timethief

Happy new year! I'm starting it off with a recommendation for a blog that will bring a little light into your life: this time this space.

Blogging goddess timethief tackles the issues, including gay rights, population growth and poverty in America. She also writes about her personal struggles with depression and fibromyalgia. But the ultimate focus of her intelligent and informative blog is personal development.

this time this space keeps readers’ interest with posts on topics ranging from conscious living to dreaming to sexuality and many points in between. All of this information comes in a clean, easy-to-read package. In fact, the entire production is a professional affair, with thoroughly researched, well-written posts. On occasion timethief brings in knowledgeable guest bloggers to broaden the scope.

I first came across timethief on BlogCatalog and my initial impression still stands: here is a straightforward woman who writes with kindness and political acumen, who welcomes newbies with open arms and an accepting heart. Her blogs – the other is one cool site, which focuses on WordPress tips with many other useful blogging-related articles tossed into the mix – are there to help, whether it is by smoothing the way to open minds or helping us to create better blogs. Both are must-reads.

Tags: blog of the month, Reviews

Careful to leave dust of longing undisturbed, for fear that it might rise again— up my nose, induce fits of passion; or worse: contentment.”
— from Clarity, a poem by Candy Tothill

Candy Tothill of Inside Candy

I am officially jealous. Well, not exactly jealous, just dumbstruck with admiration. South African blogger Candy Tothill is a business owner, a mother to three, and one hell of a writer (who in her spare time is working on a book). Her blog, Inside Candy, is an enticing combination of poetry, rant, and keen observation.

Candy’s writing is evocative. Her poems dance around sadness and loss as she captures the elusive nature of a moment or a fleeting thought, the glimpse into someone else's window, a view into another way of being. In between the poems, she mixes it up with critiques on South African politics and thoughts about life. And while there's a lot of good stuff on her blog, she's written for several publications, too.

So, what are you waiting for? As Candy says, "Be not afraid. It will only offend readers to whom life itself is offensive."

Tags: blog of the month, Reviews, writing

Over the last couple of weeks, writing to survive has gotten a few awards as well as a really kind write-up from a new friend, Dereck of I Will Not Die. The tag line of Dereck’s blog is very intriguing: Sure you could give up. You could settle. Most people do. Although I have not even begun to scratch the surface of what Dereck has written, it is clear that he is here to push himself forward and inspire others to do the same. I'm looking forward to reading more.

And if all this weren’t wonderful enough, Ken Armstrong of Ken's Writing Stuff gave me a copy of his recently published play, “The Moon Cut Like a Sickle,” after I correctly answered the question “What lady links ‘Mack the Knife’ with ‘From Russia with Love’"? Even though I cheated and used Google instead of actual knowledge, he was kind enough to send me a copy, all the way from Ireland to the far reaches of the continental U.S. Ken’s blog is a mix of movie reviews and stories, infused with optimism and humor. It's on my Google reader and it should be on yours, too.

Finally, the awards (and if I’ve missed one, I apologize. Please let me know). I am so happy that such a great group of writers and thinkers like what I am doing here. This time I'm passing each award on to another blogger who can do with it what they wish. Of course, the blogs below are only an example of the good stuff out there in the blogosphere and there are many that I read regularly and love that I haven't listed here.



Thank you, Geoffrey and Lidian! I'm passing this one on to Candy of Inside Candy.




Thank you, Lidian and Maitri! I'm passing this one on to Just Bob of the Essence of Bobness.



Thank you Lidian, Maitri, and Dori! I'm passing this one on to Karen of The Pitfalls of Life and Five Little Kids Named Larrow.



Thank you, Candy! I'm passing this one on to Koe at The Half-Life of Linoleum.



Thank you, Maitri! I can't single out any one blog here without feeling like I'm missing someone, so I officially pass this on to any blog on my blogroll.



Thank you, Judy! I am passing this one on to Lydia of Writerquake.

Next post: Is there anything I haven't told you?

Tags: Awards, Reviews, Memes

Mary of Do You Digg It recently posted a review of my blog. It’s a positive review, though reading it unsettled me a bit.

Part of what unsettled me was the link back to my own words (which I’ve changed to better reflect my feelings). The “why” of writing to survive was initially a rather bleak description of what life was like for me for the first two years of my son’s existence. This was a difficult time with many struggles to maintain eveness. I lost a lot of myself, my marriage changed, and I’d have to say there was some depression tossed into the mix, too, though I was never treated.

So. I love my son. I am lucky to stay home with him. He makes me laugh. We dance and sing and talk and read together. He has also been an impetus for change, a reminder to slow down and enjoy. With him I am able to remake my own childhood, borrowing the good bits and discarding the bad. I am lucky to be able to do this AND write.

Which brings me to my husband, an amazing man who is my biggest supporter. When I need reassuring about my parenting skills, he is quick to soothe. He loves to read my work. He gets take-out when I am tired of cooking. He understands when I use naptime (when naptime happens) to write instead of clean. We are truly a team. I love you, H.

There are nuances to this angst, and as I’ve been writing here and privately, the angst shifts and dissipates. The words have saved me.

This is writing to survive.

Tags: Reviews, existential angst, emotional striptease, housewife, family