I SO apologize for my tardy, sketchy, erratic postings, and I thank you all for your patience. For today---a post from a couple of years ago, with fervent hopes that I'll take it to heart, divest of hindrances, and get myself in gear again.
I've been neglecting my duties here, of late, and can only plead busy or distracted or recuperating from the holidays or chasing after a two-year-old, but those can encompass just so much. There's just not much circulating in my fuzzy brain lately, and it's one of those silly things I've contended with all my life---I rarely have an original thought, I think.
I can read the numerous blogs I enjoy every day, and pick up one little idea and just run on with it til the cows, etc., but it seems so inane to copy a thought or a saying or a circumstance, and prink around with it enough to pass off as my own. So I never want to do that. Still, the ideas and the memories are elusive these busy times, and I suppose it's what you might call a dry spell, for want of a better term.
Years ago, I subscribed to about ten of the smalltown papers around the state, just for the news and the fun and the different reporting styles and society doings. I've spoken of one of them in a post last year: http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2009/01/hometown-news.html and the avid readership of all the local publications was surprising.
Once, one of my favorite papers had a little typo which was just too good to miss. A dear, dedicated older woman of great spiritual strength and impeccable character wrote the column for her little area of the circulation---a little community with hardly a name, let alone a zip code. She always closed her column with a Scripture verse, with a few words of encouragement and enlightenment as she was led.
One week, the verse she chose was Matthew 7:3, concerning overlooking our own faults whilst we speak and think harshly of others' sins. And her writing might have been a bit shaky---so many of the smalltown "reporters" mailed in their copy on notebook paper, jotted down between hanging out the clothes and putting on a pot of greens for supper. Or, perhaps, the typesetter was not quite up to par that day---anyway, the line which appeared in the paper, bold-face type and printed for the world to see, was:
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the bean that is in thine own eye?"
I can read the numerous blogs I enjoy every day, and pick up one little idea and just run on with it til the cows, etc., but it seems so inane to copy a thought or a saying or a circumstance, and prink around with it enough to pass off as my own. So I never want to do that. Still, the ideas and the memories are elusive these busy times, and I suppose it's what you might call a dry spell, for want of a better term.
Years ago, I subscribed to about ten of the smalltown papers around the state, just for the news and the fun and the different reporting styles and society doings. I've spoken of one of them in a post last year: http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2009/01/hometown-news.html and the avid readership of all the local publications was surprising.
Once, one of my favorite papers had a little typo which was just too good to miss. A dear, dedicated older woman of great spiritual strength and impeccable character wrote the column for her little area of the circulation---a little community with hardly a name, let alone a zip code. She always closed her column with a Scripture verse, with a few words of encouragement and enlightenment as she was led.
One week, the verse she chose was Matthew 7:3, concerning overlooking our own faults whilst we speak and think harshly of others' sins. And her writing might have been a bit shaky---so many of the smalltown "reporters" mailed in their copy on notebook paper, jotted down between hanging out the clothes and putting on a pot of greens for supper. Or, perhaps, the typesetter was not quite up to par that day---anyway, the line which appeared in the paper, bold-face type and printed for the world to see, was:
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the bean that is in thine own eye?"
That was just the most charming, endearing, hilarious thing I'd read in a LONG time. I told it to my family, friends, Sunday School class, and would chuckle or smile at the oddest times when I thought of it. The kids and I made a thing of it---if one of us was not feeling well, we had a bean. If we didn't want to do something, we were hampered because of our bean.
It grew into a long-term silly phrase---I'm sorry I can't help you/volunteer/go/sell magazines/ drive the Cub Scouts/hold an office---I have a bean in my eye.
And so, my lallygag of late has no excuse; I'm sure I'll do better soon and be more regular in my correspondence, as soon as I divest myself of this pesky bean.
And so, my lallygag of late has no excuse; I'm sure I'll do better soon and be more regular in my correspondence, as soon as I divest myself of this pesky bean.
I can relate to this, Rachel ... because I, too, have hit a "dry spell," lacking motivation to even go out and take pictures. Perhaps it is because it's that time of year when the weather is sort of in "limbo" (or at least it is here in Mississippi) ... when landscapes are drab and it's hard to find even a hint that Spring is on its way. Let's give it another couple of weeks and maybe by then we will be out of limbo and "bean-free."
ReplyDelete"Bean" there! Great story.
ReplyDeleteLove it Rachel...I'd rather have a bean than a beam any day. What a treasured family story to pass on.
ReplyDeleteBean there, too - like KA! Funny, because I thought that with not working, I'd turn into Super Blogger. Turns out my head is as empty as it was when I was working!
ReplyDeleteI have dry spells quite often-I blame it on the dreary winter weather. I need to use that bean excuse, there are lot's pf things I seem to get cornered into doing.I just volunteered to make banana bread for a tea that our community arts is putting on-and now I just got an e-mail thanking me for volunteering to host a table for eight-how did that happen?
ReplyDeleteOK Rachel, this one made me laugh out loud. Beans can be a source of good food and a lot of merriment. Thanks for sharing this one.
ReplyDeleteEven I have not been posting everyday of late. Life is busy here but I will still blog in spite of the many things that take up my time. My dry spells give me time to gear up for the next good post. Whatever that may be. (in my own mind) HA! I still wonder how I can be original and amusing since I have been blogging since 2008. I do not 'write' and my stories always center around my photos. (sometimes borrowed) Some bloggers have burnout and quit. I can't ever do that because my dear blogging friends mean so much to me. That would be you Rachel. So hang in there and post when you can. There are no rules for blogging such as times to post or not. I love what you write. Please know that I will visit when I can and don't think I will ever forget you.
Love, Jeanne
Rachel, here you have me laughing aloud once again. I have visions of you with a bean in your eye.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to tell me her baby sister put a bean in her nose, and it sprouted. My grandmother discovered it when she was giving her a bath, and she said her nose hurt.
So, you all need to be careful with your beans.