This marks another addition to the regular feature here at Little Indiana: Indiana Blogs. If you are an Indiana Blogger, please use the contact form and send me an email. You may be featured right here on Little Indiana.

Indiana Blogs: Local Lady

Indiana Blogs: Local Lady

Local Lady is an Indiana blog that should be deemed positive cheerleader for the city of Richmond, Indiana. She fits the typical story: small town girl, grew up, “escaped,” and then came right back again. Time away gives you amazing insight, doesn’t it?

This Hoosier would like to inspire YOU to be more adventurous and to break out of the bubble: the twenty two square miles or so that you call yours.

Indiana Blogs: Local Lady

Why did you start Local Lady
I’ve always enjoyed writing, and one evening I said to my husband, “I want to blog, and I really like the idea of doing something very local…” He really encouraged me that night. I was looking for ideas for my own blog, when I found Little Indiana.

Little Indiana really inspired me to look out at my own backyard and appreciate where I live. So I designed a rough logo and he made it appear on the computer screen. I’ve lived in Richmond, Indiana for twenty years and I felt like I never really got to know my hometown.

So Local-Lady is a sort of love letter to my community as I explore and get to know it better. I’m also hoping to put out a lot more information that people visiting or relocating to the area would find useful.

I started blogging just about two or so months ago. The idea of the blog evolved from something much less ambitious. I have children and I am always on the look out for fun, affordable activities to take them to and I would get frustrated trying to find out when and where things were happening.

There are a plethora of community calendars that circulate, but I wanted something more comprehensive. After spending so much time collecting various events, I thought as long as I am doing this I may as well share!

What about that name? Why Local Lady?
It took me awhile to settle on a name. I had a different name picked out that wasn’t available. I wanted something short and memorable and Local-Lady was the first name I typed into Blogger that was not taken. Finally! It’s grown on me so much that I don’t remember the name I had set my sights on before!

What are three of your most favorite posts?
I was happy to record my  “Personal Knit History” , and I love “The Sights and Sounds of Richmond”  and I really enjoy interviewing people from Richmond. Can I say all of my interviews are my third favorite?

What keeps you ready and raring to post? Why do you blog?
The things that really keep me posting are simply the encouragement I’ve received. I’ve always been writing, but I have done so quietly. A little positive feedback (from someone other than family members) goes a long way in keeping me ready and raring to share a little of what I write with the world!

I get such a thrill watching the Google map on my Blogger stats light up with countries where people are clicking and presumably reading my writing.

What can people expect when they hop onto your blog? 
I’m ironing out a consistent schedule! Every Wednesday I post a “What’s Happening” entry to keep people aware of a few of the really neat events going on in Richmond for that particular week on my calendar. Mondays I run an interview or coverage of an event, and Fridays or Sundays I do more of a general catch all for whatever I feel like writing.

People can definitely expect that I will keep the calendar running with as much up to date information as possible! I’m also working on a restaurant guide. I’m always losing our take out menus, so I thought “why not scan these in, make them searchable and share them with everybody?”

Also, I have fairly severe food allergies, and I’d like to do my best to help other people who live here or who are visiting feel safer eating at Richmond restaurants.

What’s your favorite part about living in Richmond, Indiana? What do you enjoy the most about our Hoosier state?
I love the people. My family and friends are here. Richmond is full of gems: both people and places. We have an awesome library, gorgeous parks and a strong history of appreciating the arts.

The thing I love best about Indiana is the poetry of this place. Indiana has a special homey, cornfield feel unlike anywhere else I have visited. The Midwest is known widely as “the Rust Belt”, but we really aren’t all that rusty. There’s a lot more here than what initially meets the eye.

I think it is true of a lot of Hoosiers that we have a certain humility or modesty. We aren’t out there tooting our own horns, but I think we could be. Maybe it would be a good thing to! Indiana is not pretentious, it’s comfy.

If you could have a super hero power what would it be?  
When I was a little girl, I loved reading L. Frank Baum’s Oz series, he was the author of the Wizard of Oz. In one of those stories, a shaggy man had a magical “love” magnet. He was a scruffy drifter, a bum but as long as he had that magnet, everyone instantly loved him. Sometimes the magnet was a great boon, but  it was also a bit of a burden. I’ve always loved that idea. It made quite a charming impression on me.

I think if I had a super power it would be a little different. I would want everyone I meet to feel loved in a sense: lighter, happier and content. That is how I like to feel. Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I have learned that to be true, too.

Is there anything else that you would like Little Indiana readers to know about you or your blog?
I am officially declaring myself a mini- independent media mogul (rich in information), Indiana foodie and Richmond’s ambassador to the internet! Hello, World!

Travel, Inspired

I hope you feel pumped and ready to explore your neck of the woods: big or small. Thanks to the Local Lady for hopping over to Little Indiana today.

Small Towns: Destinations, not Drive-Thrus! I’m Jessica Nunemaker and THIS is Little Indiana.

Just don’t forget to tell them that Little Indiana sent you.

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