What I’ve Been Up To, The Sequel
Inside: Friends, it’s been a while! Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to and plans moving forward for this blog.
What I’ve Been Up To, The Sequel
I am writing this post like a long overdue letter to a friend. I pray this somehow finds those who wish to reconnect, as well as those who have never dropped by before.
Recently I revisited a past favorite food blog, I Breathe, I’m Hungry, and was struck by the similarities she’d gone through with her website–although she previously made a living from hers. The pandemic had pretty much stopped folks from seeking out her keto recipes as they were more interested in comfort food. She also moved and started a business supplying flowers for a local market while remodeling an older home. (We hope to be doing the older home remodeling in the very near future!) Anyway, in so many ways I, too, felt the pandemic changed my blog for me, as my posts became fewer and fewer.
At some point in the following years, the Lord made it clear to me that this was not how He chose for me to make money. Yet He still wanted the blog to go on. So all of those “Do this to increase blog traffic” and “Try that to rank higher in the search engines” courses never worked for me.
So here’s what I’m left with–I’m not writing for algorithms. I’m writing for God and for me, meaning I will let Him guide me as well as writing about topics I enjoy. Not that most of the posts on this blog don’t reflect that criteria, but many of them also reflect the, “I need to try all the things to rank higher in the search engines” stuff.
From now on, I will leave internet searches comfortably in the Lord’s hands.
And what that also means is I will not be so worried about being perfect–I know, I posted about that once. And I’ve gained ground in not letting perfectionism overtake me, but, again, the “jump through this hoop, jump through that hoop” to make the algorithm fairies happy certainly added a great deal of stress. I really don’t care about that anymore. As I said, it’s in God’s hands.
So look for posts about what we’re doing for our antique mall booth and writing about some of my favorite subjects like classic TV and living in rural America. Yeah, I’ll still do some recipes if the mood strikes. Maybe reveal some simple craft ideas. Gardening, sure. Reflections on what I think God is showing me. And I’ll keep doing the 12 Posts of Christmas because, frankly, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!
Oh, and if you’re wondering about my word the for year 2024, it’s TWIST.
Until next time.
Amy
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 12: Wishing You a Merry Day
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from A Rural Girl Writes!
The 12 Days of Christmas, Day 11: Away in a Barn
Inside: Part lullaby, part hymn, this beloved American Christmas carol takes place far away in a barn.
Away in a Barn
Or, as you’ve probably guessed, “Away in a Manger” is the song. Though mistakenly thought to be composed by Martin Luther thanks to the writings of James R. Murray dated 1887–he called it “Luther’s Cradle Hymn”–it is wholly American.
Methodist hymnologist Fred Gealy suggests the hymn originated among German Lutherans in Pennsylvania about 1885, as the first two stanzas appeared in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, a Sunday school collection published that same year by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America.
The addition of the third stanza to “Away in a Manger” found its way into Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs in 1892, though the writer remains a mystery. Gealy supposed that an editor or publisher thought the two narrative stanzas should have a prayer to finish out the song.
Speaking personally, the song to me has always been a favorite because of growing up on a farm. I remember one particular Christmas Eve night, finishing up around the farm, the cows bedded down in the barn, the clear still night, sky filled with stars. That night in the manger so many, many years ago seemed even more real to me in the quiet barn filled with dairy cows.
I have often wondered if Mary thought that carrying the Savior of the World meant giving birth in a palace–or at least a really nice inn. I doubt she saw herself in the back of a barn, animals looking on, shepherds stopping by to worship. But so many people love the nativity scene, and children relate well to animals and a little baby in a hay box. Myself included.
Here is a lovely rendition by Andy Griffith and Eleanor Donahue, which has a wonderful unplugged quality to it that I love.
Away in a Manger
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Cherry Cordial Cookies
Inside: Searching for an easy cookie recipe to whip up in no time flat? Enter Cherry Cordial Cookies!
Cherry Cordial Cookies
I heard about these cookies probably about a decade ago when a writing friend sent around Christmas cookie recipes for twelve days–yes, it always has to be twelve! Anyway, I was intrigued by a description claiming they tasted just like chocolate covered cherries. . .
Well . . .not so much, but they do taste like chocolate and cherries. And they are very simple to make. And who can resist that shockingly pink color? Around here we nicknamed them Atomic Cookies because of their crazy bright color that could just about flag down any low-flying aircraft.
But the hour is late, so let’s get to the recipe, shall we? One more close-up first.
- I package sugar cookie mix (I used Betty Crocker 17.5 ounce mix)
- 1 small package of cherry gelatin (3-ounce)
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- Make the sugar cookie mix according to package directions.
- Mix in cherry gelatin and chocolate chips.
- Bake according to directions on the sugar cookie mix package.
- Enjoy!
Notes: You can use more chocolate chips if you would like a more chocolatey flavor. Also, I ended up adding in the gelatin before adding in the butter and the egg. . . Which reminds me, be prepared to have the ingredients you’ll need to add in when making the sugar cookie mix according to directions.
So there you have it–one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make! Why not round up the kids and whip up a batch today?
