 As of June 2012, there are 31 Million Bloggers fighting for your attention on the internet.
How is a girl to find material that interests her, you ask?
Triberr!
I thought I had an amazing idea for my favorite blogging network, so I skyped Dino Dogan and pitched it. Turns out he has already implemented it, of course. I thought I was being clever, and helping out a platform that has led me to some amazing people with amazing stories. I'm so glad I took the time to call him and let him help me instead.
I already belong to several Tribes - Writers and Readers, Writers and Publishers and Parenting - but I wanted a way to find other Tribes to visit, Tribes that represented amazing content providers in niches that interested me. I wanted ways to let my friends use Triberr to find bloggers with expertise in the areas that interested them, even if my friends weren't bloggers themselves.
Triberr isn't just for bloggers to network with other bloggers to maximize their reach.
Triberr is a blogging search engine all its own!
The best part about it?
IT'S FREE, and anyone can use it. Just check out the "Discover" tab under the search bar on the left after you log in using either Facebook or Twitter.
You can choose from Tribes of bloggers in 34 different categories, like Business, DIY, Film, Parenting, Pets and, of course, Writing.
You then follow the Tribes that post content that interests you, and get that content delivered right to your tribal stream. You can then visit the amazing blogs with great content you just found, subscribe, and get them delivered to your Reader or email.
It's that simple.
Go try it, I guarantee you will learn something, and enjoy yourself in the process!
Tell them Mary sent you.....no I'm not an affiliate, just a loyal fan ~ Thanks for the chat, Dino!
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 Jo VonBargen...her poetry is as musical and resonate to me as the Italian language and my fingers on my cello. On second thought, my fingers are nowhere near as moving as her words. Thankfully, I found her through my first Pixel Pal, Bert, and she has welcomed me into her world with the natural, raw language that is uniquely hers.
Like all true voices of the human spirit, her work cannot be easily explained. Adjectives like transcendent, deep, soulful, beautiful, heartfelt, scary, painful, peaceful, moving and intimate are used, but to really understand, you must experience.The Day Will Come, when you hopefully visit Jo in Texas through the pixels on your Kindle, Nook or computer, and you will use those same adjectives and know that she is "seasoned and wise."Pick up any of her books, especially the latest, and you will wonder how you ever got through life without her words. Here is her Amazon page, Twitter handle and Blogs, so start following! Go ahead, I dare you. Open your mind and heart and you will certainly follow it to her, soul open in awe.
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 Bert likes to run at night.
He has shared his observations of people and places collected over a lifetime of his body and soul exercise with me, and I savor every post. My pixel sense of Bert is that he is a straight shooter, and he quietly, but firmly tells it like it is...except, he yells in this post.
Bert's blogging and writing wisdom, collected over a lifetime of growing into his Vietnam experiences quiets me at times, and resonates - the machine gun fire becoming the staccato of my cello. Even though my consciousness didn't start until his was about 20, I hear, understand and share the journey of all who participate, rather than simply observe this life, including Bert.
I dare you to read any of his stories that relate running to writing and not nod your head and smile with understanding whether you are a runner or a writer or neither. Bert was one of the first friends I made over pixels when I started blogging seriously. I don't remember exactly how I met Bert, but I do remember that I instantly trusted him and his words. (Wait...now I remember...I commented on a few of his blogposts, and he returned the favor, then invited me to join his Tribe!)
He's got a couple of books coming out soon that you might want to check out, and his blogs here, here and here are not to be missed! He is an amazing Triberr contributor and here is his Twitter handle.
I am so amazed with the people I have met over my few years writing that I had to share. Many more profiles to come, and Jo, my friend, you are next!
Thanks for reading!
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 I am blessed and cursed to be one of those people who catches on quickly and does not get frazzled with multiple tasks that need to be accomplished simultaneously - in other words I can multitask with the best of them. I am married to the complete opposite, however, and it took me several years to appreciate that fact. Can I maintain the "B" word in my life...Balance? How does this affect whether or not I read your latest blog post, let alone subscribe to your feed?
The number of tasks I can perform successfully each day depends on my definition of success and my innate personality. Let's take a typical day and the number of tasks I need to accomplish to see if I can obtain this mythical state of balance, which supposedly leads to happiness.
- Make all meals for all members of the household - hubby, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 1 cat and Grandpa. Oh, and me too. (I love to cook, so evening meals are a joy!)
- Take kids to, and pick kids up from school - many times not even my own.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes. (I'm a menopausal bitch otherwise - oops, sorry, I haven't exercised yet today.)
- Walk/run the dogs.
- Work at the elementary school as Yard Supervisor twice each day.
- Clean the kitchen and do the dishes (my 13yo has recently had some of this added to his chores list each day).
- Clean out then run the iRobot, Roomba, "Mo" (remember that little cleaning bot from "WALL-E"?) in at least one room of the house - dog hair follows me around otherwise.
- Do laundry at least 3x per week - especially with kids, dogs and a cat bringing in mud and sitting on things in the winter. (again, kids are gradually taking over this task, or at least putting their own clothes away!)
- Write - blog posts, comments, tweets, facebook posts...what am I forgetting...Oh, yeah, parts of books, stories and poetry that if I don't get out of my head will make me crazier than I already am.
- Read - blog posts, comments, tweets, facebook posts...again...parts of books, stories and poetry.
- Read, respond and clean out email accounts - 4 of them.
- Help 8th grader with Algebra (and try to get him to realize that he will have to be responsible for his own learning in order to get through High School, because I'm not doing that again.)
- Help 5th grader with fractions/decimals/percents, science and spelling (and help him wear only his clothes, and not his emotions on his sleeves.)
- All the tasks that keep MommyLoves alive and successful - too many Entrepreneurial tasks to list without making you click that little "x" in the corner and leave me forever...I'd miss you!
- Spend time with my kids - talking about and doing things that matter to them.
Okay, I'm back...got a little tired after making that list, and went to get a cup of coffee.
I just realized I am letting strangers (probably no more than 3) into my daily routine, but I have to prove my point. What is it? There is no balance. There is only a frantic rush to get as many tasks done in the little time we have each day - we can only make little choices where to spend that time every minute. I don't get all of the above done successfully every day! I know some women who do. Sorry, guys, I don't know any men who do. I define success as not getting behind, while being proactive for tomorrow. Most importantly, my success is determined by the completion of those tasks that will impact my and my family's peace and happiness each day. Right now, I have 4 windows open in Firefox and 4 windows open in Safari, Mo and the dishwasher are running, and four boys are playing Call Of Duty, Black Ops on the PS3. As I pause to think of the next thing to write, I open another window to finish another task. That window might just be Twitter, or Facebook, or Triberr, and I just might see a link to your latest blog post when I refresh the stream.
I hope your title grabs me, so I choose to click the link and read your words of wisdom.
Otherwise, I skip right by, and you lose me. So, how important is a title? You decide, because I have to go put in a load of laundry, un-stick Mo from a cat toy and discipline my son's friend for saying the F-word in my house. Balance, Schmalance!
What are you choosing to do right now (besides read this blog post - Thank You!) that leads you to feel successful in your home, business and life? What will be your next blog post title?~Mary Kathryn Johnson 2012
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
Say Bump and Take a Left
Everything MommyLoves
 Okay, this is my first time, so be gentle with me. (Geez, I haven't said those words in about 30 years.) I have never been nominated for anything, let alone a blogging award, so I'm almost speechless. I must say, "Thanks, Luv" to Jo VonBargen for the nod (or shout as she is more likely to do) toward my blogging, because I haven't found another soul more supportive of my posts than her! I must also say, "Damn you Jo!" for taking some of my favorite bloggers as your other nominees - makes me feel even more honored that you included me in their company! Here are a handful of rules: 1. In a post on your, blog, nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award. (Check) 2. In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award photo. (Check) 3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog. (Check) 4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself. (You asked - Check) 5. In the same post, include this set of rules. (Check) 6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs. (Check) So, here are some little known facts about the woman calling herself Mary Kathryn Johnson, or Mom:- I was a working Wrangler, and Volunteer Ambulance Driver in a California coastal town in a previous life. I received some strange looks when I showed up lights flashing, sirens blaring in a cowboy hat, boots and smelling of horses to help rescue someone.
- I lied about the "never been nominated" thing - I was nominated into a teen beauty pageant when I was 17 by my Mother...made it into the finals even with my direct and subconscious sabotage.
- I can wiggle my ears.
- I have fundamentalist yet universal beliefs...but in what I will not say.
- The Cello is my favorite musical instrument, and I am very proud and insecure about my ability to play it.
- Even though I was beaten with a belt by my father when I was a teen if I didn't clean the house before he got home from work, surprisingly my own house seems to stay relatively decent. (What does this say about my stubbornness?)
- I used that "my first time" quote with the same man I've been married to for 28 of those 30 years.
Now I'll say "Tag, You're It!" to some amazing bloggers, all of whom I admire! - Andrea Bandle, an amazing blogger and editor!
- Michael Schmidt, Love the feet, fellow coffee lover, and the little girl!
- Shannon Schmidt, Milk and Cuddles are actually my favorite combination...next to chocolate and coffee!
- Clare Price, the most amazing Marketing Guru and Friend you will find!
- Jim Bouchard, who always helps me get centered like a Black Belt!
- Pam Flowers, Amazing Normal Schmormal Mom!
- Liza Elliott-Ramirez, An Amazing Model, Mom and Entrepreneur!
- Stephanie Chandler, Writer, Publisher, Entrepreneur
- Dori DeCarlo, Incredible MomPreneur, who probably also eats bon-bons,occasionally?
- Meg Lawton, Parenting from the Soul
Have fun reading! Mary Kathryn JohnsonAuthor ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom@SayBumpandTweetSay Bump and Take a Left
 "You know, it's a funny thing about writers. Most people don't stop to think of books being written by people much like themselves. They think that writers are all dead long ago - they don't expect to meet them in the street or out shopping. They know their stories but not their names, and certainly not their faces. And most writers like it that way - " Inkhheart
That was then...this is now.
Before I read the above quote last week, I knew the names of many famous authors, and the faces of only a few.
I would not have recognized Edgar Allen Poe had I strolled into that bar room in Baltimore, or J.R.R. Tolkein, unless I was privileged enough to take one of his classes at Oxford University, but I know their words as intimately as I know my husband.
There were only three authors whose faces I knew as well as their names. One is J.K. Rowling, and well...if you need an explanation, please get up from your visiting friend's wireless laptop, chip away at your ice block front door, harness up your sled dogs and join us in civilization. The other two are J.A. Konrath (at least in profile with sunglasses) and Joanna Penn.
I think as a group, that Inkheart quote is correct - most writers are solitary creatures, and most readers know the words that moved them, not the author who imagined and wrote those words.
In the 21st Century, however this scenario has changed drastically for every writer who wants to publish her work and have it read, AND for every lover of the written word who wants to know more about her favorite writer. With the sudden ease of self publishing and the ability of indie authors to broadcast exactly what they want to say, unfiltered by publishers, we now have an amazing amount of electronically published works to devour. This basic, yet amazing change in publishing has made that Inkheart quote obsolete, I think. If an author, indie or not, wants her books to be read, she must show her readers who she is - literally!
Monday, January 23, 2012 saw this transformation for me. I now know the names and faces, and have devoured the delicious work of 35 incredible writers (and counting), who have changed my blogging and writing life forever. In the hope that you can do the same, here is the cause of this wonderful transformation.
It's called Triberr.
Belonging to a tribe is a basic human need. Triberr fills that need for writers, and it allows us to help each other. I don't look at another author as a competitor, like another maternity company is a competitor for MommyLoves. So having other authors read, comment and promote my work is the most amazing thing that could happen for my message and my books.
If you are an author, and you want your work read, promote others whose work you admire, and karma will take care of the rest...no really karma is a basic function of Triberr!
Here's to a new world for authors, and once you have edited and formatted your manuscript, send it out into the world by joining the tribe!
~Mary Kathryn Johnson 2012
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
 A flock of birds
Tweeting the same song
Adding my verse
I now belong
Before, I waited
Til they landed beside me
To sing with them
Maybe in harmony?
Now I sing
With flocks everywhere
We key through the world
Alighting here and there.
Landing beside them
Those beckoning bards
Calling with their notes
Calling with their words.
Words turned to song
Tweets I now hear
From anywhere
Everywhere, right here.
One flock
One song
I now belong
Thank you.
---Mary Kathryn Johnson 2012
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