Monday, January 4, 2010

How This Blog Got Its Name

I've always loved turtles and tortoises. This past summer, my husband and I brought home two baby Barbados Red Foot tortoises. We named them Larry and Mrs. Larry, and they have since become my little hard shelled muses. They are the perfect symbols for my writing and creative process - slow and steady with a hard shell to hide in when rejection rains down (and believe me, it does, oh it does...)

But, unlike the torts, I can't stay tucked in my shell all the time. And so, this blog. It's a small step, to be sure, in a world where it seems like everyone is tweeting and on Facebook etc. I'm just adding my small, quiet voice to the mix and hope someone hears it, likes it, and maybe learns a little something from it.

Oh, but the name of the blog. Well, my husband and I were watching our tortoises burrow a bit, and Larry in particular was digging away in the corner, as if he was trying to escape (he wasn't, or so we hope!) We were reminded of the Stephen King book/movie (Rita Hayworth and) The Shawshank Redemption. It took about two seconds before we both said, "No, it's The Shellshank Redemption! Ha ha!" And a blog was born...

18 comments:

  1. Congratulations on setting up the blog. Really looking forward to reading your posts.
    Donetta

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  2. Love that name, Madeline! (And the movie, now that I think about it :-)

    The blog looks great, the turtles are cute and the writing's sublime. Well done, sistah!

    Cath

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  3. Thanks, Cath!

    I'll let the tortoises know they're a hit... :)

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  4. I love the name too. Welcome to the blogging world. :)

    Margo
    http://margodill.com/blog/
    Read These Books and Use Them

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  5. Here's wishing you good luck with your new blog!

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  6. I'll take all the good wishes I can get. :) Thanks, LuAnn!

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  7. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! I love your blogger name and the photo.

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  8. I love turtles! I don't really know much about them or tortoises but they are very symbolic for me.

    Love the concept and conception of your blog! :)

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  9. Lexie - thank so much. I'm glad you've joined us here. :)

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  10. Thanks for visiting my blog, I love my tortoises, such a cute name for your blog. I thought mine were male till they started laying eggs, thus the name changes. Love the picture of your babies going after the basil.


    Cynthia (The Sock Zone)

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    1. Thank you for coming by! And our two love basil - as you can tell! - although Larry is partial to tomatoes, just like yours are.

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  11. I saw your turtles and had to stop by this post. A couple months ago, a co-worker rescued a baby red eared slider turtle from the middle of the road, handed it to me, and it now lives in a little bowl on our kitchen table. My hubby (Larry, btw!) and I get a lot of enjoyment out of dining with the little creature.

    ~Tui

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  12. Your tortoises are adorable. Do you still have them? Thank you for stopping by my blog Karens Different Corners for the AtoZ challenge. Did you see my post about my tortoise? http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/t-is-for-tortoise/

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    1. Thank you! Yes, we still have them. They're definitely not as big as your tortoise, though. :)

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