Living Twice

Is it too late to wish you all a Merry Christmas? I think not. After all, the 12 Days of Christmas started yesterday and ends on January 6th! So, with that thought, I do hope you all have experienced some moments of joy and gratefulness in this Christmas season thus far. I plan to leave our tree up at least until the new year. How about you? 

With the end of the year approaching so quickly, it always brings with it questions: 

Should I quit blogging? 

Should I restart blogging? 

Should I change my blog name? 

Should I change my theme? 

Should I change my header? my font? my colors? .. and on, and on....

Truthfully, I ask myself these questions several times throughout the year. In response to those questions, the answers are as follows: 

no

yes

yes

not really

yes and no... some changes... I do like change! I used to rearrange my living room furniture all the time, but since we purchased a corner sectional several years ago, I've been quite limited. I can still rearrange my blog as often as I wish, though. I realize it's really a way of procrastinating, but we'll deal with that issue later. ;) 

I've thought often of changing my blog name The View From Here. I've tired of it and hunted more meaningful titles. But I simply could not decide. Until today.  I believe I may have found it. 

The idea of A Life Lived Twice comes from Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones. 

Writers live twice. They go along with their regular life, are as fast as anyone in the grocery store, crossing the street, getting dressed for work in the morning. But there's another part of them that they have been training. The one that lives everything a second time. That sits down and sees their life again and goes over it. 

                                                                                   Natalie Goldberg 

I think that's why I can't help but think oh, I could write about that when I'm going about my business. I'm so addicted to that thought, that even though I may not blog for months at a time, I still THINK about it. Maybe it's just me. 

So, that's my plan for 2022-- continue to blog (often haphazardly). I think writing is a healthy pastime, whether it's journaling, blogging, or personal essays.  As well, I'm hoping that my writings may at times inspire, entertain, provoke, or simply make you feel that you are not alone. I so enjoy others' blogs for those reasons! 

Here's to continued writing, friends! 

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

 

remembering moments

Although I haven't been blogging much lately, I usually have a million thoughts whizzing through my head, it seems. It's remembering them for later, deciding whether to share them, and then taking the time to actually share them that's the issue!

I came across an interesting quote recently as I was checking out the site www.matthewdicks.com, on how to remember the interesting stories we live, so that we can write about them later. The question to ask yourself everyday is:

If I had to tell a story from today, no matter how benign or ordinary it may seem, what would that most storyworthy moment be?

Matthew Dick suggests writing this memory down in two or three sentences at the most, with just enough details to remember it later. That's it. He dubs this "homework for life".

That seems to me a great way to generate content for a blog. I'm beginning to write these experiences in my bullet journal. We'll see where it takes me. At least I will have them down somewhere. Perhaps it'll inspire me to continue blogging more regularly.

Thursday 13

Well, I haven't been around much, but today I'm dropping in to post another Thursday Thirteen. This time around I'm going to list 13 items that have all served the same purpose at one time or another. Can you guess what purpose?

1. post it note
2. pencil
3. string
4. candy wrapper
5. piece of yarn
6. scrap paper
7. hair clip
8. paper clip
9. elastic band
10. popsicle stick
11. bobby pin
12. clean tissue
13. feather

Take a guess!

~setting intentions~

Yes, it seems my blogging has been put on the back burner of my life lately. Funny, it's something that is really hard to give up. Even when I'm not blogging, my mind files experiences into the blogging category for future reference! Does that happen to you? But I know that most times I forget about it and nothing gets written down. 

Hoping to be a little more regular in updating this blog in the next while. That doesn't sound very intentional, does it? 

Poof! Gone!

Just like the year 2015, my latest published post just up and disappeared on me. Poof! Gone! I still can't figure out what happened there, but suffice it to say, 2016 will be just fine without that post.

I had written about a challenge I had given myself on how to get my 'to read' booklist under control. In a nutshell, I've decided not to purchase any new books in 2016 (except with a gift card, etc). So, I've begun unsubscribing from Kindle ebook deals. It was tough, but sometimes the big guns have to come out. I've got the shakes, but I think I'll be okay. ;)

I made a list of about 21 books I want to complete before I read anything else. These have been set aside for easy access.  In the last two days, I've completed two, so I'm already whittling away.

My fiction to nonfiction ratio is about 2:19, which must be remedied. I need a little more FICTION in my life.  Honey For A Woman's Heart - growing your world through reading great books is a book I already own which I'm planning to refer to once my to-read pile has dwindled.

I'm also going to be ruthless about which books to complete. If it feels like work to get through them, I will add them to my giveaway pile. I feel better already!

Here's to another great year of enjoying and pondering new ideas, old ideas, truths and mysteries, fact and fiction.



Do you have specific reading plans this year? Are you a fiction or non fiction fan?

Reading update 2016

Finished/recommended:
A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
In Awe of God by Rita Peters

Enjoying:
Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown (book 2)
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle
Half the Church by Carolyn Custis James

Next in line: 
Farewell Four Waters by Kate McCord

The Moving Pen

Henri Nouwen wrote his devotional book Bread For the Journey by simply writing one reflection a day, not really knowing what was going to emerge. Two things were needed: free time and quiet, peaceful space.  As he allowed his pen to move, the words came.

"I sat down each morning, whether I had any ideas or not, and waited until my pen started to move and pull words out of my mind and heart. I didn't plan to write about Jesus..but my pen told me differently.." 

I suppose it really matters what the writer has been reading, watching, and pondering. That's what's going to spill out.

Speaking of writing, do you have any big plans for your blog this year?  Changes? What keeps you blogging into 2016?

How to Lose Blog Readers for Dummies

Here's how:
1. Don't publish comments
2. Blog very rarely

As I was catching up on emails, tidying up my inbox, I happened to check my email spam folder (who knows why? I usually never do!) and found a comment for my blog, waiting to be published! That means this particular person (who happens to be a faithful reader of mine) might have thought her comment was not worth publishing! How far from the truth! Everyone who comments on my tiny little blog in the corner of this ginormous blogiverse is valued and worth publishing! Unless, of course, you really ARE a spammer. You know what happens to spammers.. I won't go into details!

So, I went directly to my blog and checked the 'comments awaiting moderation' page. Oh. dear. All this time I have been publishing comments from my phone, but it turns out I have missed a LOT. Well, a LOT for me, means about 20. :)
So, my apologies if you have ever commented on my blog and then noticed I never published your responses.

Which reminds me of a blog I had started following several months ago, and commented on. One of her reply comments was found in my 'awaiting moderation' file today! Earlier this year, I read one of her posts about commenting on blogs and comments not being published and how that didn't feel very affirming (I agree!).  Was that my doing? Oh, I know, small potatoes in the world we live in. But it did make me think. We are an insecure group of people, aren't we? Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, haven't been blogging much. Life, you know. Busyness. And mood. They say that when you journal, the spaces between your entries are as important as what you write. I think it's the same with blogging. Are you a fair weather blogger? I guess I am. I don't go into too much detail about struggles (I do share that with close friends and those I trust) and for me, that just feels right. Everyone blogs differently and that's good. The truth is we all have struggles and we all have times of celebration. We are all unique and we have different reasons to blog. In this season of my life, it's very random (no pressure to write) and usually light hearted. I do love to laugh, and sometimes I have to use my own life as fodder!

Have a great day, all, and remember to check your spam and comments awaiting moderation!

Midwinter Day's thoughts

Hello, all of you faithful blog readers. Thanks for the well wishes last week. Feeling much better (finally!)

 There are so many blogs shutting down these days, have you noticed? Closing doors. Walking away. Especially, it seems, the ones with huge followings. Is blogging becoming a thing of the past? Maybe blogging is going back to its roots? Not to make money, sell books, or garner a 'tribe', but just to be a listening ear, a ray of light, and a place for those of like minds to connect over similarities or challenge each other over differences. To be a community of 'friends' of sorts.
Don't worry, folks, my little web log isn't going anywhere for now. I like this quiet little corner of the blogiverse, where I randomly and intermittently write when I want to share or connect. And I enjoy skimming my list of favorite bloggers regularly, chuckling, being inspired, sharing burdens, praying for others, expanding my horizons, and getting a little view into their world. Seeing how we are all alike and how we are all unique. I think it's wonderful most of the time. (Sometimes, if I think too much about it, blogging is just weird ;)

I've realized that bloggers I've never met other than online count as some of my favorite people! And they ARE real people, I can attest to that. I've received books,  a kitchen towel, a hand carved tea spoon, journals, and more... from them. And personal emails. Who woulda thunk?

I first started blogging in 2005. Crazy, hey?  I've moved to a new address several times, started new blogs, then left them hanging, not having the heart to break off completely (how cruel). Some I visit and add to, but updating once a year doesn't sound too committed to me! Others I've locked up.. for my eyes only or with a few friends. I guess I should clean (blog)house sometime!  It would probably feel good.

How about you? How long have you been blogging? Still love it as much as when you started, or more?

And before I go, for those of you who enjoy reading on your Kindle or online, here are some free ebooks for this month. Check the 'free' dates for the ones you might like!  I downloaded Beyond Ordinary for free today. Just because. Sometimes ordinary isn't good enough.

But the book I am really looking forward to beginning later today is Giants In the Earth. I heard a discussion about it on my favorite podcast and decided it was worth purchasing for a few dollars. I look forward to getting engrossed in another good story!