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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

A week ago I started something I consider monumental in my life.

My husband and I were away from home. Out of the blue the urge to start a new book came to me.

We were in a remote location when the writing notion hit. We were nowhere near a store, and basically stranded for a  few hours. We started gathering paper from anywhere and everywhere – a 2″x4″ tablet, the back side of junk mail, envelopes, and even cardboard boxes. The words flowed…they gushed out as if they had been dammed behind a concrete wall for years.

I suddenly realized the book that my husband suggested that I write four years ago had just been started.

Today, I transferred my hand-written notes to a Word document and officially started the Annie’s All About Goats (to be re-named) book file. I now have a preface and two chapters, and more hand-written notes to begin another chapter.

The purpose of the book will serve as a basic guide. As the writing progresses I’ll update you here, and will likely be asking for your favorite goat supply locations, and other information you may want to see in the book, including goat care tips. I may even hi-lite a few goat farms for those of you that want exposure.

I am excited! I hope you are too.

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comittment www.anniesgoathill.com

The most prominent virtue I gained in 2012 was the ability to be flexible without looking back.

Life and business thrives with an acceptance of change – one that allows us to merely become fluid any time it is necessary.

In 2012, I shut down my soap business and goat farm. It was not an easy shift, but to this day it is providing opportunities that I never imagined could exist.

I started The Creative Entrepreneur blog series in 2012. With the pivoting of business and writing gears, I found I could not devote myself to both my personal and series commitments.

In 2012, I also began writing several books, co-authored with Melissa Middleton of Vintage Body Spa. We published the first book of our series, Essential Soap Making, as an e-Book. We recently re-submitted the book to editing. It is being re-formatted as a book in print. The newly formatted book is within weeks of a publish date.

I have committed (myself) to publishing eight books in 2013. If you are raising your eyebrows at my lofty goal, trust me, so am I. Being flexible, as life continues to take amazing twists and turns, will lead to greater success. But committing to the writing goal, by just tying the knot that won’t come undone, is how it will be accomplished.

I hope you stay and witness my exciting journey ahead!

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boer and dairy goats www.anniesgoathill.com

Annie’s Goat Hill was not something that I planned out on paper.  The farm and the soap company evolved from a passion for natural things, and from a strong life-long love for animals.

I am excited to share with you the featured article that I wrote for the Orscheln Farm & Home Blog.

Each time I write my story I realize how much I have accomplished, and I find that I am excited to share as much as I can.

Thank you to Orscheln Farm & Home, my hope is that the article helps to promote positive inspiration!

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I have been weighing out the pro’s and con’s of starting a new blog for a very long time.

My longing is to write about anything and everything that I feel passionate about. Most of those thoughts have nothing to do with the soap business.

The Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted soap website will be re-designed in the future, with the link to this blog located on the main navigation page of the new site.  It only makes sense to me to ensure a big portion of  the blog content is related to soap, products, the soap business, the farm (milk wouldn’t exist without it), and bits and pieces of me (who I am).

One of the joys that I have come to know as a business owner is the reality that I can be myself.  I love it! I have the capability and power to make my own decisions, to guide my own ship(s).  And writing is a boat that has sat at the dock.

So, the decision was made to start a new blog, www.Mary-Humphrey.com, geared towards writing, and link to it and the posts here (for a while).  For those of you that have expressed your enjoyment of my posts, I would love for you to follow me over!

Marching forward!

Mary

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!

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foggy morning www.anniesgoathill.com

I am approaching the reality, and I may have even passed the first gate, that I am doing the things in life that I have nearly always desired to do.

The posts that I have written recently, one of which was You Are What You Pretend To Be, sent me into deep thought.

Who am I? What do I want to do?

One of my passions in life, as far back as I can remember, has been writing.  Over a countless number of years I wrote the beginnings of books, and scads of journals.  Sadly, I disposed of all of them.

I began writing blogs posts and found myself absorbed by what I was writing.  Time, and everything around me, slid away as I wrote.

Through a lot of self-talk (the little voice of self-talk can be so self-destructive), that said, “You have no right to do that,” “You are not qualified to write about that,” “You are not trained to do that (fill in the gaps),” I realized just the opposite.  Yes, I am justified.  Why? I have something to share.   And I can do it.  And I will do it.  Just be myself.

So, the real journey begins here.

I am in the process of starting an author’s blog.  I have never liked the idea of mixing non-soap related posts into this blog, but, of course, stop my own fingers from doing it.  Not! There is no turning that water tap off.  It is on permanent drip (with a reservoir behind the faucet)! And now, I am hearing (and very graciously), “Your writing is a part of what makes your soap special.”  You have a story to tell.  You put your heart into it.  I do.

So, I will not yank the plug at this blog.  I will still share.  I will also write at the new blog, and will link to it here very soon.

I have formed a lot of relationships through blog writing.  I hope you follow me through the new journey, wherever it leads.

Mary

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!

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