What's Mine is Mine: Part 2- Writing is mine

I got an email from one of my blog readers (nice to know I still have some) asking how I keep track of all my ideas. I will have to add a photo of my bag that has what is "mine" in it. I counted out 6 paper journals and 7 blogs. Is that crazy or what? I hadn't really put them all together before. Now let me just be upfront and specify that when I say writing I mean words, not grammer and all that. No... Just free expression of me. Lets's change up an old quote to state... " A blog is for free expression... not good impressions." Who am I kidding... a little good impression and a comments from readers make me so excited... but I digress. So I took up journal writing as a means of inspiring my kids. They write in their journals daily, have nature journals and I encourage them to write things down for me, "cause Mamma is forgetful." Hehehehe! But for me, it took off. I love looking at journals, handmaking journals from my scrapbooking stash. Perhaps I will get into book making... need to add that to the bucket list. I love looking at other's blogs and I even have a collection of blogs. So many that I never have time to read them, but they were put there because there was something on them that inspired me. Perhaps they inspired me to write, do, or make something. The kids each have private blogs too... how's that for "inspire, not require."

I will start with my blogs because most of my journals are an extension of one of the blogs.

1. Blog: Healing Kindredmamma is my private, only for me, though nothing too intensely personal as the intensely personal stuff is in my paper journal tucked in my bag. Hmmmmm.... Maybe I won't show you a picture of my bag and stuff. Anyhow... it is for me... it is Kindredmamma in the RAW. Usually a mad amount of writing when overwhelmed with strong feelings I would rather not share with others. So it isn't a consistent blog or journal... just as needed.

2. Blog: TJed Mothers... Here I am a contributing writer. It is centered around our homeschool philosophies pertaining to a Thomas Jefferson Education. But my paper journal is far more active as I am constantly writing thoughts as I read books on education and just my general homeschool thoughts.

3. Exploring Colorado And Beyond This blog is a hobby blog. And it is developing more and more, though most of the information it currently has is also found on my main family blog, A Kindred Family. It's counter part paper journal is included with my educational journal above and also a nature journal with sketches and writing while out in nature.

4. A few others that lost their drive. One for Scouts and one for health, one for a side scrapbooking thing that hasn't panned out yet. Not really worth mentioning until I get excited about them.

5. A Kindred Family- My main family blog, now closed to the public, but only for invited guests. Its contents are mainly focused on the family unit as a whole and each child of course. After all... we need to make the grandma's and papa's happy. But it also has my interests woven with in it all.

6. Two Crafty Cousins- The craft blog, of course, lovingly shared with my Jedi Master, Cousin Ann. And it has mostly paper crafting projects of ours, but I think soon you will see more. I have several I need to post still. My craft journal is huge... mostly project ideas, patterns, scraps and inspirations. Not necessarily top secret...but mine. I also have a sketch book that I might sketch out ideas in or notes and measurements on something I am working on.

7. Will be starting a companion blog to my new Esty Store... Working on getting that ready.

Additional paper journals

1. Book Journal. Filled with lists of books to check out, favorites, lent and borrowed books. Quite the composite of notes and scribbles.

2. The Book of Jeremy's medical speech stuff notes, articles and all things pertaining to therapy and appeals.

All of these blogs and paper journals are filled not only with their purpose but thoughts and musings as well. In looking it all over...I think I have created a monster. What will my posterity think if they were to compile the variety of journaling I have created and see the big picture of my life. I think it would be some work to put it all together in one spot. "Good Luck," I say. "I did my part... I journaled as was counseled by Prophets... The rest is your problem!" And I of course add a chuckle to that. It has kept me sane and enriched... I just wish it would inspire my kids to write more than it has. But time will tell. So there you have it... a bit of craziness into "the world... according to Heather." See mom, the world really is according to me.... at least in part.

Oh and on a side note... I had three out four F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S days of homeschooling this last week. It may not happen again but I just had to mention it. Every day is different but those days I felt particularly successful... Maybe they will happen again next week.

What's Mine is Mine

Today I was talking to a close friend of mine and it got me really thinking about teaching what is mine. I know I have posted on this topic before...but isn't that such a strong part of TJED philosophy? After all... would I share it with you if it wasn't mine. This next year (School year), marks a big change for us. Our third child has been attending preschool for speech therapy and we are now about a month away from its completion and he will begin homeschooling with our older two kids. I await the freedom that comes from not having his schedule interfere with the spontaneity that can occur with the inspiration that is often unplanned in our home. We are planning on attending the commonwealth/mom's school/co-opland my friend was inquiring about our participation. I felt concerned about my abilities to help. I informed her that I could be there during that time, but that I didn't want to be assigned to have prepare stuff ahead of time....Until....we started talking about Nature School.

What is Nature School???? Well...Nature School is mine, not that you can't do your own, but it has been a way for me to spend time educating myself... for my own benefit but also so that my kids see me studying too. As a Scout Leader, I began to slowly develop an interest in the outdoors as I prepared to take my scouts on outings and I loved it. As the author of Last Child In the Woods says, Nature was his Ritalin (a drug often prescribed for those with ADHD/ADD). I found it true for myself. It was healing, inspiring, and I felt as if I was a better mother and person by being out in nature. Slowly it became mine. I have began collecting books, started a blog, Exploring Colorado and Beyond that chronicles our outings, infused my love for it into my scouting program, and even invited others to participate with us in our Nature School.

I get why mom schools can be so successful and perhaps why I felt my hesitation about being involved in teaching something at the co-op. Suddenly I felt unhindered at the thought of being able to share with others what is mine. And now... my first real endeavor in a mom school is the official start of nature school this summer. So what is mine is branching out beyond my family and that feels good. How about you... what is yours and how have you blessed your family and others with it? It would be good to hear about others way of incorporating this philosophy.

Oh and Shiloah... you are welcomed to join in on some if you can make it. We have got to hook up now that we are only about an hour apart.