Flashback Friday: The Final Flashback

Edit: I'm going to put this way up here at the top of the page, since I've gotten multiple emails on the subject. No, I'm not quitting blogging. Just flashbacks :) Alright then, on we go...

Over the past few months I've had an ongoing battle with myself, about whats best for me and family. I've been trying to eliminate the things that stress me out. One by one, various things have been dismissed. Things both online, and off. Its like I walk around holding an invisible computer mouse, and if I come across something that I realize has been causing more stress than its worth, I click on it, and drag it to the recycling bin. It really is that simple.

As much as I hate to admit it, one of the things that causes my stomach to tighten and my breath to hold itself in frustration, is this blog. Because I just don't have time for it. And its not just "the blog", because anyone who has one knows that its a whole hard-to-wrap package that you have to deal with, its being online in general. I wrote before, about wanting to get back to a simpler kind of life, and somehow I drifted away from that. I always drift away from my goals. Why? Because I get distracted. Its hard not to, when distractions are endlessly swirling around you, and so much easier to reach and out and lean on, rather than using your own tired balance and standing your ground.

So come Monday night, when normally I'd sit down to blog- I just, didn't.

And then on Tuesday night, when normally if I had missed Monday, I'd really rush to get a post finished- I just, didn't.

And then on Wednesday night, when all of the chores were done, and the kids were tucked in, I thought "hmm, I've got an extra few minutes, maybe I'll blog tonight". ...and it was pleasant. I took more time finding my words, I wrote in deeper detail about the experience- it was what I've been missing.

And so came the decision- to give up Flashback Friday.

I've been doing this here weekly get together for years now. Boy that felt weird to write. I had lost my passion for it some time ago, but kept on keepin' on, because I knew that so many other people liked to play along, and I liked reading their memories. Your memories.

Some of you have been doing this for just as long as I have, every week, for years.
Lauren has been a total Flashback rockstar. If there was an award to give, she'd be the ultimate winner. I feel like I grew up with her, because of how many of her memories I've been invited to read. Lauren, seriously- you're the Flashback queen. So while I've got your attention, Miss Lauren, are you at all interested in taking over the weekly duty of being host? Okay so maybe I should have shot you an email ahead of time, but- it just dawned on me as I was writing this, that maybe your passion for my Flashback baby is as strong as mine? If not, and please don't feel obligated to say yes, then I'd like to extend the offer to anyone else thats up for the job.

Flashback Fridays is like my flour baby. Remember, carrying around a sack of flour and pretending that its your baby? Okay, I never actually did that, I think I read about it in a book when I was a kid, but- you get the point. I want to pass this along to somebody whos not only going to post the pictures, but also write out the memories to go along with it. Someone who can keep up with it every week- writing it as though they're re living it, setting it up on time, reading the posts of others. All of it. If Miss Lauren happens to say no, then I'll still need a Godmother for my Flashback flour baby. If you think you might be interested in being a new Mama to a meme cookie (get it, flour, cookie... I'm running outta creative juice here), then please send me an email.

So this is it folks. My Final Flashback. Hold on, we're turning this into a musical...



...yep, thats how it is in this house. Every day. All day long.
Ignore my post workout attire. I got my sweaty early morning sunshine walk on earlier.

I asked Christopher what he thought I should write about as my grand finale, and he said I should just flashback to previous flashbacks. "Well that dumb", I said as my response. But ummm... yeah here I am, a couple days later, without a big bang to go out with, using my husbands dumb idea.

I've done 91 flashbacks. ...yeah. That many.

Well there was this one, where you can clearly see that Christopher and I were made for each other. This is a great post, with a beautiful black and white mirror shot of Eleanore as a baby. Our first Thanksgiving- that one just had me say "I love you honey", to Christopher, after reading it. Me as a little league ladybug, you gotta love that. This old one of me in Portland. I barely recognize that girl. Oh! And who can forget Pittin' Out With Travis Barker? Because I remember being so mortified when I posted that. Might as well re live the embarrassment one more time, right? And because its Fathers Day this next weekend, a couple of Flashbacks about my Dad. This one. And this one. And then the one that started it all, my very first flashback.

Thanks everyone, whos stopped by to read them, link up and play along, or ever sent me a comment in an email about a particular post- its been fun. I hope that my Friday only readers will stick around to read about our present day adventures, but if not, thats okay too. Next Friday I'll post the link to the new hosts blog, if somebody steps up to the plate.

And now I'll post the rules, for the last time *sniffle* (because its bittersweet)-

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.



This is a comment-free blog.