Not one of those blog posts

Hi, hi.

This isn't one of those blog posts wherein the author teases you about amazingly exciting and yet tantalisingly secretive Grand Plans afoot.

Well ... it's not exactly one of those posts. Mainly because they slightly annoy me.

I'm not big on secrets. My heart bursts if I'm trying to keep one of my own and my head bursts when I'm trying to elicit one from someone else. So I don't want to do that to you.

No good blogger should deliberately try to make their readers erupt.

That said ... it is a bit like one of those posts ... so I'm playing it safe and leaving down burst-proof plastic sheeting here  ... just in case. Moving on ...

Earlier in the week I made this:

... and when I was deciding on a sentiment to put on it this 'Keep Dreaming' one seemed right.

I've been doing a lot of that. Dreaming.

Not just this week, or this month, but for around the last 5 years at least. If not the last 36.

Here's a few of those dreams ... and what became of them:

• to have long nails by the time I was 15 -- didn't happen when I was 14. Still hasn't.
• to have an E-Type Jaguar -- What? Why? My tiny car's well over a decade old and see no need for a new one. Don't know what I was thinking.
• to be able to use my much loved and fought for English degree in my work -- when I was unemployed [several times] I was told it probably wouldn't happen. Now, I write for magazines. I blog. I plan to do more of both.
• to have my name on a door -- I think I once thought that this meant I would be a boss. With staff! -- Now I'm self-employed. I work at home. I run a [very] small business. I'm my own chief cook and bottle washer [as my Grandma would have put it!]. I'm often Employee of the Day / Week / Month. I may need to craft a sign for my door!

So, what are these burst-worthy dream-related secrets I'm hiding from you? Well, they're not really secrets ... or even dreams. They're more like plans.

• I've been working on putting some of my scribbled notebook thoughts and ponderings into reality.
• Those of you who read my blog in person [i.e:  outside of a blog reader] may have noticed my header has already changed [a few weeks back] to reflect the changing balance of those things I'm blogging here more often these days.
• I have a Facebook page. 
• I've sought, and am receiving, advice from various sources on how to keep building on what it is I want to do / have / offer. And ...
• I've finally ... after disappointments and changing my mind and seriously hoping I've made the right choice ... finally bought a domain name of my own. Go me!

Having my own shiny happy welcoming website has been a closely held dream of mine for a while ... now it's getting nearer. [It's happening slowly!! So don't expect any big 'reveal' any time soon!].

So, basically ... what I'm saying ... in a roundabout way ... is ...

I'm taking steps toward building up this thing ... this collection of things I do ... this happy breed of bits and pieces I work at ... this band of silly blog posts, making people smile, sharing ideas, projects and my way of looking at life ... this thing which I still can't quite get use to calling a 'business' ...

And really whatever this thing is. It really isn't a 'dream' any more. It's what I'm fortunate enough to do even when I'm awake! And I need to pinch myself into remembering that.

And finally ... one eagle eyed reader noticed recently that the 'zebra' part of my Etsy shop name 'Julie Kirk & The Carousel Zebra' has now disappeared and was hoping he was doing OK now that the shop name is simply 'Julie Kirk'.

[If you don't know the significance of one rather enigmatic plastic toy zebra in my life ... then please read his story here or this next part really won't make much sense. There's a happy ending. I promise.]

But you see, the thing with zebra is that he is - and always has been - happiest when I've been able to manage without him. When I've been standing on my own 2 feet, rather than on our combined 6.

Not that he's ever too far away. And he's certainly not gone far.

He's living out his days on my bedside table. A Keeper of the Dreams perhaps.

And you can rest assured that ... if ... when ...my new look site ever gets built... there's always going to be a home for him and his handsome stripes over there!

I'll be making a space for you there too.

Come as you are.

Bring your own dreams.

Julie x


p.s If this inspires you to blog your own dreams, plans, inklings, ponderings or zebra-like tales ... come tug on my sleeve and show me.