Being Margaret

On June 13, 2014June 13, 2014 By Peggy BereIn Margber, Musings49 Comments

change[1]

Hello People! Finally, after months and months of trying to resolve the issue of losing my domain, (oopsie-daisey!) I’ve taken the plunge & registered a brand new, shiny domain!! And no, you’re not seeing things. I’ve also revamped my site a wee little bit with a new, updated, fresh title!!

I had been thinking about changing my site title for a very long time. Changing it from ‘Twenty Thirteen’ to, well, anything else.

A few months ago I went through an exhausting ordeal while attempting to renew my domain. It was stolen right out from under me!! – and is currently being held for some ridiculously large amount of ransom by an evil domain shark!! (I may or may not have felt forced to temporarily turn to the bottle during this ordeal – devastating!!) There’s an entire racket built around snatching expired domains from current owners and selling them back at exorbitant prices. (my previous domain is now valued at over $1000. – ridiculous!!) It’s a sad situation that many unsuspecting people fall prey to out of laziness, procrastination or in my case, simply by being caught up in the system. This article explains how the entire process works. Bookmark it! No, first set your domains and upgrades to Auto-renew (which I THOUGHT mine WERE set on) and then do yourself a favor and read this article.

Fast forward 4 months. Like so many devastating situations in life, there was a hidden, silver lining. The loss of my domain forced me to step out of my old, familiar, blogging comfort zone and take a good, deep look at the branding of my blog and the direction in which I wanted to head towards in the future. (I know, deep!!)

After much ~~obsession~~ thought and discussion with my friends, spouse, kids, neighbors, friendly checkout lady at the grocery store, – pretty much anyone I could corner – I realized a small revamp was in order. I had put much thought into leaving my original title behind. It was restricting and limiting. It did not really point to the purpose behind my blog. It did not give my readers a clear vision of what my blog was about. In short, it had to go. (whoa, I surprised myself! Being as fickle as I am, who knew that a title change would be in order because I’d still be blogging a year after I began?!?!)

It was a decision that I did not take lightly. I thought about it for months. I weighed all of the pros and cons and finally decided that it was a step in the right direction. I was moving away from my lost domain and taking control! (Evil Domain Sharks!!) Still, it’s a change. And, a big one. Anyone who knows me personally knows I am just a teeny tiny itsy bitty uncomfortable with change. When it comes down to it, aren’t we all?

But I forged through my fear and today I introduce to you my new title – Being Margaret!! – Hey! That’s me!..Hurray!!! That’s right, I’ve taken the leap – it’s goodbye to Twenty Thirteen and hello to Being Margaret. I’m excited for this new chapter. I’m thrilled that I was able to not only arrive at a solution that worked in my favor, but also, that I was able to outsmart the evil Domain Sharks!! AHA! Take that, you evil doers!

Change is inevitable. It’s never easy. Often it pulls on our heartstrings. We try to stop it because we like our comfort zone. But also, because it signifies the beginning of the end of something. Of moving on. We like staying put right where we are. We are not ready to say goodbye. Or to say so long for now. We like keeping things just the way they are, comfortable and familiar.

So as you all mull over my new site title and become familiar with it, I will leave you with one of my VERY FAVORITE quotes about change and about endings. As for me, I get a shiny new star for outsmarting the evil domain sharks. Hmmmm, Being Margaret – I like it!!!

“There is a universal truth we all have to face, whether we want to or not, everything eventually ends. Last day of summer, the final chapter of a great book, parting ways with a close friend. But endings are inevitable, Leaves fall, you close the book. You say goodbye. Today is one of those days for us. Today we say goodbye to everything that was familiar, everything that was comfortable. We’re moving on. But just because we’re leaving, and that hurts, there’s some people who are so much a part of us, they’ll be with us no matter what. They are our solid ground. Our North Star. And the small clear voices in our hearts that will be with us … always.”

change-1

Mama told me, there’ll be days like this….

On April 1, 2014April 7, 2014 By Peggy BereIn Chicago, Margber54 Comments

Some days are just like that.

As a matter of fact, some weeks are like that. Stressful. And nightmarish. Where you just want to say “forget it!!”…and sit and drink coffee all day. Or Wine. And scream at the person who is causing your blood pressure to rise.

In this case, it was an old blog service I used when I first started writing. I will refrain from mentioning their #%$%#$ing name because they are evil. (BLog.com).

After about one week of using their site when I first joined the blogosphere, I knew immediately that it was not going to work between us. That union was anything but healthy. I wanted a divorce! So I jumped ship and made my way over to WordPress.

Jumping-ship

Ahhhhh. WordPress. They were like a breath of fresh air. Reliable. Professional. And, most of all, they knew what they were doing. They even had an amazing support network. One that was actually available to me when I needed some help. Afterall, I was new to this blogging bit and I had questions. Lots of them. Yes, switching to WordPress was joyous. And smart.

I was sitting in my kitchen last week, lighthearted and happy, ready to log onto my blog to write about something witty that Clark had said or done, and – BOOM – Just like that, tragedy!

I was redirected to some foreign, evil-looking page that tells me my Margber domain is no longer available to me. Therefor, I had no access to my blog. Huh???? What-the-%&$&$&%##*!!!! What’s this nonsense?? That’s MY blog! MY hard work went into it. Someone was trying to take control. It was like a mini-hijacking. I was the captain of the ship and it was going down.

domain-name-expired-help

My heart started to race and I did what I do best in those type of situations. In a slightly high-pitched, louder than normal tone, I yelled at Clark for it. Then, I took a deep breath, or two, and started to deal with the entire mess.

I had left the incompetent Blog.com after only one week of association with them, and they were still haunting me a year later. I could not believe it. Hadn’t I jumped the ship to avoid just this kind of disaster? I thought I had done everything right. I was diligent in following the rules and renewing fee’s. But, one had slipped through the crack.

I had my WordPress upgrades set to auto-renew and was well aware that my renew date was approaching. I had checked it a few weeks before the payment was due. I decided to override the auto-renew and pay early because, well, that is just how I am. I worry. I did not want anything to happen or come between myself and my uber awesome domain. If it were to lapse, my readers would not know where to find me. My email subscribers would be lost to me.

And, that is exactly what happened. pulling-hair-out-2

I was so focused on the WordPress end of it all, that I had neglected to even considered that the evil Blog.com side of it needed attention as well. After all, My domain originated over there (evil place) and because of that, I was linked to them. Forever. And ever. Until death do us part. OYYYYY. My divorce to the miserable Blog.com had never been official. I was still at their mercy but didn’t even know it. Ohhh, how disastrous!!!

So, after weeks of unsuccessfully trying to contact and get a reply from Blog.com (the trail went cold) I finally turned to the accessible and willingly available support team at WordPress, With a special shout-out to auxclass (Woot woot!!) and after hours of guidance, the entire mess has finally been resolved. Sort of. It did not come without casualties. While I have finally and completely cut all ties with the vile Blog.com (they’re evil!!!) it came at a high price. I had to temporarily give up my domain Margber. (SOOO sad!!) For the next few months, I will sit and wait and stress over its release. And then I will grab it again!! YaY!

Until then, I can be found at https://margber.wordpress.com/ and I gladly and proudly accept the WordPress name snuggled right in the middle of my shiny new URL. Temporarily. Until I can once again regain control my original domain.

So what does all of this mumbo jumbo mean? It simply means that if you are looking for moi, I can be found at the URL

margber.wordpress.com

It might also mean that you may possibly need to re-follow me by clicking the follow tab again. (it’s down there in the right hand corner. Go ahead, click it!)

So sorry for the inconvenience, folks ~ Feeling a bit like a block head. : )

At the time of press for this post, I had still not heard from the evil Blog.com to help straighten the domain mess out from their end. I had tried, unsuccessfully, for-everrrrrrrrr to contact someone from their (non-existent) support network. It has now been 3 weeks and counting. Im not going to hold my breath….

allaboutme

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MaMa was right. There’ll be days like this…..

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

what were you doing one year ago today?

On February 9, 2014March 26, 2014 By Peggy BereIn Margber, Uncategorized36 Comments

blogaversary

Happy Anniversary!!…. to me? Yes, that’s right! This upcoming week marks my one year anniversary of blogging at WordPress. It’s my Blogaversary!

One year ago today I sat down in front of my beloved MacBook (I really need to give my Mac a name – any suggestions?) and I created my blog Twenty Thirteen. It was my friend, Bonnie, who had suggested that I write. She was always -and still is- encouraging me to do new things. Things that I would never think to do. Until prompted. Or pushed. Thank you, dear Bonnie!

I sat down in February of 2013 and stared blankly at the welcome page on the WordPress site. It was foreign to me. I took a quick tour around and was amazed at how other Blogger’s sites looked so organized and professional. They were interesting and pulled you in. I stumbled upon intimidating words like “Menu, Page & Links.” And came upon odd terminology and functions like Tools & Webhooks And Dear Lord, what was a widget?? I was definitely in over my head. I knew that I had to get in touch with my inner geek!

blogger1
And then, a month or so later, something extraordinary happened. I found my rhythm. I got into the groove of writing. And with a little prodding and a few shameless plugs, I found my audience. Ok, mostly my Hubs. And my Mom & Aunts. And my siblings. But hey, I had an audience and that’s all the encouragement I needed. I had not only gotten in touch with my inner geek, I had embraced it. And I liked it! And my ~~family~~ audience liked this new blogging side of me!

sally-field-you-like-me

I found myself blogging day and night. Learning all the tricks that other Bloggers before me had found. I was really getting the hang of this tech-aged phenomenon and I was sharpening up my skills!!

giphy

I started adding pictures to my posts. And Videos & Links. I was constantly thinking up new topics to write about. I’d see Clark eating something in his lovable & abnormally noisy way that he tends to do and think AHA! I’ll Blog about that!! I’d be going about my normal activities in a day and a notion would pop into my head that I felt the need to blog about immediately. It was all very thrilling!! Exciting!! And Exhausting. But I found ways to recharge and go at it some more!!

6d17ac05fd35958462d08f41598a300d

Last week I celebrated my 10,000th visitor. I could feel my chest puffing up as I looked down at the counter on my front page. When it ticked past 10,000, I wondered to myself – how in the world am I ever going to get my big head through a doorway. I could feel my ego being catapulted into orbit. This must be how it felt to be The Bloggess. (Every Blogger’s wanna-be)

What a great anniversary. I Love blogging. I love the audience I have been introduced to over the past year. I also love all of the amazing blogs I follow on a weekly basis. They are numerous. I will never get tired of reading what other people have to say. Or blog about. Everyone has a little different spin on their idea of what blogging is. There are so many platforms out there. Each one special in its own right. My wish for each and every one of them? To find the joy in their blogaversary, the way that I have.

02d8013234ed5dcb5058bdae8ad01779

10,000!!

On January 28, 2014July 20, 2014 By Peggy BereIn Uncategorized22 Comments

Yesterday when I fired up my pc and opened up my blog I was blown away!! Blown away!!!! The 10,000th visitor had made their way to the pages of Being Margaret!! That’s right, folks! 10,000!!!! Amazing!

Shouldn’t there be some kind of an award for this momentous occasion? It’s January after-all. That means it’s awards season. So I thought it only fair that I should also receive an award. Like, perhaps, something telling the world just how absolutely fab my little corner of the world is!!

blog_award

Or perhaps some kind of bling!! Or, a statuette. Or better yet, a crown! I could wear the crown for inspiration while drafting my – utterly interesting, can’t peel your eyes away from – posts!! I’d be famous!

But fame certainly has a price. Would giving up my privacy (and Clark’s) be worth it?

There would be the paparazzi to deal with 24/7

I could kiss my privacy goodbye…

and say so long to peace and quiet…

Julia-Louis-Dreyfus-Rejects-Reese-Witherspoon-Globes

I’d have to run around incognito…..

fame

No. I don’t need an award! I don’t need the recognition and all that goes hand-n-hand with it. Truth be told? Starting my blog has been such an amazing experience. I Love writing! I love reading other WP blogs and hearing about what goes on in the lives of people from around the world.

So to all 10,000 of you fabulous visitors…Thank You!! (I’d like to thank the academy!!!!!!!!…) Thank you for visiting Being Margaret! What started out as an idea to write one post, has turned into a wonderful hobby.

margber_edited-1

the liebster award

On August 2, 2013August 2, 2013 By Peggy BereIn Awards33 Comments

My very first award! Ever! Given by peers. And, the WordPress community. And I’d like to thank……….

I was about to go to bed. It was not really that late. I just go to bed early.

I decided to look at my email one last time. There was new mail! I scanned down the list. There were several spam emails and something from Yahoo!Services confirming a password change. I had been hacked earlier this year. Twice. What an exhausting experience! The first time ~ Emails were being sent out to everyone on my contact list telling them of a grand plan I had for helping them to earn millions of dollars. A few weeks later, that was followed up with an email telling them how to shed the unsightly pounds I had noticed they gained. *horrifying.*

I continued to scan through the emails. There was an email from WordPress. FUN! WP always sends out something interesting. I opened it and saw a pink medallion. It was labeled ~ “The Liebster Award.” Hmm. I read through the contents of the email. My heart did a little flip. I had been nominated for an award?! By my peers. And readers. And the WordPress community!

Clark was sitting next to me. He was sitting there engrossed in a “who done it” cop show as I was getting my very first writing award ever! It was exciting! Thrilling! I spastically turned to him and told him I had won an award. He never took his eyes off the TV. “hmmm?” (His show was just getting to the good part.)

I was excited! I read the email again. Hooray! It was an award! The Liebster Award! Oh, this was such exciting news. The hubs finally caught wind of my excitement. He looked at me with a blank stare on his face. I told him again of the email. Oh, I was thrilled! He grinned at me. He could see how caught up I was in the excitement! Then he turned back to his cop show.

A few minutes earlier I could hardly keep my eyes opened. I was going to turn in for the night. Then this! Oh, what a piece of good fortune! It was unexpected! I’m sure I was experiencing the same emotions that very famous actors feel when they get that much coveted phone call with news of an Oscar nomination! How would I ever fall asleep? Pulitzer Prize here I come!!

The excitement of the award was still with me when I woke up the next day. I went to my PC to read the email again. My enthusiasm came to somewhat of a slow halt as I read the fine print.

There was a protocol to follow. There were questions to answer. Okay, It was a lot of work being an award-winning writer. It was going to be time-consuming. Between my work schedule and my busy week, I did not know when I was going to fit in writing an acceptance speech! I had a full agenda that day. I had texts and calls to return from the day before. I had to go get the oil changed in my car! (Something I had been putting off for months. I was now 2000 miles overdue.)

Knowing that I had a full plate, I started to swiftly move through my morning. I dropped my razor on my toe as I rushed through my shower. I looked down as I was getting dressed. Rats! My toe was bleeding. I grabbed some toilet paper to stick to the wound. I got dressed and then crammed my foot into my sandal. I decided on this very important day, I’d wear something nice. I’d also wear my fancy sandals! The toilet paper looked oddly out-of-place peeping through my strappy summer footwear. This was NOT how an award-winning writer should start her day.

As I ran my errands and accomplished my goals, the thought of my Liebster Award was never too far from my thoughts. I was caught daydreaming at a red light by an angry driver behind me. He honked when I did not notice the light change. At the next stop light, the same driver was this time stopped next to me. I looked out my window at him and wondered how he would feel if he knew he had just blasted his horn at an award-winning writer!

My day progressed ~ I started to calm down. I got everything done on my “to do” list. I gave my car the much needed attention it was due. I returned all my calls. I texted my friends and made plans. Every now and then, I’d think about the exciting news. My ego would swell a bit at each thought of my new award.

As is our practice, I talked to Clark a few times throughout the day. I found the opportunity on each phone call to tell him again how wonderful my new award was!!

Finally, on his last call to me from work that day, he asked me if I had decided what to wear to the awards ceremony. I smiled. And laughed. Clark is not only über hot ~ he is also witty! He has a way of putting things into perspective for me when I tend to blow them out of proportion. He keeps me grounded. He helps to keep me from getting too big for my britches.

That night, I sat down and once again looked at the protocol expected of me for this nomination. I carefully followed through all the guidelines. I looked over the questions and gave careful consideration to the answers I would give each one. I wrote a note to the sweet writer who took the time to find my blog, read my posts, and give me a nomination. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness. I was humbled and honored and felt such happiness in the acknowledgment.

Liebster: a word of German descent meaning beloved and lovely. Kind, pleasant & valued. Endearing and welcome. It is an award which was started in Germany to give recognition to great bloggers. How lovely!

Passion for writing has always been my motivation behind my blog. When your writing gets acknowledged by someone you have never met, it makes your efforts all the sweeter and your heart swells a bit. My love of writing is a true blessing in my life. It is a blessing that I do not take for granted.

As I finish up this post, I think about what prompted me to write it and my tagline comes to mind ~ I Will One Day Write a Book.