The Wait Is Over!

So here we are! Thanks to those of you who dropped me a line -- your kind words and help were appreciated! Let's get started with the festivities...


I thought it might be appropriate to answer some of my own questions and some lagniappe (a.k.a. "a little something extra for ya"). Here are the questions that posed to you, the Readership:

1) What you have learned about me in the last 100 blogs?
2) What was your favorite entry? Funniest? Saddest? Most controversial? etc...
3) What have you learned about yourself through reading this blog?
4) Anything else about which you'd like to put in your two cents-worth...

I'll just dive right in!

1) What you have learned about me in the last 100 blogs?

Since I was the one posing the question, I will talk about myself here. Honestly, I've (re)learned that I'm a work in progress. I'm not near the solid rock that I had myself fooled into thinking I was. I'm waaaay too hard on myself, but I see that as penance self-improvement. I have a heart for people and desperately hope that my ranting and raving blogging reaches people in a way that touches them, changes their thinking, makes them laugh and take life less seriously (really can't point fingers there!), and helps others who are not in my life situation understand just what it's like to be in my shoes, to shed light on a perspective that is not so commonplace. I've learned that blogging and writing is not only therapeutic to me, but it comes easily to me. I would love to be a combination of Sedaris/Dooce and make a living at writing. I still have a lot left to offer the world; I'm just in a real fog right now on what direction my life is taking. I am blessed with amazing friends, unusual friends, unexpected friends. My story has only begun to be written -- I've got a lifetime left ahead of me, and that will be the best part of my story yet.

2) What was your favorite entry? Funniest? Saddest? Most controversial? etc...

Personally, I've got lots, but I'll get to those in a minute. Hands down, "Socks" wins the favorite entry contest. Second place goes to, "Happy Anniversary, Schmupps," and the birdie entries collectively take home the bronze. The posts that get the most Google hits are, in order, "We're Expecting!", "The Open-Toed Shoe Pledge," and, "Today's Verse: Matthew 18:3-5." My personal favorites include all of my rant-n-raves (they are the most fun to write), the birdie series, the anniversary post, a pictoral verse for Bud, "Baby Mine" for Lil' G, and some of my reflections on scripture (found here, here, here, here, here, and finally here). I could go on, but then I'd be linking to almost every post that's not a MeMe or a music video, but I digress...

3) What have you learned about yourself through reading this blog?

"Trust"; "living, learning, laughing, and loving"; "the continuing sense that if we really listen to one another and really seek to understand, our potential for grace giving and receiving (from each other) abounds"; "courage to be more open in my own life"; "most people see me as relaxed and groovy. Ciao." (Oh you are, JO!!) BTW, links are to blogs of those who left comments...


I think I'm going to take the following comment from Gretchen and have it made into a tramp stamp for my car (JUST kidding):


"I think you are like my favorite Mexican food: Spicy and delicious."

As promised, the contest winner is none other than... Halfmoon Girl! I promise I used the randomizer, but I couldn't figure out how to properly link or display it. So email me for directions on how to send your prize, HMG!!

In closing, thanks to you all for reading. I realize in looking back that my writing definitely has room for improvement, but I don't really strive for any kind of "finished product" here on my blog. It's just raw and uncut GGG, plain and simple.