Last night, just before we started our shared viewing of Star Wars: episode 1, Amy ran upstairs to get something. She came back in holding two black binders, each with the same calendar cover and the title: 2011 - Good Luck with That! Not only was I super excited because I always get excited when Amy shows interest in the blog, but I totally felt like I was back in middle school or high school when you get your new binder for the year. I remember that so fondly, and the hope and comfort it would bring. I hugged my new binder right up close to my heart...and I knew this was for real.
Today I have spent hours working on various aspects for the blog. And I love every minute of it. I could spend hours on it; researching ways to get it more visible on the web, finding resources for whatever it is we are working on...like the business plan, meeting with Amy. Today at our meeting she had this whole power point template filled in with graphs and examples of the blog pages. It looked awesome. and here's is where I will share our business plan...turns our it is going to be the blog! We had thought we were going to start a soup delivery service, all on bicycles and with pretzels too. And while I love to cook and I also love pretzels, there was no mayonnaise involved...no just kidding, it turned out all at the same time that both Amy and I were feeling weighted down by the idea. We were excited about writing a business plan, but if we were going to spend hours a day and work super hard for something, well, turns out soup just didn't get us jazzed enough to keep us going. But the blog...now that keeps us going. So, we are making a business plan, a living document that tracks our progress and defines our goals as we discover what they are.
Even little things, when it comes to internet progress, feel like getting to the top of a mountain pass. I often feel like I have no idea where I am heading, but like a mountain goat...just keep my feet sure and steady, and take it one step at a time. Very capricorn. Here is what I accomplished:
- It used to be that when you went to google and searched "good luck with that" or "good luck with that blog" we didn't come up, at all. And now we are the third hit! I don't know why...but I find this totally amazing. I still am working on Bing. No luck there, yet.
- I added an email subscription option to our blog. So, if you want email notification to see that we posted, you just fill in your email and voila...you get notified.
- We added an RSS widget, or chicklet, or something or other. I still don't know what this is or why we want it, but I will learn more. There is so much learning for me to do in this realm.
After the blog work, we went out to see Jamie play some music at a Oxford Saloon in Snohomish, a cute little town to the northeast of Seattle. As much as I love living in the city, there is something so sweet and homey about a small town. The music wasn't perfect, but it didn't matter. I started thinking about how maybe it doesn't have to be everyone's goal to be on the big stage, maybe it is simply enough to be at a saloon in Snohomish singing your heart out, having fun, meeting new friends, laughing and smiling. I met Glory there. She is 83, and was born in King county, but her family kept moving further out to be in the country as the city grew and grew. Glory sat close to the stage sipping on a tall glass of cold milk and Captain Morgan's spiced rum. A duo on stage was singing a sing about the recession..."I'll be Mrs. Have" and "I'll be Mr. Not." and Glory stretched her head closer over toward our table with a big old grin. She was really enjoying the song and told us that it reminded her of a song called Brother, can you spare me a dime? And then she shared with us how she had lived through the Great Depression, and that "maybe if we lost our health insurance and everything we would be real Americans." I am not quite sure what she meant by that. But I do keep thinking of it. And her. Maybe it's because I grew up in a small town. Or maybe it is the way I can relax into being ok with however life is showing up in that setting. Either way, every time I have been out in that area I meet some elderly person that shines a light on a part of life that is touching, and that really matters. So, even as I get caught up in the city buzz of what great possibilities lie ahead for this blog; for now, it feels good to simply be here writing, learning, and enjoying what the blog brings every day. Especially when what it brings is a binder. I think I'll have to decorate it today...with hearts and rainbows and puffy stickers.
as always,
melissa
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