The Sunday Roast

Meet The Woman With The Texas Word Spangle

This week's interview is with Rhea,

who writes the blog Texas Word Tangle

The first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

To satisfy the deep, compulsive desire to make a fool out of myself in a public forum ... and to nurture the creative bug I've been infested with since birth. There's no cure, and I wouldn't want one if there was. I'm a writer. I love to write and take pictures, to create a story.

Give me a blank page and some colored pens, and I'm content. Combining all this AND getting feedback makes my heart sing. I also have two boys, and I love chronicling their lives and adventures. They make my heart sing too.

What's the story behind your blog name?

Texas Word Tangle - I live in Texas. I love to write. I love words. I took years and years of Latin, which taught me a lot about word origins. I found a great quote by U.S. novelist and short story writer James A. Michener, where he says, "I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions."

I then adopted the phrase, "The swirl of words tangled with human emotions." That was too long for a blog title, so I shorted it to Word Tangle. Texas Word Tangle. Had a nice ring to it. And, my name really is Rhea (pronounced Ray or Ray-ah).

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

Being called such a goofy term, "blogger" and seeing people's faces when they hear you're a blogger. People either don't understand it, don't know what a blog is or think you're a total dork. OK, seriously, I love giving family and friends a glimpse into our daily lives, whether they want it or not. I love having a creative outlet, and I love meeting people from all over the world. I've learned so much about other people and cultures. I think we could achieve world peace through blogging.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Go visit and read lots of blogs, leave comments, and always return the comment love when people visit you. Paragraph breaks and basic grammar go a long way. Pictures are nice but don't go overboard (like I do). Same with memes. They're fun but don't go overboard.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

I can't single out just one post. I've read a lot of really hilarious posts, sad posts and super thought-provoking posts. The most significant blogger who stands out in my mind is Confessions Of A Pioneer Woman because her world is so different from most people, as she lives on a working cattle ranch. She's a great photographer and super creative and hilarious. I also likes that she doesn't take herself too seriously and knows how to make me laugh.

The blogroll on my site is made up of wonderful blogs that I read almost daily. Every one of them entertains me, inspires me or just makes me happy on any given day. Men and women from all over.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

I'd like to think all my posts are significant, but who am I kidding?! No way. Some are silly, some more serious. I experiment all the time, and continue to try and outdo myself. I'm not sure I've found my groove yet. I feel a lot of untapped potential simmering beneath my goofy exterior. Maybe. Or I just have gas.

But some of my favourites are: Singing For Starbucks - I don't drink
coffee but I love their chai tea; Yet Another Very Serious Interview With The Little People - I love messing with my kids; and finally Wanted: An Internal Compass - sometimes I'm conflicted and serious.

Today's Sunday Roast with Rhea is the 35th in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.