The Blog Community

It all started in 1987, the year I became a mom for the first time.
A lonely isolated time, I was away from home without the
support of family and friends.  True I had a beautiful, healthy,
happy precious baby which is the greatest thing.  Still, I yearned for
a bosom pal to share the adventure.

Country Roads Antiques, Orange, CA

Our little family lived in a bedroom community,
where people spend the night, but
work elsewhere each week day.
My husband, at the time, commuted a long
distance, and otherwise, constantly traveled for work.
He was home on weekends and that was a
blessing but the rest of the time our gang of
three was alone.

My partner is all girlie things. 

It was the three of us at home: a baby
boy; an  American Cocker, named Redd
Button Lucille; and me. Totally unsupervised.

My heart was starved to female companionship.
There were the occasional jaunts to antique fairs,
there was the monthly American Country Living magazine,
and eventually, there was, Susan Branch.
There was I Love Lucy, the reruns I have
been watching since the age of 4, and never grew tired.
There were movies, Anne of Green Gables,
is still a favorite, and books to keep me company.

Eventually, I returned to work outside the home
and make a few friends. I am blessed to still hold some dear.

Meat and more meat - Jacob's favorite

Flash forward to 2007, my  fourth child
and only girl is born.  Instead of feeling isolated,
this time, I found a community of women in bloggyland.
Women who had similar interests.  Homemakers,
artists, crafters, women who thrifted and enjoyed
vintage things. Women who gardened, read books,
cooked, watched BBC, enjoyed old movies, and
journaled in their Bibles.

It was like falling through the rabbit hole to
a wonderland.  Alicia Paulson was the very first blog
I followed. She speaks to my homemaker heart.

Susan Branch inspires.  I have each of her books,
she values girlfriends, homemaking, family and
kitties.

After the birth of my last child, my coworkers
feared I would not return to work.
Honestly, if I could have been creative enough to
develop another means of income...

I would have stayed home with these two.