| On Whatever |
Not Happy with the Site Layout
Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 08:31PM This is more of a conversation with myself than anything. But, I'm doing it as a blog entry so if any of you readers out there (all three of you) want to make a comment or suggestion, you can do so through the comment section.
I redesigned the site about six months ago to have the following sections:
- A front page
- Four blogs -- Politics, Sports, Faith and Church, and Whatever. I did this so people could subscribe to a single blog via RSS, or read a single blog, without having to wade through the other stuff.
- A section for poetry
- A section for other writing
An all-purpose site, in other words. And, for the most part I've been okay with it. Except, I get the feeling that it's hard for people to find stuff, especially stuff on the blogs.
So, I've taken to putting blog entries that I really like on the front page, mixed in with the regular front-page items. (I use the FP for stuff from other sites, mostly.) This seems okay, until you realize that the blog things take up room and scroll to the bottom pretty quickly.
So, I'm sorta stumped. I put a "Recent Entries" thing in the first side-bar, and maybe that is helping. I feel, though, like there's got to be a better way. I'm open to suggestions, so feel free to comment if you have an idea -- or any feedback on the current layout.
Life As Gift, Live As Gift
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 06:23AM Sometimes, when you least expect it, grace breaks in.
Sunday night was the Four Churches concert that our church participates in each fall. Having finished my small handbell contribution (we accompanied the first hymn), I sat down to enjoy the rest of the concert. As I looked around the beautiful sanctuary of Church of the Advent, the music and the moment swept over me, and I realized how blessed it is to just be alive.
To be alive: To be able to appreciate art, and architecture, and music. To have a relationship with another human being. To sit in the presence of the One, and sense the love and life and light that flows toward us and around us in a never-ending river of grace. And to be able to sense all this, even faintly, and to marvel at it all.
Life is a gift. Even at its lowest moments, life is a gift. May we all live each day as the gift it is.
Notes on the Diet
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 06:35AM As some of you may know, I'm on a diet -- otherwise known as a "food plan." I'm basically following the Zone Diet, based on work by Dr. Sears. (And no, I don't get a washer and dryer with it.)
So far, it's been a good thing. I feel better, and I think I look better. Depending on which scale you use, I've lost either 16 or 19 pounds. As of this morning, I'm right at 220. Goal weight is under 200, so still have a ways to go.
One thing I've noticed, though, is that I'm becoming increasingly sensitive to what and how much I eat.Glycemic load seems to be becoming a big deal; I can eat the right amount of protein and carbs, but if I eat too much with a heavy glycemic load I still get sleepy. (Of course, not getting enough sleep could have something to do with it, as well.)
I'll post a note every so often, and possibly some "before and after" pix along the way.
The Daily Grind
Monday, July 14, 2008 at 11:10AM (or, Writing Ain't Beanbag)
I've been trying to get back into the blogging mode, doing something every day, for about a month. And it ain't easy.
The job seems to take more and more time; I'm often in the office by 6:30, or even earlier. The club work takes its toll, as well. Then there's the everyday stuff of life: paying bills, keeping the files sorta current, yard work. There's the small contribution I make at church. And somewhere in there is time with my dear wife and my two sons.
So, it's hard to make the time to write, and revise, and research, and revise again. Then post, and see if anyone reads and responds, and respond to them in return. And so on, and so forth.
The problem, of course, is that "can't never could" and each of us is given the same number of minutes each day and if you want to be a writer then you write, that's all, and whining about it or blowing it off or saying "manana" only means you're a wanna-be.
So, for anyone who drops by -- I'm starting today to get back into the Daily Grind -- and I don't mean coffee.
Writing Scribefire -- the Only Way to Blog
Friday, July 4, 2008 at 02:53PM Just discovered Scribefire, a plugin for Firefox. It's a WYSIWIG editor, and it is very cool.
This is an example of a formatted note note.
Wow -- this is very cool. I may have to do all my blogging this way.
Here's a block quote. Some text or other to make it wrap. And some more text. And some strong text. And some emphasis text.And I've got colors, and spell-checking, and videos, and images. Just very, very cool.
Writing 