Reminiscing

I've been blogging almost 3 years now. This isn't a specific anniversary date, but I was just perusing the blogs that I visit and remembering when I first started venturing into bloggy land. Honestly, at first I felt snoopy and guilty. I felt like I had no right to be looking at people's pictures and reading their stories but they fascinated me so much that I couldn't stop, which made me feel more guilty. Then I realized that this is a way to get stuff off one's chest, and to find like minded friends, to encourage and be encouraged. The welcome mat was out and I entered into a whole new world of words, beauty, controversy, intellect, candidness, and art. Within my four walls I have found an outlet for my thoughts, and I get to share my worries, questions, achievements and failures as I choose. This is so where I belong.

I just wanted to take a jaunt down memory lane and give nod to the big time bloggers that have blessed my world:

Embrace the Chaos is the first blog I ever read. Holly kindly invited me over after I sent her a message at Sparkpeople.com I was mesmerized by the faces of her adorable girls and her knack for decorating cakes. Her commentary on her life lived out gives me the impression that she is actually speaking to me. I have laughed out loud so many times, yet found myself crying as she shared her personal challenges and causes that are dear to her heart. This girl has got passion! So fun to read and keeps me motivated.

A Holy Experience is where I go when I need to pour some wisdom on my soul. Ann paints a picture with words and tells a story with her photography that leaves me breathless every time. So gently does she call her readers to take up their cross and follow our Savior. She reveals the life lessons she takes and opens her shy heart to probing readers' eyes because it helps her and us to draw nearer to God. On days when I'm feeling selfish and lazy and apathetic I tend to skip past her post, because I know I'll hear a still quiet voice encouraging me to lay aside myself, to get up and work for the Lord with all my heart, mind and strength, and reminding me that the battle is already won for me so I need not give up. A holy experience indeed.

Kicky Boots I stole Kicky Boots off of my sister in law's blog roll one day when I wanted more friends. Amanda makes me hoot with laughter. Even when she is talking about something serious she makes jokes that lighten the topic. Her hyperboles are legendary, and she's not shy about telling things like they are (with just a teeny tiny bit of exaggeration to take the edge off). I always feel like I have loads in common with Amanda (except that she is tall and beautiful and citified, knows her way around a camera, and is funny). We both have 2 small children with another one on the way around the same time. We both know people in Regina, different people mind you....and.... actually that's pretty much where we are similar, but still I feel a kinship with her as do about a kabillion of her other loyal readers. I know Amanda is going to write an awesome book someday and then I will stalk her and make her sign my copy. Until then I just comment on her every post and check every day to see if she's written anything new. Hey, it's where I get my kicks.

Deutschland is a little place I found when I was trying to escape my own reality one day. We had just moved to our little acreage and were living in our travel trailer for what seemed to me an indefinite amount of time. When you live in a small space with toddlers and a husband sometimes a person needs a little room to breath. One night in particular I put the kids to bed early, said some terse words to my poor DH and ran off with the keys to the SUV and the lap top. I drove 20 minutes to the nearest town that had a Safeway with WiFi and (because they were closed by the time I got there) I sat in my SUV and web surfed. Ahhh, even now I can feel the bliss it was to read a whole blog entry without someone asking me for something. That is when I hopped onto Tish's blog. It was the names of her children that peaked my interest and the lovely pictures of her family and her genuine soul seeking in writing that made me continue to read. Tish is so real, and so cool and so inspiring that I'd follow her anywhere. Lately I've followed her to Ethiopia and back and bit my nails and prayed and worried and rejoiced as she and her neato hubby Bob adopted 2 African angels.

There are many more inspiring blogs and if you just check out the sample I've described for you you will understand why I'm so addicted to reading blogs, and why it is so tough to unplug. These people seem so real to me, like I've met them face to face. If only that could be. Some day we'll meet in heaven and we'll party it up big time. Until then my mission is just to convince each and every one of them to get a button for their page so I can collect their buttons! Yep, I'm a true blogging geek, and I love every minute!