I need some help here...

I haven't written on "Blogger" for a long time because I started a blog with my own domain name 3 years ago. The problem is I paid for 3 years & it's due next month. The new charge is over twice as much because I do not get the discounted rate anymore.

My dilemma is what to do? Should I pay the money & keep going? Should I let it go & keep my domain for a later time? Should I transfer it all to another host which will have discounted rates for the 1st 1-3 years?

Truthfully, the real problem is this... My blog is not focussed. It is not about one thing. I have concerns if it's even been helpful to anyone. I only have 10 subscribers & not even sure they read it or like it. I will write my heart out for only 10 subscribers if I know it is helpful to them. I just need to know.

IF you read this blog, I would appreciate checking out: mariposafree.com before I have to shut it down. Let me know what you think. Be honest. I can take it. Do you think it's of worth to anyone other than my close friends, family or myself? Or... better yet, what do YOU like to read about. Even if I do keep my mariposafree.com blog, I want to re-vamp it so it is valuable, interesting & helpful and not just me writing about myself and my problems, journal-style, unless that is helpful to someone.

I know I'm breaking all the blogging rules that I don't even know, but I plan on re-posting this on my 2 other dormant free blogs and write something in mariposafree.com soon. I'm looking for input and yours is important to me.

Here are some ideas I've thought of to focus on:

-  Cleaning Tips
-  Just journal (practically what I'm already doing)
-  Short stories, excerpts of the book I'm working on, writing tips...
-  Guest posts
- Journalism articles, interviews...
- Photography...
- Good books I've read

Help me out here! My personality is so against doing just one thing. I have too many interests. Maybe there are 5 people that would enjoy a variety of subjects, but perhaps it could all fit together in one theme. Give me your vote  IF you read this. The first 10 new sign-ups (and the current ones) on mariposafree.com will receive either a free e-book of cleaning tips (when I get it done) or of a short story.  So, go over there soon because I may have to shut it down soon. 

Procrastination

I am supposed to be doing online banking, but instead I got distracted and found this old blog I haven't written on since 2014!

I have another blog now that I am trying to write on more.  You can find it here:  mariposafree.com.
I think for fun, I may write on this one just to see if anyone reads it.

My mariposafree blog started out with cleaning tips because we have a cleaning business and that's what I know about. I got tired of writing about cleaning and needed a break from it. Since then I've written on various subjects, which is not the way you're supposed to do it.

Because life got crazy and many unfortunate events happened (divorce of sons, youngest daughter leaving home, death of my horse, death of my niece, family problems) I have felt uncomfortable writing in the journal-type way. That's the easiest way for me to write, but I haven't wanted to bare my soul to people I don't know. I haven't wanted to bare my soul especially to those that I know.

We still have 1 horse and I am making an effort to train him more, and ride. It's been therapeutic for me in many levels. I still miss Lady, my chestnut mare, who died the end of December. I never spent as much time with Cloud, but it's going pretty well.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I am still married after almost 37 years. It's been rough in spots, but lately I've seen some calm and peaceful waters. Many of our adult children have come to visit this last year. G. has been here the most. He's come and gone and helped out in many ways. The most important way has been his presence. He also planted most of our garden last year and put up the deer fence.

I've traveled many times to visit other sons-daughters in the "Valley" and the coast. I miss having children at home, no matter their ages.

My dream is to someday go on a road trip with some of our family. After living in Mexico half the year for 8 years I got the traveling bug in me & maybe a little gypsy too. We have a stable life now, but do miss traveling!

That's about all for now. I'm curious to see if anyone will find this obscure blog with out a domain name. If you do find it, please check out my blog : mariposafree.com and I will my hardest to write more there. May the Lord of all the Universe bless you and help you to find His peace, joy, love & forgiveness.

Vacation

This is the first time, in a very long time that my husband and I have been able to get away for more than a day or two. This was possible because our daughter was able to cover for us this weekend for work.

The trip started out good, but I developed a migraine by the evening. Thankfully, it was short-lived and we were able to visit a couple of our sons that evening.

The next day we had breakfast with the same sons and a mutual friend. We spent time later letting God minister to us through music and praying for one another.

The drive to the coast went well. I did all the driving because I get extremely car-sick if I don't. It's a good thing I like to drive.

We visited some very close friends in Bandon and some other very close friends near Tucson, Arizona flew out and stayed with us. They stayed in the very cool yurt and we stayed in the very cute gypsy looking travel trailer.

The next day Greg went fishing with our Arizona friend and another young man. It was very nice to be eating a steel head fish that evening. It fed 7 of us nicely.

Saturday evening a bunch of folks came over and we had a small music festival it seemed. Our Arizona friend, Paco, played a song we hadn't heard that his friend had written. Another man led worship on the guitar. Other instruments joined in, bass, drums, tambourine, violin. A very uplifting time.

After the meeting, we visited with old and new friends.

The next morning I had a special time visiting with a special servant of God who has many stories and much wisdom to share. After that we ate a very nice Mexican breakfast of corn tortillas with cheese, cooked Salsa and eggs.

We headed back to Corvallis, but before that we stopped at the beach. We just walked on the beach and picked up pretty rocks and shells. I really enjoyed listening to the ocean sounds and feeling the fresh ocean air.

More time with our two sons and then we met another son and his expecting wife at a Thai restaurant in Salem. The food was great and I learned to say "Thank You" in yet another language. It was so good to see them. The time was short, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

After 9 pm, we headed another hour or two to stay with another son and his family. We stayed up till midnight visiting his wife and two lively boys.

Today is the last day we'll see everyone. Greg has taken their older son fishing, in the morning. Now, he and son are spending time together with the two boys. I am resting and writing.

Tomorrow we'll be back home and get back into our normal routine of work and home life. We are happy we were able to make the trip and visit everyone and see the beach. Life is good :)

I Want to Live Like That... song

I have been too busy to post anything. This morning I heard this song and it really is where my heart is right now, so I wanted to share it with all of you :) Mariposa

Time in Mexico

I left Oregon about 2 weeks ago. Our good friends from Catalina met me at the small airport. I spent 3 days resting and visiting them. I'm really glad to have had that time with them, since I only make it to Arizona once a year.

The bus ride was very interesting. A 17 year old young man sat by me. At first we didn't talk, but by the end of the ride he knew my story and I his. We had a lot of interesting conversation about various subjects. After he got off the bus I slept most of the way (as well as one can sleep on a bus). Sometimes I would wake up, realizing we were driving quite fast, or get very close to the bus in front of us. Because I was so tired nothing phased me and I slept OK.

My time at "Colegio Cristiano" , the school where Petra volunteers has been good. During the day I help out with lunch preparation and sometimes other small things needing done. Today I have been taking a lot of photo's with Petra's camera, which was fun.

There are a few extra teachers and helpers right now from the State's. That makes the load lighter for everyone. This year they've had a lot of extra help, many which have left and a few new ones recently.

We've been to the village in Sonora once and plan to go back this weekend. The girls' friend, Fernanda, is having her Cincinera on Saturday, which will be fun for us. It's nice going back to the house we lived in for 7-8 years, but kind-of sad, because it feels lonely there. Most of the "children" are grown and only 2 left at home now. They've also been gone, in Mexico 3 months, so I've missed them a lot and glad I was able to come down here for a month.

It's probably almost time to help in the kitchen, so I will close now. We might even go to Starbucks' before we go to the village this weekend!

Mariposa

                                                                   

                                                 

                                                                                      Susannah in the kitchen

Christy teaching a class          

                                                         

                                                                     The triplets of veinte uno

                                       

                                                                                         Carmen's tienda

                                                                      Carmen and me

                                                     

                                                                        Petra's class

                                         music class           

Falling Slowly

A day to rest

Hello family and friends...

All is well in our home. The weather has gotten cold again, but the woodstove makes the house cosy-warm all the time. We have saved a ton of money this year by using it.

Greg is still in Mexico. He left January 3rd and will return January 18th. He visited the Hawkins in Tucson for a couple of days, then rode the bus with Petra to Los Mochis. He's also been able to visit 21de marzo, the village where our house is, a couple of times. He's been visiting, but mostly working there, fixing things and getting things in order and line up things that need to be done there.

Work has been going well, even though Greg has been gone. He has a friend cleaning at the mill in Pilot Rock, so I don't have to do it. The girls have really helped and we have enjoyed working together without stress.

So, today we had the whole day off. We went to church this morning together, then came home and have been just resting. I joined a writing class and did my first lesson, a character sketch on a fictional person. It took me a lot of research, and work to get the class set up, but I finally got it done.