It's the time of year for back to. Back to school, routine, healthy eating. Post Labor Day is like another New Year's Day. Have too much fun this summer? Let all the routines slide? It's a big boat. I saved a space for you.
I did accomplish a few things along the way like becoming much more familiar with preserving food and all but eliminating any kitchen waste. Inflation brought my casually tossing food in the compost to a screeching halt. My house got one really good deep clean for a house full of company. I learned to play Canasta and had an intro lesson to Mahjong.
Do you feel the pull of getting back on track this time of year? It's the second chance every year to get it together, which we can all do any day of the year but it seems to be easier when there's momentum around us.
One thing that happened this summer was that I met a great group of Millenials and Zillenials some of whom are looking for life away from social media. I'd moved away from blogging toward shorter more image driven Instagram posts thinking that was the trend but then had a young mom ask if I could do a newsletter. A newsletter, y'all.
I was inspired. I know I waste a ton of time on SM and if you and I are being honest we know it's shortening our attention span and wasting our time.
But this is where the market place of ideas is! I say to myself.
Though I often wonder how much is just noise even as I contribute to it. Sometimes a reader of the blog will tell me they miss the way I used to post more regularly. Me too, friend. I miss the quiet time writing to reach across the void (is that from You've Got Mail?) to share ideas and encouragement with readers even if it's just one. Is it you?
Often anymore instead of writing something thoughtful and putting down words worth reading (I hope) I search for the snarky meme or article quote. The amount of time I spend doing that is ridiculous.
Did you just check Instagram to see if I posted? That's just what I would have done. And for my Zillenials, same, girl.
And worse than time spent searching is just, well, time just spent. You know what I mean. You pick up the phone to see if you need a raincoat this afternoon and 45 minutes later are somehow shopping for property in Belize.
So here's the plan:
This blog is going to be the soft place to fall and will post on Wednesday. More words, hopefully ones you'll find worth reading.
Instagram grid is what's going on in real time (mostly) and pretty pictures.What are the bees doing? How's the garden going? Light. Pretty. Fun.
Instagram Stories? Snarky and political because I can't help myself. Choose wisely.
I wrote a book! Click on the picture that says The Curious Letters of Baroness Wren Gardener to start reading Part 1:Winter. I'm posting it on here because I wrote it for myself and for friends and am not in the mood to chase down literary agents but if you know someone at Hallmark I'd take the call. It's in five parts, one to be posted roughly each month wrapping up around Christmas. I did say Hallmark, right? If you like it feel free to share it with a friend.
It would be fun to read with your bestie or as a mother/daughter read.
So that's it! One thing the blog does is force me to sit down and write, to sort thoughts and connect ideas. To breathe as I click "post to blog."
Let me know what you'd be interested in reading or learning about most!
