{ Time to face the inevitable, and have a heartfelt talk about my blog }

 

The past week and a half, I have removed myself from social media, not completely but quite a bit.  God has been working within me and molding me into who He needs me to be.  I've had to come to terms with a lot of things, face some traits that I'm not happy with, and allow Him to shape and remove what needs to be gone.  I've started noticing a huge different within me, in the way I see things, the world, the people around me and what I think is important.

 

One thing He has been pushing me to do more of, is focus on my blog.  I don't know why I fight it so much, there seems to be a wall of some kind stopping me from investing fully back into what I love. Where years ago I couldn't wait to log on and get writing, nowadays I fight it, I block it, I think "why do I need to? What am I even going to talk about, since no one really pays attention to blogs anymore."

 

It's sad to admit that to myself and to you all, right here on this little corner that I created back in 2006.  

 

I hope you're ready for a heart to heart, because I'm about to just talk and talk and talk your ears off.  If you're not in the mood for a long post, that's ok, you can click off and go do something else.  I just need to get this off my chest, and onto this online journal.  

 

How is that for a throwback?  Sandra circa 2006, 32 years old and fresh faced.  

 

 

Almost 20 years ago, I wrote the very first words on Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I had no clue what I was doing, but I felt a pull to a community of like minded women.  

 

It was a Monday, the 6th of February of 2006.  I sat down, opened up Blogger and off I went.  You can read that first post here, I titled it Well I finally did it, got my own blog! 

 

I was a new mom, not married for very long, and really enjoyed talking with, reading up on, and engaging with others who just like myself, had little kids and were navigating motherhood.

 

I loved every minute of it, I shared everything, I showed my children, I made posts about what we were eating, what I was buying, what I created, what I watched, what I read, what my children said or did at school or at home.  We joined together, chit chatting, sharing recipes and ideas.  We had the cutest features that we all loved participating in.  For example:

Menu Plan Monday - hosted by Laura at Organizing Junkie

Tackle it Tuesday - hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom 

Works for me Wednesday - Rocks in my Dryer

Slow Cooking Thursday - hosted by myself here at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Show and Tell Friday - hosted by Kelli at There's no place like home 

 

I swear if I had a time machine, I would zip myself right back to those years.  They were simple and sweet and truly filled with the most genuine, wonderful women bloggers I have ever come across.

 

 

There were blogs that I followed religiously, that I loved engaging with.  Each one bringing something different but yet keeping the circle tight.  

 

Then years started passing, some blogs dropped off, deleted, others stopped updating, some of the women I knew lost loved ones, got sick, started new blogs, ended those blogs as well and some made the move to social media.  And that is where I truly believe that things derailed.  Social media!

 

This big new thing that was supposed to make things even better, but in my honest opinion, ended up being the end of a beautiful community.  Blogs turned into money making machines, littered with ad after ad, monetized links popping everywhere.  They lost the simple, familiar, homey look and feel they had, and became commercialized. 

  

I held on. 

 

I promised myself that no matter what happened, come hell or high water, I refused to change the look and feel of my blog.  Maybe that is why to this day, almost 20 years later, my blog remains the same.  Same name, same look, still simple, nothing fancy or weird, no blogs telling you how to blog, how to write, what you should say or do.  That was such a huge turn off for me.  Stop telling people how to speak from the heart and talk about their lives.  It was so weird to see. 

 

Then I started changing.  Curt retired from the military and our life was thrown upside down.  We moved back to Idaho thinking that is what we wanted, only to realize that it had changed so much and it no longer felt like home to us.  We moved to Texas, we bought a home, the kids grew up, and suddenly life was just a jumbled mess.  I no longer wanted to pick up the camera and record all that I was doing.  I no longer felt like what I had to share was of any interest, and besides, who would I share it with?  Most of us old bloggers were either not blogging anymore, or like I said, had moved onto Facebook and Instagram.  

 

 

I didn't fit in and I didn't know if I wanted to anymore.

 

But through all of this, I would pray and ask God what to do, where to go, I mean, I love cooking and homemaking and being creative, and needed an outlet.  I tried Instagram, I posted daily stories and had a lot of good feedback, many sent me messages telling me how much they loved following me, how I inspired them to love being homemakers.  I thought that was it, I had found my niche.  But no, it wasn't and as time as gone by, I feel more and more removed from it.  Again, the feeling that everything is so commercialized.  I just share my life, while the big influencer accounts ruin it in my opinion.  Suddenly everyone wants to live the same way, do the same things, buy the same items.  It's just too much for me.

 

In the background was God, constantly in my ear.  "Get back to your blog, get back to what you love, share my word there, share your life, continue what you started, that is where I want you."  I would hear it, I would try to follow it and immediately fall off the wagon because I wasn't feeling it.

 

This has been going on for years, my friends.  Years of fighting it, years of not wanting to listen.  I am still not 100% in, if I am to be brutally honest.  I just don't know what to do, I miss blogging, but I miss the old blogging.  I listen to God and do what He tells me to in every other area of my life, so why is this area so difficult to be obedient in?  It's something I am still working through and trying to understand.

 

But, over the past few weeks, I have felt more and more disconnected from social media.  I'm tired of the mindless scrolling, the overbearing reels on Instagram, the competition, the comparison, the nastiness, the rude comments and messages, just everything.  I think I am reaching my boiling point with social media in general.  I just want snap my fingers and go back to simpler times.

 

So here I am, after this long drawn out super chatty post.  If you're still here reading, thank you, I did warn you it would be long.

 

The past 2 or so weeks, I have been dealing with all these thoughts and feelings, trying to put them all together, trying to just listen to what God is saying and not fighting Him or arguing back.  You know a lot of times our biggest breakthroughs come when we stop trying to do things ourselves and allow God to move in.

 

I have been mindlessly living life but not feeling myself, not the true Sandra I used to be before 2012.   

What does this mean? Well, I have no clue.  I don't know where I'll go from here, or what it's going to look like.  There are just a few things I am certain of.  I will not delete my blog, I WILL listen to God's nudging, and I need to get back to basics and being myself.  This really is a journey y'all.  I feel like I've talked about this before, or mentioned it in passing in other posts.  Start blogging again, stop blogging again, miss blogging again, ignore blogging again.  Never ending annoying cycle that I want to break.

 

I love blogging, always have and always will, and I was truly the happiest I have ever been, when I was doing this blogging thing every day.  It motivated me, it kept me content.  I have so much to share with you all, I feel like I haven't even showed you everything about my home, I tend to keep the pictures very much contained to the kitchen or living room.  I do want to share more, cook more, create more.

 

If there's one thing I have learned the past few weeks, is that life is so precious.  One minute you're here, the next you're gone.  Why not live each day to the fullest?  Why not do the things that I love?  Why?

 

 

It's time.  It's time to face the inevitable and make a decision, and then stick with it.  Am I ready for it?  

 

Not even close, but oh well.  

 

Here goes nothing.....

Spend the day with me - Blogging the old fashioned way

A homemaker's day is pretty much the same.  We get up and start doing the same tasks we did the day before, there's hardly a change to our routine, unless there is an appointment or a visit from a family member or friend.  The tasks often seem mundane, and it's easy to get discouraged, when your mind is not focused on the the purpose of your life, and the importance of being a homemaker.

We send our husbands to work, our children to school, and yet we remain, in these same four walls, facing the same kitchen sink full of dishes, the dust needing wiped away, the laundry needing washing yet again.

When I first started blogging, back in 2006, blogging was the newest thing.  I stepped into a sea of like minded homemakers, moms, women wanting to share their days and at the same time record their memories for prosperity.

There were some really good bloggers out there, and not because they had a blog all decked out, or tons of ads, or were making any kind of money.  They certainly didn't claim to know it all, to be all, or be perfect, and that is what first attracted me to this wonderful world of blogging.

There was blogger and Wordpress, and to this day, there seems to be a one versus the other.  Some prefer one platform, others prefer the other.  I've always been a blogger girl, I just thought it was simpler and easier to work with, and so I remained until this day.

My life at the time was divided into taking care of my young children, my husband, my home and then taking my spare moments to visit other mom bloggers.  I loved seeing their posts, their days, their children, what they were doing.  The recipes were amazing, the tips and tricks that made our homemaking easier, book recommendations, movies, tv shows, gardening, you name it.  There was nothing flashy about these lifestyles, we weren't out here competing with anyone, just merely sharing our days.

Then slowly things started changing, some bloggers started growing their blogs as businesses.  Suddenly there were blogs filled with ads, click here and click there, telling others how and what they should be blogging about, writing books, seeking fame, and with that the innocence and beauty of simple mom blogs, began to fade.

I started feeling this sadness but also a determination to hold on to what blogging was all about.  I felt so out of place in the midst of it all.  I don't want to see professional looking posts with catchy titles, multiple links and ads all over the place.  I just wanted to continue sharing with other moms and seeing their days, that was all.

I won't even go into what I feel about blogging nowadays, or what it has become.  It is extremely difficult to find a group of homemaker blogs today that really capture the essence of what it was created to be.   It was created to be an online journal written in an informal way, like having a conversation with someone, and that is what made it special.

The feeling of not belonging is part of the reason I stopped blogging consistently, I started feeling like I needed to change to keep up, and my soul fought every step of the way.  God's loud voice kept echoing in my head "do NOT conform to this, it is NOT who you are, who I want you to be, or what is needed."

The truth of the matter is that we shouldn't be conforming, but rather holding on to that part of life that is quickly being erased.  The importance of family, of keeping a home, baking and cooking, sharing tips, reading, cleaning, gardening, everything I mentioned above, is even more important today than it was years ago.

So I said ok, I will continue blogging the old fashioned way.  I'll share my life, my day, what I'm doing.  Some may find it boring, but I think for you my sweet readers who have been here all along, and still keep your blogs going to this day, you will understand and you will appreciate the consistency in staying true to a real homemaking blog.  

Come in, sit, let me show you a few pictures of how I spent my Tuesday.

I start my days by opening my front door, opening the back patio doors and curtains around the house.  I tend to do this early in the morning to let in fresh air before the heat of the day kicks in.  Just feels like a breath of fresh air through the house refreshes things.

From there I move onto the dining room.  Usually the night before, after dinner we always play a game as a family.  It's a habit we've always had, it's a way to spend time together, to keep people off phones and to laugh and chat about our days.

Typically when we are done, I push the chairs in but that's it because often times, my husband and brother in law are still sitting down chatting.

So in the morning, I finally put it all in order.

The next room I move into, is the kitchen, and that one always tends to take longer to put together, although I often wonder why even bother because no doubt, an hour later, it will need attention again.  Hahaha

I start by putting away the clean dishes, then wash up anything from breakfast, take out the meat or chicken for dinner, prep anything that needs prepping, refill the fur babies water and food bowls, and give the floor a quick sweep.

 

After the kitchen, I move on to the living room and fold blankets, plump pillows and put away the babies toys that are usually all over the floor.

I also go ahead and fold up any washing that I left drying overnight.  I love using my floor racks for sheets or comforters, instead of throwing them in the dryer.  Saves on electricity and it also leaves the entire house smelling amazing while it air dries.

Vacuuming and dusting are usually the last things I do before either turning on a candle, my wax melts or using some air spray, just to finish it all off.

I often stand back with a smile on my face when it's all done.  Is there anything better than a clean and tidy, cozy home?  I don't think so.

The rest of the day, I pick up of the house as I go, you know the usual daily tasks here and there.  I also read my Bible, read my book, and do my workouts for the day.  I am currently getting in 10 000 steps a day, some days I come just shy of it, some days I pass that goal.  It doesn't matter, it is what it is.

Yesterday, I also took some time to post the mystery books on my Paperbackswap, and already had some requests, which means today I need to print out labels and get them ready to ship.

To finish the day, I did my 30 minute workout, and I wanted to share this picture with you.  I do it not to gloat, but to show you that at 49 years old, with work and determination, you CAN lose weight and you CAN go back to the body you once had.

I am in better shape today than I have been since my 20s.  It hasn't been all easy but I'm determined to keep going.

One thing that God has been pushing into my heart, is this "We don't live to eat, we eat to live."

Keep that in mind, because when we break the unhealthy habits we have with food, it all falls into place.

And with that, I am ending this post.  I need to get going with my day, get started and do what I need to do.

I hope you found some encouragement in my words, if you're a blogger keep blogging the way you always have.  Keep sharing because there are many young women out there today, who need encouragement, need tips and help and a healthy view of family and home.

Have a blessed Wednesday my friends, see you back here in the morning for a Cooking Thursday.  Yes, I'm going to be sharing a recipe.

Reminiscing old times and prepping for Thanksgiving

 

Our daughter messaged me yesterday, asking if I could please send her some of dad's military photos, because her work is doing a presentation for Veteran's day, and she wanted to include her dad.

That sent me into the blog, into old posts, dating back between 2007 and 2012, when we were stationed at Luke AFB in Arizona.  I scrolled and scrolled, and found some for her, but after I did, I found myself still scrolling, still reading, still remembering, still feeling so blessed and thrilled, that I had made the effort to blog every day.

At the time, it was just blogging because I loved blogging, I wasn't thinking that future me, would one day be sitting in a completely different State, on an Autumn day, reminiscing.  It almost feels like those words on the pages, were written by someone different, and I guess in a way they were.

I was younger, I was in a very different place in life, still had both kids at home, being home schooled, was still an active duty military wife and so on.  

It's amazing how we change and adapt, as the years go by and life and circumstances change around us. 

 

 

If you look above his head, you will see TSGT Curtis.....he had his name on one of the F16's, as he was the Dedicated Crew Chief.  It means they are basically recognized by the Air Force as the primary keeper of that particular jet, it's like they own the jet, they're responsible for it as they know it inside and out.  

I still remember this day, and when I took these photos.  Curtis was working at the Air Show, and the kids and I only arrived in the afternoon.  They were so happy to see daddy, and clung to him the rest of the day.  I honestly miss the active duty military life, so much.

Anyway, back to reality and to now.

 

We've woken up a couple of days with some thick fog outside.  Are there any others out there who love a good fog?  Not to drive in, mind you, I don't like driving in fog at all, but I love fog.  I think it's so pretty.

Now let me show you what I've been up to these past few days.  As you know, I had family over on Sunday and then Monday I had to get the house back in order.  Usually I prefer to get it all cleaned up and tidied right after everyone leaves, but sometimes I am too tired to do it, and just leave it until the next morning.

The first thing I did was wash some chair covers, some kitchen linens and one of Kaia's blanket that was in the closet.  (I don't know why I do that, but if it's been in the linen closet for a few months, or from one winter to the next, I like to wash it before letting her use it.)

This always becomes a fort for Elliott.  He loves hiding under it while stalking one of us, he also takes naps under there, and sometimes uses it to hide if family comes over.  He is not a friendly cat at all to anyone other than the humans that live in the house.  Wish he was nicer, but I think it's a pretty normal thing with cats in general.

 

 

I had the family over for on Sunday for coffee and some snacks.  I made a Chocolate Yogurt Cake and our Portuguese Bola de Carne (Bacon, Ham and Chourico Bread).  The recipe for the Bola de Carne is already on the blog.

The cake along with a few others that I've made lately, will be going up soon.  I need to get my butt in gear when it comes to the recipes, I have so many floating around, and it's hard for me to keep track of them too, which makes it a pain every time I want to make one of them again.  I can never remember where I wrote it down.  

Hopefully this afternoon, I can actually take some time, sit down and get those up for me and for you all, of course.

 

I've been taking such immense pleasure, in keeping my home cozy and tidy.  It's hard for me to fathom that just a few months ago, I had completely lost track, was just living day to day, moving through each hour, doing the basic needed for us to survive.

 

I wasn't paying attention to the details, wasn't really worried about putting anything in it's right place, or adjusting this, or adding a little homey touch here or there.  It's weird for me to imagine that, but I am human and sometimes life happens around us, in such a way or speed, that we struggle to keep up with the basic needs, not to mention the extras. 

However, I am getting much joy from being back in the game, so to speak.

 

Things like the tree in the corner of the dining room.  Last year, I didn't even put it up until almost Christmas, and then put on but a few ornaments and called it good.

This year, I am going back to my tradition of decorating it for Thanksgiving.  One year, I think it was the year before my mother in law Pat, passed away, I made brown paper Thanksgiving Placemats.  Everyone got to write down what they were thankful for, and was a great way to go around the table and hear everyone.

This year, I am doing it a little different, I will have a basket with some printed leaves, that everyone can write something they're thankful for, and then hang on the tree.  I think my niece's daughter Eva, and son Dalton, will enjoy hanging them up.

So I will get those printed out either today or tomorrow and start the process of cutting them out.  

 

Before I leave, I just wanted to show you what I made for dinner on Monday night.  It's Kibbeh.  If you've never had it, it's a Lebanese specialty, made with Bulgur Wheat.  Typically you make it into oval patties and then fry them, but you can also make it in the oven.

Usually I would have made it the most popular way, but I was not in the mood to fry anything.  We actually don't eat much fried food at all, it's very seldom that we do.  I opted for the oven version, which is equally delicious.

I will have that recipe up for you as well.

It does take a bit of prep, but only in the sense that you need to soak the Bulgur Wheat for at least 30 minutes, depending on how coarse it is.  The rest of the preparation is nothing more than if you were making a meatloaf.  So good!!!  I put a ton of cheese in the middle, which made it even better.

Right, I need to get off here, and go finish my meal plan, so that I can get my pickup order placed.  For some reason it's taking me a while to get this done, some meal plans just flow, others take me sometimes days, because I seem to draw a blank and can't think of anything to make.

Kinda funny, considering meal planning is all about making things easier and not getting stuck in front of the freezer, trying to figure out what to cook.  But I guess my brain gets stuck on the planning itself, and that's ok, at least I know it will save me when it's time to cook dinner.

Anyway, I hope you all have a blessed Wednesday, don't forget to check out my sidebar to pray along with me, for the hostages kidnapped from Israel.  You will find their names on the sidebar, every day there will be a new name to pray over.

I'll see you all soon.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

{ Making memories to last a lifetime }

 

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell

 

 

It is currently 58 degrees and cloudy.  There is a scent of rain in the air, and a quiet only broken by the random chirps of birds littered throughout the tree branches.

 

The kind of morning that makes you smile, that makes you appreciate that hot cup of coffee or tea, even more.  Although I am quite ready for Spring time, even knowing what means for my allergies, I do try to enjoy these last winter mornings as much as I can.   

 

I made this decision that I need to be present on my blog more.  I was looking for a specific post the other day, trying to find something, and I was saddened at the fact that the past few years, my life is but a memory in my mind, and not recorded here on my blog.   Until 2016, I could go back to a month or day, and tell you exactly what we were doing, what had happened, what we ate or watched, where we went and so forth.

 

It's always been my little corner, a place to come back to to and reminisce, watch my children literally growing before my eyes, as I move from post to post.

 

Funny enough, there were even moments where Curt and I would be trying to remember something and needed a specific date, and I was able to come back to the blog, knowing that I had written it down.

 

 

But that was then, and this is now.

 

When did I stop taking note of my life and what we were doing?  

 

Anyway, my husband said to me the other day "How is your blog?   Did you make anymore blog books to add to your collection?"  Sadly my reply was "oh the blog is still there, but no I haven't made anymore books, there hasn't been much to put in the books the past few years."  How sad!!!

 

Speaking with him, he reminded me that it's not about having some major fun adventure to put on the blog, it is about doing what I always did, which was share my day, no matter what I did, no matter how boring or trivial I may think at the moment, because the point is to have it as a memory for when we are older.  A memory we can pass down to our children and grandchildren.

 

He is 100% correct!!!

 

I have often thought how amazing it would have been, if my grandmother or great grandmother had kept a blog, that I could go back and read right now.  I would have loved to read about her day to day, seen pictures of her homemaking, her children, what she was doing and what life was like at that moment.

 

 

Like my husband said "just get back in there, share what you did that day, even if it doesn't interest anyone else, it is for our records, your blog, your life, that's what matters."  Smart man I say.

 

So, here we go, let's just get on that horse again.  You ready to read some posts that may at times seem boring to you?  After all, I'm just a homemaker like many of you, so what I do around here is what you do every day, and you may not want to read about it, but it's my life right and it's what I have to show.

 

You know the kids are growing up.  Jasmine is about to turn 23 and Nick is turning 19.  My earlier blog posts were all about raising the kids, and that was so much fun, but life continues even after they're grown, so now it's all about older kids, a slower life, and still keeping track of what we're doing.

 

I can't wait to sit down one day, when I am much much older, and read my blog from start to finish.  Boy what a trip down memory lane that will be. 

 

 

So here's a rundown of my Tuesday.......

 

::::  Woke up 

My usual 6am time.  Prepared lunch for my husband and daughter, and made our coffees.  Got dressed, and ready to leave the house to take Jasmine to work.

 

 

::::  Breakfast

Had a cup of milky tea and toast.

 

 

::::  What I did

Switched the dining area and den area around.  I love doing that every year, and usually I would wait until end of March, but I just couldn't anymore.  We love eating dinner while watching nature around us, whether it's the deer that visit our home, the birds, skunks, cats, oppossums, racoons, the alpacas right across the road.  You name it.

 

 

::::  Lunch

Made a quick tuna salad for Nick and I, but Jasmine also got to enjoy some when she got home from work at 3pm.

 

 

:::: Watched

The Secret Garden, finally.

 

 

::::  Afternoon

Picked Jasmine up at 3pm then came home and folded a load of laundry, and started dinner right away.

 

 

::::  Dinner

Beef Burrito Skillet.  Super quick and easy meal to throw together, but very yummy and filling.  Recipe will be up today on the food blog.

 

 

::::  Night

Had the best shower, did my night skin routine, then climbed into bed and read my Devotional and my bible.

 

 

{ Back to my roots }

I sat back this past week, and thought about my blog, where it was headed, if it was headed anywhere, and even contemplated closing it down.

 

I have never before even come close to considering shutting down my blog.  So the fact that it came to mind for more than a second, made me halt and really take a good hard look at what I want to do moving forward.

 

I have been blogging since February of 2006.  That is a long time to be here in this little corner, sharing my life and my days, my thoughts, my successes and failures.

 

But the truth is that, as time has gone on, as the years have passed by, whether we want to admit it or not, things change, WE change.  I've changed in some ways, thankfully mostly for the better, and all through God's work within me, especially the past year. 

I prayed on it, took it to God and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me.  I had to answer some pretty hard questions about my blog and myself, especially what I was wanting to convey through it.  See that's the thing, am I still blogging because I love it, and love sharing, and also because I am wanting to have a place to record our journey through this earthly life?

 

Or am I blogging because I feel I have to, because after 15ish years it would be wrong to just stop?

I guess for me it came down to a mixture of both, but mostly because I love blogging and want to continue sharing my days with like minded people.

 

 

The next thing God had me do was take a look at what my blog is, what I've been sharing all along.  Do I want to stop, or do I want to continue what He has moved me to share?

 

That was probably the easiest question to answer, because my blog has always been about homemaking, cooking, family and keeping that notion alive.  I've often talked about how I took home economics in school and how I wish it was still available to kids today.  How important it is to teach fundamental skills that every child should know, regardless of the path they choose for themselves later on in life.

 

I'm going to be completely honest with you all.  I've been extremely blessed to have a group of wonderful, God loving, like minded women, who have been with me on this journey for many years.  Many of you still remember my children being toddlers, first days of school, moves across states, deployments, military life and so on.

 

You saw me struggle at times, you saw me rejoice at others.  You prayed for me, you encouraged me, supported me and gave me amazing advice.  Many of you, actually most of you, have become real life friends, and I'm beyond thankful for that.

So, what do I want to do?  

 

Is it time to close up shop, or make my blog private and just keep sharing for myself and for future memories?

 

Or is it time to forget all the nonsense around, and once again slip back into doing what I always felt led to do, which is inspire and motivate other homemakers to love their homes, their families, and all the mundane daily tasks we do over and over again?

 

I started the week confused.  Not sure which way I was going to go.   

Talking to my husband and children, they all said the same thing "Why would you even consider closing down the blog?  Don't do that."

  

And they're right, I think if I were to do that, I would come to regret it.  

 

After a few more days, I came to the realization that I'm not supposed to close it down, but rather, embrace it fully again.  Continue posting about homemaking, sharing book reviews, recipes and all that fun stuff that started it all back in 2006.

So if you've been following me all along and love me, my family and my blog, thank you.  I hope you continue to follow and read and comment as you always have.

 

If you have followed for a while but have now decided this isn't for you anymore, thank you as well.  No hard feelings whatsoever, I wish you and your family all the Lord's blessings.

 

If you don't like me, my family, my opinions, my life and my blog.  Feel free to click out.  The beauty of blogging or any kind of social media, in general, is that you follow and stick with the channels, blogs, instagrammers that you like, that you connect with, that you relate to and that you feel some sort of connection to, while being able to ignore, not watch, not read, not follow those that you have an issue with.

 

I know my blog will never please everyone, but then not even Jesus pleased everyone, so I'm in pretty good company there.  Right?

My hope is that if you plan on sticking around, it is because you like what you see, you feel a connection, or inspired in some way, but also, want to give homemaking and family life, the recognition it rightly deserves.

 

It's time to pull out the aprons again, to tackle chores with a renewed energy, to set a dinner table where you can all gather at the end of the day to enjoy a homemade meal and talk about life.

 

To make a meal plan, bake that loaf of bread you've been wanting to bake, read the book that has sat on your shelf for a while.

 

Blogging is a personal journal for me.  

 

I'm just a 46 year old woman, moving through this life with the same struggles, heartaches, joys and ups and downs as everyone else.  

 

So the decision I have made is to stick with the blog.  Not shut it down, not make it private (at least for the moment), continue sharing as I see fit, for as long as the good Lord allows me to.  I follow Him and His guidance above everyone and everything.

 

2021 is nothing like 2006.  It is different in so many ways, even blogger itself has completely changed over time.  The way we blog is changing, but the content doesn't have to.  That was what I was mostly afraid of, having to change everything about my blog to fit in with the times.

 

I have chosen not to.  I guess my blog is always going to stay the same, nothing fancy, no crazy widgets, pop ups, flashy templates or professional photos.

It's just going to continue being my life, the reality of it.

And speaking of reality of life, I need to end this post, get ready and head out to deal with more house issues.  Still praying on the Lord to help us with insight, revelation and wisdom, and most of all clarity as to what we should do with my mother in law's house.

I wish you all a blessed weekend, hope you get to rest, relax, have fun and spend time with your families.  Above all, use your time wisely.  Don't waste it on things that don't matter, life is far too short.  

If you don't like someone don't talk to them, if you don't enjoy a blog, don't read it, if you don't like a certain movie, don't watch it.  Do the things that bring you joy and happiness, and let go of everything else.  

I will be back on Monday morning, bright and early.

 

Take care friends,

Sandra

xoxoxo