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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Talking About My Blog and Writing



A person would think I had lost my interest in blogging for all the posts I am not writing these days. I mildly protest and do deny it ... I have not lost interest, I have not abandoned my beautiful blog, despite certain evidence indicating otherwise. So, what IS happening then, you ask; if you have not given up on blogging, then what?

It's like this ... I have been focusing my attention and pouring my heart into another writing project. And, I find when that's going on, at the end of the day, there never seems to be enough energy or words left over to create a decent post here. Believe me, I've tried -- you wouldn't want to see the accumulated false starts sitting in draft mode.

As you may recall from recent posts, I celebrated my 60th birthday this spring, and months prior, fully aware the event was drawing nigh, there came a full-blown wish yearning to gather up my childhood memories and life experiences. Since a teen, I have been chronicling my journey, but turning 60 seemed a good time to sort through the boxes of memorabilia, old scrapbooks, myriad photo albums, and dozens of old diaries and journals to tie up loose ends, put things in order, and set it down properly on paper. I understand God keeps such a book of each of our lives; I wanted to write one from my own point of view and how I saw the world growing up and what I thought about it all.



“A day will come when the story inside you will want to breathe on its own.
That’s when you’ll start writing.”
 ~ Sarah Noffke




I also wanted to clear out space in my home -- my closets and shelves -- not to mention in my mind, to make room for possible new pursuits and interests. If I glean the useful bits and pieces from these carefully stored reminders and finally write the story out, whether in a more private, personal document or in several books to share further afield, then I can finally discard them without too much trauma for The Chronicler, who is loathe to throw treasures like that out, and she certainly doesn't want me to forget any of the important stuff.

Agatha Christie's most enjoyable 500-page autobiography took her fifteen years to write. She was 60 when she started. She said, "What I plan to do is to enjoy the pleasures of memory--not hurrying myself--writing a few pages from time to time." I've decided to sort of follow suite, except I don’t plan to take 15 years to write my own stories -- I don't have any mysteries to write in between -- and I can't imagine needing 500 pages to say what I need to say. Even so, it's a much bigger task than I first anticipated. By the way, did you know that Maya Angelou wrote seven autobiographies in her lifetime? Perhaps a person can never really know how much it will take to mine the lessons learned from one's experiences.



"There was another life that I might have had,
but I am having this one.”
~ Kasuo Ishiguro



I don't think I ever told you that my life did not turn out the way I dreamed it would as a girl growing up. All my life, I imagined the day when I would meet my prince charming, fall in love, get married, create a home where we would raise a family, and build a lifetime of traditions and memories together. There was no doubt in my mind that it wouldn't come to pass; yet for all the hoping, it did not happen that way at all. I didn't meet my prince charming until I was forty, we didn't have kids, and we each already had many of our own traditions and memories not mutually shared.

As for writing the memoir of this part of the journey, which has been in the back of my mind for ages and for which I have the first draft, I finally came to see I had to live a longish life before I could write about how I found my beautiful life, in spite of those disappointments, first as a single woman for twenty years, and then as a happily married wife, daughter, sister, aunt.

As you can imagine, sorting through 60 years worth of memorabilia is a huge undertaking. But I'm having lots of fun with so many memories flying upward like butterflies (see post for earlier reference They Flew Out Like Butterflies); my study is a veritable habitation for these vintage creatures.




So, my dear beautiful friends, that's what I'm up to these days ... unpacking the memories of a life lived thus far. And not blogging much.

Let me say, I will still post at least once or twice a month; I will get really homesick for you otherwise. I hope you bear with me as I work away on this new '60' project over the months to come.

Sending you love and good wishes
for a beautiful rest of the summer,

Hugs,
Brenda
♥♥♥

PS. I still create spontaneous, tiny posts with lots of pictures
on my Facebook page. You are most welcome to join me there.




27 comments:

  1. It's sounds like a wonderful project. Enjoy those 'butterflies'!

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  2. You have chosen the more important writing task, I believe. All the very best with it. I promise that I did not read this before I created a graphic to honor my grandparents with butterflies on it thinking of them as just that...memories floating back.

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  3. You may not be able to hear it but I'm applauding you. I love the blogging world too, could easily spend hours each day there, and have done exactly that in the past. I've tried stopping in the past and missed it to much to stay gone and now am trying those once or twice a month posts. And I like that! And for the first time in years I too am making progress in other writing projects. We really do have to make some choices with our time, don't we? We can't have everything, or at least I can't.

    I love reading memoir so I hope you keep at it,
    Dewena

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  4. What an absolutely wonderful thing! This will be such a good book, and a good time for you as you go back through all these old writings and review your life.

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  5. A great project and one that I'm sure will be fulfilling. I wish you well on your journey down memory lane.

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  6. What a wonderful project, Brenda . . . and oh how much you will remember and learn! One of the things I love about the world of blogging is the fact that you set your own rules, your own pace, your own style. And your friends are still hanging around ready to read what you have to share when you return from some other project or some other pursuit or even from a time of just being quiet.

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  7. I always enjoy your blog posts, but I can see why you have to focus your attention elsewhere at the moment. Good luck with your project.

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  8. Hope you enjoy your writing wherever it takes you too or from!

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  9. Blessings.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  10. interestingly enough i started wrting my life history at age 60 after I had written many family histories on other members of my family living and departed. It was a great experience, i wrote it all then edited, then shared it in a weekly column for our local senior newsletter and later published my book on find your voice, write your life story. Very therapeutic...do blog about your insights....

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  11. Oh, Bren - I am so thankful you are not giving up your beautiful blog with your wonderful thoughts and words. We would all dreadfully miss you. However, I do think it is wonderful you are writing your autobiography, really we all should. But, you have a gift and I am sure a lovely life to write about. It will be marvelous. Enjoy the process, and take time for you along the way.

    Many Blessings and Happy Summer Days,
    Sandra

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  12. What a wonderful post, Brenda. You have eloquently expressed your motivation for writing. While I do enjoy each post you write, choosing to post less and write your memoir is a finer task. It's something I would like to do, as well.

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  13. You will be enveloped in your memoirs, so it is understandable that other writing has slowed down. What a wonderful, and huge task to undertake.

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  14. I knew it!!! I knew you won't stop writing or leave us!!
    Whew!!
    Happy 60th Birthdsy.💐
    You amaze me with you talents, style and words. I love your blog!!

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  15. So beautiful, Brenda. I'll keep coming back, of course I will, I love your unique and graceful writing.
    Amalia
    xo

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  16. It is good to pay a visit here again, and I highly encourage you to write about your life. So often, our lives have a different outcome than we planned, but in the end, it is always the best. I do enjoy stopping in here from time to time.

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  17. Your auto-biography sounds like a wonderful project and something that will be treasured when you are done. I hardly ever read anything else, and the lives of 'ordinary', extraordinary people are my favorites. I love the details of their every-day lives, and reading about all their hopes and dreams, failures and successes, and what they learned along the way. Sorting through a life-time of memories is certainly something that does take considerable time! It's fascinating when we look back to see the path our lives have taken, and all the twists and turns. I wish you the best (and very few days of writer's block)! xx Karen

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  18. That was so interesting and made me think about many different things. I hope we hear more from you soon xx

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  19. You are doing a wonderful project.. so memories..good times, bad times.. hope to hear more about your autobiography...

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  20. Dear Brenda - from one sixty year old to another - think your project is a fabulous idea. Perhaps you will share a few excerpts from your memory pages. Take care and will look forward to seeing you from time to time here. Hugs!

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  21. Good for you. I wish you much success.

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  22. Brenda, we seem to be somewhat in the same boat. Let's connect on Facebook.

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  23. What a wonderful idea Brenda. You have inspired me. It sounds like quite an undertaking, but also a good way to put things in perspective, preserve good memories, sort out and resolve bad, etc. Very therapeutic. Enjoy, my friend, and we'll see you when you check in. (I'm two weeks late to this post, so you can see I'm not blogging as much this summer either.) xo Deborah

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  24. Well I think it's a great idea too! In fact, before I started My Favorite Things, I first hit the publish button on my other blog, "Memories of My Childhood...and Other Blessings". Oh, there's more where they came from and as I think of them, I will go back and write more. I think it is so important to have record of these things that made us who we are. Funny thing is, I was 1 year shy of 60 myself when I started that blog. :) I will be looking forward to your next post, whenever you choose to write it!

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  25. Your post resonated, as did Dayle's comments. It may be that this happens to certain women where they
    turn 60 methinks.

    Lizer Pearl

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  26. Popping in to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who visited, who left footprints in the comment box. Your encouragement and thoughts are received with a grateful heart.

    Please know (Aug 9) I'm in the middle of getting a new post ready for this month ... should be up in the next 3-5 days.

    In the meantime, I'm sending hugs and wishes for a beautiful day,
    Brenda
    xox

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo