One Year at a Time

Disclaimer: Those are not my hands. They belong to one of the nail techs at Claws.

I am a massage therapist. My fingernails are short, round and natural. No one appreciates

a therapist with nails like those. No matter how pretty they are, they are scratching weapons.

When you learn something new, the best place to start is the beginning. So it is with blogging. I gave birth to Ronda's Wonderland on New Year's Day, one year ago, for no other reason that I wanted to give it a go. My first few posts were read only by my best friends and sister, who I also count as one of my best friends. I'm really glad because they were awkward and tenuous.

Somehow, I don't mind my friends seeing me as I struggle to learn something new. I know that no matter what weird stuff I try, and believe me, I have a taste for the eclectic and esoteric, they are always there to put a bandage on my knee.

Reya, of According to the Cosmology of Reya, and Mrsupole, of Mrsupoles' Place, encouraged and supported me with my first teetering, baby blogging steps. They, and the rest of you, nudged me into toddling along on my own. Through the process, I eventually, began to find my "voice." And, to pay it forward, I've helped other new bloggers get started.

One of the things that really surprised me about blogging is that it is one of the final frontiers. Not like outer space or the brain, but in the sense there are no rules. Like the wild, wild west, we do what we want out here. The freedom of personal expression and access to an immediate audience that exists in Blog World is unlike any other. I've never understood the appeal of reality shows but, I think I just got the concept. Being a blog author is like being the star of your own reality show. And you know what? It feels great!

So, please help me commemorate my first year in Blog World. Stop by and have a glass of Champagne, a bite to eat and nice visit. For your sustenance, I offer a fresh, green salad with tangy, Italian dressing, a pasta salad with feta cheese and black olives, soft, warm homemade rolls and cheesecake for dessert. The Red Queen says, we'll leave the light on.

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I wonder...would you like to know how to create a blog?

A blog is a cyberspace web log or journal. Over time, the phrase "web log" morphed into "blog." Currently, there are millions of these Internet journals being written. Interest in creating them continues to rise. There are regular text blogs, audio blogs, video blogs, and pictorial blogs. I see now that it can be a very useful tool for communication, expression and creativity. It is not necessary to be a Hemingway to publish.


I ran into a friend of mine, Sally Birkawhite, at Costco. She had seen my blog and expressed interest in creating one but doesn't think she has anything to post. She felt all she has to share is her ever increasing collection of grandchildren. I see that Sally could share some of her fantastic recipes, entertaining tips, or crafty decoration projects. She could post pictures of her completed projects. She could inform us that she can provide meal assistance for us. And, of course, she could post pictures of her grand kids for friends and family to see. So could my sister, Tami. She has a new, first grandson. She's as proud as a Blue Ribbon Apple Pie winner at the county fair and loves her point and shoot camera. Jeanne could share tips on words, vocabulary, books, and launch the literacy campaign she dreams of mobilizing. Michele could establish a video and audio blog with her unique view and interpretation of the world. Nina could share her millions upon millions of ideas. This woman's well never dries up. She could probably post at least 10 ideas a day. She's not as crazy about implementation. But maybe by posting some of them, others who aren't as creative will help her implement her visions. Susan could use hers to serve as both a message board for friends and a testament to the last two years. She and her husband, Bill, lived on their sail boat in the bay area. They learned coastal navigation, downsizing and adaptability. Their blog could be a text and photo journal of their current sailing adventure from Half Moon Bay to Baja, Cabo, and beyond. Instead of having to e-mail all of their friends, their friends could check into their site. I would go to each one these women's sites!

My blog will cover many topics. I tried to pick one subject but every time I started to select a working title for my site, another subject would catch my interest. Then, I would try to make that idea work. That was partly why it took me so long to get this project going. Finally, I just had to step up to the plate and start batting the ol' blog ball around to see where it would roll.


Before you begin creating your blog, you will need to select a blog platform. This is a site where you will establish an account, log in to write your posts and upload your photos. There are many platforms available for you to choose from. Some are simple while others are more advanced. A number of sites are free and others have varied pricing.


I have chosen to start up on Blogger, which is a free service owned by Google. Just go to http://www.blogger.com/ to view a tutorial or establish an account so you can create your own blog. Other easy-to-use platforms are Typepad, owned by Six Apart and Livejournal, owned by SUP. As I get comfortable with the process of using blog software, I could upgrade to a more complex program which would allow me greater customization. One such platform is Wordpress, owned by Automatic. Wordpress is one of the largest providers of self-publishing technology. They offer software that is free to install and use.


If you take some time to consider some of the following, the creation process will go much quicker than it did for me:

Time: How much time do you have to spend on this project. Blogging is fun, but like all hobbies, you must set aside dedicated time to practice. Professional or celebrity bloggers post nearly every day. I know I can't do that. So I have decided to try to post two days a week--Tuesdays and Thursdays. This might be too often for me. I will just have to experiment. Try to be consistent so that your viewers know when to look for you. If you know you are going to be busy for two weeks at Christmas, say so.


Audience: Consider whom you want to reach with your work. Do you want to set up a site for your family and friends with photos and personal information? Do you want to share specific information such as recipes or book reviews?


Subject matter: What topics do you want to cover? What is your passion? Can you share your business expertise? Can you share your training or life experiences? This is your business. You're the BOSS! Your postings can be as specific or as general as you like. Just strive for balance in consistency in what and how you post.


Linking: Link to other bloggers to connect to a network. This is a great way to learn tips, tricks, and pick up useful how-to information. Reach out to other writers to gain interest in your own blog. Add them to your "Blogroll."

Content: Most platforms allow you to upload pictures of family, projects or other images you can use to punctuate your articles. Blogger makes it easy to add photos. Don't worry if it takes you a while to figure out the techie portion of the program, you can always let the strength of your writing and passion to draw readers to your posts.

AdSense: After your site is established you can choose to allow ads if you wish. The ads you're displaying on your site are a combination of cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-thousand-impression (CPM) ads. You'll get paid for each valid user click on a CPC ad and each time a user views a CPM ad. Keep in mind that you won't generate any earnings from clicking on your own ads. It could provide you with a little ancillary income. The process takes a couple of days.

So, get on out there and start your own mini publishing company today. You are all talented enough. If you need help, call me at (530) 241-7628 or e-mail randylaveen@charter.net. After all, I've been a blogger for almost a week now!