how the internet makes me a better...everything

I'm sure everyone has random rabbit trail thoughts while driving. (Right?) Yesterday I was thinking about Facebook's advertising and remembered how when I first became web-aware at the age of ... fourteen? ... I thought it was ludicrous that people were suggesting that the internet would be the next big money maker. How could you make money on something intangible? Yet, all over the web, there are people making money every moment because we're all now so addicted to this thing called the "internet."

That spurred thoughts this morning of the ways that having the internet so readily accessible in my home has made me a better wife, mom, cook, house keeper, friend, musician, you name it. (Might I add that I really, truly adore wireless internet access. It is so worth the extra $8 a month. How else could I prop up my laptop on the kitchen counter and listen to Pandora, read my online recipe, and cook at the same time?)

And really, I couldn't make the following list without the following disclaimer: I Google *everything.* I mean, everything.

So, the internet makes me a better:

1. Wife: Again, I google everything. I also clear my history after googling some things. You can take that as you want ... but, I have a reasonably happy husband. ;-) I have found so much encouragement and wisdom from other women online through blogs, devotionals, and from my favorite pastors' online resources that have been so timely and that I wouldn't have found on my own.

2. Mommy: every new mom will tell you that the internet is either your best friend or your worst enemy. It can make you paranoid, thinking that your child has some rare disease and death is imminent, or it can help you realize that your child is normal, everyone else's child isn't sleeping through the night yet either, and you're going to survive this stage of life.

3. Friend: Facebook. Need I say more? Email. It might sound 'archaic' in these twitter times but I love to read a good long email. I'm not so much into letter writing these days... but I do love the concept of a letter from a friend! It's definitely like cold water to a thirsty soul, to paraphrase the Proverb.

4. Cook/Housekeeper: I love the fact that because of the internet, I can type in any question about any cooking method, recipe, or ingredient and have thousands of answers at my fingertips. When else in history did women (and men) have such a resource available to them? I don't have one particular person that I follow, but I do tend to go to Allrecipes.com more than anything. And I've solved many cleaning problems online...my favorite answer for "how to clean blinds" was "buy new ones."

5. Musician: I am by no measure an excellent pianist, I can't/won't count through a song, I like to make up little notes instead of play what's actually written (Mozart really meant it to sound like that, I'm sure!) and I really should take lessons again. But the internet has so many helpful resources that I keep putting it off. Maybe that's a bad thing! :)

So next time you have a burning question about life... just Google it.

Or, do the old fashioned thing and call your next door neighbor and chat with her for a few moments. (Next post: how much I love my next door neighbor, Nancy.)

Blessings on your home life, made better with the internet. ;)