Blog FAQs

Recently it occurred to me that new readers or others who stumble across this in the future may have questions about this blog. Since I had time, I thought I’d try and answer some of them.

Why did you start the blog, Auntie Nettie?

The blog was started to be a loose record of Auntie Nettie’s life, mostly for the purpose of entertaining herself, and by extension, her nieces and nephews. As the kids get older and can read, hopefully they can use this blog as a way to get to know their Auntie Nettie better and read about shared visits and family stories that they may not remember.

Auntie Nettie? Why are there no pictures of you/uncle/kids/cousins on this blog?

Well kids, you see, the Interweb and Blogosphere can be read by lots of people all around the world. There may be some nice people out there, who are generally interested in our well-being, but there are also some not-so-nice people who cross lines and do some mean things. (Ask your uncle one day. He can tell you stories.) Auntie Nettie and Uncle G-dawg made a decision to not reveal too many personal details, like real names, addresses, phone numbers, and pictures of us or your cousins on the blog. Plus, the blog is called “Auntie Nettie’s” not some variation of maternal musings. Pictures and communications about your cousins will be shared in other old-fashioned way.

Didn’t you used to post a Grateful List?

Yes my darlings. Auntie Nettie did start out one year keeping a weekly Grateful List. However, Auntie Nettie got very busy with all her jobs and with living life.

Here’s a sample of her general, ongoing Grateful List, in no particular order:

~ Loving family, including all of my far-flung nieces and nephews, Grandmary and Grumpa, Uncle G-dawg and our little hatchlings;

~ Gainful employment, even if it can be a bit much a times;

~ Health and relative sanity;

~All the beauty of the various fine arts;

~ Mother Nature’s endless beauty and bounty; and the

~ Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and Inalienable rights, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Auntie Nettie? If you are so busy, how do you have time to craft?

Crafts therapy is infinitely cheaper than regular therapy. It’s a way to harness my nervous energy, relieve stress, and manage anger issues in a productive way, so I don’t end up cleaning obsessively, peeling my cuticles down to the bones, or noshing until the cupboards are bare.

The side effect of all of this crafting is the accumulation of more supplies, more projects, and more handicrafts in the art studio, which in turn adds to Auntie Nettie’s stress because it starts to pile up. It’s an endless cycle.

You might ask how you can help relieve this stress by buying some of the handicrafts. Sadly, you have to know Auntie Nettie and/or know when she’s having one of her boutiques/trunk shows, because she’s just not gotten an on-line etsy shop … yet. That’s more stress.

Why are there so many pictures on this blog, Auntie Nettie? Isn’t a blog more of a written record?

To paraphrase an “ancient” song, it’s my blog, I’ll post what I want to. But really, there are a few reasons that photos appear so much. As you’ve read from the profile and some of the entries, Auntie Nettie’s very busy, between work, family, crafts, commuting, etc. Sometimes, I don’t have time to write a whole entry.

Also, Auntie Nettie realizes that while all of her nieces and nephews are precociously intelligent and very advanced for their ages, they are all at various reading levels. I’m trying to post a little something for everyone to understand.

After all, A picture is worth a thousand words.

(Plus, sometimes, I just like to amuse myself.)

Speaking of which … Auntie Nettie? What is the deal with The Shushing Librarian?

Ah … The Shushing Librarian.

Let’s just put it this way. Alter egos come in all shapes and sizes. Pookahs, Imaginary Friends, Avatars, Imps of Perverseness … and Action Figures. "Nough said.

If you have other questions, just let Auntie Nettie know.

Please and thank you.