Recreating this blog

If you've been following this blog (I know, there are so many of you (catch the sarcasm)), you know I've been working to create something I call a science playspace in central Ohio. We finally got around to creating a name for the organization that will work on making such as space, and lo and behold it uses the terms science playspace in its name.  I finally even made a web site on google.  (Have I complained yet about how you cannot ftp from iweb to google? Yes I had to make the site twice.)

In any case, so far, you cannot find said web site if you type it into google, but you CAN find links to this blog.  Oops.  I was alerted by my stats: 14 page viewings from one viewer just after our meeting.  These viewings were from one viewer in our local area who found it in a google search for our organization.  I hope the person who viewed it is the person I think it is.  Did you know I can find all that information out from the stats on this blog?

The blog was never designed for a local audience, and I figured you would have to look pretty hard to find it.  Who would look for my personal blog amongst the blogosphere under an assumed name?  Who would know it was me?  Who would care?

Yes, the name is not real.  I always liked the name Chana.  And Lonicera?  That was actually meant to be Laracina, but I made a mistake.  Why Laracina? I am a forester by education, and I really like the Larch tree- Larix Laracina.  I mean, what other tree in the NE United States looks like a conifer, but shed's its leaves? And the leaves/needles are in these cool whorls. Lonicera is latin for honeysuckle, which is not my favorite plant- its an invasive exotic.  However, I thought the connotation was alright, so I left it after I realized the mistake.  I also liked the sound of the name.

Is everything else you read in the this blog real?  Oh yes- and that is precisely the problem.  The blog is a bit too honest at times.  This honesty was not a problem when first, I had no local audience, and secondly, my life is really not that significant or interesting, and I didn't interact with a lot of people.  Also, the blog, could be better on the editing side, but I never claimed to put out stuff I expect to get paid for.  (Though some part of me just hopes somebody will come across this blog and PAY me to write something for them.  Isn't that every writer's dream?)

Anyway, the point is that I am now a more public figure- and I need to be to make the science playspace actually happen.  That means that image becomes important, not just for me but for the success of the project.  So  I've deleted past posts, and will be careful about what I post.  I was just going to make the blog private, but have decided against that option, because I do have a few readers- and I'm not sure who they are.  (Feel free to COMMENT so I will know :))

I don't have that many readers, but I do find it exciting that I have some, and they are from all over the world- though rarely from Africa or Latin America.  So when I look at my first post so long ago, and think about the purpose of the blog and should I continue it, its not hard to choose.  Its nice to feel like I reach out to the world (in as small a way as it is), and I like writing about my life and documenting my thoughts.  I'll just have to be more careful with presentation.

I'm still in the slow life despite having more things to do.  I say this because my project is (currently) not a paid one, so nobody expects results tomorrow.  That is I can do it at my own pace. We are not a two career couple- which is precisely the reason we cannot afford the numerous 200K+ houses going up for sale in our village recently. (To have more than five houses for sale at the same time here is unheard of).  It's not like we are really thinking of moving any time soon, but sometimes you just wish for a nicer house, and you think about how other people can afford such things.  The answer in this college dominated village appears to be having two wage earners.

I have just taken on a small writing science project that will pay me a little- I am very excited and intimidated by this- which might be why I am working on this blog rather than doing it right now.

I think my biggest problem right now, really, is getting my little star potty trained.  The problem is really that he doesn't want to do it, and I am caught between waiting longer and not wanting to deal with messy diapers any longer.  So I bounce between not pushing it- not focusing on the potty and using diapers or encouraging potty use strongly and trying out underwear.  Both approaches cause different stresses, and no obvious progress.  If only I could resign myself to just waiting, but eventually another disgusting messy diaper tips  me into more emphasis on potty training.  Because, really, almost three and half years is definitely old enough to use the potty.

And if potty training is my biggest problem... we are doing a lot better than most people.

Today's sadness:  Our local school levy did not pass.  I am so sad for our kids and our community... and my favorite music teacher who will lose her job.

Well, I have to go post minutes from our last meeting.  A wonderful person has taken charge of taking notes and making helpful suggestions.  Actually everyone had great ideas at the last meeting.  I'm so pleased to be working with these people.  I'm not being gratuitous here in case anybody reads this- I really mean that.  This project is not only going to be successful, but its going to be a lot better than what I could do on my own.