by J.Y. MILLER
Spring! The promise of Spring is enough to gladden the heart and quicken the step. As I write this, it is still a promise. We had snow and ice again this morning here in Glasgow. Still, we know that spring will come and like every Missouri spring, it will be worth the wait. Perhaps, when this issue of Show Me Missouri reaches your hands, the grass will be green and the afternoon sun will bring warmth and beauty.
That is the nature of Missouri weather. It is seldom boring. Our seasons bring the changes that let us enjoy all the varieties of nature. Change is a welcome feature of Show Me Missouri, too. Our editor is always on the lookout for ways to bring us more value. Recently, an Editor’s Blog to this website. A blog (derived from web log) is a bit like a diary or journal, except that it is posted on the internet and everyone can read it. People who are famous or ordinary have blogs. We get to take a peek into their lives.
After reading Gary’s blog, I thought about other bloggers with Missouri connections. I’ve found some to get you started in this vicarious reading pleasure. You can type in the URLs yourself or just click on the links below.
Show-Me Missouri contributor Diana Lambdin Meyer began her blog, Diana’s Destinations, last month, answering questions about story development and the travel writing process. In addition to Show-Me Missouri, Diana’s articles have appeared in numerous other publications, including National Geographic Traveler. The online column can be found at www.dianasdestinations.wordpress.com.
This blog contains news information about Missouri: missouriblog.org/wordpress/. You can log in and post your own comments. I found many comments about the presidential election plus information about sports and other Missouri items.
This blog is maintained by a St. Louis personal injury lawyer: www.missouriinjurylawyerblog.com/. It is a bit self-promoting, but I found some interesting reading about medical malpractice and even some traffic safety tips. It is just one of many lawyer blogs.
Are you a basketball fan? This blog at www.dfnsports.com/mvc/ relates to the Missouri Valley Conference, which includes Missouri State University of Springfield. This one is about Mizzou sports: mvn.com/ncaa-missouri/.
This blog at saintlouismodailyphoto.blogspot.com has photos taken in downtown St. Louis. The photos range from artistic to weird.
An interesting journal at speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2007/10/missouri-teacher-of-year-blog.html belongs to the Missouri 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year, an eigth grade history teacher in Liberty. The blog will let us follow his activities both in the classroom and around the state during the year.
Elaine Mooney, an owner of the Sainte Genevieve Winery, posts about her daily life and things around the winery. Each post is accompanied by a photograph. The photos are truly works of art. It is located at www.saintegenevievewinery.blogspot.com.
Finally, do you hate going into “voice mail jail?” You know what I mean. You call customer service, and spend the next 15 minutes entering numbers at various prompts. While it is not an official blog, www.gethuman.com provides a lengthy list of tips on ways to bypass the computerized help lines for 500 of the most commonly-called companies.
Travel is a mental thing and by reading these and other blogs, our minds can travel freely even if we are still at our desk with our computers. Maybe you will begin a blog of your own so that I might one day read about your daily activities. I hope you’ll write about the pleasures of exploring Missouri. Until then, stay safe and enjoy our beautiful Missouri.
J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular columnist for Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@showmemissouri.net.