Blogiversary

Two years ago, in an attempt to ward off homesickness from Texas I started this little old blog. Who knew it would last this long?

By Bloggy standards I am not the most read, the most interesting, or even the most beautiful, but the blog has been a connecting point for those who I cannot see or spend time with over the years. It's been a place that I can connect, in some small way with those who are far away.

Recently I have been searching the blogs of other women. I wanted to know why others blog. Some are mothers, some are not. Some are Christian, some are not. Some work outside of the home. Some do not. There are women trying to start families. Newlyweds learning to care for the home. Amazing women dealing with major issues: brain cancer, infertility, addictions. Dealing with the loss of children.

Some bloggers are actual writers. Some should be. There are bloggers who are very serious and take their topics seriously. Some are seriously funny. Most of them make me feel like I should go take an English course somewhere, because I seriously need one.

Women from all over the country, and some from around the world, love their children, their husbands and chocolate. Not necessarily in that order. Some feel strongly about what their blog should say. There are debates going on right now about prayer, how much personal info should be allowed, and goodness! there lot of laundry woes! (I finally feel like I am not alone!)

Women bloggers like crafts, coffee and great hair cuts. They share "tips" of all kinds, from cooking to hair coloring. They also are the most caring of people, sending encouraging comments, setting up prayer links, and loving on each other lavishly. There are some amazingly talented women out there! From scrap booking to jewelry making, homeschooling to organization, you name it they are using their talents in awesome ways.

I have found that the blogs can also become all consuming. Some have decided to stop because it was taking over their lives.

As I have looked through these blogs in the last couple of weeks I have learned that the majority of the blogs I have read are all women who are about my age, and no matter what we do or where we do it we are all hoping for community. To make a difference in a world. We want to be heard. We want to know that we are doing things right. We want to be connected to something.

And I guess in some way I have felt that way as well. I started this blog in a time when I felt isolated in a new town. The blog helped me to connect with my out-of-state friends and family. But it has also been a place that i could write. Something I have enjoyed doing my entire life. I am not a "writer", but writing has always been a way I have dealt with life. Obviously, I save a lot of my writing for my private journal, but sharing some of my thoughts has been fun. Staying connected with my girlfriends all over the country has been awesome and meeting new "blogger-gals" is encouraging and fun too.

Blog's are interesting to me because I have always loved an autobiography. I have always enjoyed learning about what other people do. I love reading old journals: The Dairy of Anne Frank, and even that old junior high read, Go Ask Alice. I love them because peoples lives are interesting and educational. I just love a good personal story.

So it is on the two year anniversary that I am going to do a few things. I don't aspire to be as bustling as some of the amazing blogs on the net, mine is a simple blog. But I am going to make a few personal goals, if you will.

One of the things that I have missed about living in NC is the time in Bible study I had to do to be prepared as the facilitator of the Women's Ministry in our church. I was always doing the best I could to be intentional in keeping sharp in the Word, so that if I ever needed to speak at a luncheon or meeting that I would always be prepared. I haven't done much of that in the last 5 months because of the move and changes that come with relocating. And I can tell I am out of habit, because I am as dull as a spoon right now. But soon things will be a bit more routine and I have been slowly working and studying and I hope to do a weekly devotional-type post about life in the desert. Be looking for those by the first of August or so.

I also hope to change the face of the blog just a bit and to make it more personal. This will take a couple of months but I look forward to seeing how that will take shape.

I am also going to update the side bars and keep the blogs I read down to ten. Because I am learning from others on the net that, like many good things in life, the bloggers world can take over...and I so don't want that.

So in celebrations of the La Vida Dulce Blogiversary, let the laundry go for the day, find some more chocolate, have a good cup of coffee.

Thanks to my friends who read!

Kellie

La Vida Dulce!