What Do You Want Your Blog To be When it grows Up?

Today is the day to share goals for your blog.

I decided to share mine
although I’m not really sure what they are
and I think they might change later
like after lunch…..
Here goes

1. I hope my blog can be a place for learning how to make something
I love to teach and show people how to make things themselves.
As a young bride….I mean YOUNG…17 to be exact….I learned how to 
bake bread, cover a sofa, garden, cook meals, sew drapes, decorate a cake,
and so forth. Later, I learned to build alongside my husband and did roofing, 
used a drill, a circular saw, a bubble level, lay tile, install sheetrock,
lay concrete block, mix mortar, weld and solder, and so forth.
I REALLY believe that all of us can do much more than we think we can.

2. I hope my blog can be a place for learning how to grow as a person 
I’ve been working on myself for years to overcome issues in my past and
come to grips with how they affect my life in the present.
I am open about what I’ve discovered and what I am still working on.
I hope that my willingness to share my life will help others learn how to
change and improve their life. I am learning how to like myself more and I continue to grow 
EVERY DAY with God’s help and the help of dear friends and family He has placed in my life
A dear friend sent me some quotes the other day when I posted about my despair…

“Underlying these messages is an expectation that somehow we should be able to control pain or loss. When we experience mental or physical pain, we often feel a sense of isolation, a disconnection from humanity and life. Our shame sets us apart in our suffering at the very times when we need most to connect.”


“The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience.”


Boy, at this point I’m already worried that maybe I’m supposed to have a certain number of goals…..
I might be in trouble here…… the first two are my main things…….
OK…two more


3. I hope my blog can be attractive and easy to navigate
I have already started on this goal with a blog overhaul scheduled and I’m VERY
excited to see what the lovely Kristen does for me
This goal is because I am a very visual person and I know that others are too
I confess that I have clicked on some sites and lost interest quickly
if they are not attractive TO ME (this is a personal goal remember) or 
I can’t figure out where something is, like an email, or a tutorial list.
There is a reason shop owners and party planners spend so much time 
on their appearance, it attracts people

which leads me to the next goal……don’t hate me but…….

4. I hope I can earn some money from my blog someday
When we adopted the five kids (see the whole story here) I retired early.
I was a pediatric nurse practitioner. I went to school, as an adult, for several years
to achieve this goal. I loved my job. I was good at my job. I earned money at my job
and for the first time in my life (remember I married at 17 and never had an independent life)
I was enjoying some independence. I love my husband and I don’t mean I wanted
independence from him or my marriage BUT I could spend some money on things
that I never could before and it was nice. I got my nails done, went to a salon for my hair 
(I never did that before), bought pretty things for my house and garden, 
went on a long dreamed of mission trip to Africa….and so forth.
I became an NP at 40….just so you realize, it came pretty late for me…
this independence thing. 
We also took our first ever REAL vacation and went to Italy (we both tend to be workaholics)
Now, my husband has had to put off his retirement until 70 because we still have
(at minimum) 9 more years to raise these kids out the door. 
I started a small business selling things I repurpose or make…
it’s still a REALLY small business.
I am hoping that as the blog continues, it can become a source of small income for me/us.
It will help us later because who knows how things will be in 10 years?
I don’t know how to do that because one of my worst talents is networking.
I feel too forward to ask people things sometimes and so I miss the boat
kind of often…..

OK…that’s four…….
I’m already uncomfortable enough, I don’t think I can handle any more

Thanks Bliss for encouraging me to do this…..I think….LOL


Sharing with 
Thistlewood Farm

Comments

  1. my friend — i hope all of your blog dreams and dreams come true! your blog is beautiful and you are such a generous and loving soul! i am honored to know you and those 5 kids are in the best hands that God can provide!!! sending you tons of hugs and much much love : )

  2. Hello sweet friend,

    What a wonderful uplifting post. Anyone who learned to do all that by age 17 will achieve all you have listed and so much more. You shine through your blog and inspire so many of us.

    Have an incredibly blessed day,
    karianne

  3. I think any time you make a goal it cements it to put it in writing. It gives you direction and I love your goals!

  4. I’m in awe. Seriously. Married at 17. Powering up the power tools. Adopting 5 kids. Getting an advanced degree at 40!

    You are an inspiration … and keep that inspiration pouring out through your blog.

    Can’t wait to see the design transformation. Unfortunately it is all too true that we judge books by their covers. But if they can’t engage us with their words then that pretty book often times ends up at Goodwill … or being made into a book page wreath!

    🙂

    So glad you linked up at our party! (And Bliss is the best …)

    Linda

  5. Hello Lorraine. I enjoyed reading this so much. I’m right there with you…..and following you now on GFC. I don’t think that 20 year olds realize how many “lives” they will get to lead, that they have time for everything, and that they don’t have to do it all at once. Some things you just have to wait for. My wish for you is that you WILL achieve all of your goals and more.

  6. Hi, Lorraine! Visiting from the link party!! Let me first start by saying I LOVE the name of your blog, I too have an oddly named blog, a small etsy bus., and live in Virginia!! I also would like to find a good way to make money from blogging. I have had the luxury over the last 22 years of marriage to be a stay at home mom for most of our marriage. I would love to take some of the pressure off of Hubby! I will be following along and i hope to hear from you and i look forward to cruising your Etsy shop, isn’t Etsy wonderful?

  7. What a fabulous post – your goals are inspirational! If you could learn to do all those amazing things at 17 years old – you’ve got most of us beat! Keep on sharing your great ideas and you will grow! I’m in the process of redoing my blog to make her more pretty – so much fun and can’t wait to see what you do.
    Kelly

  8. Loved it all. You GO GIRL!!!!

    ~Bliss~

  9. Hello! I think we have similar goals for our blogs. I just didn’t have time to get a post ready to join this party. I am most impressed with the fact that you raised 5 children. I recently had our blog redesigned, too, so that it would be more visually interesting. Here’s hoping that all your dreams for your blog come true1

  10. mimivabeach says:

    Lorraine, I too admire your spirit and sense of accomplishment. I was also married at 17 and had 3 children before I was 22 years old. This was in the 50’s and being a stay at home mom was possible with the help of a lot of loving family memebers living near-by. It takes a lot of determination and drive to be all that we want to be and now being in my 70’s I am still trying. You ave done great things with your life and the children are blessed to have a Christ centered home. God bles you all. I love your blog and look forward to see what is coming in the future.

  11. your newest bloggy friend from the party. You have the best blog name ever. Also neat blog will be back with a cup of coffee prepared to stay awhile

  12. Thank you so much for sharing! Those four (and the bits of your story scattered in) are quite impressive all on their own!

  13. i love your goals, lorraine and i think you are well on your way- i think we are always growing as people and blogs are a fabulous source for continued growth.

  14. What a wonderful post Lorraine! I love your goals, and your optimism and your perspective. What an amazing journey you’ve been on with the young marriage and 5 kids. Thank you so much for linking up!
    Karah @ thespacebetweenblog

  15. I love your goals, Lorraine! Thanks for sharing part of your story (5 kiddos!) and your hopes and dreams for your space. You’re well on your way, I think!
    Be blessed!
    Heidi @ Decor & More

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