Today I'm featuring one of my favorite writers who happens to be a dear friend I met through the blogosphere awhile ago, and I've admired her writing ever since I found her site, My Inner Chick. Kim Sisto Robinson blogs about women's issues, humor, and her family, but she mostly writes about her sister, Kay, who was murdered on May 26, 2010. Ever since her beloved sister's death, Kim has been on a mission to spread awareness about domestic violence, and I applaud her efforts to empower women by giving them a voice to speak out against abuse. Please check out her site for a list of resources there for victims seeking help to end the nightmare of domestic violence.

     The post Kim is sharing with us today, however, is one of her humor pieces that I can totally relate to since I'm just as guilty of being distracted by the internet as she is. I have burned dinners, forgotten appointments and lost plenty of sleep while scrolling through Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. It drives my husband nuts, but at least now I know I'm not the only one who has picked up this distracting habit. Enjoy the post and please welcome Kim to Meno Mama's site today with lots of comment love!

   Tomorrow marks the five year anniversary of Menopausal Mother. I've seen a lot of changes in the blog world since I first started; large sites that I never imagined would fold---but have, and smaller blogs that took off on viral posts and made overnight sensations out of a handful of bloggers. I've seen page views rise, fall, and sometimes skyrocket in a 24 hour span when a particular post has hit a nerve. Some of those popular posts introduced me to the underbelly of the blogosphere---internet trolls that harassed me and made me question if I was cut out to be a writer. Fortunately, I learned to develop a tough skin and ignore their insults.

     I've reached goals that five years ago I never dreamed would be a reality for me, and ridden the waves of both success and failure more times than I can count. More importantly, I've learned that I can dust myself off after a fall and climb back onto the saddle of my unpredictable muse.

     The blogosphere has also given me life-long friends who have mentored and encouraged me since the beginning. There have been numerous times when I've considered folding up Menopausal Mother for good, but these lovely blogger friends remind me that there are faithful readers out there who come here for a little lift when the rest of the world is not so kind. I can't argue with that because I need laughter in my life just as much as anyone else.
   
     One of the main reasons I started this blog was to bring joy to women who were experiencing the same, uncomfortable symptoms of menopause that I was facing. But over time, it became so much more. I realized early on that I couldn't focus solely on menopause---I was limiting my audience. So I started writing about my family life, friends, my quirky habits, work, vacations, and my love for all the four-legged fur babies who live in my home. I also opened up about my depression issues and the personal losses I've faced over the years. Although those were the hardest posts to write, they garnered the most comments and gave me the support I needed when sadness was getting the best of me. I'd wanted to keep my blog upbeat at all times, but a fellow writer once told me that she felt I wasn't keeping things "real" on my site, and accused me of hiding behind my humor. She challenged me to write something that made me uneasy; to step out of my comfort zone and share something so painful and raw that I would feel myself bleeding across the page while I wrote it.


     So I did. And as terrified as I was, I hit "publish" after writing my first serious piece, The Box, several years ago. That morning, I closed my laptop and stepped out of the office for a bit because I was too afraid to read the comments I'd receive. But as frightening as it was to take that first leap into non-humor, there was also a strong sense of relief knowing that I'd finally removed many self-imposed boundaries by sharing something deeply personal with total strangers on the internet.

     When I checked back in on the site later that morning, the response was overwhelmingly positive, and I knew at the moment that my writer friend had given me the best advice possible. I still prefer to write humor on my blog, but since that time, I've been sprinkling a few poignant pieces over the comedic posts to add a little boost of flavor to Menopausal Mother.

     My blog and I have come a long way since that August afternoon in 2011 when I published my very first post. I've discovered that the blogosphere is a strange and wonderful place; a great starting point for my initial goal of writing a book, and for sharing articles on larger websites in an effort to spread an important message. Blogging has also been the perfect platform for self-expression and for connecting with others who share the same vision. Over time, I've developed an amazing, supportive community of readers both here and on my Facebook fan page, and it's their enthusiasm that motivates me to continue writing.

     Thank you all for standing by me through bouts of writer's block and for being my inspiration these past five years. I hope to bring you many more years of laughter, and I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you soon. Cheers!



****WANT MORE MENO MAMA? It has been a busy week for sharing blog posts! I was featured  Scary Mommy with "A Mother's Advice to Her Son heading Off to College",  and on The Tribe with "15 Things No Parent Should Have to Say to Their Teen Daughter." Have a look and see what you think!


   

     A few weeks ago, I was invited by two special blogger friends to participate in a blog tour. It's a little bit like a game of tag but more fun than sweating outside in the school yard. The point of this blog tour is to learn a little bit about the blogger and then hop over to meet the bloggers she has picked as some favorites. Sort of like exploring Disney's Epcot where you stroll from country to country and sample the cocktails---I mean FOOD.

     The two lovely ladies who I tagged me on this blog tour are Vikki Clafin of Laugh Lines and Sharon Greenthal of Empty House Full Mind. I met Vikki a year ago while writing on a book project together and was blown away by her sense of humor. We're both mid lifers who view the world through the same funny lense, which is why her blog posts resonate so deeply with me. I felt a connection to Vikki as soon as I met her on the inter webs and hope one day we'll be able to connect IRL. Whenever we DO meet, the first thing I'm going to do is give this lady a BIG hug!

     Sharon is another mid lifer I connected with last year and she's one of my biggest mentors. Although  her main focus in writing is on empty nesting. parenting and marriage, she also delves into social issues and politics on her blog. Sharon is one of the busiest women I know---aside from writing her own blog, she is the co-founder of Midlife Boulevard and manages a busy Facebook page for midlife women. She writes for numerous sites and was recently a guest on the Katy Couric show. I'm so proud of all the things she has accomplished in her writing career and honored to be considered her friend.

     There are instructions for this blog tour, and they are as follows:

1.  Thank the blogger who tagged you and tell us a little bit about her.

2.  Answer four questions about your writing process.

3.  Tag three of your favorite bloggers and tell us a little bit about them.

QUESTIONS:

1.  What am I working on?  I'm working on the final edits of my book, "Who Stole My Spandex? Midlife Musings From A Middle-Aged MILF." If you want to know more about it, you can check out my author age at: www.marciakesterdoyle.com. Aside from posting on my own blog site weekly, I also write for four different sites---The Huffington Post, In The Powder Room, Humor Outcasts and What The Flicka.  What else am I working on? Teaching my 18 year old to lift the lid and pee in the toilet, not on the bathroom tiles.

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?  When I first started blogging, I wrote mainly about menopause. After several months, I realized how I was limiting myself and decided I needed to expand my reach by writing on a wide variety of topics. Although the middle age years are still my main focus, my odd comedy tends to resonate with most people and I'm thrilled to say I have a wide demographic of readers ranging in ages 18-88. How cool is that? But what makes my writing unique from other blogs out there is my warped humor. No one else talks about rhino thongs, kumbaya singing possums around a campfire or cornhole playing yard gnomes.

3.  Why do I write what I do? When I first started writing many moons ago, I wrote poetry and fiction, but I had to go into my dark place in order to produce anything decent. Dwelling in a cave is not much fun, and a few years ago I decided to branch out into comedy. This was the perfect move for me because humor comes naturally to me since I live in a nuthouse where no topic is sacred and the wine flows freely.

4.  How does your writing process work?  This goes back to the wine. My husband and I like nothing better than to sit in our backyard garden oasis on a Saturday night and brainstorm over a bottle (or three) of wine. This is where the singing possums and dancing gnomes come in. The problem is that the following morning I can barely read my scrawled notes, and what I CAN read is strange material from my alter ego. Hello, Ms. Pinot Grigio, Mistress of Wacky World.

     There are SO MANY blogs out there that I love, but here is a handful I read on a regular basis:

1. Sarah Almond of The Sadder But Wiser Girl is one of my best friends in the blogosphere. We share the same warped sense of humor and laugh late into the night about stupid stuff like ear wax casseroles and crap pockets. Sarah is my go-to girl and one of the funniest people I know. If you want a good belly laugh, be sure to visit her hilarious blog.

2.  Kristi Campbell writes over at Finding Ninee and is by far one of the most prolific writers in the blogosphere. What's cool about her blog is the illustrations she draws to accompany her posts. They leave me in stitches because I can relate to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. Kristi is a special needs mom to a beautiful little boy named Tucker. As much as I love her sense of humor, it's her poignant posts that leave a lump in my throat and make me want to reach through the computer screen to hug her. She is one of the kindest, most compassionate women out there and I just love her to bits. Do yourself a favor and read this awesome lady's blog.

3.  Crystal Ponti of Mommifried is one of my absolute favorite ladies in the blogosphere. She's also one of the busiest. This mom of five writes an entertaining blog with funny posts, delicious food recipes and advice for mothers. Crystal is also a social media guru and the founder of Blue Lobster Book Company. I signed on with Crystal because she is incredibly organized and has the best PR skills of anyone I've ever met in the publishing business. The success of her book, Mother Of All Meltdowns, convinced me that she was the best person to represent my book. She has the patience of a saint because I'm constantly badgering her with questions and she handles everything like the pro that she is. Our relationship has extended beyond the business side of publishing and I consider Crystal a true friend. Please check out her blog, and if you have a manuscript you're interested in publishing, this is the woman for you!