Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Communicating Completely with Championship Communication!

The Storyteller
by Jacques-Clement Wagrez, 1890
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of being interviewed on the radio by Dr. Bill Lampton, a well-known keynote speaker, presenter, author and owner of Championship Communication, along with his talented co-host, Kristina Rhoades.  Bill is such a skilled interviewer that it felt more like a conversation and the hour flew by!

Bill is a communications specialist, offering coaching to individuals and organizations. Through our cyber friendship we have found that his work and that of professional storytellers have many things in common.

With the generous and kind permission of storyteller Dan Keding I also told the story, The Two Warriors, during the interview. It is very unusal to tell without a physical audience present so I hope I did this thought-provoking story justice. You may find the story on his CD, Promises Kept, Promises Broken and also in the book, Healing Hearts - Communities.


You may listen to the interview here:
http://thecompletecommunicator.com/?p=2021

I often highlight Bill's insightful business articles in my newsletter, Catch the Storybug, in the Business Notes section. Recently, with his permission, I added his interview with Terry Brock to my workshop handout on Social Media. There is a plethora of information here from two outstanding leaders in the business field: Leverage Technology and Build Relationships: http://thecompletecommunicator.com/?p=1854

You may subscribe to Bill's free newsletters, and articles at http://www.commlampton.com. I also urge you to join him on his business Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/635hnpz . He always has something fresh and interesting to share!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Folktales, Fathers and Fun - Celebrate the Men In Your Life


A Letter From His Father
by Claude Andrew Bail
    


"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!"
                                     ~ Lydia M. Child


Father's Day is June 19 this year, a day when we honor and celebrate the men in our lives who sit through parent conferences, attend dance recitals, volunteer as baseball coaches, and walk us down the aisle. But others, who may not be our birth fathers, deserve to be celebrated as well; uncles, godfathers, fathers-in-law, any man who makes a positive difference in our lives through leading by example and supporting our goals.

It is almost six years since my own father passed away. While the special men in your life are still with you take a moment to honor them and say "thank you."
  
  
  • Some history states that the holiday originated with Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth. 
  • Other history states it was first observed in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was organized by Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton, who wanted to celebrate the lives of the 210 fathers who had been lost in the Monongah Mining disaster several months earlier in Monongah, West Virginia, on December 6, 1907.
  • US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation.

STORIES

Father Frost - Russia
http://russian-crafts.com/russian-folk-tales/father-frost-tale.html 

Father Grumbler – Andrew Lang/Brown Fairy Tale Book
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/139/the-brown-fairy-book/4297/father-grumbler/

The Forest Bride – Finland
    
https://americanliterature.com/author/parker-fillmore/fairy-tale/the-forest-bride

The Foster Father – Ukraine 
http://freebooksforkids.net/foster-father.html  (This immediately reminded me of the folktale, The Best Wish, found here: 
https://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Jugoslav_Folktale_11.html#gsc.tab=0 )

The Half Blanket – Israel   
Note: There are many variations of this folktale from around the world.
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/xavier-university-ateneo-de-cagayan/purposive-communication/the-half-blanket-the-half-blanket/59685193

Juan Wearing a Monkey Skin – Philippines 


The Miller, His Son and Their Donkey 
http://www.taleswithmorals.com/aesop-fable-the-man-the-boy-and-the-donkey.htm

My Father’s Wedding – Magyars    
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42981/42981-h/42981-h.htm#Page_86

One Man and His Precious Cow – Africa
https://allfolktales.com/wafrica/precious_cow.html   


The Princess Who Loved Her Father Like Salt 
http://tinyurl.com/3courp5

The Seventh Father of the House - Norway
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/type0726.html#seventh    


The Strange Creature – Zimbabwe

The Ungrateful Child and the Father Who Went to School Again
https://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Ukrainian_folktale_22.html#gsc.tab=0

The White Tiger – Korea
https://storiestogrowby.org/story/white-tiger/  

 

CURRICULUM

5 Father’s Day Ideas for Elementary Children
https://www.hmhco.com/blog/5-classroom-activities-for-fathers-day

Education World Lesson plans, books, songs, and activities for your students.
https://www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/fathers_day.shtml

Preschool Father’s Day Theme – Lots of creative ideas here.
https://www.prekprintablefun.com/fathers-day.html

Teacher’s Pay Teachers – Free activities that are teacher tested.
https://tinyurl.com/bdzep4v5



CRAFTS 

Country Living.com – 31 East Father’s Day Crafts the Kids Can Make for Dad 
https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g32676534/fathers-day-crafts-kids/


DLTK.COM - Lots of things to make that special man smile on Father’s Day: Crafts, poems, printables, recipes and songs!
http://tinyurl.com/nrssk

Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/fathersday/

Father’s Day Crafts for Kids – So many fun and fresh ideas.
https://mr-mintz.com/collections/fathers-day?srsltid=AfmBOopAO0-a_y4nWhU55EAZgJ1QLhHnTFzVs4nOmzZSC6J0UrJnK2sU



RECIPES

Father’s Day Cooking Project for Kids
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/fathers-day-projects-kids

In the Kid’s Kitchen – Father’s Day Recipes Kids Can Make
https://www.inthekidskitchen.com/fathers-day-recipes-kids-can-make/ 

SOMETHING EXTRA

A Father’s Day Story - If you would like to read a short, humorous story about my father, you will find it here.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-father-always-took-great-pride-in.html

C is for Caring Fathers
 – A blog from the fabulous folktale researcher, Csenge.
https://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com/2016/04/c-is-for-caring-fathers.html

Mother’s Day and Memories - My blog post for Mother’s Day filled with stories and more.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/05/mothers-day-and-memories.html

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2011 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Public Domain II - Folktales, Myths and Legends Oh My!

As promised, I have put together another list of public domain books from around the world.

The picture to the left portrays the third century Syrian Queen Zenobia by illustrator Warwick Goble. She
is considered to be one of the most underrated heroines of ancient times.

Her pedigree comes from a long line of queens from Syrian & Abyssinian queens, including the well-known Queen of Sheba. After her husband’s death she led a revolt again the Roman Empire and added Egypt to her expanding empire as well.





She was said to be more beautiful than Cleopatra and was a scholar in her own right.  Besides her native tongue she was fluent in Greek, Aramaic, and Egyptian, with a working knowledge of Latin. She was renowned for hosting literary salons and surrounding herself with philosophers and poets, the most famous of these being
Cassius Longinus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenobia

In honor of this ancient Queen and her love of language and cultures, I give you folktales, fairy tales, epics and legends from many lands.


Australian Legendary Folktales - Collected by Katie Langloh Parker with an introduction by Andrew Lang. Stories of emus, bats, magpies and more. Learn about this lovely land down under. http://tinyurl.com/yackb55

Belgian Fairy Tales
by William Elliot Griffis, 1919 - Step into this enchanted text filled with queens, ogres, pilgrims and faeries.
http://www.archive.org/details/belgianfairytale00grifiala

The Book of the Epic – The Worlds Great Epics Told in Story by H. A. Guerber, 1913. Visit France, Portugal, Netherlands, Japan and more through these epics from around the world. http://tinyurl.com/6edwz4f

Chinese Fables and Folk Stories – by Mary Hayes Davis, Chow-Leung. The Snail and the Bees, Woo Sing and the Mirror, Two Mother and a Child, are just a few of the tales found within the pages of this book from 1908.
http://tinyurl.com/yda28q4

Clever Stories from Many Nations by John Saxe, 1865. Interesting adaptation of stories, all told in rhyme.
http://www.archive.org/details/cleverstories00saxerich

The Folktales of the Magyars translated by Jones and Kroph, 1886. The Speaking Grapes, The Smiling Apple and the Tinkling Apricot is just one of many interesting tales from the people of Hungary.http://www.archive.org/details/folktalesofmagya00joneuoft

Yule-tide stories - A collection of Scandinavian and North German popular tales and traditions, from the Swedish, Danish and German, 1910. This book can be downloaded to your computer or Kindle.  http://tinyurl.com/6k57ktf

Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend by Donald Alexander Mackenzie, 1917. Fairies, friends and foes fill this volume of stories from mythical Scotland.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tsm/index.htm

And if you missed the first blog post of public domain story collections in May go to:


Thursday, May 19, 2011

Trolling for Tales - Fish Stories from Around the World


Fishing in Spring, the Pot de Clichy by
Vincent Van Gogh, 1887

"Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime."
                        ~ Chinese Proverb


Although the May weather in Massachusetts has been fickle, with the sun playing hide and seek on most days, I have faith that warmer weather is headed our way.

Soon it will be time to pack a picnic lunch, smooth on the sunscreen and break out the fishing poles. With that in mind, here are some fish tales to ensure your storytelling and classroom programs go swimmingly!


FISHING SUPERSTITIONS


From the island of Fiji

o If a man is hand cutting bait no other man may step over it the owner will be angry because the lure's (bait) are considered then to be infected.
o If a man steps over another's fishing line a poor catch will follow.

From the coastal village of Golspie in Scotland
 

o If a fisherman, when going to sea, seas a hare cross his path, he takes that as a sigo of misfortune.
o If you count boats when you are going out to fish, one of the is sure to be lost.
o It was lucky to set sail on a voyage on Sunday but also to sail the way of the sun.

From Kentucky, USA

o Fish bite best when dogwood is in bloom.
o When it thunders the time is favorable to fish for catfish.


FISH STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
A Fish Story - Australia
http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/171.htm
A Small Fish StoryIreland
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=587
The Fish and the RingGermany
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/eft/eft36.htm
The Girl-FishSpain
http://www.classicreader.com/book/1044/22/
How People Learned to FishNative American
http://tinyurl.com/62swhvz

The Fish God of HawaiiUnited States
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hft/hft24.htm
The Golden Fish - India
http://www.pitara.com/talespin/folktales/online.asp?story=20
The Heron, the Fish and the CrayfishUkraine
http://tinyurl.com/6js3u88
The Old Man and the FishChina
http://tinyurl.com/62buyb9

The Talking Fish – Armenia
http://tinyurl.com/6dxtmo8
That Pesky FellowNewfoundland
http://tinyurl.com/6gsw4jt
Why the Fish Has ScalesPhilippines
http://folktales.webmanila.com/folktales/water/?fish-scales
Why the Fish LaughedIndia
http://worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Indian_folktale_24.html

CRAFTS

Bathtub Fish - Recycle that empty milk jug!
http://tinyurl.com/6ys5fql
Enchanted LearningFish Crafts
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/fish/
DLTK Additional crafts, coloring pages, matching games and more.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/fish.html
Toy Fish Tank - http://tinyurl.com/5wdn8ot

CURRICULUM

Ontario Ministry of Natural ResourcesThis curriculum was designed to complement a 2011 art contest. Although the contest has now passed, the curriculum information is still very useful.http://tinyurl.com/6dueswb

The Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Coloring Book – Children will have fun coloring while learning all about lives of these fish.
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/publications/salmnbk.pdf

What’s the Catch? Fish Contamination Educator Curriculum Guide – This is a pdf file "aligned with the CA Science and Social Science standards, National Science Standards, Ocean Literacy Principles and Education in the Environment Initiative Concepts for 4th-8th grades.”
http://tinyurl.com/633mgxk


SONGS

Little Fish

http://tinyurl.com/6hqedqw
I’m A Little Fish
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/songs/fish.htm
Ocean Songs
http://tinyurl.com/62cnxtu
Slippery Fish http://bussongs.com/songs/slippery_fish.php

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES


Storybug.net – The two links will lead you to previous blog posts with additional resources.Hot Fun in the City - http://tinyurl.com/6aq7apz
Mermaids – Sirens of the SeaI know, mermaids are technically not fish but they do live in the sea! http://tinyurl.com/69gzfrb  






Karen Chace  2011 ©
This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Dragons - Mythical, Mystical, Magical Creatures!



Dragon King’s Daughter
(Gohonzon
#22, Eight Great Dragon Kings)

"Come not between the dragon and his wrath." ~ Shakespeare, King Lear

Dragons have filled our myths, legends, history and imaginations for centuries. The Scandinavians described swimming dragons and the Vikings placed dragons on the front of their ships to scare off the sea monsters. Their are myths containing dragons date back to 4000 B.C.

Marco Polo wrote of his travels to the province of Karajan and reported on huge serpents, which at the fore part have two short legs, each with three claws.

Records of the Greek historian Herodotus and the Jewish historian Josephus describe flying reptiles in ancient Egypt and Arabia, and in art, dragons appear on ancient pottery in China as late as 202 A.D.

o In some cultures dragons have major spiritual significance.
o In many Asian cultures dragons represented the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe.
o They are associated with wisdom and often said to be wiser than humans.
o They are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers.
o In some cultures they are also said to be capable of human speech

o European dragons are usually depicted as evil.
o Chinese dragons do not have wings but have very long tails. They are benevolent and can take on human form. The Imperial Dragon is the combination of four benevolent spiritual animals, the other three being the phoenix, the unicorn and the tortoise.
o Japanese dragons are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water.
o Persians believed a dragon's baby would be the same color as the mother's eyes.
o Scottish dragons have two tails.

Courtesy of :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon
http://www.allaboutcreation.org/dragon-history.htm
http://www.genesispark.com/genpark/history/history.htm


STORIES

The Dragon - Italy
http://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Italian_folktale_22.html

The Dragon and the Prince
- Serbia
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/sfs/sfs57.htm

The Dragon and His Grandmother - Germany
https://fairytalez.com/the-devil-and-his-grandmother/ 

The Dragon of Ghent - Belgium
http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/tl/tl08.htm

The Dragon of the North - Estonia
http://www.mythfolklore.net/3043mythfolklore/reading/estonia/pages/06.htm

The Four Dragons - Asia
http://worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Asian_Folktale_6.html

How the Dragon Came to Be - China
https://www.pitara.com/fiction-for-kids/folktales/how-the-dragon-came-to-be/

The Lambton Worm - England
http://tinyurl.com/3krfcz7

The Golden Dragon of the Boringue on page 188 and Turk, Turban, Tulip and Dragon, page 166 both in Belgian Fairy Tales by William Elliot Griffis, 1919. To read these tales and download the  book for free go to:
https://archive.org/stream/belgianfairytale00grifiala/belgianfairytale00grifiala_djvu.txt

The Serene Dragon - This incredible site is sure to slay you! Over 544 dragon tales listed by country and region, with origins, and articles; you will be breathing fire in no time at all. Unfortunately, the site is no longer online but you may still access the pages via the Wayback Machine at this link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050205214117/http://www.theserenedragon.net/home.html

Story-Lovers.com
– As always, Jackie Baldwin is ahead of the pack, or in this case, the dragon’s lair. Books, stories and more, all related to those amazing mythical creatures. Note: Our dear Jackie crossed over a few years ago but her incredible work lives on, accessible via the Wayback Machine here: http://web.archive.org/web/20100120170730/http://www.story-lovers.com/listsdragonstories.html

BOOKS

Bookroo – Dragon books for a variety of ages.
https://bookroo.com/explore/books/topics/dragons

CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activity Village – Lots of crafts and printables.
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/dragons_theme.htm

Chinese Dragon Puppet
– Makes a great bookmark as well.
http://tinyurl.com/3ysk9ce

Dragon Coloring Pages 
http://www.coloring.ws/dragons1.htm

Survivor Dragon Island – From the California Summer Reading Collaborative Program http://tinyurl.com/6jsnved


CURRICULUM

Adventures with Dragons, Gods and Giants – A grade three unit connected to the Core Curriculum Standards.
https://studylib.net/doc/18517051/fantastic-adventures-with-dragons--gods--and   NEW

Dealing with Dragons
http://www.edhelper.com/books/Dealing_with_Dragons.htm

Komodo Dragons
http://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_19_1.html

San Diego Zoo - The Lifestyle of the Komodo Dragon - For grades 4 – 6; facts, activities and more on this interesting and ancient creature.

https://sdzwildlifeexplorers.org/animals/komodo-dragon

http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/komodo-dragon

Meet the new Komodo dragons at the San Diego Zoo
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/11/18/komodo-dragons-san-antonio


HISTORY

Draconian.com - The history of dragons in various cultures, short legends about dragons and more.
http://www.draconian.com/whatis/whatis.htm

SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS

Dragon Fingerplays
https://www.barbertonlibrary.org/dragonfingerplays

Dragon Storytime – Songs, fingerplays, and book suggestions from the Jacksonville Public Library
http://jplmainchildrens.blogspot.com/2011/09/dragon-storytime.html


Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2011 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.






Friday, May 6, 2011

Public Domain - Folktales, Myths & Legends Oh My!

  
                     Folktales of the Bengal
                      Warwick Goble, 1913
These are a few of the free antique books I have downloaded from Google books and other online sources. They are now in the public domain for your reading pleasure.

Many are also available for download directly to a Kindle so you can read on the go. From time to time I will add more to this blog but for now, ready, set, click!

Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland - From 1902 a wonderful antique book full of tales and information by Lady Wilde, mother of Oscar Wilde. http://tinyurl.com/2wztlf



Animal Folk Tales
by Anne A. Stanley, published in 1916.
http://tinyurl.com/36dswh3

Bengal Fairy Tales by F.B. Bradley-Brit, 1920. Brahmins, jackals, riddles and more. http://tinyurl.com/ycnx46c

The Celtic Twilight - Offered by William Butler Yeats and published in 1893, he writes in the forward, “I have invented nothing but my own comments and one or two deceitful sentences that may keep some poor storytellers discourse with the devils and the angels….”
http://tinyurl.com/2bngdk

Chinese Legends, Or, The Porcelain Tower - There are many wonderful myths, folktales and legends from China is this 1848 book by Thomas Henry Seal.. http://tinyurl.com/4xssl63

Cossack Fairy Tales and Folktales by Robert Nisbet Bain, 1902 – Bain collected these folktales from Ruthenian, the language of the Cossacks, a language intermediate between Russian and Polish. http://tinyurl.com/2uklns8  

Fairy Tales from Brazil: How and Why Tales from Brazilian Folk-lore - “Theresa, the ama, stands before us on the terrace under the mango trees…and we know the story hour has begun. ..To sit at the feet of Theresa, the ama, is to enter storyland. Enjoy and read online or download for your files, eighteen pourquoi tales collected by Elsie Spicer Eells from1917. http://tinyurl.com/9gh46k

Folklore and Legends – England and Scotland by Charles J. Tibbets, 1894.
http://tinyurl.com/yhjapjv

Folk-Tales of Bengal by Lal Behari Day, 1912.
http://tinyurl.com/6hytz4f

The Gold Path Reader, 1912 by Sheath, Hodges and Stevens
http://tinyurl.com/4xu2p4p

Gypsy Folktales by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899.
http://tinyurl.com/3v8qptw

Irish Fairy Tales - Brought to you by James Stephens all the way from 1920; beginning with The Story of Tuan Mac Cairill and ending with Mongan’s Frenzy.
http://tinyurl.com/2y5kcd

Irish Fairy Tales, Folklore and Legend - Illustrated by Geoffrey Strahan and published in 1904 this book offers a variety of English, Scottish and Irish folk-lore.
http://tinyurl.com/38r4wb

The Laughing Prince: A Book of Jugoslav Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, by Parker Fillmore, 1921. Fourteen tales to add a smile to your day. http://tinyurl.com/yceb8wc

Louisiana Folktales by Alcée Fortier, 1895 shared in both French dialect with English translation. http://tinyurl.com/3ttzqs

Myths and Legends of Alaska – Download this book from 1911 and the Land of the Midnight Sun! http://tinyurl.com/lpowsy

The Pearl Fountain and Other Fairy Tales by Bridget and Julia Kavanaugh, 1876. Eleven fairytales from long ago. http://tinyurl.com/7zdexk

Russian Folk-tales by William Ralston Shedden Ralston, 1880. Full of myths, legends, and folktales of demons, witches, vampires and ghouls if you dare!
http://tinyurl.com/28t449c

West African Folk-Tales by W.H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair – Children love animal and Anansi stories. This book will help add some new tales to your repertoire. Please note that this is a downloadable pdf file and will require that you open the file to access the stories.
http://tinyurl.com/48krhp7













Thursday, May 5, 2011

Unlock the Possibilities - Enhance Your Online Presence: Blog It Baby!


My thanks to everyone who attended my workshop presentation, Enhance Your Online Presence - Blog it Baby! at the Northlands Storytelling Conference. I know there were other wonderful workshops you could have chosen and I appreciate and value your time. The links below provide additional information to help you take your blogging experience and storytelling business to the next level! 
  
For those of you who did not attend the conference and workshop, the links are here for your use as well.

EIGHT SITES FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGES


Pictures will make your blog more interested and help it to stand out from the others. If you find an image you want to use and it isn’t in the public domain, contact the artist and ask. You will be surprised how many are generous with their permission. Make sure you link back to their site as a “thank you” and as a professional courtesy.

Digital Gallery: New York Public Library http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
Clipart History -  http://www.clipart-history.com/
Dated Images -  http://datedimages.genpics.org/
Google Images - http://www.google.com/imghp
Karen’s Whimsy - http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/
Library of Congress American Memory - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html (Check copyright information for separate items)
U.S. History Images - http://ushistoryimages.com/

ADDITIONAL READING

It never hurts to read what professionals have to share. When have some time stop by and learn their tips and tricks.

How to Add an RSS Feed to Your Blog
http://tinyurl.com/5uyqht6

How to Start a Professional Blog: 10 Tips for New Bloggers
http://tinyurl.com/447orr5

How to Write Searchable Keyword Phrases in a Blog Post
http://tinyurl.com/3qbz6v3

SEO: Search Engine Optimization Tips
http://tinyurl.com/3k7gwum

What is the Ideal Post Frequency for a Blog?
While this article is from 2008 it still offers interesting information. Take the advice with a grain of salt and the realization that the writer is a professional blogger. What is the correct frequency for him might be far too much for you. Remember, sometimes less is more. http://tinyurl.com/6b9ju8f

When’s the Best Time to Publish Blog Posts?
http://tinyurl.com/6ld9xwh and
http://tinyurl.com/5vyuzyc

  
OTHER TOOLS


Tagxedo – A word cloud tool that can also be used to create various shapes. The key shaped word cloud at the top of this page was made using Tagxedo. http://www.tagxedo.com/

Wordle – Another word cloud tool. I used it on my blog post about the tool when I first stumbled on it. I simply added my blog URL and you can see the word cloud it created here using words from my blog posts here” http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2011/04/wordle-patterns-of-prose.html  You may also use Wordle by keying in the words you choose. http://www.wordle.net/

Happy blogging!

Karen Chace ©
This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.