Edie Wadsworth

In which I confess my tiny obsession with Loretta Lynn…….

February 13, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 24 Comments

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is how you tell who your true friends are. I’ve let you in to my little private space in the world. I haven’t held back. At least not much. You’ve been with me when I fished disgusting things out of my drain. You’ve watched me lament the loss of my former job/life/etc. I’ve told you all my deepest ADD secrets. And I even let you in on my King Tut dance and how my heart is breaking that Taylor is graduating. Now I need you. JamieKnoxville called me yesterday and begged me to watch Coal Miner’s Daughter again. And then call her with my favorite quote. I feel that if you and I are going to continue this relationship, then you might as well know now about my obsession with Coal Miner’s Daughter and Loretta Lynn. It was probably because of my sordid childhood, surrounded by really funny drunk people from Appalachia….that I like it so much. And JamieKnoxville can never let anything die. But if you want to go to the next level with me, then don’t ask questions. Just rent it and keep a notepad handy . And report back to me on Sunday….for I will be posting my favorite quote and a few other funnies. So are you in? Okay, we can still be friends if you’ll at least watch this video and give me your favorite line from it. K? Love ya!

P.S. And you can also watch video clips on You Tube. But if you really love me, you’ll watch the whole thing.

P.S.S. Valentine’s Day advice from Coal Miner’s Daughter:

“A wohman needs perty thangs”

P.S.S.S. JK’s facebook page says “Ima puttin’ up 17 quarts a apple butter….and I’m bout da die” I know that’s not her favorite quote but Caiti and I are crying we laughed so hard.

What we’re growing………

February 12, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 16 Comments

1. The cutest little english golden retriever puppy that you ever saw.

who now towers over Scooter (the 3yo maltese)

and who I repeatedly find standing on the patio furniture. He’s hilarious. And he’s growing…so fast.

2. A little girl who loves to be outside. So we take our books outdoors….and read on the trampoline.

3. Tomatoes, chives, and basil. Our little indoor seed garden has sprouted. Life pokes through from the dark cold dirt. We watch and are hopeful.

4. Magnolia trees and flying acrobats and daffodils. All of which, I simply adore.

5. Teenagers who like broccoli. And your teens would like broccoli too if you’d add a teeny bit of maple syrup as it finishes sauteing. Do it for the young ones. Real maple only please. Broccoli helps ’em grow, ya know.

6. Teeth. We’re growing teeth.

7. We’re growing germs too. Plenty of little creepy crawly bugs that have us coughing and waking up at all manner of unsightly hours. With fever. And sniffles. And little red noses.

No matter what you do , the growth goes on. The trees, the kids, the grays, the flowers, the wrinkles . Time marches on. Even in February. Even without my permission or my noticing. I purpose to notice. The growth. The grace. The life that springs up all around me.

Emme says, “Mom, are you watching?”

Oh, I’m watching……. like I’ve never watched before.

When wishes come true….

February 11, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 17 Comments

I’m joining Kristen’s Valentine’s Party…..’cause I really love to talk about this guy! This is also a repost….from October 22. Regular posting to resume when my children aren’t up all night sick and the intervals between my coughs are longer than 10 seconds!

If he were a rock star, he’d be Eddie Vedder.
If he were a drink, he’d be scotch.

If he were a restaurant, he’d be a sports bar.
If he were a animal, he’d be a lion.
If he were a state, he’d be Montana.

If he were an article of clothing, he’d be a leather jacket.

If he were a book of the Bible, he’d be Isaiah.
If he were a politician…..he’d never be a politician.
If he were a car, he’d be a Ford F150.
If he were a superhero, he’d be Spiderman.
If he were an apostle, he’d be Peter.

If he were a food, he’d be a filet.
If he were a color, he’d be black.
If he were a football player, he’d be Brett Favre.
If he were an actor, he’d be Jack Bauer.
If he were a bird, he’d be an eagle.
If he were a tree, he’d be a oak.
He is the real deal. Authentic. Strong. Fierce. Tender. Rugged. Wise. Mysterious. Reflective. Hilarious. Cautious. A man with convictions. Unafraid to be himself. Unable to be false. Ready to learn. Quick to apologize. Taking the road less travelled. And okay with it. Faithful. To. The. End.
If he were a dessert, he’d be chocolate cake. With buttercream icing. Cause that’s my favorite.
He is like fresh cool water. He is like reading Mere Christianity for the 10th time and finding new insight and truth over and over again. His hands are pleasantly calloused and his body hard and strong.
His insight is keen and his intellect sharp.
He always smiles when he sees babies. And tears up easier than you’d think.
He is the first person I need to talk to when life isn’t fair. And the first person I think of when
joy is unspeakable.
And today is his birthday.
I hope you get everything on your “wishlist” Stevie.

Pearl Jam performing “Wishlist”

Isa. 61:3 “That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”

The faces of love….

February 10, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 7 Comments

This is a re-post from September 28. As love-day nears, he’s on my mind. And the little ones talked about Jesus clearing the temple this week in Sunday school. I went searching until I found this and thought you might like it too.

There are so many things to love about this guy. He’s rugged, funny, smart, loves football and fishing and good scotch, can name nearly every tree in nature, reads theology books, can water ski and snow ski like a pro, likes classical music and Pearl Jam, and occasionally loses his temper. He’s edgy like that sometimes…..in a masculine, Jesus-and-the-money-changers sort of a way. He has huge biceps and makes you feel like he’d crush anyone who tried to hurt you…….all the things that make a girl go weak in the knees.
Yesterday, he saw our children and there friends throwing small matchbox cars in the pool. It was right after the Vols got beat so he was already a little ‘frustrated’, let’s say. He yelled…… they cried……I was bewildered.

Today, as we pulled into the church parking lot, he put his right hand on my shoulder and gave me a gentle love-touch. He asked the girls if they remembered the pool incident and they, of course, did. He told them that he was wrong to lose his temper and asked if we would forgive him. Elea said, “Yes, daddy, I forgive you.” The exchange was powerful. I can’t think of a better way to teach forgiveness to your children. The historic liturgy of the church is beautiful on this subject, and thank God we say and hear these words every Sunday;

“Lord we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean and have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways……Almighty God in His mercy has given His son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.”

Now, that is comfort. We fail. We screw up. We lose our tempers, get angry…. and He stands there waiting…..to forgive. It is a powerful force in any relationship, but especially in families. To forgive and be forgiven, what a gift from God! I am thankful for a man who is passionate enough to get angry and man enough to ask for forgiveness. He also just so happens to able to identify nearly every bird flying overhead and he can wind the bobbin on my sewing machine! I’m starting to feel so inadequate!

P.S. I’m listening to this great talk radio about repentance. Join me.

Blissdom ’09…deconstructed

February 9, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 48 Comments

For those of you who couldn’t attend Blissdom but who are interested in becoming a better blogger/writer, here’s a few things I learned:

1. Finding Your Rhythm.

Are you a daily blogger? A twice a weeker? A twice a monther? No matter what that rhythm is; try to establish one and loosely stick to it. People like knowing what to expect when they come to your blog. I have found that in my short blogging history, I already have fallen into some sort of rhythm….without intentionally doing so. I usually post 5x per week. On Mondays, I have often posted prayers. On Tuesdays, I’ve done food. On Wednesday/Thursday, I have tackled more serious topics like theology or homeschooling. I have posted lots of pics on Friday or participated in link parties and on the weekends, I often do book reviews or decorating extravaganzas.

I think I will try to be a wee bit more intentional and try to loosely follow my own rhythm more often. That said, I have ADD and am very spontaneous…..so just as soon as I commit in my mind to doing food on Tuesdays, I rebel and say to myself “Well, what if I don’t want to do food this Tuesday….or what if I do something exciting on Tuesday and want to blog about that instead?” Long story short, it’s my blog, right? So I can set some kind of writing schedule and then change it when I want to. Would you like knowing that if you came to my blog, say on Tuesdays, you would always find a cooking tutorial or a recipe? What do you think about rhythm? Do you like reading blogs that are very predictable? Would you consider setting a schedule or rhythm to your writing?

2. Finding your niche.

This was the hardest one for me? What do you want your blog to be about? What are your passions? Find your ‘niche’ and go with that. The trouble is, I am passionate about way too many things. I can’t write 87 different blogs; one each for theology, homeschooling, decorating, books, my children, cooking, gardening, andsoon. I am not a niche blogger. I have a style that’s much more like The Pioneer Woman……a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I think that’s okay as long ‘as you stay true to your voice’, as we will talk about soon.

So what do you think? Do you like niche blogs better? Blogs that are committed to one thing; ie…..The Nester is a decorating blog. I love her blog and I love knowing that she’s committed to decorating. And since we’re on this subject, let me just tell you….she is darling in person. She’s is warm and friendly and kind and beautiful. The kind of person with which you have instant rapport. With the cutest black cocktail dress that you want to borrow. But I digress. I still think it’s okay not to have a niche. I’m curious about your thoughts on this though. And how in the world would my ADD self ever stick to a niche. I just couldn’t do it. But then again, I’m blogging to write. And I love writing about all the things I love. If your purpose is to sell ads and make money, then you may need a niche. But I have a feeling PW woman is doing just fine.

3. Finding Your Voice.

This one sounds esoteric but I think I get it. Be true to yourself. If you’ve let your readers get to know you, they know ‘your voice’. Which thankfully is why when my email was hacked into, people didn’t send money to England. They know my voice. And I don’t say ‘Best Regards’. People are forgiving on grammar and niche and rhythm if you’re true to who you are. So apparently, I can keep on leavin’ the g’s off the ends of some words, because I tend to write like I talk. Unless I’m writing a more serious piece then I tend to be more serious about language as well. But of all the advice that I got, I felt that this one comes the most natural. Just be who you are.

Think about your blog. Have you let ‘your voice’ come through. Are you true to that?

4. Finding Your Brand.

This one I think, is a combination of all of the above. This is where the title of your blog comes into play. Does your title and tagline, “lifeingrace. living a dream we don’t deserve” , tell people what they can expect when they visit your sight? Is your ‘brand’ strong? The Nester’s sight, for example, The Nesting Place is a very strong ‘brand’……and she’s carries the ‘bird’ thing off so well. Does your blog design reflect your brand? I recently had a blog makeover and I think I like the ‘brand’ I seem to have now. It’s a blog about all aspects of my life (hence the title). I will tend to reflect thankfulness (title as well) and the whimsical design let’s you know that I don’t take myself too seriously. ( Unless I’m talking about lip gloss or lamps).

Overall, I learned alot and made some wonderful new friends. A few other tips I thought were important:

1. Take good pictures. Use flicker or some other photo sharing service instead of downloading directly to your blog. If you ever change to a different blog platform (word press or typepad), your pictures won’t transfer if they’re loaded directly into blogger.

2. Utilize social networks such as facebook and twitter. I have to say that I’ve strengthened friendships with bloggers using twitter. And I’ve seen some really heinous high school pictures of myself using Facebook. Both of these I consider a plus.

3. Don’t be ‘shy’ commenting on blogs. But don’t be compelled to leave a comment on every blog you visit. I tend to comment when I really have something to say. I love reading all your blogs, but I couldn’t read them if I always commented on them because it would take too long. And I thought a lot about how important comments are to us bloggers. And does that change what we might write or not write? I love your wonderful comments and it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of blogging, but I don’t want that to make me shy away from certain topics either. Jen at Conversion Diary closed her comments during Lent last year to re-evaluate what priority they really had in her life. I’m pondering that too. So how are you affected by comments?

4. If your desire for your blog is simply to share your life with family and friends that live far away, then ignore all of the above. It’s your blog. You do with it whatever you want. I started my blog for that reason, but it has become my outlet, my platform, to share my mind and my creative life with others. So although I am a storyteller for my family, I also want to find ways to inspire others; to use my blog to ‘serve my neighbor’. And I think that implementing some of the above tips will help me do that more effectively.

5. I violate all blog rules about politics and religion and family privacy. It’s a personal decision and so far, my family approves. I write about them because I love them. I share ‘our’ story in the hopes of helping others or encouraging them with their own struggles. I am careful to not cross ‘the line’. You know that imaginary line in the sand that we’re all trying to respect. So far, so good.

6. Some blogs are skimmable. Some invite you to sit down and read a while. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I don’t have a skimmable blog. And I’m okay with that. I find that I like blogs that are more personal…without a lot of ads and clutter….and in general ones that don’t open with music. (I love music but I’m too distracted by it to read, so I always turn it off) I tend to read blogs where writers are sharing their hearts….and not seeking higher stats. I plan to keep mine pretty much the same. Personal. Whimsical. Informational. But not professional. I guess you have to decide that one for yourself.

Hope you enjoyed my ‘cliff notes’.