Sunday column: Letting go is never easy

I remember his midnight curls.

The way his pudgy fingers clenched mine.

His gummy smiles and baby giggles.

The smell of powder as I cradled him in my arms.

Rolling, sitting, crawling.

His first steps, wobbly at first. More like jabs than steps. Or maybe lunges. Falls and fears and tears. He'd tumble and I'd help him up.

Read the rest

Sunday column: Obituaries reveal lives

From my Sunday column in York Daily record:

Their names and faces leap off the page and they become so much more than ink on paper. They become people. Real people, who lived and loved and died.

Read the entire column

Remember those grieving this holiday season

Here is my Sunday newspaper column, Enjoy!

I love Christmas.

I love everything about it.

The sights and sounds and smells. Spending time with family and friends. Listening to Christmas carols. Wrapping gifts. And the food. The fabulous food I only get to eat this time of the year.

And yet, for as much joy as this holiday brings, it also brings a sleigh full of sadness.

 Go here to read it all.

I love the e-edition on my iPad

My York Sunday News column for June 5, 2011

Hubs surprised me with a 25th anniversary trip to Key West. Yeah, I know. Got married when I was 10. One of the best things about the trip -- well, besides the awesome seaplane adventure to the Dry Tortugas, seeing where Hemingway penned some of his greatest work, visiting the house where President Harry Truman enjoyed spending time away from the White House, watching the interesting characters, enjoying the tropical climate and dynamic nightlife and nightly sunset festival in Mallory Square (Whew!) -- was getting the York Daily Record/Sunday News E-edition on my iPad.


I know. I know. But once a news junkie, always a news junkie. And my trusty old iPad -- that Hubs bought me (wink) for Christmas but had no idea how much he paid for it until after the bill arrived -- made staying connected and up to date on hometown news a breeze.

If you own an iPad and you subscribe to our e-edition, you definitely should check out the presentation on your tablet. Just go to the App Store and search for "York Daily Record" and install. Use the same username and password you use to access your e-edition online.

The e-edition replicates the print issue and the iPad delivers an enjoyable viewing experience. For iPad users, it's intuitive. Touch the page number at the end of a story on the front page to go to the jump page to finish reading it. Touch URLs to go to websites and email addresses to send emails. Use the pinching method to reduce or enlarge type. Touch a story with two fingers and the screen splits, putting the replicated page on one side and the story on the other, which you can then enlarge if you need to.

I know that I'm raving about this e-edition on my iPad, but I'm in love with it. It's convenient, easy to use and truly allows me to know what's going on at home anytime, anywhere I am.

I hope that if you have an iPad you give this a whirl. I'd love to know what you think of it.

And just to make sure you're in the loop, here's the skinny on some of our other great apps.

-- We have a really cool free (emphasize free) smartphone app for those of you who love going to yard sales. And I know there are a lot of you. Just download the Yardsalespa app for Android or iPhone and you're in business.

This totally sweet app lets you find yard sales by street address and gives you GPS directions to each sale. Plus, you can save your searches and map out your day. Seems like a gotta-have tool for bargain hunters.

-- Our York Daily Record smartphone app is available for Android and iPhone. And it's free. Get the latest news on the go. Unlike the e-edition, it's constantly updated with the latest news and information.

-- To get live high school sports scores and more, download our free GameTimePA app. It's available for both Android and iPhone.

Social media and the newspaper

As the newspaper industry continues to evolve, one of the many ways we connect with our readers, in addition to print, is through social media.

Some of you we see regularly on our Facebook page or on Twitter or the Exchange or one of our many blogs.

We understand that social media is an important tool for citizen journalism, and it's my job, as social media coordinator, to make you aware of all of the ways you can get the news and information you want.

Chance to win tickets to Hersheypark

Comment on my "Don't Miss" post of June 3, 2011, on Buffy's World blog (http://www.yorkblog.com/buffy) and you'll be put in a random drawing for two tickets to Hersheypark.
Deadline to comment is June 9, 2011.

Some of my posts

Dear Social Gaming, I'm just not that into you. Sorry. You're too needy and, well, I just don't have time to raise crops or expand franchises or build armies.

I don't know how I ever wrote without a computer. I mean, the dang thing is like an appendage.

Waiting for coffee to kick in. Come on, joe. Get your act together.

I don't understand why my computer can't keep up with me. I swear it's slow on purpose. Ugh!

Why did I just down a Hershey's bar when I have carrots sitting on my desk?

I wish writing was like eating chocolate. I never have any problem eating chocolate and it always tastes great.

Follow me online

Twitter: @Buffyandrews

Facebook:
Smartmamapa (http://www.facebook.com/smartmamapa)
Flipsidepa (http://www.facebook.com/flipsidepa)
York Daily Record/Sunday News (http://www.facebook.com/YorkDailyRecord)

Blogs:
Buffy's World (http://www.yorkblog.com/buffy)
Buffy's Write Zone (http://buffyswritezone.blogspot.com)

10 things I've learned from social media

I'm not an expert in social media.

Yes, I juggle numerous Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Yes, I maintain two blogs.

And, yes, social media is as much a part of my life as getting up in the morning and going to bed at night.

But I'm no more of an expert in social media than I am in automotive technology. And, for the record, the only thing I know about cars is how to start them!

But I do love social media, and I do love learning new things (except car stuff). So, if passion and attitude and tenacity count for anything, I guess I'm doing OK navigating this ever-changing digital landscape.

With that in mind, here are 10 things I've learned so far in my role as social media coordinator for the York Daily Record/Sunday News.

1. Those who succeed in using social media, whether it's maintaining a blog or Twitter or Facebook account, are those passionate about it. Your enthusiasm will come through in your tweets and posts and your interaction with others.

2. Be yourself. So I'm a bit, er, a lot, of a word nerd, a little obsessive-compulsive and totally into Rolos. Chances are if you follow me on Twitter or read my blogs or my Facebook posts you know this. And, guess what? I'm cool with that. It's who I am. I think that people want to interact with others who keep it real. They can tell if someone is faking it just to get page hits.

3. Social media is a great way to meet people with whom you share a common interest. Take me, for example. I write books for kids and teens and, through various social media platforms, I've connected with other authors around the world. While I would love to meet my cyber friends face to face, that's rarely possible. Still, we're building a network, creating a sense of community and supporting one another despite being thousands of miles apart.

I also have friends who do not work outside the home, and they rely on this virtual support system as their water cooler talk. When your work is by nature personal and isolated, social media and networking can be a lifesaver. Or, at least a sanity saver.

4. Managing social media is a lot of work. Let me say that again: It's a lot of work. It reminds me of building a campfire. (Not that I do this, but that's beside the point. It's a good analogy. And, besides, I enjoy a campfire when somebody else builds one.) You start with the tinder and kindling and gradually grow the fire using larger pieces of wood until it is a glowing masterpiece. But if you think you can just sit back and toast your marshmallows, think again. In order for the fire to keep burning, it has to be fed. Constantly.

Social media is no different. You can design a great blog or create a Twitter or Facebook account, but if you do nothing with these social media platforms, your digital footprint won't grow. People might come once. Maybe twice. But they won't keep returning unless there is new material to see and read.

5. Interaction and knowing your audience are key. If all I do is post stuff - like "I went shopping." - I'm not going to be very successful. I need to ask questions and respond to readers' answers. Social media is about engagement. It's about building relationships, and one of the ways you do this is through conversations. So instead of saying I went shopping, I said:

"I've decided that I need to stay away from Kohl's for awhile. They suck me in with their coupons and then I get the Kohl's cash so I go back and buy even more. I think I've had four huge shopping trips to Kohl's in the past month! Gotta hide those bills from Hubs. So sorry, Kohl's. I'm breaking up for awhile. Oh, I mean after I go back on Wednesday to spend the $30 in Kohl's cash I just earned. (Smiles) Am I alone here peeps?"

Now, which post do you think others would respond to?

6. Social media sites have become landing pages for news. People use them to post news and go to them to get news. Last Saturday during that crazy storm, people were on Twitter and Facebook talking weather for hours. I learned from @Stauchistory on Twitter that his daughter was celebrating her sweet 16th birthday at the West Manchester Mall with her friends, and he was worried (and that made me worry). I saw pictures on Facebook that my friend Paula Gettys Little posted of her flooded home. I read Melanie Crisamore's post (West Manchester Mall + Ripped Roof = Scary Situation) on the Teen Takeover blog of her "great date night."

The way we consume news and share news has changed. It's become more conversational and social and instant and personalized.

7. I've learned to take chances. Not everything's going to work. That's life. Sometimes I post content that I'm sure will draw responses, and it gets none. And sometimes I post something just because ("OK. So, what 40-something wakes up with a zit on her nose? Seriously. Didn't I pay my price like 30 years ago? Not fair. Well, guess there could be worse things. But still. Makes me feel like I'm in high school again.") and it gets lots of hits. I'm not even going to try to figure this one out.

8. I've learned that I love Twitter. There's something about this microblogging platform that appeals to me. Having to condense a thought or, heck, an entire story, into 140 characters is challenging and fun. I love its symbiotic nature, and that it's in real time. I've learned that if I keep my tweets to no more than 120 characters they are more easily retweetable. And, the more retweets I get, the more people I'm reaching.

9. I've learned that social media can be a time hog and that I need to pace myself. I could spend hours commenting on others' blogs and responding to their tweets and pictures and videos. You have to find a balance, one that allows you to have a normal life like most of your neighbors. Don't let the virtual world become your world. Life is for living.

10. I've learned that for better or for worse, social media has changed the world. We're more connected than we've ever been, despite spending less time together physically. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Maybe it's a little of both. I know things about people that I never would have known if it had not been for social media (BTW, kudos to Sarah Rentzel Jones who announced via Facebook she is expecting her third child. YAY, Sarah!).

There's power in social media. It can bring people together for a common cause, or tear them apart. It can help mobilize and energize an effort and lead to change.

But, like most things in life, there are negatives. I'm not blind to them. Neither should you be. By allowing conversation, you do lose some control. But don't be afraid of this. Debate and disagreement can be healthy.

In the end, I think the positives of social media outweigh the negatives.

I started this column by stressing that I'm not an expert, and I'd end it the same way. I'm just someone who's learning as she goes and trying to help you learn, too.

Catch me here

Twitter: @Buffyandrews

Facebook:
Smartmamapa: http://www.facebook.com/smartmamapa
Flipsidepa" http://www.facebook.com/flipsidepa
York Daily Record/Sunday News: http://www.facebook.com/YorkDailyRecord

Blogs:
Buffy's World: http://www.yorkblog.com/buffy
Buffy's Write Zone: http://buffyswritezone.blogspot.com/

Embrace change

Here's my newspaper column for this week. I thought my writer friends might enjoy it.

Embrace change

I did something I'd never thought I do - I read an e-book on my iPad.


You know how I love new media, but somehow reading a digital book felt dirty, like I was sneaking or cheating or taking a shortcut. And worse, I enjoyed it. Oh the horror! (Sorry, Joseph Conrad.)

I love books. I love reading them and, most of all, I love writing them. My idea of a good time is cozying up on the couch with a tome or two.

I love the entire experience - feeling the book in my hands, turning the pages, flipping back to reread a passage or sneaking ahead to peek at what's coming. (Yeah, sometimes I just can't resist.)

But what I've come to understand is that there's room for both. It doesn't have to be one or the other. They aren't mutually exclusive.

Some people like physical books.

Some like digital books.

And others, like me, enjoy both.

It's the same way with newspapers. There's nothing better than sipping a hot cup of joe while reading the morning newspaper. But, I also read a number of newspapers on my iPad, including The New York Times, USA Today and The Washington Post.

I admit that reading a book or newspaper on an e-reader is a different experience than reading their physical counterparts, but that doesn't mean it's a bad experience.

In some ways, the interactivity an e-reader provides is a definite plus. Come across a word you don't know, look it up in an instant. Want to highlight a passage that you like? Easy enough to do with a quick finger grab.

With any change, however, come naysayers. "That's not the way we've always done it," they lament. "I liked the old way better."

To them I say: Embrace change. Change is good.

Whenever I say this I'm reminded of the Eastman Kodak Company. Would this company have survived if it refused to embrace change - if it had resisted developing a digital strategy because, well, darn it, it liked producing film and photographic chemicals?

Kodak was smart enough to know that those who succeed and indeed flourish in this digital age will be those who embrace change.

It recognized that the market for traditional photography was declining and repositioned itself to continue to compete globally.

For this photographic powerhouse, that meant an extensive footprint reduction program that included imploding obsolete buildings at its Rochester, N.Y., manufacturing facility.

I can't imagine what it must have felt like for the employees and area residents to watch the transformation of Kodak Park. While the new skyline might have been a bit jarring, I'm sure they understood that the retooling was necessary as imaging transitioned from analog to digital.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, I'm from York County. Born and raised here. I know that we don't like change. We like things just the way they are. But there's positive in change, if we're open to it.

As our news organization, like Kodak, positions itself to survive in this dog-eat-dog digital world, it will continue to find ways to connect with readers. A day doesn't pass when one of us isn't thinking digitally about how we can continue to bring you the news and information you want in whatever way you want it.

I'm not a fool. I know that change is hard. Just ask anyone who works with me. They'll tell you I like my desk organized a certain way and can tell if something has been moved, even an inch.

But I've also found that when I embrace change, instead of fight it, I discover a world full of hope and a little something about myself.

Recently, 7-year-old Emma Vrabel (YAY! Emma) was reading one of my middle-grade books on her iPad. Each night after she read a chapter or two, she'd e-mail me her thoughts. What she liked or didn't like. Her frustration with the bully in the book or her love for the protagonist.

Each night, I looked forward to receiving her e-mail. It didn't matter to me how Emma was reading my book. What mattered was that she was enjoying it.

As a writer, I want people to read my work in whatever way suits them. Some people will read this column in the newspaper. Others will read it on one of my blogs and still others will read it on our website. I'm OK with that. As long as you read me, that's cool. (Now, if you hate what I write, well, that's another matter.)

I hope that as we continue our social media journey together, you'll be open to exploring new technologies or at least recognize that while they might not be for you, they might work for someone else.

I know that Hubs, just like an overwhelming majority of York countains, would never give up the physical newspaper. And I would never try to convince him - or you - to do so. That's where he's parked and, believe me, there's no moving him.

But, he also recognizes that many people get their news via a website or on their smartphone or iPad or, heck, even their Facebook page or Twitter feed.

And that recognition is change I can live with.

My recent newspaper column

As social media coordinator for The York Daily Record/Sunday News, I write a monthly column. Here's the one that ran Sunday introducing me and my new blog. Enjoy.