My mind is a-mush with so many ideas scuttling around in it! My husband has often told me that I have “more ideas than a dog has fleas”, said in a tone that suggests this isn’t at all a good thing, although I beg to differ!
Isn’t it indeed a good trait to have, one in which one is never bored, hopefully never dull and revving at the heels, ready to rush off and begin The Next Project? Isn’t this the very trait said to keep one young and active?
I rest my case.
To help my mind in remembering all the projects I wish to begin or complete, I think I would be well advised to write a to-do list, one which will have me organised, accountable and will aid me in not forgetting one single important aspect on my list.
To begin my to-do list, (which I intend writing here, to remain accountable,) the first item on my list is to add pages to this website. You all want to know about my other blogs, don’t you?
It wasn’t long after I began this site that I came to the realisation that one blog is just not enough! With so many ideas of different subject matter, ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other, then back again, I decided to start first one new blog, followed about a year ago by another.
One of these blogs “Memoirs of my Life” is where I record the ramblings and reminiscences of my life. Some are old memories, or stories related by family members who are no longer with us. Other stories I have written are here-and-now stories, written when something significant has happened and I don’t want to forget the moment.
It wasn’t an easy road for me to follow, when I began my “Memoirs” blog. I felt concerned that someone who knows me may read something I have said and feel offended in some way. If you pay a visit to “Memoirs” you will notice that I write here incognito, by the name of “Annie Potts”.
Well, it is time for Annie Potts to confess to her writings and take responsibility for her words! In all honesty, I really don’t know what I was worried about, as I would never in a million years write anything with the direct intention of hurting someone! My feelings now have progresses to the point where, if someone is upset by something I’ve said, then so be it! That is for them to deal with, not me! Although, whilst I may be sounding defensive at this point, again, why? I have nothing to be defensive about!! (What was I thinking???)
Moving on, as “Home Life Online” is now in danger of making a strong imitation of the sometime ramblings of “Memoirs”, I’ll mention my other blog, “A Sense of Spirit”, which began its life just over a year ago. Again, I felt reluctant to write the words that my heart asked me to, but again, I have made a strong recovery and have written more frequent posts at “A Sense of Spirit” of late.
(Here I will digress with a question ~ does anyone else feel the need to make apologies for their beliefs, or is it just me? I seem to have made a habit of starting blogs, but not wanting anyone to read what I’ve written! Figure that one out!!!)
The building of another website is on the cards also, a website which I have been itching to build for years! It involves one of my life-long interests, that being genealogy. I spoke to a not-so-distant cousin in England about my idea for a family history website some years ago, his reply being that it was a rather ambitious idea and he couldn’t see how it could be done!
Trouble is, I couldn’t work out how to put my ideas into a readable format either!! It wasn’t until I came across the “Rodgers Family History” site that I began to believe that it is possible! Barbara has obviously put hours and hours of time and effort into the site, the results being absolutely fantastic! I have content galore to add to my new site and have been checking and re-checking details which will be added to this new website, before I begin.
As I am in grave danger of writing a to-do book, and not a list, let the list begin!
- All of the afore-mentioned, including updating my “Blogroll”, which can be seen to the right of this column. Oh, and remembering to update my “Quotes to Live By”, also in the right side column, just above the Blogroll, at least once a month. (Perhaps I should consider changing the title to “Quote of the Month” or even “(March, April, etc.) Quote of the Month”, which would force me to remember to do it!
- Continue with my regular monthly contributions to the wonderful online magazine the “Calm Space”. Each month, when my article is added to the “Freedom Space”, I will add a post here also, so you won’t miss a single story!
- Weed the garden. Yes, I know…boring! But really, you should see the weeds that have grown in the recent rain! I love taking photos around the garden to post here, and no one wants to see a photograph of the seasonal weed-growth, do they?
- Start taking my beautiful rottie for regular walks. It’s early autumn here now, so the weather will cool down, making early morning or late afternoon walks a very pleasant pastime. Tess has turned nine and is in danger of becoming rather portly, if we don’t begin a regular exercise routine. Rottweilers should not put on weight, it’s bad for their joints, and we all love Tess way too much not to take the best of care of our Black Velvet girl. Regular walks with Tess will also prevent me from becoming portly, not to mention the new photo opportunities it will present to me! By the way, that’s Tess in the photo at the top of this page. She’s such a beauty!
- Last week I took up an old project, one which I began about fourteen years ago and I never did finish. My daughter, then just beginning school and in kindergarten, asked me to make a quilt for her bed, one of her own design, including an appliqué of her name. She finished school over a year ago, but I never did finish the quilt! We now have a drawn up design and the fabric for me to begin the quilt. I will “blog as I quilt”, keeping an online record of my progress.
- Start my range of “Made in Australia” garments, yet another idea I have toyed with for some time now. When I’m out working, I sew. Yes, sew. That is my business, which I began from home, just after my first child was born, nearly twenty-seven years ago. My business has grown and shrunk over the years, depending on my families demands of my time at their various ages, now being at a manageable level (both business and family!), which suits me. I make school uniforms for a few of our local schools and as the demand for school uniforms is seasonal (eg mostly required at the beginning of each new school year), I go through some very quiet times, but at other times can hardly find time to lift my head up from my sewing machine!
- Start up a new, online business. This is a very new idea and is more accurately described as an extension to my current business. No – not uniforms, but yes – it involves sewing. (I’ll keep that one just a bit under wraps for the moment!) Here is a photo, a tiny clue, to my new idea…
I woke her up to take this photo. By her expression, you can see she was not impressed! - Sort out all of my parents old photographs and replace, in chronological order, in a brand new photo album, with detailed notes beside each photo. I will also have to scan and reprint some of the photos, as some have managed to adhere themselves to the album pages! With my interest in history, both family and otherwise, it is necessary for me to preserve the memories of my family, both online and within the pages of books. Every family needs a family historian, right? In my family, although the interest exists among others, there is no one fighting me to take over the task of history-keeper. (And I wouldn’t have it any other way!)
- Spend some unrushed, quality time at each of our local Tweed Valley towns, taking photos, then returning home armed with all I need to write a blog post, to educate anyone who cares to learn, about our very pretty area, here in northern New South Wales, Australia.
This to-do list is long enough, for starters, at least! As I complete the task on my list, I will link back to the points made here today. There’s no danger of lost notes with this list…it’s all online!
If you have read all the way through to this point, I thank you for your patience!
In My World 
Wow. And I thought I was the only one who had an idea to do list the length of a city street. Love all the directions you are moving in, I’ll be following to see how you manage all these wonderful goals. Now to check out these incognito blogs… 🙂
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Bo, they were only the main things I want to get to! The list could have gone on longer, but I’m trying to take smaller steps to begin with. 🙂
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Joanne, I smiled when I read your words, “I beg to differ.” My mom used to use that phrase a lot and I haven’t heard it much at all since she died over 20 years ago. I’m exhausted just reading your list, but you’ve given me a nudge to try to get my own life a little better organized. Will have to check out your other blogs soon.
Thank you so much for your kind words about my family history site! I’m looking forward to seeing yours online someday soon! You’re right about every family needing a historian and it’s a wonderful role to have. As soon as everyone knows that you’re taking on the responsibility you will start receiving anything and everything from family members looking for a place to keep their paperwork and treasures safe for future generations. Brace yourself!
Wishing you an abundance of vigorous energy for all your interesting projects!
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Funny you should say that Barbara. I phoned up a cousin last night, (who I haven’t spoken to for ages and she lives in the next town!) and when I told her about my proposed new website she sounded interested and told me she would look through some old photos that had belonged to my auntie and uncle. She said she had no idea what was in them! Now, if that was me, I would have scrutinised those photos for hours, for any clues to our history!
I’m looking forward to achieving my goals on my list. When the list is completed I expect to feel a sense of satisfaction. I also know that I will be mentally working on additions to my next list also, as I work though this list!
I’m very pleased to hear that I have given you a nudge to start your own to-do list! I’m often inspired by reading peoples blogs and it’s great to know I’ve inspired you also. 🙂
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Joanne, so glad to stop by and visit your blog and learn more about you. This was not long at all! I love your to-do list. Sometimes we need to do this in order to focus better. (Sometimes we need to scrap our to-do lists if we’re too attached to them.) I am glad you have gotten to know Barbara. Isn’t she sweet? And she is so deeply passionate about her ancestry.
Fun learning about your other blogs. I have one other blog, too, –hey, you already know about it, don’t you? There are so many parts of ourselves. Each blog expresses a different part. Interesting that part of you is scared of revealing herself too much. Thinking about apologizing about our beliefs. Yep, can understand that one. I have learned–through blogging–to more assuredly express my beliefs, yet know that they can be fluid and turn to the opposite equally as well.
Hope you are having a good week.
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Kathy, I’m having a fabulous week and achieving so much and I feel that my to do list is responsible! I really needed to write that post to help me focus and to become more organised.
Oh yes, I love Barbara! Not only do we have the common interest in our ancestry, I also love visiting her at ‘By the Sea’. It’s such a calm place to visit and I can almost hear the gentle background sounds of the sea, and the occasional seagull call!
I find it takes courage to expose your ideas in such a public arena, (which I have been regularly lacking!), although positive responses from readers always make it worth the moment that you hold your breath and hit the publish button. When I read your posts I constantly admire your willigness to share “Kathy” with your readers, especially at “Simply Here”. Sometimes I read the posts you write three times over to fully appreciate every aspect of what you have said! It’s there that I really hear the song that your heart is singing.
Thank you for dropping by today Kathy. I always enjoy our chats. 🙂
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When I used to first push “publish” on blogs my heart would race wildly and I would be scared, scared, scared. Even now there is sometimes this moment of fright which arises, unbidden, ready to cry that I am revealing myself too intimately. I am glad you like Simply Here. I used to write spiritual blogs at a place called gaia.com and then suddenly it felt impossible to write Another One. Simply Here is a place where that part of me sometimes comes forth. Deeply bowing to you and your spiritual yearnings.
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I would love to write a post right now about where my thoughts on spirituality come from, but again, I worry about the response! Actually, my only worry is that someone will say to me “You’re wrong and I’m right” and try to convert me to their way of thinking! Spirituality and religion can be such volatile subjects, well in my life they have been and that’s why I feel the need to write something, to clear my brain of past issues! I know what feels right for me and I think that’s why I enjoy “Simply Here” so much. I can relate to what you say and I learn so much too. 🙂
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I can relate to so much of this I don’t know where to begin. I might need a to-do list to help me get started. lol!
All of my blogs have been started with the idea that no one would read them. I used to blog under a pseudonym which was SO much easier than blogging under my real name. If it hadn’t been for digital photography, I would probably still be writing under a fake name. Interest in my photos outed me, so to speak. I still don’t blog openly about a lot of my beliefs, though. The whys of that are family related and a respect for those who are somewhat closed of mind.
And, oh gosh… we do have a lot in common. So much of your list could be converted to my list with a tweak or two. I could end up writing a novel in your comments so instead I will wish you luck and all the best with your to-do list and new projects. 🙂
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Yes, the family thing. I can related totally to that one! I love every member of my family dearly and therein lies the problem ~ I want them to approve of me, and if I say something they disagree with, there could be conflict, which I don’t want! I wrote a lot of posts about my sister, Anne, at “Memoirs”. No one could find what I had said there! But recently I have experienced a shift in my feelings and don’t care so much what people think. No, that’s wrong, I do care, but don’t feel so delicate about hurting my families feelings.
If we can accept our familiy members just the way they are, shouldn’t they accept us for who we are also? You would think that should be the case, but it just doesn’t always seem to be. Differing opinions don’t mean we don’t care for each other. We should be able to respect each others different ideas and feelings.
I’m so pleased that photography brought the real Robin out into the open. I’m not sure how I would feel about talking to feet with no name! Lol.
Thank you Robin, and best of luck with your to do list also. 🙂
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