Blogging

Reader of the Month

January 31, 2010 /

Over the past two years that I have had this humble blog, I have gotten to know a lot of you through your comments, emails, Twitter, and Facebook.  It has been one of the charming, unexpected side effects of having a blog that I love more with each new person I “meet.”  To show my appreciation for those of you who stick around day after day, we are introducing a fun new monthly game called “Reader of the Month” here on Marriage Confessions.  On the first of the month I’ll profile a reader and for the rest of that month, a link will appear on the sidebar of my blog to their blog (if they have one!).  This way, you can see who else is out there in Cyber Land.

So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you to…..   MINDEE!!

Twitter:  MindeeOFD

Blog:  Our Front Door

Mindee has been reading this blog for a while, but I actually got to know her better when I started reading her blog, Our Front Door. What first caught my attention to Mindee’s blog was the theme.  Its laid out like a house.  “Knock, knock” is the main blog.  You can see her family on their “Inhabitants” page.  And you can even see what they’re eating “In the Fridge.”  It is just the cutest and makes you feel like you are part of the family right away.

What made me come back to Mindee’s blog is her sense of humor.  I’ve gotten to know her now through emails and Twitter and she’s just the nicest, funniest person!  So, really asking her to be my first Reader of the Month was just an excuse for me to ask her a bunch of personal questions for my own interest…

What is your name?

Mindee €“ and yes it is spelled wrong.  That€™s annoying, I know.  But what can I say?  It was the 70€™s.  It could have been a lot worse.

Who lives in your house?

Me €“ hanging on to thirtysomething

Rich €“ moved on to fortysomething

Reagan (girl) €“ 14

Hayden (boy) €“ 12 ½

Faith (girly girl) €“ 9

How long have you been married?

18 years

How did your husband propose?

He made a small, scale model of my favorite car (Porsche 911) and gave it to me as a gift.   In the trunk, where a tiny spare tire should have been, was my ring.  When I looked up, he was on one knee.  It was a very sweet moment.

What is your favorite part about being married to your husband?

The companionship.  Rich is the smartest, funniest person I know.  We have great conversations.  He is also a good grounding influence in my life.  He tempers my tendency to fly off the handle and blurt out every thought that enters my twisted brain.

What do you think is the “key” to your success in marriage?

Determination.  We are a couple of very stubborn people.  Around year 7, we were in a really bad spot.  Since we had already determined that divorce was not an option, we had to also determine that it wasn€™t enough to just stay married.  We didn€™t want a miserable marriage to be the relationship we modeled for our kids.  So we determined to figure out how to be happy.  It took a lot of time and effort and bending of wills but most days now we look at each other and are glad we€™re here.

Did having children change your marriage?

Good Golly €“ yes it did.  If you ask me, the quickest way to ruin a marriage is to have a baby.  I think initially Rich was really put out that my focus went from him and us to €œall about Reagan all the time.€  Then we had to make €“ and agree €“ about gigantic decisions.  I had to learn to better balance baby and marriage and figure out that Rich€™s opinion was just as valid as mine when it came to our kids.

Having kids is like a long term fraternity hazing.  Rich and I are a pledge class of 2.  When we finally get them raised we€™re either going to be tight unit or drunken wastrels!

When did you start your blog?

Um, June of 2008 I think?  I had a couple of major software issues and had to change formats twice.  Both times my blog got eaten.  Now I€™m with Squarespace and feeling pretty secure about it.  I have my archives rebuilt to cover the last year but that€™s an extremely tedious process so that€™s all that is going to get done.

Initially of course I dreamed that my blog was going to earn money for me.

A-ha-ha-ha!

If anything, it€™s taught me that making it as a writer would be tough.  There are many terrific writers our there doing just what I am doing.

How often do you blog and how do you make time for it?

I shoot for 4-5 times a week.  I make time for it by ignoring my children and household chores.

No, really.

Why do you blog?

Well for documentation of course and to keep the grandmas caught up.  But I am a storyteller at heart.  When anything of even minor interest happens in my life, my brain goes into edit mode and I start thinking about how I can tell the story of what just happened.  As a storyteller, it€™s not enough just to write it down in a journal.  I want an audience.  I love feedback.  A blog is perfect for that.

That actually sounds more than a little narcissistic, but true.

What are your top three favorite blogs?

Pioneer Woman, of course, is my all time favorite.  That is some darned good blogging.  She tells great stories but doesn€™t jeopardize her family€™s privacy and her pictures are fabulous.

After that, I don€™t know that I can pick €œfavorites€.  Most of the blogs I look forward to reading are authored by women I have relationships with €“ either in real life or through blog land.  I like those blogs because I like the people who write them.

What’s in your purse right now?

This is going to be boring because I hate purses.  I carry a tiny one because some essentials just won€™t fit in my pocket.  Let€™s see:  all the necessary plastic cards and IDs, concealer for my wicked eye bags, 4 lip glosses, eclipse mints, Coconut Lime Verbena hand sanitizing gel because I€™m a germ freak who likes to smell good, a pair of earrings I thought was lost, Ibuprofen, a coupon for LaMar€™s Donuts, receipts for all my Christmas purchases.

Thanks for humoring me, Mindee!

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