Yes, I do not ever discuss politics on my blog. However, this is an issue that affects this blog. Therefore, I have made an exception.

Basically? I don’t want to be Abe.

If someone decides on their own to shut down WordPress? I may have done nothing wrong, but I (And a bazillion other bloggers) will wake up to no website.

I’m calling Lindsey Graham’s office today to let them know I oppose this bill. Plus, I like calling his office. The employees in the Florence office are super nice and helpful.

Check out Google’s “Take Action” page.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

2011 was an excellent year for me– both as Flossip and in my life as a person with an actual name.  My family is happy and healthy, Mr. Flossip and I have good jobs, our friends are the best in the world… even my dogs have a good life. I did a 2010 Recap that was a little better organized… but 2010 was just more organized in general.  This year I have focused more on what I have than what I don’t have, and organization is one of my “Don’t haves.”

It was a great year for the Flossip.  A huge thanks to Palmetto First Federal Credit Union for all of their support and advertising.   I truly want my ad campaigns to be successful and to be a benefit to local businesses.  I’m thrilled that I was able to build a relationship with Palmetto First and learn more about the people that make their business what it is.

My favorite post of last year is the ever changing and continuing post “Rumors, Openings & Closings in Florence, SC.”  It has been a constant source of both information and discussion.  I also loved going to the Miss South Carolina pageant and getting to “kn0w” Bree Boyce.  I can’t wait to see her become Miss America.  She is truly a pearl of the Pee Dee if ever there was one.

I had a great meal at George’s Funnel Cakes, I loved shopping at Goosie Ganders, and I was very honest about how it feels to have a blog you want to write on but are paralyzed by writers block.

We discussed our favorite grocery stores,  our favorite coffee, and I managed a little staycation.  I saw Alegria at the Civic Center (and still can’t pronounce it).  I also went to the Jason Aldean concert AND the Lady Antebellum Concert!

I saw some great plays at the Florence Little Theatre:  Hairspray, Seussical, Jr., Into the Woods,  Moon Over Buffalo, and Inherit the Wind.

I fell in love with Francis Marion’s new Performing Arts Center (and thank them for advertising here)!

I walked in the Pee Dee Heart Walk and was inspired to continue to work on being healthy.  I danced the night away at the Pee Dee Heart Ball and wore a fancy dress.

The Florence Fair has become one of my favorite Florence family activities… and before this site I would not have gone.

Mr. Flossip wrote his first post on the site– a review of Southern Hops.

On a sad note, Florence lost a native son and many of us felt the loss.  I still think about Chris Deaver when I’m at Apple Annies or see a picture of his beautiful daughter in my news feed.

All in all, 2011 was about being more a part of the community.  I’m stunned when I look back at how much more involved I am in what is going on here.  How sad I am when I have to miss an event (Museum Oyster Roast and Taste of the Symphony) and how much I look forward to certain events.  This blog has helped me to do that– and I can assure you that I rarely say “I’m bored.”

Truth be told– I’m really happy standing in the place where I live.

(I am once again at my facebook limit for friends and pages.  Please like “The Flossip” page if you are not able to be my friend.)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I’m so lucky that the MacNerds live in Florence and wanted to show off their skills by building a Flossip app for both iPhone and Android. Their response time is amazing, they stay on top of updates, and they keep me in the loop. What more could you ask for in an app builder?

Also… how cool is it that I have an app? Sometimes when I’m with Flossip friends that “are in the know” I can’t help but say “If you look at my app, you will see…”

Here is the iPhone app:

iPhone apps at AppStoreHQ

Here is the Android app:

Android apps at AppStoreHQ

Feel free to comment about the app here and give us feedback. I know they appreciate feedback, and it will help us make changes to suit the users needs.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

and she is telling you all about what to do with kids in Florence! I discovered this blog the other day and was THRILLED! She is writing regularly about what you can do with kids in Florence. I will certainly be linking her here in the upcoming months, and am really glad to see someone else posting events. She also has a facebook page that you should like.

The reality is that one of the things that keeps hyperlocal blogs like ours going is reader feedback. Knowing that YOU want to read and appreciate what I have to offer makes it worthwhile. Otherwise I would feel like what I have to say is just floating in cyberspace without any purpose or meaning. So, please like her facebook page and link her site as well!

We have emailed back and forth and she is just great. Y’all give her a proper Florence welcome!

(Other things that keep the Flossip going are Palmetto First Federal Credit Union and those of you that shop through my Amazon link. Truly, without Palmetto First, this year may not have happened!)

Please also like “The Flossip” facebook page. I can’t accept any more friends on facebook and am trying to transition new friends over.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Now that the Anniversary contests are over, I want to say thank you to all of you lovely readers. Thanks to all of you that click my website every day. Thanks to all you that voted for me in the Best of the Pee Dee Contest (2nd Place– WOW!!) and thanks to everyone that comments and emails. People ask me why I write this website. Some days it is a source of frustration, but I really enjoy the sense of community that I have found. I have learned that there is plenty to do right here in Florence– you just may have to look for it.

The amazing thing is how much our lives have changed since the website began. Mr. Flossip and I both became more active in the community. Through that we have found an enormous group of friends that we love and respect. I honestly believe that writing here is largely responsible for that happening. To those friends that know that I write this website– a very special thank you to each and every one of you. Thank you for being a trusted confidant, for listening to me whine and cry on occasion, for sending me information about things to do in Florence, and for just being you. I wish that I could thank you individually, and let this entire town know how great you are… but that would be somewhat revealing of who I am.

People ask why I remain anonymous– and there is no clear cut answer on that. The concealed identity and website were something of a lark when I began. Lots of bloggers write behind pseudonyms (see: Busy Mom). It makes it a little mysterious for the reader, protects my kids when I talk about them on the internet, allows me a little freedom of expression– I don’t feel quite so much like I am putting myself out there for my entire town to read. Yet, when it comes down to it– I stand behind what I write. This is one reason I keep my website positive. I don’t believe in hiding behind a fake identity to bring others down. You can believe everything that I write, I just don’t post negative reviews. Sometimes the sound of silence is the answer to my opinion on a restaurant. People seem to largely enjoy the mystery of who I am, so I plan to keep it that way. I do ask that if you suspect you have me figured out… don’t spoil it for others.

Thanks to my friend that steps in and plays Flossip on occasion. It is very nice to know I can breathe easily on occasion and things will be maintained.

To Mr. Flossip who puts up with late nights, some fussing and cursing, and helps me to think of things to write. I love that we have started to do more of the site together.

Thanks to my mom and my boss who help me remember that there is always someone reading that will tell me if I crossed a line. Thanks to my boss for understanding this website and what it means to me and to Florence! That is a special boss indeed!

Also, a special thanks to the twitter community. You are all my “peeps” and make this a lot more fun! You provide me with insight and inspiration every day. Thanks to the macnerds for the super fabulous app and to Palmetto First for being such a great sponsor.

All in all, this has been a positive experience in my life. Realistically it wouldn’t BE an experience without all of you dropping by every day. So, drop in, read a little, comment a little… and know that I appreciate you.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I love checking my post office box! I got a few Christmas cards, a mix CD, AND a lovely gift from the Pecan Festival Committee. They listed me along with the Media Sponsors, how cool is that? They also sent me a Pecan Festival t-shirt. Thanks to everyone that reads and especially to all of you that sent gifts and cards this Christmas!

Flossip

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Many of you may know that I now have 5000 friends on facebook. First of all– WOW! Thanks to every single one of you. Second– it means I have now reached the “official facebook friend limit.” That means I can no longer accept any friend requests unless someone deletes me as a friend. I also can’t message any of the new people requesting to be my friend and tell them that I have a facebook page they can “like”. Why not? Well, Big Brother Facebook says that means I am a spammer. If I continue with that behavior it will delete my entire Flossip account.

Yes, there IS a secondary Flossip account. I have tried to hide it as I am not using it, so don’t be offended if you found it and I didn’t accept your friend request. Its just a safety measure in case they ever did delete my account.

So what to do now? I think my plan is to use both my primary Flossip facebook account and the facebook page which is linked here. At some point the information on the page and the account will be duplicative so you may want to choose one or the other.

Having 5000 facebook friends is fascinating. One day I may give you some tips on “what not to say on Facebook.”

Thanks so much for all of your support!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Welcome to the October 2010 edition of the Pee Dee Blog Carnival. It’s the third edition and we’re growing!
Christine Zigler presents Kid Friendly Veggie Dish – Tomato & Potato Bake posted at TheProductiveNonconformist.blogspot.com.

Pee Dee Foodie presents dueling BBQ reviews from Schoolhouse Bar-B-Cue in Scranton and Roger’s Bar-B-Q House in Florence. Also, it’s the latest Inn The Kitchen from Chef Patty Griffey of Abingdon Manor in Latta featuring South Carolina honey. All that posted on PeeDeeFoodie.com.

Scott Park presents Planning for the Pedestrian posted at FlorenceCo.blogspot.com.

Whitney Meade presents I LOVE THE FALL! – The Meade Feed. posted at TheMeadeFeed.com.

Sloan Spencer presents Danny Barnes, friend of Dave Matthews, Colt Ford, and Don Gallardo posted at CountryFriedRock.com.

That concludes this edition of the Pee Dee Blog Carnival for October 2010. If you’re a Pee Dee area blogger, submit your featured articles to the next edition using our Carnival Submission Form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. Learn more about this avenue for featuring local South Carolina bloggers and our region at http://PeeDeeBlogCarnival.com

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Flossip has quite a busy week this week. What about you?

I asked if anyone had any interview questions for Flossip and quite of you sent some good questions! I will be answering them throughout the next week or so as time permits. I also need some “real estate” questions. If you are looking for a house in Florence and want my favorite picks in your designated price range– email me at theflossip@gmail.com. Also let me know if you like country or city, old or new, etc.

Here are the answers to the first set of interview questions:

Donna A. McLaughlin asks: Besides being a Mother what kind of work do you do?

Answer

: Thats a great question! Unfortunately it is also probably identity revealing as there is only one known queen of the world living right here in Florence. Just kidding… that does bring me to the next question.

Kay Byrd asks why do you hide your identity?

Answer

: It started out as just being a hobby, really. Many bloggers have pseudonyms that they blog behind (see Busymom or Blondemom for example) and I came up with Flossip for this blog. It is a good idea for anyone on the internet to hide as much personal information as they can. I can not ever see a time when I put my first and last name on here. However, the reason I stay “truly” anonymous is that people keep talking about it and reading. As long as they are interested it will help people stay informed about the goings-on in Florence.

There are times when I wish I could talk more about the things I do… but in doing so would “out” me to a larger group of people. I went on a trip recently that I could use to compare some things to Florence but because of the anonymity I can’t write about it. Which leads me to question 3…

Rebecca Lawson Rowland asks: Is there anyone who knows your true identity & if so are you afraid they may let the cat out of the bag?

Answer

: Yes, there are people that know my identity. So far, they have all protected the secret. There are others that think they know who I am, but are wrong. There are others that suspect but don’t have confirmation… and won’t. I am very, very selective about who I share this with. My boss knows, my mother knows, and I finally told my brother when he kept rejecting my friend request on facebook.

If they let the cat out of the bag… I will be upset for someone betraying a secret but life will go on. I don’t write anything here I am not willing to stand behind when it comes down to it. I don’t blog anonymously so I can be like the crazy people that do so to disparage others and act in a way they wouldn’t live and in person. Also, my mother reads my website. (Hi, mom!)

Becky McCutcheon Cooper asks: How long have you lived in Flo-town?

I was young when we moved to Florence. I lived a few hours away from here and moved here in elementary school. You did not teach my history class in high school…

stay tuned for more later this week!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

CBS has a great article about how restaurants are turning to twitter to help fix complaints. Every day with the Florence Twitter and Facebook crowd I see praise and complaints about local establishments. Honestly, one reason I won’t eat at certain places is because of the negative feedback I see online.

Example:

“Big Roach in my bread basket at XYZ today. Major fail.”

Rest assured– that is going to keep me away.

I saw one today that said Fat Boys was excellent for lunch. Awesome– I need to eat there again.

Even if YOU don’t want a twitter account, you need to be searching twitter for your business name. See what people are saying about you and your place of business. You may learn an important lesson.

I can honestly tell you that if Fireside had been reading what people were saying, they might still be open today.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.