As promised, I will unveil one of the great mysteries of our time:  why do people use the pound sign in tweets? If you're reading this and you don't know what a tweet is, stop by here first, and then join us again.

Hashtags are the formal term for a unit of characters that begin with the pound sign, ie #iphone or #tednugent.

• kirsten's blog

A friend dropped these beautiful flowers off yesterday. She knew I had a rough day last week, and she wanted to tell me I was wonderful. What a great Monday!

I think I'll learn more and more how important a support system is, as a freelance writer. These flowers reminded me that eventhough I'm in this by myself in some ways, I'm not alone. And even though writing is my calling, it doesn't define me, and it's not my identity.

• kirsten's blog

My Dwight bobblehead followed me almost two years ago from Waco, Texas, to Denver, Colo. And I brought it home from work last week as I made the transition from employed to self-employed.

Dwight encourages me, nodding his head in agreement as I type. That's especially appreciated today, as I breach the gap between "I want to write full-time someday" to "I'm a freelance writer."

• kirsten's blog

I'm here. It's like moving in. I'm unpacking my boxes, setting up the place, making it feel more like home. Someone should really bring me freshly baked cookies.

This Web site is like my first house. I'm on my own for the first time -- no more bosses, staff meetings, potluck lunches, happy hours. I'm self-employed, and this site proves it.

As I settle in, there will be some rearranging. What does this blog need to look like? What can I offer readers that no one else can? How will my passions feed this space?

• kirsten's blog