Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Sunday Roast

A View To A Quill (Sorry, Mister Bond)

This week's interview is with Quilly, who writes
the blog Quilly's Pacific ... Paradise.


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

It all started when I fell in the garbage can. Seriously. I came home from work exhausted one evening and fell off the porch backward. I landed in the garbage can, folded in half like an old newspaper. The garbage can fell over and I cussed and wiggled and squirmed my way free, with a little help from my neighbor once she quit laughing and could stand upright again. In no time at all my right knee doubled in size.

A couple of days later I went to the doctor. He said, "Sit. Stay." So for six weeks I was confined to minimal movement. I decided to leave my friend a note on her blog telling her about my rotten luck, but instead of posting in her comment box, I started my own blog. But wait, that's the story of how I started blogging. You wanted to know why I blog. I blog because people pay attention. If no one came to read, I wouldn't be here.

What's the story behind your blog name?

I change my blog name frequently. I started out with, "A Day in the Life ..." and discovered there were a dozen blogs with that name. My content, when I was teaching, was mostly vignettes from my classroom -- poignant or silly moments and witty sayings from the kids. I took the name, "Quilly's Quips & Quotes." Still, I never cared for it. I felt it lacked flair.

Then we moved to Hawaii. I changed my header to my feet in the Pacific and took the name, "Another Day in ... Paradise?" (Briefly, it was "Another Day in Paradise", without the ellipsis or quotation marks - but that was before we found out about the tent cities in our neighborhood.) Finally, just recently, I changed my template and with it my blog name. So far, "Quilly's Pacific ... Paradise?" is the name I like best. For now.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

People! I have friends I have never met, yet I know them well and love them anyway :) -- and they love me! Then there's OC. We met right here online, blogging. He was in Maine and I was in Vegas, yet we connected and communicated. That was September of 2006. And 2008 finds us happy and together in Hawaii. Kind of like a fairy tale.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Pretty much what everybody else says -- be yourself. So much of the world -- especially the media -- isn't genuine. Here online there is no reason not to be truthful. We can spill our guts or hang-out our hopes and prayers -- and only the interested come by to pick them up. And if somebody does leave a nasty comment, delete is only a click away.

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

I read about 70 blogs regularly and I have been at this for three years! There is no way I could just pick out one and say, "This changed my life." Yet many have .... although, OC wrote me a poem called Selah - (A Poem) when we were planning to meet for the first time. I think that one pretty much cemented my feelings or him -- as yet sight unseen, so I guess it had a pretty significant impact.

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

I have several blogs, and even though Quilly's Pacific ... Paradise is my most popular one, it isn't the one that contains my profound posts. Still, if we are talking about this blog, it would have to be my personal testimony (transfered here from one of those other blogs), and appropriately titled, #1. If we are talking about any blog, it would be Soup, Bibles & Blankets.


Today's Sunday Roast with Quilly is the 43rd in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Quilly, you put it perfectly 'we blog because we can be honest' them's my sentiments exactly.

Unknown said...

Neat interview. :) Quilly sounds like someone I'd like to get to know, I'll pop over and say hey. :)

Cath said...

Quilly is one of the bestest blogger friends. One of my firstest blogger friends.
Hi Quills! *waving"

Great interview. Loved the first question/answer - had me cracking up!
And she reminds me so much of one of my bestest friends in the "real" world! (I don't know what is real anymore). Seriously - skin colour, everything! They could be related.

Anonymous said...

David -- thank you. I love being the center of attention and you've made me quite popular today! Of course, you could have made my photo much, much, much smaller. I like being the center of attention in cognito. And now you know why I really blog.

juliana said...

incognito or not, you are a star, quilly!

Maggie May said...

And..... Quilly is good at little rhymes that she sometimes likes to leave in David's Verse or Worse comment box!
And her photography is excellent and she lives in a beautiful place.
And she has a sense of humour!
That'll do for now...... lets not make her big headed!

i beati said...

the most uniwue why do you blog ??

Melli said...

*whew* When Quilly told me she was being roasted, I pictured her on the spit! You know... who was it that used to do those celebrity roasts? And the celebrity was literally in the HOT SEAT! I'm sO glad your roast was just an interview! And yep! The blogosphere is such a great place to meet and make REALLY good, close friends! It just amazes me allllll the time! Thanks for interviewing Quilly! I don't think I learned a thing though! ;)

Cath said...

..erm... you all *do* realise that when I said "skin colour and everything!" so excitedly that I *was* talking about Quilly's complexion and not making any statement there.

I just popped back in here to see what other comments were up (because she's such a great gal!) and realised how that comment sounded. Sometimes when I gets all exciteltrees, I gets my mixes worded up. Or the way round wrong.

Anyway, you knows what I mean. :/

Sandi McBride said...

Lucky Quilly, living in a tropical paradise and lucky us, getting to share in the bounty. Thanks again, David~!~
Sandi

Jules~ said...

Bravo to Quilly. I think I have been reading her stuff for about a year now. She is always with a fun and upbeat way at looking at life. A wonderful blessing!

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

David ~ Thank you for Interviewing Quilly and introducing her to a bigger audience. She has an awesome blog that is worth the visit.

Quilly was one of my first friends I made in Cyberspace. Because of Quilly, I kept blogging and now have true friends I've never met that I consider part of my family.

Shrinky said...

Oh Quilly, that is so, so romantic that you and oc met out here in blogland - how heart warming. You know, so many people misunderstand the net and are quick to condemn "on-line" friendships as being false and loaded with danger. I am sure there are many predators and vulnerable people out there, but "bloggers" are a whole breed apart. First, we are united in by our love of writing/creating, we rarely appear one day and vanish the next, and most of the friendships I have found in here have developed over time and understanding. It's something non-bloggers will ever know. I am thrilled about you and oc..!

Jientje said...

She's a sweet friend, Quilly!!
I'm a teeny weeny bit jealous about the paradise, but still! Through her blog we get to see glimpses of it!

Akelamalu said...

I've only recently found Quilly's blog - I'm glad I did!

Great interview. :)