Tag: introduction

Welcome to the first post in my blog.  I’m not real sure where to start.  Do I jump in babbling about the topic that entertains me for the day? Do I introduce myself? Do I set a statement of purpose for the blog? Do I need a bathysphere to enter the blogosphere? Maybe a blogysphere?

Since I can talk about anything, I know I have the first one covered.  That’ll mostly be what I do, jump into a one-sided conversation on something that strikes my fancy.  It’ll become two way if you comment because I will reply. 

That brings me to introducing myself.  As the blog says, I’m Mary Louise Eklund.  I wear a lot of hats in life.  I’ll write about all of them here.  I’m a published writer of short stories.  I’ve been published in Terribly Twisted Tales and most recently Steam Punk’d.  I have more in the works.  I’ll shout out when they are coming out.  Given that I’ll write here about writing, words, language, reading, and all the stuff related to that.  What I like, what I find frustrating, my process, inspiration, blocks, and all the stuff I go through trying to write.   

I enjoy photography as a hobby.  You can see my photos on flickr, again under my name.  The most recent ones appear on my sidebar.  I’ve sold a few in my time.  I even worked as a photographer for a bit in my undergraduate days.  I like going out and making photos of things, not so much into photographing people.  It’s not that I don’t like people, I love to watch people.  I just like to take pictures of things because they don’t fret over how they look.  It’s also easier to find stuff that’s willing to pose and release for publication isn’t an issue.

On the people topic, I am into genealogy as a hobby.  I love the stories I find, the interesting facts, and the thrill of the hunt.  I like trying to solve the puzzle of family lore or where did so-and-so end up.  Like Mark Hicks my 3^rd great uncle that went to the Confederacy in the Civil War when all the others in the family were Union.  His brother was a Union Calvary officer. The family never welcomed Mark home and blamed him for turning in his brother-in-law who died in Andersonville.  Mark wound up in Arkansas destitute and living on the dole.  I found him.  Those stories and the questions raised as I work through the information I have will show up here.  I’ve even got a story inspired by my genealogical research and expect more to come from it.

I make jewelry.  I do beading and am trying out resin pouring designs.  I will eventually sell the stuff.  I’ll link to that here when it’s up and running.  I’ll chat about my working on it and other crafting.  I crochet and take various courses in other things that hit my fancy.  So far I’ve enjoyed fused glass, pottery, and precious metal clay working.  You’ll get all about those things too.

I’m a family person.  I’m a mom of a 17 year old who is in his senior year in high school. I’m a wife of a busy business man who is also an officer in the reserves.  I’m also the only child of aging parents.  I’m a person with chronic illness that’s manageable but not curable.  I’m a pet parent, 3 cats and a dog.  Those things I’ll keep to a minimum.  If it involves another person I don’t want to say more than they are comfortable with sharing.  I don’t want to whine and complain about health, there’s enough blogs made up of kvetching.  However, I’m sure some off it will come through at times.

That takes care of introducing myself and what I’ll write about.  What do I intend to do here?  I’ll post regularly.  My goal is at least weekly but hopefully more often.  I’m sure it’ll depend on the ebb and flow of the other areas of my life.