When People Search For You At Night

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For years, even after she stopped writing, I'd send you to Kelly Ann's blog because her posts/photos were so darn inspiring/helpful/ethereal. 

Yet in my last post I included no link to Kelly, because, oh dear! Her blog no longer exists. Looks like the Chattablogs.com domain went kablooie and faded into Internet oblivion.

I am trying not to be bummed-out by this. 

I keep reminding myself that somewhere around Hobbit Cottage exists a printed version of my favorite of Kelly's post, and also, just remembering Kelly's writing style/content is enough to wring the creativity from my brain.

But still.

Kelly's blog went inactive five years ago (more?), and yet I still read it some nights when I needed a nudge forward, reminders of important things and bits of writing encouragement.

Today's lesson? If you've written in a blog for, say, over a year, please 1.) back it up/save it and 2.) never delete it. Well, unless you've got a super good reason. 

Why not? Because one lonely night, a Google search might lead somebody to your blog where your words shake them back into living another day. What you wrote may be the vital, freeing confirmation their heart had needed. You never know what 'little things' can save a person's physical or mental life. (Personally, I don't believe anything is small to God.)

This past decade, some people arrived at my blog due to the strangest searches and they've told me that a post I wrote eight or five years ago helped change how they viewed their situation. The words God gave me helped them feel new hope and that they're not alone. And I imagine other people were helped, yet didn't feel able to tell me. Only God knows who and how many.

The Bible says our words are powerful--and I believe that. What remains is for us to allow God to speak through us and then leave the details of changing lives to Him.

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“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” 
― Martin Luther King Jr.


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Though Tom and I haven't visited the local movie theater often the past couple years, we did earn a free ticket the last time and I'm planning on using it this week (today maybe?) to go see Still Alice. I'm anticipating good things!


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Trips to the supermarket feel like a game to me, for I never pay full price, using tricks I've learned over 36 years. Every week, I bring home free groceries and ones 50 to 90 percent off. Our pantry cupboards are stuffed with emergency food.

A few more deals from last week:

Butterball turkey bacon: 2 packages, free

Starkist tuna pouches: 4 for .25 cents each

Food Should Taste Good chips (usually $3.29 from the organic aisle) : .25 cents

Quaker oatmeal:  4 cups, free

Ocean Spray Cranberry/Pomegranate juice: 2, free

Betty Crocker potatoes: free

Old El Paso refried beans: 3 for .49 cents each

Ragu pasta sauce: 2 for $1 each

Quaker breakfast bars: $1 for a box of 5

Idahoan potatoes: .59 cents

Goya low sodium rice: 2 at .45 cents each

Without sales and coupons? I'd have paid $52.92.

Instead, I paid just $7.21.

It still amazes me when, just because someone hasn't taken the time to learn to shop like this (or tried it for only 2 weeks), they say it can't be done by anyone. 

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