Blogtober: Day 1.

 

Today is the first day of Blogtober. I've participated

for the last few years and though I'm tagging along,

I am doing it in my own way. I miss the days of

blogging where everyone would participate in

"parties" and themes but it has changed so much.
I'm still in! But understand that others have moved

on. I love capturing life and though this year has

been incredibly busy, writing to share is so healing.

Are you participating in Blogtober 2024?

~ Chy

When Do You Blog?

Spring decor that I totally forgot to take down

last September when we decorated for  Fall.

A sweet vintage lamp that we found at

the Antique Mall a couple of years ago.

My beautiful writing desk that we found

second hand. An Ethan Allen piece and

the lovely family that sold it to us shared

they had never used it. No marks anywhere!

Time is moving fast. I wish it would slow down sometimes. We're almost finished with February. Today, I will start with a heartfelt and sincere apology. I've been very quiet on my blog but not by complete intent. For the last few years, I moved from writing 260 blog posts a year to 400. I chose that number with the idea I would write frequently, something suggested for new bloggers to gain followers. And I did just that. I also liked the idea of capturing as much of life as I can. Not just to share but also to document our journey. For now, I've chosen to downgrade slightly to give myself some grace as I move through, as we move through, a difficult time in our life. Nothing I want to share just a blip in the land of bliss. For 2023, I'll aim for 260 again and hope to get back to 400 in time. I truly hope this won't lose the interest of my blogging buddies but I do understand if it's not enough to keep you engaged. Please know I read all your blogs every day, and though many of you write each day, I have become more aware that each day doesn't fit in to everyone's schedule. I plan to use Instagram a bit more as a way to document as well, until life settles again and I can get more posts up again. For now, 10 to 20 a month is my goal, with content that varies from our little cottage interior, to our exterior, gardening, work, volunteering, family, travel, writing my book and life in general. 

Oh, and art! Can't forget our art ....

You may recall when we were building our cottage that we often joked we were "building an art studio with a house attached" and our studio is a constant state of activity. I use it for restoring dollhouses, building mini furniture, sewing, journaling and scrapbooking. It also has a workout area with a treadmill and a Bow Flex, along with a corner that is set up as a little playroom. Finally, a spot for dh to tape/livestream his radio shows on our station. I have many favorite spots in the cottage but the studio is literally a work in progress as we continue to work on it's function and style. One day, it will be all finished. 

On to other things ....

It's snowing quite a bit outside today and supposed to continue through tomorrow. It's a long weekend here ~ Family Day in Alberta ~ so we don't have to go anywhere. Lovely when we need the snow to settle before we venture out on the highway. Yesterday was busy but today is nice and quiet. I love cozy days at home and outside of this post and a warm shower, the only other things on my list today are to complete a grant that is due next week and catch up on my case notes. This is our first big snow since before Christmas. Not too cold yet but it may get colder through the week. I'm always so grateful for our little cottage in the big woods but anytime it's cold, or snowy, or rainy, I'm beyond thankful for our safe and comfy home. 

When do you blog and how often?

Where do you blog or is it anywhere?

Wishing you a beautiful snowy day 

OR one that is warm and sunny.

~ Chy

Blogtober.

I've done "Blogtober" in the past but in the busyness

of the last couple of months, I completely forgot! I

will join in, late, but still committed. So watch for

updated posts until the end of the month for October.

Will  you be joining in on "Blogtober?"

~ Chy

Daily Writing.

A warm sweater and my cozy blanket on a cloudy, windy and very chilly day. Just 9 days until Spring, though after the extra snow this week with icy roads and blowing winds, I'm not sure it will ever show up! This weekend is promising to be sunny and warm, with temperatures that will hopefully start to melt our mountains of snow. Hoping!

I write every day. Not always in my blog but writing is a tool and a healing resource for me that takes up a chunk of my day. I feel blessed to be able to have the time to write and hope one day to finally finish the book I began several years ago. It's hard to think about the idea of finishing it and then letting it go out in to the big World where there is a possibility that it would get torn to shreds by others with their own opinions on my style or the story. Always a gamble. I told dh maybe I should just publish enough copies to give to family and friends and not worry or think about the need for it to sit on a bookstore shelf ~ though that would be an amazing dream! Maybe the bookstore would let me take my one copy, place it on a shelf, take a photo and slither away to the comfort of our cottage, book in hand, safe from the wolves out there who may not be so kind.

My heart is heavy today. I have no words for our current World events. The threat of a full blown war is keeping me awake a night, as I'm sure it is for millions of us around the globe. Gas is crazy expensive right now, which is puzzling as we are a gas exporter here ~ the plants exist all over our province, so it's not clear to us why our gas has doubled. Our utilities have skyrocketed, groceries are hard to find for some items and clearly more expensive. Life is hard and though we feel blessed to be safe and warm and fed, I can't help but cry for those in the Ukraine and other countries that have far worse things to worry about. I don't know how this will all end. Is peace possible? Or are we all at the hands of a mad men who wish to rule a World that is disintegrating? None of it makes sense and has truly brought me back to being 10 years old and having to practice sitting under our desks in school, clasping our hands behind our heads and laying them in our laps, in case of a nuclear bomb. That time in my life imprinted on my mind that the very adults who were to care for us as children were also the very adults who were creating the threat and the fear. I love childhood memories but the fear I felt then has returned to my little heart and I'm so frustrated that World peace does not seem to matter to a select few who have agendas most of us can't understand. Love still wins.

Today is my day off but I have lots of work to do. Shower, make a call to a brand new potential donor who is requesting time to chat (exciting!), converse with my work mates at hospice about our final tasks for our upcoming Spring Memorial Service, finish my outline for a meeting at 1 pm with  my co-facilitator for our workshop series we're launching in April (registrations coming in already!), time to write later this afternoon and I hope at some point today to work on the roof of our granddaughter's dollhouse. I had started this process and then ripped it off when it wasn't going well. Started a different method and so far, it's working better. Now to finish it so we can deliver it to their home soon and she can enjoy playing with it. I can't wait to see her reaction. Walls to paint and floors to put in and then we should be good to go. Ironically, I have the last week of March off and so far, the plan is to paint our other house inside and work on the floors so we can get it up for sale. A mini version now and the big version in a few weeks. 

Wishing you a beautiful day.

Even if it's filled with worries. 

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 1.

It's back! Last year, I participated in my very first

"Blogtober" and am excited to be back for 2021. A

simple process to write 1 blog post each day for the

month. I look forward to writing each day for October.

Have you participated in challenges before?

Or even written each day for Blogtober?

~ Chy

Blog Challenge.

I love a good challenge and was very happy to do a quick search and find this November Blog Challenge to keep me focused this month on writing. The first challenge begins to day and is titled "20 Facts About Me." Here are my responses for this first November Blog Challenge for 2020:

1. Love even numbers and will avoid odd numbers always.

2. I will be 58 years old on November 30th this year.

3. But I still feel, most day, 18 years old. How could this be?

4. My dh will also be 58 years old on November 19th.

5. I love that I married an "older man." Just a bit older!

6. We have 4 healthy kids in their 20's and 30's.

7. We have 2 babies who were stillborn in 1996 and 1998.

8. We have 6 tiny babies all lost in between all our babies.

9. I was a stay at home mom for over 20 years and loved it!

10. Now I work as an Executive Director for our charity.

11. We created in memory of our son and our daughter.

12. Our children have always been so supportive of this.

13. I love that they have helped create this project with pride.

14. I also work for a local hospice providing grief support.

15. This work I believe has kept me alive and truly focused.

16. Helping others makes my grief, our grief, liveable.

17. I would never wish this on anyone ever but am thankful.

18. This has made us stronger. We live each moment.

19. We're closer to retirement but not slowing down yet.

20. Most days I love life. Some days are hard. All are gifts ....

Will you participate in this blog challenge for November? I hope so as I'd love to see your answers too. Play along if you wish. Or just enjoy reading what I've shared. Have fun!

~ Chy

2,000th Blog Post.

Tonight is a bit of small milestone for my little blog

in the big vast blog world. I realized I was coming

close to 2,000 blog posts and guess what? This is

it!! Thank you, my kind readers, for reading my

little notes about life in our little house in the big

woods. Thank you for your kind comments, your

beautiful emails and for being so patient with me as

I learned how to navigate this medium. And even

when I changed my look or my font or my colors,

you stuck by me! I appreciate knowing each of

you and hope this journey we are all on continues

for  many, many more blog posts. With gratitude ....

~ Chy

Little Card Helper.

When I was writing Christmas cards

one night, I suddenly had an eager

little helper. He started creating a

card for him mama and then Santa!

~ Chy

To Blog or Not to Blog?

I've read quite a few blogs recently, within the last week or so, questioning if they should continue to blog. Personally, I do understand the frustration. Lately I'm not been as sure if blogging is the best tool right now for me to share our life. Is anyone reading? I've not had many comments at all in the last few months but I know that I don't blog every single day. I'm trying to blog more often but maybe need to step it up a bit. If I blogged every day, would you read? Would you comment? Would you share your life with me? 

Maybe my readers are bored. Maybe their taste is different than mine - English Country Cottage, Craftsman, Victorian, Eclectic isn't every one's cup of tea. Maybe I write too short. Or too long. Maybe I'm not interesting enough. Maybe my occasional reference to the grief we carry as bereaved parents is too much. Is my blog too dark? Too light? The new colors I chose are maybe not quite right? The spacing I'm working on is maybe too off? 

What is it that attracts you to certain blogs? Or turns you off from others? 

Truthfully, I love to tell stories, to share bits and pieces of daily life. Maybe that's not what blog readers are looking for. I choose blogs that do this, but there does seem to be a shift. I honor that many bloggers are able to carve out a living by blogging and some have ads on their blogs. Some have a process of "clicking" in to their post, generating funds. Mine is simple and with no ties to any other entity but my own thoughts, ideas, words, pictures and questions to inspire or debate. 

I'd love to know your thoughts. Please post and share. Or send an email. It will help me decide whether I should continue to blog or not to blog. 

Love to you all on this stormy Monday!

Writing Desk.

Warm late afternoon sun streaming through

cream lace curtains on to my writing desk. A

comfy, quiet niche to write blog posts, letters to

friends and to pay the bills. My sweet spot.

Sweet Stationary.

I love writing letters and sending cards to loved ones

and friends, so I'm always looking for stationary.

I found these sweet cards last week when I was

looking for thank you notes to add to my stash.

Even the inside of the box and the tiny white ribbon

melted my heart. A great find that won't last long.

Do you collect stationary for letters and thank you's?

Do you like to buy writing paper, cards or both?

Writing Niche.

When we designed our house, we wanted

to have a spot that was multi-functional.

We ended up adding the turret to the far end

of the house, between the Great Room and

the Living Room. On the blue prints, our

builder marked it as the "sun room".

It lives up to it's name with the afternoon

sun pouring in and the late day sunset that

filters the light in to darkness. An eclectic

spot, it has been our music room, our sun

room,  our play room, our Christmas room

and now it is finally our sweet writing room. 

My favorite place in the house, I love

the location, the light, the lamp, the

desk and most of all, the feeling of

being in a spot that is private yet open

to the family all at the same time. I can

sit and dream, write and chat, and be

part of whatever is going on in the house,

without feeling isolated and shut out.

Do you have a dedicated spot to write?

A place just for you to be and dream?

Sweet Stationary.

I love this line of stationary that I

stumbled across at HomeSense.

It's called Lily McGee and in addition

to these lovely little note pads, I also

picked up some thank you cards and

blank note cards for letters. Sweet!

Do you collect stationary?

If so, what do you look for in style or brand?

Does Your Blog ....

.... have an actual purpose? Tough question, isn't it?! I'm on a break now from work, finishing last Thursday and not going back until Thursday, April 7th. Two weeks of finishing up our income property, completing the renovations on my counselling office, sending in our income taxes (April 30th deadline) and taking some time for self~reflection on a number of areas I'd like to improve on. I feel happy in my life and have no issues to really tackle. But I am wanting to still make some areas more intentional, revealing more of who I really am in every day life. The nitty gritty, the real stuff!

So that bring me back to my query. Does your blog have an actual purpose? Some bloggers write to share their life, others for income, some to capture and document their decorating talents, or gardening or baking or knitting or sewing, and a few who use it as a place to vent. As I read blogs on a daily basis, the ones I have categorized under "My Blogging Buddies" and some I look for to add to my stash or as a one time read, it struck me how some are so similar and some are so different. And that created my question for me, which is how I ended up throwing it out to you, to the universe, to who ever is out there, reading away in Blogland.

To answer my own question, I'd have to say I originally started my blog as a way to document life. I could see the value in writing about every day. I wanted a spot to capture and share moments. A place to occasionally vent when life is hard. Or gush when it's extra special. I promised myself I would never share something that was embellished or untruthful. I'm careful to not reveal too much detail, so my family has some degree of privacy. I love meeting the few bloggers I have online. Someday, maybe we'll meet in person! For now, I share my love of home, family, writing, reading, art and the transformation of my little dollhouse. I'm learning to garden, grow plants indoors, be a better writer, take more time for myself now that my career is established and the kids are grown, and always working on being the best wife I can be in an equal partnership that has no dominance on either side. Is any of it worth reading? I don't generate a lot of comments, but I do get a fair bit of traffic on posts. I'm pushing myself to write a certain number of posts each month to get in to a better routine of writing. I started a book and get back to it on occasion but know it will never get published if I dilly dally along. So daily writing is now part of this hippy mama's life. Just part of the process.

Dear readers, there is my query for the day. I hope you'll take a moment to comment and share how and why you've chosen to blog at this time in your life .... or send me an email if you'd like your thoughts to be more private. Looking forward to learn how and why others have chosen this unique writing style for capturing life. 

Does your blog have an actual purpose?

Has your original intent with your blog changed?

The Dilemma for Today!

I sit in my comfy bed, with my grandson by my side, as we both read our little computers, waiting for the moment when it's time to get up. A lazy morning on this last day of 2015. As I sit, I realize I have a dilemma to solve. A dilemma that is a question. A big question with not a clear answer! 

It involves this:

And this:

Can you guess what my dilemma is today?

Does anyone ....

.... have a Faceboook page linked to your blog? I'd love to link up if you do. I've started a Facebook page as part of the Authentic Bloggers site but now need to find some lovely bloggers to "like". If you have a page, feel free to send me a link. Here's my page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009566322342. I'd love you to join me on the journey of connecting blog writers to each other in a fun way, with easy access. Hope to see some likes soon!

The blog is now on Facebook!

If you'd like to access my blog by Facebook, I have now created a page. It's basic, nothing fancy just yet but another medium to share life in "Our Little House in the Big Woods". Feel free to "friend" me & join in on the journey .... 

An Apology!

One of the reasons I wanted to take an extended break recently was to clear my crowded head & really focus on our new home & our upcoming move. I'm happy to say that the break worked & I can truly think in a much more clear & organized manner. However, I do feel the need to apologize as my head is now crowded with anything & everything to do with the new house & our move!

My posts her, on Facebook & even on Instagram are all house & move focused. I dream about it all day, I fall asleep with plans & lists in my head & wake up in the wee hours of the morning, excited to start the day all over again, with visions of our journey dancing through my head. 

To my faithful blog buddies & newcomers, I sincerely apologize & do promise that soon, very soon, my posts will go back to the life I shared with you, BEFORE said house posts took over! I'm not sure what I'll talk about then or if I'll have anything to share but rest assured, the house & move chat will be much more subdued, if at all. 

Back to regular programming, including 

more house pictures & commentary posts!!

A sweet 500!!

Hi everyone!

I almost missed a milestone yesterday ~ my 500th post. It only took almost 4 years!! But happy to be writing and documenting life in Our Little House in the Big Woods. 

Have you reached a writing milestone recently?

Blog Goals.

 

Hi everyone!

I've decided to make some basic blog goals to see if I can get my blog "out there"! Love my faithful and dedicated readers but one always likes a bigger audience when putting effort in to a project that is valuable. To keep it simple and manageable, I'm starting with just 4 goals:

 

1. I've decided to write a total of 280 posts for the year. As this is my 80th post for 2014, I now have a challenge to write another 200 entries in the 174 days left (or 25 weeks, if you're counting) in this fine year. That's 1.15 per day. Not sure how I would do that and I know I won't write each day so there may be a few times where I'll do a few additional posts to stay on track. Sounds like a huge number to achieve but I have lots to say!

 

2. Increase my followers by becoming more engaged in the blogs I like to read. My hope is that I'll then attract a few more readers to become followers. Not an easy task and I'm not a salesperson at all, but I'll give it a good shot!

 

3. Research options for bringing more readers my way. I'm not convinced that inviting companies to advertise will bring more readers, so I'd like to find other less complicated avenues to become linked to those who are fellow writers and comrades in the game of life!

 

4. Post more pictures and write more interesting entries. Find my niche. Write from the heart. Share what I know. And love the whole process!

 

And that's the plan! Tell me what you think of my ideas.

 

Did you or do you have blog goals?