Ticia, of the very excellent Adventures in Mommydom, tagged me recently in a blog meme answering the question ‘Why Blog?’ The idea is to answer four questions concerning why and how you blog, and then tag three more people.
It’s funny, because this topic has been at the forefront of my mind lately, because the reasons I blog are changing. So here goes. These are the questions, with my answers:
WHAT AM I WORKING ON?
I only write here, at angelicscalliwags, my sole blog. I have toyed with writing a weight loss blog, but I really felt I ought to, y’know, lose some weight first. Problem is, the weight, being very much like its owner has a rather stubborn streak and is resolutely refusing to budge. So I don’t really have anything to write and will therefore stick to what I know and love – my children and, of course, Gary.
Angelicscalliwags started out two years ago as a place to come to remember. I had just been diagnosed with invasive melanoma and with a baby of just 9 months, I was scared she would not remember me if I died. So I wrote. I took photos. And I remembered everything for her. I recorded our families antics, some publicly, some privately.
I’m not sure I should be admitting this, but I love reading my blog. If no one else in the world read it, it simply wouldn’t matter to me. I love reading it, because it contains my memories, my family, my love.
But people do read it, and I am utterly humbled by that. I love it when I receive comments and I always try to reply to all of them and then visit the commenter’s blog in return and leave a message there. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting some kindred spirits, who I would never have ‘met’ if it wasn’t for blogging.
HOW DOES MY BLOG DIFFER FROM OTHER BLOGS IN ITS GENRE
I’ve not got a clue! Having pondered this for a good while, I’m still none the wiser. Probably it’s less organised, less purposeful, less professional and more thrown together than any of the others I read.
WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?
We spend most of our days together learning. And so this is what I write about. I have covered many topics in the past two years but, I hope, littered through every post is one defining quality: the love I have for my family. I do this on purpose for Gary and for my children. So they never forget how much I love them all.
However, as is so often the case, my writing has evolved somewhat, and I really enjoy sharing my ideas, and gleaning from others. Prior to blogging, I knew very few people who home schooled, and almost nobody who homeschooled in a similar way to me. Being part of a blogging community who think and feel similarly to me is really quite special, and something I would be loath to give up.
And this is where things have changed slightly. At the start I blogged solely to record memories for my children; nowadays I write with the additional purpose of connecting with others. This has been an unexpected benefit for me. I love hearing your thoughts on things I’ve posted, and I love to feel part of this great homeschool blogging community – one which I didn’t know existed until I entered in to it. It and you have really blessed me.
HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?
Okay, I had to giggle at this question. Exactly which writing process would this question be referring to?! I’m not at all sure I have one. I occasionally write posts in advance, but mostly they are written the night before, in the wee early hours of the morning. I try not to turn the computer on over the weekend, and as such rarely post then (unless I have been extra diligent and written something in advance).
Oooh, I’ve just remembered I do have a sort of writing process!! Yes, I plan my school lessons straight into a draft blog post, linking all the resources I intend to use. Then in the early hours I go over that pre-written post and add photos and memories of what actually happened during that day, to the outline already written. I’m sure there must be many more efficient ways to write, I just don’t use them. In fact, I’m mildly impressed with myself for being able to give any answer to that question at all.
Having typed and then deleted a heap of different blogs, I’m having distinct problems choosing the three to tag. I don’t know who to choose! I’ve never been very good at minimising anything, and picking just three from the excellent blogger network out there is not easy.
However, the three people I’m tagging are:
Marie Claude from Marie’s Pastiche. Marie is unusual in that she is not a homeschooler, just an incredible mother who enjoys learning alongside her girls, so much so, that each year they visit a whole new culture and immerse themselves in it for a whole year. I’d be interested to know how and why this was started
Donna, from Around the Bend. Donna writes about her travels around America, and is one of the most supportive readers one can have. Everyone should get themselves a Donna! She not only offered prayer support during my yucky February month, but in a quest to cheer me up also emailed me hysterical songs about pigs and forgetting where my glasses are. If I knew how to link them here I would. The latter one made me cry with laughter. I tell you, it was written about me, and I don’t even wear glasses!
The final blogger I have chosen because her homeschool and consequently her blog has gone through big changes over the last year and I would be interested to hear if her reasons for blogging have changed along side it – Lucinda from Navigating by Joy
I really enjoyed reading this. I always am interested in what you write, and it is nice to see where it all comes from and the reasons for it!
Thank you Becky.
One of the reasons I have loved following along with your journey is the love that shines through your posts for and from your family – it is uplifting. It has been lovely connecting with you, and its obvious by the many comments, that so many feel the same way.
(When I read my tagged name, my immediate reaction was an audible gasp, followed by a long drawn out, rather deep voiced “noooooo” My husband was truly concerned at what might illicit such a drastic reaction first thing in the morning! 🙂 )
LOL! Please don’t feel you have to participate, the meme police won’t be after you if you don’t!! I’m usually a little uncomfortable about doing things like this (which is why in general I don’t), but it was Ticia who asked (another lovely bloggy friend), and it happened to be something that I had been mulling over myself for while, so I went for it!
I know what you mean, it was soooooo hard to pick JUST 3. I ended up picking from 3 different types of blogs I read.
I would say your love for your family just oozes off of the screen as we read it. We can see how you love your kids and your husband, and how much you’re thinking about what you’re doing.
And I love our unofficial little community.
Thanks for choosing me. It was good to put into words the thoughts I’d been having. It was very timely!
The love you have for your family shines through with each post. I, too, started blogging to record our days and our relationships, but the longer I blogged, the more I found kindred spirits and it has been a tremendous blessing to me. Thank you for being one of those people.
Thank you too. I’ll never forget, you were one of my first regular readers and commenters. It was all very exciting!!
And I remember the first time I found your blog, all about history! I was in homeschool heaven!
I love to ready your blog and since I am a new reader I didn’t know about your reason for blogging. I’ll admit to crying just a little. I’ll also admit that I go back and read through my own blog especially when I put the yearly homeschool portfolios together and just to look at the pictures.
It’s the pictures I enjoy looking at too, and seeing how the children have changed over the months. I wasn’t sure if it was a bit narcissistic to admit it!
Wow. That is an amazing reason to begin blogging. Are you in remission now? I also love the community feeling of blogging. Gleaning ideas from others is also a huge bonus to the blogging world. I truly love meeting people from around the world because I am so curious about other cultures and other people.
Well, it hasn’t reared its ugly head since I had it removed. Each year that passes brings me more and more hope it was caught in time.
When I saw the title of this I thought, “ooh! What an interesting title – I can’t wait to read it.” Then I noticed you’d tagged me – thank you, I’m inspired! So now I’m not going to read your answers or Ticia’s until I’ve written down my own thoughts. I’ll be back! 🙂
I look forward to reading, especially given the changes with everything. I bet you’ll have wonderful things to say!
When I saw your post title, I laughed to myself. Just a couple of weeks ago, I started a post with the same title and then I decided to delete it. As I read down and saw my name, I thought, “YIKES!” Well, I will write, but as you know me, it may take some time to finish. I am convinced you could have listed someone with a much more interesting blog than my ramblings, but I feel honored you included me.
I LOVE your blog. I get inspired, motivated, and blessed each time I read it.
Hugs to you, Claire.
Thank you, Donna. I chose you because you are so lovely and supportive, especially over the February bloooooos!
So I finally answered the question, which meant I got to read your answer… and then I realised I hadn’t done what I was supposed to at all!!! That’ll teach me not to read the instructions properly.
Perhaps I’ll edit my post to include the proper questions. But I’ll answer your last question here, about whether my blog has changed as we’ve moved towards unschooling …
I think my primary motivation has always been to share wonderful stuff (books, resources, ideas) and that is more relevant than ever now we’re doing our own thing. I’d LOVE to write more about my homeschooling philosophy on my blog but I find that SO challenging, for many reasons! So for now I stick to mostly sharing the fun things we do, usually with a bit of Opinion thrown in on the side.
I loved reading your answers. You write so naturally and from the heart. Keep up the great work!
Somehow I missed this post until today! I think you SHOULD love reading your blog. I know for me it serves as an online scrapbook of our homeschool life. Thanks for sharing your memories.