Using Pages

For my last blogging tips post of the summer, I'm going to compile all my posts onto a page for ease of finding. 

(Our first day of school was Monday, and I managed to snag an assignment, so next week my posts will return to the substitute teaching of it all.) 

In case you weren't aware, you can create static pages, like a blog post, but filed separately. It's a great way to stash information out of the way of the daily posts, but within easy reach for when it's needed (like a press kit for a writer or a spot where you can keep track of the blog hops you're involved with). 

My pages appear at the top of the blog, just under my title. 

To add pages to your blog, go under "Layout" and then click on "Add a Gadget". 

Then find "Pages". 

Following the instructions, you can place the pages where you'd like. But, in my case, the pages already exist, so I'm going to just add one. 

It's easy. It just looks like the "Posts" page, only it's under "Pages". I clicked on "New Page".

And I got a blank page that looked exactly like a post, only with fewer settings. 

I created a page with links to all the posts I did this summer about various blogging topics. At the moment it's pretty bare bones, but I can go in later and spruce it up. Just like editing a blog post, you can modify the page and "Update" it. But the page is not up and live on the blog yet. I have to put it there. 

First I went into "Pages" from "Layout".

I clicked on "Edit". (It's hard to see with these small images, so click on them to make them bigger.) And I got: 

I clicked on "Add a New Item". You'll notice that I can reposition my pages to the sidebar if I choose. I happen to like them under my header, so they'll stay there. 

Under "Add a New Item", I got a blank form. I clicked on "Page name" and that list popped up. I clicked on "Beyond Blogging Basics", the title I gave the page, and the URL popped up. Then I clicked "Save". 

And now the page is there. As it's configured now, the page is last. Do I want to keep it there? I can use the arrows to move it. 

I think I want my A to Z completion trophies last. And... I played with it a bit, took a look at how things looked on the blog live, and then I decided on: 

I put it third. I think that works. For now, anyway. 

I mean, it's really easy to change. So, if I decide I don't like it there, I can modify it later. 

So, go ahead, scroll back to the top of this post, and click on it. You'll find a list of all my about blogging posts in an easy to reference spot. 

Do you have pages on your blog? If not, have I now given you ideas? 

Protecting the Kids

Yesterday was the first day of school. I managed to snag a long-term assignment for a vacant art class (I'll talk more about this next week), and I asked for and was granted an extra day to get things set up. Of course, this was the big welcome back meeting day, and like last year, I got to attend. 

One of the points that came up during the meeting was what to do if ICE shows up at our campus. And... That this even has to be discussed just sucks big time. 

The school is in a highly "brown" neighborhood. Lots of Latinos. (And there's a large middle eastern population, too.) So, yeah, with the crazy masked kidnappers around, we have to be cautious. 

Someone on social media made the point that what the regime is doing is not due to strength but due to weakness. They're trying to consolidate power. Which is why it's important for us to resist them, even in little ways, so they have to work harder to get less done. 

I just wish more people in power were resisting, rather than rolling over and letting the regime get away with its many atrocities. 

Oh, and by the way, there's a change.org petition for impeachment. In case you're interested. 

Other articles I stumbled across recently: 

• Bessent says new Trump child savings accounts are ‘back door for privatizing Social Security’
• ICE Is Extremely Desperate for You to Work for Them
• Following ICE Raid, Mill Town Fights Back Against Local Police Cooperation

How to Knit Your Water Bottle a Sleeve

About a year ago I had an idea for my next YouTube video. I had knit some covers for my water bottles ages ago, but I love them and use them all the time. 

Once upon a time I wrote it up as a pattern. But it is kind of complicated. It would make an excellent video.

I started filming October 20th (2024). I finished the last clip on June 17th. In between, I had to rip out and redo it a couple times. I made some glaring errors. At one point I had a cold, and you can hear me sniffling on camera. 

It's finally been edited together (by my amazing brother), and I just uploaded it to my channel. Here it is. 

It is over an hour long, so only sit down to watch it if you're interested in knitting yourself one. (They are fun. It's worth the effort.) 

Portmanteau Quiz

Now that Quizly gives me daily quizzes, it's much easier for me to find quizzes for Fridays. It's also much easier to navigate than some of the other sites. 

However, it also has a lot of ads. And pop ups. Which isn't so great. 

This week, I'm linking to a quiz on portmanteau. In case you're unfamiliar, a portmanteau is when they combine two other words to give a word with a new meaning. For example, if you take web, as in world wide web, and combine it with log, as in that book that ship's captains write in, and smash them together, you get blog. Yeah, blog is a portmanteau. 

Portmanteau Quiz 

I did rather well on this one, 18 out of 20. I'm happy with that score. 

Let me know how you did in the comments. 

The Oooh 13

Not sure what to list for today, I went to Pinterest and found the first 13 knit/crochet pins that made me go "oooh". (This is a Thursday 13.) 

So, this wasn't the first 13 as some of the pins didn't lead anywhere. And what usually makes me go "oooh" is something I want to figure out how to make. I followed each pin to a website that had instructions. Most of these pins are to paid patterns, so the links are to Etsy or Ravelry where I could purchase the pattern if I was to do so. (Maybe eventually. When I'm ready to make them.) 

This ended up being a little dragon heavy. I'm okay with that. 

1. Curvy Sleeping Dragon Amigurumi

2. Snail Shell Hat

3. Fairy Queen Coat Pattern

4. Comet

5. Crochet Spiral Square

6. Large Pocket Dragon

7. Cowl Crochet Pattern

8. Crochet Dragon Wrap

9. Stuffed Knit F-Bomb

10. Anton the Armadillo

11. Fable Pixie Hood

12. Triweave Crochet Stitch

13. Knit Net Stitch

Sidebar Refresh

When was the last time you took a look at your sidebar? 

The sidebar is one of those things that we set up when we set up our blogs, and then we kind of forget about it. Perhaps you add something to it from time to time (like when April rolls around), but then you don't think about it again. So, today is just a friendly reminder that it might be time to take a look and weed out some things. Do all your sidebar bits still work? 

First, go take a look at your sidebar. You can either click on "View Blog" or click on the eye icon on any of your posts. 

Slowly scroll. Is there anything there that no longer works? Is there anything there that you no longer want there? Back in April I noticed I had a lot of A to Z Challenge trophies that took up an awful lot of space, so I moved the majority of them to a page and only left the most recent on the sidebar. 

Adding to or deleting from your sidebar is pretty simple. First, go to "Layout".

Then, scroll down to the sidebar. 

Anything you want to delete, first click on "Edit". Then you'll get the choices of "Remove", "Cancel", or "Save". "Remove" will delete it. "Cancel" will leave it there. "Save" is if you make any changes to it (although, when I just check it, I generally click on "Save" just to be safe). 

Of course, not all of my gadgets have labels, so if you're anything like me, be extra careful if you're planning to delete anything. 

Speaking of, have you looked at the gadgets lately? 

Now might be a good time to add some of these. Or update them. 

The main one I want to point out is the HTML/JavaScript one. That's how you can add things not from Google/Blogger to your sidebar. You just need to get the HTML code. Most of the time, if you're adding something that you're getting from another blogger (like the A to Z Challenge trophies), they'll provide the HTML for you. 

If you add a gadget, you can just put it where you want it by dragging the box. Make sure to hit save (the floppy disc icon). Then go back and look to make sure all the gadgets are positioned where you want them. 

What do you have on your sidebar? (Is there anything I should add?) When was the last time you checked it/updated it? Is there anything on my sidebar you have questions about? 

Out of Phase

What if? It's the basis of many stories. We ask. We ponder. We wonder. 

On Tuesdays I throw one out there. What if? It may be speculative. It may stem from something I see. It may be something I pull from the news. 

Make of it what you will. If a for instance is not specified, interpret that instance as you wish. And if the idea turns into a story, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements 😉

I've been watching a lot of NOVA lately. (I have a bunch recorded on my DVR.) And while watching one on the formation of Earth's atmosphere, I had an odd thought. 

What if the universe is teeming with life, but those lifeforms (on other planets) exist out of phase with our own reality? 

I'll (probably) resume my ranting next week. So many things to rant about. It's good to not only rant, though.