Now, where was I?
Our connections to the outside world have been restored, at long last, by one intrepid young engineer spending a day in the snow and mud trying to put right others’ mistakes and to repair a tangled nest of rotten cables in a ditch. Now that the online essentials have been dealt with – banking, emails, groceries – I can turn to the more pleasurable pursuit of blogging.
It’s odd, though. We have been back online for several days, yet I have found myself reluctant to listen to the siren call of the blogosphere. I wonder why? It reminds me a bit of how I often feel at Easter, at the end of the Lenten fast. After six endless weeks of fantasising about how good that first lick of chocolate/ sip of wine/ whatever it might be that you have given up will taste, I come to the day when I can indulge to my heart’s content and am almost scared to begin. (Yes, the Lenten fast is about a great deal more than giving up chocolate, just as Easter is not about indulgence, but that’s for another post.) Perhaps it’s the blood of my Presbyterian ancestors calling to me, reminding me of the virtues of self-denial. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that once you start, it’s awfully hard to stop again.
Anyway, this is me just dipping a toe back into the water. We are busy with school half-term, but the siren voices are growing stronger. I look forward to diving back in soon, if you’ll forgive my tangled nest of metaphors.
‘Stop, Look, Listen’: a sign on the railway that is probably good advice for blogging, too.
Welcome back! I think that it is healthy to have some reticence about re-joining the noisy world here online. A break is good for your sanity. But we missed you, and I’m glad you’re back! Blessings – I’m working on my Lenten piece myself.
Good to see you back! But I do know what you mean. I’m struggling to keep up with the strange feeling of obligation which blogging creates. I write posts in my head and then never get to them online. But who needs blogging when you have half-term?! Enjoy the time with your boys. Such a cliche, but the time together truly is precious.
Your photo is evidence of the patchy snow we’ve had in Scotland – travelling up the A9 on Friday we realised that we had been in a snow-free bubble in seaside Edinburgh.
Selfishly, I should very much like it if you would start to blog and find it “awfully hard to stop again.” But I also understand your reluctance to break your fast, so to speak. Blogging takes time and energy — two things that are in short supply in these hectic lives of ours. So enjoy the half-term. And I’ll be content to enjoy your occasional toe-dip!
I’m with hmunro!! But like “occasionalScotland”, I too often write blogs in my head but never quite get to write them. When I have “head space” they are a joy, otherwise it can feel a bit of a chore. I hope you regain your delight in blogging because I love your writing style and photos!! (And miss your company).
Like Sian, I love your posts and photos and miss you when you’re not around, but I do understand the addictive nature of blogging and blog-reading and how hard it can be to stop when you start again. At the moment half-term takes precedence over anything else, but once the boys are back at school it would be lovely to see you splashing around in the shallows at least.
Oh, blogging is sometimes like Odysseus and the Sirens. But a school break – romp with the kids – blink and they are gone! Hug now. The internet will wait.
(Nice picture as usual.)
Goodness, the unexpected pleasure of such lovely, appreciative comments is making me blush. Thank you for your understanding, and thank you for your encouragement. I look forward to catching up soon!
I’m glad you’re back, too. I was thinking about you and your blog just the other day.