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ShillyShally Shenanigans

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

My name is Carrie and I am indecisive. I figured I would lead with this detail as I am still not sure where I will go with this blog. But, by naming it shillyshally shenanigans I gave my self a little wiggle room.

(For those of you who don’t already know, shillyshally means indecisive.)

There will probably be moments where this is a mommy blog because I am a mom to two very wonderful, and slightly nutty girls. We have moments where life is complete chaos, and others that are full of belly laughs and random adventures. But most of all, we have each other.

There will probably be days when I talk about animals and the joys and heartbreaks that come with having them in our lives. We live on a farm, so animals are a huge part of our day to day life. They are family to us and while sometimes they are really frustrating little Houdinis, they are very dear.

There will be times that I talk about the Navy. I spent 13 years on active duty and had the privilege of seeing many places and serving with some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet.

Sometimes you will question if I have ADHD (I don’t just to be clear) because I get myself started on so many projects. I am an avid crafter and creator and am always at my best when I am making something….usually a mess.  

All that being said however, I really want this to be a blog about life. The joys and tears, little victories and major triumphs, and above all, I want it to be a place where you realize that you aren’t alone in the chaos. I am right there with you. And to be fair, I am usually causing it.

So, here’s to us, the crazy, wild hearted mamas, who take on more than we probably should. Let’s share our hopes, dreams, and bucket lists with the world.

A Bit About Me

Did you ever wonder what farm life was like? Did you ever think you wanted to be a farmer? Well let me tell you the struggle is real.

I live of the family farm. It was purchased by my great grandfather in the 1930’s and he raised his four children (including my grandma) here. I was raised here, and now my girls are being raised here too. I am really grateful for this opportunity, but let me tell you something, I think every last one of my forebearers was a serious packrat. This place is just filled to the brim with old newspapers, journals, and junk that my ancestors just couldn’t part with. Little by little we are weeding through the remnants of a bygone era in an attempt to salvage those items that are worth holding on to and disposing of the rest without upsetting my dad or uncles.

When I am not sorting through a centuries worth of stuff, chances are I am chasing some escaped bovine who thinks she needs to not be in the fence, but trotting up the middle of the road. Something that I am sure infuriates the neighbors, but nowhere near as much as it does me. I mean I am the one that has to go out and chase her, regardless of the weather. The worst part of the whole thing is it is almost always the same cow. Tipper! Or as I like to call her, hamburger helper. She really is a sweet girl and I would never eat her, but some days I can’t help but threaten her with being the main course on my dinner plate when she decides to live out her fantasy of being the cow from Hey Diddle Diddle.

In addition to being a single mom, chief cow chaser, and junk sorter, I am a full time student (psychology) and am a bit of a artist/creator. I love to work in all mediums and am completely self-taught. So, while I am not really great at any of it, I take grate joy in the attempting. I also greatly enjoy taking pictures. Probably one of the best parts of living in the Catskills is the wildlife. Getting to see Bald Eagles soaring up the valley is an almost daily occurrence, but it never gets old. I am less fond of the coyotes, but they are still fun to try and get pictures of. So long as they leave my livestock alone.

It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, there is always a spectacular beauty about this valley I call home. In the winter it looks like the scene from a snow coated fairy tale. Spring has its own kind of magic as all the trees start to bud in different shades of green. I always feel like I am in a cathedral with the sun pouring through the colorful stained glass. Summer is filled with daisies, touch me nots, bumble bees, butterflies, and splashing in the creek. And last but not least, my personal favorite, autumn in all its vibrant, majestic colors. I have a friend who has never visited New York, but every time I send him a picture he swears I have photoshopped it because “it always looks like a painting”. Perhaps that is why I love art so much, I grew up on a living breathing canvas.

So there is a little bit about me to help us get acquainted.    

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.