Summer is Almost Half OVER And What Have I Accomplished?

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost half over. That just seems incredible, but I know I say that every time. I say it at the end of the school year and then I say it again when school is starting.

Magnet by Anne Taintor

It just seems that when summer is over half a year is over too, and I'm not any closer to my goals. Which is why I have decided to make a vision board to picture my goals and what is most important to me. One things that is important is the children's education and tonight I pulled out as many easy reader books as I could find to get my son started on his summer reading list.  We have less than two months now to get him up to speed on his reading before he starts first grade in the fall.

Also, we are almost half way done and I'm glad to report that my husband Rey has picked up his blog, You Should Blog About This again. I was starting to worry that he wouldn't record his wonderful summer experience with the kids. I tell him that they will remember this summer as long as they live. :) I'm so happy that he picked up his blog again because it will give me more writing material too. Like commentary on his blog topics! (evil grin)

I always envy people who have what I consider time to write. I envied my friends who were stay at home moms for a while and for their time living in Europe (Ireland and Spain) and I was always telling them that I wished they would keep a blog about their experience. I still tell them today that they have wonderful writing material. I'm so glad that my friend Viki is keeping a blog of her Singapore experience! I also envy my sister her summers because she only works during the school year. One of the reasons I should have become a librarian or a teacher back when I thought about doing it fifteen years ago.

I don't envy them in a bad way, but I guess how else can you view the word envy? I only wish that I had that time so that I could write full time during those periods. Then I think of Julie from Julie & Julia and I think of Gwendolyn Zepeda. Julie wrote her Julia Child cooking blog while working full time and Gwendolyn Zepeda works full time and writes full time. Which reminds me, I'm also giving away Gwendolyn's most recent book. Enter to win Lone Star Legend!

So no, I realize that working at home or being a stay at home mom (whichever term you prefer) isn't the answer. I know I can write and work full time. I only hope that one day soon I will publish something, or more than one thing, that will allow me to concentrate full time on my writing. And when that day comes I promise that after working for seventeen years I will fully appreciate that time.

Coming Out of Hiatus OH MY! Can I Pull This Off??

When I told my husband that I was going on hiatus on my Shoegirl Corner blog he didn't agree.

"Shoegirl Corner is the blog that you've built up," he argued.

"I know," I replied, "But there is no possible way I can keep up three blogs!"

Last November I agreed to start a weight loss blog and I thought that there was no way I could pull off three blogs. In addition to this blog that I've had for almost six years now I also blog for skirt! magazine.

I've continued to blog on Hips 'n Salsa and skirt! and I haven't been very successful at it. Sure, I still blog but it's not this blog, it doesn't really feel like home. So I struggle through blogging at least once a week on each of those. The truth is, I miss Shoegirl Corner. This is where I got started on this crazy blogging adventure.

A couple of days ago I went on Sitemeter to check my visits and I laughed at the stats. I can't believe that this blog still gets way more visits than Hips 'n Salsa. Just today I've had 27 visits and I've had 190 this week. Compared to Hips 'n Salsa who just received 5 visits and 28 so far this week. It makes me feel like I've been neglecting an old faithful friend.

When I told my husband he said, "See!" and he went on to remind me that Shoegirl Corner is a name that I've built up for myself. I am Shoegirl. Forget that Irish girl with the same name that blogs somewhere in Ireland.

Then today my husband makes an announcement.

"I'm starting my own blog. It's called, 'You Should Blog About This.'"

What?? Yes, the man is blogging about all the things he swears he's told me I should blog about and I supposedly haven't blogged about them. In addition to that he plans on commenting on all the blogs that I post. Hmm?? We will see about that.

I challenge him to keep a blog going even longer than a month with consistent blogging at least twice a week. If he can do this I will keep Shoegirl Corner alive for him to comment on all he wants, both offline and online. Yes, I will keep up all THREE blogs to his one.

Will he rise to the challenge? We shall see!