Among the many things I am juggling at present besides work, school, & family, is THE BLOG. Promoting my blog is something that definitely occupys my mind. How do I promote my blog? I definitely want to get a wider audience. Who doesn’t? I’ve done several of the suggested techniques. Read other blogs and leave a comment or two. I joined Geneabloggers. I wrote several themed blogs to get traffic to come my way. I sent emails out at work. I hounded all my Facebook friends. Then a couple of weeks ago I contacted the local paper. On Monday, a reporter and a photographer came to my house for an interview. Yay! My daughter was excited earlier in the day, but hid while the reporter was in the house. Then of course, my five year old kept interrupting but that comes with the territory. The online version of the interview was published yesterday, late Thursday afternoon with the print copy being published today.
http://www.egcitizen.com/articles/2013/01/31/lifestyle/doc510ac81181a0a437619634.txt
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- August 14, 1942 Envelope
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- August 14, 1942, p.1
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- August 14, 1942, p.2-3
Letter transcription:
Kentland Ind
Aug 14-1942
Dear Daddy,
Mark finally got to ride. He just came past so I could see him. Paul Capes was riding his pony and they were together. Mark was riding the one Krulls are getting Betty Lou. I told Mark he worked awfully hard to get to ride one hour but he seemed to think it was worth the effort. He should be on a farm the way he loves to be around horses. He has been building model airplanes again. John was quite cross with him this morning because he got up too early to suit John and worked on one of his models.
(page 2) John came home from Band practice last night talking about a new instructor they are to buy that costs $3.00. He is also complaining about the horn he has, being so hard to blow so I don’t know what this will all lead to. – not too much I am sure.
Ed Barce got his commission or whatever you call it and will be in Indpls until Oct first. Then to Norfolk nine weeks. He said he would write you so he will probably tell you all about it.
Clara Molter told me that John K. didn’t make it at Peru, but was going to Chicago.
(page 3) Thelma was supposed to come today and iron, etc. but it is past 2:30 and she hasn’t come yet so don’t suppose she is coming today.
It has been rather on the cloudy order today. Looks like it might rain anytime but it was that way when we got up. Haven’t had any rain now for several days but there is a lot of humidity in the air and so much dew on the lawn every morning it is like a rain.
Clarice is having club this afternoon and if I can get ready will go. It is so much easier just to stay home, especially on a day like this. This is about all the news,
Love-Mother
The “Clarice” mentioned in the end would probably be Clarice Hufty….that’s the name that popped into my mind when I read that. I still wonder where Mark was doing all this riding. And, of course, John’s focus was music. “Ed Barce” doesn’t ring a bell at all.
I think I’m going to start a new sub page that lists all the townspeople grandma mentions, and add some additional information about them. Kind of like a cast of characters.
Very nice interview! I spent a significant chunk of time yesterday trying to track down a tidbit detail from WWII (and never did find any way to be certain about it). It’s blogs like this one where the small details will be preserved or lost.
In regard to the blog, I check Copybloggers and Tentbloggers from time to time. Both are sites about being a better blogger and they include traffic-driving strategies sometimes.
Thanks for the heads up about the blogging advice sites.
I also have found a couple Naval experts who have been very willing to help me out. I just got a report back from one who helped me track down some of the locations my grandfather served based on his unit. For example, Navy Hospital #4 was in New Zealand.
Your interview is great, Ms. Keen-and-attentive! What a great idea!
Thank you! I probably could have talked for a lot longer…
Enjoyed your interview in the Citizen and look forward to reading your blog. Why don’t you publish a book with these letters? I recently met a fellow author who did just that using the letters her grandfather had wrtten during WW I. It was fascinating reading first hand accounts of living in the fox holes, trapsing through the mud, and craving candy and letters from home. It is called “Oceans of Love.” It inspired me to transcribe all the letters my half sister wrote to me after we met in 1968 when I was 20 and she was 40. Don’t know what I’ll do with them, yet. You have inspired me to look into blogging about my family history as well.
I definitely am thinking of writing a book eventually. There is a woman in England who publishes a blog from her grandmother’s World War II diary entries. She has turned the letters into a book as well.
At present I am in “the discover what I’ve got”, organize and catalog stage.
I recommend going with Word Press if you decide to get a blog.
Talking a lot longer is what books are for ,,,,,Hmmmm….you never know where this BLOG thing will lead
So glad you got some press!
Thanks!
My long term goal is to possibly organize the story into a book, or to publish parts of the blog and the letters.