Blurker Round Up

Well, I'd like to thank my blurkers for coming out of hiding! Those of you that did. That would NOT include my brother, his wife or my parents. My therapist will be hearing about this. I feel a deep sense of loss at not being validated in public by those who are nearest and dearest to me. Please send money. I will now keep posting embarassing pictures of all of you.

Moving on...I finally got to put some names to the elusive stats that I see on line. For example, my Belgium blurker, Karena, came out of hiding and I was quite pleased! I'll excerpt her comment:

Guilty as charged. I am your Belgian "blurker." I'm actually an American living over here, so maybe that takes away a few of the cool points. My husband is from Ashland, WI. But I could throw in a few French phrases here and there to make myself more interesting.

Ashland WI!! Did you hear that? Why we are almost neighbors since I grew up in Darlington. I'll bet we were both cheering for The Pack this year. She goes on....

I stay because..... the seemingly paradoxical combination of classical ed and unschooling.

I know, I know, that is a paradox. But believe it or not, I am finding quite a few share that bizarre combination!(see below) And I'll bet you stay for the great recipes, too. Oh. Wait that isn't my blog.

I do actually have a blog of my own, but it's kind of "generic family blog" right now. I have difficulty getting the grandparents to comment.

Well, isn't that interesting, Karena, do you think it is a generational thing? Do you think they are afraid of technology? That can't be, in my case, because they write me emails. Do you think that maybe they  are trying to tell you something? Are you, too, seeking therapy for this issue?

Suzanne from Chickens in the Road left a comment, too. I was very pleased she did so, as I have long been an admirer of her blog. Not to mention she is very busy painting, very likely as I type this. She isn't just a humorous blogger talking about her life in West Virginia but a bona fide author (authoress) also. She consoles me by saying that only 1 percent of her traffic actually leaves comments and that I shouldn't loose sleep over it, because the others never will. Oh, Suzanne, do you mean like MY FAMILY?

Angela from Lux Et Veritas Epistula (no, I don't have marbles in my mouth, duh!! That's Latin) came by to thank me for helping decorating her bedroom. Did you know I was a designer in my free time? Angela was being kind, because I doubt  she's ever really going to go with that "Elvis/Jungle Room" theme I suggested.

I have to say that Ruth from NC cracked me up.

Uhh, I'm a homeschooling mom of mostly teens and what else am I supposed to do between 7am when DH goes to work and 11am when the troops awaken? Clean house? I think not. Watch TV? Who do you think I am? And I really don't like bonbons. But now I have a new name for myself-blurker.

First of all. Her kids are up at 11 a.m!! Now that's what I'm talking about, sleeping in!! (Although, Ruth, you are up at 7 a.m. and that somehow seems, well, for lack of better word: WRONG!) Ruth clearly has an aversion to housework, so right there I'm liking her. She and her family do the travel trailer thing along with some letterboxing. Excellent.

Paige from Elemental Science stopped by, thank you very much. She has some free science downloads a lulu store with her own Grammar Stage Biology curriculum. Check it out!

Thislittlepiggy is from the  The Funny Farm. Her blog totally has THEME. And a great banner. And one doggone (in keeping with the theme) awesome quote: " I homeschool because I've seen the village, and I don't want it raising my child(ren)." ~~Anon.

And here is a word from Kristiana. (bold wording my own)

I know what you mean about stats though, I get comments from a few friends, rarely from family members, and I wonder just what everyone else is doing at my site!

Well, Kristiana, you seem to be pretty "okay" with that whole family issue? Do you come from a large family where you were ignored more and don't need constant reassurance? Do you live near them and see them alot? That must be the case, otherwise I would think they would COMMENT ONCE IN AWHILE!!

David of Oz (I think he means OZ like, Auz-tralia)gave me a new perspective.

We get lots of visitors from around the world and are always pleased to see comments from visitors. But we always see the comments as a bonus - like a little surprise letter from someone you haven't met.

David seems confidant, doesn't he? He seems to have less time on his hands to DIE of burning curiosity!! That having been said their blog is a neat peek at, okay I have to say it, "down under". I especially like their explanation of  Structured Classical Unschooling.

Freakmom claims she's from "boring old Illinois" but I know better. That place was always more "happening" than Wisconsin.  I liked her blog because there was something eerily familiar about the fact that she homeschools only one child, and her "favorite book list" looks a lot like mine. If you homeschool an only, she's started a yahoo group. Go to her blog to check for the link.

Myfivewolfcubs thanked me for some advice I had given her via one of the forums I frequent. In part, she had this to say:

Your blog makes me laugh...even if I don't always know what your exactly trying to say!

What a relief! I don't know what I'm trying to say, either, so we are in the same wonderful boat!

Some of my regular commenter's came by to tell me how much they loved me. Mommylion,( who has yet to tell me more about that very cool banner/tiles thing) Tara, (fellow Mainer who has some pretty cool pictures on her blog)and Urban Mom (from the great Mid West who keeps me in touch with Chicago).

I'm so not upset as you would imagine that Rechelle and bossy didn't comment. After all, they don't do the homeschool thing and I get that. I mean, I know that they pretty much stalk my site to see when I'm posting next...I can track these things you know, but I am so not upset at them.

This list also does not include a certain chick I went to highschool with, whom I know reads this blog avidly, (I mean, how could you not, it's all rather addicting isn't it? Especially if you are at work and terribly bored. And I know where you work. And how boring that can be...) If you don't come out of hiding I  will be forced to find em brassing pictures of you from the 80's. Don't make me do that.

And, the other 99.9% of you who don't comment...well, I guess you have left me very unhappy and discontent. (That's you, family.) And if you want that kind of guilt on your shoulders, then hey, who am I to try to get in the way of that?

Comments

[piscesgrrl]

I'm here I'm here I'm here! Just late to the party as usual. Been pacing myself on the whole online-time thing - something tells me homeschooling should not equal "mom glued to computer!"

[Christa]

Hi Maria. Thanks for visiting, and no, I will not go into a rage about how you unschool/homeschool. :)
Glad to find you too. I look forward to visiting again soon.

[Kristiana]

Actually, I'm not from a large family and I do live near my parents. And they do leave me comments, or else they phone me to talk about my blog post :) Cousins, on the other hand, who swear they read it every day...

ok, maybe I do have some issues.

[thislittlepiggy]

Hurray for the blurker round up! Um... Do I now have a big brand on my rump?

Checking out the other blurkers!

[Mariah]

I missed the call for blurkers -- did I spell that right?

I'm a newish blurker, but I love your sense of humor and I have a 9 yr old, late to read, daughter. I'm a classic unschooler wannabe. And I would totally go for the Elvis Jungle Room theme..........

I am amazed by all bloggers who make the time for sharing and giving so much to all us blurkers.

I think I'm becoming a regular and I'll try to give back and comment more.

[Maria]

More people out of the woodwork! Mariah: You too can have a Jungle Room. Please send 12 easy installments of $99.99 and I will give you a hand with that. And we have daughters in the same reading boat, so I included a discount.

Funnyfarm, this is a family blog. We say "buttocks". But I like that you stuck with a farm theme.

Oh, yeah, Cousins. I get that Kristiana. I have about 1 million of them back home. I have rec'd TWO lovely personal emails from these cousins, but the rest are silent. They know who they are. Glad you have family feedback.That's worth a lot.*sniff*

Christa! Hello and thank you for not raging at my middle of the line unschooling.

And Laura...ah, about that glued to the computer thing. Right. I have to remember that....

[Denise]

Oh Gawd. I HOPE my family doesn't read my blog, or comment. My husband peeks here and there. But family??? eek.

I seem to get about a 4-6% comment rate per day compared to visits average. I hear about people through the grapevine that supposedly read daily, but I've never seen a comment...so...I always wondering who is out there too! :)

[Poppins]

I didn't comment because I assumed that since I have commented in the past I don't count as a blurker.

As for why people don't comment - I believe that those who don't comment often don't have blogs and therefore don't understand the function of the comments. The comments are where a little community-building goes on. The comments are also like blog money, some kind of recompense for the work you've done.

[my5wolfcubs]

You quoted me! ME! :) How exciting!
ACK! I misspelled "you are" as "your" -- how embarrassing.
Oh, and btw, I am still following your (proper use of the word) advice...as the company in question hasn't contacted me as of yet. I'll have to go to the store for more chocolate, at this rate!
Lee

[thislittlepiggy]

Does that mean using "hiney" is totally out of the question?