Finally.After lengthy discussions, my friend Mary Blake has finally started a blog. It's called Painting Paris, which is what she does. Mary lives in Montmartre and takes her easel to the street every day to paint an outdoor scene of Paris. And does she have tales to tell!
Mary has been calling me for occasional help with Blogger, which is weirdly difficult. Two Americans in Paris, one with a Mac, the other with a PC. One with Blogger in French, the other with Blogger in English. I can't explain to her on the phone how to perform a simple task like dragging an image down on her compose screen. We might as well be in different continents, talking in tongues-via-Skype to each other. "What, a Mac doesn't have a left-click?" I ask.
But, oh, we have belly-laughs about daily street-happenings as she paints. "The question jar!" I hoot. "Put that tale in your blog, verbatim, exactly the way you just told me! Please, please, just do it!"
She demures. Each blog is a personal creation-- and Mary is carefully crafting hers to be just what she wants. I can respect that. I have to. I may have two years' blogging seniority over her, which is worth about 25 American cents. She's got the vision for her own blog.
I'd forgotten what a learning curve blogging had been, after that first morning two years ago when I got an email from my dear friend Ariane announcing to me, "Your blog Polly-Vous Francais is up and running. Here are your address and your password. Start posting!" Sheer panic set it, but I have to admit that I loved it. It took me almost a year before I figured out how to put a stat counter on the blog. Almost 1-1/2 years before I got comments enabled. Shoulda gone to blogger-behavior school, I guess. Or bought a copy of Blogging for Dummies a bit sooner. But to me, there's a certain poetry and choreography to singlehandedly surmounting the blogging technological head-scratchers. I still have a long way to go.
Looking back, it made me realize that I'd missed my two-year bloggiversary a few weeks back. Really? Five hundred and eighty-seven posts?
Gawd, what a blabbermouth.
7 comments:
Your blog is delightful. I have it in my RSS feed so you must have figured that out along the way too. :-)
I walked right by Mary the other day as she was painting that very same corner. Now that I know who she is, I'll run right over there and say Hi! I blog with both a Mac and a PC and I live near Montmartre so maybe I can help her too.
I wish I could say that I have it figured out who has me in an RSS feeder. RSS is my biggest brain-cramp. I'm warming up to it. It pisses me off that it's called "Really Simple.." Like anyone who says "aw, c'mon, it's easy!" RSS Oops, sorry I'm going an a mini rant here.
Glad you're a regular customer!
Anyway, Omiword, I love your blog(s). Maybe there should be a Montmartre blogger group that you and Mary could start.
Definitely stop by and say hi to Mary. The question jar was my idea. It totally backfired.
A couple of months ago I got an e-mail from someone looking for Mary. I guess you were able to help him find her.
Polly, somehow I figured you for a Mac person.
Is there really a Blogging for Dummies book? I need it badly if there is! I love your blog and intend to check out Mary's as well. I've decided that blogging and reading blogs is totally addicting.
Thanks Evelyn
Yes, here it is
http://www.amazon.com/Blogging-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/0471770841
I need to read it again...
Funny, perhaps I passed your friend on our recent trip to Paris...I saw so many painting :)
Happy Bloggiversary :)
Ah, what I would do to have the consistency, regularity and talent as a blogger that you have, Polly! But it's clear that you have strong writing skills and put them to wonderful use in your blog. Such a pleasure to read... If only I could somehow manage to be more concise, cut myself short and learn to come to the POINT in my blog posts -- and write them a bit more often! But you definitely are an inspiration...
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