Pages

Monday, April 22, 2013

About This Blogging Thing


My computer rates my sites as to which ones I visit more often with a "more active" or "less active" distinction. I was dismayed when I went to the page to post today and found that it had been deemed "less active." It was a telling judgment of the kind of blogger I've been of late.

My apologies to those of you who are hanging in there. Maybe you've enjoyed the break from hearing from me. (I know my kids always appreciate my silence.) Or maybe you have actually missed my missives from the Land of Whalen. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that I've been a less than stellar blogger. There are a couple of reasons for that.

1. Blogs are falling out of vogue and I'm seeing that more and more. We're all on Twitter or Pinterest or Instagram. Our time-tight lives are driving us to look for short, quick soundbites of info instead of lengthy sermons. I certainly don't want to clog up your inbox or feed with stuff you don't want to hear. And, let's be honest, I don't want to spend time writing stuff that's not going to be read. My awareness of all of this has made blogging slip further down my priority list. It's not off the list, mind you. Just further down.

2. I have had a creative dearth of late. I do think of things I'd like to share-- just never when I can share them. I think of wonderful posts while running. Or while driving. Or showering. Or even in the middle of the grocery store. However, those posts are usually completely and totally vanished into the ether by the time I'm sitting in front of my computer. So you end up getting posts like the one I wrote last Monday-- a bunch of blather about what I'm doing, which probably just sounds like what you're doing. And why do you need to read that?

3. I'm really really busy right now. And so are you. We are all, sadly, busy in our own ways. Running ourselves ragged. Barely able to look up. And so I don't feel especially compelled to add to the noise. If I have something to say that is pertinent and relevant and not-to-be-missed, I'll post. If not, I'll be quiet. That's been my attitude of late. And yet, sometimes I feel the need to let you know I'm still around. Still mothering and chauffeuring and writing and puzzling over life's mysteries. And since this blog also pulls double duty as my site, I feel that the content should be somewhat recent when someone visits for the first time. Otherwise I look like a loser. And who wants to read a book by a loser?

And so with all of that said, I will just keep doing what I've been doing. Posting here at least once a week-- even if it's just to tell you what I've been cooking or reading or watching or listening to. Even if it's just to say "Hey, I've got a book coming out and I'd really love your support."

Or even just to say, "I'm still here. Are you? You are? I'm so glad."
Pin It!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Flags



Yesterday at my daughter's soccer practice I snapped these photos of flags flying at half mast. Something about the fact that someone, somewhere had made the effort to fly the flags at a park at half mast made me proud. Say what you want about America and our sense of entitlement and lavish living. Complain about our government, the state of our culture, our limping economy etc. But, when it comes down to it, I love this country.

And in moments like last night when I spotted these flags flying at half mast at a random park in tribute to those who were killed or wounded in Monday's Boston tragedy, I love it all the more. I choose to believe it's still a great place.
Pin It!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Monday


So, wow, it took me a bit longer to get back here than I anticipated. Mostly because my mind has been a series of jumbled, disjointed thoughts and ain't nobody got time for that. Trust me, I have spared you.

After The Worst Spring Break Ever (the new name for what was our spring break) that involved plague, pestilence and peril I needed last week to recover. I did manage to complete my weekly word count goal by the skin of my teeth and I did manage to get to the grocery store and stock up on meals and I did manage to get back to running so all was not lost. But I had nothing to give otherwise. Certainly nothing you wanted to read.

And now a new week is upon us. A new word count goal. A new list of to-do's. A new set of appointments and meetings and conversations to have. What will you be doing this week? Have you taken some time today to map it out? I know if I don't use Monday to get my feet under me, I spend the rest of the week feeling out of synch. That was part of the problem last week-- Curt and I were out of town and travelled back on Monday, so I felt like I lost that all important day, which meant Tuesday was Monday and well... that's just not right.

So today is about getting on track. And the rest of the week is about staying on track. Making sure I get where I've said I will go. Making sure the stuff that must be bought gets bought. Making sure the people I said I'd talk to hear from me. Making sure that, in all of this, those words get typed into the computer in a way that makes some sort of sense.

And in the meantime I will drive to the school and the sports. I will have a book with me at all times in case I get a few minutes to read. I will start my day with Bible study because my days are better when I spend time reading the Word first. I will cook the food that gets eaten and restock the food when it runs out. And not complain when I have to go BACK to the grocery store even though I swore I wasn't coming back this week. I will conduct the behind the scenes stuff that makes She Reads happen. I will give my kids chores and tell them it is good for them because it teaches them how to function in the real world and makes them better people, but really it just lightens my load and don't we all need our load lightened?

And most of all I will look around me at these people I do all of this for and count myself blessed, blessed, blessed. And that's about all you can do on a Monday.
Pin It!

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Bonus Days


So, we aren't supposed to be here. We're supposed to be in Wilmington NC right now, enjoying some time at my aunt's house, doing All The Field Trips I so ambitiously planned a few weeks ago when all was well and I, apparently, had more energy.

Alas, our wonderful Easter/Spring Break plans got sapped by an insidious disease which infected first my youngest and then subsequent members of my family. Consequently, Easter was a quiet, low-key day at home, but a day in which I still had hopes for a speedy recovery and a contained outbreak. By yesterday, I knew that was not to be and began making calls and adjustments. The planned trip began getting shorter and shorter, All The Field Trips cancelled, and the agenda drastically altered.

And now we sit, and wait, and hope that by tomorrow or the next day we can still get away. I have to go for part of the trip as I have a research commitment that involves other people and quite a bit of planning. I sent a text to my husband that went like this, "Another kid is sick. I'm going to the beach Thurs/Fri regardless."

But here's the miraculous part of this vicious disease zapping my well-laid travel plans. We've gotten bonus days. Days that literally were not spoken for in any way because we weren't supposed to be here. And because they weren't spoken for it means my weekly agenda in my to-do notebook that I live by? That page? It's empty. I think that possibly this has never happened before.

Now the Type A in me was tempted-- so tempted-- yesterday to start filling it. And, I will admit, I did spend some time doing some She Reads stuff yesterday while my sicklings watched a movie. But beyond that I didn't revamp my writing schedule so I could write extra words I hadn't planned on writing. I didn't turn to the page ahead of this blank one and find stuff to move up. I. Just. Left. It. Blank. This is still quite amazing to myself even as I write this.

So how have I filled these bonus days?

I have done a lot of reading. But only stuff I truly want to read.

I've slept. Napped. Rested.

I've not felt particularly urgent about much of anything. Except tending to my kids, especially the sick ones. But that's about it.

I'm enjoying these bonus days-- and resisting the urge to fill them back up again. Or pout because life hasn't gone according to plan. One of the things I'm learning about life as I get older is that it rarely does. And the best we can do is try to find the bonus.
Pin It!