There it is. My pride and shame. (But mostly, my pride.)
It’s funny how things work out. I’ve long dreamed of seeing my name in print. And I mean real print. The kind that comes hot off the press, and leaves a pulp and ink smell on your fingers. The good stuff.
Today, that happened. I received a package in the mail from MennoMedia. Inside, were two issues of the February 2013 issue of Purpose, a monthly periodical used for worship and personal devotions. Opening up the cover, I saw my name. In the table of contents. Even though I was well aware I’d submitted an article, and that it had been accepted, it still took awhile to process. Was this for real? Yes. Yes it was.
And while my heart swelled with pride, my head …
Mark Segedie with “Baby Bookieboo.”
Blogging for a living is both strange and wonderful, and sometimes, it can be stressful on a relationship. Just ask Mark Segedie, the man behind Mamavation, blogger Leah Segedie‘s brilliant obesity prevention campaign for families championed by moms. (If you’re not familiar with her, start stalking now. You’ll thank me later.)
“Blogging is an interesting career path that adds entirely new dynamics to a relationship. I know this from first hand experience,” said Mark.
Wow. When I saw Mark’s intro to the interview questions he’d answered for me, I knew he GOT it. He’d been there. And he could help others. Because Mark isn’t just a supportive spouse, he’s an active part of Leah’s business. And it’s not just any small side business. In case …
It feels good to be write at home.
Hello dashboard. Hello WordPress WYSIWYG editor. Hello blinking cursor, beckoning me to start tapping on the keys. I’ve missed you.
Yes, I know I’ve visited a couple of times in the past several days to write this, and that, but they weren’t really stories. They were hurried posts that satisfied my desire to produce something while on vacation. I apologize that we didn’t get to spend enough time together, but my family comes first. I know you understand. So much has happened since I’ve been gone. I have so many stories to tell you. So many photos to show you. But I’m just really tired right now. Being …
Recently, I was asked if I’m trying to be “like the Pioneer Woman.” Hmm. I couldn’t decide whether to be offended or flattered. Considering the source (a friend from Twitter), I decided she probably had no ill will. And how could I possibly be offended by such a comparison? Well, I’ve worked really hard to find my voice, build my audience, define my brand. I’ve only moderately stalked Pioneer Woman’s site, and to be honest, it’s a bit intimidating. My feet are (probably) way larger than hers, but she has incredibly big shoes to fill. She’s spent years building her online presence until she became a household name (and got her own TV show).
While I would love to bring in the kind of income Mrs. Drummond does, I’m not …
Every great once in a while, it happens. You have an important client meeting, one that you’d rather not reschedule, and your childcare plans fall through. Now what? You could call and beg and plead with everyone you know to sit on your kid for awhile, but you did that last week, and you’re out of favors. Or, you don’t have any backup resources. So you’re faced with two options: reschedule or bring your offspring along for the ride. I chose the latter.
I strapped my sixteen-month-old into her car seat, and headed into town (her older sister had other arrangements). I was a little apprehensive about how my appointment would go, but I’m glad to report that there were no major glitches. I was productive, she was happy, the client was satisfied. Win-win-win! Now, I …
This is how excited they are about mommy’s big news.
Against your better judgment, you seem to like me. Well, maybe not me, but you like my writing. Well, maybe not my writing, but you’re related to me and feel obligated to read my blog. Okay, okay, enough with the self-deprecation. (Side note: I often have to catch myself from saying “self-defecation.” Different meaning ENTIRELY.)
Seriously, though, this blogging thing feels good to me. Natural. It excites me, fulfills me, and gives me a constructive place to squeeze out my brain juice every day. As a creative person, that’s important. So important. About the only thing it doesn’t do for me is pay the bills. (Well, indirectly, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.) And while I fought against the idea of monetizing (offering ad space …