An ode to virtual friends

Look at that! I've managed to attract a couple of new followers! 

(I've hardly posted lately, and I can't imagine what has drawn you here, but I think it may be foolish for me to mention that.)

Welcome friends!

(Every now and then I get an email from Twitter letting me know that I have a new follower, and I'm similarly stymied trying to imagine what on earth I have tweeted that makes me appealing.)

Oh dear, none of this is coming out right!

It's just that I haven't been particularly active in the social media world of late. I haven't felt very dynamic or engaged.

What's your favourite social media forum?

Mine would have to be Facebook, for good or for bad, whatever that says about me. I usually check it first thing each morning to see what all my friends and family have been up to and what they've got to say for themselves, and I check in again several times each day if I'm not working. I love it when my news feed is full of photos and links. I like to "like" posts and to share things that I enjoy.

I like a lot of blogger's pages, which means that I always get links to their latest posts on my news feed. I also like local and national news pages, which means I often see the headlines via Facebook before the news bulletin airs. I've also discovered inspirational pages, local businesses and online magazines.

I enjoy the fact that I catch up with friends and family much more regularly than I would if I relied on seeing them face to face.

Some people seem to think that it's a bit tragic to enjoy Facebook and be on it too often. 

They think that it means that you don't have much of a real life.

What do you think? Sometimes I feel a bit sheepish about my Facebook "addiction".

But when it comes down to it, I love my virtual friends!

Please be my friend :)

If you're not friends with me on Facebook, then you're really missing out!

Not every interesting thought that passes through my head is blogged about here.

Not every funny mishap or amusing photo makes it to this blog.

You really should do yourself a favour and friend me on Facebook.

Find me at http://www.facebook.com/fionareadersrr

Then you too can know about the time that I glued myself to Josh's homework with superglue! Just think of all the great things that you have been missing out on!

You can be my friend on the "book of faces"!

So, what have you been up to? I joined Facebook.

Feel free to send me a friend request :)

I've been trying to resist for a long time, worried that I will fritter away hours every day foofing around online (which I already do, reading blogs, Twittering, etc). But then a fellow student from uni suggested that we use Facebook's new group pages to set up a networking group for those of us who are graduating from our Master of Education. It provides us with a free platform on which to share links and information and maintain discussions. So I decided to join up.

Here's my profile picture.

I got Chris to take some "arty" head shots of me in the backyard, but now I'm thinking that I look a bit old and wrinkly! I think a bit of photoshopping might be in order for the next one!

In other news, this Saturday I am cooking an American "Pioneer Woman" meal for the family when my sister comes over for dinner. Check this post to see how excited I am about cooking some traditional American fare.

I've decided on the menu - I'm going to cook Chicken-Fried Steak with Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy - mmm mmmm.

Biscuits and gravy a la Pioneer Woman.

I'll take lots of pictures and let you know how it all goes. I think we might need something from the vegetable food group to go with all the fried steak and gravy goodness. Would a green salad go with it do you think? Let me know your suggestions...