Mornings...and a request


I must confess that I do some of my best work between 3:00am and 6:00am.  Honestly, those quiet hours when I'm laying awake in bed often provide inspiration and ideas for projects I'm working on at work and at home. Mind you, those sleepless hours can often provide much frustration as I've written about previously!

Better still is the time I spend in the shower in the morning. Now, I don't want you to get a visual here (heaven forbid!) but the truth is that my mind works best first thing in the morning, and my first activity of the day is a shower. There is just something about that hot water and the movements I make by rote that puts me into right-brain mode.

This morning my mind is on some things going on at work and so the original inspiration I had hoped to come up with for this morning's post didn't happen. So, my good blogging friend Becky Lane who will be a panelist on the Finding Our Voices Online panel at February's Stories From the Heart V conference has allowed me to borrow one of her ideas.

We are doing some pre-work and trying to learn who is reading our blogs and why they keep reading.  So would you please leave a comment and let me know who you are (names aren't necessary, you can leave an anomymous comment if you would like).  Let me know your gender, age bracket, and any other demographic information you would feel comfortable including.  Then, and here's the good stuff, let me know why you keep coming back to My Own Velvet Room. 

To thank everyone who leaves a comment, on December 15 I will do a drawing for your choice of a book that has been reviewed recently on the Story Circle Book Review site!  Why December 15?  Because I may have more blog-related questions over the next week or so and I want to include everyone who answers all of my inquiring-minds-want-to-know questions.

So that's it!  Happy Wednesday, and let the comments begin!

14 comments:

Kara said...

Linda, I read where Becky did this. I need to do something similar on my blogs as well:) This should be interesting!

Carmen said...

Hi Linda! There's a few reasons I read your blog. I know you and think you're a wonderful person and am interested in what you have to say. I am 51...and relate to much of what you say. I love animals but don't have any...so love to hear about your fur pets. I enjoy your writing style, which is laid back and enjoyable. Okay....'nuff said for now.

Kathleen said...

Well, for one thing, I feel like I know you. Thus I return for quick visits, and to be certain I value the relationship.

Vital Stats:

Kathleen Flanagan-age 61; a Christ-follower since the age of 23 (well, I believed at 23, but actually began following in earnest at about 35).

Married/43 years. Mother of 3; grandmother to 6.30 (baby due in June).

Resides: Buckeye (40 miles west of Phoenix)

Profession: Lengthy history of business management; currently semi-retired and working for my church.

Does that work?

Blessings,
Kathleen

Joanne said...

New England weighing in here. I enjoy your writing and your memoir posts, being that I too have a memoir manuscript I'm marketing, so there's that connection. But mostly? We go way back to your haircut post, Linda, remember that? It feels like we're just old blog-friends, for sure, stopping by for a visit.

Hill Country Hippie said...

Female, mid-50's, B.S. degree, cauc.

Why do I keep coming back? It's those teasers you leave on facebook - they hook me in every time!

P.S. Speaking of getting divine inspiration in the shower, didn't you adore the comment someone left this morning, about showers being the phone booth to God?

Donna M. Kohlstrom said...

I'm Donna M. Kohlstrom age 63 retired in Florida and a writer of fiction short stories.

I enjoy your blog and keep coming back because you are more than just a blogger who puts out info.

Even though we haven't met, I feel like we are good friends because you share so much of your personal life as well as your writing life. We have lots in common and I look forward to getting to know you better. And you always say nice things on the comments on my blog!

Karen said...

Hi Linda, I'm 51, live in Colorado, married and mother of three, blogger, writer (published long ago, would like to get back to writing for publication).

I enjoy your blog because I like your writing style, you are very honest in your writing, we're the same age and I think if we met in person, we would have a lot to talk about. I'm also interested in memoirs and come here for inspiration.

Linda Hoye said...

Kara - It's a great idea!

Carmen - I think you're a wonderful person too!

Kathleen - It is amazing how we can get to know one another by blogging, isn't it?

Karen - That's perfect, thank you! I like how you write as well, and I enjoyed your memoir very much.

Joanne - LOL! I'm still "owning" my hair style!

Becky - I do like the "phonebook to God" comment. Happy to know my Facebook teasers are working! :-)

Donna - I like to think we're friends as well.

Karen - I love that we all inspire each other. I've certainly gotten my share of inspiration from my blogging buddies.

Janna Leadbetter said...

I hear you on the shower thing...

Woman/mother/married/Midwest/some college education/early thirties

Did I miss anything that would be pertinent?

And I come back because I like you. I like what you have to say, not just because of voice, but also relatability. And I think that's pretty cool.

Jeanette Levellie said...

Hi, Linda.

I am Jeanette Levellie, age 54, married for 35 years to the same wonderful man, who is a pastor. I live in Central IL, but originally from So. CA.

I work as an office manager in an office supply store, which I enjoy.

I have two kids, three grandkids, and four fur babies in the form of cats. whom I spoil rotten.

I come here because I love the title of your blog and I like YOU!

Terri Tiffany said...

I come back because of who you are and how real you are on your blog.
54, female,Florida, married forever!

Carmen said...

Oh dear...I meant to say fur kids, not fur pets. I mess up sayings like that often...not sure why!

Susan said...

I come back to your blog because it's GOOD! and because I'm getting to know you this way. I like that, esp. since we work together for SCN.

Stats:
Age-61 (what we do for research!)
Female
Magnolia TX
Married 40+ yrs
2 grown daughters
B.A., Psych
Customer Svc Rep/Accounting
Writer
Christian

What else can I tell you?

Hugs, sid

Robin Lynn said...

Hello! and Good Morning :o) ... It's 5:31 and I've been up for almost a half hour. Yes, if I wake up early I love it! Inevitably, I wake up smiling and when there's an extra hour or so of quiet ... well, I just enjoy it all the more. I knew I needed to review my day and make a new list so I could end the week in victory.
I actually just found you this morning and immediately felt a connection ... a blogger near my age! how refreshing! and now reviewing the comments I see there are a few others ... yay!
I am new to the whole blogging scene as of summer 2008 when I opened my first wordpress site - I was so ignorant my older son had to help me and explained as I made my way around.
That site is "Reflections from Robin" http://rmwhite.wordpress.com
My sister was in hospice, hubby bought me a laptop and a new world opened up. Let me close here and I will leave one more comment at this other note I saw ... :o)