Widgets and Such! Oh My!

I have no earthly idea as to why I have a huge space between several posts! You have to scroll way down to post a comment. I now know what a widget is, I just don't exactly know where you find them and how you install them! I am such a blog amateur! Hey Cindy, you look like the queen of widgets (I mean that lovingly) how bout some advice...also my pictures are fine until I load them to the post and then they look faded...Help???