Starting over

Im baaaaaaackkkkkkkkkkkk. Im just gonna write. Just gonna force myself to write...to let it flow...to get it out...to have some fun. I am 1000% mama right now and 0% Paula...and that cant last forever. I owe it to myself to start finding time for me again. And a great place to start is right here. I will carve out little bits of time here and there and just write. It might not be interesting....but Its not about entertainment...its about therapy.

I decided to come back to Olive Juice because I like the energy and vibe that this blog had...or has. I like how I used to be able to write. Sure....I did it at work...so I had lots of time and privacy and even got paid to do it! Now...not so much. No privacy...no time and no dough. That makes it challenging. But....I want to latch on to the momentum that this blog had...and keep the chronicle alive.

So who is Paula anyhoo? Iam realist, a humanist, liberal, open minded, honest, compassionate, ethical, hard working, animated, fun and yet a tad bitter, angry and depressed 36 year old mother of two. I mother all day and night...and its not my forte. I am not a patient woman. I am much better as a career woman...however...I feel like they need me home right now. And since I can.....I will...and I will strive to better everyday...every hour...every second...never giving up on myself even when I totally SUCK at mothering.

The End Has Come

I have decided to go ahead and pull the plug on Ol' Olive Juice.

Thank you so very very much indeed for checkin in on us over here...and even reading some words every once in while. It has been a VERY fun ride..and I am so happy that I kept up with it as timely as I did. However...I just do not have the gumption to keep it going. I have decided to start a completely anonymous blog. Sweet freedom here I come :)

Bless you for coming here.

There will be no more updates.

Peace Out

Why Don't They Blog?

Why don't more people blog? I wish I had more in real life friends that blogged. Its sad to say, but I only have one friend who actually blogs (myspace does NOT count). Its just such a wonderful way to stay in touch, and even get to know each other on a new level. Don't get me wrong, I love meeting new bloggy friends and love reading into the mind of strangers....but I just cannot figure out what is holding some people back from this free medium. And extrovert vs introvert cant explain it either...because blogging is a perfect podium for a shy private person - well unless you are really THAT shy. Maybe they don't like to write. Maybe they don't have time (who does). Maybe they are afraid. Who knows...but I sure wish my friends would blog. Hell...most of them don't even read my blog so who am I kidding. HA

ROAD TRIP TONIGHT!!!! WHOO HOOOOOOO. Have a great weekend.

Entrecard - Noobilicious card droppin

Hey guys, whats up? I have been having some fun with a new to me (its actually pretty new overall...just up 3 months or so) blogger tool called entrecard. If you blog...you gotta check it out.

So who do you think reads blogs? Well...bloggers are the #1 regular readers. We get it. We like to blog...we like to visit with other bloggers etc. Entrecard, in a nutshell is an easy way for bloggers to support each other by "dropping cards". The entrecard is basically your business card. You drop on others and get 1 credit. Others drop on you and you get 1 credit. Folks pay you to place their entrecard on your blog for 24 hours for a value credits I believe is based on the number of drops you gave and received in the last 24 hours divided by 2. And then of course you can use your entrecard credits to buy advertising space on other sites as well as buy any number of interesting services at the entrecard shop. Supposed these credits are even becoming worth currency in some situations.

Another bonus of the system is that its a great networking tool. I have already had more positive exhanges with other bloggers on it than any other community or social medium I have experienced. It is very much...you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. You drop a card on me and I will do the same for you etc. Together you can build a E credit fortune. Some complain that sure their unique clicks skyrocket but their bounce rate is also through the roof. Folks generally just come to drop their card and don't truly read the blog. That is certainly true....but just the same...some folks do read a headline each day they return...and actually read the posts that are relavent to them. Sometimes you even catch a new subscriber or with any luck a bloggie friend.


Entrecard is a sure fire way to increase your blog traffic. I am evidentally a Noob so I cannot spew forth a bunch of super dork blogger stats about ratings and stats...but I will say that I heart entrecard. Its a win win if you have about 5 minutes a day to drop cards. I think some folks must spend A LOT more time than that which is sort of sad..but I guess everybody has their "thing" they do a tad obsessively.

A few complaints about entrecard:
I purchased an entrecard design service with my first 100 points. I still have yet to hear from that blogger! I hope I have not been taken. Its starting to really piss me off though..and my card is still plain and boring. Photoshop is V helpful with making one evidentally.

I have yet to figure out a speedy way to drop cards. Say I go to my stats to see who has been dropping cards on me...so I can return the favor. Well I go to the first site...but cannot go back to entrecard without clicking on the little E on that page's entrecard ad..which takes me to my dashboard not my stats...so there is like 3 or 4 clicks to drop one card that way. To increase the speed...I have started linking through entrecards (going from ad to ad)..however they do not close on their own so after about 5 links I have to close them all out and start anew on my dashboard. Some bloggers are figuring out very fast ways to drop cards...and hopefully soon my noobishness will wear off I can join the troops. For now I just drop a few cards here...and then later drop a few cards. It is fun to see all the blogs and many of them are V interesting (although there are many spam blogs these days that just take up space and I detest them).

Check it out and see if it works for you...and don't forget to drop your card on ole Olive Juice.

1st Blogoversary!

One year ago today..I took the bloggy plunge. Sure before that I had kept an online journal of my pregnancy...but never before had I blogged about anything else. Olive Juice...formerly known as Bearkemper Escapades....started out as a way to document my son's life for friends and family who live far away. However, soon I realized that very very few of them actually visit...so the evolution began.

Why do I blog? Why do you blog? My reasons have changed over the past year. As I said...at first it was a Grant shrine. Even though we have no family in town..I wanted them to be able to fall in love with Grant via stories and photos. After that failed miserably (well they do love him..but most are either not internet savvy or do not have the time or interest I guess..hard to say), I moved into a more self satisfying mode.

My posts varied from introspectionto the parenting and social issues I hold most dear such as breastfeedingand anti circumcision . My funniest post entitled Ode to Crotchfruit is a must read for anyone who is less than anal. Check out my labels for the plethora of interesting topics that fly from these fingertips.

I blog because it is FUN. There was a time I thought I wanted to move in the direction of blogging for income...but soon after I realized I did not have the time nor the energy. I blog because I like to write...I always have. If there were blogs when I was in high school...holy cats I would have been addicted. I blog because I love having a podium, I love to share my thoughts, I love having a hobby, I love to show off my son :), I love to meet other mamas and interesting folks, I love to learn new things and I love journaling our lives with this medium. It will be so much fun to look back in years to come...at the person I am today.

So happy blogoversary Olive Juice! I want to thank my cast, Dear Husband Dave, Dear Son Grant, Nana and Papa and all those I am failing to mention here. I want to thank my readers. I sincerely appreciate your friendship and support. Now get to commenting! You are driving me crazy here :).

Much love.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

I hope each of you has an awesome new years eve..and a rockn 2008! Can you believe it is really almost '08? Thats just freaky.

And to recap this amazing year..Im taking a trip down memory lane. Here is the first sentence(or two)from the first post each month of 2007:

January: B.O.J. (before Olive Juice)

February: The deed is done! Ive been meaning to get a new blog going since...since a long time ago.

March: My son is in cognito as a grumpy old sailor...he swears and throws his toys ...just an angry young man...and i cant say that i blame him. he has been sick since last friday...almost a week now!

April: Ahh the sweet smell of victory....this morning I found the baby walker of my dreams....just down the street and a mere $2!

May: Its may its may! may rocks. grant is turning 10 months on monday the 7th. the year has flown by on one hand yet on the other is has crawled in the way of the tortoise.

June: well we just got back from our big florida vacation last night around 9pm.......ahh it does feel good to be home...even if that means lots of dog hair, pounds of mail, umpteem loads of laundry & a stack of receipts that need to be accounted for...oh that sounds scary. anyhoo......the point is.. home is very comforting.

July:whew...we are exhausted! what a weekend. friday morning the grandmas arrived. 8 dozen cupcakes baked, cooled & iced and then we are in the office blowing up 3 dozen balloons! man my finger hurt. 2 sliced watermelons & 4 gallons of lemonade later...we are at the pool. it got a bit crazy the last half hour..but it all turned out good..even great!

August: so you may ask yourself...self..i wonder what grant has been up to this week? hmmmmmmmm......well....ALOT! stubbed toe for the first time...and it isnt healing bc he re injures it...ate dog poop...

September: so in a nutshell...the pediatric asthma/allergist specialist and her posse said that
* grant may very well NOT have asthma
* grant may very well NOT have allergies

October:Despite my worst fears...i actually passed the exam today! WHEW...big sigh of relief. honestly...i didnt think i would.

November: When you hear the word "commune" I bet you invision dirty hippies in the sixties smoking pot and living on love. Would it suprise you to find out that they are still going strong and there is a thriving community of forming and established communes?

December: Name this UFO...as in unidentified floating object!!! OMG i am sooooo disgusted

hello...anyone out there?

so i really just wonder if anyone but sarah and amy read this thing. sooooooooo if you woudl please indulge me....leave a comment...even just your name...so i know you are reading this. i may need to send out another recruitment blast to lure innocent folks to this site. i just think its nice...especially since we live out here in the boonies....to have grant updates so he isnt just a figment of your imagination...and more like a real growing baby.

dave and i are making progress!!!! he wrote down the first phase of his requests! and you know it is already helping. i told him how excited i was to be truly communicating without all the drama of emotion and tone...and we are planning to continue a written dialogue! yae.

have you heard of flat daddies? dads who over seas in iraq....can have their life size images sent to their kids...and family...and that way the babes still recognize daddy on his return. at first i thought it was strange...strange but cool...and now im totally into it. infact...made me think of my own brand of flat grandmas! why not? have their life size faces in the house so he will quickly recognize them during a brief visit. he already knows my moms voice from the speaker phone..which has helped. this could really work.

grant and i are going to the chiropractor today...ive been putting it off for over a month now..the trip is just a lot of work..at least im not doing it BEFORE work..instead im taking off work to go..much better! so hopefully he can work out our kinks..man i need some help. and grants allergies are on overdrive right now...it would be nice for him to get some relief too. fingers crossed.

btw....grant is officially into everything! he is just all over the place...grabbing, reaching, crawling, scooching, rolling, pulling up, standing, walking....ahhhhhhhhhh....so now the challenge has increased and how has it! he also fights for his right to party...by screaming and crying for a bit. limits are being set...and i realize that i need to stay consistent, calm and loving through it all..which has been going well so far. such as...grant...sit in the tub...no standing...sorry....grant....may i have that? thank you...........grant....i cant continue to walk you around the house bc my back is going to give out...sorry. etc etc. he is something else! wow.

ok back to work. but please let me know if youve been here. THANKS!!!