Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Cultivating a New Blog, New Thoughts, a New Me

Hi Tammy here of First Grade at Storybook Café. I have decided that a new year is the chance for me to start a new venture. I have been blogging for a few years now, but the last few years I have somehow misplaced my drive and enjoyment of blogging. I found myself comparing myself to others, and feeling a lack there of. I wanted to write marvelous posts of teaching and creating, and sadly it just wasn’t there. I have stopped and restarted time and time again. I had (have) lost my passion to write for me (and honestly I might still have).
So on this eve of the eve of a new year’s eve, I am beginning again. I begin with my thoughts the last few days and the contemplation of my OLW for 2016. I have been doing this ever since I heard about it on Oprah years agobut honestly that is the most I have done “thought of and picked a word.” I can’t even remember my word from last year. So this year I hope to do more with my word to help keep it in my daily or at least weekly life.
With the brainstorming of my OLW came the thoughts of a new blog and a new direction. I found myself writing about many personal things on my “teaching” blog and one of the reasons I quit writing is because I assumed those reading (other than my mom and husband of course) were looking for my wonderful teaching insights not my latest recipe or epiphany about being an empty nester, or turning 50.
After spending a few days and a few restless nights I have decided to redesign my blog (not yet as cute as my last, but soon), rethink my writing, and maybe revitalize myself and my passion in the process (again).
So I’m going back to my beginning. Back to where my blogging began. Back to where the very first spark to blog and write was ignited all those years ago. I am linking up with the Two Writing Teachers for the weekly Slice of Life Writing Challenge. I made my very first blog post there, so it seems only appropriate to begin there again.
This blog will be an agglomeration of all of me. I will be cultivating thoughts about being in my fifties, about my life, my family, my wants and needs, my dreams and desires. I will be cultivating ideas about things I love like riding my bike, crafting, writing, cooking, and reading. I even hope to cultivate a few works of fiction. I will be cultivating concepts about teaching and students, school and education in general. And in turn this year I hope I cultivate new habits, new ideas, new friends, and maybe a bit of a new me.
And there you have it my OLW for 2016. Cultivating. It came to me on a bitterly cold December day, and wouldn’t leave my thoughts until I cultivated this new blog. I hope your word finds you for 2016 and you are able to cultivate it into something beautiful.
Happy Cultivating!   

Tammy


14 comments:

  1. Welcome back to blogging! Cultivating sounds like a terrific word for 2016! Can't wait to see where it takes you!

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  2. What a great choice for a word! There are so many things that can be cultivated and you have a great list. Happy 2016 and Happy Cultivating.

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  3. What a great choice for a word! There are so many things that can be cultivated and you have a great list. Happy 2016 and Happy Cultivating.

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  4. Hi Tammy, it's so lovely to see you writing here. I remember how beautiful your words were in those "other years", so welcome back to planting other seeds as you cultivate. Happiest of New Year's wishes to you and your family.

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    1. Thank you Linda! I hope I can stay on track!

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  5. What a great word! I have those same mixed-up thoughts about the direction of my blog and what belongs there, what doesn't and what I should or shouldn't write about. Don't know if I want to start another one, but this is definitely something to ponder! Congrats on your new cultivating space!

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    1. It's kinda exciting starting all over again. lol

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  6. I'm glad you came back to where you began, Tammy. Great to see you on the Tuesday SOL link-up! Welcome back!

    I look forward to seeing what you cultivate in 2016. Until then, on the eve of the eve of New Year's Eve (LOVED THAT, by the way!), I wish you all of the best life has to offer in 2016.

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  7. Welcome back to SOL. It didn't take me long to figure out you new word for 2016. I think cultivating is a great word. Lots of room for differentiation for you in many different areas. Enjoy, I look forward to hearing from you more often. BTW, I'm also an OSU (Oklahoma State University) grad. We live in the Pacific NW, but I love hearing from home state folks.

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  8. I like your spirit in this slice. Your OLW "cultivate" is an interesting one. I haven't seen this one before. Wishing you the best for 2016!

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