No, really. Where, in the past, I folded the laundry at midnight then wrote the last week’s worth of blog posts at 5 a.m., I no longer can. I’ve gotten cranky without sleep. Most accurately, probably, is that I’ve gotten less sleep so I’m cranky.
Most most accurately, I’ve undertaken a lot more life. We’ve started a remodeling project on the house (finally). Hole-in-the-bucket-style, we now need to build a kitchenette and laundry room downstairs. We need candle-making stuff for the business shifted to make room for those…. etc.
And, of course, we need to run said business, keep our children alive and dressed, and ….you know, life.
School’s back is session, autumn’s in the air, and I’m back to blogging. As per usual, here’s your numbered breakdown of how I’m going to make this work:
Terrible Poetry Where would we be without the Terrible Poetry Contest? I’ll be running this once a month, every other month, as per my:
Life is ridiculously packed to the brim while less-important tasks like sleep sit molding at the bottom. We’ll see how this format works. Any encouraging aphorisms and/or life secrets are encouraged.
Thank you. I look forward to reading your works again.
I’ve been absent lately, in an unofficial fashion. Since this has been due to life and its overwhelming responsibilities -furthermore, since no one has gone looking for me in a panic- I can only presume that: either everyone is equally engaged, or everyone understands that I am not only engaged but have married and sired six children.
If you are feeling like panicking, this post is meant to deter that.
I am still alive. My family is alive and kicking. I’ve come through the holidays, have declared a word, and have been mentally planning what to do for this blog.
I intend to include:
More creative stories, although they may be short.
More off-the-cuff posts as was my wont before COVID-19 hit.
Wrap-ups of my Tour of Utah and mystery series, and promises I’ve made to bloggers to read their works.
If you made it this far, maybe you’d consider helping: 1. What would you like to read? Why do you come around here? 2. Would you be a guest blogger? 3. Would you be a guest host for a contest or writing prompt? 4. Is there anything I haven’t listed that you’d like me to write about?
Thank you for joining me on consider the current chaos.
Y’know, I never thought I’d feel this way. I read others who wrote about leaving blogdom for one reason or another and thought, “Why?” Why leave when you have followers, a creative outlet, and interesting posts from all your friends?
Granted, my life has not been interesting before this point. I haven’t had much to do. Further, I had no one to talk to about it. I can’t say the same is true anymore -which is, actually, a very healthy thing. No longer alone in a large house with only my dishes and children; I now have a smaller house, a job, at least one friend to whom I can say anything, a good marriage, and waaaaay too many things to do all day. Oh, and I still have the children.
…In terms of organization, this post is getting ahead of itself. Let’s start with an updated list:
I’m still pregnant. As far as I know, the baby is doing swimmingly. Perhaps he’s doing kickingly. Thanks to my delivery history, I will schedule a C-Section. We’re looking at November 2. This date draws ever nearer each day.
We’ve moved house and sold our other. I don’t talk about where I live, specifically, much. I’d like for angry mobs to not be able to find us. It is very important to tell you all that our new digs are much less finished or updated than our last, however. In fact, our last house was BRAND NEW and this one is more along the lines of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, pre-remodel.
I still work as a lunchlady assistant but will be retiring soon due to being due.
I have even less time for blogging than I’ve ever had before.
In light of these facts but despite what I said at the beginning of this post, I will not be running away.
Repeat: I’m staying.
Out of necessity, I will be changing my writing schedule. This, sadly, includes not running a poetry contest. I feel the greatest loss at this conclusion, since I love encouraging poetry and love all the excellent writings you have shared.
And for you, Carol: fajita, frijole; hickory (in my defense, you and your followers named every food that has ‘k’ in it); galia (melon), scallion; edamame, jambu, mamey; tinda, ortanique, pignoli, uni; (and for this week) mahonia (berries), roe, and acorn….
In dog years, I’m middle-aged at this point. Time to buy a Porsche…
Thank you; thank you to all of the friends and followers who’ve found and encouraged me. I started writing during a dark, lonely time and do not exaggerate when I say that you have all saved me with your support. ❤
If you’re a better blog friend than I, you knew this was coming. I have not been around much. I haven’t had time for anything except a paltry effort at feeding the children and ensuring they’ve showered semi-regularly.
I’ll write now and then, visit everybody, wrap up the current A Mused Poetry Contest; then take off around June 27th. I’ll not disappear entirely because I am writing a monthly poetry post over at Carrot Ranch called Anyone Can Poem.
(By the way, you should check it out!)
In other announcements:
We found out we’re having Boy #6.
We’re moving house.
We’ve cured cancer.
Now, you get to decide which two are the truths and which is the lie….
Wouldn’t it be neat if this was how my summer went? Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com
After crawling through pregnancy and limping through the newborn stage, I have emerged to be a whole, new Chelsea! This model is …a bit more overweight, a lot more tired, and barely has time to read and write.
She’s also taken up employment.
I work in a cafeteria. I applied for a cashier job and was hired at my son’s school. I don’t do much cashiering currently because every child gets free school lunch in America. The job has many perks: free food, free exercise, limited exposure to people, and unlimited latex-free work gloves.
I’ve taken the time I normally laid around the house; irresponsibly folding clothes, washing dishes, getting the baby out of the potted plants, finding shoes, reprimanding children, getting the baby out of the cleaning cupboard, picking up towels, washing pans, getting the baby off of the stairs, planning meals, balancing the budget, getting things out of the baby’s mouth, helping in the dice store, and cleaning cleaning cleaning- and put it to good use doing similar things in a more commercial environment that doesn’t have a baby crawling around.
After paying for day care, I bring home about $10 each day. I haven’t even learned what portion of that Uncle Sam will take; I don’t get my first paycheck till Thanksgiving. Maybe.
But, if you’re still reading, I doubt you clicked on this to learn about the intricacies of folding a towel after lunchlady work while using your foot to push the baby away from the stove dials as a timer goes off and dinner burns. The blog update part of this is that I need to cut back on posting. Frankly, I’ve gotten burned out by the dead-end that writing is for me anyway.
I’ve mentioned this before, I know. I need writing and I NEED this community. I also need sleep.
I’ll post COVID-19/Coronavirus updates if you’re interested. We’re now on a statewide mask mandate and all extracurricular school activities are cancelled for two weeks.
Most importantly, I will read my friends’ posts whenever I get a chance.
Even more most importantly, please know that I always mean the very best when I comment or write. I do not look to offend.
I support President Donald J. Trump as I have our other elected leaders, and I dislike people saying offensive things about him (or any other political figure). Be civil.
If you’re still around after those announcements, here’s some cake:
Look at that: only two days in, and I’m already boring you. But, wait -it’s important.
I will be adding book reviews to the blog. I definitely want to read and review ones by people I know, so drop me a line if you’d like me to read, review, and interview.
I will be starting the new and improved terrible poetry contest tomorrow Saturday!!! Problem is, I can’t think of a catchy-enough name. “Funny Poetry” and “Humorous Poetry” strike me as too ho-hum for an event that will be anything but! Drop me another line with a name idea for our new contest.
I will be answering people’s prompts and doing a few of my own. I can’t participate every week/day/hour, but can pop in once a month or so. Drop me a third line with whatever prompt you do and when.
I will now be leaving to pick up children from school. Drop me a line about how your Coronalife is going.
I’ve been having a great holiday, only worrying about considering the possibility of thinking I ought to plan on pondering the idea of envisioning a speculative schedule involving writing on the blog(s).
I promised this was a boring update, so here are the specifics:
WordPress’ editor still sucks.
I sold my arm and part of a leg for a new cell phone and can therefore read (and comment on!) people’s posts again. The new phone ought to streamline that process going forward, instead of gunking it up to a hopeless quagmire like it did in the past.
I’m changing the Weekly Hilarity Contest to poetry again, but intend to definitely bend toward humor and not to the sarcasm and ridicule of terrible poeming.
My #1 priority will be me and my family. Number two will, invariably, be dishes and laundry -okay, really, ’twill be catching blog posts written by my favorite people (you!). After those, I will post some of my own works (see #5, just below).
My blogging schedule will be liposuctioned to something manageable and …less personal. Maybe.
I will write and publish a book. I will write under a modified name, since I’ve never liked my obviously-born-in-a-certain-decade-or-near-there identifier.
If there is any time left after that, I’ll sleep well, eat right, and exercise. I will also cure pandemics.
I will totally look like this person, all year. (Photo by Moose Photos on Pexels.com)
Chel Owens 