Facing the Truth

I've come to the conclusion after spending the past 3+ years on Facebook that to some "friends" I am a nobody...or at least nobody who is that important.

It's okay. It's okay.

I'm not looking for pity -- not in the slightest. I can leave that social network at any time...right?  Or, at the very least, go to "Facebook-users Anonymous." *wink-grin*

Let me explain.

I'm not sure of actual Facebook etiquette -- though I'm tempted to write a manual on the topic -- but if you're "friended" by people, especially people you thought were actual real-life friends, you should be important to them on there, right? What I mean by that is that if you comment on their posts or "like" something they've posted or leave them messages or tell them you'll pray for them, etc., they'll respond to you and maybe even reciprocate in kind (understandably, not all the time, of course). Or if they don't respond to you directly on a particular post they won't respond to anyone else who commented either.

WRONG.

Apparently, it's okay to thank some of the people who offer friendship and kind words to you...and ignore the rest.

Who knew?

Another part of the etiquette that I've come to learn is that people can comment TO someone who has commented on someone else's post, regardless of whether or not they've ever (and I mean EVER) communicated with the original poster directly. It's all a part of that "six degrees of separation," I guess.

Go figure.

I would have thought that they'd comment to the original poster and then add an "aside" to the commenter of choice. Guess I thought wrong again.

And yet another fact that I've learned concerning the Facebook "rules of friendship" is that people can publicly message one another bragging about the wonderful time they had together and how they can't wait to do it again and how they're the best-est friends they've ever known...and their kids will grow up and continue the family friendship for all eternity......  Okay, slight exaggeration on the "best-est friends" part since you know that they'll post that again on another person's wall before too long.

Well, I'll be.

It doesn't matter that their 180+ other friends have just read that and thought that they were their "best-est ever" friends and that they would just love to get together with them but they've been "far too busy to do that...but soon," etc. Hmm...

The fact is online friendship is still friendship. People go online to continue their friendships with others in a different way...another facet, if you will. It matters what you post and how you post and if you post. People are watching and reading and feeling -- even online.

Being rude online isn't any more acceptable than being rude in person. It's just easier.

So, Facebook friends, if you see that you've disappeared from my list, you'll understand why. Nothing personal..... 

Friendship is friendship (caring, loving, praying for each other) -- online and offline.  I'd rather spend my time -- both on and offline -- and energy -- both on and offline -- with people who truly care for me both on and offline.

Wordless Wednesday

"Monday, Monday...

...can't trust that day."

That's for sure!

I love Mondays...usually.

Mondays remind me of a blank slate -- a brandnew start to another week. Time to tidy up after the weekend and get things back in order.

I know most of my family doesn't see me as organized, but I am very methodical. But my organization -- like most other people's -- fits and works for me. 

I usually get up before everyone else and come downstairs. After turning on the radio, I fill the kettle and get Ethan's milk ready. Then I let out the dog and fill his bowl with food. Then I prepare the coffee and start the timer. While I wait for the timer, I clean out the cats' litterbox and feed them. I let in the dog and pour the coffee -- maybe doing a few dishes that might be in the sink or making Stuart's lunch (but only if there's time). Now I am ready to greet Stuart and Ethan and spend a few moments drinking our coffee/milk (respectively).

I like routine. It's the stabilizing influence of my life.

But sometimes it can become the opposite. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaken if something is done out of order or messed up...

Thus, today is a mess (in my mind). We have three sick little munchkins...one car...and the need for a very long nap and some sunshine.

Still, there's always tomorrow. A clean slate on which to rebuild my routine...right? Right?

Sigh.

Sweet Sunday

I thought this was appropriate after spending the morning home from church with three sick children. We certainly could use some healing rain.

Saturday Sweethearts

"E" is for Emily, Edward, and Ethan!

Friday Funnies

Ethan is a regular comic these days. Must come with being 2 or something.

Here's one of our very favorite recent videos of him explaining the names of each family member.

Enjoy! And have a funny Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

Playing a Treat

This isn't the same couple we watched playing this song on the "Big Piano" at FAO Schwartz, but it sounds just as good! Boy, were they talented!!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Missing Monday Musings...

So here we are...the first official full day of Spring. Yippee!  It can only get warmer and sunnier from here, right? Well, we can hope. Snow and sleet are predicted for Wednesday...

I haven't done a Monday Musings post for some time now, and I think I'm a bit rusty. So much has happened that I haven't chronicled that I'm not sure I could cover it all without writing an entire volume of our family history.

So I'll just start with this past Saturday...and fill in later with posts about the "history" and memorable events of the past year.

Saturday.

A dear friend of ours from England brought her daughters to New York City for a shopping weekend. You know, one of those expedia.com deals you can buy? It was her youngest daughter's 13th birthday, and she thought it would be a wonderful treat for her.

The best treat was for us to join them for the afternoon on Saturday...to visit, to shop, to look around, and just enjoy each other.

It was fabulous!!

(Sarah and Stuart and I met after I moved to England in 1988. It'd been about 10 years since we'd seen each other.)

Since it was Ethan's first trip to NYC, it was also a special family time for us.

We took the PATH train from Hoboken and then the subway up to 58th to go to the best-est toystore in the world: FAO Schwarz. From there, we took the subway back to 34th to meet Sarah and her daughters at Macy's. After a fun time of eating, drinking (soda), and visiting, we hit the streets to go to Times Square and then the Rockefeller Center. It was a long day for all concerned, but a fun day.

Such a treat...such a memory!

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story: