Welcome to the online diary of a Central Oregon Grandmother (me) who is busy celebrating the positive portions of her everyday life ... along with her best friend husband (Cary). It is quite an eclectic diary and I try to do my best to incorporate a little bit of history into many of my posts. Your visit to our piece of American Pie is greatly appreciated. This chatty Kathy posts frequently, so coming back to visit often is highly encouraged.
Showing you Oregon,one post at a time. Did you know that I post the links of many of my stories and articles on the sidebar? When you have extra time, please scroll down to see more. At the bottom of this page there are links to many other blogs that I enjoy.
Hello, friends, thank you so much for stopping by. I really hope that you will enjoy your visit to Oregon Gifts. Due to spam, I am not accepting comments from anonymous people. Please email me at: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com if you are unable to leave a comment on here. I write back through email when I can.
My words and photographs are copyrighted, and may not be used without permission, even on Pinterest.
~ Kathy M.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Focusing on the here and now ....
I recently wrote a blog post of being blessed on my birthday ten years ago. About how God had been there for me by answering my prayers, sometimes before I had even asked them. I did a bit of remembering, and let some of my anger and self-pity show through in that essay. Still, I thought that the message was really about how things got better for me after I left a bad situation, with God's help.
Coincidentally, after I posted that, I learned about an organization that was looking for writing submissions on going through a divorce and being divorced. I sent them my blog post, and they said that they could maybe use it, but that it was too long. Did I want to edit it, or could they? I said, go for it. The other day I received an email saying that they couldn't use it after all, which is fine with me. I was having second thoughts about the whole thing myself. I told them thank you for looking it over, and that I realized that it was a blog post and not a concise story, and that it did need a lot of work.
The part that interested me about their email was that they said my story had too much about God in it and not enough stuff about me and what I did. The whole point of the story was about how God had helped me that week. What did I do? I prayed and asked for his help and was open to what happened next. I don't see how I could have edited any of the God part out, and am glad that I did not labor on a re-write.
I was told that their organization appealed to people from all walks of life, and that some of those women were not religious, so that they did not print articles that included God in them. To me that is sad. In trying to be politically correct, their organization is excluding a lot of stories that would be of interest or help to many, especially to those women who are in a very bad situation and who are tied by religion to stay married. I am sure that there are other organizations out there that are supportive to believers experiencing divorce, so it probably all evens out. Know that God loves you even if you get divorced, ladies.
This is one of the verses that helped me through that time of my life, by the way:
"I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him. Many blessings are given to those who trust the Lord and have no confidence in those who are proud or who trust in idols."
Psalm 40:1-4
The other thing that I have been thinking about is where do I want to put my writing energy? Do I want to focus on the past, and bring up the pain, rejection and anger that went along with getting divorced in order to write a good story? Some of my best writing is about those times, because I can still remember the feelings that went along with them. But, I do not really want to immerse myself in the past and remember all of it again. That is over with, done with and dealt with. I am so much happier these days, focusing on the many good things in my life, my relationship with Cary, and I don't want to go backwards.
Do you guys have any thoughts or comments about living in the here and now? Do you use your past hurts in your writing and/or do have your characters experience them? How does all of this work? Do I even really want to write?
It is just so much easier to take pictures.
~ Kathy
I LOVE THE STATE OF OREGON.
Posts About Oregon:
- 2013 Cemetery Tour
- A Drive Along The Oregon Outback: Summer Lake Hot Springs
- Ashland, Oregon's Lodging Options
- Ashland, Oregon: Lithia Park in the Fall
- Beautiful Oregon Pictures
- Belknap Host Springs Resort: Upper Level
- Belknap Hot Springs Resort, McKenzie River Valley OR
- Belknap Springs Resort - "The Not So Secret Gardens"
- Belknap Springs Resort and Gardens: The Loge Area
- Belknap Springs Resort: "The Secret Garden"
- Blue River, McKenzie River Valley OR
- Clear Lake Resort, McKenzie River Valley OR
- Clearwater Falls, Hwy 138
- Colliding Rivers Viewpoint
- Collier Logging Museum
- Collier Logging Museum: Pioneer Village
- Coos Bay Trip #1: The Mill Casino
- Coos Bay Trip #2: Sea Gulls and Pier
- Coos Bay Trip #3: Fisherman's Wharf
- Coos Bay Trip #4: Cape Arago Area
- Cougar (Terwilliger) Hot Springs Lagoon
- Cougar Dam, Blue River OR
- Cougar Logoon and Old Growth Hiking Trail in The McKenzie River Valley of Oregon
- Cougar Reservoir Old Growth HIke, McKenzie River Valley
- Devil's Punch Bowl State Park
- Devil's Punch Bowl State Park Photos #2
- Drain, Oregon: The Drain Castle
- Drain, Oregon: The Hassard House
- Fish Lake #1, McKenzie River Valley OR
- Fish Lake Revisited (July 2009)
- God's Country Part 2: The Beaver Trail at Holiday Farms in Rainbow, Oregon
- God's Country Part I: The Park at Holiday Farms RV Park in Rainbow, Oregon
- Grass Valley, Oregon
- Green Waters Park, Oakridge OR
- Herbert Hoover Visits The McKenzie River Valley of Oregon
- Holiday Farms RV Resort in Rainbow, OR
- I Dream of Eugene "Eugene in the Spring"
- I Dream of Eugene: "J.W. Quackenbush's Hardware Store"
- I Dream of Eugene: "Just where was that Skinner Cabin?"
- I Dream of Eugene: A History Lesson on the Sidewalk
- I Dream of Eugene: The 5th Street Market
- I Dream of Eugene: The 5th Street Market Mural
- Link to my Central Oregon Blog
- Link to my McKenzie River Valley of Oregon Blog
- Living at Camp Christian, Walterville OR
- Lookout Point and Dexter Lakes
- McCreadie Hot Springs Photos
- McCredie Day Use Site
- McKenzie River Valley: Delta Campground
- McKenzie Station Espresso and Inn at McKenzie Bridge
- Naked in Nature: McCredie Hot Springs
- Newport, Oregon #1
- Newport, Oregon: Historic Bay Front and Fisherman's Wharf
- Newport, Oregon: Historic Nye Beach
- Newport, Oregon: The Oregon Coast Aquarium
- Newport, Oregon: The Oregon Coast Aquarium 2009
- Newport, Oregon: Views of Yaquina Bay State Park
- North Fork of the Willamette River Near Oakridge
- North Santiam River State Park
- Odell Lake
- Olallie Campground: Upper McKenzie River
- Pringle Falls Experimental Forest in La Pine
- Rainbow, Oregon Area: Feb. 2009
- Sahalie Falls, McKenzie River OR
- Salt Creek Falls, Highway 58 at Willamette Pass
- Seaside, Oregon: A Weekend of 6th Grade Basketball
- Seaside, Oregon: On the Beach
- Seaside, Oregon: The Carousel
- Seaside, Oregon: Window Shopping
- Shadow Shots from Around Oregon
- Shahalie Falls
- Shelter Cover Resort at Odell Lake, Oregon
- Silverton, Oregon Video
- South Santiam River: Fernview Campground
- Taking the Long Way Home Part I: Unity, Fall Creek, Lowell
- Taking the Long Way Home Part II: Westfir, Oakridge, Highway 58
- The Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon
- The Columbus Day Storm
- The Dreaded Scotch Broom
- The Hassard House Becomes Sweet Thang Chocolates
- The Hassard House Becomes Sweet Thang Chocolates
- The Hotel Elliott in Astoria, Oregon
- The Hotel McCredie and McCredie Hot Springs
- The Lightship Columbia
- The McKenzie River Valley #1
- The Oregon (Portland) Zoo
- The Rustic Skillet in Rainbow, OR
- Train Mountain in Chiloquin, OR
- Trapper Creek at Odell Lake
- Unity Bridge at Fall Creek
- Warm Springs Photos 2008
- Wicopee Fields and The Frazier Slide
- Winter on the North Fork and Willamette: Oakridge Rest Area
"More Blog Friends"
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!11 years ago
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"Oregon Bloggers"
"Sepia Saturday, Postcard and Stamp Blogs"
"Writing and Poetry Blogs":
- Backtracking
- Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame
- Claudia's Page
- Donna's Book Pub
- Elizabeth Mueller
- Emma's LLM Calling
- Fireside Park - Tony Benson
- Gumbo Justice
- Katie O'Sullivan
- Laura Howard's Finding Bliss
- Margo Benson
- Musings From The Moment
- Napple Notes
- Rinkly Rimes
- She Writes Members Blogs
- So You Want to be a Writer
- The Art of Being Broken
- The Publishing Virgin
- Womens Memoirs
- Write From the Heart
"Spiritual and Inspirational Blogs"
"My Blog List"
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Earrings7 years ago
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Bolzano Daily Photo is TWELVE2 years ago
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The Bhutan I saw1 week ago
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Oktoberdagar i Rössjötrakten2 years ago
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Random Photos3 years ago
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Coastal Pandanus5 years ago
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Roses are red!1 year ago
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"Photography Blogs"
- A Southern Daydreamer
- Coloring Outside the Lines
- Dusty Us Diaries
- Faith, Hope and a Whole Lotta Love
- Heart's Content
- In Amazing Graceland
- Martha's Musings
- Meditations of My Heart
- Miranda
- My Arts Desire
- My Garden Haven
- My Heart's Content
- My Photography in Focus
- Old Forest
- Patina Moon
- Photographers of Esty
- Photographers of Esty Blog
- Pioneer Woman
- Smiling Sally's Blue Monday
- Snapshots of Bombay
- Stamp Mouse
- The Feathered Nest
- Tina's Pic Story
- Watery Wednesday
"Book Clubs and Book Blogs":
"Food and Cooking Blogs"
"Decorating and Homemaking Blogs":
"Art/Craft and Sewing/Quilting Blogs":
"M.E., Vintage, Cherry and Shabby Chic Blogs":
"Marriage and Family Blogs"
"Humor Blogs":
Frugal Living and Coupon Sites:
More neat blogs and websites to check out!
Links and Resources:
- "Getting the Hang of the Business End of Things" for Writers
- 1859 Oregon Magazine
- 20 Search.com
- ABDPBT.com
- Art-e-zine: Vintage Resources
- Bend Blogs.com
- Bend Bulleitn: Bend Events for the Week
- Bend: Survival Common Sense Blog
- Big Huge Labs.com
- Bing/Windows Live Pictures
- Book Blogger Directory
- Book Catcher.com
- Chickens in the Road.com
- Cottage Hill's Linky List
- Deb Gould
- Dictionary.com
- Earth Files.com
- Easy Bread Recipe
- El.com - Oregon Links
- Eugene Police Reports
- Explore Central Oregon
- Family Old Photos.com
- Fracture Me Photo Frames Website
- Free Genealogy Websites
- Free Photo Effects
- Free Photo Sources
- Free University Writing Classes
- Geneabloggers.com
- Google Books
- Hack Bend: What's Going On In Bend OR
- Historic Photo Archive.com
- Hiveword
- How to make your own postcards.
- Indie Fixx's Feed Your Soul: Free Art!
- Is Somebody Stealing Your Blog Content?
- Link to Curtis Irish's Collection on Flicker
- List of 5106 Oregon Landmarks
- Lost Oregon Links
- MLB - Home Page
- MLB - Mariners
- MLB - Rays
- MLB - Red Sox
- MLB - Yankees
- Make Your Own Slide Show
- Malibu Recovery Center Blog
- Meme-Aholoics List of Meme Parties
- NaNoWriMo Forums
- Nan's Cottage Design Studio
- Nature Photography Blog
- ODOT Webcam and Trip Checks for Central Oregon
- Old Oregon Photos.com
- Oregon Hiking.com
- Oregon Hot Springs Map
- Oregon Wildfire Info
- Pacific Crest Stock Photos.com
- ParaPublishing.com
- Patch.com
- Photo Friday.com
- Photo Secrets.com
- Plumrose Lane
- Project Gutenberg: Free Books!
- Publication Studio: Books on Demand
- Publishing Syndicate.com
- RV Parks.com
- Salem History - Old Oregon Photos
- Skool Days Nostalgia Blog
- Southern Oregon History Website
- Surnames in Douglas County, Oregon - Linkpendium
- Survival Center.com
- The Oregon Encyclopedia and The Willamette River
- The Publicity Primer (From Shannon at The Warrior Muse)
- Thesaurus.com
- Tom's Book Publishing Blog
- TomFolio.com
- Visit USA.com
- Western Americana
- Word Hippo
- Writer Beware!
2 comments:
Oh, Kathy! I have lots to say about this post!! LOL. I think I'll send you an e-mail!! :D
Oh, good, I need advice! :>)
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