WOW! I'm Honored!

Have you visited Our Wisdom of Words (WOW)? It's a blog group that supports "bloggers of substance" and regularly features different blogs -- all kinds, all topics. They are called "Bloggers of Note" or BONs, and this week I am one! (For those new to the Gypsy, that's me, below!)

We tell a little about ourselves to those new to our blogs and feature links to several of our favorite posts.

So, if you are new to The Marmelade Gypsy, this blog is pretty eclectic. If you scroll down a bit, you see posts about my recent vacation to North and South Carolina. Sometimes I'll feature an attraction from Michigan (my home state), like an exhibit at the museum or a local festival. (The photo below if from the Chihuly exhibit at Grand Rapids' Meijer Gardens).

Other times, my recent creative activities, which may include collage or knitting.

And there are always lots of photos. Flowers.

Farm markets.

Food photos to accompany a favorite recipe. Like I said -- it's eclectic!

The Marmelade Gypsy is named after my orange cat, Gypsy Rose (who is a boy, but I didn't know that when I named him).

You'll see him featured regularly, too!

I started this blog in December 2007, when a colleague offered to teach a group of us about blogging during those slow days prior to the holidays. "Holidays? Slow?" you might ask. Well, I work for a public television station licensed to a university, and once the students go on break, it seems slow, even if we're in the midst of a million other things (like pledge campaigns!)

I do public relations for our station -- that means a lot of writing every day, often revising press releases for our social media platforms (I do those, too) or for media relations. You'd think the last thing I would want to do when I'm not working is write.

That used to be true. I used to do a fair amount of freelance writing -- until I realized I never got a break.

Fact is, doing The Gypsy is not like work; it's really a joy. First of all, I'm writing about things I love, things (and people) that move me. I get to use my own photos (which inspires me to take more and be more thoughtful when doing so). And it is as eclectic as I am. You are as likely to read the reviews of wine from our wine tasting group as you are to see photos from a trip or hear reminiscences about childhood. (If you like wine, check out the wine posts on the labels at your right!)

What started as a bit of an online journal has become a connection to wonderful people throughout the world with whom I'm in contact both on and offline. I've had the great good fortune to connect with several bloggers face-to-face, and that has been a joy -- we feel like old friends from the beginning.

Many bloggers will say this community is extremely supportive and I concur. My blog friends have "been there" with words of support during times of family illness or loss. They have shared my joy at something fun and offered encouragement to try (or continue to try) something new.

Basically, I found that blogging fit me like a glove. I enjoyed the writing so much, I started a second blog, Chopsticks and String, which focuses primarily on books (though this fall I will expand it to include books and more). I also participate in Unconventional Beauties, a blog started by Anne to focus on self-portraits.

My friends, relatives and my partner Rick often say that to me "everything is a blog post." Not quite everything. But Rick and the kids have had their share of face time, and I am often teased that I see the world through the camera lens instead of through my own eyes!

The truth is, my theater background taught me to be extremely observant and I suspect I see the world all the more clearly for that -- I'm just fast with the shutter button!

Now and then, I am moved to write about a person who has been significant to me or a particular life event that was quite influential. Many times, those posts center around my family -- not just Rick and the boys, but the family that is no longer with me on Earth. I try to use vintage photos when possible. The post about my dad and his military service in India is one of my favorites.

Other times, I may get off on a tangent and consider something more thoughtful. Since I do a lot of collage, I one day realized that our lives are sort of a living collage -- I wrote about that here.

Finally, holidays always play a key part in my posts. Last Thanksgiving was one I was particularly grateful for. Rick had recently been in a serious bicycle accident; I had been dealing with some health problems and the holiday was upon us. As one who plans holiday dinners to the max, I found myself not knowing quite what we were going to do. The post "What Was Missing This Thanksgiving" addresses how we celebrated that beautiful day.

If you are one of my regular readers, I want to thank you for coming back time after time! More than 600 posts since that day in 2007 when I wrote my first one, I have found blogging to be a joy -- and a big part of that reason is you.

If you are new to The Marmelade Gypsy, I hope you will return or check out some of the subjects on the link list over on the right to see if any of those topics interest you. I hope you'll come back, and I look forward to getting to know you, too! (Next time: the best day of my vacation -- and your stimulus dollars put to good use!)