Blogging is a funny old thing. Sometimes I can focus myself and write something every day. Other times I can’t think of anything to say. And then time goes by and there seems to be too much to say. So today I’m just going to say a bunch of random things and am hoping that will clear the blogjam that I’ve been experiencing the last week or so.
- My kitchen was full of smoke earlier because I had a sourdough loaf in a very hot oven. First time for sourdough in ages too – perhaps my blog has become sourdough-fueled and I hadn’t noticed?
- I have just agreed to lead a seminar at the Proclamation Trust Ministers Wives conference I’m going to in March. I’m more of a writer than a speaker so if you have any top tips for speaking and seminaring I’d be very grateful to have them.
- I have been debating with myself about how much self-publicity is appropriate for a Christian writer. I don’t want to be a blog bore about the book. But having said that I’ve had a couple of very kind reviews and wanted to tell people (they were from Eddie Arthur and Deb). The recent Christian New Media Conference, with its awards for Christian bloggers and tweeters and websites makes me wonder about this too. Should Christians promote themselves and award prizes to one another? How much self-promotion is appropriate? I am still thinking about this.
- Our area has a very low breastfeeding rate (around 50% against national average of over 80%). It’s not in the new trial where mums are going to be paid to breastfeed, but a friend who is breastfeeding has found herself singled out for being odd at clinics. Not exactly an encouragement. Tchuh.
- I am going on an outing with Year 5 on Friday. Wish me luck. Thankfully it does not involve going on any rides.
- I have about a squillion books waiting to be reviewed on the blog. They are sitting in a pile on my desk, scowling at me. Sorry if it’s your book that’s waiting.
- Someone from the BBC asked us if we’d like to have a documentary made about life in the Vicarage. We thought about it for a nanosecond or two. And declined, like sensible people who worry about cameramen tripping over the clutter in the hall and generally having too much to do already. Wonder if anyone else is brave enough to agree?
- We had a great firework party last week with our youth group and a couple of other groups. The weather that day was terrible, but thankfully the rain held off whilst the bonfire was lit and then returned in a deluge just at the end, so that everyone left promptly.
Vicarage Fireworks
That’s enough wittering. Perhaps some more coherant blogging will flow now.
The Vicar's Wife 
I am sure you made the right decision about the documentary, but I admit I would have LOVED to watch that.
Understand why you declined BBC on the wall docu and then I wish you had. Have happy memories of cake and tea abd dressing up (not us obs)
Ha! Ros and Coral – I’m sure you’ve both seen enough already!
BBC asked us too, we also said no!
*wonders who else from college with was on their list*
Gosh, wouldn’t like people to see how random life is here….don’t mind local people knowing us as we are, but wouldn’t be self confident enough to put ourselves into the public gaze……
Enjooy the school trip – the years of doing that will suddenly be behind you!
Well exactly Chris. Even doing a video in my messy kitchen felt tricky. A whole documentary would be too much. And take up far too much time, of which there is never enough anyway.
Good technique for removing blog jam…
One of my friends was raving about your book the other day and saying how helpful she found it.
Does it change a view of promoting your book if you view it as ‘sharing a resource you happen to think is good’ as opposed to ‘self-promotion’? I know there is a fine line to dance(!) but sometimes I wonder if self-promotion is quite the right word when what we are actually talking about is Christian teaching.
Hi Tanya. Lovely to hear that your friend enjoyed the book. And I think you’re right – promoting my book is promoting some good (I hope) Christian teaching. But the fine line dancing is quite a challenge. Fancy footwork was never my strong suit…
I had an email from the BBC – we said no – mostly because we thought the bbc would put their own slant on our life to make a story.