New TGB Feature: Where Elders Blog
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Marian Van Eyk McCain of ElderWomanBlog mentioned in an email that because she visited me here in Portland, Maine this past summer, she can now visualize me tapping away at my laptop when she reads Time Goes By.
What a lovely advantage she has. Knowing a person’s surroundings helps us know one another better. It adds depth and context to friendship and community, and gives us an additional sense of what someone is like. Plus, it's fun to get a peek inside our homes.
Is your desk messy, cluttered with notes and books and magazines and coffee cups (or as one elderblogger admitted, a wine glass)? Or is yours tidy and organized?
Maybe there are sticky notes all around your screen. Or perhaps a stuffed animal hanging off the top. Or maybe you blog with a laptop in an easy chair. Or in bed. Or at the kitchen table.
Wouldn’t it be fun to see where other elders do their blogging?
So today begins a new section of Time Goes By – Where Elders Blog – listed where you can always find it under the TGB Features header near the top of the right sidebar. Here is how it works:
- Take a photo of your blog workspace
- It must be a jpg
- It must be at least 370 pixels wide
- Email the photo to ronniATronnibennettDOTcom either as an attachment or inline in the body of the email
- Use the email subject line: Where Elders Blog
Include the following information in the body of the email:
- The name you want to use to identify yourself
- The city/state/country where you blog
- The name of your blog
- The link to your blog
You may also include a short paragraph about your blog workspace – or not. Up to you.
Everyone who is age 50 or older may send in a photo. There are elders who do not keep a blog, but comment regularly. Show us where you do that; we'd like to get to know you better too.
Each person will be listed on the Where Elders Blog home page with a thumbnail link to a page with the full-size photo, other information and link to your blog if you have one. Comments are enabled on each page.
I’ve gotten us started with a photo of my own blog workspace and eagerly look forward to adding yours.
[At The Elder Storytelling Place today and tomorrow, Sunday, are two more episodes of Chandra and Her Georg. Also, if you have been thinking of sending a story to The Elder Storytelling Place, now would be the time to do it - we are running a little short of stories.]
What a great idea, Ronni. Looking forward to seeing everyones "blogspace"! Alas, mine will not be among them......as yet I'm not inclined to conquer the picture stuff, yet. Dee
Posted by: Dee | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 06:53 AM
A Great Idea! I'll send a picture of my messy workspace very soon--and I won't even clean it up in advance.
Posted by: Marlys Styne | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 08:45 AM
Ever since I first looked at John Battelle's Searchblog (battleemedia.com) and saw the photo there of his beautiful workspace, I've thought this was a great idea. I once posted photos of my workspaces --I was still working fulltime, blogging partly there, partly home -- to my blog, but they're long expired there. Been wanting to do it again from the new blogging home. Will send one along.
Posted by: Liz Donovan | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 09:06 AM
I think this is a great idea. It is nice to know where others write and part of the whole process.
Posted by: Rain | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 04:02 PM
Haha. I'll send you a picture in 7 months!
Posted by: Nancy White | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 08:02 PM
A good notion. Here I go...
Posted by: Dick | Saturday, 29 September 2007 at 11:09 PM
What a wonderful, friendly idea! Let me tidy up a bit first...
(Any chance they could be listed on that page alphabetically?)
Posted by: Nikki | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 03:24 AM
What fun! I enjoyed taking a number of different pictures from different angles and tried to see the space from someone else's eyes. Thanks, Ronni!
Posted by: tamarika | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 03:53 AM
I considered that, Nikki, but alphabetized by what? Screen name or blog name? There are a lot of bloggers whose screen names I'm not quite sure of and others whose names I know, but I'm uncertain of their blog names.
And for people like me and Virginia DeBolt and others who use our full names, alphabetized by first or last name?
For now, I'm inserting a suggestion that readers use their browser's "Find on this page" search.
But I'm open to other suggestions.
Posted by: Ronni Bennett | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 03:54 AM
I guess I would've thought by name, but y'know what? It doesn't matter one little bit. I forget, sometimes, what's important. Ha. It's fine just as is!
Posted by: Nikki | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 06:04 AM
Nikki:
It IS a dilemma. One advantage of stacking the newest additions on top is that when readers return, they don't need to click around too much to find the latest. And it saves me the time of adding and subtracting little "New" stickers.
Still, with those caveats, I welcome suggestions.
Posted by: Ronni Bennett | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 06:19 AM
I like this -- I am redecorating and will post a photo eventually!
Posted by: Kay Dennison | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 07:49 AM
Oh Ronni - what a great idea!!!! But since I am clueless on picture taking...I can verbally describe my area decorated in Louis Vuitton. Yes I took apart my make believe pieces and arranged it as a top on my desk and side table aka folder holder...definitely OCD!!! A place for everything and everything in its place. I do not have a lap top - no clue on those and so my set up is a three drawer desk that used to be my son's - he is age 41 and a rolling thingy for the keyboard and the screen and printer etc. in a row - ala "Madeline." I guess a picture would defintely be better...OYE VAY!!!!
Posted by: Sheila Halet | Sunday, 30 September 2007 at 11:00 AM
This morning I visited all those pictures posted so far. I was thinking of posting a picture of my work space, but after this, no way! You'd all be absolutely astonished at all the clutter! If things are too neat on my desk I can't think; I get too possessed with trying to "keep neat." It's a great idea, though, and I did really enjoy looking at all the different ways people do up their creative spaces!
Posted by: Alice | Thursday, 04 October 2007 at 08:42 AM
Great idea! My email will be on the way to you shortly.
Posted by: martie | Tuesday, 09 October 2007 at 03:40 AM
This is a wonderful idea! Count me in. Pics and descriptions coming soon. Love this.
Wendy
Posted by: Wendy Spiegel | Wednesday, 17 October 2007 at 04:58 PM
This IS a super idea, Ronni. Just like your idea to visit new blogs.
Just snapped my photo and I'm off to email it to you.
Keep your ideas and creativity coming! We love it.
Posted by: Terri | Sunday, 28 October 2007 at 08:06 AM
I would like to know, if elderblogger has it's own site, where as you can start your own blog?
Posted by: Barbara | Friday, 10 July 2009 at 05:03 AM
Great minds run in the same . . . and maybe not-so-great teeth do also.
Just did a blog post last week on old vs. new practices and dental pain. Give it a click if any of you are interested in more on this topic. Good luck, Ronni!
Posted by: Gabby Geezer | Wednesday, 03 March 2010 at 09:32 AM
Wonderful - now to try it! We do cherish our creative nests, don't we.
Posted by: ElderSpeak | Monday, 31 May 2010 at 01:25 PM
Outlook Express does not recognize the email so I can't send mine.
Posted by: Bonnie | Saturday, 10 December 2011 at 12:44 PM
Good Morning all! I'll try to set up a site for me. Will have to do it in segments (guess that's the word I want) First, my name, location, etc.
Posted by: Patricia Whitney-Jones | Friday, 10 May 2013 at 11:06 AM