Interview With A Blogger: RhondaLue

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." — L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

Ever since I've started blogging and met so many wonderful peeps, like yerself -- I feel the truth behind that quote. I truly feel connected to some of you out there (you know who ya are!) and I feel like we are Kindred Spirits!

I can honetly say this about my bloggy friend RhondaLue as well. This is her blog, Whetten Wonders. We are kindreds, I dare say! If she came to town I'd let her in my house, I'd go to lunch with her, I'd meet her somewhere for some trouble-fun -- no problem! I'd even let her watch my kids (hehehe "let"). Heck! I'd watch HER kids if I lived nearby! I am NOT.KIDDING. I just know if we lived nearby we'd make quite the pair! We'd tear up the town, tear up the church, and tear it up with our "That's What She Said"s ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE!

I love reading RhondaLue's blog because 1) it makes me LAUGH! 2) it validates the way I also feel about certain things; like I am not alone in my miserable days. We seem to think a lot a like too! 3) she is soooo witty and clever and I feel like I can LEARN from her. Sometimes she'll say or do stuff and I am all like, Dang! I wish I would have thunk that one up!

Without fruther adieu, my bloggy interview with RhondaLue-hoo!




1) do you remember the first blog you ever read? Yes, My BFF Rachel sent me a link to her blog. I thought it was the coolest thing ever! And then of course, I had to have one of my own.

2) What inspired the name for your blog? Ohhh I couldn't think of anything interesting and I wanted to get to the posting part so Whetten Wonders was born. I got "wonder" from the phrase I tell myself all the time, "It's a wonder I'm still sane!"

3) when did you start blogging? I think it's been almost two years. Wow. Two years? I haven't even printed the first years book yet!

4) why did you start blogging? I thought it would be a great way to keep the grandma's updated on what is going on with us. Things I wouldn't call them to tell them about (a small art award, a conversation I had with a toddler, etc) but that they would still like to know about. I have six kids. I don't have time to call and report each thing each kid is up to. It's so much easier to blog and if they care they can come and read! Also, it's faster than writing in my journal and includes pictures! It's a great way to record our family history!

5) are your reasons for blogging still the same now as when you started? Yes, but I also find that I feel better getting my thoughts out there. Someone may read them, someone may not but I've put them out to the universe and I like the idea of that. It's a release. I call it blog therapy.

6) one thing that makes you or your blog unique? I'm not sure it's all that unique but I can tell you that I don't care for blogs that are all roses and rainbows. I like to hear REAL LIFE stuff from my friends and family. Things you maybe aren't proud to share but when you do, ten people are commenting to you how much they understand because the same thing happened to them. So ya know, I try to keep it real. If you don't want to hear how my preschooler took a swing at me before getting on his special ed bus, find a roses and rainbows blog. Real life happens here!

7) something you want us to know about you? It's all in the blog. Check it out.

8) something you don't want us to know about you but will tell us anyway? Hmmm sometimes I guess I don't want people to know that I have a hard time with certain things. Even though I'm all about keepin' it real, I also don't want to seem mentally ill or anything so I do withhold some of my struggles that I deal with. I'm sure everyone can see right through me anyway, but I do try to have SOME mystery. haha

Now, some Fill-In-The-Blanks...


9) I feel best about my blog when....someone tells me that something I wrote helped them.

10) I feel empowered...again, when I can help someone else feel better, learn something, or just laugh because they can SO relate!

11) Movies I quote most from... Tommy Boy-Chris Farley "That's gonna leave a mark!" and I know it's not a movie but I quote THE OFFICE all the time, probably more than is appropriate, "That's what she said."

Finally, tell us about your earliest memory of your first "grown-up" decision.

The first real "adult" type decision that I made was when I was 14 yrs old and I had just come home from our church's girls camp. I remember feeling the spirit very strong while I was there and I knew when I got home, for my own good I needed to stop hanging out with a particular friend. She was my best friend. We were two peas in a pod and I don't remember ever, in my whole life, laughing so much as we did together. I truly loved her and the way I felt when I was with her. But at the same time, her older brother had started doing drugs and had questionable people at her house regularly. She had started to smoke pot with them and was doing it regularly and it was offered to me. I had a bad feeling but she was my best friend, I could totally just say no when it was offered and try to avoid the bad stuff, and of course, I did decline. But then she started wanting to go to parties. I went to one with her and after a short while I called my dad to come and get me. It was really bad, and looking back now I KNOW that had I stayed something bad would have happened. I never should have gone. (This makes me miss my dad just thinking about how he never asked a question. He just picked me up and took me home without grilling me or wondering why I was there. My mom didn't grill me when I got home either. This has been something I have always told my kids I would do. If you are in a bad situation CALL ME. If I ask questions (because I will!) and you don't want to answer then just say so and that will be that, but for the love of everything Holy, MAKE. THE. CALL!)

Anyway, when I came home I was determined to stop the friendship. I knew it would only take me bad places. I called her and I was shaking. I literally had to use two hands to hold the phone. I told her that I loved her but I didn't think it was good for me to hang out with her anymore with the direction she was going. She was confused and I'm sure hurt. I felt really bad about that. I think I cried when I hung up the phone but I was relieved because I knew it was the right thing to do. We never hung out again. She moved away not long after that and I was relieved to not have to run into her anymore. I still smile when I think of all the stomach-hurting, tears-streaming, cant-breathe laughter we shared for the few years we were best friends. I hope she turned her life around and ended up very happy.


Give RhondaLue a shout-out in the comments here and then hop on over to HER blog HERE