Why I left...

(photo credit PiccApp/Getty Images)

It seemed so harmless. Everyone was/is doing it. It would be fun. Ooooooo! And then I got the application for my phone. Facebook mobile! That's just what everyone needs! And so my journey into complete time wasting began. I started out just to catch up with people I'd not seen in forever. It was fun to see how people had changed and to see how their children had grown. But then I started "farming". And I couldn't possibly let my fake crops on my fake farm die and wither. What about all that fake money I'd lose? I actually only left Facebook three days ago. Just three. But so far...I love it. I was addicted and it was in control. Now, I am taking back control. Truth be told Facebook is a big reason I stopped blogging so much. Not only that but I also stopped interacting with my family. Cause when I was on Facebook, it was pretty much just me and the computer. Along with all this, these are other issues I've seen and struggled with:

*It's not secure. I know of several people whose accounts were hacked. The past 3 weeks Norton Antivirus has stopped 3 hacker/intruders to my computer system and every single time it did I was on Facebook. Coincidence? I don't know.

*It can be extremely petty. Do I really care what color you have painted your fingernails? Is this what I want to waste my time reading? Unfortunately, it was what I was spending my time reading.

*It can hurt people. Suppose you are having an outing with a friend and you post something in regards to that. What if another friend reads that and wonders why they were not invited? I know people should have thicker skin, but I'm just sayin'. I have purposely not posted things I've done with friends because I knew that someone else could/would get their feelings hurt. I'm serious.

Now, I'm absolutely not bashing everyone on Facebook. And at some point, I will maybe go back. What brought me to finally leaving (as I've struggled with it for weeks) is a whole post in itself which I will post later. These are just things that I was convicted about. I don't expect everyone to have the same convictions. Really, I don't. I did not want something controlling me. I did not like the example set for my children. And I did not like it for the above reasons I gave. If you are on Facebook, and you are in control of your time, and pleased with it, that is awesome. And I do know that there are some good ways to use Facebook. My pastor uses it as a ministry and outreach tool. And there are other good things or good reasons to be on Facebook, too. But for me, it became a bad thing, so I left. I once had to leave blogging, too. And when I could control it, I came back. So, eventually I will probably return to Facebook. Just not now.

Hello. I am Mrs.The Bob Doe...

(photo credit: PicApp Images/Internet/Getty Images)

One of my very favorite shows ever is I Love Lucy. I can watch it over and over. It really doesn't matter that I've seen each episode 500 times. Besides that Lucy and Ethel are one of the funniest duos to ever hit the screen, I love the 1950's. I think I really could have lived back then. I love how they dressed. I love the view of the wife, mother, and homemaker from that era. I love the simplicity and slow pace.

The other day Fep and I had on I Love Lucy, and Lucy and Ethel were introducing themselves to some other ladies. And they introduced themselves as "Mrs. Ricky Ricardo" and "Mrs. Fred Mertz". Fep asked why they said their names that way. She's never heard it before and it was really foreign to her. To be honest, I don't think I have ever introduced myself as "Mrs. The Bob Doe". I don't think I've ever written it out that way for any reason either. Just my name Kat Doe.

I'm thankful that I have a husband to which I can attach my identity. I'm thankful he's honest and moral. A man of integrity. And I found an opportunity to tell him about my conversation with Fep and that I was thankful I can happily be identified as Mrs. The Bob Doe. Part of me is sad for those ladies that don't have that kind of husband. The husband that's not a man of integrity. However, I guess in this day and age it doesn't really matter. Feminism has taken over so that no one introduces themselves or writes their name that way anyway. While I may not say it or write it, I really am Mrs. The Bob Doe. It's so much a part of who I am.

Blogiversary...

Yesterday was my blogiversary and I missed it. And I only found out today by bit of a fluke. So, as of yesterday, this blog has officially been here a year. Yea me.

My first post. The story of the blog. The story of the name (not that "Reflections" is anything new or special).



Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Once Upon a Time...

Man, oh man. Am I glad to be back! This is my attempt at blogging for the second time around. Lets sum it up in a story to see where I've been and to see where I'm going:

Once upon a time, Kat had a blog. Kat loved her blog very, very much. She tried to keep up with other bloggers. She tried to impress other bloggers. She tried to entice other bloggers leaving comments here and there knowing it would help build her own blog. One day the Lord convicted Kat that her blog was an (gasp) idol. She spent far too much time thinking about it, far too much time looking at it, and far too much time working on it. Kat decided with tears (literal tears) that the blog must go. And so it did. It took a long time to get that blog out of her system. She would often ask The Bob for another blog. Those conversations usually didn't go very well to say the least. For The Bob knew what the blog idol had once been in Kat's life. The Bob, he's wise. So eventually over time, Kat began to release all of her bloggy feelings. For the most part. But one thing that Kat kept thinking about was the one good thing that came out of blogging. When she blogged, she was very reflective. She noticed things more. She noticed her children more. She noticed simple pleasures more. Her blog was in a sense a little scrapbook, a little online journal. That's what Kat never quit missing. So months went by, and Kat conjured up the nerve to ask The Bob again, and without hesitation, without anything but a smile, he said yes. And so now the story of this blog will begin. Reflections. That's all it will be. The joys of life from my view. No self promoting. No comment leaving to get traffic. Just my little online journal. If people show up, fantastic. If not, that's fantastic too.

Man, oh man. It's good to be back :)
Posted by Kat at 7:17 AM
Labels: blogging

The Little Things....

I'm not sure when it happened? I'm not sure when I stopped doing the little things? You know the little things...the things that don't cost money, but make memories...the things your children will talk about when they get older. And that's true you know. The things I talk about from my childhood and growing up usually never involves what we did that cost money. Being that I grew up on the poor end of the scale and the fact that we didn't have money anyway is no never mind. If I talk about my childhood from a poverty perspective, it's usually that I'm grateful. My memories are that my Mom fixed the best ham ever on Christmas and Easter. And I fix that ham today at Christmas, and my mother-in-law tells me it's the best ham ever. My memories that my Dad fixed the best pancakes ever. And they weren't really pancakes, but flapjacks. There's a difference.

So, I used to do these things that made memories. The Bob did, too. Like when he would fix Green Eggs and Ham. Like when I used to set the table nicely for occasions or events.

On any given day, this is what our dinner table looks like...

It doesn't look like this every day, but any given day. Can you see the laundry hanging over the doorway and over the chairs? Fep's bird puzzle she's been working on here and there for weeks. Lovely, isn't it?

So, Saturday was Valentine's Day Eve. The meal plan was Pioneer Woman's Lasagna (which she says is the best ever. While it is absolutely the best recipe I've ever had to make at home, I find the best ever lasagna belongs to Avellino's Pizza in Mississippi...just in case you're ever in the area and want some Italian ;) ) Creamed Spinach, Garlic Bread, and Turtle Cookie Bars with Ice Cream for dessert. Yum. It was to be our Valentine's Dinner as Sunday yielded itself too busy with Church and stuff to think about creating such a meal. I walked into the dinning room, and the above scene just wouldn't do. I have not set the table nicely in forever. Years maybe? So, I started digging through the China Hutch to see what I could use. And this is what I came up with. Simple. Very simple. But so much nicer than the above, don't you think?

And it looked even nicer with the candles lit. Cause candles make everything look better.

Fep walked through after I was finished and said, "The table looks so nice!" Moose walked through and said, "WHY IS THE TABLE ALL DINNERY?" (and please say that loud and with a heavy Southern accent). Moose is a grammar lesson waiting to happen. And when The Bob got home for dinner he was quite pleased. Quite. I have not taken the time to do this in forever. And my time and my thought was all they needed this Valentine's Day. It's the little things.

I was so pleased with myself, too. So pleased that I gave myself a thumbs up and took a very cheesy picture....

Cheese. I'm full of it :)

The little things are worth unwrapping

In which I get my life back....

I quit work. Okay. Not really, because we're self employed. But, the working while home schooling thing DID NOT WORK AS PLANNED. Not. At. All. We tried for about 6-7 weeks, and The Bob decided that the sanity of our home life and the education of our children was being sacrificed more than we thought would happen or intended. Plus my stress level was making everyone miserable. Sooooooo, we took another salary adjustment to our salary, hired back layed off secretary, and life is gooooooooood. I learned how much I took what I had for granted. I love being at home. Love. It. I'd rather give up things and comforts and be at home than anything. Than any THING at all :)

I've actually had my life back for about 3 weeks now. And I've thought about this blog and my absence from it. I have so much to be thankful for, so hopefully I can regroup, refocus, and start reflecting again.