Thanks to Roy, a reader in Columbia, Missouri, we discovered the starlings featured in yesterday’s post are actually a fine family of barn swallows.
Roy was kind enough to include a link to photos that helped us identify the nest and the birds. Mother-Daughter Press & Gay Bumgarner Images might as well have shot the pictures at my house.
Barn swallow child doesn’t have quite the same je nais se quoi as starling child.
And this isn’t the first time I’ve had to eat crow on the blog, nor will it be the last. But this is the first time I’ve had to do so over an ornithological misnomer.
“The point is that the bird kept jumping out of the nest,” said my husband.
Yes, dear. Reminds me of a certain blogger we know.
Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
haste makes mistakes. Proverbs 19:2 NLT
Little Bird by the Annie Lennox: I’ve just got to put these wings to test.
Milk Wars was first posted more than a year ago. Besides being our most read post, it’s also our most shared post with 528 Facebook shares and counting.
Apparently, the message still resonates.
I know that You can do all things;
no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 NIV
10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman, a new favorite in my house: Let me be singing when the evening comes.
Yesterday was a banner day. Thank you for reading and sharing.
open for comments
To any new readers, welcome aboard, folks. Fasten your seat belts.
A few things you should know. First, this isn’t a farm and food blog. If it were, it’d be called Farmilicious or Chick & Biscuit or Butterbean Babe.
I’m a suburban girl who didn’t grow up on a farm and doesn’t live on a farm now. I write all sorts of things. You never know what’s coming next, and neither do I.
This isn’t a devotional, although there are Bible verses that apply to the posts.
This isn’t a music blog either, but I really like music, hence the links to songs. Like a soundtrack for a movie.
Now about yesterday’s post Food Fright. Your response encouraged me to take inventory. Lo and behold, a pattern emerged.
Posts about what’s true and what’s not true about farming and food matter to you.
field of dreams
Since Milk Wars exploded a year ago, I’ve met a lot of cool people. Yesterday reminded me there are stories waiting to be told. Questions begging for answers.
Is my food safe? Are farms ruining the environment? Who’s behind all this? Will there be a Madagascar 4?
So among the posts about the dog, the family, the ups and down, the cosmetics and clothes, the social issues and flashback hits, don’t be surprised to see more about farming and food.
Chick & Biscuit can take a hint.
Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9 NLT
That’s my take from 40 days of WordAds. I didn’t expect to make much, but $5.85?
Christmas 2013
I don’t even get paid until I reach $100. At this rate, I’ll see my first check in time for holiday shopping—Christmas 2013!
The ads were charming, but distracting. I couldn’t approve them in advance or negotiate fees, yet they commandeered some of the best space on my page.
As my friend Janice of A Colorful Adventure said about her experience with ads on her blog, “I wanted the prime real estate for myself!”
Me too, Janice. So I’m ending my WordAds Beta.
The quest for ways to generate income doing what I like to do continues. I have a few ideas up my sleeve. Or maybe a more traditional approach is in order.
You never know until you try.
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
Also began testing advertising. Seeing as I’ve yet to make a penny, this test may end sooner rather than later.
Whisper was the most-read post between our centennial and bicentennial +3. It catapulted to the top where it’s third behind I Like My Bike and Milk Wars.
I’m still learning and having fun. Expect I’ll keep writing, testing, and making course corrections. Knowledge acquired from the ground up sticks with me. Feels like I know it by heart.
Hmm. That sounds an awful lot like praise for the process from an impatient, results-oriented, change-it-yesterday kind of girl.
Like I said, I continue to learn. Thank God, don’t we all?
Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:3-6 NLT
Live and Learn by Clint Black, a gentleman of country music.
See that banner at the top? That foreign image in the sidebar? Yes, those are ads.
I’ve succumbed to the invitation from WordPress to try the WordAds Beta.
What does that make me? A greedy sellout? A savvy businesswoman?
A somewhat clueless blogger would be more accurate. I’m still learning and this is part of the process. Together we’ll see how this works.
Together as in me and you. You and I. We. You are an accomplice, complicit in the crimes and passions of this crazy blog experiment.
Relax. Your part is easy and doesn’t involve the getaway car.
Please keep reading and visiting the site. If you see an ad that’s offensive or in poor taste, please let me know immediately via comment, email or Twitter. I don’t choose the ads that appear on my page, but I can pull them lickety-split.
Blogging with WordPress has been positive so far. If this newest twist works, great. If not, we’ll have learned something. What do we have to lose?
For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you. Isaiah 41:13 NIV
Ambivalence bordering snarkiness rules the day while the jury’s still out about the ads. Taken For a Fool? I hope The Strokes’ lyrics don’t apply here, even though their song rocks.
As a reader, what’s your opinion of the ads?
If you blog, what’s your experience with ads been like?
I didn’t know what a troll was until one came to my site.
His strong negative reaction to a post was a dead give away. He implied I should be arrested. Wonderful.
To me, trolls were strange, little garden statues. Wait, that’s gnomes. Told you I didn’t know what they were.
Let’s try that again.
To me, Trolls was a bar in the basement of a building across the parking lot from my sorority house in college. Smelled like beer. Had foosball tables and booths. Became the second living room of the sisterhood. The one where alcohol and boys were allowed.
That was Trolls, until Mr. Meanie came a calling on my blog. I was crushed. I feared he would key Cranberry Mary. Stick pins in a voodoo doll of me. Or worse.
My husband, the calming force in our home, told me it would be okay. The comment wasn’t that bad.
You know, he’s right. I’m small change on the blogosphere. I have it easy. Upon further research, I discovered there are entire sites devoted to dissing other people’s sites. Meanies, every one.
i am not a troll
Who has time for this? I can barely keep the wheels on my own blog, much less create another one to ridicule, criticize, or spew at people.
Then last week, a twist. I’d been following this Blogger who shall remain nameless. That’s Blogger with a capital B.
Blogger enjoys an enormous following. I like Blogger, but Blogger writes things with which I disagree about topics that matter to me.
I first read Blogger when a friend sent me a link a few weeks ago. In response, I submitted my comment of respectful disagreement.
The next week, I visited Blogger’s site to be rankled by another post. I submitted my comment of respectful disagreement.
Then last week, I read a post by Blogger on a popular website. Blogger was once again wrong (surprise). I submitted my comment of respectful disagreement.
This time something went horribly awry. The captcha bit me. The queue malfunctioned. My comment appeared multiple times. Like a broken record. On a major site. In response to Blogger with a capital B.
Immediately, I contacted the site to correct the mistake. Prayed no one noticed the fumble from small change on the blogosphere.
That’s when it hit me. Each time I read Blogger’s work, I get upset enough to lodge a complaint. No matter how respectful I am, my response is still negative.
i am not a troll
This may be Blogger’s modus operandi. Stir the pot. Salt the wounds. Elicit a response. Spike the stats. Who knows? Doesn’t let me off the hook. I was becoming a troll.
If you come here to my itty bitty blog, and what you read repeatedly upsets you, gets your panties in a wad, sends your blood pressure soaring—well, against all blogging wisdom about building an audience, I would probably suggest you not come back.
Lively discussion in the comments is welcome. But I bristle at my blog being a source of upset for readers. Challenge, maybe. Upset, not so much.
Don’t know if I’ll continue to read Blogger. Sure Blogger has impressive stats. But Blogger brings out the troll in me. That’s not acceptable. Trolls in my life will best remain a memory of a bar in the basement of a building across the parking lot from my sorority house in college.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9 NLT
Last night I decided to change to another layout. Then I decided to change back.
Then I decided to add a column. Then I needed a different size masthead.
What once would have cost me hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in web design was reduced to a couple dozen decisive (or indecisive) clicks.
Now I’m contemplating ads. WordPress invited me to try their WordAds Beta.
What on earth would they advertise here? Hair coloring seems logical. Or shoes. Or lipstick. Or dog treats. Or maybe Zoloft.
fresh dress
What if they slap an ad up here for something inappropriate? Like Skout. Or a Joel Osteen book. (Apologies to Joel fans. Jim and Tammy Faye ruined it for me. Alas, that’s another post.)
And how much are they going to pay me for ad space? Pennies per click, I’m guessing.
Oh, the drama of the blog, as if we need more drama in our lives.
Another layout? A coupon for Jamba Juice?
Stay tuned. There’s always something brewing here. And it’s bound to be fresh.
Today I’m honored that an everyday epistle post is being featured on The Couture Cowgirl.
Celeste Settrini, the site’s creator, is blessed with a positive outlook and energy for life.
She is the founder and president of Couture Cowgirl Communications and fashion editor of Equestre Magazine.
You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter @couturecowgirl7. Or catch her on Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos hosting Fashion Friday.
Or speaking to school children in San Francisco and business people in Sacramento about farming. Or leading the charge as a past president of California Women for Agriculture. Or working on her family ranch in Salinas.
She’s a busy bee. And I’ll bet she wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hope someday when I meet Celeste in person she’ll show me the ropes of being a real cowgirl. But first I need her advice on a good pair of gorgeous cowgirl boots!
Now mosey on over to The Couture Cowgirl, meet my friend Celeste, and read about my favorite fashion strategy in Many Happy Returns.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT
Ryan Goodman riding horseback on the west slopes of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming
There’s a new everyday epistle post out. But it’s not here where it usually is. Today we’re taking a field trip. A blog-cation.
Saddle up and click on over to Ryan Goodman’s excellent site Agriculture Proud.
Ryan is a real cowboy. Comes from the hearty stock of an Arkansas cattle ranching family. Smart, too. He’s currently in graduate school at the University of Tennessee.
And Ryan is social. His Facebook page I am Agriculture Proud has more than 1,400 followers. Find him on Twitter at @AR_ranchhand.
Ryan Goodman is Agriculture Proud
Ryan is also tall. He’s six feet four inches of tall, dark, and bachelor. Said he’s not ready to settle down yet. Single ladies, see if you can help him with that, will ya?
Humor and matchmaking aside, I’m honored to be guest posting on Ryan’s site today because he has a passion for telling the true story of American agriculture. And he’s invited some friends to join him this month.
So come along with me to Ryan’s cyber ranch. Meet a real cowboy and find out why I’ve been known to follow ag blogs, write about farm stuff, and collect photos of barns and livestock on Pinterest.
Graphique de France creates the most deliciously charming stationery and gifts like the whale notecards featured in this post. Their tag “classic. chic. trendsetting.” is spot-on. Click to visit their Graphique Boutique.
