Getting Back To The Heart Of Blogging

I've been blogging for 11 years now.  That's a lot of posts and a lot of talking, and most days I still feel as if I have something I want to share. We love hospitality, and I love to encourage and be a friend so blogging, for me, is a no brainer.  

Blogging has changed over the years.  When I got started there were 'awards' we could give to each other, days to share what we were wearing, 'parties' to join at other blogs!  One of my favorite parties was Vee's Notecard party.  We picked four photos to share that we thought would make nice Notecards, liked up at her blog, and visited each other to see ,their photos and leave comments.  This was a favorite because it was through this 'party' that I met Lorrie, Judith, BJ, Michele, Dotsie. It was fun!  


All of these things helped us to build community with each other.  We weren't faceless online creepers, we were friends who had similar lives, or completely different ones, but shared things in common.  Judith is an amazing gardener, Tracy makes amazing quilts, Sherry is a great cook, Cheryl is the best hostess ever, Vee a great friend to people. I learned so much from each one.

I loved finding other homeschool moms through blogging, and sisters of the heart, and kindred spirits.  Sherry, Tracy, Cheryl, Vee, have shared life with me and I with them - good times, loss, pain, suffering, joy, Jesus.  We are still kindreds and always will be and not one of them live close to me but I have met and hugged each one of these dear friends!  Heather and I keep in touch through Instagram now and share much in common, but we've had lunch together with Karen Andreola who is also a dear friend.  I also met Linda through Vee's blog and she is dear to me too!  We are hoping to met up when Sarah and I go to Texas in August!

This is the joy of blogging for me that I never want to lose.  As the years have gone by, my life has changed - I no longer have six kids in the home, only three and one of those is preparing to go off to school in the fall.  I am now a grandmother to four darlings.  I have grey hairs, and a bad back.  However, I'm still homeschooling, I still love to encourage, be a friend, host gatherings at my cottage, help others, plan events, host tea parties.

I'm going to get back to basics around here, and I've already started to do that.  You'll be seeing photos from the garden, projects I'm working on, kids and grandkids, and you'll be reading my thoughts about many things.  It may not look much different from my usual posts, but in my heart there is a renewed sense of focus and joy in this thing called blogging!

EDIT:  

I accidentally left my twin, Brenda, off my list!  For women who've never met in person, we are so alike that Brenda's daughter Stephanie thinks we might be the same person!  She says, "I've never seen you together, so how do we know?"  lol!

Total brain burp, Brenda!  Many, many apologies!