Monday, June 14, 2010

Questions I Ask Myself

If you haven’t connected with me long you might not know I love asking myself questions. Today I’m going to ask and answer a few and then I plan to throw some at you.

Question One:

Why do you write ~ Wendy under blog comments when the reader can easily see who made the comment and even click on your name to link to your blog?

Answer:

I miss personal touches. Hand written letters, a how are you accompanied with silence because the inquirer really cares to know the answer…you see where I’m going with this. I write my name because I’m a fan of making authentic and personal connections in this web tangling business of writing.

Question Two:

On your Facebook profile where given an opportunity to share a little more about yourself, you wrote, "I spy with my little eye"--why did you choose those words?

Answer:

A. Because I’m a mama and moms know that not only do we have eyes in the back of our heads, our eyes are everywhere. Also, I’m constantly inventing creative games (one being I Spy) to play with my girls in order to help them pass time while they wait. And since life is mostly a wait, it’s a good thing to know how to be good at it.

B. Because I’m a writer and the same spying skill inherent with motherhood is embedded in writers. We notice things. Small things. Things the average Joe or Jane might miss. We spy and all of what we spy tunnels into our brain to a holding zone to be used at some point and in some creative way…when the time is right.



What personal touches do you enjoy?

Do you spy with your little eye?

*check back Wed. for part two of Questions I Ask Myself (this may become a theme for Mondays)
**photo by flickr

36 comments:

  1. Oooh, I love your post and your new pics!!! Gorgeous!
    I try to tell my kids that mommy sees them, but I don't think they believed me. lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your pictures, Wendy! Gorgeous!

    I also love handwritten notes. I'm big on sending cards in the mail, even if they cost me an extra 44 cents (or whatever the rate is now).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your new pictures are gorgeous!

    The "I spy" reminded me of my daughter and her love for those books and the "Can you see what I see" books. She has a better eye for detail than I do. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love, love, love the new pics and the new blog design. Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't remember what your blog looked like before, but it is beautiful now. Great idea, the self-interview!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This so much sounds like you from what I know of you from your writing.
    I guess my personal touch is I don't use spellcheck in comments and I type horrid so expect lots of misspelled words!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, Wendy. The new pics. Exquisite. Lovely. So you, your grace shines through.

    My personal touches are nuttiness and grace. I laugh at myself more than any other person, and I choke up when I see teenagers in handcuffs, even if they're guilty. A quirky combination, no?

    Love you,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree. The nice touch of a name or special greeting is welcomed.

    I spy the little things in life, which conveys so easily to my writing (I hope).

    All your new pictures are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Wendy,
    I thoroughly enjoyed this little interview with YOU. I agree that our culture seems to have lost the personal touch on many levels. I think the most important things to me are eye contact, a smile, and as you pointed out, taking the time to really listen (and to be heard).

    Your new profile pic is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ahh, you have the mom eyes! I have an added bonus -- the teacher eyes. They allow you to see SO much, don't they?

    Loved this!

    ReplyDelete
  11. http://awell-wateredgarden.blogspot.com/2010/06/questions-from-all-in-days-thought.html

    My link above for my answers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oooh, I had to come by to see your new pics. Beautiful! I am going to get mine done soon so I have them for my one sheets the conference.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your new pictures are fabulous, Wendy!!! Very professional! It will show agents that you're serious about this business! Good job!

    I love your personal touches. I hadn't really thought about it. But I hope that by taking the time to interact thoughtfully vs. more generically, I can give others the feeling that I truly do care about connecting in an authentic way.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Personal touches - I enjoy hand written letters, and nicely wrapped, pretty gifts, where you know the giver took time to wrap it and make it special. You are right; it is nice to make a more personal connection online.
    Blessings,
    Karen :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love tucked-away notes and unstaged snapshots and homemade dinners with placards and linen napkins.

    Yes, I'm always spying with my little eye. Did it today as I led a memoir writing class. SOOO fun to watch the different styles of holding paper (in one's lap) at a slant, on a pad, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jessica, My favorite is Hide 'N Seek. They really think I don't know where they're hiding!

    Sarah, I'm with you. There's just something about receiving mail.

    Jennifer, I love those books. My three-year-old often beats every other family member at a game called Pictureka. She's got game.

    path (aka Chrystie), Thanks. You are the beautiful one.

    Kathy, I had fun with it. I constantly have questions churning around up there.

    Terri, That's awesome and hysterical all in one. And it's cool that you have gotten to know me through my novel.

    Jeanette, I simply need to meet you. Thanks for the kind words. I prayed for that before she took them. I'm not a fan of having my picture taken.

    Oh, Janna, I so know you are spying the little things.

    Julie, Hello! Your comment made me laugh. And yes, listening is an art.

    dfjqiejro;, I'm at a loss. I understood not a word.

    Laura, Ah...teacher eyes. I think my teacher eyes get fogged up sometimes.

    Annette, Headed to your post. Wasn't able to leave a comment. Thanks for doing that though. Pretty cool to read.

    Cindy, Very cool. We are going to have so much fun.

    Jody, You might remember my telling you how much I didn't want to get them taken...so you know what it meant to get those done. And serious--absolutely! You are very authentic.

    Karen, I'd make you sad at Christmas. I try. I try hard but most of my packages have sad tape jobs and flappy sides.

    Patti, Tucked-away notes. Yes. Those are sometimes the best kind--the unexpected. Patti, you seem like a wonderful person to know.

    So there you have it. I'll confess something--those photos--that was round two. I was so nervous the first time almost all of the pictures were fuddy duddy. Thankfully the awesome photographer that worked on these met with me again. Thanks for your kind words about them. It was somewhat of a painful experience for me. But I'm pleased with the results.

    Am about to finish up Evolving in Monkey Town. Almost the entire book is underlined. Now there's a review I look forward to writing.

    Be back soon.
    ~ Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ah shucks, Katie. Thanks! Can't wait to laugh with you in person.
    ~ Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hand written notes are my favorite. I love the feel of paper and knowing it took the writer a little bit of time to write the note :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I was going to say how beautiful your photos are, but then I saw many others were saying the same. So I'm going to be different. Your photos are gorgeous!!!!

    (pause for canned laughter)

    Truly. You remind me of Grace Kelly.

    And to answer your question, I hope you will read my blog post today -- it's all about why I'm writing for other people, and it was the truth I was afraid to print. This week I was challenged by the High Calling Blogs Study to be vulnerable. I decided to go for it.

    I have a feeling you'll like it. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. The eyes in the back of the head gig. I got caught by the grandgirl when I said I'd look in a minute cuz I couldn't turn around right then. "Ha! I proved it! You *don't* have eyes in the back of your head.

    I love to creatively decorate a table for a meal.

    ReplyDelete
  21. the mom in me loves your use of I spy...the little touches...it's weird...at first I wrote for me...but so many have emailed me and said they are touched by my journey...I am so touched by theirs...

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'd love to do a guest post for you. I'm so honored that you were touched by the post. I just had this feeling you'd like it.

    Email me or leave me a comment about specifics.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well hello beautiful! LOVE the new pic's!!!! I really would love to have some done, but I'm so shy/uncomfortable in front of the camera. What do I spy? People. I give such outright stares sometimes I'm embarrassed. People are fascinating though and I love to spy on them. (not through windows)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love your new pictures! Beautiful!

    These answers are great. I love that you add the touch of personal. Blogging can be very impersonal sometimes. And I miss letters. When I write real emails I start with a salutation and end with my signature. And I still occasionally hand write letters and send them through the mail. Arcaic, but touching, I hope. Something about handwriting you just can't replace.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Personal touches - I like a personal response to my blog comments, either in the comment section or via email, but I certainly don't expect it or get bothered if I don't get one, it's just nice when it's there. I also know a certain blogger who puts lots of "X"s and "O"s in her comments, which I just love. Her comments are always very genuine and make me feel like she really cares.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wendy- quite a creative work of artistry this page of yours, not to mention your writing!! Beautiful family you have,cant imagine why you would have anxiety about a pic but ya never know i guess. I really look forward to reading your review of Rachels book. You writers must do a great job reviewing one another. Glad i came across your blog,I love your idea of the self questions

    ReplyDelete
  27. I like how your blog always poses a questions or gives an answer that makes me think. You not only make me think deeper but you make me dig deeper. To me that is success. Reading your words would be a supplement for journaling because you ask what makes you "You" in a creative way! I applaud your skill and hope to someday acquire it!

    Blogger in training- Tiff

    ReplyDelete
  28. I agree - lovely, lovely pictures of you. Your spirit really shines through.

    I like personal touches too. I miss handwritten letters.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wendy!!! The pictures!!! *swooning*

    Beautiful! They completely capture you. Do you love them as much as I do??

    Also, I agree with you on the little touches. It's almost impossible for me not to include a greeting when e-mailing.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Wendy, I love this post. It's a fun idea. I, too, spy with my little eye -- my kids help me see the beauty and uniqueness of nature every day.

    ReplyDelete
  31. what a cool concept. :) I ask myself questions all the time but never answer :p

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Wendy,

    I agree. I've often paused before typing my name at the end of a comment, but I do it for the same reason. I like the personal touch, the "let's pretend it's a real letter" aspect of blog comments.

    I love your new photo, by the way. You look lovely :)

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  33. Wendy:
    I address each blog owner where I leave a comment because I feel as if I am writing a note to them. I am a senior citizen and remember when we received letters with a salutation.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wendy:
    I almost forgot. I really like your new picture.

    ReplyDelete

Taking Time

college applications                 homecoming                            flag football                basketball             SATs   ...