Facebook....a Different View

Over the weekend...in between pricing, inventory and packing up things for the craft show this weekend....I managed to pop on and off the computer now and then. While chatting with my sister on Facebook I noticed a status that popped up and it was the name of the town we grew up in. I went over to take a look and I was immediately transported back the my childhood.

People had already posted pictures of Fox River Grove and comments were appearing. Of course, being a woman of MANY words....I piped right in. There were discussions about the Picnic Grove (our old amusement park), the Tastee Freeze, the candy store, the burger joint, the Marina,the castle, the ski jump and so much more.


I suggested my sisters that live in TN and SC join up and it turned into a weekend of the three of us, plus another old time "Grovers" writing about their memories of this awesome little town as well. We talked about so many things from our childhood like standing in the frigid weather at the ski meets every year (my brothers jumped when they were younger) to things like my sister buying angora at the dry goods store to wrap around her boyfriend's class ring.


There were moments when the tears filled my eyes as I remembered a gentler, kinder day when kids got to be kids. When you could run and play and just never worry about anything. Parents didn't worry either. It was a different world.

People use to make fun of Fox River Grove. Yes, it was a tiny sleepy little town with few people, but to us then and to us now...it was the greatest place in the world to spend a childhood!

Facebook is definitely a strange world in itself....with all of the games people play and hundreds of ads appearing that are soooo geared to your profile. Are you on Facebook? If you are, do you spend much time on there? Do you use a social networking site to keep in touch with family? Do you use one to reconnect with old friends? Has it had any kind of impact on you either positive or negative?I sure had fun on there this weekend. Please share your thoughts.

My Wish For You

Happy New Year to you! May this be the year that dreams are made of for you and your family. May 2010 bring you good health, happiness and peace.

Normally, I am ready to slam the door shut on the old year...and even though it has been a terrible year in many respects....for me it has been a year of personal discovery. I have learned to live in the present and that has changed my life. I no longer fret over what has already happened and I no longer stress over what might or might not be.

I am enjoying each and every day for exactly what it is, and every day brings me a feeling of joy that I have never felt before. I wish the very same for you in 2010.

Even though we have never met, I consider you, my blog friends, to be some of my dearest. So many times I have written "Love You" at the end of my blog post, only to go back and remove it lest someone think I'm a wee bit "strange" telling people I don't even know that I love them....but in all honesty...I do love all of you. I love you for who you are and for the tears and laughter each of you have brought me this past year through your writing. For that, I thank you!

Here is to another whole year filled with love and laughter my friends! Happy New Year!

Kathy

My New Dirty Little Secret

Okay, so I'm doing really good at giving up my Starbucks....they made a Starbucks run at work yesterday and I declined! It took everything I had, but I did it. I am conquering the addiction...however, I have a new addiction now. I can't believe I am about to say this, but it's

Facebook

Shhhhhhhh.....please don't tell anybody. I'm a little embarrassed, so just add it to my addictions list, right under etsy and my blog!

About 6 months ago my son Matt signed up. He kept bugging me to sign up so that we could play Scrabble. I really don't have time for that kind of silliness, but after a while I thought....what harm could it do? It's just for Scrabble now and then.

Well, I will tell you what harm it can do....I can't stay off of it! I feel like the nosey neighbor lady always wanting to know what everyone is doing! And get this....Matt quit playing Scrabble after our second game, and you want to know why? NO TIME! HA....go figure!

The addiction just reared it's ugly head about a week ago. I was attempting to set up a Facebook business page for FourDogDay and I started reading the little blurbs my "friends" were writing. My friends were just my family members and a couple of people that asked me to be their friend that I didn't even know. I figured they couldn't be too dangerous since they were Facebook friends with my daughter, so I said yes.

Anyway, I set up my business page and then I found myself starting to comment on people's little blurbs. Then I found myself writing some little blurbs of my own. Then people started commenting on my little blurbs. Then I started searching for old friends on Facebook, and I found some! So, more friends meant more little blurbs. Then I posted some pictures which lead to "tagging" which lead to more little blurbs which has lead to my Facebook addiction!!

When I am at work, staring at my computer, I can hear Facebook calling me, "Check me, check me. You won't believe the great little blurbs you are missing Kathy!!!" I will admit to the old "CPC" method....oh, that's "Click....Peek....Close". I can actually "Click....Peek....Close", my blog, MyOtherShop, FourDogDay and Facebook all within about 30 seconds!! Really!

My name is Kathy and I am oh so messed up!

Land of A Thousand Dances

I can't even begin to tell you how tired I am today. I wanted to stay home from work so bad. Irv was hitting himself in the head this morning for not taking the day off. I didn't take it off because I am trying to hang on to my vacation days to take a real vacation this summer. He didn't take off because he didn't think he would need it! HA!

I feel like I was hit by a semi. Every once in a while I will move a certain way and something grabs and hurts. It takes me a moment to realize that it's hurting because I danced up a storm and used muscles that you don't use sitting on your rear end all day! Here is me sticking my tongue out at Matt because he wouldn't stop taking pictures of me on the dance floor...and yes, I am barefoot. I had already changed into my little silver flip flops, but you can't dance in flip flops, so those came off too!

The dull head ache is because I haven't recovered from the noise level. When I would go into the bathroom at the reception and close the door, the quiet was so sweet. I made many trips to the bathroom and to the little dressing room just to give my ears a much needed break.

The raspy voice is because I did nothing but talk from 5:00 a.m. on Friday until about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. It felt like I never stopped...that isn't all that unusual for me, except during the rehearsal dinner, the bar and the reception....you had to talk loud in order to be heard. My throat is a mess. Oh, and I LOVE music, so I also did a lot of singing...when I was dancing and when I wasn't. I have a terrible voice, but no one could hear me anyway so it was awesome!

One of the funniest parts of the night Saturday was when Chris's frat brothers "forced" him to do his "Pinocchio Dance". (Peer pressure never ends). Tresa had heard about it but had never seen it. Not sure how it evolved, but I imagine Chris and his frat boys were over served at some point during their college tenure and Chris did this ridiculous dance....the guys were probably rolling on the floor laughing, and now it's performed at every gathering...including the wedding.

They sat Chris in a chair and then each frat guy did what seemed to be his own rendition of the "Pinocchio Dance" . They moved awkwardly around in a big circle with a very serious look on their face. When one guy was done, the next guy stepped in and did his little performance. The crowd roared! After the guys were all done, it was Chris's turn. He did a little stretching first (you can see his family behind him cheering him on...they have seen his "dance" many times) and then he started. It's really hard to describe the "moves" of the dance...just a lot of bending and leg lifting....it just really reminded me of the courtship of some bird species! The last picture is Chris from the back, but what makes me laugh is the guys all cheering and photos being snapped. What an event!

Michael was standing next to me laughing so hard he had tears running down his face. He said it was so typical of the kind of thing you did in college.

I could see Tresa chuckling....even though she had swore there would be no "Pinocchio Dancing" at the wedding.

Then came the frat guy that did the Greek Oompah dance......but that's a story for a different day!

Oh So Shy

I think I saw it in the etsy forums the other day. People were talking about blogging. Someone whose forum posts I really enjoy reading said that she is really shy and that is why she loves the internet. I never would have thought that of her. Her forum posts are friendly and informative. I would have guessed her to be a very outgoing person that was comfortable in a crowd.

I knew as soon as I started blogging I was going to love it and I knew exactly why. I am also really shy. In fact, I am a very quiet person. Now my family would laugh at that statement, because they know me to never shut up. I wake up in the morning talking and I go to bed talking! I'm not referring to when I'm at home with family....I'm talking about when I'm out and about, when I'm at work or around people in a social setting. Then I'm quiet.

Sometimes I'm quiet because I don't like the topic of conversation. I don't gossip. It isn't my thing. If that's what is going on, I will never participate and often times will find a reason to leave.

I don't have friends that I hang out with or talk to on the phone, and I'm okay with that. I am a bit of a "happy loner". We had many friends when our kids were little, but when the kids grew up those friendships didn't last. They were based on baseball and soccer.

I love blogging because I can talk and talk and talk and no one talks over me or interrupts me or steals my spotlight! It's wonderful.

I don't like people to look at me either, so this is the perfect platform for me. And even though I love doing nice things for others, a quiet thank you is sufficient. I don't want any applause and I don't want any awards. I don't speak in front of crowds big or small. I'm a behind the scenes kind of girl.

Now, on the other hand I am very opinionated. I know where I stand on certain topics and I will defend my position without hesitation especially if it is something that I know I am right about...and did I happen to mention that I am always right? :-)

I don't go on line searching for friends or people to talk to, but I have met some amazing people through the etsy forums, my blog and twitter that I call my "online friends".

So, here's to the internet, etsy, blogging and the many friendships they have brought even this shy girl from a little town in Illinois!