With a name like The Muttering Muse, all I could think was, “what in the world am I going to find here” when this one came up for review. One quick look at the subtitle, “Decaffeinated coffee is the Devils blend,” and I figured this would be a site I could settle in to.
Kestrel authors this WordPress site. Upon first opening the page, the reader sees a beautiful graphic, which is from “A Bacchante” by Arthur Wardle. The graphic also contains a portion of a poem by E. E. Cummings. This blog has a very classy look. The colors are pleasing to the eye and work well with her header. Kestrel has an extensive about page. I always appreciate people who write a personal blog taking the time to really work on their About Me section. It helps the reader gain insight right away into the writer and Kestrel has done a wonderful job. You learn that she has two BA degrees and is working on a Masters in Religious Studies. Check out her full About Me page and you’ll see pictures of her beloved dog Oreo as well as some fantastic snapshots she’s taken. Kestrel is engaged to be married and she has a count down to the big day in her sidebar.
Along with the standard blog roll, this blogger has several added features in her side bar. Usually lots of clutter annoys me, but Kestrel has some cool applications. As a student myself, I enjoyed her status bars for projects she has to complete this semester. It must be fun for her regular readers to keep up with her progress! She also includes a list of books she’s reading, complete with mini-summaries, and her current mood that includes what she’s craving and wishing for among other information. Very fun little apps!
A little annoying is the password protection on several entries, such as 3 successive posts discussing an argument with her fiancé and a “real time” Thanksgiving post that I assume she updated during the day. I wouldn’t really know though, as I do not have the password. Password protected entries appear throughout the blog archives. It appears Kestrel does this “in the interest of familial harmony,” as she explains about the Thanksgiving post. I can only guess that many family members and personal friends read her blog, and she does struggle with that in a post from November 17th. This is all well and good, but it does pose a hassle to the occasional reader. Perhaps a more private, intimate blog written separately might be in order to solve her dilema.
Kestrel writes about anything that seems to come to mind. Her style is light and conversational. She posts everything from the occasional favorite recipes (I copied down Pasta & Vegetables Au Gratin – thanks!), to examples of her own digital artwork and even her choice of birth control. Nothing, it seems is off limits for Kestrel. As expected, there are posts about the wedding planning and even Kestrel’s thoughts on current events.
The Archives start in April 2004, however there is only one post to be found there. Kestrel advises that it was posted on her previous blog. It’s an entry about “The Passion of the Christ” and the issues surrounding that film. The archives do not start up again until August when the writer began using WordPress. If the “Passion” post is one she feels is important, perhaps it deserves it’s own special place on her sidebar.
Overall, The Muttering Muse is an entertaining site. Kestrel posts often enough to keep her regular readers coming back again and again, as evidenced by her frequent commenters. I would have scored her higher were it not for the password thing. I’m sure I would have been provided one, had I sent email to request it, but quite frankly I’m supposed to review what I see. This writer’s variety of content and interesting sidebar apps make this blog an interesting read. You’ll just want to ask for the password to get the full Muttering Muse experience.
The Muttering Muse