The harsh reality is...

...I can't do it all.

I've picked up two pretty time-intensive hobbies in the last 16 months--running and crocheting. One of those is costing me money (running gear, race fees, etc.); the other is making me a bit of money. I'm enjoying both.

The Engineer and I have also decided that 2011 is the year in which it would be nice for me to focus more on my real estate career again. My kids are still my full-time job, but I'm ready for real estate to be a solid, part-time profession, instead of just an occasional one. I was a full-time agent for three years before Chickie was born. I've continued to keep my license and to sell houses here and there for the last five years. This year I'm putting more energy into marketing myself again, to remind people that I'm still here, ready to give jaw-droppingly good service if they need to buy or sell in this neck of the woods.

Of course, I have this wonderful husband and these two awesome kiddos, and somehow they take up quite a bit of my time. (And I wouldn't have it any other way.)

Then there's this blog I've got here. So where in the world does it fit in?

Back in November, I had my own little LoBloPoMo (Low Blog Posting Month.) And since then, while I've picked up the pace on my posts, I haven't gotten back to my previous frequency (which was usually six days a week.) I've hesitated to post about it; honestly, I didn't want to look like a burned-out, unmotivated blogger. Especially considering that whole "Blogging with discipline" thing.

And it's important to me to keep posting, because writing is something I enjoy, and I love the connections I have with those of you who read my blog. But back to the first sentence of the post: I can't do it all. So in this season of my life, "blogging with discipline" consists of writing a couple of blog posts a week, and keeping up with my other blog. It means my brain won't be in "writer mode" as often, and I'll miss out on some of the inspiration I'd get if I was writing here every day.

But I'm busy doing other things, things that are also important. Designing hats is such a fun artistic outlet for me. Selling homes makes me feel like a thinking adult, and it brings in an income. Running keeps me healthy and (relatively) sane. And all of those things help me be more well-rounded as a wife and mom. (Or at least I hope they do!)

So...you'll still C. Beth Blog. You just won't "C" me as often. But I'm still here...running and stitching and selling and mommying. And a couple of times a week...writing about it!

Snow day!

We don't get snow very often where we live, so the fact that we've had it two years in a row is pretty amazing! Today's snowfall was light, but there was ice underneath, so many roads are closed. The Engineer is working from home, and the kids and I took advantage of the fun white stuff this morning. It's melting now, and it will be in the mid-50s again tomorrow. (Yay!)

Here's a collage of pictures from our snow day!



I had to include that last photo of Hammer with his paws on the countertop, licking the snow ice cream--just to give you a more realistic view of what kind of dog he is. After my post earlier this week, I got one comment that made me realize I'd inadvertently portrayed my dog as brilliant and well-behaved. Well, he is definitely smart, but unfortunately, he usually uses his brains for evil rather than for good. No food is safe with him around unless it's out of reach...and often "out of reach" is further than I realize. Sigh....

Stay warm and safe out there!

My dog, Pavlov

Like many of you, we had a big storm Monday night. No snow, but wind so violent, it shook our windows.

The next day I let our dog Hammer out in the back yard. A little while later I was surprised to hear him scratching at the front door. I checked the gate outside, and sure enough, it was open--because the wind had knocked a post out of the ground, the post that the gate is supposed to latch to.

I knew that I would need to take Hammer outside on a leash whenever he needed to do his business. But I'm trained just as well as Pavlov's dogs were. Hammer rings a little bell at the back door when he wants to go out. Three times throughout the day, I automatically opened the back door when he rang the bell. One of the times, I didn't even realized I'd let him out until, several minutes later, he once again scratched at the front door.

The Engineer will be fixing the post, but it was anchored in concrete, and it'll take quite a bit of work...work he really doesn't want to do when the temperature is in the 20s. So this morning I realized I needed to find some way to get that gate closed.

I channeled my inner MacGyver, and with supplies I found in the garage and the house (concrete blocks and a broken fold-up chair), I got that gate to stay closed and blocked off Hammer's escape route.



I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm not much of a handy(wo)man, but I proved I could solve a problem. It's temporariy. And it's not very attractive. But it's doing the job! And I can go back to automatically opening the back door when Pavlov...uh, I mean Hammer...rings the bell.