Gratitude and Glorification: HLYH's 100th Post

   It is a special day here at HLYH headquarters.  

No, it isn't because I have bagged another Jackalope, learned to love Fatback, or made another awesome, crazy movie trailer (okay, the last part is true and you can view it now!).  

And I hate to disappoint but I have not been crowned Queen of the Wold or been contacted by any outdoor channels to appear on a Writing Huntress appropriate (read: off the wall, fun, funny) hunting show. 

  Today, friends, is more of a sentimental day.  

This post, the one whose words are slowly forming as my fingers find their proper place, is HLYH 100th creation! Also, I have reached 110 followers on Blogger, and almost 900 on Twitter, a feat that I had never believed would be achieved in less than a year after beginning HLYH.

I thought about the ways I wanted to celebrate, how I thought about inviting one and all to my house for a cook-out, some beverages and possibly some football, as long as everyone agrees on watching the Colts, not the Bills. 

I then figured that fitting over a thousand people in my modest log cabin wouldn't be the best idea so my brainstorming continued. 

I could send y'all something, what that something would be, I would have no idea, but given my love for all things sent the old fashioned way, the possibilities could be limitless. 

I could expedite some joy to your chosen corner of this beautiful world by whisking one of three of our pooches to each and every one of you, in turn.  I would assume that Titus would be the best canine candidate for this operation, as he adores people almost as much as I love mail and cowboy boots. 

I could write a post about all of my followers, enumerating their positive qualities, jest at those negative ones and simply glorify all that is inherently you, you supurb human being, you!

Indeed, friends, I wanted to send y'all just a small piece of the happiness that has been shown to me but I then I figured in cost, shipping, and the emotional toil that would be forced upon Titus would be too much on all accounts. 

Therefore, I simply wanted to thank you and glorify myself! 

HA! Bet you didn't see that one coming (or maybe you did, if you read this blog with any amount of religiousness then you're well aware that tooting my own horn (( I adore this expression, as I always imagine people toting their own little miniature horns around with them that produces a TOOT each time its owner pats his or herself on the back)) is one of my most favorite activities, much to your enjoyment, I am sure). 

Thank you..

  to each and every single one of you who have ever glanced, Tweeted, Facebooked or even told someone, "Hey, this chick is crazy, check out her stuff!"  I, obviously, would be absolutely nowhere, swimming in a sea of obscurity without a life jacket or broken door upon which to prop myself, without you.  So with a big heart, humble fingers and a teary eye to I tip my hat to you, dearest reader, for coming around every so often to show me just the smallest bit of love that keeps this blog going. 

To you! Cheers!

Myself, Glorified.

I am never one to point out my aptitude in writing.  In fact, I generally think that my portrayal of everything and anything that I commit to word is pretty horrific, like a car crash that you want to pull your eyes from but your neck will not allow.  It takes months fully appreciate something that I had written years prior, or sometimes not at all.  I've heard that this is a writer's curse, but since I don't feel myself a writer just yet, then I have not the darnedest what to call it. 

Either way, I am always interested to hear what people say about my odd points of view, overly-wordy diction, and the way that my hunting stories have to do with baby pictures, DMVs, lost jobs, waist-deep snow, man caves or not about killing animals at all. 

I cringe when I hear that someone I know personally is reading whatever it is that I have created that day but I gleefully hoard silent compliments that are transmitted through the internet machine by people whose voices I have never heard. 

I have had great reviews that have been cherished like a child's treasured doll or Transformer but no review has ever struck me as much as this one. 

I could go on but I'll just let my guest speak her words, letters combined which made me feel a little bit more like this writer that everyone seems to enjoy so much. 

It all started around 1 o’ clock in the morning when I interjected on the Huntress' Twitter that I should write an intro to her latest blog.

After a handful of tweets back and forth, I agreed to write a review of her hunting blog instead (this was probably the safest bet, as to not embarrass her. I, on the other hand, am a completely different story- let the embarrassment live on!) Now, it should first be known that i am not a huntress. I am quit far from it, actually. I'm a tiny Italian girl from Niagara Falls, New York that plays bass in the band Billy Draws Two. I draw comics of myself in awkward situations, and my idea of an exhilarating night is successfully completing a quest in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with fellow nerds. Hunting was certainly nothing I had ever given a thought to if it didn't involve a gray and "traffic cone orange" plastic gun pointed at a television screen.
However, once the key was turned; the gears haven't stopped turning. Instantly, I went to her blog with a plan. I would read her latest entry, from first letter to last punctuation mark... and nothing else.

This is where everyone is turning their heads to the side like a confused puppy, so let me explain. By diving right in without any background information I can guarantee a raw, good quality review. I know absolutely nothing on the subject matter, so I will have no critique other than the quality of the writing and the blog it's self as a whole.

The page opened in a new tab and there was the beautiful paint covered face of the girl whom I've known for several years now. Clad in camo and laced with shrubbery, those pale, yet piercing blue eyes stole all focus there might have been on anything else in the picture. Personally, I would have gone with a picture of yours truly to open the page, but to each their own (I jest, of course. In all honesty, a great shot for the top of the site!)

With my coffee in hand, I began reading her latest post “A Chain Reaction (In Three Parts).”

After finishing reading, tossing my now empty Tim Horton’s cup in the trash, and pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose; I began to reflect.
For the first time, in a very LONG time, I had no critiques on structure what-so-ever! I had almost forgotten that this lovely lady has a BA in English and loves writing as much as I do with the natural ease that comes to us. She has such a unique tone while writing that you don’t feel like you’re reading a blog. You displace yourself, to wherever you heart see fit, and it’s personal. Maybe it’s over coffee, at a bar, in the locker room, polishing your guns (you DO polish those, right?) Your mind wanders to where you find comfort and instead of reading, you’re having a conversation. To benefit your imagination of where I was, we were sitting in the kitchen of a mutual friend’s house, drinking vats of wine in over sized glasses, with junk food scattered across the table while the Golden Girls thanked us for being their friends on TV (Fun Fact: this was usually how we conversed and shared about our days- over wine, in someone else’s kitchen, while someone else cooked for us. We are not lazy- we are royalty. Suspend disbelief!)

While reading I found myself completely enveloped, with tiny bursts of chuckles at her witty tolerance of minor malfunctions. With such good writing, and such a strong narrative voice, I had a strange feeling of disconnection when I reached the end of the post. Like saying goodbye to your gaggle of friends after an unexplainably good time and all you’re left with if yourself and a quiet room after you close the door behind them.

Now, I do realize that maybe I got lucky with my scientific method of review: this particular entry had very little to do with ACTUAL hunting, but more the journey for a state license so she can do so without the pains of an empty wallet. By chance I was saved from trying to understand the elements and art of the hunt.

In conclusion (because every 8th grade English teach INSISTS you write your concluding paragraph this way) you should read this blog. Plain and simple. Even if you do not hunt, even if you don’t understand the first thing about a bow or a gun or a…. slingshot? (See, I’m making an example of myself in my example… Case in point!) The content is understandable and educating, the author hilarious and compassionate, and overall it’s simply nice to read.

So here’s to you, hunters and huntresses! I intend to keep reading, and learning, and perhaps someday you’ll see me out there!
Cheers!
-Rosie 

@alonerocker
Bassist, writer, and nerd extraordinaire.