Heather, at Untraditional Home, left a comment that nudged me to mention something that I've been meaning to bring up for some time.
My Music Playlist.
She makes an excellent point about how annoying it can be to have the playlist reload EVERY time you open a page on my site, even the comments page. And even if it doesn't bug YOU, it may cause the people around you to become crabby. OUCH!
Not exactly the mood I'm trying to create here.
Rats. Unfortunately, Typepad does not open a separate "Comments" window, like Blogger's feature does, so not only does it take a long time for the Comment page to load, it also starts the music all over again, even if you hit "pause" on the original page. So you get to hear the same song over and over....
I apologize.
I made a conscious decision to add a "song of the day" to my 2008 posts, even though music ranks as the #1 Annoying Feature for blogs and websites, according to everything I've read. I've had fun with it, but I am very aware that not everyone finds it entertaining, especially those of you who read my blog while at the office, or if you have husbands nearby who are trying to work. I do understand, and I may kill the tunes for next year, if only to be perceived as a classier blog.
Until then:
There is a very simple solution to this: I suggest subscribing to my blog by Email. You can click on the link over there in my right-hand column that says, "Subscribe by Email" and it will bring all this fabulous Home Sanctuary content right to your Inbox. With no music attached.
All the great content, none of the crabby aftertaste.
Now, it still doesn't solve the problem of having to hear uninvited music when you want to leave a comment, because you will still have to go to my blog and then open up the "Comments" page to do that. But, if you are so moved to want to tell me something, you could always email me privately and never have to set foot on my site again. It's just an option to be aware of.
One last bit of Blog Business I'd like to mention, and today's Small Thing brings this to mind.
It will be impossible for every one, every day, to do every small thing. Please don't sweat it!
I may suggest that you clean your fireplace and you don't have one. I might suggest that you flirt with your husband, and you are single. Or play with your children, and you don't have any. Or clean your baseboards and you have a bad back. Baking something from scratch is one of those things that can be a real bummer if you can't do it because of health or diet issues.
Let me just encourage you to simply do what you can, when you can, as often as you can. The Small Things are little suggestions, nudges if you will, to focus on the people you love by creating an atmosphere of kindness and joy. How we make that happen is different from one home to the next.
All of the Small Things are free, don't require much planning, and use things that are readily available. But life is full of things we can't control, and even I can't do every Small Thing each day, despite my own best intentions. Like you, I am just doing my best to juggle all the balls that keep getting thrown at me, while trying to live the kind of life that is purposeful and meaningful.
So have fun with the Small Things, but realize that you are already doing a million Small Things each day to show your love and care for your families. Give yourself a pat on the back, even on the days that you aren't able to participate for one reason or another.
You're doing a great job!
