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SusanJ
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
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I had a blog that I really loved and I felt like it really helped my live my vocation better. Then, in a rash move, I deleted it on Sunday. I just posted about it and if you have a minute to comment on how you balance writing on your blog with your vocation, I'm all ears. You can comment on my blog, or reply here.
Thanks . .
__________________
Mom to Joseph-8, Margaret-6, William-4, Gregory-2, and new little one due 11/1
Life Together
[URL=http://thejohnstonkids.blogspot.com]The Kids' Blog[/UR
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Cay Gibson
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Joined: July 16 2005
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 3:01pm | IP Logged
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Susan,
I often think of the wealth of letters that St. Therese's mother (Zelie Martin) left behind. Her life was much harder than ours but still, she wrote. She kept up a tremendous amount of correspondence with her sister, her brother, her sister-in-law, and her own daughters. Through her writing, we have all been blessed.
She did this with ink and paper. Look at how fast we can type! And I have yet to see where Zelie ever questioned the time she spent "blogging" about her life and giving comfort and advice when needed.
Personally, I love the accountability that blogging allows me. Even religious in the convents and monasteries are instructed to write and look at the treasure that serves us today.
I am all for reading and writing. Our children see so little of it in this world as it is. I say, let them see that it is gratifying and rewarding to us and they just might follow our example.
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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Good food for thought, Cay.
I like recording a few of our "endeavors" and funny things said. I think it's important to be memory-keepers of our family.
It's a great way to connect with other moms.
And, to let out-of-town family in our lives.
I also like keeping track of our days in a daily journal that "looks nice" instead of my yucky scribble notes. It helps me to realize that we DO actually DO something meaningful around here! 
But, I do understand the escape factor like you talked about. I try to set a timer. And, work on the computer mainly when kids are not around and when dh is out of town or at the gym. I have also started keeping a list of things I need to "look up" or posts I want to do. So, when I do have that time, I just go down the list. Instead of feeling like i have to do things "right now" before i forget.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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LisaR
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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I won't blog because computer is an escape for me too. I can very easily get sucked in. I have heard many psychologists say (and a few are good Catholic ones besides) that kids see mom in front of a screen. period.. it dosen't matter if the TV is what you are in front of, or the computer. I've been encouraged to paper and pen journal again. Or work on some low key scrapbooking. And...to limit my computer time to when the kiddos are asleep (but then that takes away time with dh and something has to give...) . Someone asked me who used to blog "what are blogs for anyway??" It IS great to read about everyone elses lives and you can glean so much incredible information. but most people still say they are doing it for themselves or for their families, and for security sake alone maybe that kind of record keeping/journalins should best be done the old fashioned way??
A friend had her pregnant belly shot on her blog photo shopped all over the place. scary
I'll probably go through withdrawal when I limit myself to 20 min per day on school days (all the MOTH schedule allows !!) starting the 16th. I'll let you know how it is going.... if I have the time 
__________________
Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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Erin
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 6:04am | IP Logged
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Susan
I just popped over and had a quick look at your post and I'm with your dh, you do have something worthwhile to say, in fact I just added you to my bloglines So sad that you deleted, did you save anything to word?
Firstly you have great points, I also blog because it nurtures 'my' creative side, it is a great way to record 'moments' that I always kept meaning to journal about but never did for years. For some reason the visual medium works for me. The children are pretty proud of my blog and I include them in discussions about what I am doing.
But it is important to not be zoning out and so easy to do I also stuggle with this. To this end I limit my computer time daily and only get to blogs weekly. For my own posts I try to write on average once a week.
Blogging is also good for distant family to keep up with the happenings. My brother 19, told me tonight that he visits my blog thrice monthly, I am touched that he thinks it worth his while. Pride is an interesting point that I think we all have to watch, I have a funny story on this, I have been blithely blogging away, thinking as I never got many comments I was invisible in blogsphere so I would just be happy and write for myself. I have been happy doing this and proud of how I now have a record of our happenings. Anyhow I recently worked out how to install 'StatCount' and I received a huge (and lovely) shock. In just two days I noticed that I received 50 hits!!  I wasn't invisible after all, I started blushing  thinking of all those posts that needed improvement. But then that is pride, so I gave myself a 'little talk' and continue blogging.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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jugglingpaynes
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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Hi Susan,
I hope you are feeling better. Please promise that next time, before you hit the delete button, you will save your blog to your personal files. Blogger makes this very convenient. As writers, it is important to save our work. Some day our children's children may be interested in what we had to say. I regret that my father-in-law didn't write down more of his family history. I had even given him a tape recorder for this purpose. I must now rely on my husband's and my memory for stories of his interesting life.
I second what Erin said above. Without repeating all she said, I want to reiterate that moderation is the key in all things. If you think you will get sucked in, pick only one or two days you are allowed to work on blogging and reading other blogs. Your children are very young and need a lot of attention right now. This makes it important to have a little "mommy time" to recharge your batteries. You will all be the better for it. I leave the computer if my kids need me (unless I'm in the middle of writing something, then I try to get them to ask daddy ). The important thing is that you don't allow the computer to rule your life.
Must go now. I have to take my kids to the zoo!
Peace and Laughter,
__________________
Cristina
(mom of MayBabies dd15,ds12,dd6)
Home Spun Juggling
Comics, Coffee and Catches
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SallyT
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 11:32pm | IP Logged
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I'm another addictive personality when it comes to the computer. On the other hand, I'm a writer. It's what I do professionally (on a very small basis), and it's always been how I dealt with the world and made sense of things.
I love blogging because it's a way to get to do a lot of the kinds of writing I've always wanted to do -- like having my very own daily or weekly column, mostly for domestic comedy, but also for whatever I'm thinking about. I often try out ideas for print pieces on the blog, and when I need to come up with something for "real" publication, I can go back and mine from all the stuff I've written. So to me it's an incredibly useful, as well as an incredibly satisfying thing to do. And I think of it as kind of a ministry -- I have three blogs, actually (couldn't just stop at one!), one of which is devoted to a high-school English curriculum I'm developing as I gear up to teach it in a co-op this year. Ultimately I'd like to have a four-year program with reading, notes, resources, projects, etc., available free online. Even just blogging about a day in our life, however, or what I cooked for dinner, could be construed as a ministry. I gain so much inspiration and so many good ideas from reading other people's blogs that I think perhaps it's not impossible that something I write might be helpful to someone else. So it's not a totally selfish endeavor, truly.
On the other hand, I have these children? My two oldest kids actually have their own blogs, though I keep very close tabs on them. My oldest daughter is using a blog to write a diary-style novel, while my almost 10-year-old announced today that the persona who speaks on his blog -- his character on this blog is a monkey, because he likes monkeys, which is nice but also a little limiting, as a monkey in a mango tree quickly runs out of things to say -- is going on a trip around the world and is going to post from every place he visits, which of course will necessitate some research. So, wah lah -- of this monkey blog is born a geography project. Anyway, my having a blog and sharing it with my children (who only sometimes really mind what I write about them!) has spurred two of them, anyway, to take on similar writing projects. There is something about the more "public" format of a blog which is motivating to them -- even though I've disabled comments on my son's blog, and I monitor both blogs very closely, the kids really do feel that they're writing something real that other people can read, and that sense spurs them to want to write more and better. I encourage them to write in other contexts, too, and with pen and paper, but blogging has given us a way to work together on a master/apprentice model, and I'm grateful to have this option open to us.
But overall, if I'm not careful, I will neglect things in the household. So I've made a rule for myself that I stay off the computer until the children go to bed. Today I broke this rule . . . once, I think. They had all gone outside, and I broke down. But I'm trying to be disciplined! I also need to come up with a computer-sharing schedule, since everyone in the house wants computer time for various purposes, and we will avoid many conflicts if everyone has a pre-ordained time slot.
Also -- if pressed for time, I try to eschew reading other blogs. That's hard, because I really enjoy surfing and reading. But when I have to choose, and time is limited, I choose to write rather than read.
And now I'm choosing to write this post rather than sleep, which is not smart and must stop!
Pax,
Sally
http://fineoldfamly.blogspot.com
http://saintdanielstylite.blogspot.com
http://abandonhopefully.blogspot.com
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All For Jesus
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 9:46am | IP Logged
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Hi Susan,
I am sad you deleted your blog and at the same time I applaud your determination to do what you feel is right. That takes a lot of dedication and discipline!!
Maybe, in time, with prayer and discernment you will begin it again. You'll know if the Lord is calling you to it.
Blogging is something I enjoy much. My kids are proud of our blog, though they do not understand all of it ~smiling~ but it thrills them to no end when they see our family on that screen.
I am careful with my blogging and blog reading. Just like everything else in life it requires balance and prayer. I limit myself to twenty minutes in the early morning (only if I've prayed morning prayer) before the children arise and I'll do an hour of reading/posting at night when they are in bed IF hubby is contentedly busy with something and I have no work that needs to be finsihed. It works for me.
I have taken complete breaks from the computer twice over the last year and a half because our life required all of my time, attention, and prayer. God worked great things in me during these times of desert dwelling as I refer to them ~smiling~. At these times I just had no words for blogging and I had no capacity to absorb positively the wonderful things to be gleaned from reading my beloved friend's blogs (and I do consider you all the dearest of friends!).
Just include God in the decision and if He leads you back to your blog like He did me, include Him and our Blessed Mother in each and every post. I always say "okay, Mother is there anything good I should say or is there anything I should remove before I publish this post?" I feel like she guides me if I am honestly open to her promptings.
Sorry to ramble. I enjoyed your posts, Susan, for what it's worth 
Not sure why but I can't seem to add a hyperlink or a signature to my posts so I just type it all in. I am hopelessly un-technical
________________________________
Lynn, wife to my college sweetheart and lucky mom to Sam, 8/ Bridget, 5/ John Paul, 2/ and Maryn, 2
Life Is Beauty / http://sacredday.blogspot.com
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Willa
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 9:54am | IP Logged
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Susan -- I don't think I saw your old blog, but your new one looks really nice. I hope you keep it up!
I blog mostly as a record of what is going on in our life and in my thoughts. Why not keep a private journal? Well, that is what I always used to do, and I still have a private blog. But I like the format of blogging; I like being able to think through things in a wider community; and my kids read my blog, so sometimes it opens conversations with them.
With blogging, I can easily track past entries by category or by date, so I can look for patterns and themes.
Yes, it does sometimes go overboard.
I have this
Internet Regula and when I know things are out of balance, I go back to it.
IT doesn't hurt to be blogless -- but if I were going to stop blogging, I would preserve the old entries since I think they will be valuable to me someday.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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All For Jesus
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 9:55am | IP Logged
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Also Susan,
I forgot to mention, and in the spirit of utter honesty I should, that during the day if it is slow and I see that the children are occupied in a good way I will go and do a post or read something I've been wanting to read on someone's blog.
Like, right now, it is almost ten a.m. here and my four are all happily still at the table drawing their dream tree houses and pretending to inhabit them so I'm sitting here foraging through 4 Real. Believe me, they'll let me know when it's time to move on.
God Love you and keep you
___________________________________
Lynn, wife to my college sweetheart and lucky mom to Sam, 8/ Bridget, 5/ John Paul, 2/ and Maryn, 2
Life Is Beauty / http://sacredday.blogspot.com
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: balancing blogs and life
