Pinterest and other mania

A few of you have already discovered my recent advent onto the Pinterest boards. When the nosy, gossipy, poser known as Facebook asked: What’s happening? I made my reluctant confession.

What’s happening Facebook? Glad you asked. thanks to Marisa, and several others, I have succumbed to peer pressure and personalized a Pinterest.

Yes, it is true. I avoided it for over a year. I was intimidated by it. All the crafty, talented, creative, and beautiful people on the interwebs were posting all of these things that showed off skill, passion, humor, and inspiration. The Muses have evolved into the 21st Century and Occupy Pinterest.

I considered myself museless. Seeing all the things that I had never learned to do, had the patience for, or believed could ever be part of who I am was as dissatisfying and disheartening as window shopping and Sears-booking. If you have to ask what Sears-booking is, well, you are way too young. However, I won’t hold that against you.

Sears-booking is what people did before internet, cable television, and malls. Families would obtain a Sears catalog, once a year I believe, and it would become their window to the world outside of their homespun existence. It may have been the first concentrated marketing effort to convince people that their lives and what they had in them wasn’t enough. In 1894, a time when the household management was the woman’s domain, clothes were crafted from homespun cloth, sewn with detailed attention and love to last from one child to the next, and the next, and the next, to be saved for the following generations, the Sears book was the inspiration for making new patterns, implementing do-it-yourself innovations in the home, and the wishlist of the entire household.

The 1943 Sears News Graphic wrote that the Sears catalog, “serves as a mirror of our times, recording for future historians today’s desires, habits, customs, and mode of living.” ~ History of the Sears Catalog

It sounds a lot like Pinterest to me.

But I digress.

The point is this. I avoided Facebook for years believing that I had no place in that sphere with my depression, self-imposed isolation, and complete loss of passion and interest in life. One incredibly devastating and traumatizing event happened, in a series of such events, in my life and as a result I located my father, whom I had not seen since I was less than a year old, and a connected with a sister who had suspected of my existence when I’d had no knowledge of hers. At her urging, I joined Facebook. It was the second step in this journey of healing and recovery I embarked on in 2010.

I’m realizing I have believed these lies about all the things I’m NOT over the truth about all the things I AM. The power of believing, not just believing but immersing myself in them for so long has been similar to the pickling process (as I understand it). It took a pure, firm, healthy cucumber and transformed it into a smaller, wrinkled, more sour version of itself. It’s tasty for those who like pickles, but probably not a whole lot of fun for the cucumber, if a cucumber had feelings, that is. Writing this analogy just gave me a new revelation and understanding. The end result is not bad, it just means the cucumber has been transformed by it’s experiences and is different than it once was, but it’s purpose is the same: So it is with me.

AH HA!!!!!

Back to Pinterest. A day or so ago (I lose track, insomnia will do that to a person) Amy West, a bloggess extraordinaire I met through Le Clown’s blog, A Clown on Fire, with her post, “Zen and the Art of Blogging,” put out a Facebook feeler to see if any other bloggers who were mom’s wanted to participate in an an ongoing project with our children and art and blog about our activities, as a way of getting more engaged and connected to our children and our creativity. I volunteered, though my bleary eyes initially thought her broadcasted request had said it didn’t involve art or children. Yeah, insomnia will do that too. Pinterest is part of the process, optional, but still part of the process. When it comes to this blogging and social media thing, I’m starting to adopt the attitude of, “Go big or go home.”

Speaking of going home . . .

It seems as though we are looking for a new one. If we get the one I found on Craigslist last night, Mr. Jade will have his new home in the same place ours will be; on the bank of the Umpqua River in rural Oregon close to the coast. It will be a five mile walk down a graveled drive with only five or so neighbors to reach the main road, which is a State Route. A wood stove for heat (I’ve never had that before, a little scared) and my only access to the outside world will be the internet and Direct TV service provided by the landlord.

For years I’ve lamented not being the domesticated woman of yesteryear and being capable of scratch cooking and homesteading activities like organic gardening and fallen into the easy excuse of fibro-fatigue and convenience reheating and mixing of pouches, boxes, and processed foods. Initially we will be without a vehicle, as I have been for the past couple of years. There is also no public transit system within walking distance since the main road will be five miles away. Therefore, Keith and I are in talks about postponing his hearing aids so I can get a freezer to place on the 60′ covered deck and stocking up on non-perishables, frozen meat, fruits, and veggies and equipping me with the necessary tools to cook and bake, as well as household necessities. It will be sink or swim and I’m determined not to sink. So, Pinterest and other internet resources to guide me in the process, here I come!

Prayers and positive thoughts about us getting this place and making this move within the next 30 – 45 days will be very welcome and much appreciated.

Related articles

• Feeling Insecure? Try Standing in a New Position (http://marcalanschelske.com/)
• Pinterest Testing New Features To Keep Users Interested (ubergizmo.com)
• DOWNLOAD Your Guide To Pinterest (makeuseof.com)
• Pinterest Announces Redesign, Are Sponsored Pins Coming? (socialfresh.com)
• How My Team Uses Pinterest and The Pinterest Tool (digitalhighrise.com)
• Taking Another Look at the Sears Christmas Wish Book (My First Book of Gay Erotica) (gaygroom.wordpress.com)