In Real Life (IRL)

There's a term in social media known as IRL. In real life. As opposed to the world of the www. Blogs. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Where we can groom our image. Tweak it to perfection. Sometimes our web self can seem very different, or conversely, very similar, to our real self.

IRL-it is amazing to me how many of my friends read my blog, and how many don't.

blueberry jam

IRL-I love chocolate. A day is not complete until chocolate has snuck in there somehow. And cocoa in my morning coffee doesn't count.

IRL-I gave up drinking pop (soda, soft drinks) when I was 19. I was cooking at a wilderness camp for 10 weeks, and went cold turkey. And I completely lost my taste for it.

IRL-I drink water and coffee. And a very occasional glass of wine. I drink gallons of water each week.

I love the purple-blue of blueberry jam.

IRL-I limit myself to one cup of coffee each day. Except Fridays, with the BFF. Then I have another. Too much caffeine makes my moods swing, and gives me eye twitches. No joke.

IRL-I count my strokes when I am swimming. Only up to 8. I should be doing a flip turn when I hit my third "6". If I'm not, I am not swimming efficiently.

All sealed. Jeweled beauty.

IRL-I am very streamlined. I am a tosser. Not a hoarder. I have some nicknacks, but I want to keep dusting time down to a minimum, so I keep the nicknacks down to a minimum.

IRL-I love quiet. Which is why I am a morning person. The day never gets as quiet as it is at 6:00-a.m.. I don't know if this is because I am from a big family, but I relish silence.

ready to go tubing this weekend

IRL-I am intensely practical. Mr. Hippie is the dreamer in our relationship. I keep us grounded. He keeps us soaring.

IRL-I eat granola with raisins for breakfast every day. And generally milk and cookies for lunch. I know, I am such a health nut. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies throughout the day too. My big meal is at dinner. It works for me.

catching frogs. They caught at least a dozen.

IRL-I love Pride and Prejudice. The book and the new movie. I have read the book 10 times if I have read it once. And I identify most with Mr. Darcy. Not Elizabeth so much. "My good opinion once lost is lost forever." And it is just as bad a fault in me as in Mr. Darcy.

IRL-I'd much rather you tell me the truth, than tell me what you think I want to hear, or lie to me. I have a very hard time forgiving lying, and learning to trust again. I will put up with a lot. I will forgive a lot. But lying is something that I just can't stand. EVER.

thrift haul. Baby doll stroller, $3, Goodwill.

IRL-I love reading. I especially like adventure novels, and historical fiction. I hardly ever read poetry or self help/motivational books.

why use it for baby dolls, when you can push your cousin?
I love how Meres paused to look at N like, "are you okay over here?"

IRL-I love laughing at Reader's Digest jokes. My friend, Margaret, and I, will read the latest issue together, when we hang out, and bust a gut.

IRL-I hardly ever pay full price for anything. Maybe a certain grocery item needed for a recipe. But that would be about it.

Meres' turn. Hilarious twin moment.

IRL-I am the one to take the bull by the horns and speak out, but one on one, I am not very outgoing. I rely  a lot on Mr. Hippie to help me reach out of my shell and make friends.

IRL-I boldly and confidently express my opinions, but I also am a firm believer in "live and let live." What works for me does not work, or have to work, for everyone.

IRL-I have had four home births-no pain meds, no doctors. Just a very competent midwife, Mr. Hippie and my mom in attendance. And, at some point in every birth I wonder, out loud, why in the world I am going through this again, at home, without any meds?!

first handful of bush beans from garden

IRL-I get the biggest kick out of the Pinterest "use your mason jar" ideas. Because I use my mason jars. Hundreds of them. For canning. I actually still put peaches, and applesauce, and green beans, and salsa, and tomatoes in my jars. Every year.

cherry tomatoes. Going to win the Guiness Book of World Records
for biggest cherry tomatoes.

IRL-I am not very artistic. But I love beauty. And I admire, and on occasion, I mimic other's ideas. Pinterest is great for that.

IRL-Olive Garden is my all time favorite restaurant. We dine there on a very regular basis. So much so, that it would probably be cost effective to own stock in OG.

and another. Natural beauty.

IRL-I have brown hair, blue eyes, a wrinkly belly, and lots of freckles. IRL-I love connecting with people. IRL-I don't wear much makeup, I love polka dots, and I am so NOT on the stripe wagon. IRL-I wear a lot of neutrals. IRL-I love jewelry. IRL-I march to the beat of a different drummer.

Embrace the camera

IRL-people often misjudged me because they can't see my heart.

In real life I am not much different than on my blog. 
How does your IRL self compare with you Web self? Do you boldly let your personality pour out in your web presence?
BTW, I am looking forward to meeting a whole lot of you IRL at Influence this fall!

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