How I came up with the name of my blog

I came up with the name “Grandma’s Sabbatical” as a description for unemployment after my position was eliminated at the non-profit I worked at.  Instead of looking at the experience from a negative perspective, I decided to use the time to my advantage, called it a sabbatical, and embarked on a new journey to self discovery and reinvention. 

Since I now had the freedom to create my own path, and the time to dedicate to making it happen, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of being a writer. People around me had always encouraged me to write a book but I didn't know where to start. It seemed easier to start with a blog, and since I was unemployed, blogging about life as an “older” person trying to find a job, while trying to remain positive, made sense.

Also, as this was happening, my son’s hours at work were becoming more unpredictable so having more time, I was able to be a more involved Grandma. Since I absolutely love spending time with my granddaughter, and was wearing out my welcome with friends and family who were getting tired of hearing about my adventures with Avery, it seemed fitting to include some of those stories in my blogging.

My sabbatical has evolved over time and has included many different activities, such as deep cleaning my house, undergoing knee replacement surgery, gardening, cooking, crafting, weight loss challenges, entering a 5K for the first time, and learning about marketing. I had neglected many things over the past several years because I was so busy working and going to school part time, and living a stressful life. I decided to include them in my sabbatical plan because everything I did now included a purpose.  

De-cluttering and simplifying, created a peaceful and harmonious environment in which to live without "clutter" that wrecked havoc on my ability to think clearly. Gardening provided a way to sustain our healthy eating habits and provided a connection to nature.  Sitting in my yard with my camera filming squirrels and hummingbirds calmed me in ways I would never have expected. I was cooking again, even baking without burning anything! I made Christmas gifts, started to take better care of my financial health as well as my mental and physical health, and learned to appreciate the simple moments in my day so much more. And viewing life through the eyes of a two year old was absolutely amazing!

The result of taking this time to reflect and renew allowed me to find my inner voice again and gave me topics to write about.

I have been blogging for almost 6 months and have learned so much from others.  I started with one blog so I could learn about the process, have an outlet for my creative energy, and a place to hold the words. The farther I get into this new “project” however, the more excited I become. I am now blogging for others and even getting paid! 

I guess that means I am on my way to being an author!