Buddies,  Life Lessons

I’m Back!

September 15, 2008 /

My creation

Hi everybody! It’s good to be back. I missed you!

I’ve thought of what I’m going to write in this post a thousand times and I still haven’t come up with anything brilliant so I’m just going to do what I usually do and state the obvious. Then I’ll just see what happens after that.

It’s been a long month not coming here to write. I really missed it. It was an exercise in willpower. I think I wrote posts in my head nearly every day. I would have broken down after the first week if I weren’t so stubborn about keeping my word. And I wonder where my kid got her stubborn streak? Hmph.

I learned a lot about myself and my affection for blogging. I thought I might get caught up in my real life and forget about the internet but that didn’t happen at all. If anything, it just cemented the fact that I do love blogging and I’m probably never going to quit. Some people like Facebook, some people like Twitter or Flickr or MySpace and some people don’t like the internet at all and choose to use their time wisely and write novels for money. Not me.

I like blogging. It’s the perfect medium for me. Sharing but not too much sharing. I can say what I want to say and then walk away for a day. I use all those other internet social sites but I don’t love them as much as I love blogging. So what can I say? I guess I’m here to stay.

Next time I start getting burned out, just tell me to take a week off. No more month-long sabbaticals. Unless of course I have another kid and for some reason I am struck down by good sense and decide to be a mom every second of the day. But even then I don’t think I could stay away forever. You guys are too good to me and I miss sharing.

So anyway, how’s it been going this last month? Weren’t the guest posts pretty fantastic? I didn’t turn anyone away either. I wasn’t choosy. I just put up what came my way and it worked out. I have a few posts left in the vault too in case I ever want to lay low again but keep the content coming. I was really pleasantly surprised with what the contributors came up with. It was refreshing. I know some people were annoyed with me but I think all in all it was a good experience. If anything, it amused me. I had a lot of fun illustrating most of the posts.

What have we been up to while I was laying low? A lot. Probably more than I could ever condense into one post. I might write about a few of the things we did. There was the time we made bread. That was fun but the bread was pretty bland (I need a good hearty wheat bread recipe). We discovered a few new parks. We spent a lot of time at the beach and my mom’s, where I found a treasure trove of old toys from my childhood. We went to Bethany’s a lot, though she did a pretty good job of documenting her side of our visits.

While I’m on the subject of Bethany, I need to come clean. She’s been editing my posts for quite a while now. I may have mentioned it now and then but I don’t think anyone knows how much she really does. She is my right-hand woman. She has the password to my blog and she uses it. Frequently. You might think my writing has gotten better. It hasn’t. She also edited all the guest posts. She put in a lot of time. Many times she put pieces of posts together and even published them for me after I’d passed out while putting Baby Bug to bed. She’s a friend indeed.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I need to pass on some credit to my own very personal editor. She spoils me. She’s also a freak. In more ways than one. She’s one of those people who knows everything, like a walking encyclopedia. You can just ask her random things like, “What is cream of tartar?” and she’ll know the answer off the top of her head.* It’s almost annoying. Except it’s super handy when you don’t know how to spell very well and she’s only a click away on instant messenger.

I’ve been hesitant to gush about my friendship with Bethany on this blog because it just felt like bragging. I know when I read other people’s blogs and they talk about this or that friend, I sort of glaze over with a you-had-to-be-there sort of feeling. But I think Bethany has crossed over that line here. She’s pretty much become a character in my life and on this blog. She is a character.

Honestly, I think she was a character sent from God. You know how you have low points in your life and you wish or pray, or whatever you do when things are really bad, that someone would just come rescue you or show you the way out of some particularly difficult problem? Well, without revealing every detail of my life, I just want to say that Bethany has been that person. She sort of dropped out of the sky like an angel and has really helped me through some hard lessons that have been plaguing me for years. Maybe someday I’ll be able to write about them. Maybe I won’t. I don’t know.

I just want to say that praying (or wishing or dancing rain dances—whatever you do) really works. It might take a day or a year or even five years but people do come out of the woodwork to help you through. And sometimes as a by-product they edit your blog posts and help you with your over-use of commas!

So I’m back! I’m just going to stop my rambling right there and say I can’t wait to write something else tomorrow!

*Editor’s note: I did not know what cream of tartar was off the top of my head. I had to look it up on Wikipedia.

44 Comments

  • lynne

    September 15, 2008 at 4:16 am

    Hip, hip hurrah your back! I did enjoy your guest posts but I did miss you and Bug. Thank you for posting mine about my great aunts. I am more than a little rusty at writing but you have inspired me to write more about my family. I am glad you have found such a great real life friend in Bethany, she did a smashing job of editing my post. Thank you Bethany :)

  • Anna

    September 15, 2008 at 5:08 am

    Welcome back! I’m so so glad you’re back. Too many times after these sabbaticals people stop blogging. I had my fingers crossed that you would rejuvenate your love for it! Yay!

  • Emomily

    September 15, 2008 at 5:19 am

    i loved reading your guest bloggers’ posts – every day was a new author and a new story. but i have to admit that i’m glad you’re back. xxoo to mz bug.

  • Jennifer

    September 15, 2008 at 6:08 am

    So glad that you are back. You said that it felt like bragging to bring up friendship, but I think it’s always nice to hear about friendships. The editor’s note made me laugh too, hahaha.

  • Jummy

    September 15, 2008 at 8:18 am

    Welcome back, SAJ! You were missed though your illos made me feel like you weren’t taking a complete holiday from your blog.

    I’m so glad that God brought you and Bethany together. I think anyone who has come in contact with Mrs. Bethany Actually has only the best of things to say about her so it’s no wonder that she is great friends with another person who is so wonderful.

  • Sam

    September 15, 2008 at 8:44 am

    Hooray YOU’RE BACK!

    I think it’s just wonderful you’ve found Bethany Actually as a kindred spirit. I love reading about other people’s good, true friendships, and love that you feel like God brought you together.

  • suuny

    September 15, 2008 at 8:59 am

    nice to see ya back blogging! the guest posts were cool, but I missed your humble & funny posts and of course Baby Bug stuff.

  • margalit

    September 15, 2008 at 9:12 am

    I’m so glad you’re back. And I agree with you about Bethany. She’s an amazing mom and there are times that I wish I had her sunny disposition and her ability to see the beauty in life every single day. She’s a lot like you in that. You just have to learn to see it in yourself!

  • Annabanana

    September 15, 2008 at 11:35 am

    Bethany is amazing, you are amazing! As a team, (even with the occasional black smudge
    ~wink~) you knock out great posts. (thank you BA for editing my guest post, it made way more sense after you fixed it. Do you fix comments too?;))
    Glad you are back B!
    I missed you too!

  • Christine

    September 15, 2008 at 1:26 pm

    I’m glad you are back, but I think your idea of having guest posts was brilliant! Also, I had no idea what cream of tartar was other than that it goes into sugar cookies. I think it is weird that it is a by-product of wine making though. I’m glad you included the wikipedia link at the bottom because that was the first place I was going after I read your post.

  • BeachMama

    September 15, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    Welcome back!! And yes, you are blessed to have Bethany so close to you. Although we have never met in person, I can feel how wonderful she would be to have as a friend. You two do make a great team.

    Your guest posts were great and I thank you again for posting my Son’s birthday party. We had a first birthday recently but it didn’t even come close to BB’s first birthday. Her turn will come when she is older ;). I look forward to hearing of your new adventures and I am happy that you are still loving your blog.

  • mamalang

    September 15, 2008 at 5:10 pm

    Welcome Back. I would say I missed you, (and I did), but Bethany kept us updated enough that it wasn’t total withdrawal. I have to admit that sometimes I’m frustrated that I didn’t start reading her earlier…she lived only an hour or so away from me, but by the time I found her she was getting ready to move your way. i am glad that you two have cemented your relationship…you both seem like really great people!

    And that BB…she makes me want to tickle and cuddle her. She’s just to stinkin cute.

  • kvv

    September 15, 2008 at 5:55 pm

    Hey! I just learned what cream of tartar is. Well, sort of. We visited a winery, and they were making some kind of red in a big chilling tank. The residue that was coming off the tank because of the chemicals inside was tartar, from which comes tartar.

    Ok, I admit, I just clicked over to the Wikipedia link to check if I was right. I guess I am!

    Welcome back, Brenda, and what an awesome testament to a good friend. Go Bethany.

  • Island Mummy

    September 16, 2008 at 7:54 am

    SO glad you’re back… I did keep coming every day in the hopes you’d change your mind! The guest posts were fine but it’s just not the same!

    Hope you enjoyed your vacation though!

  • Lindsey w/Coveiter

    September 16, 2008 at 10:13 am

    Brenda:

    So glad you are back! It looks like you had a fun month!
    So sorry I never got around to guest blogging, hurricane season has been kicking our butt down here + life in general. If you ever need my post just let me know.
    I am excited to be able to get my BB fix as needed now! :-)

    { Lindsey }
    http://www.coveiter.com

  • Melissa

    September 16, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    Oh, so glad you are back…we missed you and BB. Loved the guest posts, too and have added many to my daily reading. I can empathize with writing posts in your head, if I don’t have my camera or phone I take pictures and twitter in my head…crazy.

  • mary

    September 17, 2008 at 8:12 am

    While I also enjoyed your guest bloggers, it’s you I log on to read every other day. I’m glad you are back and that you did enjoy your month away from us!
    Keep up the great writing, the phenomenal pictures, the lovely stories and interesting commentaries!