Monday, 21 May 2012

The things I don't write about

One of my birthday cards - bought
from Cafe Press.
You know how sometimes a theme seems to appear all around you? Wherever you look, whatever you read, the same thing keeps cropping up, or maybe it was always there and you just suddenly noticed it? Either way, there seems to be a recurring conversation around me at the moment about what is NOT written. 

It started in a chat I had with Mum about the things myself and other people share on their blogs, then occurred in a book I was reading - the narrator said (several times) that things were part of his story but not 'this' story, the book. There have been numerous other occurrences of this in the intervening days, all of which leads me to this post. 

Of course there is a lot of my 'story' which isn't documented on the pages of this blog. There are things that, on occasion, I'd love to scream and rant about, but don't. My primary motivation for blogging is to focus my attention on the good. (This is also why I knit and make things - it's positive, creative, and is something to focus on. It's meditative and relaxes the mind.) This is a space for the good things in life. The problems I share here are generally related to crafting and result in solutions. This is not my place for sharing other problems. So, for those who wondered (or have mentioned it to me), no my life isn't all rainbows and butterflies and I'm not declaring it so, but really the other bits aren't a part of THIS story. 

When I tell you about our weekend, I'll tell you about the good bits - of which there were lots! We had a good weekend. On Saturday we went to the theatre to see Charlie & Lola (which was wonderful!) then for a meal at a themed restaurant in Horsham afterwards.

If you have children of 5 and under and get a chance to see the show, I would highly recommend it. It's brilliantly done (with puppets and visible puppeteers who are superb) with much to amuse the small child including plenty of music, butterflies and bubbles landing on the crowd, pretty lights, fun daydream sequences and a gruff voiced Ogre. Even D liked it, although his enjoyment was mostly from seeing the delight on the kids' faces.
 
On Sunday we had a family lunch and then spent the whole afternoon at the leaving party of one of the children's friends who is moving away - but the children didn't get sad, they were too busy enjoying the moment. Kids are so great like that. I also got plenty of knitting done on my Pogona
So yes, this was a really good weekend. 

20 comments:

  1. You've written another post that I COMPLETELY identify with. When I started my blog a year ago, I vowed that it was a place to accentuate the positive. Because even I get bored of my own grumbling, so why expect others to dwell on it?! Naturally I have to catch myself sometimes, when I'm in a particularly foul mood and a post is due. I stop and think, is this really of any interest to anyone else? And while that might make my blog life appear to be all sunshine and roses, well, so be it. I'm the writer, the editor, the photographer and the censor, so what I say goes!!!

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    Replies
    1. Ha - I love that last line. You have a great way with words (in fact I've been meaning to add your blog to my "Lovely" page for some time, and have just done it)

      You have a great excuse at the moment - I don't know if I'd be able to stop myself with all those hormones raging!!! xxxx

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  2. I love how you write Sarah! I wouldn't mind a rant every so often of course x

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    1. Thanks, Naomi - be careful what you wish for, or I'll be filling your inbox!!!!!! :-P

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  3. I know what you mean about this cropping up lately - I've been tempted to write a similar post myself.

    I'm completely the same in that I keep my blog a happy/positive place. Complaints tend to be related to crafting when I do make them. There are plenty of negative things in my life, but I made the decision when I started my blog that I wanted it to be a particular kind of place, and the negative things don't fit there. If that gives people a slightly skewed perspective on my life/who I am then so be it, but generally I assume that what my fellow bloggers write is only a small snapshot of them anyway.

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    Replies
    1. I think you're right, I'm sure most bloggers assume that, but a few "occasional" readers (and people who know the 'non' blog stuff) have commented a few times recently so I felt it was something to put out there.

      Your blog is a lovely place to visit x

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  4. Every word is so true, really well put!! The only moaning I will do in a post is if my knitting or project has gone wrong and I need the advice of the reader. Being positive reminds me of all the good things and puts me in such a good mood too.
    Glad the show was great, I love that bear is traveling safely too!!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Charlie Bear is very special and the lad always makes sure he's safely belted in :)

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  5. I agree with you. Blogging is only one part, and I really hope to make my blog a positive or happy place even. But I can't help being honest so sometimes the not so happy parts might shine through. I can't pretend to be someone I am not. I can't pretend that everything is okay if it's not.

    A friend said to me this morning that it was common to rant about all personal problems publicly. What's more, if we would not do this we were judged to be wrong.

    This is not what I want on my blog. However, I might tell about a problem that goes further than just knitting and sewing now and then. Otherwise I wouldn't be me. Nevertheless I am a positive person who can focus on the good things, which I believe is a blessing.

    By the way, I've never thought that you were always rainbows and butterflies. Life never is!

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    1. Yes, you are spot on. I am often shocked at some of the things people post on Facebook etc - it seems very common.

      I love your blog and you definitely seem a positive person x

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  6. All so true. I sometimes read other people's blogs and think they have the perfect life but then I realise they don't. Nor do they have perfect homes. That's the joy of blogging. We can present our lives as we'd like them to be! I love your blog. You should be proud! lol x

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Laura. You're right - that is the joy of it. xxx

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  7. When I started my blog it was a way of creating a focus away from the unpleasantness that is my health. It was a way of having something tangible to point at and say I did that even though my health is crappy. When I started to become aware of what was happening to the sick and disabled people in the UK I started to get really really mad about it and it slipped into my nice and fun crafting blog. I made a decision to stop doing that and set up a separate "ranty" blog, which is all about the nastiness and hard stuff I deal with. It means I can keep my nice crafty fun blog and at the same time if anyone IS interested in my rantiness they can take a look at the health blog. It helps me as I always looked on my craft blog as "work" as it was the focus that kept me stretched intellectually and creatively. I need to keep that space as positive as possible.

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  8. I have typed two eloquent and sound arguments for my opinion and twice m iPad has wobbled....if only I could remember all those intellectual and thought provoking words I used ;-)

    For me blogging is my space, a space to be positive and an escape. I would like to look back on all the things I've achieved, not all the rubbish stuff which goes with it. I have no problem with people being real, and it often helps people get things in perspective when a reader gets an insight into a bloggers life, the good, bad and ugly......I like to think that I have a good grasp that the glossy magazine lives are a small part of a normal person who spends most of their time running to catch up with housework, screaming like a housewife at their rowdy children, has piles of ironing to do and that doesn't include all the pants that....shock, they don't iron......of course, I don't fall into that category as my life is far too beautiful and polished.......

    I love your pagona, it's stunning, the colours are gorgeous the way they're playing out.

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  9. Sarah, I know what you mean about a reoccurring theme and it has been happening to me also! I find reading other peoples blogs an inspiring process and totally realise that their lives are not perfect. I agree with your reasoning for your blog and mine initially was to record my creative adventures but has evolved into slightly more, recording the good parts of my family life and even the happy adventures we have for my daughter to read about. Its like writing a journal you never want to write about the bad stuff as it makes you feel bad as you are writing it, writing the positives generates more positivity and in my experiences helps me to seek out more positive experiences looking for the good in my days!

    Loving the idea of the charlie and lola theatre my daughter would totally love that. I also love the fact the the teddy bear is strapped in to the car! even bears need to be aware of safety in the car :)

    Loving Pagona, lush colour.

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  10. The Pagona looks very cool and wonderful!

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  11. What happy faces. I miss have little folk in my life ... I've no excuse to go to plays like that anymore. Suppose I'd better wait until I have grandchildren ... goodness, what a scary thought!

    The Pogona's looking good :D

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    1. Annie, this post was of course also partially inspired by your excellent post on the topic - that was one of the occurrences that I read in my feed reader in the days before this post.

      :)

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  12. I think we all use our blog as a happy getaway, I also use it for positive energy. Although I think it can also help to rant a bit about the negative things. It's not my style, but I don't mind people doing so.

    That pogona is growing fast! Is it almost done?

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  13. My girls would love to see Charlie and Lola - I wonder if they will be coming local to us...probably Canterbury would be the closest I'm guessing.

    Anyhoo - sorry - hello

    Nina x

    ReplyDelete

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