Monday, November 30, 2009

NEW TO-DO'S, A QUESTION, & A BRIBE!




I need help! No, not of the professional sort (though some might disagree). I need your help. Two years ago, I was a middle-aged woman who barely knew a computer from a hole in the ground, but whose husband kept pestering her to stop wasting so much time, paper, and postage in the sharing of her little stories with friends and family, and "just put them in a blog for pity's sake!"

So, when I attended that last Story Circle Network conference for women who write memoir, and saw that they were hosting a panel on blogging, I decided to drop in - see if I could pick up a pointer or two regarding my husband's crazy notion. If only I had known what I was getting into - that a mere two years later they would be expecting me, the total techno-phobe, to sit on the Finding Our Voices On-Line panel, and answer questions! Like I actually know what I'm doing now? Well, yeah, I guess I still would have taken that leap. In fact, I probably would have gone over the edge much sooner!

In the interest of not making a fool of myself, I'm trying to do some advance prep - trying to get my ducks all in a row, if you will, and remember what kinds of questions were on my mind when I was in the audience. One thing I am fairly certain I will be asked is, "Who is your target audience?", and 'though I know precisely who I had in mind when I took those first tentative steps - young people who were just striking out on their own and needed a motherly guide on the path to the "good life" - I think this audience (that means you) is a good bit broader than that.

So, who are you? I really wanna know! Of course, I need to know your sex, age bracket, ethnicity, education level, profession, marital status and all that other crap that demographers always ask (but not your real name). Most importantly, though, please tell me this: What was it that made you come back to Seasonality a 2nd, or 3rd, or even 100th time?

Hmmm, too much trouble you say? Maybe so - especially since I will probably be asking your assistance several more times between now and February 1st, and since you are all quite busy with your own holiday prep. Perhaps I need to sweeten the pot...dangle a carrot... make it worth your while to answer all my silly questions over the next two months...... OK! What about this? Why don't I make an extra one of these super-dooper handmade Christmas gifts that I've been working so diligently on? Everyone who leaves a comment answering one of my blog-panel-related questions over the next two months will have their name tossed into the hat, and we will have a drawing for this amazing, Hill Country Hippie-crafted prize (which will be reavealed to you right after Christmas). Sound reasonable? Alrighty then, leave a comment here and tell me - who are you, and why the heck do you keep coming back?

P.S. As always, Click Image To Enlarge

10 comments:

The Old Man said...

I am a 59ish, college educated white male. I keep coming back to protect myself and keep my marital bliss intack.

Jana said...

Female
34
Married
2 kids
IT professional/Part-time/BA

I found your blog off of blog roll on Susan Whitig-Albert's blog. I started reading because I was just starting to look into becoming more green in my life and home and I also have a love for the Hill Country. I kept reading because I like the matter of fact way you write, but it was not till I read your description of your target audience that I realized why I keep comming back. I think it is your motherly advice that I enjoy. I lost my own mother to cancer several years ago (she too was named Becky)and I think something in your blog has filled a little of that void. Thanks for asking that question. I had no idea that was going to be my answer.

Mary said...

Female, 56, college educated, work in upper administration of the Big State U, no kids but tons of 4 legged "kids"

Truthfully, I'm not sure how I found you, but I'm glad I did. I read lots of gardening blogs, so it might have been Susan Wittig Albert's blog, which is not exactly about gardening but you know how that goes when you start clicking links.

I continue to come back because I like your writing style...I'll bet you talk just like you write. Your 'voice' comes shining through, and it makes your blog feel very comfortable.

PLaneFancies said...

Hi--you pretty well know my stat's since I'm your SIL. Female, soon to be 59 (yikes, how did that happen) married, 2 adult kids, work in volunteer management. Of course I found you cuz we're SIL's. You do write in a very relaxed style. And being a relative newbie, I think your experience would be very encouraging to others who are just getting started.

PLaneFancies said...

Oops, you can add college grad to my stats.

Hill Country Hippie said...

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the prompt and honest feedback. Your names have all been tossed into the hat.

Linda Hoye said...

LOL! Love the reason that "The Old Man" keeps coming back! What a wise fellow he is!

Becky, I love the idea of this post. Do you mind if I borrow it for my own blog?

Hill Country Hippie said...

Certainly not Linda, be my guest. But first, you have to answer my questions!

Anonymous said...

Weeelll - being your sister and all - it's the best way to keep up with what you're doing since I'm not much of a 'phone' person. Now it's part of my every day ritual and I get quite impatient when there is not an update. Reading what you are up to is sooo much more fun than doing what I'm doing (working in an office).

60
Master's in Math Education
Slaving in a Tech Megafirm and not sure how my road took me here (each choice I made seemed reasonabee at the time)
Married with 2 step-sons

Love, Gus

musingegret said...

Female, 56 going on 15, English-French-German-Irish-Scotch mongrel native Texan, some college-tech-school-of-life, former IT programmer/analyst, unmarried (currently), no-kids-by-choice, Unitarian mystic.

I found this site via surfing a little over a year ago and liked the physical layout (easy to read, not a black background, no embedded music, good book list, pretty pics) and the voice of the writer. Becky writes about a little town I fell in love with during a weekend visit in August 1982 to explore one of the top ten swimmin' holes in Texas. I never dreamed I'd wind up living less than 30 miles away from the pretty stone cafe out on the highway where I first breakfasted.

I check every day to ensure I'm not missing a photo, a recipe, a restaurant review, a list of some sort or 'nother or a little-slice-of-life narrative/reflection from "the hippie's" heart and mind. Every post provides food for thought.