Lets talk about....the benefits of blogging...

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i have seen many a post about pissed off husbands & starving children due to our addiction to "BLOGGING"...

Bjørn & I even went through a little "phase" where he was getting, dare I say, a little JEALOUS of the laptop... He would come home from work and ask "Have you been blogging today?..." Of course I would lie and say..."NOOOO" (first sign of addiction is denial..right?)

But after I started trying to WORK with my ADDICTION...ie: get the kids fed & then go back to the computer... snuggle with hubby & then hop on the computer after he fell asleep, things got much better.... (I kid...kind of)

Bjørn & I talked about my love affair with his laptop & I think in the end he too, could see the benefits in blogging....

I started blogging in May after my little sister got me into it. I don't know what I expected my blog to be like.... an online diary? a place to b!tch & moan about whatever I didn't like about my life or where I live..... The more i started pouring myself into my blog... & reading what I was writing or thinking, the more i realized how silly/dumb I sounded.... seriously... the things i would complain about.... & then you get all caught up in reading other peoples lives... some really positive... some really negative.... the more I read, the more I thought about what kind of blogger I want to be... what kind of PERSON do i want to be?

I look back & read my posts from the beginning.. & think... I was kind of negative about living in Norway.... I don't like DEBBIE DOWNER blogs.... & I didn't want to be THAT BLOG... or more important THAT PERSON..... Debbie Downer...
I found myself looking for positive things in my life to write about... fun things to do with my family... nice things about living here....

("come on kids...get dressed so we can go out & have family fun day, so mommy has something to blog about.... " ) really who wants to read about me sitting in my PJ's all weekend yelling at my children? I kid kind of...but reading about what neat other things y'all were doing made me think about what I wanted to be doing with my family....

I think my online bloggy friends have had a huge influence on how I feel about living here... had most of my comments been ..."Poor girl...sucks to be you" I think it could be very easy to go with that flow.... I would be so easy to tell you all of the things I miss about the United States.. but the majority of the comments I have read have been along the lines of "that is soo cool..." & I have started seeing my life from a totally different view. "Yeah, it is kind of cool..."

You read about other peoples incredibly sweet families/husbands & it is easier to find the cute things about your kids & husband, that maybe before you didn't notice, or didn't take the time to comment on... (OK is this just me or?)

I feel like surrounding myself with all of this positive energy from all of you positive/creative/caring people is making me a better person... (am I getting cheesy now? )
But I see things in a different way than I did 5 months ago.....

I like clicking into your homes & taking your good ideas/positive thoughts and trying to incorporate them into my life/home....

So as you can see, I am out of my Debbie Downer mood... I am sure a large part of it was due to being sick & the other part was due to the crappy dark weather... (sun is shinning... and so am I)

I think I am going to start doing shout outs to the blogs who inspire me... good for them/good for me...

A blog that inspired me today...Keeper of the Skies Wife

i am just in AWE of her beautiful grown girls (who look like they could be her sisters...) & how much they enjoy spending time together... I found myself saying "I hope my family is like that in 10 years..." that Bjørn & I are crazy about each other & we will all enjoy spending time together....

Now I better hop off of the laptop & get something done...
Responseto Comments....
No offense to anyone named DEBBIE.. : ) Oh you all know I still enjoy a good WHINE every once in a while.... the point I was trying to make was that instead of focusing on things I wasn't so happy about... i have been looking at it in a different light, you think positive & good things happen....

Comments

MsTypo said…
I don't mind complaining on my own blog too often. After all, i don't want to give people the wrong impression and having them leaving thinking i'm a happy, well adjusted person. :p

I love reading other people's blogs. They inspire to me write more, be better, be more appreciative of my own mess, and in general make me feel connected. My "blog" friends around the world inspire me to be me.

Great post! :)
October 22, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Suzanne said…
Tressa, I had a young friend from an insanely dysfunctional family. He once said he envied our happy family. I told him that if he saw a family that was happy and perfect he just wasn't looking close enough. I think you need to have a safe place to discuss your feelings about living in another culture. It's not easy!!! Ask me... I lived in another culture for four years. Well, heck, it was only in Texas BUT it was another country as far as I was concerned. HA, HA.

You're fine. But get something straight with your family. Everything is blog fodder. That's just the way it is.

- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife
October 22, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Debie Napoleon said…
Promise not to hop off for too long - okay?

I was first inspired by my BFF's blog and am glad I started. Losing my job and having to relearn things is so much easier with this communities support.

And my husband is not thrilled about my laptop buddy either, but he is getting better about it. (I hope)

and BTW - I hate that Debbie Downer name (since I am a Debie)!
October 22, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Scary Mommy said…
My husband went through that jealous phase too, but I think he's over it now. Blogging is good for me, and he supports that. It's tough not to use the blog to bitch about anything and everything. Which is why the topic of my mother in law is off limits. ;)
October 22, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Tressa-- You know it is soo funny that you posted this blog, I actually wrote an email last night to someone who commented on my blog and said she was so sorry for everything i was going through. And I responded and wrote, yes it has been a difficult ride, but this, this, and this are the positives that have come out of it. And I think I need to let people know on my blog that too. So I am going to start by doing that today! So you have inspired me to do that today and to try and see the positive overall in general. I think it is so much easier and happier to live life looking for the good in things. Does that mean I am going to be happy all the time? Heck no. Im gonna have crappy moods, but at the end of it all, there is ALWAYS a silver lining. Sometimes it's just hard to see through the storm clouds :) Thanks Tressa--I too have learned so much in the short time I have been blogging about lives, about what other people are experiencing, and how much I believe we really help eachother cope, with the good and the bad! Its been fun!!

**sorry this got soo long! I didnt mean for it to, I just couldn't stop myself!! Next time I'll write an email, haha!**
October 22, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Anonymous said…
LOVE this post. Perfectly said and it's true! I think blogging give us an "excuse" to go out and do something blog worthy! I know I take a lot more meaningful pictures of the things we do to make memories (and to blog about).
I like what Suzanne said too - everything is blog fodder. It's a common phrase at our house ;)
October 22, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Jen said…
I get what you are saying its all about balance. I am just happy that my hubby loves the computer as much as I do. We sit in different rooms both on the computer and chat with each other but hey at least we are communicating Right!?!
October 22, 2008 at 3:42 PM
jewelstreet said…
I totally agree, and I think a lot of us start out blogging that way as an online diary.

I am now thinking of mine as an online magazine. My very own. lol. That really is the goal. Trying to figure out what you want your blog to be and making it that.
October 22, 2008 at 3:57 PM
Gutsy Living said…
So I have something to say about blogging and how, "Selfish Parents make Better Parents." My husband, a lawyer, when he gets home from work, is addicted to his camera and film forums. He wants to produce a low budget movie and so, he spends just as much time on the computer with his forums as I do blogging. Both our computers are in the kitchen, so we sip wine and blog and forum TOGETHER. Maybe you can get hubby to join a forum too.
October 22, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Julie H said…
What a great post! Off to check out your friend.
October 22, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Rhea said…
Great post, Tressa! I totally agree with you on this. I love clicking into other people's lives and seeing what's going on. Blogging has provided so much introspection on my part and it does have me out doing stuff I might not otherwise do. I love it!
October 22, 2008 at 4:54 PM
My Two Army Brats said…
I agree, I have gotten a lot out of reading other blogs and really enjoy the release of writing my own. Some days I vent, so days I rant, others I rave. Some days I laugh as I write and others I cry. It's a great tool in my everyday life.
October 22, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Jen Sue Wild said…
I love your blog because you are so real you tell the good the bad and the ugly!! Thats Why I read . Because you keep it real!! Blogging for me has kept me sane..
October 22, 2008 at 5:34 PM
scargosun said…
I agree with you about the whole seeing what other people are doing and that makes you want to get out and do stuff with your family. I have been feeling the same way! I need to read your comments from yesterday though, did someone actually get irritated by your use of the name Debbie? Just odd.
October 22, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Becky said…
Blogging has always been my way to journal my family, but I have discovered the passion I have for learning from others experiences and trying to expand our own family experiences. Blogging just ROCKS!
October 22, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Lizzie said…
such a try blog. i feel the same way, i am looking for those wonderful things instead of ignoring them. thank you for always being so honest. :)
October 22, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Michele said…
Love your post today. You are so the girl next door. That is why you are so popular! Very easy to relate to. I share your thoughts. I am only now discovering what a wonderful community of lady bloggers there are out there. Where have I been?? :-)
October 22, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Keys to the Magic Travel said…
I love the inspiration I can get from other bloggers. Inspiration to get out there and do things. To try different approaches. And sometimes they can just make me thankful that I am having a drama free day.
October 22, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Ash said…
Wow - you captured exactly how I feel! Whether it's you feeling a little lonely in a foriegn country, or me feeling a little lonely locked up in the house - WE got to find each other through this crazy maze.

Totally awesome.

I completely agree with you on how blogging can be so inspiring. It makes me be a better observer.

Not to mention a better speller.

Em
October 22, 2008 at 7:02 PM
Audrey (the Hepburn House) said…
what a beautiful written, introspective blog! I think that one thing that really excites me about the blogging community is seeing how it can come together in times of need-like for Stephanie Nielson, blogger of The Nie Nie Dialogues and her husband-who were in a horrible plane crash in August. It is just amazing to see how many bloggers have banded together to help raise funds for this family!
October 22, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Stacia said…
I have something on my blog for you today Tressa!
October 22, 2008 at 11:40 PM
Shelle-BlokThoughts said…
Sorry about your Debbie Downer day...but I loved this post...it's exactly how I feel...and now I am going to go find my husband and get him to read it! :)
October 22, 2008 at 11:46 PM
Frizzy said…
Just so ya know. I am still very envious of your living in Norway. Heck, I can't even afford to visit there let alone live there. It's on my list of dream vacas. Did you happen to see your barn pic framed on my blog? I put it in a post a few days back. LOVE IT and it now hangs in the hall just outside my bedroom. I see it all day long and love it.
October 22, 2008 at 11:51 PM
Keeper of the Skies Wife said…
Oh my goodness. I am SO flattered....I'm almost speechless. I honestly got all chocked up when I read this. Thank you for such a lovely shout out!
October 22, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Laura said…
I just found you thru Gutsywriter's blog and saw you're also an expat--AND worked on cruise ships-- I worked in the cruise biz too, but shoreside. So I'm dying to know, what ships did you work on????
October 23, 2008 at 2:32 AM
Cristin said…
Really sweet post! I kept my blog secret from hubby for a while..I didn't think he'd understand it... He likes that I do it.. he is a little jealous, only because his hobby is fishing and he only gets to do that a couple times a month... I get my hobby every day!
October 23, 2008 at 5:57 AM
J'Ollie Primitives said…
I started reading your blog when your hubbie was in the hospital...then your daughter got stinkeye/pinkeye/OMG Lyme Disease... AND her hubbie's in the hospital AND she lives in Norway? I was HOOKED. Still am.

Debbie Downer? Never. A little kvetching is good for the soul, and what a perfect outlet!
October 23, 2008 at 6:26 AM
Mum-me said…
I love blogging and reading other blogs, and my family have suffered from it too. My husband accused me of spending too much time on the laptop (although he spends twice as long using his laptop - just not 'blogging') so I've cut down to 3 posts per week to keep him happy.
October 23, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Anonymous said…
Because of what I blog about my family has to go out and do things...lol.

Funny thing - my hubby doesn't get jealous because he is on his own compter sitting next to me doing his thing...lol. So even though we are on our computers we still are spending time together...lol. Silly.
October 23, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Tiff said…
I complain some on my blog to..but I try to be positive most of the time! I do my blog so I will have some sort of a journal on what was going on in my life and my crazy mind at the time...I don't want to look back and see all negatives...positives are so much better!! And hey you are not alone..my hubby walks in the door everyday and asked if I blogged today..LOL...yeap..sure did...haha...
October 26, 2008 at 4:03 AM
Diane Mandy said…
HAH! My husband tells me the pecking order in our house is as follows

Me
Mac
Charlie
Max

I can't say I disagree.

I am so happy you decided to join the ranks of bloggers. You always make my day ever time I get the chance to drop by!
October 30, 2008 at 11:19 AM
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