Recently, I discussed some of the changes I’ve incorporated within my blog of late, including a different header theme. When I wrote my first post back in January 2008, the theme, “Life in the familial garden,” seemed an apt description of my new blog’s flavor. I’d begun the blog as a takeoff to my monthly parenting columns in The Forum newspaper and was focused on the parenting element of my life. But over time, I wanted my blog to reflect other areas of my life that intertwine with my parenting: faith and writing. And so recently, I happily changed the theme to something that seemed to better describe my blog as it is now. The new theme: “A garden blend of family, faith and following the muse.” I like this new theme a lot. It’s amazing how wonderful words can make you feel when chosen with intention and placed in the right order. I’m sure that most readers didn’t even notice this different theme, but it was an important change for me. It helped me better define what I was doing, what I was after in moving forward with the blog.
That said, the problem with trying to tackle too many subjects is that a blog could risk having an identity crisis. It’s not so much a problem for me. I am who I am and I tend to write about whatever element of my life speaks most prominently to me on a particular day — much like I would upon opening a diary. But I also recognize that my readers are not me, and that not all of my readers are writers. And though I enjoy the freedom of blogging on a whim on whatever subject suits me at the moment or on a particular day, I sense that having some sort of loosely-defined blogging schedule would benefit you, my readers, and yes, probably me as well. It will help me zero in on specific areas of my life on specific days, and free up some hours for other pursuits; namely, paid writing jobs, that children’s novel I’m writing that needs my attention, reading (read well = write well), researching and submitting to publishers/agents, and, oh yeah, houswork, bill-paying, child-comforting, etc. Yes, I think this will be a good thing, and I’m excited about it.
As such, while on my way somewhere yesterday, the structure — how this will be played out — came to me in a moment of inspiration. Always a lover of alliteration, I’ve got it narrowed down to this schedule. So, from here on out (or until further notice), my new blog-writing schedule will go like this:
MONDAY= Mama Mondays
WEDNESDAY= Writing Wednesdays
FRIDAY= Faith Fridays
The only problem with this novel plan is that I’ve taken to the Friday “quick takes,” which I typically write on Thursday evenings. It’s nice to have a little time off after that Friday blast. And yet, I don’t want to slight the faith element. So I’ll likely do a separate faith posting as well, if not Friday, then at some point over the weekend. (Hopefully I haven’t confused you, in my attempt to clarify.) And, of course, as a non-paid employee of my own blog (which also means I have the freedom to choose my content), I reserve the right to change courses slightly if, for example, something timely comes along, or I’m inspired, or some late-breaking news comes to my attention. I also will post at least one Tuesday a month when my column is published, and there may be an occasional “weekend update.” But by and large, I will do my very best to stick to this schedule and see how it goes. If it begins to feel too restrictive, for either me or you, I’ll rethink and revamp.
Alright, then, onward with the weekend. Today, I’m in for three separate treats. My girls come home after their week-plus vacation with their grandparents, we’ll see The Wiz tonight at Trollwood, and in about an hour, I get to step out for a bit to have lunch with two dear writing friends who just happen to be in town this weekend but are not traveling together. In fact, one of the friends doesn’t know the other one is going to be here. It will be a surprise when she walks through the door of the restaurant where we’ll be meeting. It also will be a bittersweet gathering, as we’ll be commemorating the year-anniversary of the death of one friend’s sister. But mostly, we plan to celebrate life and one another.
Now, if I can just find that yellow-brick road. It was here somewhere, I thought…
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