When I began this blog, I didn't know what the purpose of it, was to be. {I know, I've said this before. Please bear with me} :-) All I knew was, I needed a different Net Place. Everything else {Net wise} had tired me out and I no longer wished to remain immersed in all of that. It seemed that I was almost *drowning* in angst. And worse, I was adding to it. Can't blame everyone else, for the excess heat.... When you are throwing kindling on the fire yourself. :-(
Now I didn't want to completely cut myself off from my former Net Life. I'd made friends and wanted to keep up with many of them and happenings in their lives. But it was wearing me down and I was no help to them or myself, in that position.
I found more and more blogs, in what I call my "Pretty Blog Land." Net places where I felt calm. And where I felt that these people shared with me, a need for refuge. But I still didn't know what I wanted to do with my blog. And then, I happened to come upon Dear Mrs. Staggs. And I loved her concept of blogging! I loved her "Merryville." She seemed to be able to conjure up all that was lovely about the turn of the century. All that was warm and homey and cozy and comforting and etc.
Yes, we all know in our minds/hearts, that the turn of the century was hard work. For everyone but the very rich, that is. Long hours of hard work for the Wife/Mother, to maintain a happy, warm, cozy retreat for the family. But...... We want to blank out the hard part... And so want to return to the warm, cozy, happy, settled, secure vision we have of 'the olden days.' Of Womanhood of that time. Yes, the idealized vision of Womanhood of that time. I know. I know. Most all our 'looking-back' is done with the use of 'Rose Colored Glasses.' :-)
But, regardless of those hard cold facts ~~ Mrs. Staggs had it 'down pat!!' I loved visiting her, in her Merryville. I'd found my inspiration!
Naturally, I couldn't blog a carbon copy of hers!!! Not right to, in the first place and in the second place, I'd never do it as well as she does and I'd fall flat on my face. ,-) So no Merryville and no Mr. Staggs and young Mr. Staggs, etc. She has the patent on all of that. :-)
But her old fashioned way of talking did come easily to me. So I 'ran with' my own form of it. Being a lot older than she, I fit in the 'Nana-sounds.' The from-a-long-ago-perspective sounds. No, I don't remember the turn of the century but... we'll soon be married for half a century, so I do remember a lot! A lot of what is now considered Vintage. {And believe me, what a shock that is!! People collecting things, I threw away 'back in the day'!!! You 'youngins,' just you wait till it happens to you. You'll hardly believe it!!!}
And with a very large tip of inspiration to Mrs. Staggs, this is what I seem to have carved out for my own place in "Pretty Blog Land." Believe me, Dear Readers, this is not the complete me. Never was. Never will be. But it does feel goooooood to me. It does feel like I'd really love "to live here." I'd really love to stay always seeing the glass half full and always looking for the 'pretty.' The 'warm.' The 'calm.' The 'cozy.' The 'non-judgmental.' The 'gentle of tongue.' The 'soft of touch.' The 'comforting of words.'
Like every other human being, I have my sorrows, angst, worries, pain, concerns, times when I really dislike myself, etc., etc., etc. Just because I never speak of them here, don't think they aren't part of me and my life. Oh yes, they are!!!! Let me make that abundantly clear!! Oh yes they are!!! And at times, they seem to nearly overwhelm me. To nearly sink me. To nearly sink those, close to me.
But!!!! Here is a refuge, which helps me. Here is my cozy place. Here are things which make me smile. Including you, those Dear People who come here and read my ramblings and make comments and are such a sweet part of my life now. I appreciate you all. I appreciate that I came to know what I wanted to do with this part of my Net Life. And actually, our Net Life is part of our Real Life. I think most bloggers will agree with that. We don't want Net Life to overrun Real Life. But it is a beloved part of all our Real Lives. One, we'd feel very sad to lose.
Whewwwwwwwwwwww!!! Did you hang in here? Through all of that? If so, you probably deserve a medal!! ,-)
Now off you go and have a calm and lovely day. Make very sure you stop and 'smell all the roses' you notice. And make sure you notice many. I said so. Now, you *have to do it.* :-)))))))))))))))))))))))))
