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Bragging Rights

by Shelly Kneupper Tucker on December 2, 2007

Did y’all think I got lost in that nasty hotel room in Beaumont? I’m back home now, and hard at work here at the house. That Share A Square Project can be overwhelming! I have tons of work to do for it over the next couple of weeks. I can’t keep up with you folks!


Y’all are such awesome volunteers!!

But, I took a break to follow a link to my blog from Vivien at Inspiration Bit. She gave a little link love to her readers as she talked about her best blogging achievement. You can read for yourself what she had to say. She is worth the read any day of the week! Vivien’s blog is aptly named.

She wrote that post because it seems that Simonne from All Tips And Tricks is hosting a group writing project where she asks: “What is your best blogging achievement?”

rooster.jpgNow, I’ll be honest with y’all. I know that you think that Texans run around bragging all the time. I don’t. At least, I don’t usually. But, I have something I’m doing that makes me “crow like a Banty rooster in a barnyard,” as Papaw would say. I’m writing about it in this post because Simonne is offering cash prizes to those who are voted the winners. The top prize is $100, and…well…I want it. You see, I can use that money to offset the cost of postage and yarn for Share A Square, because those Google ads aren’t paying off! When she posts the poll, I’ll be asking you to go and vote!

There are many things about this blog that make my Texan heart have some “braggin’ rights.”

  • I’ve written some posts that made some of you laugh. I’m darned proud of that. I’ve also made some of you cry. Actually, I’m proud of that, too.
  • I’ve had some contests that have been a lot of fun (Dear Abby is screaming for a comeback, but I haven’t had the time!).
  • I’ve written 355 posts, and my blog isn’t a year old yet.
  • For a brief couple of weeks I had more than 500 links to my blog, so I could splash that purty pink blob that says “Technorati A-List” on my sidebar. I need to take that down, because my links started dropping like rubber balls at a One-Armed Juggler’s Convention, but I did earn the right for awhile to have it there.
  • I’ve made blogging friends who are a delight to know, and let me tell you that those folks are gold in my book.
  • I finally got a check from one of those advertisers on the sidebar, and could almost afford to take my husband out to eat at the Sonic.
  • Those accomplishments are piddly in comparison to the Share A Square Project, and it’s not even finished yet. If you aren’t familiar with it, you can read the Share A Square FAQ, or you can see the new Share A Square sub-domain. I haven’t started the December updates yet. You can visit the new Afghan Gallery to see a few of the afghans that we have put together for the children who will attend the Camp Sanguinity Cancer Camp next July (2008).

    I’ve got more to photograph, and more are coming in every day. Each afghan has a square from forty-eight different people. Before December is out, I expect to have more than half of the 140 afghans we need. Since June, more than 6,500 squares have been sent to me from around the world.

    Actually, the achievement is not the project itself. The true achievement is that so many people from all over the world have been given the opportunity to share with those less fortunate. And, share they have!

    Squares have come from children as young as fourteen and from women old enough to be my grandmother (which makes them pretty darned old!). It’s not just retired women with time on their hands who are crocheting for this project. Mothers of young children, who are scrambling to keep their lives in order, have stopped long enough to make squares. I’ve gotten squares from people who are battling cancer themselves, and others with Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Chrones Disease, and from others who are legally blind. All of them have taken time to give of themselves. Heck, folks who can’t crochet have contributed yarn or money for it and have promoted it on their blogs.

    Yes, many of the squares have come from the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. I’ve also gotten squares from our neighbors in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Quebec in Canada. Women in Taiwan, Sweden, Scotland, England, Spain, Mexico, Australia, South Australia, and many, many women in Japan have all sent squares for afghans to make some little kid in Texas smile.

    I’m busting at the seams with pride at “meeting” all of the people who have contributed to Share A Square. I have to say that I’m pretty dadgum proud that I started the project right here on this blog.

    And, I’m humbled by the outpouring of love that I have seen. In the first post for Share A Square, I said that I was Searching For People With Big Hearts. I think I found quite a few of those, didn’t I?

    [EDITOR'S NOTE: The Share A Square project has ended, and the afghans were delivered on July 7th, 2008. Although we will not continue that project, an exciting NEW endeavor, called the Good Medicine Project is in progress for summer camp 2009. We hope you will join us.]

    Related posts:

    1. Crochet Squares—It’s “Darned” If You Do, And “Darned” If You Don’t
      (So To Speak)
    2. Warm Your Heart
    3. Five Reasons Why I Blog
    4. I Have No Choice But To Rejoice
    5. Share A Square Is Starting To Take Off


    paperclips

    { 9 trackbacks }

    My Best Blogging Achievement: The Entries
    December 5, 2007 at 10:16 am
    This Eclectic Life » Help Share A Square
    December 5, 2007 at 12:17 pm
    LGR Webmaster Blog - Best Blogging Achievement Entries and Vote
    December 6, 2007 at 9:48 am
    Reflections on Blogging Successes — On Financial Success
    December 8, 2007 at 3:43 pm
    Knitting Passion » Blog Archive » A Vote for Shelly
    December 9, 2007 at 12:11 am
    8 of 9 Bloggers Agree
    December 12, 2007 at 3:02 am
    Musing On Group Projects » Inspiration Bit
    December 14, 2007 at 1:58 am
    My Best Blogging Achievement: The Winners
    December 16, 2007 at 4:03 am
    Share a Square » Blog Archive » Help Share A Square
    January 25, 2008 at 6:54 am

    { 11 comments… read them below or add one }

    Jen December 2, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    Hey nice to see you blogging. Yes indeed, I think that the Share a Square deserves a good brag or two, or three. Way to go.

    Plan on sending 44 squares to me in January! Have a good week and expect that box from me within the week.

    Jennymcb

    Thanks Jen. I’ll look for that box. I’m trying to finish bagging up all the “kits.” I sure do appreciate the help that you and yours have given! ♥♥♥

    Reply

    janeywan December 2, 2007 at 10:40 pm

    “I think I found quite a few of those, didn’t I?”

    You sure did “girlfriend” you sure did, and so did the rest of us in finding you. I’m so proud to be a small part, of such a large and loving project.

    You have been a rather large part, Jan. Even if you didn’t make as many squares as you had hoped, you got a LOT of people coming by here to see what was happening. I appreciate that. I surely and purely do. Hugs.

    Reply

    Simonne December 3, 2007 at 12:43 am

    Hey Shelly, you had some great achievements, the Share a Square project gained a very good traction. Thank you for taking time to participate to my group writing project. I wish you good luck ;-)

    Simonne, SAS gained traction and then just started sliding right out from under me! :lol: I wish all my volunteers weren’t in far off places like Alaska and Chicago! I’d darn sure keep them busy at my house. Thanks again for having the group writing project. You KNOW that I hope I win!

    Reply

    Frigga December 3, 2007 at 12:26 pm

    You should definitely brag about Share A Square!!! :P

    Well, gal. I’m afraid that I do…every chance I get. But, I’m bragging on all the volunteers. They are awesome!

    Reply

    susiej December 3, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    Thanks for the photo and update Shelly. This is awesome.

    Isn’t it though! I get mushy every time I think about it. :lol:

    Reply

    YellowRose December 3, 2007 at 3:54 pm

    You know when I read your updates about SAS I get all gooey inside!! It is amazing to me how wide it has spread! I always get even more motivated to grab my hook and yarn after reading an update!! My package is on it’s way! Wanna send me another batch?

    Yeah, I know what you mean! I could use some more squares from you! And, yes, I’d love to send you another batch. Do ya want ‘em before the holidays?

    Reply

    Jessica The Rock Chick December 3, 2007 at 4:43 pm

    2 words sum you up and all the way around…YOU ROCK! (and I really mean that!)

    Love you!
    Jessica

    Reply

    junemoon December 4, 2007 at 3:15 pm

    I am glad to hear that you made it home from that crappy (literally) filthy sounding inn. I totally enjoy your blog and will definitely vote for you so you can win the prize money. Hopefully I will be able to figure out how to cast my vote as I am electronically challenged.

    Your afghan project is wonderful and I admire your dedication to helping others! junemoon

    Reply

    Jacob Share December 5, 2007 at 1:16 pm

    That’s a terrific project and I wish you best of luck with it, although it sounds like you don’t need it. Congratulations!

    Reply

    Aaron Stroud December 8, 2007 at 3:37 pm

    Shelly, bragging isn’t so bad when you can back it up! You’re doing great work for the kids. Simply loving people can have a powerful impact on their well-being.

    Aaron, thank you. And, I appreciate your vote for me! I wouldn’t beg people to vote if the postoffice would deliver for free :lol:

    Reply

    Marcia December 8, 2007 at 9:28 pm

    I finally got around to voting – and posting – but you knew I would eventually.

    You earned these bragging rights! Period!

    Reply

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