Kathleen Smith's Blog, page 29

Blogging

Exactly one year ago this week on October 9th I wrote and posted my first blog. For the most part I have really enjoyed writing my blog posts. Basically with each of my posts I just share what’s on my mind and heart for that week. I also like to share a little about me sometimes. Like on the posts where I’ve explained why I like bears or why I like the smell of tires. I’ve even shared a bit about where I grew up.

Now, in case my readers haven’t noticed I have yet to do any type of give aways or anything like that. Why not? Simple, because I have no clue how to do anything like that. I have thought about it, but have no clue where to start. I don’t even know if I have enough readers to do anything like that with. Lots of times I think about blogs by people like The Time-Warp Wife or Proverbs 31 ministries or even The Unveiled wife . I try to figure out how their blogs have become such successes. How they have managed to get so many readers, followers and such. If I could figure out how to get my blog to be just as successful I’d be a happy blogger.

When it comes to reading other peoples blogs like the ones I’ve mentioned above, or the ones people share on FaceBook. After I read the blog and if I like it I will share it on my FaceBook feed as well. I have to say it is nice when I see other people sharing my blog posts on FaceBook as well.

Yes, I know not every blog can look like theirs. And yes, I know things take time, but I often feel like my blogging is no where near as good as my other social media skills. And according to my husband I am very good with my social media skills. I would very much one day like for my blog to do better, look better, get more readers, have more followers and such. So I suppose until the day that I get all this figured out I need to keep on going and do my best. After all that’s all I can do anyway, Right.

Fall Colors

Most people Who know me know that Winter is my absolute favorite season. What they don’t know is how much I also love watching the Fall colors. There is something so beautiful about watching the leaves on trees changing colors.

Within weeks after September starts, the leaves go from there Summer time green to a yellowish color. Not long after that you start to see vibrant colors of pink,red and sometimes purple. Theses colors are so amazingly beautiful to see. They always put me in this awe of Gods hands at work. To watch His creation do exactly what He set it to do every Fall.

I love going for drives with my family at the end of September and all of October just so I can see all the beautiful colors on the trees. I love taking as many pictures as I can and then seeing which ones came out the best.

Another thing that I love about Fall is that it’s the best time of year to eat apples! Along with the apples I love apple cider donuts. Especially when they are freshly baked and warm. I am always willing to drive all around the country side so my family can find a really good place to get those donuts. This way I get to see the beautiful fall colors and I get to have some delicious apple cider donuts.

Missing You

Hi Mom,

Well it hasn’t been a year yet since you left us, but I miss you and wanted to write to you again. I was going to wait till your one year anniversary,but I changed my mind. It’s been eight months since you left us and went home to be with the Lord. I miss you every day mom. Doesn’t seem to matter where I am or who I’m with, I still miss you. I miss hearing your voice. I miss hearing you call me “Kath”. I miss you teasing me. I really missed you on my birthday last month, listening to you tease me about getting older.  You would always give me soft punches on my shoulder every year on my birthday. That would have been a lot of punches this year, but I would have gladly taken them. There is ALWAYS something that reminds me of you.

I will be honest with you and tell you the pain isn’t like it was when you first left us. It is still there though and I don’t think it will ever go away. You know mom, I’m finding myself saying things to my husband now that I’ve heard you say so many times to dad. I do certain things and realize, hey mom use to do that.

We had our first Holiday with out you at Easter time. It just wasn’t the same with out you. Before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here. I just know I’m going to feel the pain of you not being here to celebrate with us. It hurts to see dad with out you, mom. The two of you were always inseparable.

I know your having a grand time in Heaven with God and Jesus, but I just wanted to let you know I am really missing you here. I see you every so often in my dreams. Your always smiling in them. Well I just wanted to let you know I miss you and I love you. I always will.

Sharing My Story

Three years ago I became a self published author. During the time that it actually took me to write my book I really had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was I had a story to tell and I wanted to get it put in a book. It wasn’t something I thought I could do on my own so it was actually a couple of years before I had the courage to write my book. It was one of those things that needed to be done in God’s timing and not mine. When that time finally came I knew I just had to sit down and do it.

So after one year of writing, rewriting and once again rewriting, I had my book. Oh yes, of course there was editing and then some more editing. It’s kind of funny I had the title of my book way before I even started to write. I guess sometimes maybe that’s how it works. I really don’t know. I only know that’s what happened to me. So after all that writing and editing I had a book. I titled it Marriages & Miscarriages: One Woman’s Personal Experience.

About a year ago I had written something called Why Me. I wasn’t really sure what to do with it so I just left it alone. A couple of months ago I was talking with my husband about that piece that I wrote. We were considering adding it to my book. I really wanted it to be in my book for people to read, but adding a new chapter to a book wasn’t working for us. That’s when we decided to do a revised edition of my book. We gave it a new title and a new cover. We added the piece that I wrote “Why Me” and made it another chapter. I also decided to do some changes to the last chapter.

As of last week we now have a revised edition of my book! We titled it “Miscarriages: My Story”. I am hoping this version with the new chapter will be just as much of a help to women as the first edition of my book has been.  I would also like to remind people that husbands can read my book just as well as their wives. In my opinion it isn’t just the wife who goes through the miscarriage. Yes, she is the one that has it in the physical sense, but husbands feel an emotional part as well. They just feel it differently.

If you haven’t already read my book, please consider getting a copy. If you have ever had a miscarriage and feel like your all alone, my book will help you to realize your not alone.

Purchase on Kindle Now.

 

 

 

I Saw Moses!

I saw Moses! Now relax before you start to wonder if I went to Heaven,saw Moses and then came back. I didn’t do that! I didn’t see the real Moses. I did however go to Sight & Sound in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and I saw their production of Moses.

It was awesome! My entire family went as a last family vacation. Our last one as the five of us for awhile anyway. I loved watching how they did all the scene changes. My husband and I weren’t sure how they were going to do the parting of the Red Sea, but they did a very good job. I also loved watching Moses talking to the Burning Bush and watching his staff turn into a snake and back into the staff.

Moses is the third Sight & Sound play we have seen. The other two were Joseph and Noah. Both were equally as good as Moses. Watching these plays is like watching a piece of the Bible coming alive. Yes, they do add some scenes here and there that aren’t in the Bible, but they remind us that it is indeed a play.

If you have ever been to a broadway show and loved it, Then you will also love going to Sight & Sound. You will love watching the Bible come alive on stage right before your eyes. I look forward to the next time my family and I can go to Sight & Sound!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musical Instruments

I was going to write today’s blog about music and what kind I like to listen to. Then I thought about a concert I went to on Saturday night. It was an all brass instrument concert. Well almost all brass instrument. There were also drums and a piano. So I changed my mind and I decided to write about musical instruments instead.

My three absolute favorite musical instruments are the saxophone, the drums and the harp. I love listening to these three particular instruments. If I could play them I would. There is a problem with that though. I can’t read music. I have a better chance with reading Spanish then I do musical notes.If you were to ask me which one of these three instruments I would choose to learn first. If I could. That would be tough choice. It would be a toss between the saxophone and the drums.

I’m not really sure what it is about these three instruments that I love so much. When it comes to the drums it might be because my dad plays them. With the other two I think it’s because the very first time I heard them, my first reaction was WOW. No other instruments have done that to me as of yet. Would I love to learn how to play the saxophone, drums or the harp one day? You betcha! Will that ever happen? Probably not. So instead I’ll be content with listening to others who do have the talent to play these musical instruments.

 

Tattoos

Friday night I was at our local fair when I realized Monday will be here soon. It would be time to write my blog. Then I started to think to myself I have nothing to say. I couldn’t think of anything. Just as I was thinking that a bunch of people walked past me wearing tattoos. I looked at them and thought why not write about tattoos!

So this is my personal opinion about tattoos. I don’t like them! I don’t see any point to them. I don’t know why people want to purposely get hurt by having a tattoo put on and marking up their bodies. As I said this is just my opinion. So before anyone gets all huffy and puffy about this and wants to get mad at me. Know this is just my opinion. I know there is technically nothing wrong about getting a tattoo. I know it isn’t a sin. Although the Bible does say that a persons body is the temple of the Holy Spirit I don’t know if that includes what you put on your body. I know it means be careful what you put in your body.

If a person was to ask me why I don’t like tattoos it’s pretty simple. I just don’t like the idea of marking my body with ink. I really don’t care how small or big the tattoo is. I do find the more tattoos I see on one person the more grossed out I get. As I said this is just my opinion. I’m Not telling anyone they can’t have a tattoo or shouldn’t get one. I’m Not even telling them they should have the ones they already have removed. I’m simply saying I Personally Do Not Like Them.

P.S. Trying to find a nice tattoo for this blog WASN’T EASY!

20 Years!

Woo Hoo, It’s been 20 years!

In case you couldn’t tell I’m rather excited. Why might you ask. Simple because this Wednesday July 30th my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. Yes, we have been married for 20 years! Or at least we will be on Wednesday. Now a days that isn’t something you hear people say that often. It’s sad, but it’s true.

I am so very thankful for my husband. He is an amazing man and a wonderful blessing from God. You know how in the wedding vows you repeat “in good times and in bad times?”  Well, I can honestly say those good times have been pretty awesome. We have also had our share of bad times. During those bad times we sought the Lord and he brought us through each one, making our marriage even stronger.

My husband isn’t just my husband. He’s my best friend. He’s the one I turn to when I need someone to talk to. He’s the one I love to laugh with. He’s the one I get to share my deepest thoughts with. He is my biggest encourager when I’m feeling down. He always knows what I’m thinking. Sometimes ever before I’m thinking it. He’s the one who can finish my sentences after me only saying one or two words. He IS my everything. Would I ever marry him again if he asked? In a heart beat!

Just So

I like things JUST SO!

With my personality being what it is I have this habit where I like everything to be just so. I like everything to be organized it its own place. If one little thing is out of place I will know! I think I have always been like this, but I didn’t really notice it till my husband pointed it out to me. One day I needed a stamp so we went to the Post Office. I gave my husband the card that needed to be mailed. He took it into the post office, bought a book of stamps and put a stamp on the envelope. When he came back to the car, he gave me the book of stamps. I took one look at them and saw the he took a random stamp. It drove me crazy that he didn’t take the first one. I asked him why he did this. His reply was because he knew it would drive me crazy.

That isn’t the first time my husband has done something like that to me and I know it won’t be the last. Why does he do it, because he loves to see my reaction. He KNOWS I like things just so. He knows I do things in a certain order. Yes, this does drive him crazy sometimes as well, but it is who I am. I will even go so far as to pick out my clothes the night before we have to go somewhere. Generally I only do this when I know we need to be up and out of the house by a certain time.

There are so many other examples of me and my personality where everything needs to be just so. It doesn’t really seem to matter what I’m doing or where I am. When I am doing something it has to be done in just the right way. If someone messes it up on me it drives me crazy. this part of my personality might drive my husband bonkers, but hey there are things he does that drives me bonkers too. I figure its a win win situation.

Self Confidence

Ive been debating for a couple of weeks now whether or not I should write a blog post about having self confidence or lack thereof. I finally decided to take the plunge and write about it. For two reasons. 1, I couldn’t come up with anything else this week. 2, It’s been on my mind a lot.

So I’ve been thinking for people who have lots of self confidence that must be a pretty good feeling.Know they do really well at a bunch of different things or even just a couple of things. These people have this confidence that they can do it and they do what ever it is well. They might even have confidence in their appearance. They know they look good. They know they are pretty, beautiful, cute and smart. That’s gotta be a really good feeling.

For me personally I have a serious lack of self confidence. This isn’t easy for me to admit in my blog, but I figured if I’m going to do this I need to be honest no matter how vulnerable it might make me. So yes I lack self confidence. I said it! I have trouble with saying I’m really good at doing different things. I always think “well if I can do it anyone can do it”. If someone gives me a compliment I tend to blush. I say “thank you” and I mean it but I do tend to blush.

It’s hard for me to have self confidence most of the time. I think because growing up I didn’t hear much of “hey you did a great job” or “you look really pretty today”. It wasn’t until I met my husband that I heard all that being said to me and I have to tell you it took me by surprise to hear someone saying those words to me. Recently I have realized that there is something I am really good at. I’m not sure how it happened. Maybe from needing to get my own book promoted on my own. I found out I am really good with Social Media and helping others promote their stuff. Don’t matter if it’s a book or a video or whatever it might be. I know how to use Social Media to get the word out about different things. That put a smile on my face. That actually gave me a bit of self confidence knowing that is something I am really good at.