OK, I just have to admit it, as much as I hate to.  I just love “Pioneer Woman,” aka “P-Dub,” aka “Ree Drummond.”  She is a successful, talented blogger, who as she says, “turned in her black heels for tractor wheels,” when she left the “big city” to raise a family on an Oklahoma ranch.

Anyone who can be so self-deprecatingly funny, how can you not love them?  Check out her nagging questions about her high-school photo . . .

“Six Plaguing Questions I Have About This Photo, Ca. 1986 (alternate title: “Hell“)

1. Why the hell are my bangs that short?
2. What the hell am I looking at?
3. How the hell many hours did I spend in the tanning booth to get my skin that color? (hint: ask my dermatologist.)
4. How the hell many layers of blush am I wearing?
5. Why…why…why the…why the hell did I feel compelled to match my eyeshadow to my clothes?
6. Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me?”

How many of US have high-school pix that we could ask these same questions about?

If you haven’t checked out P-Dub yet, visit www.thepioneerwoman.com

You might just love her, too!  Why should we keep good blogs to ourselves?  I actually just bought two of her cookbooks for Christmas presents!  (One for myself!)

OK, so I finally buckled under the pressure and joined Facebook.  As an educator, it’s important to maintain an appropriate distance from students and families, but you can pretty much accept or ignore “Friend” requests . . . and since I NEVER post anything objectionnable, I think it’s really OK.

What I’ve found out is:

• Facebook is so much easier and quicker than blogging, which I hate to admit, but you’re just posting quick “tweets,” and connecting with so many people.
• Speaking of “tweets,” I actually like it better than Twitter, because it’s easier to add web links, pix, and videos (at least for me!)

So if you’re not on Facebook  yet (is anyone out there NOT on Facebook?) I’d encourage you to try it.  Go to:  http://www.facebook.com  You can search for me as “Ruth Rose” in case you want to send a friend request.  Happy “Facebooking!”  Is that accepted as a verb yet?

Although I still consider myself somewhat of a “virgin” in the blogging world, I realized recently that I’ve racked up an incredible 10,000+ hits on my “Everydaywoman” blog . . . thanks to all who have been following, reading, and commenting!

So . . . if you’ve been one of those quiet, “behind-the-scenes” reader and haven’t yet left a comment, why not do that now?  I’d LOVE to hear from you.

It’s  ironic, too, as I’m noticing this 10,000-hit blogging milestone, that I also find out that Farmer’s Daughter has hit me up in another way.  She’s awarded me the “Kreativ Blogger” award for managing my three blogs (personal, educational, and family farm).  Aw, shucks, Abbie, you’re my real inspiration!  Thank you!

Here’s the deal.  I need to list 7 things I LOVE and then send this award onto to a few more creative bloggers.  So, here goes . . .

I love:

1. My family, for putting up with me (most of the time!)
2. My DH for challenging me to follow my dream by changing my career course in my 4th decade of life!
3. My daughter, who has grown up to be my friend. . . who I learn so much from on a daily basis!
4. My rewarding, challenging, totally-consuming career, working with elementary school children.
5. My candy-apple red, “ragtop” ’stang, especially on a day like today, when I feel the breeze in my hair!
6. Country music, which makes me smile, sing out loud, laugh, and cry!
7. Hot, sultry summer, which is right about the bend!

I pass this “Kreativ Blogger” Award on to:

1. Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green, who’s hip, creative, and green.
2. Kayla at My Polychrome Life who’s been blogging from Italy while studying fashion there.
3. Imelda at Greenish Lady, whose “green” take on things comes from the green land of Ireland.
4. Aisling of The Quiet Country House,  who organizes  a “Sunday Stroll” for fellow bloggers each week.

Congrats, ladies, and ENJOY!  You deserve it!

What am I doing on Earth Day 2009?  I’m actually taking public transportation with a group of people (NOT burning fossil fuel in my own vehicle) and I’m on my way to D.C. for a national educational conference.  I’m enjoying the view along the way from the train, blogging, reading, and napping a bit.  How nice NOT to be the driver (especially since I was up all night packing and taking care of last minute details!)

I agree with the Farmer’s Daughter that Earth Day should be EVERY day, not just ONE day a year!

What little kindness have you  done for the Earth lately?

As much as I love blogging, I’m finding it challenging to keep up with 3 blogs!

Besides Musings of an Everyday Woman, which I just started last summer, I’m also posting on:

• Marvelous Math with Mrs. Rose, my educational/school blog, and
• Rose Orchards Farm Market, our family’s farm blog, that I’m co-authoring with Abbie from Farmer’s Daughter.

It seems the only time I have to blog is in the middle of the night (instead of sleeping!) and other moments stolen on weekends.

When and how do YOU  make time to blog?

I may still be considered something of a “virgin” in this blogging world, but I’m delighted to have reached 5,000 hits!

Thanks to everyone who stops by— and please, if you’re stopping by to read and are still silent— feel free to leave a comment some time!

HAPPY DAY!!!

I wasn’t too successful at Making Time to Blog this week, a pretty typical week for me, which included:

• my responsibilities as a full-time Math Specialist at the elementary schools in our school district, helping teachers and students prepare for the requirements of our standardized tests, without making them (and our students’ parents) overly anxious
• running intervention and enrichment groups for students in a multitude of grades
• planning and presenting workshops for teachers in Math differentiation
• attending evening meetings of our Math consortium
• writing another article for a professional publication
• meeting with parents of new students before school
• researching—and ultimately deciding to apply to— an educational doctorate program (which I know will eat up a lot more of my “free time”)
• shoveling snow
• schlepping groceries home and attempting to perform my “motherly” duties by preparing somewhat healthy meals
• planning activities for my students to coincide with the upcoming historic presidential inaugural
• attempting to keep a New Year’s resolution to get a bit more exercise
• attending a friend’s surprise 50th birthday party and a fancy-schmancy “Ice Ball” to raise funds for our high school’s girls’ ice hockey program
• updating my professional, educational blog (check it out at:    http://blogs.madisonct.org/roser/  )
• keeping up with school and personal e-mail
• trying hard to be the wife and mother that my family deserves
• finishing up the thank you notes to my students and their families who were way too generous over the holidays
• sending out the last holiday cards (which have now become “Happy New Year’s cards,” which may soon turn into Valentine Day cards!”)
• touching base with family members by phone
• trying to keep up with world events by catching the news at 11 pm before passing out to wake up at 3 am to start the next day
• did I say shoveling snow?  (We’ve had a few decent snow storms this week, but NO snow days from school!)

OK, all in all, it’s been quite a week, but actually pretty typical.  What do YOU do to fit blogging into your everyday responsibilities that can overshadow some of the things we may want to do?   Any suggestions for me?  I’d love to hear what works for you!

I’m gratified to learn that since starting this here blog last July, a number of people have graced me by stopping by and dropping a comment here and there.  According to the magic “elves” who keep counts of such stats, “Everydaywoman” has just received  3,400 hits.  Thanks to all of you who find time to stop by–and if you haven’t taken time to leave a comment yet–please do so in the New Year!  Hope to see you back soon.  All the BEST to everyone as we embark on another year of blogging in 2009!!!

I’m excited to announce that I’ve had more than 2,000 “hits” on my blog since starting “Musings of an Everyday Woman” in July 2008.  Even more exciting is that I’ve recently learned that one of my readers is from Malaysia!  In the blogging world, it’s more true than ever that “it’s a small world after all!”

Thank you to readers from all over the world!  I appreciate your interest and your comments!