Living Vicariously

One of the great things about the Internet is experiencing other people's lives through their blogs. I thought of this yesterday as I helped a friend prepare to write a blog about her upcoming stay in Turin, Italy.  Although I have no plans to go to Europe any time soon it will be treat to read all about her time in Turin and see her excellent photos as she provides a day by day account of her adventure.  

Armchair travel is frequently available through a blog I enjoy titled [quilt] while you're ahead. The writer lives in England and is currently recounting her trip to Italy.  The other day she wrote an exciting  description of how she was able to see both the current pope and his predecessor.    You can read that post here: Tale of Two Popes 

Catholic News Agency 

Sometimes blogs will put you in the middle of a current event.  I'm following the amazing account of the flooding in Baton Rouge this month provided by a blogger whose house was severely damaged.   Her vivid posts provide a griping "you are there" picture of how unexpected the floods were and how much they are disrupting people's lives.   Her blog is Quilts and Dogs and I suggest you start on August 11 and read forward to today.  Her writing will make this disaster become real to you.

Coast Guard photo

Apart from describing travel or specific events,  blogs often provide a window into a life that's simply very different than your own.  There are blogs that revolve around lives in a city, or on a sailboat, or on a flower farm, but one I especially enjoy is about the life of a stay-at-home Mom.  This is true fantasy for me, the idea of happily using ones talents and love to raise a big family without ever working outside the home.  

Let me be clear; this isn't the life I wanted and I made a conscious decision not to live it, but my, it is a pleasure to read about it.  I do like a happy blog and although the writer definitely has opinions and expresses them, she focuses on the daily pleasures of her loving husband, beautiful home,  and large extended family.  I'm sure it isn't all so perfect, but I'm so glad she never tells us about the problems she has with her lovely children and husband.   You can find a good example of her posts here:  Memories On Clover Lane

Well, my own life has its problems at times but today (so far) everything is going great.  I got to sleep until 7:30 since this is the "late start" day at Paul's school, and have cleaned up the kitchen, vacuumed the first floor,  chatted with my sister on the phone, and washed and dried the lovely fabric I bought yesterday.   Now Ben & I are going for a quick walk before heading out for some errands and lunch.  

Living vicariously is a fun diversion, but every day life is pretty good, too. 

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