I started writing, “Turquoise Tangles” here at My Opera, one year ago, on March 29, 2011. My first blog post was titled, “Olly Olly Oxen Free”, the phrase in hide and seek that signals it’s time to come out of hiding. I’ve shared a lot since then, though I still hold some things close and keep others secret, because every woman needs some mystery about her. What began as one bright, blue-green blog at My Opera has evolved into FOUR venues where I am writing, sharing, commenting and replying in public.
X You Are Here
Turquoise Tangles at My Opera: http://my.opera.com/jbaird/blog/
This site came first. I started writing here on March 29, 2011.
My First Year By The Numbers:
1545 visits to the blog + 2939 visits to the photo albums = 4484 visits
These stats add credence to the well known expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
And yes, I find myself wondering, “How many of these visits are me?”
You can also find Turquoise Tangles…
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turquoise-Tangles/201433139889647
The Facebook group by the same name, began a few days later, on April 5, 2011.
Here I share links to my blog posts, as well as the photographs that illustrate them.
As a professed Facebookaholic, I enjoy the comments, conversations and likes that follow.
on Tumblr: http://turquoisetangle.tumblr.com/
On November 5, 2011 I started Tumblr’ing and never looked back. I’ve posted more at Tumblr than My Opera because the Tumblr mobile interface is so good from my super cool new iphone, one of my most favorite 40th birthday presents in December. This, my second blog, is a combination of poems, prose and photos from my life. Lately that’s meant a lot of puppy pictures, because the cat has made herself scarce, ever since THAT dog came to live in HER house. Woof.
on Twitter: @turquoisetangle https://twitter.com/turquoisetangle
I started tweeting the same day I joined Tumblr, on November 5, 2011. For both sites I had to give up the ‘s’ from my “Tangles”. On Tumblr someone had gotten there first, and then Twitter limits the character count for user names too, making the ‘s’ expendable. In the few months since joining Twitter I’ve met some wonderful people who miraculously “get” me and enjoy my birdsong. Chirp.
I’m evolving.
Constantly changing.
It’s been A Big Year for me.
Separate from my husband’s cancer.
Regardless of the fact that I turned 40.
I rewrote my Twitter bio on February 7, 2012.
It seems like A Little Thing.
After all, you only have 160 characters to work with.
Not much, eh?!
Well, here’s the old one: “Turquoise Tangles is written by Janean Baird, an artist and writer embracing the Gift of a New Beginning after a 16-year career in Advertising.”
Compared to the new one: “Happily married, mother of two ornery boys, one striped cat and a puppy. They inspire the stories I tell, the art I make. I share both at my blog, Turquoise Tangles.”
Amazing all that you can convey in 160 characters, isn’t it?!
This was a major shift for me.
Instead of looking back at what was, I’m very much in the here and now.
Of course, once I changed those telltale characters, I tweeted about it by saying, “Who has a new Twitter bio? I do! May tweak some, but happy with these 160 characters All About Me, a.k.a. Turquoise Tangles. Chirp”
“Welcome”, if it’s your first visit to my brightly hued, blue-green blog.
“Thank you”, to those who have been reading from the beginning.
“Many thanks”, to those whom I’ve met along the way.
It’s sure made the journey a lot more fun!
~ Janean
Olly Olly Oxen Free
http://my.opera.com/jbaird/blog/olly-olly-oxen-free
© 2012 Janean Baird, Turquoise Tangles
Turquoise Tangles 
happy bday!!! :sing: :coffee: :hat: :hat: :hat:
Originally posted by studio41:
Thanks, Jill! It felt like a milestone worth celebrating and "anniversary" felt too formal. "Birthday" felt fun, happy and more like the New Beginning that writing in public has been for me. There hasn't been much celebrating or revalrie…YET, but any occasion that calls for cake plays well with my family.I'm thinkin' turquoise icing should be fun to make! Happy Sunday to you, my friend, as you're one of the wonderful people I've met who "get" me, inside and out. Love,Janean
Originally posted by jbaird:
I hope to see a picture of that! Originally posted by jbaird:
:happy: aw, you are welcome!
Originally posted by studio41:
I'm planning to take one! I think mixing icing colors is much like mixing paint colors. Hoping so, anyway…~ Janean
Anonymous writes:Happy belated birthday! What a year u have had. Isn't advertising like boot camp? Look forward to reading your blog during turquoise terrible twos. All the best…Debby @micmac
Originally posted by jbaird:
FUN!
Originally posted by studio41:
Jill,
It SO was! I made a lovely shade of turquoise icing too. 🙂
Janean
Originally posted by greatZenaida:
Thank you, Zena, for the blog and personal birthday wishes. Received and appreciated. ~ Janean
Originally posted by anonymous:
Thanks for leaving a note, Debby @micmac. Smiling at the thought of my blog, Turquoise Tangles, having "terrible twos" like a petulant toddler. Well, it COULD happen… It HAS been quite a year. AND THEN SOME. Advertising was stressful like boot camo and I was away from home a lot. Other than that, no one ever made me drop and give 'em 20 push ups workin' in advertising. I'd be in better shape today if they had. ~ Janean
Originally posted by jbaird:
:up: :coffee:
btw "Instead of looking back at what was, I'm very much in the here and now." I like that. and your bio!
Originally posted by studio41:
Jill,Thank you for sharing your favorite line and the compliment on my bio. I need to write one for the Main Gallery 404 where I have four pieces of art hanging for sale. Why is it so hard to talk about myself so specifically as an artist?!I feel like, "blah, blah, blah…" with no clue what to say. I'm sure it'll come to me, and come together, once I put my mind to it and make it happen now that I have a deadline of the First Friday Area Artist Showcase weekend in May…coming right up.Ack!Artist Freak Out Time!Then, time to get to work. Love,Janean
Janean,Oh, my! You are an Online Girl. I get dizzy just reading the list. I marvel at your talent and hard work…and the Thompson genes at work. You are, in truth, a fine Story Catcher & Story Teller & Keeper of the Flame.Oh. I have comment envy, still!Loving you,Aunt Janet
Janean,"Olly Olly Oxen Free"These childhood things are so funny. Here all my life I thought it was "olly olly ox in free." I wonder what it really means or came from.Aunt Janet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olly_olly_oxen_freehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=olly%20olly%20oxen%20free
happy belated birthday too…:hat: :hat: :hat: :cheers: