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Archive of ‘Ultimate Blog Challenge’ category

The Blog Evolution

It wasn’t too long ago when I was a mom of two young children who I loved to talk about constantly. In my community, this is known as “kvelling” – a Yiddish word meaning bursting with pride.

I even had a blog called Kvell Corner hosted on BlogSpot, where my children were the stars of the show. I talked about my daughter coming home from overnight camp as a newly-minted vegetarian and how I knew nothing about cooking for her. And I documented my kids’ first solo bike rides to school with me following them in my minivan to make sure they arrived safely. I may have told a few embarrassing stories about temper tantrums in the middle of Sears and birthday parties gone bad.

And then, two things happened almost simultaneously. First, my kids became aware of my blog and started to read it. I didn’t think there was anything questionable in my posts, but they asked – no demanded – to read what I wrote before sharing with a broader audience. That was fair. While they rarely censored my writing, they did begin to say, “Mom, you can’t write about this!” when something happened that would have made for a great story to share.

The other thing that happened is that I wanted to change the name and the theme of my blog. Unless you are Jewish, you wouldn’t know what Kvell Corner means without my explaining it to you. I desired a more all-encompassing name that spoke to the masses and reflected other parts of my life besides parenthood.

Around this time, I participated in a weekly writing group where we literally workshopped my new name in class. I was delighted when someone came up with the concept of a manual. We discussed how we are never born with or given a guidebook for life and that my blog could fill this need. Let me be clear. I am no expert in the ways of the world and what works best for everyone. Far from it! But, we are all in the same boat. We have to figure things out for ourselves as we go along. My stories and posts are a way for me to jump in the boat with you and enjoy the ride.

Hence, the name of this blog was born. Before launching the blog, I had to sit with the name and live with it to see if it felt right. And then, as if the stars were aligned in my favor, a bad parenting moment presented itself and ultimately sealed the deal. You can read that story here.

Now my kids tell me they love when I write about them. They even joke about it by saying – “well, I guess this is one for the blog.”  I still ask their permission, and it is almost always granted. I am grateful to them for giving me that gift. But, I also have stories to tell that have nothing to do with them. I’ve had a rewarding career in non-profit communications for nearly 20 years. Working in the non-profit world has a way of teaching me lessons I never thought I needed to learn. This makes for some terrific blog content.

Also, I’m turning 50 later this month, and I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve never been one to stress about starting a new decade. It is typically the next birthday that I gasp and realize I’m closing in on the next one. I loved my 40s, and as this time in my life ends, I realize that my tolerance for bullshit is waning and my confidence to shine a light on it grows exponentially. I know I’m on the brink of an entirely new chapter in my life. My daughter is in college, and my son is a junior in high school. It is now my job to support their transitions into adulthood. I’m already noticing more time on my hands to pay attention to my dreams yet to come to fruition.

It’s an exciting time. And, I promise to share it all with you.

The Ultimate Blog Challenge

It’s February 1st, and you know what that means … it’s time to begin my quest and rediscover my voice in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. (UBC for short.) Those of you who have read my blog for a while now know that I attempt this challenge quarterly. But, really… what is this challenge? Let me break it down for you.

Ultimate

There are two definitions for this word. It can be used as an adjective, like the ultimate – or final – goal. It can also be a noun – like this blog challenge is the ultimate – or the best of its kind. For me, both of these definitions are true. My ultimate goal is to post a blog 31 times throughout the month. Ideally, I will wake up each day and prioritize writing over everything else. As you may guess, life will get in the way at times, but I will do what it takes to reach the end successfully.

It’s also the “ultimate” because it is one of the best writing challenges I’ve participated in. This is thanks to our fearless leader, Paul, and all of the bloggers who write posts and offer praise and comments. Any writer will tell you that they need a community to lift them up and support them. When I write and post, the ultimate compliment is when someone comments with their own stories and thoughts. And I encourage you, dear reader, to do so.

Blog

This blog is important to me. It’s an extension of who I am as a writer and a person. I keep saying that someday I will string these blogs together into a book of essays. Creative nonfiction and essays are big sellers right now. We all want to connect, and I believe that these types of posts and books create community. I just need a little more confidence and a big push to turn this dream into a reality.

Writing also helps me think. Some people like to run great distances to clear their heads. Others like to take long showers and sort out their problems. I write.

Challenge 

While I’ve been writing for years, the process does not come naturally to me. It can take me half an hour to write a post, or it can take days. Sometimes, I wake up and think I have nothing to say. Years ago, my writing coach taught me when that happens, I should put pen to paper anyway and start writing – “I don’t know what to write.” over and over again. And guess what, it works every time! Eventually, a topic will come to me out of nowhere. Like magic.

Speaking of magic, there was an article in the latest issue of Poets and Writers called “The Button Chair.” In it, the author writes about a workshop she attended with this title. She wondered what this magical chair was and did it have superpowers that enticed the right words to come out on paper. Spoiler alert – it wasn’t that at all. There is no such thing as a button chair. There is only “butt in chair.” Meaning, sit down and do the work. Don’t be distracted by laundry, dishes, and errands. Put your butt in your chair and start writing.

This is exactly why I need UBC in my life. It is where the magic happens. UBC gives me a place and a purpose to discipline myself. I’m held accountable by my fellow writers and readers. And in time, I establish a regular writing habit.

So, I’m ready. I have everything I could ever need – my favorite pens, pristine notebooks, a good laptop, my button chair, and you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is Ironing My Superpower?

The other day I said to myself, I don’t want to cook anymore because I don’t want to do the dishes. But that’s silly, isn’t it? I can’t say I don’t want to wear clothes because I don’t want to do laundry. Food and clothing are basic needs, and I suppose the chores that come before and after are unavoidable. And these things need to be attended to immediately otherwise they just pile up until I can’t take it any longer and resign myself to the tasks at hand.

I went downstairs this morning and there were Halloween candy wrappers and empty cans on the counter. And I ask myself, does anyone know where the trash can is? The answer, it’s right underneath the same counter.

And then, I turned around and saw clean and folded clothes on the table that need a home. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t walk their way up to their respective drawers by themselves.

When I was little, we spent Saturdays cleaning the house from top to bottom. We wiped down our bureaus in our bedrooms, vacuumed the floor, wiped down the kitchen, dusted shelves, and ironed clothes. Back then, we ironed EVERYTHING. I may have learned to iron right after potty training, tying my shoes, and looking both ways when I crossed the street. We had a seemingly bottomless pile of clothes to iron on the floor right next to the ironing board. Afterward, we neatly folded the clothes and laid them all onto the couch so nothing would wrinkle. And then, we carried everything upstairs to hang them up neatly in our closets.

One of my good friends sells small appliances and asked me to help him demonstrate some items at a trade show. He asked me if I knew how to iron. I laughed and told him I was born to iron. But, I rarely do it now. I don’t even think I own an ironing board. I prefer to throw the clothes back in the dryer, and let them unwrinkle from the heat. Or hang them on the towel hook in the shower because the steam will do the trick. But, when it is deemed necessary to do so, I will throw down a towel and clear off my dining room table. My kids ask where I’m going like it’s a special occasion.

I don’t need an immaculate house. I need a house that doesn’t have clutter in every room. My modest wish is to walk into a room and not have to do anything to clean it up.

And I hope no one reads this and believes this is a put down to my family and a not so subtle hint of some kind. I think I have a sixth sense about these things. Maybe it is my superpower. I look around and see what needs to be done, and I can’t walk past it. I see the clothes piling up in the laundry and the dishes in the sink, and it drives me crazy enough to do something about it.

Yeah, I’m the Wonder Woman of house cleaning. Lucky me.

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