Pen to Paper, Fingers to Keyboard, Heart to Sleeve

I love to read.  I’m not a snobby reader either. I like all genres- fiction, non fiction, romance, mystery, even some sci-fi.  I just love getting lost in a good story.  And i mean lost.  You see, I tend to forget about the rest of the world.  The floor is a mess, dinner won’t happen, I can’t hear anything anyone says to me, and I don’t want to mention how I will sneak it into work.  Several interventions orchestrated by my dear husband have helped, but on the whole I’m still pretty bad.  It’s just that there is something de-lish-ious about a good story.  

Lately I’ve started getting involved in a whole new realm of story: blogs.  I’ve always struggled with the concept of a blog, mainly because I have this nagging feeling that the writer must be  flamboyant narcissist.  I mean really, who puts their thoughts out there thinking that the whole world is interested?  What a me-centric culture we live in.  (I’m sure this thought process was accentuated by the fact that he majority of my friends don’t even update their Facebook.  It’s like they don’t realize that their 2nd cousin’s nephew is interested in what they did last summer.  I have to call to find out what they’re up to)

But then I started to actually read the blogs, and not just judge them. And I realized that here was a brand new genre.  One that is mostly honest and gritty and funny and, most of all, it is real life.  No, it is not perfect, there will be spelling errors.  And yes, there are some narcissists others who wont stop complaining and still more who just give out too much information.  But there’s also a lot of good material out there.  Perspectives about life that are challenging and encouraging.  

A year passes by.  

And then I decided to write my own blog.  This is why we don’t judge- it always come back to bite you.  Good thing I repented a long time ago.

I found a new blog today that I fell in love with.  It’s written by a woman who leaves LA and falls in love with a cattle rancher.  The blog is about her life- the readjustments and crazyness that accompany living on a ranch.  My favorite part is her love story (which, I discovered later is going to be published as a book.  It comes out in the spring).  It’s rather long but she’s a great writer and well worth the read.  You can find it here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/category/black-heels-to-tractor-wheels/?posts_per_page=60#archive-posts

I also think that she and I could be best friends.  But that’s mainly because she did this: http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2006/06/calf_nuts_on_a_/

And I think that’s funny.

Here is another true life love story that I really enjoyed:

http://travisjenny.blogspot.com/p/our-story.html

I don’t know Jenny, but she is friends with my brother and sister in law.  Maybe I’m crazy for passing on her story but I don’t care.  That’s what you get for putting your thoughts on the world wide web.  

The story of her daughter is also beautiful:

http://travisjenny.blogspot.com/p/bellas-story.html

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I have!

ps- 

Over the past few years I’ve kicked around the notion of writing down mine and G’s story.  We always talk about our various “chapters."  It’s not that I’m anxious to share all with the world, but I think it would be sweet to have something to look back on and remember with.  Also, maybe my grandkids would like it.  You know, when they get all old and mature and sentimental.  It could happen.