Scraptacular #2 – the Highlight Reel

I do just about all of my blog-reading through Google Reader, and I have a lot of subscriptions in there. I’m going to share some of the posts I’ve “starred” in there over the course of the week here, and I’ll try to do that on a semi-regular basis, starting now (but I’m not yet ready to commit to how “semi” that “regular” basis will be…we’ll have to see how it goes). Maybe you’ll find a new blog to add to your own feed reader, or at least something you might not have read yet.

In the News
You’ve probably heard that we’re electing a new President later this year, right? :-). This coming Tuesday, California will be on of the 20+ states holding its Presidential-candidates primary, but I’ve already voted, and found myself smack in the middle of debate-land this week, as I mentioned in a “member note” I posted at Work It, Mom!

Tonight’s debate among the Republican presidential candidates is being held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. The Library is on the opposite side of town from my house, so normally this wouldn’t impact me – but tonight I have to pick up my stepdaughter at her mom’s right around the time the debate starts, which means I will be driving all the way across town and back again, right through any related traffic snafus. (P.S. It turned out there weren’t any.)

Tomorrow night, the Democratic candidates are debating at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, just a few blocks from my office. Any event at the Kodak Theater turns what should be a three-minute segment of my drive into a thirty-minute one.

Because, you see, it’s all about me and my lousy commute. 🙂

And then

I vote by mail as a “permanent absentee.” I completed my ballot for next Tuesday’s primary last night and dropped it in the mailbox this morning, all happy that my civic duty was done. Less than two hours later, I learn my candidate is dropping out of the race today, so my vote…doesn’t count after all, other than to decrease the margin by which someone else will win.

Sheesh.

Meanwhile, the MOMocrats have been regrouping in the aftermath of the aforementioned candidate departure, and are ready to challenge the assumption that women will back the woman in the race just because she’s a woman.

New to my Google Reader this week
Life in the Tempest, found via Ten on Tuesday
It’s All About Balance, found via a comment left on SoCal Mom‘s blog
Suburban Kamikaze, found via Jennifer Satterwhite on BlogHer

True-life stories
The slices of their lives that people share in the blogiverse are one of the things that make it such a great place to be – their joys, their sadness, their challenges, their transitions. Self-Made Mom is remaking herself as a SAHM, while BirdieRoark’s work life is finding a new home. SoCal Mom Donna took on the homework monster. A loss of trust provoked a mother’s wrath, and Pam lost a dear pet.

Book reviews of the week
Dewey’s review of Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey was one of the most useful things this wavy-haired woman read all week, and I’m trying out some of the tips she shared. MaryP overcame some initial skepticism and shared her reaction to the essay collection Between Interruptions: 30 Women Tell The Truth About Motherhood over two posts – I think I’ll be looking for my own copy of this one.

Things to think about
Seven words to live by, and a small daily investment;
Susan’s answers to questions about becoming a blogger for hire (they’re good blog-building tips even if that’s not your goal);
and Pamela Slim’s discussion of the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness, including this meditation:

May you be happy

May you be well

May you be free from suffering

May you be safe

I don’t think I can wish you anything better than that.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,318 other subscribers

3 comments

  1. I use Google Reader also and have way too many blogs subscriptions! Haha I tend to use the star function more often when I don’t have time to visit blogs but want to go back and read the post when I have more time. I do wish that Reader had a folder feature like Bloglines sometimes. 🙁 Anyway, I do love your new feature and I look forward to finding new blogs to read!

    Hubby and I voted on Thursday in our usual style. We sat down together and went over the ballot measures and candidates. Being as we are in different political parties, our presidential choices were different, which made it even more fun to discuss. 🙂

  2. Donna – You’re welcome! Homework is out of hand.

    Literary Feline – I use the star for posts that I think I’ll want to refer back to, whether for a round-up like this one or some other reason.

    I gather you and your husband also vote absentee, then? I do like being able to do it at home, with information at hand – and being able to discuss it at the same time.