Thursday, January 18, 2007

I have been selected

by Stomper Girl to complete a meme. This is the first meme I have completed. I have kind of avoided them, thinking that surely I have more interesting things to say than answer some questions. In truth it is probably that I am worried that I don't have any interesting answers! SO please read on, I apologise if I bore you.

1. Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?

The look: It's OK, but that is all. It's very green. Green is not my favourite colour, but it seemed appropriate for peppermint. I chose that name because my business is called Peppermint Patch Quilts. I like the alliteration and the smell and taste of peppermint. I need to add a banner and my links on the side. I am a bit in limbo because I haven't upgraded to beta. I need a day to sit and work on it.
The contents: This started purely as a site for me to discuss quilts and promote myself as a quilter. Initially I was only talking about quilt related topics and visiting other quilt related blogs. I think that the blog is evolving to be much broader than that now. I am allowing it to show a lot more of my life. I guess that is because I have a lot that I think about, a lot that I read about, a lot that I worry about and a lot that I wonder about. As I visit other blogs I have realised that there are lots of us thinking, reading, worrying and wondering. I enjoy that. So do I like the contents? Yes, their mine, they reflect me and I'm pretty happy with me.

2. Does your family know about your blog?

Yes. I spend enough time here for them to wonder what is going on! My daughter tried to read over my shoulder as I wrote the other day (she is not well raised!) and I felt a little self conscious about it and asked her to leave. She turned on the other computer, put my name into a search engine and opened my blog within ten seconds. Curse that school learning.

3. Can you tell your friends about your blog?

Yes. Do I need to keep it a secret?

4. Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog?

I blog surf from one blog to another without knowing the path I follow. It might be through a blog ring or through comments on my blog or the blogs of another. Someitmes I read a bit, sometimes a lot, sometimes I just look at the pictures.

5. Does your blog positively affect your mind?

Adults only do something which is not compulsory if there is a positive outcome for them, so I guess it must have a positive effect. This year I have been a little lonely because I left a busy workplace to start a home based business. Home-alone based business. I have enjoyed blogging because it has become a social group for me, a chance to converse with other adults.

6. What does the number of visitors to your blog mean?

I don't really look at the statistics, but I do love to receive a comment. I felt a little exposed at first by commenting on other blogs, like I was pushing into a conversation. Now I comment to those I find interesting and hope that they will comment to me too.

7. Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?

Not really, I haven't thought about that at all. But Stomper likes to know what others look like, so here I am. I recently had my hair cut to shoulder length - just imagine that.



8. Do you think blogging has any real benefit?

It makes me feel like I have a social group in my lonely old house. My husband appreciates that, because if I'm lonely I ring him at work. I am interested in people's thoughts. I know that the luxury of composing on blogger really gives you a chance to consider how you want to express yourselves. I take a long time to draft exactly what I want to say and I'm sure that you do too. I love to see what people are quilting and making.

9. Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?

No because I'm pretty certain that only real people are writing blogs.

10. Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?

I know where the buttons are to navigate away from topics that don't interest me, not scared just not interested.

11. Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?

Criticizing my own blog or someone else offering criticism? It's me, I am my own worst critic, I'm not too worried what others have to say.

12. Have you ever thought what would happen to your blog in case you died?

It's not mentioned in my will, but I guess it would just live on by itself unless someone deleted it.

13. Which blogger had the greatest impression on you?

I don't know. I like lots of blogs for lots of different reasons and when I sort out my blog you might find yourself with a link on the side and know that you make an impression on me.

14. Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?

Again. I don't know. I talk about topics that are universal;life, kids etc. I guess that makes lots of blogs similar to mine.

15. Name a song you want to listen to.

This question is out of context here, does it reveal something about me that I don't realise? I'm not sure how to put a youtube box in here like Stomper did, so I just have a link.
My song is My Chemical Romance, Welcome to the Black Parade. Quite anthemic, sing it loud and proud. I love these lines:
Do or die, You'll never make me, because the world, Will never take my heart. Though you try, You'll never break me, We Wanna Know We want to play this part. Won't explain, Or say I'm sorry, I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar. Give a cheer, For all the broken, Listen here, Because it's who we are. I'm just a man, I'm not a hero Just a boy Who had to sing this song Im just a man, I'm not a hero, I. Don't. Care.

My kids love it when I sing loud and proud and...I. DON'T.CARE.

How was that Stomper Girl.. Was I interesting?

10 comments:

Bec said...

You were interesting to me!

Tracey Petersen said...

Thanks Bec. Much appreciated.

Stomper Girl said...

Of course you were interesting! (and I knew you would be because you always leave good comments with an interesting 'take' on things)

I really agree with you on 5&8. And THANKS for the photo!!

Your badly raised daughter is very funny. And the song was great too. If you want to put the youtube in your blog you take the "embed" code next to the video screen, rather than the URL code. I just worked that out today.

Tracey Petersen said...

Don't encourage my badly raised daughter! Thanks for the tip on embedding. Once you embedded did you see the clip right away? Or did you have to wait until you published to see it? I'm just getting an empty box when I try at the moment.

Stomper Girl said...

You know how there's the options of View html / Compose or Preview when you're composing your blog (above where you write, and the insert picture, or make it italic toolbars are)? I could see my youtube immediately when I hit preview.

molly said...

Interesting answers.nice to see a pic--connecting a face to the writing helps the feebleminded [me]. agree how a blog can start out one way and evolve.....

LBA said...

Don't upgrade to beta !!
It's blerky !!

I found your thoughts interesting, and a bonus picture ! I must admit, I like personal pics of whatever genre - be they kids, gardens, yourself, whatever. I'm just a big stickybeak.

You look like a nice person anyway.
Have you seen Stomper ? She looks a bit like Farrah Fawcett. With psychotic undertones. Imagine that.

;)

nutmeg said...

Here by way of that crazy/lovely Stomper Girl!

I always like seeing a picture of the blogger that's attached to the blog. Just got to do it myself one day!

Some thought provoking questions/answers here. Like you, I'm probably my own best/worst critic!

Tracey Petersen said...

H&B - that is the very reason I have not changed my blog over. Not one person has said a positive thing about the 'upgrade'. I'll wait until it settles down. You know that I searched out a photo where I looked like a nice person- in all the others I look cranky and old!!

I will look out for a photo of you Molly and Nutmeg!

Aunty Evil said...

I agree with H & B about the upgrade, I can't say I am as happy with my blogsite since I upgraded. :(

Your answers were interesting, you are interesting, do you really thing someone as fabulous as me would waste my time visiting you if you weren't? :)