my monster and me.

A friend once told me he hated the word "blog". He said it was kind of an ugly word, and I kind of agree. Blog sounds like the name of a monster who lives in a swamp, don't you think? Blog wouldn't be the cute monster who is misunderstood. He would be the monster with corn dog breath and ooze dripping from his ears.

I tried calling my blog a journal, but I'm a traditionalist when it comes to journals. Journals should look more like a book (right?). So then I tried "blogaroo" and that sort of fit (in a cheesy way :). On the blogaroo of old, I regaled my long suffering friends with fascinating commentary on the books I was reading, the music I was listening to, the crazy man who walked into my house and put fresh dead chicken in the freezer (true story!), the stalker guineas on my sister's farm, and the general wackiness that was my world. It was a fun endeavor :) The best part of blogging *monster roars* is that, sometimes, people comment back. In those instances, it felt more like an ongoing conversation, which was kind of nice. When I wrote about something serious, I usually got one (or no) comments. Whenever I wrote about crazy farm birds or Saved by the Bell, the comments poured in. My friends are awesome like that.

I've decided to kick start the mayhem over here on blogger for a few key reasons. Reason the first is that a big part of my writing adventure, the Brio part, came to an end this spring. I started writing for Brio ten (!) years ago when I was in high school. The best part, from that point to this one, was "meeting" so many other girls who read Brio too. It sounds silly to say, I know, but it really felt like a big, loud, fun family. :) Since I still get emails from Brio readers, I thought this might be a cool way to keep the communication going. So if you're here via Brioworld, big hug my Brio friends! *hugs* And welcome :)

Reason the second is that I love my friends to pieces. Love them. They are sweet, funny, and crazy talented. Adventures with them are blog gold. (Bloggold would be a troll, maybe?) Blogging was just one more way to stay connected to them. I'm hoping they'll drop in over here too, even though it's a little bit pink.

And Reason the third is that it's just fun. If I could create a perfect day, it would consist of writing, reading, and talking to people I like. Blogging is a means of smashing all three of those things together.

So. All that talk about monsters and birds and Zack Morris was really just a means of getting to this point:

I'm glad you stopped by :)

In the way of introductions, I thought it might be fun to do a modified version of this meme I've seen floating around on Facebook. The survey on there has like 25 bits of random. For lengths sake, I'll stop at 15. Here goes:

1. My parents considered naming me Daisy.

2. My favorite kind of weather is cold and rainy (unless I have to drive in the rain ... then it is no good).

3. I can rattle off quotes from the movie "The Goonies" with frightening accuracy.

4. I heart bluegrass music. As I type this, I'm listening to the Avett Brothers sing 'Swept Away'.

5. I'm a chronic booknerd and love talking about books. (So if you have a good recommendation, fire away! :) I like fiction and non-fiction, though fiction has a slight edge :). My favorite genres are southern lit (particularly women's fiction) and YA but I'm game for (mostly) anything. My local library is a danger zone for me. Eventually they will cut me off, but till then, I press on!

6. I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It is turning my mind inside out.

7. I have a new book coming out this spring. Wah! :) I'll tell you more it later.

8. I hate wearing shoes but it's kind of a cultural thing and tetanus is gross. So. I conform. Sigh.

9. I can bake great chocolate chip cookies.

10. Everything else I bake tastes like charred concrete. (I don't really know what charred concrete tastes like. This is just a hypothesis.)

11. I am only 4'11". But when I have to list my height, or tell people my height, I always say 5". I don't mind being short so I'm not sure why I round up. I guess I feel like I earn an extra inch?

12. I think ducks are kind of creepy.

13. I have a freckle on my lip.

14. I'm an extroverted introvert. I really like being around people, but I'm quite shy.

15. Bo Duke, from the original Dukes of Hazard series, was my first crush. Don't judge me. Or him. He was just a good ol' boy. Never meanin' no harm.

Don't hesitate to say hello in the comments (or toss out some random facts of your own)! I won't feel like I'm talking to myself that way. It gets lonely here in the swamp when it's just me and Blog ;)

Love (and swamp monsters),

Natalie