Sunday, February 19, 2012

My Tribe: Weirdo Bloggers I Love

Well, anticipating belonging to my children completely, lock-stock-and-barrel style, for this next week of school break, with very little time for my own pursuits (such as reading and writing and thinking) I was sneaking a bit of blog surfing early this morning, as I had trouble getting back to sleep after being awakened by a child with a scary dream.

He's now happily snoozing again, and I have possession of the computer. Score.

So when I landed on the lovely Australian Eden's blog and found this week's theme to be something I could easily connect to, I figured: why not just join in, write a quick, fun post and link up?

That way I might actually get something completed and OUT into the world, as opposed to creating another lovely, important, but perpetually half-written post clogging up my draft queue. OK, then...


This week Eden freaked out a bit about blogging, then reminded herself of how much she loved the other "weirdo bloggers" out there, like herself. (Her words, not mine, but I'll own it.)

And then she asked us: "Who's your favourites?" (Like I said, she's Australian. They go for those British spellings. They also drive on the wrong side of the road, and call garbage "rubbish", too.)

And, thankfully, when she did her post, Eden only picked and wrote about three. Because, really, my list is so long and it is my immediate instinct to try to include everybody and write the "100 wonderful bloggers" post, so nobody gets left out.

But EDEN herself has set the precedent: I have to pick just three. (Because I always follow directions, and do as I'm told, you know. Snort!)

Eden, of course is right up there, but she didn't come on my radar until I met her at BlogHer11 this summer, reading her wonderful Voice of the Year keynote post, and I want to go back further to my (increasingly graying) roots.

So here are three of my long-time "always, must" reads. The women who have gotten me through, on the days when I felt like I was a tribe of one, a singular weirdo, spinning alone in my crazy brain. Reading them made me glow, made me feel part of a shining troop: the order of delighted madwomen, using words to tether ourselves together...

Alexandra of Good Day, Regular People probably needs no introduction, but I'm giving her one anyway. She is one of the most beloved women in the blogosphere and it is easy to see why. Her writing is lovely and truthful, her spirit generous. And she is hysterically funny (but never mean spirited). Best of all, she was my roommate at BlogHer11 and it was the most magical match-up, ever. Also, she also gets the "best commenter" award. A comment from her on any post is a gift. I read it and my heart goes "ping" every. single. time.

Deborah of MaNNaHaTTaMaMMa is someone maybe you haven't read yet? Start now. She is smart, funny, deliciously irreverent, a "two boy" mom like me, and a GREAT writer. I actually got to meet Deborah in person fairly early on, as we were both members of a wonderful New York City Moms Group blog together. We just really clicked. Instant friendship. That she now lives thousands of miles away, in Abu Dhabi, no less? Pains me. But the sting is lessened by being able to read her daily, even if I only get to see her briefly on visits home.

Jean / Stimey of Stimeyland was one of the first Autism-Mom bloggers I connected with on the internet. She was a member of the D.C. sister site to the NYC Moms Group Blog I mentioned above. I loved the way she wrote about her family (3 boys!) and about autism, with love, humor and her super-smart brains. That Jean is also really quirky and has funny & strange obsessions she writes about, too (like her love of mice and all things rodent, for example) makes me love her all the more. She has a tremendous sense of humor about herself and her own imperfections; which makes her perfect in my eyes, of course.

So, to quote Eden again, "I'll stop at three... but there's a gazillion more." 

To read more about how I feel about this beautiful tribe of bloggers, read this guest post I wrote for the lovely Katie at Sluiter Nation. (See, I knew I'd find a way to sneak another wonderful weirdo blogger in here somehow.) 

(And Kris and Adrienne, I have linked to you so many times and referred to you as my bloggy mentors so often in the past, I thought I'd give others a moment in the spotlight today. You know how important you are to me.) 

There you have it, quick and easy, a new post is up - and before the kids have awakened.

Hey, maybe I can even sneak in a shower, too. Here's to hoping that regular showering is among the few "me" pursuits I still get to indulge in this week. (And if you're a local friend here in NYC, I know YOU are, too.)


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