10 Blogger Blessings on a Wednesday

I was going to write something middle-of-the-road sarcastic for my blog anniversary in July, with full awareness of my blessings thrown in between the lines. I deleted that draft, because it made me resentful of myself and of my slow progress in this writing endeavor.

So let's try something else, a tinge sweeter - that dry anniversary Champagne with a fair splash of orange juice perhaps. Here is a list of a few of my sure blessings as a blogger this year.

1) I'm grateful I'm writing at all. It's hard to find the time I want to commit to it, but I'm doing what I love. And no one's paying me for it...oh wait, that's not a good thing. Dang!

2) I'm glad I'm not on twitter. I'm quite a bear when I'm trying to write, work out some little tale, and my kids ask for the simplest things - like water. I don't need more distractions to rob them of my time. I still have my youngest two at home. They'll be in school before I know it. Just thinking about my toddler entering kindergarten made me cry one night, and he's just a wee little thing at two-and-a-half. When he goes to school, it's going to be real rough. But I'll have more time to write and try to succeed at it then, so no rushing and leaving life behind.

3) My traffic is higher this year. That is all I want to or can positively say about traffic.

4) Despite my hideous or bland or dysfunctional design - however you might describe it - people still read what I write. I have a few faithful readers and a few new readers. Thank God! I am seriously thinking about paying the neighborhood squirrel in cashews to design my blog. Since cashews are all I'm willing to pay, I thought he'd be the ideal candidate. Plus, I believe he could hit a few random buttons and do a better job. (As to why I do not learn HTML, see above twitter comment; I just want to write, dammit! It's all I have time for unless I swear off sleep and become a blogging zombie.)

5) I'm grateful Mr London Street and Resistant But Persistent keep me on their blog roll.

6) I am supremely, enormously thankful for the increase in comments. Increase might be the wrong word. I'm thankful for comments. Please don't hesitate to talk back to me. If I have to, I'll picket for my equal rights to conversation.

7) The Empress followed me, and I'm glad of it. Her latest post is hilarious.

8) My childhood was happy and interesting, and it provided me with my first tales to tell. My very first post explains how this blog got its name. To prove the interesting part, read this one.

9) Various family members support my writing efforts, and what's more, these related angels give me words of encouragement. In example, my bro-in-law Roberto supports my blog. I find this quite amazing, because he's my in-law and doesn't have to.

10) Above everything I could hope to mention or have forgotten to is this: I LOVE my family. My kids keep me entertained and active, and my handsome, smart husband constantly provides me with witty words that I promptly steal for my blog. My life is richer, more blessed, and bigger than the words with which I attempt to describe it, and I would do well to always bear that in mind. God has blessed me greatly.


To conclude, I'm going to share a great quote from my dad, author of the fantasy series Kelven's Riddle. He gave me some fortifying words on a day when I felt like a complete failure at what I so desperately want to do with my life (beside that more important thing - being the best mother I can possibly be).

Cheer up. We all fail and we all succeed. Success is continuing to do whatever it is that your heart desires through thin times and thick - and there are generally more of the former than the latter. Besides, true success only comes at the end of life when the Lord says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Everything else is just strife...keep your chin up and keep moving on - Daniel Hylton