Rules to Live By #5: More flavor means more satisfaction with your meal, even if it's really simple

Corollary 1: More satisfaction means you feel fulfilled, even when you're eating less. Which is the goal. Corollary 2: Flavor comes from more than just salt and fat; herbs, sauces, spices and vegetables have a whole lot of flavor, too.

SEO and you

Over on my writing blog, I'm doing a Platform Challenge for the month of April. Today was about making your blog SEO friendly. Now, generally, I'm about as apathetic as possible to SEO as a thing that I need to do consciously, but it occurred to me that while over there I'm exclusively building a writing career, over here, I'm building a Renaissance Business and a Lifestyle Career. And to do that, I need to think about SEO over here, too. Even though I haven't quite figured out exactly what I want to do for my sustainable, engagingly personal business, it can't be too early to start producing what the web wants to see, right?

To begin with, this was just a blog for entertaining myself. Then, when I started worrying about my attention and my interests being all fractured, I combined it with most of my side-blogs, and if they continued, they get posted here, now. Now, it's going to be the site of my holistic self-as-career.

So here's the answers to the questions of the platform challenge.

1. Make a list of things you want your site to be known for

Samantha Holloway
Being happy / how to be happy
Finding out who you really are
Green living
Geekery
Geek
Accepting who you really are
Cats
Tea
Food / Foodie
Wishlists and neat things
Inspirational quotes, pictures, ideas

2. Compare these keywords with your content

I think I've done a pretty good job of encapsulating everything I love into one space, but it's only recently that I even thought about giving it all a direction or a purpose, so I have to work on that. I can post more often, and offer more insight, too. And I definitely need more geekery up in here.

3. Evaluate your SEO approach

Entirely nonexistent up until now. According to by analytics, my most popular posts, by far, are the ones I did ages ago when I was looking for inspiration on tattoos and piercings. Almost everything else has gone mostly ignored, which was fine for me, but now I have a purpose. I need to start thinking about keywords. I need to start shaping this potential space into something wonderful, where people like me can come and find that they aren't weird an alone. They're wonderfully weird and very much part of a group.

List: Things I can do

Because sooner or later, ever skill will come in handy, I can...

• do The Blockhead Trick, where I push a nail into my nose.
• make amazingly consistent wafflecones by hand, without a mold, on up to four bakers at one time.
• set up and maintain a freshwater fishtank.
• walk a mile and a half in well under twenty minutes without feeling all that winded.
• bind books using Coptic stitch, or dental floss, or an old Italian journal technique.
• identify most semi-precious stones you're likely to find by sight, and know their main physical and metaphysical properties.
• find information on almost any topic.
• read four novels in a week.
• write haiku on demand.
• passably do several basic bellydance moves.
• play piano.
• count in Japanese, Spanish, and Swedish.
• say thank you in around seven different languages. Or at least hello.
• tell you far more than you ever wanted to know about The X-Files.
• make paper from various supplies.
• write with both hands--and with the same handwriting, if I'm using chalk on a board.
• play Rockband like a beast, when it's a song I like, and it's on Easy.
• crochet.
• quilt, in several different styles.
• quote Princess Bride almost line for line.
• sleep almost anywhere.
• make a pie from scratch.
• drink an entire pot of tea in one sitting.
• make my own soymilk (or nutmilks) from scratch.
• embroider in a number of different stitches.
• make hairpin lace.
• do my hair in victory rolls.
• make jam out of almost anything.
• debone a chicken in three minutes, when there's a reason to.
• understand Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems.
• speak in a Scottish accent.
• identify most Brits, down to region, by accent.
• make my own nail polish.
• tell you more than you thought existed about tea.
• do 'Filipino pole dancing'.
• sing the Quadratic Equation.
• sing "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" to the tune of Gilligan's Island.
• read French. Somehow.
• do sun salutations.
• theoretically block a knife-wielding attacker.
• make a ring, from silver sheet, a stone, and some wire.
• pack two weeks' worth of clothes and toiletries into one bag.
• make bread from scratch.
• chop wood.
• make bowls, plates and vases on a pottery wheel.
• build and fire my own kiln.
• make bricks from mud.
• grow almost anything that has a seed.
• polish sterling silver chemically, with stuff already in most homes.
• make coil and pinch pots, and burnish them until they're waterproof without glaze.
• identify a large number of world flags.
• make a loom and weave on it.
• make basic yarn.
• read an archaeological site map.
• tell the difference between skulls of several versions of humans.
• untangle even the worst knots.
• glue things back together so that they can be used again.
• jump rope.
• blow bubbles with gum.
• roll my tongue.

What can you do? Lists like this are awesome for making you feel like you actually do have skills, lemme tell you what.

Thought Questions: What do you wish you saw more of?

From: http://thoughtquestions.com/archives/2639


I wish I saw more of my friends who have moved away, or whom I have moved away from. I'm working on this by slowly reconnecting with everyone, and when I have income again, I'm going to start saving up for an Awesome Person Fund, so I can afford to go visit people, and then it won't matter where I live, I can see whoever I want AND travel.

I wish I saw more people being nice to each other. I don't really see a lot of people being mean to each other, but there's a huge amount of people being indifferent, at best, and I just remember one time when I was on a bus in Orlando, and we were going through a sort of seedy part of town; there was a car that had died in an intersection, and this little old lady was upset about it, and these four rough-looking cholo dudes came and pushed her car out of the way and got under the hood and helped her get moving again. Those were guys who looked scary standing on the corner, and they totally helped that lady without any question or threat or anything, and it was lovely.

I wish I saw more of the places I used to live when I was a kid. I don't like going back to places I left because I hated them, but there were lots of places I left because I was a kid and I couldn't stay on my own--I want to go back and see them with adult eyes, see how they've changed, see how many of the people I remember still live there, see how well I remember where all the secret places are, and whether those places are still there. Dunoon, especially. I have dreams where I go back there, and walk along the Promenade and up Victoria Circle, and into the houses, and find ours there on the corner, and tell people who live there that I used to live there, and I planted all those daffodylls.*


*I know this is spelled wrong, but I like it better this way.

Accepting myself for who I am

When I was in high school, I used to walk around reveling in my weirdness and telling people I was proud of it, but really I was acting like I was proud in an attempt to feel the way I wanted to. Some time after that, I found people who accepted me as I was, and I stopped worrying about it...but also somewhere along the line, while working jobs where I had to be able to function as a mainstream person, I started normalizing. I started thinking that I could do what everyone else did, if I did them the same ways. But you know what? My brain doesn't work like that, and as I've been working on figuring out what makes me happy, I've come to realize that just being my damn self is one of those things, and I've started working on Accepting Myself For Who I Am. Yes, it needs capitals.

Here are some things I've realized:

• I will never, ever be able to thrive in a normal micro-managing schedule based on patterns that repeat every day.
• I really, really hate working for people who don't realize that I'm more than a body to fill the void behind the counter.
• Ever since I read Tottie when I was eight, I've wanted a doll house full of mismatched dolls, and there's really no reason why I can't have one.
• I get inordinately attached to fictional characters, and, really, I think that's a good trait in a writer.
• Southern weather just doesn't do it for me, and I'm well tired with living through the allergies just because I'm too lazy to leave them. Or too afraid.
• I'm an introvert, and acting extroverted isn't really a survival trait or a coping mechanism, because then people want me to actually be like that, all the time, always, and it's exhausting.
• I like to eat really good food more than I like to work out or starve myself, so I might as well get used to myself being over 100 pounds. Related: I only know how to cook for crowds, so there will always be leftovers, and it's wasteful not to eat them.

How about you. What do you just have to accept about yourself?

The Burning Question: How do you say what you do?

I suppose this question could as easily be part of my Writing Blog (Herding the Dragon), but I want to make it wider than just that, so here it is.

Ms Danielle LaPorte clarifies thusly:
"So let me refine this Burning Question. How do you usually tell people what you do? And if you’re not giving yourself full credit for your work in the world — whether you’re rocking a cash register or leading a team of twenty — How can you light it up when you say what you do?

Let people see the full scope of what you’re doing. You can be modest and powerful. Factual and engaging. Facts + feelings = genuinely compelling. "


I like that, Facts + Feelings = Genuinely Compelling. That's exactly the sort of thing that should be written down on a card and pinned to the wall, I think. Right over my desk. If I had a desk that was mine. And usable. And reasonable. Which I will! After I move, when I have more say in how the place is arranged, and I don't have to accommodate anyone else.

Anyway.

I think I usually just say "I'm a writer", but that usually leads to "Oh? Of what?" and then when I say "Fantasy, mostly, and a little scifi", people just shut down. When I was just writing for myself, this was fine, and almost preferred, because then I wouldn't have to tell people what I was working on, but now, I want them to know, so I have to come up with something better.

Maybe instead, I'll say, "I'm a writer of complex, detailed stories that explore the nature of good and evil, faith and deity, and especially the things that fall through the cracks or cross boundaries."

Maybe I'll say "I'm a TV and Book reviewer, focusing mostly on the ways characters interact and what it tells us about the world of the text and the real world we live in."

Maybe I'll say "I'm in love with words, all the forms they come in, and I'm fascinated by how they both define and expand the world, depending on how they're arranged. Did you know that 'silly' used to be a terrible insult, and 'slut' was a term of endearment?"

Maybe I'll say "I'm in the process of finding out who I am, now that the old constructs of my life--school, home, retail job--no longer apply, and I'm becoming fascinated with the process of being happy, of finding what makes you happy, of remembering to allow ourselves to be happy."

Maybe I'll say, "I'm a person, working my way to the life I want, by way of words, writing, television, books, tea, cats, sleeping in the sunshine, and finding where I should live."

...About half of these would depend on where I am and who I'm talking to, I suppose, but all of them are equally true.

Happy Easter!

I found this on one of the boards I'm a member of:

A lady opened her refrigerator and saw a rabbit sitting on one of the
shelves.
"What are you doing in there?" She asked.

The rabbit replied:
"This is a Westinghouse, isn't it?",
To which the lady replied "Yes."
"Well," the rabbit said,

"I'm westing."

Video: A Bad Romance spoof about Suffragettes

Memery: Question 1 - What are the first 6 songs that play on shuffle?

 (Got this from a music website, but it looks like it's actually one of Kate Beaton's)

 The question actually says "in iTunes", but I took iTunes off because it kept stalling my poor old computer, and I'm on the house comp anyway, because it's faster, so I'm using Google Music, where all my stuff is uploaded in case my desk comp dies.

So here we have:

"All Turns to Yesterday" by Medieval Baebes / Worldes Bliss
     I like this one, but I don't think it's the best example of the Baebes at their utterly most beautiful.

"Greensleeves" by Loreena McKinnet / Celtic Moods
     One of my favorite songs ever, but somehow LM, who is a Celtic singer, manages to make it sound less Celtic in this version.

"I Hate You" by... who even knows? It's one of the poorly tagged ones in my inventory.
     But it has a great industrial / bellydance sound. Marylin Manson? Let's see what Shazam says...Shazam says it's actually called "Slept So Long" and it's from the Queen of the Damned Soundtrack. And it's by Korn, growling and remarkably melodic.

"The Doodle Song" by the Proclaimers / The Best of...
     I got everything these beautiful Scots ever made up to the point of getting, but I don't think I've ever actually heard this one. I love how their accents come through in their singing, though.

"Angry White Boy Polka" by Weird Al / Poodle Hat
     Exactly why I love this man's songs. And, you know, all those angry white boys need to be sillyfied--I like all these songs better this way.

And last, but not least, we have...

"Lean On Me" by the Housemartins / London 0 Hull 4
     Every single time I see the name "Hull" I think "Stop saying bloody Hull!". Also, this isn't that Lean On Me, but it's lovely.

What are your first six songs?

How to be happy

I'm learning more and more what I've let slide, and today I feel like I've made progress. Here's some things that I know I need for happiness, that I've been ignoring too long:

• Integrity--Not just honesty, but standing up for what I think is right--or against what I think is wrong. I've been too passive here.
• A feeling of growth--I have most definitely just let myself drift. Getting back in school has made me notice that this one is really lacking. I need to grow in all directions; my life needs to be improved by all the work I do.
• Finding and following my Passion--I've got writing, but I need other passions. Other things easier to build a life on. What do I really care about?
• Comfort in my own skin--I've literally spent years now going 'ugh, I'm so fat', but not doing much about it. I need to find active things I like doing, because I'm lazy and I won't do it if I don't like doing it. And people to do those things with, who matter to me. As soon as J moved out, I lost all interest in the gym.
• Less structure, more fun--Also, more exploration, and less worrying about not getting stuff done. Or, more precisely, a way of getting things done that isn't a strict schedule, because those kill me after only a week or two. And then I'm useless for an equal mount of time, and that's not good for anyone.
• A life outside the home--But one on my own terms. One where I'm doing things I chose to do because I wanted to do them, rather than things that are really someone else's idea of fun. I have no idea what my own are just yet, but I recognize that I need to find them, and that's a step in the right direction.
• Inner peace--I'm too worryful, too anxious. I need to reconnect with the small amounts of spirituality and philosophical thinking I'm inclined to, and work on rising out of the funk. Again. 

On a certain level, I feel a bit like I'm 16 again, looking for the same things, but with different ideas of what they are. I suppose that it makes sense, since I'm 32 this year, which is twice-sixteen. Parallels and all that. But this time around, I'm going to do better. You watch me.

Things Yuki feels strongly about today

I'm subletting dogsitting while L is at work (she's dogsitting because N&S are in Japan), and the dogs are being a dream. It's Yuki, the super-cute evil, evil kitty who is being most entertaining. Here's her:

That page she's sitting on? The list of things she feels strongly about, which includes:

• People moving past her
• Her food bowl still being in a new place
• Not being fed
• Not being fed quickly enough
• Dogs moving past her
• Cornbread
• Being told the cornbread isn't for her
• Being told the corncread crumbs aren't for her
• Dogs getting water
• Dogs going outside
• Dogs coming inside
• Other cats moving past her
• Me taking a picture of her for my blog
• Being told the treats are for Vaksa, not her
• Being told she can't have my water because she has her own
• Being allowed to sit on both the pen and this list
• Being told to move off the list
• Vaksa barking
• Me telling Vaksa to hush
• Me noticing that she's head-bumping my knee
• Vaksa playing with Lev on the carpet
• Vaksa playing with Lev on the floor

And I'm only half way through the day!

Gobsmacked!

Girl Crush / Inspiration: Felicia Day

She is everything I want to be, except, like, replace 'actress' with 'full-time writer'. The rest all applies: geeky, awesome, active in the internet community, well-loved, smart, thoughtful...I'll stop now.

The Burning Question: What would you like to stop doing?

I've been thinking a lot about being happy. I'm not going to talk too much about what I'm actually doing, because it feels like it's still an internal thing right now, but I'm doing things. And in the process of doing things, I found Ms Danielle LaPorte, and she has these Burning Questions.

Today's is: What would you like to stop doing?

Such a simple question, yet so much stuff comes with it. I think there's probably more that I want to stop than that I want to start right now, but I also think that I'm still working on not being negative, on not looking at things like a loss, a trial, a scarcity. Here are some of the things I want to stop doing:

• Being negative, to myself and to the world
• Working jobs I don't like just to survive
• Feeling inadequate
• Being unhappy, and falling into the trap of unhappiness, where it feels like that's the only option
• Being too poor to think of anything else

I think five is a good number. It's a pretty number, one that feels dynamic and sort of red-gold to me. Like it might jump up and change things just by being there. So we'll stop at five, and we'll think about those five things for a while, and we'll see what we can do about them.

What do you want to stop doing?