Hello and Thank You!

/ Viv@Grief Happens

Hi friends, it’s been too long.  Where did the time go?

I thought I’d pop in and give you a quick update.  The last month has been busy with some exciting ventures on the horizon.

I had no plans to stop blogging, but honestly it simply took an accidental backseat to other endeavors.  I’m at a bit of a crossroads about where to go with this blog.  When I began nearly two years ago, I wanted a space to say things that I was unlikely to say elsewhere.  I initially called the blog “Grief Happens” and had planned to use it as a place to write and discuss various forms of grief.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed that this hasn’t really happened.  I touch on the subject, but seriously I found writing about grief and loss depressing and I did not need any more of that.  So, check.  One unaccomplished goal.  Meh, it’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last.

Another goal I had when starting this blog was to establish a writing practice, and maintaining a blog has certainly forced me to write more regularly.  I also needed a low-pressure something in my life, and this blog has been good for that.  Looking back I think I would encourage anyone who is interested to start a blog.  I’m not one for statistics, and I don’t go out of my way to force traffic onto my blog.  It’s a good thing because I’d be sourly disappointed if this were the case.  Perhaps if this were a more topic-specific type of blog, I’d enable more functions to draw traffic, but again, not really my aim in this realm.    I do my best here to write real.  If you are drawn to the topics and feel connected, then read away.  If you find it wordy and not worth your time, that’s okay, too.

I suppose what I’m saying is that this was started rather selfishly, and I never expected a massive following.  I write for myself here.  That said, I never expected to connect with so many like-minded souls.  Over the past year or so, I’ve met some amazing people from all over the world, and it has truly been an unexpected and delightful gift.

I’m a nomad to the core.  Galavanting all over the world is in my blood, and I’m happiest when I’m exploring new places and meeting new people.  This blog was an outlet because I was struggling as a new mom with a new and unfamiliar identity.  Gil and I were hanging on by a frayed fishing wire and life felt really hard, and quite frankly, dismal.  This blog has allowed me to virtually galavant, so to speak.  I’ve become connected in ways I never anticipated.

So, to my readers.  Thank you.  Thanks for coming back even when my posting is inconsistent and random.  I value each of you and truly send love and light your way.  This blog has served as another reminder that we are all genuinely connected.

More to come on what I’ve been doing the last month.  In case of distraction, highly possible, I’ll provide a snippet.  Some good, some not so great.

1 — VACATION!!  Gil, the kids, and my mom – believe it or not, spent a week at the beach.  It was fabulous and exactly what we needed.  Plenty of vegging and being lazy.

2 — I’m participating in NaNoWriMo.  It’s my first real attempt at fiction, and it’s more fun than I ever imagined.

3 — WORK!  I have a little part-time gig that I’m hoping will turn into something that will actually pay some bills.  It’s writing related and fun.  I’m feeling creative again and ready to push through and make some things happen.  Wish me luck!

4 — CHICKENPOX!!!  Dude, not fun.  I’m well into my third week with this and finally feeling better.  I had it as a kid, but my mom said mine was a pretty light case.  This time around has been anything but light.  The fever and the body aches have faded and I’m hoping these bumps will be on their merry way shortly.

That’s about all for now.  It’s a busy season, and I can’t promise that I’ll be blogging regularly.  I would love any tips that anyone has on where I should go with this blog.  I’ve been looking back over some of my old posts and need to do some cleaning up, specifically as far as all my fake names go.  I know, be shocked.  We’re not really Vivi, Gil, Piers and Wallace.  I came up with all of these on a whim and in looking back, I referred to some of us differently in the beginning.  Maybe that can be a goal for now.  Match everything up, so that it’s not confusing — or at least make it consistent.

Have a smashing day.  Peace out for now!

13 thoughts on “Hello and Thank You!”

  1. I too have not blogged in quite sometime. But I do like that I can do this as the mood strikes. It’s good to see these updates about what’s happening in your life. & now at 4 am I shall attempt a blog. Also I had a “light case” of chicken pox as a kid, so I’m always hoping it doesn’t resurface. bah! & the vacay sounds nice 🙂

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    • Well thanks! I do gripe a lot here, and while I strive to be real, I don’t want to be a complete downer. I suppose my goal in life is to be balanced. As a recovering adrenaline junky, I’m about as Zen as I’ll ever be, and I’m perfectly fine with that. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

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  3. Chicken pox and measles are worse the older you get. I had measles at 17 and was down for two weeks! Too bad you didn’t get the vacation after the bout with chicken pox!

    I’m glad you are doing better and participating in NaNoWriMo. I’m doing NaNo this year too. Making good progress. I won’t finish my novel by the 30th but I made great progress and have regained an interest in the novel writing process.

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  4. LOL re the fake names. I’m probably too transparent on my blog in terms of names but then there’s heaps of stuff I can’t write about since my family might read my blog (they have the address and I’m too attached to this one to change it). It’s always good to hear I’m not alone with parenting, marriage, family issues. As for blog direction, I think it’s great that you use this space as and when you need to. I’m also not actively trying to drive traffic to my blog. Day-by-day is the best that I can do at the moment. (Although I do have another more private blog which I haven’t updated in a few years. That’s for when I really need to vent about issues!)

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    • Thanks for the thoughtful comment. As I read back over my post I laughed that I wrote that this is my space to “write real.” Then I went on to remind everyone that this is anonymous and that I use fake names. Other than the fake names and few minor adaptions, I AM brutally honest here. I do feel like I’ve worked out a lot of my stuff, so I’m less concerned with anonymity than I was in the beginning. I like having a space to put it all out there, and electing to do so in a blog as opposed to a private journal helps me to stay grounded. Plus it is nice to get feedback — unique perspectives force me to look at certain situations differently and drag me out of my own head. I very much enjoy your blog. I’m a bit of a psychology junkie and I enjoy reading your take on things — books, life, parenting, marriage, etc. And as you stated — it’s always good to hear that we’re not alone with parenting, marriage, and family issues.

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  5. Somehow I’ve escaped having chicken pox (I shouldn’t even write that…it’s like jinxing myself!)

    I’m so sorry you’ve been sick with it – feel better!!

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    • Wow! It’s funny, since I came down with chicken pox lots have people have shared their experiences with me and while it’s assumed that everyone over thirty had them as a kid, I’m finding that plenty did not. Cross your fingers, or it might be worth weighing the risks/benefits of the vaccine. Who knows. I’m thankful that I survived it but will be even happier when these dreadful bumps go away. Thanks for the well wishes!

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