Want to hear something that makes me very happy? My readership was way down yesterday. Yep, people had better things to do than read my blog. Y'all made good choices. You should've been spending time with family and friends, not sitting at a computer.
I think Christmas is about family and friends. Totally. It's about loving each other, and talking to each other.
Want to hear something else that makes me happy?? Doing stuff for others. No, I'm not trying to toot my own horn or say I'm more Christian than anyone else. I think even an atheist who is reasonably smart would agree that doing for others gives a lasting satisfaction like nothing else.
I wish I'd had more of an ability to do for others this year, but I didn't, not financially anyway. I did buy some inexpensive gifts and send them to our friend Jean, who is close to 90 years old and in a nursing home. She has no family. Hearing about her delight in Christmas makes me very happy. Her brother was a close friend of both my parents.
Making chocolate pound cake for my friends, and hot cocoa mix for other friends made me happy. These were not expensive gifts, but they were from the heart. Alesia and Mike actually put together the cocoa mix. I just bought the ingredients.
I was thinking the other day, what makes my cakes good?! I think it's because I bake with love. [Don't laugh; I am serious.] It's about a lot more than ingredients. Intention is a powerful thing.
Sometimes I tend to gloss over stuff, and perhaps my small family is idealized too much. There's actually a LOT I won't blog about.
Like most of you, my holiday wasn't perfect. My brother and I got into an argument Friday night that left me shaken up, and I had a hard time sleeping. I won't go into details, but It made for some tension in the air yesterday, although nobody spoke a cross word. We all tried very hard to have a nice, relaxing day, and I'm glad to say we succeeded.
Alesia couldn't eat a bit of dinner last night. I don't know why. When she gets upset she cannot eat. She is a bit too thin right now and could stand to gain a few lbs. but I don't like to push an eating agenda on her. It doesn't help. Considering my food issues, it's completely unfair for me to criticize anyone.
I urged her to eat a small piece of pound cake before bed, and she managed to get down a few bites, thank goodness.
Don't get me wrong about my brother - we are not on the outs, not at all. We get along great 98% of the time, which is good for grown siblings.
My kids are very fortunate to have an uncle who loves them very much, and tells them and shows them. When he is here, Bruce makes Alesia a cup of coffee and takes it up to her every morning before she's out of bed. I tend to just yell at her to get up. Bruce likes to hang out with Mike. They are at Home Depot right now, having a good time despite the snow. Riding in Uncle Bruce's big pickup truck is one of Mike's favorite things to do.
Getting Brother to smile in a photo is tough...
I've been awed and a little jealous of Single Dad Laughing's blog, because he is phenomenally successful at something that I only have middling success at - blogging for profit. Staying home to write is my dream, but not one likely to ever come true. Dan shares a lot of his feelings on the blog, though, and I think that's why it touches people. Kudos to him. He is obviously a brilliant guy.
I've thought a lot about how to get more readers and how to monetize my blog better. There are lots of blogs out there, though, that are just about saying something shocking or provocative, or making you click on something. I'm not about that. My "mission statement" has been pretty consistent since I started blogging in January 2005. I want to share bits and pieces of my life, and hopefully give readers something interesting to read every morning while they drink their coffee.
I know I don't always succeed. So be it.
Some of y'all may be offended by some of my stances on things, but I am fortunate in that I get very few snotty comments. I also don't get many emails bugging me about things I've written.
So yeah, I'd like to have more readers, but then again I am glad I don't get hateful comments or emails. All of life is a trade-off, as my mom says.
[If I really wanted more readers I'd throw around a lot of names and buzzwords, like snowstorm, Kobe, LeBron, Scarlett Johansson, etc. but I don't go there. ;-) LOL ]
Here are some honest thoughts for today. If you're inclined to prayers and any of these things move you, please offer up some prayers. I'd be grateful.
Right now I am facing a lot of uncertainly in early 2011. Financially, things are tight. I love my new job but I am not making much money. Hopefully I can prove myself and get offered a regular job soon. Prayers on that, and on the financial situation, would be great.
I am also a bit anxious about Alesia's school situation. I know at least part of the time she is going to have to be waiting around at bus stops and riding the city bus to campus. She is tiny. Bruce got her some pepper spray for Christmas, at my request. Hopefully she will never need to use it.
Alesia's relationship with the boyfriend is not what it should be. I won't say more, but I am praying pretty hard that she will make some good choices, soon.
I need to get moving on losing some of this flab. I know I say this all the time, but I really plan to make more of an effort in 2011. I am waaaaay to heavy and I know it. It's a painful subject for me; always has been. It's not about looks, though, it's about health.
FINALLY
I know a lot of you have been faithful readers [at least two or three of you!] for a while. I am grateful to you for sticking with me here. I offered up this prayer for you "Dear God, please be with all my blog readers, and help and guide them in all situations, every day. Amen."
Peace be with you.
