Monday, August 27, 2007

Fun Monday# 31

Lisa's Chaos is our host and she's want's to know more about us... is it wise to disclose too much I ask myself!! Lisa says...

"I’d like to know more about you, what makes you tick. I’d like to know how you started blogging. Did you keep a diary under lock and key safely hidden as a child? Do you still? Do you share the same things on your blog that you would have, or do, in your diary? Why did you start blogging and why do you continue? May as well throw in any roadblocks you have run into while blogging. If you still have your old diaries we’d love to see them".

I think I'll start with blogging because that's an easy one and really the answer is in my profile. I only started my blog last September before then I had been reading a lot of food blogs since my daughter Sam started Becks & Posh in May 2004. Seeing what she was doing somehow made me feel I was still involved with her life even though she was on another continent.
Once I had made the decision to retire I began to panic! Work had been the pivotal part of my life since I was forced to provide for my family back in 1973.

(I always wanted to be a stay at home mum but sadly this wasn't to be- I often wonder how things would have turned out if our lives hadn't changed so dramatically back then. I also wonder how much my having to work affected the way the girls developed and I don't necessarily mean this in a negative way. There are many things I would do differently if I could turn back the clock but my girls are kind, independent, talented individuals who make me very proud).

As usual I digressed so back to the main plot. Sam had been telling me to start a blog, one part of me was thinking to myself I could do that 'it's only a diary' the other part of me was saying but that's too technical for me as I'm not a clever writer and not a good photographer (I always manage to get something awful in the background). Anyway when people asked me at work 'what were my plans' I took the bull by the horns and said I was going to upgrade my home computer and start a blog, I was going to try my hand at painting and travel as much as I could afford. My blog was going to be a way of keeping in contact with the girls and any friends who cared to read it. I think you will see how I came up with the name as it was going to full of 'bits and pieces.

Once I told Beccy I was going to start a blog she followed suit (she might even have beaten me to the first post I can't quite remember). My grandchildren also have blogs and I started a second blog for random photographs a few months back. What I never ever imagined would be the enjoyment I have got from finding a whole new circle of friends, joining in the different swaps, sharing joys (I do a lot of laughing) and sorrows (I also cry quite a lot) and even getting to have a couple of great telephone conversations with one bluddy! Here I must pay tribute to Fun Monday because this been a very effective way of meeting even more people. I don't know about anyone else but I really love seeing houses being built, following pregnancies, hearing about children, pets and holidays. I am full of admiration for those who share some very personal stories and often it's about things that touch a chord, maybe I should try it one day as I know it can be very cathartic.

Now to diaries: I think as a teenager I did try writing a diary but do you know I never kept it up and I certainly would NOT have committed my innermost thought to paper. I could not have trusted my father not to read it and I was far too scared of him to write anything he would disaprove of- actually it might have done him good to read what I thought of his methods of discipline and the way he didn't trust me even though I had never given him any real cause to feel this way. But that's another story I may write about one day.

I think I will leave it there!! By the way I have done quite a bit of travelling in the past eleven months but have not even opened up the paints yet (just in case you comment Purpleworms- who is giving me a prod every now and then- I will get there!).

I must remember there is no Fun Monday next week but the following week September 10th Nikki is the host.

Labels: , ,

38 Comments:

At 27/8/07 11:41, Blogger Steffi said...

Very interesting to read!

I have posting "Fun Monday" too...

Steffi ;O)

 
At 27/8/07 12:26, Blogger Unknown said...

Aww - this got me a little teary, Chris. I love how your family are all blogging and sharing them together.

I haven't told anyone, outside my immediately family, about my blog.

 
At 27/8/07 13:31, Blogger Beccy said...

And I'm very proud to be one of your girls.

 
At 27/8/07 13:39, Blogger FH said...

Good to read how you got inspired to start blogging!:))
I had no clue food blogs existed until I came across one and was overwhelmed with joy.I had just found my Niche in the blogging World! :D

 
At 27/8/07 13:52, Blogger Debs said...

That is nice that your family blog as well. :)

 
At 27/8/07 15:12, Blogger Unknown said...

I feel like I got to know you a lot through this post! Thanx! I love all your reasons for starting and continuing and like you I enjoy following people's stories. :)

Also like you, I didn't trust that my parents wouldn't read what I wrote and I had nowhere to open up. My parents were very strict, I was an only child, and I wondered why they seemed to trust me so little when I hadn't done anything to earn their distrust. I think I trusted my kids too much because of it. They've all turned out well but I see those commercials where mom's are asking all those questions and I trusted my kids so I asked fewer.

 
At 27/8/07 15:44, Blogger katy said...

i really think it is wonderful that a lot of your family have blogs it sure is a great hobby, i also think you take great photos

 
At 27/8/07 15:44, Blogger Beckie said...

That was nice, really nice.

I enjoy reading your blog. I hope you keep blogging for a long time to come.

 
At 27/8/07 16:03, Blogger Tiggerlane said...

I agree - "Fun Monday" has really become its own little blogging community - fascinating that it only started this year, and has become so large. Meeting new folks has been one of the BEST things!

 
At 27/8/07 16:12, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is so cool a lot of your family has blogs! My family thought I was nuts at first, but once they started reading my blog, they really like it. I'm not sure any of them would blog themselves, but maybe once the teenagers get older and have more time. Although. Who knows what they'll have out there by that time. Blogs may be obsolete. Oh the horror!

 
At 27/8/07 16:26, Blogger Kaytabug said...

Great post! I got a lil teary eyed. I am glad I came across Fun Monday. Some day I'd love to meet you all!

Only 2 ppl know about my blog that know me in real life, Fianna and my hubby. He is supportive of it...I just need limits and I am the only one to enforce them...I have a plan...I have already gone over my morning hour but I know I wont have time later for my nightly dose so I am going a lil over this AM!

 
At 27/8/07 16:38, Blogger Sam said...

That's funny - YOU came up with the name for your blog now did you?!

I like the way I turned out - I wouldn't have grown up any other way.

thanks to you.

 
At 27/8/07 17:44, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Part of the reason I blog is your family! I love reading about all of you!! You are such a wonderfully talented family!

 
At 27/8/07 17:48, Blogger enidd said...

that was interesting, chris. enidd didn't realise (perhaps she's slow) that you and beccy started at around the same time.

and she understands about strict fathers.

 
At 27/8/07 17:53, Blogger alisonwonderland said...

the first time i found your blog, i fell in love with the title! is sam trying to say that she was the one who came up with it?! :o)

this was a great "fun monday" theme to get to know the participants a bit better. (btw, it's from your blog that i discovered "fun monday".)

 
At 27/8/07 18:02, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Blogging does seem to suit you, Chris; your warmth always comes across in your posts, especially where your family is concerned.

I wish there were others in my family who blogged as well. Instead, they all think I'm a) crazy, and b) going to die a lonely old woman with a lot of cats.

I had the same fears about keeping a diary when young...I began one several times, but when I wrote those "secret" secrets, I usually tore out those pages and threw them away. Oh, how I'd love to have them now!

 
At 27/8/07 18:10, Blogger Rachel (Crazy-Is) said...

I am thinking that most everyone is going to mention the wonderful people they've met through blogging. It's so true! I'm glad you decided to take the bull by the horns!

 
At 27/8/07 18:28, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It could be that Sam thinks she is the one that invented the name of Chrisb's Blog but there is someone else who would dispute the invention perhaps not the arrangement. Love.

 
At 27/8/07 18:29, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad you started blogging AND for Fun Monday - I think that is how we first "met".

When my mom started a blog - at first I felt a little competitive with her (isn't that silly?). Now it is nice - because some of the things she writes might not be topics that she would remember to tell me.

 
At 27/8/07 18:32, Blogger SwampAngel65 said...

Thanks for the warm welcome! Thanks to this Fun Monday, I know have a bunch of new blogs to read!
Hope I'm able to keep mine interesting...
Oh, and Fun Monday works out grat for me since it happens to be my day off :)

 
At 27/8/07 18:34, Blogger Karina said...

I've visited with you and your daughters through this wonderful Fun Monday experience, and I think it's so wonderful that you all not only blog, but blog in the same "circles"...I wish I could get my mom to blog too, but I'm pretty sure it's not to be.

Oh, and there's no Fun Monday next week? Hmm...I should go back and change my post to clarify!

 
At 27/8/07 19:00, Anonymous Anonymous said...

We seem to be getting a few bloggers in our family too. It's kinda fun to be able to catch up with each other in the middle of the night.

 
At 27/8/07 19:02, Blogger Sam said...

PS - My own father DID read my diary and I have never actually quite forgiven him for that.

 
At 27/8/07 19:45, Blogger Sayre said...

That's cool that you and Beccy started around the same time. A family that blogs together...

...probably knows each other better than they would have otherwise!

 
At 27/8/07 20:03, Anonymous Anonymous said...

how come no fun monday next week? just curious i missed that..

as for the rest sounds like a very good reason to blog.. and how come you haven't painted yet? i would love to see something you do!!

 
At 27/8/07 22:59, Blogger Pamela said...

another post that I should copy and paste and just change the names to protect the innocent.. (:

I will get back into my paints as the weather turns cool - and my gardening hours get cut

I wish I could retire and visit you... drink tea, paint, and share grandchild stories.

but HEY... we do that.. right here
Love reading you and am so glad you joined the blogging world I'm in.

 
At 27/8/07 23:59, Blogger ChrisB said...

steffi I'm glad you are joining in the fun each week :)

tiger lamb girl I think a few work colleagues sometimes used to delve but they have been stopped using the work computers for this sort of thing and the extended family don't follow our blogs, and sam doesn't actually blog as much as she used to but it still binds us together.

beccy love you xx

asha I love my weekly visit to catch up with you :)

debs thank you.

her indoors I think I have slightly improved with my photography I do think a little more about the composition and light etc. still room for much improvement like all my school reports used to say !!

lisa's chaos I think you picked a good topic here thank you for hosting :)

beckie I'm not planning on shutting shop just yet!!

tiggerlane It now takes me more than a day to get around everyone, today there were only 6 people not posted so I will look at those tomorrow.

joyt I can't imagine blogs being obsolete but I guess it could happen I wonder how many of us will be around in a couple of years time!

katabug do you know I dream about a fun monday blogger convention!

stephanie I'm lost for words that is a huge compliment to my family thank you.

enidd I think when we started reading your blog we were just exploring and we found you through sally.

alisonwonderland I'm glad to have introduced you to fun mon. Sam did suggest the way to split the word- she's full of good ideas.

robin I'm blushing from your nice comments thank you :)

embee ok you helped a little.

rachel I'm glad I did because blogging has certainly helped me adjust to retirement and given me hours of enjoyment.

karmyn would I compete with beccy -never- I lie- no that was last monday!!

swampangel65 if Monday is your free day you will have to host it sometime in the future!!

karina tell your mum she should join the 'silver surfers' (oh I mustn't presume she is my age hope I haven't made a big faux pas!)

susan I think it's a brilliant way to keep up with family news.

sam- well he shouldn't have done that! Oh I know you helped with jazzing it up but I think that I came up with the name.

sayre I'm sure I don't know all the girls deep dark secrets but I like to feel we are a pretty close trio!

wolfbaby fun monday has been postponed because it is labor day in the U.S. We had a PH today in the UK.

pamela now that would be great but I guess we will have to continue our virtual meetings!

 
At 28/8/07 00:01, Blogger Molly said...

I am glad that you did start a blog. You certainly have conquered many of those early reservations. I enjoy reading your writing. You do wonderfully fascinating displays of your pictures.

 
At 28/8/07 00:51, Blogger Jenni said...

Well, I've enjoyed visiting your blog. I don't think I would have found it if it weren't for Fun Monday. Fun Mondays have been a great way to meet new bloggers and find new blogs to read. I'm going to have to do something with my bookmarks though. There are too many bloggers on there and I think I need categories. There is no way I can read every one of them in a day without neglecting all my other duties, which I do too often already;o)

 
At 28/8/07 00:52, Blogger willowtree said...

Did you post this late or something? I'm wondering how come I'm only reading it now.

Everything has already been said in the comments and I agree with it all.

 
At 28/8/07 01:19, Blogger Barbara said...

I'm glad you started blogging. I enjoy the family interaction you, Beccy and Sam provide.

 
At 28/8/07 01:40, Blogger Robocop said...

Well, it looks like I will have another reason to blog: A retirement activity. Unfortunately, I can't see retirement in my future, but one can dream........

 
At 28/8/07 01:58, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah! Another new word...bluddy. I guess I have been blogging long enough that I should start learning the lingo. I think bluddies are the best part of blogging. I sure would like to meet some of you one day.

 
At 28/8/07 07:45, Blogger ChrisB said...

mjd but I have read that not everyone feels that way about things presented in this form!!

jenni I read a lot in bloglines and I don't have links displayed for everyone I read.

WT well it was a holiday so I didn't get it published until mid-morning for us!!

barbara I thank you for being a faithful commentor from my early days even though I'm not a food blogger.

robocop yep retirement has a lot going for it!!

gawilli I think that would be a good post for someone to do; there's a lot of lingo and abbreviations I'm not too sure about either!!

 
At 28/8/07 14:59, Anonymous Anonymous said...

When It comes to blogging and family relations, its a good open way to communicate and express things.

 
At 28/8/07 15:23, Blogger ChrisB said...

meleny thanks for dropping by :)

 
At 29/8/07 03:45, Blogger theotherbear said...

Great post. I love the fact your family all blogs together!
I'm also one who understands the strict father thing...

 
At 29/8/07 16:05, Blogger ChrisB said...

theotherbear I don't know about you but when I think back, at times my father was strict to the point of being cruel.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home