Thursday, April 6, 2017

Just Some Thursday Thoughts

I'm meeting my friend N for coffee this morning. I wrote about my friendship with her a couple years back in my post Lunch With a Friend. She and I have  compatible/ying yang jobs at different agencies, so coordinate regularly by phone and e-mail but  don't get to meet up in person with just the two of us often enough. She, like me, accepted her position thinking it was much different than how it actually played out. She is excellent at her job, but has daily challenges moving efforts forward because of systemic slow downs and over cautiousness. Like me, keeps her eyes open for new opportunities, but is not in an active full on job hunt. Did I mention she too was recruited as a candidate for the dream job? I'll get caught up on her next steps. Regardless, there is a pretty major change in her work place, one that impacts mine, but specifically how, won't play out for several months. I'm trying not to be cryptic, so I'll just say, times, they are a changing in my professional life. 

DD2 has her Spanish National Honor Society  dinner tonight. This will be her first year, so there is the induction ceremony, preceded by a "Spanish speaking country of origin" inspired meal. I'm guessing tacos, rice, etc. will be served. She has play practice after school, so will be bringing clothes to change into. I'll come from work, hopefully with enough time to pick DH up, otherwise, we'll have three cars at the school again. That has happened twice already in DD2's short driving tenure. 

DD1 isn't planning on coming home for Easter. She is traveling earlier that week for work, plus will be in town the following weekend for her friends bachelorette party and cousins bridal shower. The Friday before is my day off and DD2 doesn't have school. If it works out, we may take a short road trip and head across state lines and spend Friday and Saturday, heading home Saturday night. I've tried to arrange this multiple times, but her work or fun life have intervened to put off the trip. DD2 hasn't seen her apartment since her sister moved in over a year ago, with all her personal decorating touches. DH is thinking of coming along too, but then we'd not be able to stay over, or would have to find someone for the dog. Who would think a simple overnight trip would be so complicated to make happen?

I'm trying to be disciplined enough to post  every day, perhaps trying out some writing prompt from writers sites like Post 40 Bloggers.  As I am now Post 50, I wonder if I should find a different site for ideas. Suffice it to say, on days I clearly have no topics in mind, a random reflection or story may grace my blog page. If you write a blog, how do you decide what to write about when nothing particularly sparks your imagination? Do you simply choose to not post, or are you also using ideas form blogger sites? What would you like to read more of/less of  from bloggers? Let's have a chat, shall we.

22 comments:

  1. Enjoy your time over coffee, hope the not cryptic sounding work things turn out well for you.

    In terms of blogging I get my inspiration as it comes to me, I very rarely plan posts, other than if I'm going somewhere and think it might be good to take photographs. My blog is called Nine To Five because as a housewife people often ask me what I do all day, so it's a record of what happens during a 9-5 work day, whether it be a fun day out or a morning cleaning the kitchen.

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    1. Well, I work outside of the home and often want to forget what happens 9-5, so looking for other inspiration. I'd like ot better at taking pictures for the posts.

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  2. I am obviously a non-poster a lot of the time. Life gets in the way sometimes, plus there is nothing earth shaking going on in my realm. If I posted daily it would be a grind for me and also for anyone who read it. Some weeks the highlight of my week is finding a new toilet bowl cleaner that works well. Now that I think about it I am boring myself with this comment!

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    1. I won't kick myself or anything if I miss a few days, and have been known to take a few breaks. My blog kind o acts as journal for me, and if others care to read along, I welcome them. Hey, knowing what bowl cleaner to buy is important stuff. I have a stupid stubborn hard water mark under the rim driving me crazy!

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  3. I never go to those blogging ideas/prompts sites for inspiration. Life is full enough of inspirations for me. lolz
    I have my regular features-Mondays are meal planning(I know, it's boring but it's the one weekly post that keeps me grounded), then there are the end/beginning of month ones like Net Worth, To-Do List update, Monthly Grocery Spending and Monthly Savings Challenge ones.
    I do some "What good deals I got at the stores" posts, a Rite-Aid post if I go, and throw in genealogy, travelogues, "Random what's going on here" and a good old fashioned rant now and again on whatever is irking me at the moment.
    Now and again I'll get an idea for a post after reading someone else's blog post.
    Some days I am not at the computer and some days I am sick or just tired of blogging.
    Add that all together and shake it well and you've got the "secret" to my blog. 8-)

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    1. I've toyed/tried having regular themes, but then I go off on something else. I've added my Affirmative Tuesdays, and occasional Five by Five in the budget wins and losses.If I had better focus on the theme, I'd probably do better, but for now, I guess I like a lot of variety.I enjoy a good rant every now and then.

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  4. When I first started blogging I posted 6 days a week - I must have had a lot to write about at the time! Now I have lots going on but very little that I want to make public. The stuff I could share is fairly boring, so I tend not to write about it very much, which in turn means that I don't post very often. I'm quite enjoying writing my 'Beautiful Monday' posts though- at least I have a focus for one post a week ☺

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    1. I've decided the ordinary in life is not boring, and I like learning about life, cultural differences, personalities from these ordinary parts of life. I love your beautiful Monday posts.

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  5. Like you I started my blog as a personal journal which I hope to have bound into a book at some point purely for myself and my kids. My kids LOVE the "old stories" my family tell so I wanted to write as many down as I could. I actually just keep a scrap of paper and write down an idea for telling an old story when I think of it. Of course I write about what is going on in my life right now (like my son's wedding 3 weeks ago) but if nothing much is going on I try to write an old story memory. One of my recent postings was about my mom and dad's first trip to Switzerland - that visit gives me such pleasure because of how well they looked when they went back. So I would say I am just an "ad hoc" blogger and wouldn't want anything more structured since it is only intended for me. Anna

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    1. My mother in law spent a couple years documenting everything in her life. It is a great gift to pass on to family.

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  6. I just post whatever comes to mind. Sometimes a bunch of stuff comes to mind and I'm actually ahead a couple of days, LOL. Other times I got nuthin', but try to post anyway.

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    1. i liked following your move and now, how you are adjusting to your new home.

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  7. I get most of my post ideas while busy doing other things, then later I can't remember them. So I just start writing and hope that something cohesive presents itself.

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    1. You are a terrific writer-documentor of life.

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  8. My blogging is abysmal but not because I'm short of ideas I just can't seem to commit to it. In terms of what I love reading about travel books food and family come out tops. I have to say many of the frugal blogs I read I don't follow any of the advice the thought of trawling through supermarkets for the cheapest food and stickerd bargains leaves me cold but that's just me we are all different. I like good food and I like to know where it's come from so if I can't afford it I don't buy it etc. Clothes I don't buy many but they are all good and mostly eco friendly but I'm hopeless at finding stuff in charity shops lol. Anything with a theme doesn't work for me either. I think Sam your blog is great as it is and is one of the few I'm still reading on my travels just keep doing what you're doing it shouldn't be that hard to blog that's why I don't stress over my lack of it lol. One topic that's been holding my interest over the last few weeks is growing out my grey hair. I'm so sick of colouring it so have been researching fab women with grey/ silver/ white hair and they look great. As I'm away for three months only one month to go now sadly my roots are very visible so I'm plucking up courage to just go with it and leave them alone. Anyway I'm rambling keep up the good work with your blog Sam I may not comment every day but I'm reading.

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    1. You are a great instagrammer-love your trip pictures. Frugal Queen has had blog posts about growing out her gray hair. I've only been coloring a couple years, but already am sick of it.

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  9. Personally my blogging is really more of a journal of my life and the things that I am going through. I have somewhat of a schedule but there are also times I don't post very often. I try to get the Happy Homemaker Monday post up on Mondays, Tuesdays is typically a recap of the weekend activities, Wednesday I have been doing my Weigh In Wednesday post, Thursday is random, Fridays are sometimes a decluttering update, also in there are book reviews and on the last day of the month is a books read for fun post. I will also do other posts if things are happening in our family (ie. birthdays, trips, etc.). I look at it as a way to keep track of what is going on in our life. It is fun to go back to the beginning and see what was going on and how life has changed and stayed the same in some respect.

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    1. I admire those that can keep a theme going as I know I look forward tot he weekly or monthly feature. I try, but get side tracked.

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  10. It's funny... I often think 'that would make a great post' but I'm struggling to find the time to make it happen and, as a result, the moment is lost. I love your blog and the fact that you have allowed us 'under the skin' of your day to day life. Jx

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    1. I have been reading from several that no longer work full time outside the home, or who have recreated a post work life (I hesitate to use term retired)that their lives are so full and busy. I blog as a way to help me decide what I might do someday, when I have more control over my time, but like many of you, I want to be as busy if not busier, writing, traveling, investing in my community, and family. Thanks for the nice comments.

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  11. I'm coming up on my 7th year blogging. I started out writing about my weight loss, running and exercising. I didn't get too many readers. Then I started blogging about ebay and that had me on a roll for a couple of years. I made so many blog friends too. Since quitting ebay, my readership has dropped off a lot, but I have picked up different readers now. I usually use photos of things I've done or places I've been, or my pets, to inspire my posts. Statistics say people like to see a lot of photos. I get a lot of emails from readers and the one thing they usually tell me is that I'm real and down to earth and they like that. So just keep it real and write what you feel. (so tempted to put a smiley, but I won't).

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    1. If I could master my camera, I would do more pictures, but I do agree I like to see pictures with the words. thanks for sharing how your blogging has change over the years. If we are not career bloggers, what we write should reflect what we want out of it personally. I agree; you are very down to earth and that's what I like about reading your blog.

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