Thoughts About Blogging - 2009 Collage

I was in a cut rate furniture store one time -- the kind that looks like a big, red barn. Behind the owner's desk was a large bulletin board which was covered with pictures of the same three children at all different ages standing on a dock, playing in the water, in front of an orange sunset. That picture collage had a profound effect on me. It spoke of a happy family in a nice home near the water. Years of happy times were depicted there. Since I had a rather lonely childhood, it represented a yearning I have always had.

This blog is my bulletin board. Someday I hope it reminds my children and grandchildren of fun and happy times we had together. My son recently said I must be in a sweet spot in my life. He was very perceptive. In spite of whatever troubles we may have, I am in a sweet spot surrounded by my home, my son and daughter, friends, husband and these dear children. I will never be famous and rich, but I do feel important when I can't even pull into the driveway without being swarmed by anxious children running to their Grandma. Okay, that doesn't really happen that often any more, but it has in the past. I was seriously afraid of running over one of them before I could stop the car and get out.

I have always kept photo albums and recorded events in daytimers to mark our lives, but when I discovered how easy it is to take a digital photo and print it out or send it to a friend or post it in a blog, I was hooked. Now the little flip video cameras make it easy to add moments of real life. I would also like to scan in old photos and documents and add music as well. That would make this blog a real family history to pass on.

I am not an expert in Blogger, but I have found it very difficult to search for blogs I might be interested in. I can't even find the ones I know are there sometimes. What happened is that my friend, Sharon, had her blog listed as a 'Blog of Note' and that inspired me to get started. Somehow you find one blog you like and that leads to another and another. That network opens up fascinating lives that are very different and far away from my own but which have become very important to me. I look forward to checking the blogs I follow and seeing comments on my own. I know that some people view blogging as a rather self-indulgent pursuit, but it has become so much more to me.

I recently added "My Farmhouse Kitchen" to my list of blogs. A title I couldn't resist. I also started following "City Views, Country Dreams" which is a great insight into living in an apartment in New York City and all that entails -- so different from my own life and yet, I feel I am there. I love synch-ro-niz-ing, Life at Willow Manor and The Lettered Cottage and Attic24. This is better than journaling, scrapbooking and penpal-ing all rolled into one. Sweet!

The Mean Brush

Jill and Jonah and fishing pole. He has a sun blister on his lip because he is sensitve to the sun.

Getting Jonah off to school can be a bit trying. He doesn't like to get up. He's a sort of jump-out-of-bed-at-the-last-minute-and-put-on-your-shoes-and-go kind of kid. We even tried dressing him for school the night before but then he wanted to change clothes. He has grown up in Florida so he wants to wear shorts and short sleeved shirts every day. Florida kids are conviced it will be hot by the end of the day and they will be stuck carrying all those warm clothes around. That happens just often enough to make them hard to convince. Jonah was actually pretty good today until time to brush his hair which was full of cowlicks. Jaime finally grabbed a brush and brushed his hair none too gently. "Mom, " he whined in his victim mode, "You always pick the mean brush!" (There is one brush with very sharp bristles.) And so another day begins. He was sweet last night. Did his homework and then climbed into bed with me to watch American Idol together. Do you know the soup commercial where the snowman comes in out of the cold and slowly melts into a little red haired boy? That one always reminds me of Jonah. My first grandchild. I have a soft spot for that little boy even when he is very hard to like. UPDATE: I added the Snowman commercial to the links on the right.

Coping with January

Tangelo tree has a few orange globes if you look closely. This tree is not in good shape but the tangelos are still sweet. (Part tangerine, part orange)

Bacon and pancakes and coffee warm Roger up this morning.

Here is the view from our front door. At least the sun is out. It is about 37 degrees out there right now. I know it is not really that bad, but cold to us.

Jaime and Jonah returning the class guinea pig, Cocoa Puff, to school.

Cocoa Puff is visible in the left hand corner of the cage. Jonah above.

It has been cold all weekend and still record breaking cold this morning. It is supposed to be warmer by Friday. Jonah brought the school guinea pig home for the weekend. It was a cold walk from the classroom to the car on Friday. Now Jaime and Jonah are getting ready to take Cocoa Puff back to school. She was a good little guinea pig. Squeaking and jumping around now and then and eating baby carrots (too many I'm afraid). Jonah and his friend Eliot volunteered at the pet store to get some animals adopted homes. When I asked Jonah if anyone adopted a pet he said, "No, but Eliot is thinking about adopting a bird." I told him the idea was not to adopt all the animals themselves. Happy January 11, 2010!