End of the month

Today is the last day of my blog posting month. I didn't make my goal of thirty new posts. I did pay attention to the need for other things to be more important. The harder thing to do was to go back and write after missing a day. 

I understand why the popularity of blogging has passed. Our sources of input have expanded. Instagram lets me see a glimpse of so many people without taking time to read much text. 

There are Instagram accounts that do post blog length material. Humans of New York is one I read every single time it comes up in my feed. It has longer pieces of writing combined with multiple photos that tell a story. It gives a glimpse into the lives of such a wide variety of people, and serves the purpose of humanizing them instead of reducing them to caricatures. 

Purpose. I'm aware when blogging nearly daily for a month that I do not have a purpose for this blog. This month the purpose has been to intentionally write. Maybe that's enough? I worry that I'm wearing out my kind friends with too much meandering writing. Like this post, for example. 

Most of what I write is an attempt to find wisdom and gratitude in what I experience. That is worthwhile for me, but I don't know that it is a worthwhile purpose for a blog.

And then there is the whole question of knowing how many times it has been seen, and what that means, and parsing out why I even look at that...is it an indicator of something important...is it stupid to look? or vanity?

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At any rate, here are a few bits from my day.

Breakfast. I posted about my freezer, one third full of fruit. This is how a lot of it gets used. Rolled oats from Prairy Market and Deli. Home made yogurt. Fruit from the freezer. Every day. I like a few routines that I don't have to think about. I know I will enjoy it. I can change it up if I want, but most days, this combination is exactly what I want. Why you need to know that is unclear, but it is one of the first things I'm thankful for each day.

Devotions. There are too many wonderful choices for Advent contemplation. I need to get beyond the urgency to choose the best one.

Connection. Today, we got a nice long phone call to catch up with one of our kids who missed our family zoom yesterday. Chuck and I were both inside so we could share the visit. It was good.

Work/accountability. I did a bit of anti-procrastination, and finally got my health insurance from the Marketplace for next year. I'm not sure when the deadline is, but from the number of urgent emails I've received regarding losing my health insurance, it must be soon. 

Part of the day was spent paying attention to stressors. I have found myself more easily irritated, and needed to take time with that. Sometimes irritation is legitimate, of course, but sometimes it is blaming someone else for the way I feel when I'm not taking care of myself. Taking care of myself has to be honest, and whole. Today I needed rest, some time alone, some clearing of the chaos on the table, and some honesty with myself about which parts of irritation were mine to control. It wasn't a time to beat myself up, thank goodness, but rather a granting myself permission to take responsibility. It was freeing, rather than heavy.

And I still had time for a walk.

There is an airplane landing at the nearby airport in this photo, not a dirty camera lens or UFO.

This evening after supper, we listened to Ibram Kendi reading his book, How to be an Anti-racist. This is my second time through, but Chuck is hearing it for the first time. How can someone so young be so wise?

Now for a little relaxation...we are in the last season of West Wing, and it leaves Netflix before the end of December.