A blog, Catherine? Really?

I am not a writer by trade, but I love words. 

According to some people I have a gift for putting them together
and making them mean something.

 My grandfather is a writer. The most beautiful poetry you'll ever read is penned by Joseph Wallace. My dad isn't a writer by trade either but when he writes
I cry and laugh and feel. 

So, I guess you could say, if it is a gift, I came by it somewhat naturally.

Over the last several years I have been encouraged many times by my friends to "write a blog!" The thought of writing and other people appreciating it is a bit strange to me.

I simply write.

And when I write... 
I write like I speak and I speak like I think and I think what I feel. 

Really? Why would anyone be interested in my thoughts put down in print?

I never thought I would do this. 

Really. I didn't.

But then...

This morning, the first morning of a brand new year, I was in a gorgeous and slightly eerie cemetery in downtown historic Savannah, GA. The trees were dripping with moss, the above ground tombs were covered in bright green ivy, and I was walking around soaking it all in.
Alone.

I walked.
 Smelling the crisp morning air.
Feeling the dew covered grass brush my flip flop covered feet.
 Experiencing awe at the sight of the mist that hovered just above the tombstones.

I walked.

 I found myself reflecting on this abundantly blessed and yet very difficult past year of my life and thinking about the changes longed for and challenges I desire to overcome in this next year of my life.
I'm not talking about New Year's resolutions here; easily made, easily broken.
I'm talking about true, grown up adult conscious decisions.
Actively CHOOSING to make changes and face challenges in your life.
That's what I was thinking about. 

Just before I got in my car to drive home I posted a status on Facebook about my ponderings in the cemetery, and of course, included the obligatory "Happy New Year!" Again, I was encouraged by a friend, this one from years past, to start a blog.

Then I drove. 

For eight hours. 

And I thought. 

No lie- I didn't turn on my radio once. 

Silence, but for my thoughts and the rain that poured in both the Carolinas. 

I thought about a lot of things. 

One of those things was this blog. Should I? Could I? 

Would anyone care?

 Does that even matter? Wouldn't you be writing it for yourself, Catherine?? 

Yes. Yes, I would be. New challenge accepted.

So... Here I am. 

With pigtails. 

Without makeup. Sorry.
(I guess I am starting this thing out VERY real, huh?? )

Home.
In Richmond, VA.
Writing a blog.

If you want to come along and visit the tiny corners of my mind and my heart from time to time, I invite you in and welcome you! I hope you find it cozy and warm here.

On that note, let me expand on the title of this blog, Tiny Corners. Once I had made up my mind to do this I thought a lot about what I should call this thing. This blog.
 This new challenge I have boldly decided to tackle. This is what I came up with...

I look at our minds and our hearts a lot like a junk drawer. Let me explain.

When you first open a junk drawer all you see is the mini mag-light for when the power goes out during a hurricane, thirty two different colored rubber bands from a once round and bouncy rubber band ball, a roll of Scotch tape, take out menus from your favorite pizza place and the Chinese joint around the corner that makes killer spring rolls, and a pair of dull scissors that should have been replaced ages ago. When you shove all that stuff to the sides though, and start looking in all the corners, you find the good stuff; the missing puzzle piece that someone put there so it didn't get vacuumed up, your ring that you "remember putting down somewhere!", a five dollar bill rolled up in some old receipts, the awesome website you wanted to check out that someone had jotted down on a scratch piece of paper for you, and the "I have no idea what it is, but isn't it cute?!" piece of artwork that your nephew made for you out of pipe cleaners, just because he loves you!

The stresses and the woes of our everyday lives are the Scotch tape and the dull scissors; our jobs, our families and relationships, our health, paying the bills, our worries, our fears, our self doubt, etc...

Consuming.
 They take up a whole lot of space in our junk drawers.

Don't focus too long and too hard on the Scotch tape or you'll miss out on the pipe cleaner masterpieces!!

You find the good stuff in the tiny corners.