Chat with Vera

When I started blogging, it was an exercise in "Can I do this?", "Can I learn this?", "Can I keep it going?," etc. Well, I just blog about whatever pops into this gray topped head of mine. It might be deals at a store or web site. It might be nifty coupons for the thrifty amongst us. It might be something on my heart that bubbles up that I wish to share with someone. It might be my frustration at the political scene. Who knows? Now I just checked the number of hits it has received, and there are now over 4,000. That is in about 2 years. Not many, but it is reaching out.

Recently I added a widget that would track who visits (doesn't identify visitor, just locale). I really find this to be interesting. There are people all over the USA that somehow have found Chat With Vera. In fact, I have found from time to time that Australians, Brits, Scots, Russians, Chinese, etc. have visited. It confounds and humbles me. Here is the latest listing:

A visitor from Greensboro, North Carolina arrived from blogger.com and viewed "Chat With Vera" 0 secs ago
A visitor from Walnut, California viewed "Chat With Vera: Vera is quoted online......" 2 hours 23 mins ago
A visitor from Woodstock, Illinois viewed "Chat With Vera: Vera is quoted online......" 2 hours 26 mins ago
A visitor from Van Buren, Arkansas left "Chat With Vera: Tidings of Comfort and Joy" via blogger.com 6 hours 11 mins ago
A visitor from Van Buren, Arkansas arrived from havecouponswilltravel.com and viewed "Chat With Vera: Tidings of Comfort and Joy" 6 hours 12 mins ago
A visitor from Walnut, California viewed "Chat With Vera: Vera is quoted online......" 15 hours 55 mins ago
A visitor from Dallas, Texas viewed "Chat With Vera: Vera is quoted online......" 17 hours 26 mins ago
A visitor from Kuala Belait arrived from google.com and viewed "Chat With Vera" 18 hours 54 mins ago
A visitor from Streator, Illinois arrived from havecouponswilltravel.com and viewed "Chat With Vera: Tidings of Comfort and Joy" 19 hours 59 mins ago
A visitor from San Francisco, California viewed "Chat With Vera: Vera is quoted online......" 23 hours 46 mins ago

Now, if you are as geographically challenged as I, you are wondering where in the world is Kuala Belait? So for your information and mine, I looked it up:

Kuala Belait is located close to the western border of Brunei with the Malaysian State of Sarawak at 114.18ºE longtitude and 4.59ºN latitude. The town center is bounded by the South China Sea to the north, the Belait River to the west and south and the suburbs of Kampong Sungai Pandan and Kampong Mumong to the east and south-east respectively.

Vera (that's me, folks) was quoted on www.mindfieldonline.wordpress.com - the blog for Mindfield Online Internet Panels.

Vera says: Greetings, friends. Mindfield Online is a good company to participate as a survey opinion member. You have the opportunity to share your opinion about various products before they hit the market (or even after they are already on the shelves). You also get paid to share your opinions. Now you won’t get rich this way or earn enough to feed the family or pay the electric bill, but you will see a few extra dollars come your way. Enjoy.

Have you quoted Vera anywhere? Have you shared information you read here on Chat With Vera?

My daughter who is fighting breast cancer recently sent this email message to me. It puts into proper perspective good news and joy.

Recently I had my students do a vocabulary assignment using winter words that are familiar to us but foreign them. (Remember I teach special ed.) They were surprised that tidings simply meant "good news." This morning I was mulling over what we consider good news (negative results on Dad's bone marrow test, a new job, being cancer-free, graduation) and how that compares to the good news brought by the angels. My thoughts were that while it would be awesome to hear that I am cancer-free, that pales in comparison to the news that I have a home in Heaven should cancer decide to take over. Definitely tidings of comfort and joy! Merry Christmas!

Doesn't that perspective bring tears of joy to your heart? So when you sing about "Tidings of comfort and joy" remember the source of true joy in you own life. Focus on the certainty of having a home in Heaven in relation to the sorrows you face here on Earth.

There is nothing so great nor so wonderful as the prayers of friends on one's behalf and for your loved ones.

Life is a bit much these days in our household. So when I was cllicking through my favorite sites just to see who was there and what was going on, there at the tippy-top of OCH was the following......

Shouldn't you be going to bed soon, GrannyGodley?
The time is 10:37. Late? Yep. But some nights I'm up into the wee hours because my inner clock doesn't realize it is bed time.

So . . . . .

Shouldn't you be going to bed soon, GrannyGodley?

really grabbed my attention and tickled my funny bone. Here you sweet young things that manage this website are telling this ol' Granny that it's time to go to bed. Mommy, may I have a glass of water? Mommy, I need to >>>>> (you fill in the blanks). Tee-hee-hee.

Thanks for giving me a smile for this day/night. When life tries to create a little crack in the veneer of your life, it is good to find a smile to cement the pieces back together.