Guest Editor!

I love a heavy rain; it'd be great to curl up under a blanket, hot mug of cider, cat or two purring away, and read:)   These days, much of my reading and dvelving into others thoughts are via the aol journals.  I'd forgotten all about the idea of there being guest editors, and am surprised and a bit excited to have been "found" and asked!  So, thanks, Jeff / MagicSmoke:)

Quick notes:   This journal was started 7 months ago, mostly to just write out my thoughts as I seem to be in front of a computer much more often than I have a pen in hand.   (Usually the pen is in my mouth.)   I'm a 45 year old single mother of a fantastic 12 year old daughter.   She and I are both involved in Irish dancing.  I have ADD, which is a bit obvious if you try to read some of my more circuitious (sp) or rambling entries.   I also care for my 73-year old father who has dementia and lives alone, for now, anyway, until I can figure out how to pay for any other options.  

Some of my "must read" journals I so enjoy and have on alerts include:

Let's start off with Giving Tree.  The Giving Tree  Canyonsun04 is coordinating the good spirited of us in Journal-Land with those who could use a helping hand, or perhaps another item or two.   I personally know of someone only from online AOL who was laid off of her job and unable to get coats for her children, until someone else nominated her to The Giving Tree, and two others had spare coats to send along for her cold family.   (Her journal is private now, or I'd definitely feature hers on here.)  Tis the season for thanks giving -- please do check out Giving Tree by Canyonsun04 :)

Fred is a relative newcomer, who already has developed his own sort of online journaling fanclub:)   Intended to be a place for Fred to write about his forays into the dating world after being divorced, his journal has since evolved into tidbits from his life, starting in Russia and emigrating to the US, and searches for love, and who he is, through college and today.  Look back a bit and you'll even find a romantic recipe much too ambitious for my domestic, um, "skills."   Sit by the fire and sip wine kind of read indeed.    Those Eyes That the Cherubim Drew

Mike's journal I stumbled upon while he wrote of taking care of his elderly mother.   He's a single non-custodial dad with custody issues many of us sometimes have, who also plays air-guitar to classic rock and tries to see the humour and good in life (at least, I picture him as always smiling), seemingly always debating whether or not to make that next blind date.   He had quite a childhood to overcome (THAT journal is here: Crystal Clear Days of Insanity).   MikeV009's main one is:   I'm Going Sane in a Crazy World

Single parenting is the theme -- Sharon is a single mother of four children, living in the greater Amish area of Pennsylvania.   Her journal captures her emotions as she and her children grow, through her illness and past a cheating spouse, with love and hope in her heart.   This Momma's Drama gave me the encouragement to start journaling myself.

When Mary does post, it always has me either touched, or laughing.   (Check out her entry "don't date a man with four kids" if you're in a place where you can crack up out loud.)   Just a few words from her, and she's captured completely the essence of the love between a father with Alzheimer's and his doting daughter.   It helps me to hear her.   Just Mary

Milwaukee's best includes Dan's homage to his bit of world, and cheese, can't forget the cheese.   I wish sometimes that I had the computer and writing skills that Dan does.   I almost always love his entries, wry comments and perspectives and light-hearted pontifications on his world and life.   Deafcat makes me think of mine, even his writing of an unrelenting spider had me smile, a week or so later, when I had just the beauty of an aging spiderweb to keep me copany for a couple hours. The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind

I hope to add more later.   Jeff, aka, MagicSmoke's e-mail asking meto be guest editor went into my SPAM folder, of all places, so I didn't see it until a bit ago, almost past his requested deadline.   Back off my break and back to the world of meetings and printers, and hey, even some sunshine coming in now (but still a tornado watch, so be careful out there).

-- Robin

Guest Editor part II!   The rain is gone!  Even before I dashed off yesterday, I KNEW I wished to add more journals, my Uncle Len corrects me, bia my aunt Beth, that this is blogging.   Nor did I realize I could add non-aol blogs.  

The funniest non-aol blogs I know of is written by dance-parent Shawn, taking pokes at the inside world of Irish stepdancing, particularly if competing (in feiseanas).   Zebadiah and Beauregard's Front Porch  Check out "do you have what it takes to be a feis mom."   Admittedly, I've had M's stepdance shoes and my dance shoes (for ceili and set dancing) in my truck for two funerals in one month this fall..... I'd have prefered weddings, which merited me a score of 19.   We've since traveled to the Rhythm of Ireland feis, and for some reason will stay overnight in Arlington for the Southern Regional Oircheatas, so I may score higher soon.

In the "I really wish he'd write again" category -- I could so relate to the descrition of a day living with ADHD, and he gives some practical medical information as well -- a very good writer.  The aol journal:  Confessions of a Madman: Insights into Living and Coping With ADHD and also the blogspot one:  Mending the Dream:Out of the ADHD Nightmare

Looking for blogs in all the right places - check out Paul / plittle's Carnivaol.   He collects blogs to feature on a weekly basis CarnivAOL

Struggling for a better life out of cocaine clutches, for herself and her daughter, is Jenn.   God give her the strength to stay fighting the good fight.   Please lendher some support and hope that she CAN do this:)   She's been living with her daughter and her now deceased grandmother who had Alzheimer's.  Jenn's Lost Life and her previous journal is:  Jenn's lost life

Ever bored and wondering what it'd be like to visit some town in the US?  I followed them during their road trip -- hey, they live in Maryland, too, just got out for a bit.   Road Trip 2006

Flat Stanley is on the move -- what stories he could tell?!   Great kids project.   Perhaps more hosts and hostesses will contribute, too.   The Flat Stanley Project

Briana ends her quick read journal with an entry about a road trip to her new life, one without her recently deceased alcoholic father.   She's a kid.   I suspect she'll find a new voice somewhere, sometime.   Briana's Journal

Journals new to me which I've been enjoying and hope to read more of! include:

Barbara lives in a unique Texas town, with faith and introspection.  Life & Faith in Caneyhead

Ginger cheers up residents in an assisted living center, in ways that work best for THEM, cheering up her readers while she's at it.   Assisted Living Center Activity

Well read, but with reason - good prose and other writing abounds in Rebecca's In The Shadow Of The Iris

Going to be a bright, bright, sunshiney day:)   Enjoy your weekend reading, everyone.  -- Robin

p.s. -- Not having seen a Guest Editor spot before, and given no guidance other than to try to include non-aol and those with limited readership, I didn't know I was to limit myself to 6-8 selections!  Oh, well:)  Gives you more to chose from.

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