I want to thank Rex at the Deer Camp Blog for inviting me to be a guest blogger the past few days.  I made sure to do my research and read up on some of his old postings.  If you haven’t read some of is older postings take the time to do so, Rex really is a funny guy.   From his town names, to the fun he has with friends and family, to his imagination, to his passion for the outdoors and the people that he welcomes.  

I really had a lot of fun and if he ever needs a guest blogger again, I would be more then happy to do so.

Thanks everyone for your comments and support.

I’m so sorry Rhonda.  Your guy was voted out.

Today I wanted to find out what are some of your favorite blogging tips or tools?  What social network services do you like, do you use feeds or just bookmarks, what are some of your favorite plugins if you are using Wordpress?

I guess I am feeling a bit unorganized with some of my blogging tools.  Sometimes I subscribe to feeds and most of the time I bookmark blogs that I like.  I feel I’m not using the best Wordpress plugins I should be.  There are so many social networking sites to choose from and I’m not sure which of those are best for me.

So I ask all of you, what are some of your favorite tips or tools?

Check out my guest blog post at the Deer Camp Blog.

Growing up I was always very cautious about many things.  I never wanted to ride rides at the carnivals because something might break and I would fall 500 feet from the air.  I didn’t want to ride the merry-go-round because it goes around in a circle and I might throw up.  I was never a very good swimmer and I never liked going out in the water in fear that a fish or shark will bite me or I would drown because I just can’t swim very well. 

Being online I am not as cautious as I probably should be like some of the other bloggers are.  Blessed.  I have my picture posted on here, I’ve posted other information about my personal life.  I guess if someone really wanted to find me they probably could.    But for some reason something from my childhood makes me not fear someone “getting me”.  

When you’re a teenager and realize there are choices you need to make yourself but you hear those voices of your parents in your head.  “Is that really the right choice, do onto others as you would want them to do onto you, you are too cute to frown, I love you but I will not tolerate that behavior.”  My Moms favorite was “If you can’t say something nice don’t say it at all.” 

Then I realize why I have no fear of someone getting me.  It is from my Father and one of his favorite sayings ”If someone were to take you, they would bring you right back.”

But just in case, this is my bodyguard “The Hunter” so don’t even try it.

Just a reminder, I am guest blogging over at the Deer Camp Blog

Last week I received an email from Rex at the Deer Camp Blog asking if I would guest post for him while he is away on a golf trip. I agreed and will be posting on his blog starting tomorrow, Wednesday, February 27, 2008.

I really hope I don’t disappoint anyone.  It is a hunter’s blog and everyone knows I’m not a hunter but Rex has a fun blog and this will give me a chance to have some fun over there.

Head over and leave an encouraging comment please.

It was a hot July day in 2000.  My husband, Mark, was working a festival that day and I had plans to go to my sisters to swim.  Just before I was set to leave the phone rang.  It was my brother-in-law, who also works with my husband, telling me I needed to get to the hospital right away they took Mark in.  My brother-in-law said Mark was fine but they needed to check him.  When I got to the hospital one of Mark’s bosses met me there and began to explain what happen. 

Mark was helping setup for the yearly festival when he came out of a pumping station and saw a man who had swam about 100 yards (about the length of a football field) out into the Lake to retrieve a beach ball.  The man was in distress and was drowning.  His family and friends were there yelling from the beach.  Mark fully clothed, dropped his city radio, his cell phone, yelled to one of the guys to call 911 and swam out to him.  The man was barely afloat when Mark reached him.  The man kept trying to climb on top of Mark nearly pulling him under.  Several times Mark had to let the man go and then dove in under water to try to grab him.  After a few struggles Mark was able to get the man closer to shore where a group of people had formed a chain to help.  They took both Mark and the man to the hospital for precautionary reasons and the man went home.  Mark ended up being admitted overnight because of his heart rate. 

When I finally got to the room to see Mark he seemed fine, just very tired.  I noticed his wet clothes laying on the chair and his boots were on the floor.  When I looked down at his boots I quickly looked at Mark and asked if he had his boots on when he swam out that far.  He said he did.  These were steel toed boots on a man who swam out 100 yards, struggling with a drowning man, pulling him back another 100 yards to shore and saves his life. 

To this day I can’t envision how he did it.  Mark is a very good swimmer and loves the water but to do what he did and in steel toed boots is just unbelievable. 

Mark doesn’t remember anything other then seeing the man going under, then dropping his radio, cell phone and swimming out.  He didn’t think about anything or anyone else.

Later that year, Mark received a phone call from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission who wanted to award Mark with the Carnegie Medal of Honor and a monetary grant.   Mark was truly honored to be recognized for something he thought you have to do when someone is in trouble.

Mark and I decided to donate the money to the local YMCA and Boy’s and Girl’s Club.

If you know a hero and would like to nominate them for such an award visit the Carnegie Hero Fund. You can also read some amazing stories about of other heroes who have risked their lives for another.

Proud to be …

Since middle school, I’ve been a part of a great friendship with some great people.  Our high school years were filled with weekend parties at Ami’s, volleyball championships, football and basketball games, the beach, loves, broken hearts, groundings, swats (not me), and assassination attempts (after almost 25 years that has taken a toll on me). 

We don’t see each other as much as we’d like, but we do when we can and we all still keep in touch.   Here are a few of my photos from over the years.

Our 80’s Graduation

Ami’s Wedding 

Sue’s Wedding

Sue’s Wedding

Our 10th Reunion Picnic

Weren’t those glasses for the kiddies?

Our 20th Reunion (Tammy & Reuben are MIA)

Ami had a little too much to drink that night.  I think she was leaving “I love you” messages to classmates who didn’t show up.

Our Thanksgiving Eve Cocktails

I can’t tell you how many swats those 3 guys got in middle school.

Our Grade School Program (They were rebuilding) 

Sue’s Birthday Bash

To another 30 years with some of the best friends anyone could ask for!

If you’re looking to find some specific SEO information and tips on what improvements you can make to your site, here is a great tool I found thru Social Media Mom to be of help.     

It’s the Website Grader SEO Tool.  It is a free automated evaluation that will provide a report that grades your website on it’s natural search results.   It also provides detailed information on what you can do to help improve your search rankings.

It’s a great tool and I am in the process of making changes myself.

I’m sorry Tyler.  Yau Man is out.

I promise this is my last post about being sick.  Unless my husband gets sick or they end up dragging me to the emergency room because mine won’t go away. 

The Bad: 

As others have said this has been a terrible flu season.  Once you get it, it is hard to get rid of.  I’ve had it for a week now and I still feel awful.  The medicines say may cause drowsiness and I am WIDE awake.  The pressure in my face from my sinuses is horrible.  I keep blowing out unthinkable things from my nose while my ears pop.  I can’t cough up whatever it is that needs to come out because I’m a girl and I can’t spit a hocker.  I’m sorry, I know how gross that is but I wish I could right now.   Next week when I am feeling better and my meds wear off I will look back and think oh no I didn’t really post that did I? 

The Ugly: 

Not only have I felt awful but I hate for my husband to even look at me.  Living in my pajamas that I could care less match or not, no makeup, my hair a mess and the gagging myself to cough it up.  Sorry honey!  And my nose is just raw, red, peeling and bleeding.

The Good:   

I think I have lost about 5 lbs this week from not eating the junk I normally eat.  Whenever I get sick I crave vitamins and feel I need to exercise.  All I’ve wanted is orange juice, milk, veggies and soup.  I also have been doing a little bit of yoga.  And after my hospital visit and having to confess my weight, that is exactly what I will continue to do.

On the next The Hunter’s Wife…Survivor Update and a post about a really helpful SEO tool.