Five years Of Blogging

It's Thanksgiving week and I have a ton of family coming into town! I usually take a holiday break from writing through Christmas, but I'm going to try to keep writing this time, although it may not be daily. But I will be gone this week.

I just realized that I have been blogging for five years. How did it start and what has happened since then? Well, five years ago I was waking up from the coma that is raising four children. We had moved from Dallas to Houston, and my kids were all finally in school. 15 years of babies and I wouldn't trade one moment of it. My children have given me the happiest moments in my life and too many to count.

But being at home during the day with no babies was driving me batty. I still wanted to be here when they got out of school, and I still wanted to have time to take care of the house for my very hardworking husband. I still wanted time for my volunteer work. I wanted to do something at home on my own time.

That is when I discovered blogging. It was perfect for me. I was and am wildly opinionated (as you all are very well aware). I love politics. I love talking politics. I love writing politics. So I started a little blog called Rightwingsparkle. I knew I wanted to name it "Rightwing" something because I felt the term was being demonized unfairly. I knew "rightwingers" like myself were good honest hardworking generous people with a deep love for this country. If someone wanted to see what Rightwing looked like, they could look at me. The "sparkle" came from the best compliment anyone ever gave me (and it was from an aunt). The compliment always stuck with me and made me feel special, so I used it in my blog.

Five years ago I was simply a Texas housewife and mom. Blogging expanded my world like I never dreamed it would. In the following years I was asked to blog for the Houston Chronicle, Newsbusters, Texas Magazine, and RightWingNews. I did some video blogs for Michelle Malkin at HotAir and got to meet her personally. I was published in print in Texas Magazine (look for my interview with Ted Cruz in the January issue!). I met and interviewed U.S. Senators, even being allowed in the "cloakroom" off the Senate floor where media is not allowed. I've been to fundraisers at RiverOaks and I was honored to meet Presidential candidate John McCain. I've met people I have longed admired from Tony Snow, to Robert Novak, to Rick Santorium, to Mitt Romney, to Mark Levin to Brent Bozell. I've received direct messages on twitter from Karl Rove and Jake Tapper! I'll see pundits on the news and think, "Oh, I met them at CPAC" or some other conservative conference. I've had dinner with CNN's Leslie Sanchez and was amazingly mentioned in her acknowledgments, along with my SmartGirlPolitic's chicks in her new book about women in politics, "You've Come A Long Way, Maybe". Read Leslie's book. It is amazing.

Because of the wonderful people I have met my daughter was able to get an internship in Washington DC during college. I'm not sure I would have ever made it to D.C. without blogging. And it is an amazing, historic, and incredible place. The museums are spectacular. I cried when I saw the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Sometimes we forget all that came before to give us the freedom and life we have today. America, with all it's faults, is truly that "shining city on a hill."

I cannot tell you how blessed and wonderful these past five years have been doing what I love on my own time. I love the people I have met and the friends I have made.

When I was a child my father once said to me, "happiness is a decision you make every day. You wake up and decide to be happy." I have always believed in that. My father was always wise before his time. He could have written the positive attitude books and parenting books. He had an amazing instinct on what was right. That attitude has always kept me truly happy. Even during tough times, I would remember to be strong and happy.

There is a quote from the author Richard Bach I love to use: "Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another."

I have always believed that we control our destiny. It is not controlled by others. My father knew that life was about the choices you make. He taught me that, and it has always served me well.

So as I look back on my fifth year of blogging I want to thank all you who read me. I have been blessed by your words back to me. I love connecting with the world.

Thank you for connecting with me.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.