Friday, February 7, 2014

Seven Quick Takes: A Blog Rant and a Giveaway


Thanks to Kayla for introducing me to this loveliness.  The Brilliance has been my jam during long grading-papers stints lately.  FYI, they have a free live album up for your perusal on NoiseTrade.
 
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How is it that I seem to think that I have nothing to write about?  It has been a week, right?  There has been a gathering of crafting friends, another snow day, a great and challenging Bible Study, dinners with more friends, getting stuck away from home for two nights, lots of productive students, exciting projects starting at school...and yet I can't come up with any stories...


Let's just talk about blogs for a minute, then.  Recently I verbalized to a friend the thing that "scares" me about this little space.  I started this blog as a way to communicate with friends and family, those who love me, and actually know more about my life then what is posted here.  Then, later on and for various reasons, I started posting Religious Ed ideas as a way to share resources with people who are doing similar work. 

So in my head, I like to pretend that there are only two types of people who read my blog:
My closest family and friends.
And complete strangers.

I have no issues or concerns with either of those groups reading what is here.  However, there are a lot of people that do not fall into either category that still find their way to this space.  Acquaintances.  Friends I don't connect with frequently.  Friends of friends.  Extended family. Coworkers.  Students (eek!). 

Even though I am not ashamed of or regret anything that I post here, there is still something about finding out that a person that I don't know all that well knows a whole lot more about me, bases their opinion of me from on what they can find here, and then never mentions it to me during our in-real- life interactions...
I'm not telling those people to leave!  Stay a while; you are very welcome to browse and read and share.  But maybe consider actually following me, or leave a comment, or the next time you see me say something like, "Hey, this might be kind of weird, but I found your blog, and I am enjoying reading it."  And then I will respond with, "Glad you found it.  Forgive me for being the one weird enough to blog in the first place."
In #3, I mentioned that some of my students had found my blog.  Unlike most other forms of Social Media, I can't exactly block access to my students without setting the blog to be private.  How did they find me, you ask?  Well, apparently if you teach your kids about Fulton Sheen, and help them to grow to love him, they will start looking around online for more info about him.  And if you happen to post a lot of information about Fulton Sheen on your blog, they are going to find it.

Google image search Fulton Sheen Activities and a chunk of the first couple hundred hits are links back to this blog.  Same thing if you start digging around on Pinterest.  Should have seen that one coming, but the greeting, "Miss Bogner, I found your blog!" isn't exactly music to my teacher ears.

So where are we?  Oh, yah, this thought process turned into an all out blog about blogging rant.  Point of the story, I am still not sure of the mission and purpose and audience of this little blog.  I will keep working that out, and some people somewhere will keep reading it.

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But speaking of those some people somewhere?  Now is your chance!  Lurkers, come out of the woodwork.  Readers, announce yourself.  Help me know more about who I am writing to so that I can do my best with this little hobby. 

An incentive?  
Anyone who starts following my blog through blogger or blog lovin' 
or leaves a non-anonymous comment on any post 
including this one 
from today until my next Seven Quick Takes post next Friday 
will have their name thrown into an ultra scientific hat.  

One lucky winner will have their choice of $25 worth of handmade merchandise from my friends' and my little craft business, [un]common workbasket.  Go check it out- lots of cute stuff.  Totally worth making yourself known sometime this week!  Regular followers and friends, just leave a comment and you can be in the running too!
 
https://www.facebook.com/uncommonworkbasket

You could have this:
https://www.facebook.com/uncommonworkbasket
 or these:
https://www.facebook.com/uncommonworkbasket
 or this!
https://www.facebook.com/uncommonworkbasket

Hope to hear from you soon!

As you can see, my rant slid into bribery.  Whoops.
Good thing I know that we have a merciful God, just like the song above preaches.   

Happy Friday!


For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

34 comments:

  1. Hi Katie Anne! Don't worry, I'm not one of your students. I found you on the Quick Takes linkup just now. I'm Diane @ Broody On The Barque--top row on the linkup. I have the same problem as you regarding the dilemma of deciding what your mission and your audience. I decided to just write for myself, as if I'm the only one in the room. I enjoyed your post, hope to win the bribe, and invite you to come into the room and check out my blog!

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    1. Thank you for your advice, Diane! And welcome :)

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  2. HI Katie- I read your blog. I already think you are awesome, so your blog just solidifies that opinion. And thank you for the chance to win.

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  3. I'm here too! But you knew that. That's awesome that your kids are Googling Fulton Sheen! You have given them a special gift : )

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    1. Hi Marie! I am glad that you are here! And I know, it is sort of hard to be mad at them!

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  4. Hi Katie, I just stumbled upon your blog from the 7QT linkup! I always wish there was some way of knowing who reads your blog. That's a great idea to ask people to comment. We'll see how many actually do I guess :) Great post! -Maggie

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    1. Hi Maggie! Glad you found me today, and sorry that you started with such a random post. Hope you took some time to browse! :)

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  5. The blogging world is so tricky, isn't it? Just stumbled upon yours today and it looks lovely :)

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  6. That's awesome your kids are learning more about Fulton Sheen...I know I love and use some of the idea's you do in catechesis type stuff....love me good ideas to try! :)

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    1. Thanks Patty! I am glad that you have been finding some things to use!

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  7. I am a DRE at a small parish, and I started following your blog a while ago on bloglovin'. I'm not sure how I found it at first. I love all of your creative ideas and I've used a few of them in my program. Thank you for sharing your gift on this blog!

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    1. Hi Theresa! Thank you for your encouragement!

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  8. Don't throw my name in the scientific hat but I wanted to say it would be awesome if one of your students won. :)
    And I feel the exact same way about blogging. It's most weird for me when I see my cousins once a year and all the female ones know all about me, my family, my religious beliefs, my life and I can barely remember their kids' names.

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    1. Spot on. This whole "anonymously famous" thing is getting to me.
      And even if one of my students' comments is the one that is pulled, sorry, they are out of the running because they would have to look at our ucw Facebook page and some of them are not old enough to be on Facebook, and I certainly am not allowed to communicate with them through it. Shoulda put that as a claus in the contest, I guess :)

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  9. Hi Katie, i found this blog from pinterest when i looked for an activity for my kids. i am from indonesia. So sorry my english not good enough, so i can not wirte a lot.. i just wanna thank you for sharing your ideas in this blog.. God bless :)

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    1. Wow, Yenny! Indonesia! How cool. I am glad that you found me!

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  10. Hi Katie! I came to your blog via Bonnie at A Knotted Life, who I came to via a mutual friend, Molly B. who had asked our Bible study group/book club to pray for James when he was born. I teach 5th grade math, science and religion in a Catholic school and have loved using your ideas in my class. Thanks for sharing all the great projects!

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    1. Hi Tina! Thanks for commenting. How great that you teach 5th grade, too! I am glad that you have found some things to use!

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  11. I have been following your blog since Rachel suggested it (on Pinterest). I use a ton of your RE ideas! You don't know how grateful I am you post that information.

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    1. Yay Sarah! I am so glad Rachel connected us. I have been meaning to email you to tell you that we have been praying the FJS Prayer for favor on behalf of Samantha over the intercom with the whole school during morning prayer every day! There are a couple more hundred people joining in asking for her healing. :)

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    2. That is incredible that your whole school is praying for her! Thank you so much for doing that!

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    3. She was even included in one of our school Mass petitions this week! We are thinking about her and will keep up the prayers.

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  12. Katie, My sister told me all about your blog!! But I have shared it with the kids Religious Ed director too. I have enjoyed it.
    Christina

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    1. :) That's good! Thanks for sharing it with the DRE. There are some family stories mixed in here too, every now and then!

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  13. Hi Katie,
    I found you on pintrest. I am a DRE in a parish in PA...I love how you bring our faith A-L-I-V-E to your students and to those of us who read your blog! You are so good and helpful to so many of us and you have helped me renew my love of Fulton Sheen. I had almost forgotten some of what he had done! Thank you!
    Michele

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    1. That's so great, Michelle! All the way in PA! Thanks for commenting!

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  14. Guten Tag, Katie,
    Here is Anita's friend, International J, from Germany. I started reading your blog when I wanted to see pictures from your sister's wedding and the jewelry "flower" bouquet.
    TschĆ¼ĆŸ!

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    1. Hi International J! I enjoy reading Anita's blog when E posts updates about your family!

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  15. Hello, stranger known as Katie Anne. I think we've met once or twice, but I can't remember what you look like besides your picture. I think we have a mutual friend known to both of us as "Mom". Also, I want your crafts in my closet. Like, now. :) Count Georgia on your far off and adventurous reader list.

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  16. Hi Katie,

    I love your blog and all of your creative ideas! Thank you so much for sharing them! Can't wait to do another craft session with the kids!

    Laura

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