Privacy

eI wanted to write a post about privacy, because I know you readers are aware that I have been trying to decide what to do with this new blog in that regard.  My concern about having a public blog is not only a safety concern, but also an issue of respect for my kids.  Honestly, I am not that concerned about safety, because the world of blogging is so huge, and I have so many other public identities.  I just think that if someone were trying to track us down for some reason, they could do so by many other means, and blogging is not going to give it away.  I really think the risk is minimal.  So, I choose not to worry about that, though I am aware of it.  The other concern I have is that on the blog, I publish publicly all kinds of information and pictures about my kids without their permission, and I've struggled with whether or not this is disrespectful to them.  Something that may seem cute or funny to me may well be embarrassing to them.  Or, something that seems right to share now may be regretful later on.  It's not that I think my previous posts/blogs have been disrespectful, nor have I ever read a blog post of another parent that has seemed disrespectful.  It's just something I want to consider.

So, what I've decided to do is keep the blog public (and yes, those of you who have asked, you may link it), but to be conscientious about how I choose content and where I choose to display it.  I have only contacted family and friends personally who have asked to know about the blog.  I will not publish the new address on my old blog or on my facebook page.  Also, I am going to give my kids pet names, as I've seen on some other blogs, and I plan to have them more involved (at least the older ones) with the decisions about what to put on here.  I will get their permission as much as possible.  So from here on out, we have Moo, G-Bear, and Bug.  These are real pet names that have come from various sources.

5 year old birthday

5 things I especially love about this girl (it is admittedly hard to limit it to 5):

She loves completely and intensely

Her mind is alive and active

She has a near-constant stream of songs coming out of her

She remembers more detail than I ever do

Her imagination is deep and wide

For her birthday, she wanted a white chocolate cake "so that people will think it's vanilla, but it's really chocolate!"  She told me that she wanted a playmobil mermaid more than anything else in the world.  I asked her, "even more than a baby doll?" because she's been asking for a baby for awhile.  Her response, after thinking hard about it, was, "Actually, my love for them is exactly the same length."  So, from her big sister, she got mermaid playmobil.  From her brother, she got architecture blocks (because she loves to build and design), and from her parents, she got a pink ukulele.

Naming

I wanted to start by giving a little explanation for the name of this blog.  Both our last blog and this one were inspired by songs written by Gillian Welch.  She and her partner, David Rawlings are amazing songwriters, so of course they inspire!  Anyway, this line comes from her song, One Little Song.  In it, the line is actually "one little piece of endless sky."  I was inspired by the concept of "little."  It only takes a little of something to change a whole outlook.  Yes, it can be a little good or a little bad that has a strong influence. I decided I wanted this as the title of my blog, because each time I see the title, I want to always be reminded to look for, claim, and cherish those little pieces of life that give me peace, no matter how great or small.  And I believe they are there, always.  So, here we go, with a fresh new perspective and a fresh new blog!  Thank you for being here.

One Little Song, by Gillian Welch

There’s gotta be a song left to sing
Cause everybody can’t of thought of everything
One little song that ain’t been sung
One little rag that ain’t been wrung out completely yet
Gotta a little left

One little drop of fallin rain
One little chance to try again
One little bird that makes it home now and then
One little piece of endless sky
One little taste of cherry pie
One little week in paradise and I start thinkin’

There’s gotta be a song left to sing
Cause everybody can’t of thought of everything
One little note that ain’t been used
One little word ain’t been abused a thousand times
In a thousand rhymes.

One little drop of fallin rain
One little chance to try again
One little bird that makes it every now and then
One little piece of endless sky
One little taste of cherry pie
One little week in paradise and I start thinkin’

Gotta be a song left to sing
Cause everybody can’t of thought of everything
One little song that ain’t been sung
One little rag that ain’t been wrung out completely yet
Till there’s nothing left