Studio Tours Part II
I’m excited that this is (hopefully) the last time I have to do this.
I’ll be painfully honest in saying that my engine has run out of steam. I think it’s this shitty weather. It’s like kryptonite to my attitude and ambition.

I’m asking 99.9 points for this assignment, .1 points taken off for my shitty attitude.

Anyway…

Femina Mosaic

I have been reading this blog since Faith created it a few weeks ago, without reading the new project proposal. It’s interesting to me that it takes on new meaning now understanding the thought behind it. The writing is all there and still the same, but how I read and interact with it is not.

While reading it before, I view myself as an outsider—someone just nosing around, enjoying the writing, without allowing myself to establish little connection. More than not allowing, I wasn’t even considering the idea. Until reading in her project proposal:

“It is my belief, that the way that women hold each other up and communicate with each other is a source of great strength in our lives. Indirectly, we all benefit from this. I want to explore this form of communication by providing a writing space for women to share what they wish about their lives.”

I am a woman. This appeal to be “let in” on something more than just reading someone’s online journal made me connect to the posts in an entirely new way. I like that. Connection!

When I first received the invite to join this blog, I didn’t respond, assuming it was another one of those accidental mass invites. Now, I’m excited to participate and communicate with the other amazing women already there.

The title is perfect for the intent of the blog and I see this project continuing well outside the end of the semester. Faith is creating bonds, bonds that are not confined to any boundaries but those of the technical realm (which are hell sometimes!). I could see that the time constraint of beginning the blog mid-semester would affect the class of seeing how the communication would evolve, but I hope I’m there and a participant when it does!
p.s. for reader convenience, could you create a link on your project proposal to your blog?

“Sweet Caroline. Dah dah da. Good times never seemed so good!”
Again, I’m fortunate to be writing about a blog I frequently visit. I’m so blessed.

I feel I should start by saying that Caroline should become a participant in the Femina Mosaic blog (if she is not already).

In Caroline’s proposal, she says that her intent is to “create a blog that discusses main areas of my personal life, school life and just life in general. I will use the blog to journal about my diabetes, my school life as an older than average student, my favorite tool (my computer) and what I do in my free time.”

She covers each of those topics in her almost daily posts. She is faithful to her blog and the posts usually start out talking about class and school schedule and then a general run down of what her day includes.

Having been a regular reader of her blog from the very beginning, I admit to seeing a little less “Caroline” in the posts lately. Yes, she covers the above mentioned topics, but as a reader (not that she’s writing for me, but allow me to throw my 2 cents out there) I sometimes wonder about things BEYOND what she does.

For example, an excerpt from today’s post (4/20):
“So last night my husband set up the baskets without me, again with the chocolate. Then we delivered the baskets to bedroom doors at 6 am. I snoozed for another hour, before starting the Sunday morning routine of getting kids up one at a time, for the shower. At 10 we were at church, 'til 1. We had an early dinner, so the teens who had to work could have a Sunday dinner with us, it went really well. My husband can cook anytime he wants, well maybe. He made Baked Alaska from a recipe from a co-worker. It was good, but too much frosting. This from someone who can eat frosting from the container. “

That’s a lot of dang information packed into one paragraph!

I found myself wondering how the kids react to their Easter baskets. They are teens, do they care? Were they excited? Did they sleepily trip over them on their way to the shower? Does church always lost from 10-1? How did Caroline feel about her teens having to work on Easter? Does this obviously caring mom wish she could have her family home? etc. etc.

Although, I know Caroline has 6 writing classes this semester, so going into an elaboration on the blog may be very low priority on her list. Not only that, but this could be an intentional move on her part.

The posts vary in length, it seems depending on the day’s activities. It’s clear that Caroline is really “in to” her blog and the act of blogging. It’s a great diary for any woman to have at the end of the day to realize just how productive she is!

Keep being sweet, Caroline.


Traveling Back in Time With Ayleen

I have a real aversion for in progress wikis. I felt disappointed that I would get to Ayleen at around 10 years old and then stop. This is obviously a work in progress and not me commenting on Ayleen’s work. It is simply an observation I make about my reading wikis vs. blogs. I wonder how this project would be in blog form. I think that would be next to impossible to do. Since the current time passing has nothing to do with the past…or something. I’m getting off track, sorry.

I think this is a great idea for a project and is definitely fun to be reading and checking back on. The site map is a MAJOR necessity and I recommend putting a link to that closer to the top of middle of the page, rather than the bottom. I’ve gone through the wiki without following the site map and it’s possible to navigate, but more confusion than the reader “should” have. Ayleen’s expertise in creating the site map is brilliant. Show it off.

Ayleen is a techno-mastermind and it clearly shows in her layout and organization of the wiki.

It’s interesting to read her memories in comparison to her mom’s of the same time period. I hope she sees this project through to completion. I recall reading in Caroline’s revised project proposal that Ayleen was experiencing some “ho-hum” feelings toward this wiki. I could see running out of steam for a big project such as this, but keep with it!!

Alyeen does a good job of having a variety of links in the text and making sure there is a link to “home” on each page. Dr. Morgan learned her well.

I find myself curious how it is to do a project wiki with another person, especially outside the class. Easy? Difficult? I look forward to Ayleen’s end of the term report to learn answers to those questions.