Taking the Challenge...

Karen, on My Colonial Home, posted the challenge to share about when you started your blog and why you started it.  Here ya go...

       I started my blog on August 14, 2012.  Yup. Last month! I chose the name "The Old Country Schoolmarm" because, well, that is what I am. I am a teacher.  I love the country.  Old? Well, that's relative.  Maybe middle-aged, but that doesn't sound nearly as cool. "The Middle-aged Country Schoolmarm".  For some reason, I think of knights jousting with pencils, but anyhow.  So, "Old" it is. To kids, you are always old anyway. Except to fifth graders.  They have learned the art of "schmoozing" to adults and not making wisecracks about their ages.  After all, it may be the fine line between an A and an F.  Just kidding.  Maybe an A and A-.  You can decide if I am kidding on that one.

     I started this because of reading others' lovely blogs, a desire for communication and fellowship, and as a creative outlet.  God said in the beginning that, "It is not good for man to be alone."  The Trinity realized the need for fellowship. God created Eve for Adam.  We, as humans, made in the image of the Creator, have a desire for fellowship.  I wanted to encourage that kind of fellowship in my own "neck of the woods".   I wanted to chat about the things I enjoyed- prims, crafting, bargain hunting... those kinds of things.  I wanted to find people who liked the same things and chat about them.  My circle of friends in my daily life has mostly been my family at home and my school family, all whom I love dearly.  Few of them (except my mom) like to decorate with and create prims. My dad has said multiple times, "Yuck!"  That is why he makes them, and I paint them. I don't show him the prim part. Seeing the beautiful craftsmanship and talent of the artists out there has been a joy to experience.  It is an inspiration to me to do more crafting myself and to take the plunge into selling on eBay.  I had put off both because I was afraid to put myself out there.

     Another reason for deciding to blog was to practice and hone my writing abilities.  I would like to write and publish fiction someday.  I have a piece that has been a "labor of love" now for a few years.  I had to do what I tell my students to do all of the time with their writing- practice.  Writers need to read also.  The blog took me on a journey I did not expect.  Reading others' blogs has been informative, entertaining, heartbreaking, joyful- a whole gamut of emotions.  Being a part of writers' lives, whether personal or professional, has been a joy and honor this summer. The circle of Christian fellowship has been such a blessing.

     To be honest, I didn't think that anyone would find and read my own blog. I read tips about creating a blog, and they said to keep it short because readers didn't have time to read lengthy diatribes and novelettes.  Well, that wasn't me. I appreciate all of you who take the time to read my words because they are many. For example, I was once asked to write an one hundred word grant letter.  It was 500 words by the time I was done.  Needless to say, I had a lot of revising to do.  So, when my first follower found me, I was in tears telling my husband, "Someone found me!  I have a follower!"  I cherished my first follower (and still do!). Christine from Preferably Prim, on the other side of the ocean, found me first.  I was satisfied and blessed with one person to have fellowship with because the fellowship was so sweet.  Others becoming part of this circle of fellowship has made it that much sweeter. Through their friendships, I have branched out and found more lovely people to visit and converse with. Blogging is like the roots of a tree that branch out further and further into nooks and crannies to gain nourishment.  Friendship is nourishment to the soul.

     So the summary for those of you with ADD or are short on time.  I started this blog because I am a teacher and an old-fashioned country gal who like to write, craft, and talk. I talk a lot.

Blessings!

Heather