Of Blogging Transitions and Blessings

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Mellow Yellow, Blue Monday and Blessings

While checking comments this morning and responding in email to Sheila of the Quinessential Magpie, it occurred to me that it might be time to share my current thinking about blogging in general ... so that's what I've set out to do this morning since a number of my readers have inquired about my intentions recently.

1. If I wasn't such a private person, I'd just use my real name like most bloggers do ... but being 'A Nonny Mouse' (with apologies to Jack Prelutsky) provides me the 'comfort' to blog at all. As my early readers know, I've been a 'closet writer' all my life. Newer readers might enjoy 'Why I Blog' and/or 101 Things About Me to fill in the blanks when time permits ... or not.

2. Sharing what I write with others has long been challenging (if not impossible) for me, but it's through the 'process of writing' that I discover what I think and/or know for sure and blogging has helped me get over myself gradually. Even so, until it's on the page, much of what's in my mind is a total mystery to me ... probably because I was told by my mother throughout my childhood (whenever I shared my thinking) that I was being 'silly' and I didn't REALLY think the thoughts I shared. I know it sounds crazy ... I suspect it was and perhaps I'll share more about that one day, but not today.

3. Attending the Taos Writer's Retreat in the summer of 2007 and connecting with women who write is what got me started blogging in the first place. They encouraged me through emails and phone calls after the fact ... suspecting that once they got the proverbial ball rolling I wouldn't be able to stop. Methinks they were right. I've learned a great deal about myself, writing, and the more 'technical' aspects of blogging in the past two and a half years. I'm grateful to those who helped me along the way and more than happy to pass along what I've learned ... so if you have questions, feel free to ask in email and I'll share what I know on just about any topic.

4. My friends and family know I'm 'out here' in the Blogosphere, but don't read or visit ... so my blogs are 'extensions' of (not replacements for) my private journals. The 'real writing' I do remains 'hidden' for the most part ... revealed most often here at Sacred Ruminations, but gets 'lost' easily amidst the more 'trivial or mundane' writings here unless one really searches my archives and/or pays close attention. It's my own little 'pretense' to keep me moving forward.

5. I suspect I'll continue to devote essentially equal time to each of my blogs, but instead of having TWO 'personas' in this virtual world ... I'll have just one (as a Happily Retired Gal) ... at least until I actually begin to spend enough time with words to tell stories again. Methinks that switching from the 'granny avatar' I've used as 'storyteller' to the 'real shadow image of me with my camera' as Happily Retired Gal is a step in the right direction ... (thank you Karen for your comment about 'revealing myself' a bit more when I shared that Shadow Shot last week) ... though it may not matter to anyone other than myself (and my 'writer friends' from Taos who keep encouraging me to step into the light for real). Note to self: remember to create a new 'Morning Musings' logo with my HRG 'shadow shot' of myself and 'dump' the storyteller logo above.

6. I've considered 'sorting things out a bit' with my blogging for a while now ... using the HRG WordPress site mainly for sharing photos ... the Small Reflections blog for my 'musings' or 'personal reflections' (perhaps telling stories) ... and Sacred Ruminations for 'gratitude' and more mindful topics (as was my original intention). Doing so might make it simpler for 'readers' to find what they're looking for ... something I've tried to do by adding 'links' at the top of (and in my sidebars) to serve as 'pointers' ... but I don't know how useful they are to anyone other than myself.

7. So ... that about sums up where I am at the moment in regards to publishing. In terms of following others, that's in transition as well. One of the unexpected consequences of setting up a new Blogger account is that my Google Reader (for storyteller) won't let Happily Retired Gal visit ... so I'm creating a new 'reader' account as I make this transition, but it's slow work because I can't have both readers open simultaneously. Hmmm ... note to self: Perhaps if I use both computers I could log in as storyteller on one and HRG on the other? It's certainly worth checking out!

8. The 'challenge' for ME (in keeping up with others in this 'virtual' world) is that I have so MANY blogs in my reader that getting around to everyone in a timely manner (especially when my sister is around) is next to impossible ... yet 'culling the list' to a more reasonable size is hard to do because I enjoy visiting a wide variety of blogs when time permits ... and don't want to lose track of anyone. If I wasn't 'happily retired' with lots of 'discretionary time' I doubt I'd be able to manage at all.

On to other matters ...

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."
Cherokee Indian Proverb

Although I continue to keep a Daily Gratitude List in my sidebar at Small Reflections, I do like to Blog my Blessings on Sundays here, so here goes: I'm grateful ...

1. the weather permitted me to spend Thursday with my sister out in the world. We went to Kabuki in Bella Terra where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Edamami, Miso Soup, California Roll, Spicy Albacore Roll, and our favorite sashimi ... Unagi.

2. After lunch we walked around the Bella Terra center ... stopped at Pinkberry's for a free sample of their new flavor and Peet's for coffee. Next we went to REI where I purchased a 'kewl' pair of Keen boots (we HAVE had LOTS of rain here in So Cal lately & the only footwear I own are sandals). My sister bought a couple of fleece jackets on sale. We visited a number of other places without making any purchases ... then stopped on the way home to pick up a pizza at Munchies to take home to her husband (who was feeling frustrated earlier in the day when we opted to forgo breakfast at the Harbor House for lunch at Kabuki ... he doesn't like sushi but usually joins us when we meet for breakfast).

3. My heart goes out to the continuing plight of the people in Haiti along with all those affected by snowstorms on the east coast and the mudslides here in Southern California ... hard to fathom the challenges of such devastation from 'natural' disaster & weather-related events. The small leak in my living room ceiling (under the front deck off my bedroom) seems minor in the scheme of things, though I will need to have roofers out to fix the problem ... hopefully sooner than later.

4. I had a wonderful 'catch up' phone call with my Taos Retreat writing buddy just now ... so it's considerably later than when I started this post and Molly's impatient for her walk now that the sun is shining. Methinks I'll let '4' be the magic number and close here ... after wishing you ALL a delightful day.

Click images to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in
Blue Monday
Mosaic Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday

See my Daily Gratitude List
in the sidebar at Small Reflections
and the lists I've transferred to Happily Retired Gal

What are some blessings in YOUR life currently?

For others who 'Blog Their Blessings'

go to My Blog Rolls and/or click on the
Blog Your Blessings logo
above Really Good Things.

For those who participate in Sacred Life Sunday
click the logo below:

Blessed Be ... and so it is!

Thought for Today
"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you'?" William A. Ward