We made one of our favorite meal last night - none of the kids could come over to enjoy it, but Tom's parents were here as were their landlords, our framily, Tommy & Barbara. We've pretty much got this meal down - it takes awhile to prep but then all goes together pretty easily. The blackstone makes it easy!
The shrimp are the last to go on - I still do the rice inside. 
We pulled that first rack out and pretty much ate it at the counter just like that - ha! We took what was left of that one to the Bells and they mentioned on the way to church yesterday how much they enjoyed them so we asked them to come back after they changed to finish up the second rack with us. Stephen and Tom have gotten this recipe/technique down perfectly!
I sent this screenshot to my sister Friday after my match - I picked up my phone and this was my wallpaper (or lock screen or whatever it's called). They had had to make the difficult decision to put Charlie Brown down the night before - he was a beloved dog and lived a FULL life of 18 years. He just kept going and going. . .he was born around Thanksgiving in 2007 to one of our neighbors who had picked up a (pregnant) stray. He was named by them and we decided that we might like to try having a dog in our lives again. He just didn't work out for "us" - the kids were still too little and he was a LOT. . .my sister decided that she loved him so we took him up to Ohio and her family were "his people" from then on. 
A few days prior I had seen and captured this by Melanie Shankle so clearly I am on a journey.
All these words to say, it's not that I've grown "bored" of blogging or don't have much to say (ha!) but I'm finding different ways to spend the time I used to spend doing this. The reasons for this blog have varied over different seasons of my life - right now it's not fitting in very well in any way. I love these weekend catch-ups, still find myself looking for favorites throughout the week to blog Friday Favorites, enjoy answering Joyce's Wednesday HodgePodge and other random link-ups that you ladies point me toward during the month. I just think it is all a little too much and I should be concentrating on other things right now. Again, waiting to see what those "things" are, but they don't seem to be in this world.
I prefer being a creator over a consumer, but as I've mentioned, my current job is FULL of creating all.day.long (even just six months ago it was more leading/facilitating/serving) so this (me writing) is no longer a "fun" outlet - more just "another thing" to do each day. I hate that my job is taking the joy away from my life, but I do like the people I am working with and am learning so much about the industry (banking) that I am not unhappy - just readjusting things right now with no expectation as to what the outcome will be.
I have been doing this since 2009 - I don't think I'll ever "stop" - I also don't think I'll ever be the consistent blogger that I appreciate out of those on my sidebar that I continually check in with! Seasons of Life and all, y'know :)
Who knows? Maybe I'll be back this week - ha! I just want to take it off my "mental list" that "I need to blog". . .I want to find a place in my life for this where it becomes a rhythm and has a purpose. I'm thankful for the hundreds of memories I've captured here for sure, including the one above - these are the lives that are growing and changing that *I* get to cheer on in real life right now!!!
Love,
Jenni
You do you! Enjoy the journey as you Follow The Joy
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for your blog and opportunities you have given through your Monday link-ups to meet other bloggers that I really relate to :)
DeleteOh no! 😱
ReplyDelete18 years is an amazing life span for a dog...so cute! I totally understand the blogging discussion. Some weeks I feel like I have a lot to say, others I just don't feel like posting. I'm glad we're all there for each other when we decide to write something. I hope you find some answers to the questions that are weighing on your heart.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's what it's all about, right? Being there for one another when they are able to write/share/document events. YAY. I'm impressed with your schedule, how you keep your blog moving, and offer so much advice and inspiration on books, food, travel, how you enjoy time with your children, etc. I think I once dreamed I would post like you do. . .maybe one day :)
DeleteI definitely think there are seasons for blogging and seasons where time is at a premium and you write less. I love the record of our life here but I don't write as much as I once did. Or I guess maybe I should say as often as I did. I'm still wordy : ) I say do what works for you. Have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteI'm still reading - now I'll have more time for commenting where I was writing :). And I know once in awhile I'll pop in for your Hodgepodge - one of my favorite blogging activities!!
DeleteYum to that food, especially the ribs!
ReplyDeleteIt looks lovely weather for tennis.
Aww! So sorry about Charlie Brown!
He was a sweet dog only to my sister - ha! My BIL's social handle is charliehater. I wanted to ask him if he's going to change that but it's probably too soon, right?? What's spring weather like for you?
DeleteYay to outdoors sports! Yay to good meals cooked outside! I get what you are saying about blogging. I look at my blog sometimes and think of all the upgrades I could do. I look at big time bloggers on all the social medias and say "nope". I spend an alarmingly small amount of time on blogging considering how wordy I can be. I only let myself use my laptop for somewhere between one and two hours each morning and that is why I am sometimes slow with commenting back. I hope that people are getting something out of my blog but if they aren't I think I am. It helps me to be intentional about finding the joy/favorites in each week, trying to look my best, answering Joyce's deep questions, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt's also ok to go through Jenni's Seasons (see what I did there) and this might be one in which you step away from the pressure to blog. There really is none! I love when you blog and I understand how busy your job is when you don't!
Your blog adds so much JOY to my life!!! I'm so glad that I found you and many others a couple of years ago. Wish I could keep up, but I guess if I really *wanted* to I would so there is my answer. Priorities. I do so very much want to share things, but the interaction is what I crave more, hence why I'm putting other things first (right now). And, who knows? Maybe I will miss sharing with you all tremendously - we'll see ;)
DeleteHaving just taken a week or so off of blogging, I do see the benefits of stepping away from time to time. I enjoy writing (and don't really do it in any other capacity in my life) and I express my thoughts more easily via writing then speaking oftentimes so blogging is a good fit for me (right now!). I will be subbing more in April and May and likely won't be able to blog as much. That will be ok. Ok, back to you- I will miss your writing and hearing about life in the Bell household but do understand. You are living life to the fullest and that often precludes taking the time to write about it. I look forward to hearing from you when you do feel led to take the time to write.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words, Maria! I do feel like I "know" all of you better and I can't expect you to know me as well if I'm not out here participating but I just feel so GUILTY when I take time off. . .just felt like I had to be honest with myself (and if someone reads and cares - ha!) about the reasons I keep this up. It was my diary, my source of record, MY memories and happies. I'll come back, just felt I needed to "say" it - there are so many blogs I've enjoyed along the way (some still on my sidebar) that just stopped. . .and I miss them. I don't know what I want this blog to be right now, so I'll pop in - hopefully often enough that it doesn't go stale. One thing I know, though, is that I'll continue reading them. . .I have NEVER taken a break from caring and watching families grow and change through time :)
DeleteI haven't been blogging in a while, too! I hope you're okay despite losing your dog. I'm thankful they lived a long and happy life with you and your family.
ReplyDeletehttps://embracethepandemonium.wordpress.com/
It's hard balancing competing needs for time. I'm sure you can find a balance that works for you. I aim to make a blog post a month at minimum, which allows me to "keep my finger in the pie", so to speak, in the blogging world. You can see by my archive (visible on a PC) that I have varied between 2 to 67 posts in one year. Springtime is a busy time of year, and a harder time to blog - School events happen, gardening and travel can be picking up, and after winter I plain just want to get outside! Don't stress. BTW, Good points Maria! Roxanne, people do read and care, not thousands, and maybe just a handful, but I know that I get a lot of benefit for me from the occasional creative writing exercise and journalling - " my source of record, MY memories and happies. " So keep up occasionally, but no guilt. This note is supposed to be encouragement! (Don't know if that worked, but I am trying...) Enjoy spring!
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