Winner to the Anniversary Giveaway

Thank you for sharing this past year and bear with me as I reflect a bit before getting to the winner. I started the blog for a variety of reasons, most importantly as a outlet for the ideas, thoughts, and noises that spin in my head, and thought this could be a way to harness the chaos. Over time I settled on a theme of looking for more simplicity, relevance, and intentionality in my life.  I decided to write about things that bring me joy  but also the challenges I and others may face in having a joyful life.  I used anyone reading to talk to about a few life decisions, and to share my angst about decisions of others. I've written about simple things like baking bread and making soup, and using old church cookbooks.  Some posts were about  happy times, and others about sadness and loss, and several of you have written comments back and it is so appreciated. What a difference a year makes. 

I've by default brought a few others along for my blog world ride. There is my husband DH, daughters DD#1 and #2, and my son DS.  You've met pup, and pig, though sadly, pig was only with us for 8 months. The biggest loss and change was that of my father in law.  Not suddenly, as he has had chronic heart issues for over a decade, but too soon all the same.  This loss was after losing both my parents, my sister, and her husband within the last four years. I dealt with surgery and recuperation, and learned to let my standards and expectations for Christmas change, and realized simpler doesn't mean inferior. I left a  job I used to love, but had been wearing me down to a soul less drone the last two years, and found a place where I think I truly am going to fit in. It has been only three months, but the air feels lighter all around me.

I have met other bloggers, literally from all over the world, whose lives are so different in some ways, but not so different in others. I feel like a bit of a groupie with some, hanging out on my dashboard with my blog list scrolling waiting for the next post. It fascinates me that some of the bloggers do this as part of gainful employment, yet some of the most popular as measured by their follower numbers, just like to give of their knowledge and ideas.  That is pretty cool.  I did go ahead and sign on to the AdSense option with  blogger. This was out of curiosity, though I can admit I did think it could be a nice little splash of cash to put towards future dreams. The tiny amounts are laughable but maybe the coffee a day or two once I settle in the UK will be courtesy of my blog readers. To wrap up my year, I invited anyone reading to  make a comment over the last10 days or add my blog to your follow list, for a chance to be put in a 1st Anniversary Giveaway.  Hailing from the great state of Minnesota, the prize will be a gift basket of all things Minnesota.  While I cannot pack a lake, hopefully the winner will get a kick out of some of the things in the basket. 

And the winner is Frugally Challenged. FC has been a constant reader, and this seems fitting.  Congratulations and thanks for reading everyone.

The Giveaway name drawing bowl.