hitting publish
i do wish i was a more spontaneous blogger. i wish posts didn’t float around inside my head all. week.long…. sometimes making it as far as my journal…or a scrap envelope deep in the dark recesses of my purse….never to see the light of day here….but i am rather self-conscious.
and i don’t want to waste your time…you’ve got things to do…places to go and people to love.
and so do i!
but i noticed i lost some readership last week.
i rarely pay attention to stats. but it was noticeable.
maybe too much talk about God and tragedies makes people go away.
it scares them.
and i understand because it scares me too.
so to boost my popularity show y’all that i am not afraid to have some fun, i am going to do a little give away.
see this lovely bag? i bought one for myself and i thought….”self, this would the perfect thing to give away (filled with a few sweet/surprise goodies btw) for valentine’s day.”
just leave a comment in this post sometime between now and sunday. i will pick a random winner and announce it monday.
i am signing off now as there has been one heck of a mini civil war here as we try to get back into a semi-normal school routine.
there just might be a secession…and it makes me tired.
they feel like it is an injustice that i ordered a whole slew of textbooks and am actually making them do work.
i feel like a charlotte mason drop out as it goes completely against my nature to resort to textbooks.
but desperate times call for desperate measures.
for today the three teenagers sitting at the table with books, papers and half-finished plates of spaghetti eerily reminded me of a scene from the breakfast club.
ew!
not my idea at all of the happy. holy. homeschoolers we once were.
happy weekending, friends!
wishing you HIS peace.
ps. this give-away-offer is not good for members of my same household. you know who you are. and you may not enter to win. i say that with all my love.
andeverythinginitsplace.wordpress.com 
Never feel bad about reflecting before hitting publish. The world would be a better place if more people did just that. And never feel bad about textbooks either. I often feel like a CM dropout – I guess because I am. It doesn’t blog well but let me tell you that it is the best thing we ever did and the children don’t want to go back. They are learning a ton. I am not trying to pull ideas out of me head on a moment’s notice. Now there is time for crafting and reading aloud and walks.It’s all good.
Don’t worry about tossing my name in the giveaway hat. Send it to someone local : ) But I have felt like you do and wanted to encourage you. And tell you your pictures absolutely rock!
You are like me, I think. I like to believe that my blog is something I do just for myself and my distant friends and family, but yeah, I notice the stats, and comments make me happy, and being ignored does not. Having a blog is an ongoing spiritual battle for me. I know God would likely prefer my obscurity and humility, but I just can’t quit!
Lovely bag…and I know your taste in goodies. Keeping my fingers crossed!
I think we all sort of have a battle with the blog. Wanting to write for our own memory keepsake but hoping someone(s) will care enough to comment. Sigh. It’s something I contemplate often. How to balance that well.
Oh, and I am glad you write about God and the things of your heart (joyful or tragic). It’s what makes this such a REAL place to visit.
Adorable bag!! Just perfect for Valentine’s. I would love to win, so please pick me =)
Happy Weekend.
I only recently discovered your blog (through a link at Alice’s, I think) and am so glad I did! You pictures are lovely and your posts so real and honest.
I know that blogs can sometimes be “another thing” on the the already long list of things homeschooling mamas have to do, so thanks for taking the time to do it. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway too.
x. ryane
I can’t imagine why you would lose readers! I would love to win that bag!
I’d read ya even if ya didn’t have a cute bag for a give-away !) I think the stats are a result of it being January. It’s just been an odd month. I often wonder if the ‘stat’ is recorded if a person reads the post on google reader. I’m sure I could find out somewhere, but I don’t have time to search for the answer … and then, it really doesn’t concern me, so I don’t want to invest the time, either (aside from thinking about it).
Time is precious and much better spent with kids, mothers, fathers, and grand-parents …
prayers for a JOYfilled weekend.
pax Christi – lena
I’ve wondered about stats from Google Reader as well.
What a lovely blog you have here – I’m glad I heard about it and came over!
The bag is also adorable!
I struggle with the same thing at my blog and recently lost quite a few readers. But I’m prideful, so it’s probably good for my ego. 😉 Anyway, I’d love to be entered into your giveaway!
I read you all the time.
I don’t always leave comments though.
I love to come for your pictures.
And you of course.
We had french toast today, which is good, but it was at 10am. Not 8am like I would have liked it to be.
Rarely do we look like holy homeschoolers.
Something to strive for I suppose.
I don’t pay much attention to the stats of my blog. funny though, I put up that “follower” thing, more for it to be convenient for readers to find, but I catch myself looking every day to see if it will go up. Really? who cares?
I find it funny on what things people will comment on and what things people don’t. My only faithful reader is Christine. She and I always comment to eachother, it’s like a little conversation we are having.
I’ve also noticed if I don’t comment on other’s blogs, they don’t comment on mine. Like give and take, like a real conversation I suppose between bloggers. It just shows we are all connected. One body.
Kind of like Christine’s Christmas card thingy, when we stop giving cards away, will people still send to us? It shows how much we need eachother.
One body, connected in Christ.
Whoa, that got way too long, sorry.
Oh, yeah, Suzie, I think our stats do count on Google Reader. I just think they do.
It’s funny how blogging readership goes in spurts…one day, you wake up and you have 5 new followers…and then the next….you’ve lost 10. People are fickle….
Anyway, I think your blog is lovely….and so is that Valentine Tote! I’d sure like to win it!! Wish me luck!
One of the very reasons I left WP is the stat reader . . . I started to watch it like a dog watching a cat . . . and salivating. Not good. But, it is laughably normal of us mere humans. 😉
I think I have it easy peasey home schooling just the one of my three. But, first, he WANTED to be here (after a year in public school last year, which followed two years of home schooling) . . . second, he’s my COMPLIANT child. Christian is a PLEASANT child – and I’m so pleased. He has a backbone, but he’s mostly soft and squishy and easy to love and be loved by. The “world” hasn’t hardened him one bit. He sees this hardness in others and it hurts him (enough to chat me up about it) . . . and I just tell him that, it’s occasion to pray for them and the world, but also for himself: that God keeps allowing him to see so he can pray and BE counter cultural to the world by BEING LOVE to others.
You are such a doll. I know you think about your posts – they are thoughtful and well put. Don’t doubt yourself, but don’t change your method either . . . I come here to see YOU and I do see you when I’m here. This place is like a sunny porch and having a cup of tea with a long time friend. Your blog is the meaning of “embracing” with love of Christ.
Hugs and Aloha!
Oh Regan, I read every single post… I’m just not always clever enough to comment! Your writing is beautiful and so are your pictures… always! Have a wonderful weekend… +JMJ+
I would LOVE to be a “random winner.” Thanks!
I don’t care about stats. I’m writing for myself and my family. If other people happen along, fine. If not, that’s fine too!
Hi,
I am just new today. I reached you through the patentsgirlblogspot. I will probably become a loyal reader. Although, I am not one to make lots of comments. Just happy to read about people with the same kind of ideals. I am sure your blog will be enjoyed by many including myself. Thanks for the chance to win a cute bag.
New to your blog and it sounds interesting.
Just found your blog through Minnesota Mom. All I can say is–at least you had the days of being happy, holy homeschoolers…we never even made that and now we’re in the teenage years. I’m tired, too. Praying for all of us!
*sigh* Your house sounds like my house today. A secession may be a good idea. Prayers to you.
A nice bag would certainly cheer me up.
I’d love to win! I’m a new reader.
You write beautifully, and wow – to have been introduced to you (by way of Margaret’s) and read here, would hopefully mean some of your richness in Christ will rub off, encourage and inspire me. Write always from your heart!
I will pray for your mother’s continuing recovery – how scary that must have been, but you handled it SO much better than I could imagine to!
Stop worrying about the stats….write what you want to write when you want to write it!
Don’t be so hard on yourself in regards of using textbooks! January is a rough month – between the dreariness and the post-holiday crash, it is amazing that we are still standing.
Good luck (and you know I’ll keep reading!)
I love your blog. You’re one of the first ones I check for updates! Glad to know ya!
funny how readership can feel like validation, or dare I say popularity 🙂
One of my favorite things about the blog world is that I can hear the true voices of so many women who are doing what I am doing in their very own unique way. Thank you for sharing
Julie
Thank you for hosting a giveaway. I found your blog through a link on Minnesotta Mom’s site.
Hi! The bag looks so neat! I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog…
hey!!!! Look at all these selfish people wanting something free…..only put in the regulars that come here like ME!!!
onlyyyyyyyyyyyyyykidding I hope you get my weird sense of humor.
that was suppose to be funny.
anyhoo I also thought about a giveaway just to see who would come to my bloggy.
I will always come here and want to be your friend through the good in life and the hard in life.
but…but ….oh but but but…I LUB THAT BAG! enter me me me me
and congrats to whoever wins.
A very cute idea!
Love your blog and the bag!
Regan, I think you know I enjoy reading your posts and everyone agrees your photos are so very lovely. I think your title says it well – there is a place here for everything, the pretty and the scary and the fun and the serious. And we all know sometimes life has its tragedies as well (and a bunch of textbooks is not one of them!). Anyhoo – don’t change a thing! And that is the cutest bag! And you are so sweet to have a giveaway!
You needn’t enter me in the giveaway, but I came here via Minnesota Mom and am looking forward to reading more of your blog. 🙂
New to your blog…sent by Minnesota Mom 🙂 Bag is adorable, and I will be contemplating the idea of happy, holy homeschoolers this week – praying for the grace to be just that.
God bless you as you begin a new week!