Indiana: Try it. You'll like it.

We interrupt this blog for a brief commercial message about fun and affordable family vacations. Who needs oceans and mountains? Who needs big city traffic and high cost excursions? What you really need is Indiana!

Check out some great Hoosier destinations at The Indiana Insider Blog. Pay special attention to some of the entries posted by yours truly, including:

• Track goers should pit stop at Mug N'Bun
• Spend the day at Karst Farm Park in Bloomington
  
• Mom will be hero for heading to cMoe
• Follow your stomach to Holiday World

Thumbs up Thursday!

Ok, after yesterday's barf blog -- thanks to those of you who made it through that -- I'm feeling the need to post something lighter, airy, happier. So here goes.

Happy News #1: Got the all clear on my repeat mammogram. What they thought they saw was apparently some twisted blood vessels.

Happy News #2: The sun has finally made it's way to Indiana! It's not ultra-warm, but it is sunny with clear blue skies.

Happy News #3: Momza made a lovely post the other day about cactus blooms. I've been meaning to share it and what better time than Thumbs up Thursday?!

Happy News # 4: Maybe you've already seen this, but I just saw it for the first time today. Graying, chubby 47-year old Scot named Susan Boyle auditions for Britain's Got Talent. The set up leads you to believe she'll be terrible. Then she starts to sing and what comes out of her mouth is unbelievable! What I enjoyed more than the singing was the sincere and astounded reactions of the judges -- including Simon Cowell. Check it out here.

How about you? Got any happy news you want to share?

Look Ma, three blogs!

I've been at this blogging thing for about eight months and I really enjoy it. Blogging gives me a chance to write in a different way than I spend my days at work writing. Even in my "darker" posts -- and I know there have been several of them lately -- I try to infuse a little humor.

One unexpected benefit of joining the blogosphere is that I have gotten to know a handful of people I probably never would have encountered in real life. Liz, Shannon, Momza and Joanie come immediately to mind.

I also never expected that blogging would net me so much free stuff. Since July, I have been given or won:

• Tickets to 2 (soon to be 3) plays at the Indiana Repertory Theater
• 7 packs of Peeps + 1 plush Peep (thanks Joanie!)
• 5 Ridemakerz cars (total value $450)
• 2 sets of magnets, six in each set (won in a blog giveaway from at Junior Mints & Reese's, which sadly, is no more)
• 6 packs of Energizer lithium batteries
• 1 book by Bob Harper of the Biggest Loser (won in a blog giveaway at Shrinking Sisters)

Soon after I started blogging here at the 4th Frog, I began to feel it wasn't enough. So I started a blog at work last November. I haven't mentioned it here before, but thought I would now.

All Things Aging is about, well, duh, aging. My role is to edit and publish the blog. Entries are written by various members of the faculty and staff at the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community. Because several of them are a academic types I had to implement rules like "no footnotes in the blog." I think we offer a nice mix of aging in the news, promotion of our online graduate programs and personal experience stories. Do me a favor and check it out!

Next week, I'll be adding a third blog to my repertoire as a regular contributor to the Visit Indiana blog. I'm excited about this opportunity because I'm getting paid to do it and because I love Indiana. Sure, we don't have much in the way of beaches (though we have a few -- none connected with an ocean). But we do have plenty of affordable family fun and Hoosier hospitality to go around. I have some ideas of what I plan to cover in my Visit Indiana entries, but if you know of something terrific to do in Indiana, I'm all ears.

If (when!) you wander over to one of my other blogs, be sure to leave me a note and say hi!