During a game night in our small group this question was posed to us…Would you be upset if your make up was taken away for a whole month? What do you think?

This is my purse -
I have the same purse I have had for over 4 years (it’s a Coach and it really has held-up for the price)! Obviously, I am not a “change-out-your-purse” person. I think it is a cute idea, I’m just too practical for my own good.

And here is what is in my purse (being a little vulnerable here) -

My wallet (which is actually a day-planner turned cash/envelope system); cell phone; lipstick; tissues (which I didn’t know I had in there until cleaning it out just now); cloth to clean my glasses; pen; tampon (don’t want to ever be without); receipts; reminder for Nat and Nick’s next dental appt; change; toy (that I had to take away from Natalie one day when she was acting up in the store (forgot to give it back to her).

So, what’s in your purse (a great opportunity to clean it out, by the way)? And are you a change-out-your-purse person or stick with the old standard? If you are a changer, how many purses do you have?

I made Alisa Villareal’s Pear/Apple Crisp last night for Paul.

It was DIVINE. Can I get a witness?

This particular recipe is super easy and has just the perfect “crisp” to apple ratio. Paul had more than one serving (but don’t tell him I said so), and the first serving was pretty hefty, I must say.

I made it in advance yesterday afternoon, covered it in foil and put it in the refrigerator, and then baked it 3 hours later. And it turned out perfect.

That fact alone makes it the perfect dessert recipe for a busy mom or working woman!

So run on over to the Recipe Section and print out this recipe.

And then, for Pete’s sake, make the thing! You won’t regret it. I promise.

“Good” blogs have new stuff
Better still if new each day—
It’s tough to be good!

When we began “Craving Grace” our goal was to have something new every day (Mon-Fri), but we’ve discovered that our lives sometimes provide an unwelcome distraction from our blogging. Or maybe it’s the other way around!

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for us Moderators…I’m sure your life as a woman at UPC is no different. Why is it that a seemingly low-level volunteer service can turn into a huge time/energy commitment? Yet be so rewarding that we’re loathe to give it up?!

So, keep checking in on us here at Craving Grace. We’ve been up and running a month now, and we’re currently evaluating our progress (or lack thereof!) with the hopes of offering to you a “good” blog to read—every day!

In fact, we’d love to have your feedback, so leave a comment with the things you like or the things you don’t like about this UPC women’s blog. We won’t be offended. I promise!

(Oh, and if you’re wondering about the haiku-thing, read this post. You’ll have to wade through my own humble poetry efforts, but if you scroll down, you can read more about haiku in general.)

We’re starting to hear from some of you Craving Grace readers…and we love it!

A few of you have been brave enough to admit your inexperience and/or reluctance to engage in the blogging “conversation” through commenting. Kudos to you for speaking up: because of your honesty, many more readers can benefit from this description of how to (and why you should) comment.

(FYI: There is a glossary of terms at the bottom of this post)

WHAT are comments and WHY should you leave a comment?

1) Comments start the conversation.

Most bloggers write not only to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings, but also to receive feedback and input from their readers. Many of us bloggers are so interested in conversation that we end the post with a question, inviting readers to participate.

Without comments, the blogger misses out on valuable additional thoughts regarding her post; likewise, the reader misses an opportunity to share her valuable thoughts and personally engage the blogger. Both blogger and reader lose a chance to “converse” online about any number of issues expressed in any given post.

2) Comments are a connection.

The connection is not just between reader A and blogger A. The connection exists between ALL readers, the commenter(s), and the blogger. Many is a time when I’ve read a comment and thought, “Me too!” or “What an insightful comment! I wonder what she’s like in real life?!” I find myself looking forward to certain reader’s comments, because I feel a connection with them.

And, not surprisingly, that connection often becomes an actual relationship with someone in real life, not just online.

3) Comments are the currency of the blogosphere.

Bloggers offer their wares (articles/posts, video clips, photos and more), and readers “pay” in comments. The reader demonstrates to the blogger the value of her blog, rewarding her with further insights, encouragement or acknowledgement of a well-written post through comments. Even opposing opinions are welcome, as are the brief one-liners that merely acknowledge the reader’s “presence” on a blog.

Often, readers think, “I don’t have anything interesting or clever to add!” Nonsense! It’s not the quality (or quantity) of a comment that makes it valuable to the blogger and the other readers. It’s simply the existence of comments at all that add to the pleasure of blogging and blog-reading.

HOW do I leave a comment?
It’s simple. At the bottom of every post, there’s a red-orange statement that gives the number of comments currently on that post.

By clicking on that statement (e.g. “2 comments”), you are directed to that post’s page. At the bottom of the post you are given the opportunity to “Leave a reply.”

Simply type in your name, email, and website (if you have one); then write your comment in the box provided. When you are finished, click “Submit Comment.”

So EASY!

If it’s your first time to comment, your comment will not appear right away. It will be approved by a Moderator and added at that time. This feature helps us prevent spam and all other inappropriate comments.

Once you’ve commented, though, your comments will appear as soon as you submit them. If your comment doesn’t appear immediately, click on your “Refresh” button at the top of your screen. This will update the blog with your comment.

WHAT should I comment?

Whatever you want.

That’s the beauty of blogging.

If that’s not enough direction for you, here are a few guidelines:

So, that’s all I can think of right now. Other Moderators, bloggers, and experienced blogreaders—what are your thoughts about commenting?

Glossary of Terms:
blog: abbrev. for “weblog”; a personal or collective website.
blogosphere: the “world” of blogging
blogger: the person that writes a blog
author: the person that writes a single post or article
moderator: the person or persons who administrate a collective blog through approving comments, selecting authors, writing posts, etc.
post: the articles written on a blog; sometimes also called “blogs” (I know, it gets confusing!)