DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO WRITE

Just a quick post...

Tommy and I heard yesterday that our elderly friend D died in the nursing home. We are saddened by this news. Some of my readers will remember that Tommy helped take care of D weeks ago. They were old friends. We thought he was getting better. We'll attend the funeral in a few days.

I went on a Women's Retreat up in Cohutta Springs (Georgia) this past weekend (Friday through Sunday). It was very much needed. I feel I have been so overwhelmed with life in general, and I needed a break. My blog has suffered because I haven't been able to post everyday or as often as I used to, and when I do post it's just been as a courtesy to acknowledge some swappers and let them know I got their packages. Yes, I've been emailing them personally, but we love to see our swaps bragged about on our recipient's blog, right? So I bragged. It's about all I could find the time to do, just thanking swap partners and praising their packages on my blog.

Speaking of which, I got an interesting email from someone who I didn't even know beyond her being a hostess for one of the swaps I am in. She told me that she wasn't trying to tell me what to write but perhaps my spoiler might like to see a post every so often about me and not just stuff I get.... Yes, I can see her point, but I disagree with her. I, for one, like to hear about what people receive, with pictures, posted on their blogs. I also know most bloggers have Archives for which I can read even more of their blog, their swaps, their projects, their vacations, "them", etc. I also know that I have a questionaire specifically posted on my blog for the swap being referred to for my spoiler to learn about me.

This email made me feel like I got a slap on the hand! I felt like I was in "grade school" again being "graded" on my writing. Excuse me, but THIS IS MY BLOG! I write for others, sure, but this blog is for ME! I have been in several of these particular swaps over the past year (3 separate ones, to be exact, that lasted 3 months a piece) and I have never received such a ... a ... I don't even know what to call this email! My husband was every bit as surprised as I was to read the email. Whereas my mouth dropped open in response to reading it, he laughed! He laughed with the suggestion that maybe I didn't need the hassle of this swap. What a not-so-nice thing to read after coming home from a Women's Retreat, a retreat that helped rejuvenate me, put things in perspective, and gave me a better sense overall.

After some thinking about it, and realizing I had to email the hostess to get my partner's address which she should have sent to me weeks ago in the initial email she sent, I decided this round of the swapping did not have the right "feel" as the previous 3 rounds, and having learned to trust my intuition, (remind me to tell you how my intuition kicked in this weekend while in Atlanta...) I pulled out of this swap. I've never pulled out of a swap before. However, I haven't sent anything beyond e-cards yet for this swap, nor received anything beyond an e-card, so it was a clean break. And I feel better about having ended it. I'll miss the swap, but there was just something about it that was so different this round than the previous 3 rounds over the last year. It wasn't up to par in many ways.

Anyway, end of story. I promise I won't tell you what to post on your blog if you don't tell me what to post on mine. Deal?

Ironically, I still feel too "chastised" to post about a dishcloth and stitch marker package I received from Toni while I was away this weekend. Can you believe that I still feel that way??? I just opened Toni's package Tuesday night. I'll post a pic later... Thank you, Toni!