front page which I call Welcome.
7. I received over 20,000 comments which transferred from WordPress.com to AliceAudrey.com, but which, for some strange reason, the program no longer counts. It’s weird. All my oldest posts say “0 comments”, but then list the comments. *shrug*
8. I tried to make Suzie’s House easier to read. Still working on that one.
9. I got published (Moving In).
10. I put all the sales junk about Moving In on my Welcome page, then moved it off to it’s own. It’s under “Books” now.
11. I joined this thing called Blogmania. On September 15 and 16 over 100 blogs will be giving away a bunch of stuff just so you will come and visit.
12. I’m giving away a bunch of stuff, including a quilt. In the next few weeks you’ll get a chance to see regular updates on it. You’ll get to watch it being made. I mean more than what you already have so far.
13. The updates, along with a list of all the other fabulous prizes I can come up with, will be taking over my Welcome page.
Starting as soon as I figure out how to handle the CMS.
Ah Maria, It’s School
Queen Maria Theresa had no interest in enlightenment, but she did many progressive things for her people where her son considered himself highly enlightened. What did he do?
Maria’s positive achievements during this period were remarkable, if mostly unheralded. While serfdom existed to one degree or another throughout the empire, it was not because Maria wanted it that way or because she accepted the status quo as immutable. As we have seen, Maria was aware, to an extent, of the situations in her far-flung empire. Wrote one historian; “For one who traveled little about her realm she had a remarkable appreciation of it’s diversity.”
For example, she was much more aware and sympathetic to what was happening in Hungary than her son would ever be It was Maria who thought of arming the Czech serfs in Moravia, ostensibly for the sake of having trained soldiers on hand in time of war. However, if it occurred to them to use their guns against overbearing landlords…well, it couldn’t be helped.
Although officially ending serfdom had to wait until after Maria was gone, she undoubtedly laid the groundwork. In the Austrian empire serfdom varied greatly from one country to another. Even from one province to another.
Win a Copy of How to Engage an Earl
When Laird became earl he knew he’d have to settle down, but so soon? He abandons his own ball to sleep off a few too many drinks only to wake up in the the company of an adorable little thief bent on retrieving evidence that George IV and Mrs. Fitzherbert were not only married, but had children.
Anne freezes when she realizes she isn’t alone on Laird’s bedroom. She can hardly argue when he assumes she’s there for an assignation, but she can’t let herself be ruined when her inadvertent scream brings the attention of everyone left in the house, so she tells the biggest lie of her life. This results in another and another, each more entertaining than the last. It’s complete mayhem until the lies become the truth.
To win an autographed copy, leave a comment on this post sometime between now and Thursday. Drawing to take place and be announced Friday.
351/365 Cloud over the train station
I loitered around for several minutes waiting for this stupid cloud to move so I could get a good shot of the train station. It moved, all right, the same direction and speed at the sun. Gah!
Fireworks
Oooooooo. Ahhhhhhhhh. Wow.
So pretty
So cool
So fun.
Sometimes reading your blogs is like watching fireworks.
Monkey Man hosts the 160 Character Challenge. See what you can write in 160 characters or less, spaces included.
Open Communication
Jack: Jill’s diary?! I wonder what she thinks about me.
Jill: Jack! What are you doing?
Jack: Darling, you’re always saying I’m an open book. I’m just keeping it fair.
Today’s theme is open
Previously in Jack and Jill: New Shoes
The rules for Photohunt can be found here.
Be sure to visit the home page.
Suzie’s House 171: And Then What?
“Huh. That Tracy.” Ben said as he and Gene walked home. He couldn’t believe she had kissed both Gene and himself right there in Lisa’s living room with Lisa watching and everything.” She’s really something,”
“Yeah. She is.” Gene grinned like he knew something more.
Nessa’s Challenge
Everyone said her life was charmed. Always the prettiest with the best grades and rich parents. Cheerleading Captain. Student Council. Dating the quarterback. Some people liked to gossip about her, but she didn’t care. Let them be jealous. She knew they’d be charmed too if a genie was their mother.
The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story in exactly 55 words. Flash Fiction 55 is hosted by the G-man, a host with the most.
This one is a two-for, with Nessa’s Tales on Tuesday meme. Yeah, I’m a little late on that one, but she said it was ok.
Labbit Labbit
I almost forgot it’s the first of the month, and for good luck I should post a picture of a rabbit and invite everyone to cheer “Rabbit! Rabbit!” with me. I didn’t have a rabbit handy, so I grabbed one of Mr. Al’s Labbits.
Edited in response to Andi’s comments:
See, they really do come fully equipped.
Mr. Al didn’t add the cigarettes. They come with them. They are made of a hard plastic with a textured finish, are about an inch high, and always have attitude. He’s got some carrots and a baseball thing from the same line too. The place in town that used to sell them went out of business. I’m not sure where he could get them now.
