Life Is Good: Blogging in 2011

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

When Mr. Farmer says it, he means it as an insult- in spite of the fact that he is frequently both a doer and a teacher. That's OK, though, because the vows that include "love, honor, and obey" do not state "always agree". After all, there are many things that I cannot do, and others that perhaps I'd like to do, and still more that I can do, but choose not to. About these things, instead of teaching, I write.

The blog has been good for me so far. I have always enjoyed writing, but I always thought my life was a bit dull. I never had a knack for inventing stories, either. I do, however, have a small amount of talent for humor and timing. I understand form and format, and my spelling and grammar are above average. Now that I've found a topic that is interesting to some people, I can exercise my skills.

There have been some unintended positive results of the blog as well. Many years ago, Mr. Farmer and I discussed putting together a family cookbook either for posterity or maybe even for profit. The project just never panned out. I even have an folder in my file drawer that contains just two recipes, both of them mine. This blog has a significant cooking section now, and it is turning out to be an excellent start to a project we have been talking about for over 15 years!

I also like the idea of having a record of the things we have done. Some dates could come in handy for comparison for projects that we do year to year, like the garden. I frequently come back here for my pickled egg recipe (which I do not have memorized yet), and maybe next year we won't have to tear the house apart for the Irish Soda Bread recipe. It might be nice to look back at the things we've done with nostalgia. The children could even look back at this one day in the future and think, "I remember the summer that we did that!"

I do most of my writing on Sunday afternoons. The children are out playing with their friends, and Mr. Farmer is taking a break from housework to tinker with this and that. The house is quiet, and I can think. It gives me a nice break from the housework that I usually take over on the weekends so I don't get too exhausted. Sometimes I'll write 3 or 4 entries in a single day, then set them up to post throughout the week to keep things going.

The most fun part, however, is grilling Mr. Farmer for details and following him around with a camera. I'm his own personal Paparazzo. I take my notes, snap my photos, and run back into the house to compose. So, with all respect for my dear husband:

"Those who can, do. Those who can't/won't... WRITE!" 

I'm a Sunset Paparazzo, too.