Some Blogging Musings

'thumbelina 3'

01 - I put back my blogroll (it used to be titled bookmarks) in the links below the header. I had removed it because it just seems like unnecessary sharing and also, I didn't really update it. But now I'm going to keep it up there even if it's more for my use but who knows, maybe you'll find a new blog to read from the list.
    My blogroll is very biased. All the blogs there I have an interest in but even if I had visited your blog and left hundreds of comments and it's not on my list, it doesn't mean anything. Sometimes I get too lazy to update the list but I did recently removed several blogs that had not been updated for several years. It sadden me that those bloggers no longer blogs but I guess that's the way things go. It's definitely easier to remove a link than to add since the list is quite long. It's a table html which is not easy to change.
    I notice lots of bloggers no longer have blogrolls which probably doesn't mean anything. I guess blogrolls are outdated or simply no longer useful as people use others methods to read blogs (ie, feeds or email subscriptions) and perhaps it's better but I don't know. I don't use feeds and I don't follow or subscribe to blogs anymore so my blogroll is my way to visiting blogs. So perhaps I don't always know when someone has updated their blog but I don't mind this. I'm just glad people are still updating their blogs. If you have a blogroll on your blog, let me know. I like to browse them and find new blogs. Update: I've renamed my blogroll back to Bookmarks.

02 - I've changed my blog's header. It's not much different than the previous but slightly changed. Instead of boots, pen, flowers, there is cupcake, typewriter and dandelions.

previous header

new header

I changed the tagline from Books & Ramblings to books, writings, ramblings. I was going to add art but I don't know since I've not posted a lot of art lately. Maybe I'll add that if I change the header again. It's a lot of work to make a new header especially if you're as indecisive as me. If you want to see the previous, previous header, go here to this post.

03 - I have noticed that more blogs are now using text only headers. This isn't a bad thing but I think text headers don't say as much as a header with an image. But I'm more of a visual person so perhaps I'm biased. But I do think a visual header is better and often, more memorable. But of course, it's a preference.

Have you anything you want to share today (blogging or just life in general)? Let us know in the comments.

Fiction: The Witches Next Door

The July prompts for Words for Wednesday are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher and is hosted at Elephant's Child's blog here. This week's prompts are: sonorous, trenchant, cackling, hurley-burley, confined, semolina and/or nourished, grid, blue, atmosphere, notepad, porridge. I used all of them though using semolina is a bit difficult so that ended up as a name.

Fiction: The Witches Next Door
From next door, the sonorous cackling of the witches sent a chill down the spines of the members of The Ladies of the Gentle Ways Society. It was a time for relaxation and gentle thinking not a hurley-burley occasion where one would expect something to explode at any moment.
    The atmosphere had always been peaceful until the witches moved in next door. They never could confined the noise within their house but they never failed to have their meetings on the same days and even the same hours as The Ladies even when their leader, Mrs. Coppermind, changed their schedule many times.
    A scream of great vigor echoed. Semolina 'Lina' Bread nearly choked on her tea. Quickly, she put down her teacup and wiped her mouth. The other ladies, Mrs. Coppermind, Mrs. Honor, Mrs. Pickle, Mrs. Soso, Mrs. Jackpod, Mrs. Herbal and Mrs. Horseradish screwed up their faces but kept a tight grip on their teacups. Lina wondered what her mother would say about the stains on her blue tablecloth.
    The Ladies were enchantresses, a term Lina found a bit snobbish though witches wasn't any better as they hardly practiced any magic. Mrs. Coppermind always said, 'We ladies are here to practice the art of calm and peaceful thinking.' Though she had drawn a grid of where each lady should sit, how much tea and cake they should have and only magic relating to housekeeping and baking was allowed.
    Sometimes Lina wondered how many days of tea sipping and housework talks could she stand before she would freak out. Putting strawberry jam into their porridge was as daring as The Ladies would go. Lina nourished the thought of going next door and demanded they take her as a member but since no witches can belong to more than one societies, she could not do that. And as Lina inherited her place from her mother, she couldn't quit without being seen as dishonoring her mother.
    A loud boom rocked the ground and Lina sighed as she took a sip of her cold tea. The witches must be doing something grand or fun. Lina could only imagine.

What is your favorite movie adapted from a book?

This week's (July 1st - 7th) Book Blogger Hop question is: What is your favorite movie adapted from a book? (submitted by Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People). Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy at Coffee Addicted Writer over here.

Answer: I cannot just pick one favorite so I'll list three. Coincidently, for all three, I read the book after I saw the movie. (click on the link for movie info):

01 - The Princess Bride > link
I like that they ended at the happy moment and didn't go on with the more tragic bits.

02 - Anne of Green Gables > link
All the actors are just right for their roles especially Megan Follows as Anne Shirley.

03 - Howl's Moving Castle > link
I do like the movie better than the book as the book wasn't as fun.

What is your favorite movie adapted from a book? Or if you can't just pick one, name a few.