A Haven for Vee

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A Coffee Drink, Granny Squares, Reading List for Bloggers

This looks terribly unattractive for being the tasty beverage it is. Not a coffee shake, not an iced coffee, but a frozen coffee slushie with coffee ice cream on top.

While participating in last Saturday's Ice Cream Social, I found the recipe right *here* at Not Quite Perfect. It's easy; it's delicious.

***

 

Granny Squares. I've been working on some. Don't ask me why. This is not a likely time. I've tried to show you my inspiration, but couldn't find it. Figures. I can't find anything lately. I couldn't remember how to do a Granny Square for anything, which is why I've been keeping company with *this You Tube guy* who does the greatest job of teaching a basic square. He's far better than the rest, believe me. (Even if you watch the first few seconds, you will discover the proper way to start. I've never known this. My mama never taught me.) He repeats just often enough, his voice is soothing, he's a peach. I'm going to miss him.

***

Ever since the new dashboard rolled out, things are not the same, including traffic. My Reading List is lost and just this morning I've learned why.

How do I use the Blogger Reading List?

(Note: We are slowly adding this feature for all users, some of the functionality may not be available to all users immediately.) With the Blogger Reading List, you can read all of the latest posts from your favorite blogs right on your Blogger Dashboard! Your Blogger Reading List, conveniently located under your list of blogs on your dashboard, enables you to subscribe to any blog with a feed. It will update instantly each time a new post is published on any blog in your Reading List. Additionally, you can check out our latest Blogger Buzz posts from the "Blogger Buzz" tab, and the latest Blogs of Note from the "Blogs of Note" tab. ~Source

I am trying to remedy this sorry state of affairs by adding a number of blogs to my already fat, fat blogroll. In addition, I am grabbing buttons left and right. It's not at all convenient, though I do have a hope of finding my favorites easily.

So, tell me, is your Blogger Reading List working? Is your Follower list stable or are you unexplainably losing Followers? Do you use Google Reader?

Summertime and the living is easy... Okay. I get that. Here's to enjoying the remainder with few, if any, concerns about blogging.

Stay cool out there...



P.S. I've just been visiting my friends' blogs and have discovered that I am unable to leave comments at over 50% of them. Further, I've just discovered that I couldn't leave a comment on my own blog. So if you've been frustrated trying, don't worry. I understand.

35 comments:

  1. I am granny-squareing away here as well. Granddaughter afghan in the works.

    My followers have been stable, no problem with anything, yet, and yes I have used google reader for years without a problem.

    I wonder what it means when your followers numbers go up when you haven't posted in over a month????
    lol...

    I will have to post soon, just been so busy.

    have a great day Vee,
    Niki

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  2. That coffee drink looks yummy to me! I have not noticed a new dashboard. I didn't use the blogger reading list feature, but I do use google reader.

    A while back I couldn't leave comments on a lot of blogs. Someone told me when you sign in under google to "uncheck" the "keep me signed in" box. I unchecked and I was and stil am able to leave comments.

    My follower list was missing for a few days, but now it is back.

    Hugs,
    Penny

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  3. Vee- you can go to your Settings Basic button in your dashboard and change it back to the Old Blogger Editor. I did, no problems, everything came back. My sons blog is setup with the new blogger--hate it. However, you can change it back, but he likes it, so we will keep it. Have a blessed day. (btw, I have 2 left thumbs, the ladies at church have been trying to teach me to knit, forget it.) :)

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  4. YouTube is a wonderful place to learn how to do something. Chelsea is learning to play guitar from videos on the site. Isn't that cool?

    Hot air balloon and me, you asked? NOPE, NADA, NEVER! It goes way too high and that basket looks way too wimpy. LOL

    That coffee drink looks amazing!

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  5. Hello miss Vee- I am a new follower, I think I found you through Laura's blog at cleaning house and baking cookies. Thanks for the link to the granny squares tutorial- a friend showed me how years ago but I have since totally forgotten but would like to make a blanket for my babygirl for Christmas. So thanks!

    I use google reader, as I find trying to read and follow blogs from the dashboard too cumbersome. I like reader becuase you can seperate your blogs by category and everything. The only thing I DONT like about google reader is that it seems you can never stop following a blog if you want to. It will stop showing it in the specific folder you have it in, but if you scroll down under "blogs you follow", its like you can NEVER unsubscribe using reader. But other than that, its a great tool, very efficient and helpful IMO.

    Have a blessed day!

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  6. I had endless problems commenting until I changed to Chrome after the Great Hard Drive Catastrophe. It took a while but I love it now, and it makes blogger work beautifully.
    The followers list and google connect seem to have melded, and for some reason my photo is blank and coming up as lal50 instead of Linds which is not at all helpful, and I can't be bothered to sing in every time either.
    I use the reader thingy on the dashboard, and so far it seems to be working great. I have always used it. Now and then it comes up with "you are not following any blogs" but if you refresh, it remembers that you do follow many many blogs after all.
    To be frank, it is all a pain when it doesn't work, and picking up the crochet hook and wool and starting on the granny squares makes perfect sense to me. If the winter is foul, an extra blanket or 20 will be useful. Check out Attic24 as well. On the left sidebar, she has all her tutorials and they are beautifully simple. You can try the ripple blanket next. It looks complicated, but really, it is dead simple. And gorgeous.

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  7. I know someone who be be right over for that iced coffee drink. Elmer loves 'ice cappaccinos' at Tim Horton's. I have a recipe here for a copykat version but with all our rain and cool weather...it hasn't happened yet.

    I don't read blogs from my dashboard or from Google Reader...simply from my blogroll. I haven't had any issues with the new blogger...prefer it to the old. And I haven't ever had problems leaving comments anywhere. I guess blogger issues are 'territorial'!

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  8. That coffee drink sounds absolutely divine!

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  9. Looks like I got to leave a comment OK. Have not checked reading list or anything else recently. Will have to look.
    Keep on with your squares.

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  10. I hate coffee, but for some reason I like the frappes you can get now.
    I was going to tell you how to fix the comment problem, but I see Penny's already told you what helped me too.
    Sounds like you got a little too attached to that u-tube guy Vee. How many times did you have to "visit" him anyway? Just wondering! Now that you mention it maybe I'll want to make some granny squares!

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  11. Ooh! Another coffee drink for me to try! :)

    I'm still trying to figure out the new dashboard but haven't run into any problems commenting on any blogs. My followers list was missing but it's back now. After trying Bloglines and Blogger Reading List, I now use Google Reader and am very happy with it.

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  12. That coffee drink looks yummy! I'm off to get that recipe. . .

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  13. Me, too, Vee. I've not been able to leave comments on several blogs. I'm sure they think that I'm not their friend anymore or are not interested. Wrong!

    My followers thingie was absent for several days, too. It finally came back up.

    I think your coffee drink looks delicious - running down the side just makes it more luscious - you can lick the sides of the glass!

    I need to check out the YouTube video. Like I need something else to do, but I've always wanted to learn to crochet. Never took the time. I want to crochet some dish cloths. Guess it doesn't really matter how they turn out, huh?

    Have a wonderful day! (and thanks so much for your prayers and kind words for my friend's loss of her daughter :-)

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  14. I am having blogger issues too, from slow to no commenting, to being unable to leave comments, and like you said the mystery of the missing reading list. Hopefully they will get all the bugs worked out soon as they make changes.

    Hope your blog woes are sorted out soon. Have a wonderful day sipping that drink on your deck!

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  15. I've always wanted to learn to crochet so I'm so happy you put this link in your post today, Vee! Now I have to find the crochet hook and yarn I bought long ago :)

    I don't use the dashboard or Google reader --I go directly to a blog to read them. I thought that numbers were down becasue it is summer and people are busy. A few people told me they could not find my "followers" box but I see it when I put my blog up, so I have a feeling it may be a regional thing or depend upon what type of computer browser they use. I had problems commenting awhile back but I do as Penny said and unclick the box that says "stay signed on" and that helped. I did read that Google is changing both Blogspot and Picasa and renaming them soon and that they will interact with their new Google Circles social site so I have a feeling we will all have to get used to many changes!

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  16. Blogger troubles? Really? And Blogger troubles just kind of keep *growing-like-Topsy*?

    Really?

    Really?

    -chuckle- You KNOW where I'm going with this, don't you?

    >,-)

    Ever thought of trying out your blog, on Wordpress?

    :-)

    -running, ducking and hiding-

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  17. I tired to make granny squares a few times and could never get them to lay flat. Maybe I should give it one more try. Just what I need another craft to do!! : )
    I use Google Reader and do fine with that.
    I haven't been having any problems with leaving comments, so far anyway.

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  18. My dashboard hasn't changed at all, I still have all my blog roll and followers....can't imagine what is wrong with yours. I'm sorry..I know how frustrating it can be when things are NOT working as they should. I don't use G. reader..I figure the less I have on my blog, the better off I'll be.don't know that for SURE,tho.
    I had music..took it off..
    I had that LINK WITHIN thing..took it off..
    I had WAAAY too many pics on sidebar and am trying to scale that down, too.
    A. Amelia switched over to typepad but I'm not near ready to switch. Might later, tho.
    Have a great day..I am on my way to lunch with 3 great friends...:))

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  19. Thanks so much for posting that how too vid!!! I have been wanting to learn how to Granny square for a long time!

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  20. Mny thanks for the youtube link, I'm going to get a crochet hook and give it a go!

    No change with my Blogger yet, I hope it doesn't. I did have some bother a little while ago when my followers disappeared but, as was said earlier, after refreshing it, everything came back.

    Of course, you know what will happen now, everything will go pear-shaped for me!!

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  21. I just looked up recipes for some cool drinks yesterday...thanks for sharing.

    Oh I used to make granny squares with my grandmother...I haven't done it since I was married...so a whole life time, maybe I should try again.

    Oh you always know what is going on on blogger and help to educate me...even if I still have now clue...LOL

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  22. Thanks for the link! I want to make some granny square pillows this fall so I'll check it out.

    Yes, I've been having a horrible time leaving comments on blogger blogs! I do use my google reader but I also had lots of blogs on bloglines which is now some other company but I still use them.

    My followers routinely disappear and I have a wordpress blog but the gadget is google. I've given up worrying about it since it's so frequent!

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  23. Vee,
    The flowers are lovely against the verdant background of greenery. The coffee drink sounds divine.
    Not having blogger issues here, but then, computer wise, I am usually behind the times....

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  24. Hi Vee, I haven't had any trouble with blogger. Sorry to hear of your problems but I can't help....


    I've been crocheting too. Started an afghan and did about a dozen dishcloths and I had to go to youtube too just to remember how to crochet!

    Love them coffee drinks! Have you tried McDonald's frappee? Yummy

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  25. Hi Vee,
    Oh no! I did have problems a few week's back leaving comments. I would write the note and it would send me log on and I had already log on..crazy..
    Everything has been working ok for me lately..keeping my fingers crossed.
    You are doing a great job on your granny squares..I have been watching utube to find out how to make the binding for my quilt. So what-ya making with your granny squares?
    Have a sweet day my friend and big hugs, Elizabeth

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  26. Hi Vee,

    Your drink, and Grannie Squares sound delicious. Blogger certainly has been having their share of problems. But I think that's pretty common when they offer a new look. I am not one of those people who like to be in the Beta test period. I kind of sit on the sidelines and wait for everything to pan out. I love the whole blogging experience and I prefer to blog hop. It takes longer but I love to hear people's music and to see their complete blog. You can tell I am getting old.

    I used to say that when I was young I would race to catch the next green light on a main strip. Now I am quite content when I catch a red light so I can look around and sightsee a bit. I have even been know to take a photo while at a red light.

    I wrote a very long comment today on someone's post, and then I got that dreaded message "CONFLICT OF EDITS" Yikes. Fortunately it lied and my comment was perfectly fine sitting there.

    I just worry my blog would vanish with all of these little quirks.

    Have a wonderful evening.

    Karen

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  27. Thanks for stopping by, Vee, and yes, I am a little fed up with Blogger. I downloaded Google Chrome, only good thing is that I can see my followers, I hadn't seen them for weeks! One of my friends had to tell me who the new ones were! I am thinking of taking up crocheting again in the fall. I get inspired by Sandy at Teacup Lane blog. But I have nerve damage in my hands so not sure how that will turn out. Your granny squares could be joined together for a small pillow. Keep cool! xo,

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  28. I can't remember how old I was when I learned to make Granny squares. My Granny was the one who taught me, and she was blind (she did all of her crocheting by touch & it was BEAUTIFUL). She taught me about 5 different versions, some of which I have never seen anywhere else.

    I wish I could drink coffee. Your drink & your coffee milkshake looked so yummy.

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  29. Oh dear, I guess I need to figure out the new additions to blogger. I know that readers make reading easier for those who follow. I personally don't use a blog reader because I love to see the entire blog (header, side bars, etc.). Can you do that now on a reader? Technology always becomes so complicated!

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  30. You're right about the YouTube Guy, he's great, voice is very soothing. I bookmarked him! As for Blogger, the only thing that is giving me fits is leaving comments. Your blog is easy with the popup window. The other type with the comments under the blog isn't working for me. I just upgraded to Internet Explorer 9. I thought that was what was giving me fits. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge...once again!

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  31. I don't know about a blog reader but I wish I did. I am so far behind on Blogger. That might be tomorrow's endeavor!

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  32. Computers in general and changes on the blog can be so frustrating for me! I wish they would leave things alone! But change is inevitable.
    I love the pretty flowers you picked for your table. And the granny squares look lovely. I'm sure you'll remember the steps soon and get back to making more for your project.

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  33. duh... I haven't even checked my dashboard recently. Guess I better look.

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  34. Love the granny squares - haven't made any for decades! :)

    I think everything is pretty stable for me on blogger - though now that I have said it....

    Deanna

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  35. I love Granny Squares and they remind me of my mother and all of the vests she crocheted for her grandchildren way back when - even the boys! I'm sure they're mortified now.

    Nothing different on blogger for me but I haven't made any updates or changes. I think I won't after your post!

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If comments disappear, please don't fret. A simple "hi" will do. The platform surely needs some maintenance.