6 Things I Learned in July

I'm linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. For several months she's been doing a post at the end of each month entitled, Things I Learned in {Insert Month.} Last month she invited the rest of us to join in. "10 Things I Learned in June" was such a fun post to write, I decided to join in again this month.

So here's the random goodness I learned in July, in no particular order: 

1. I remember every single line from the Dukes of Hazard theme song even though I can't remember my family member's birthdays. 

We watched an episode recently as a family {my husband's idea} and it is still awesome, though in a completely different way than it was when I was 10. Call me crazy but it seems that Bo and Luke do not seem to have any gainful employment. They spend their days catching robbers and pestering Boss Hogg. Perhaps they live off Uncle Jesse's secret trust fund? I don't know. 

I also learned that the narrator of that show is scripted with the best one-liners ever, one-liners that were completely lost on me 30 years ago. {i.e. These boys is in more trouble than two stray heifers in a pasture full of bulls.} That? Is golden.


2. She Speaks was even more amazing than I thought it would be. You can read more about my experience here.


3. It's a temporary makeover but I learned how to re-do my blog all by my big self. I even made a header with my own photos. {It's the small victories.} I'm super impatient when it comes to learning new things and the blog re-do took me forever. But I also learned that it's really gratifying to google lots of questions, give something a try, experience some trial and error, and end up with something you did by yourself. Perhaps 40 will be the "Year of Patience and Not Being Afraid of Computers."


4. As my kids get older and enter new stages, part of my heart breaks. But I'm learning that I'm really enjoying my kids as they get older. As we've spent more time together this summer, I feel inspired for this next stage of motherhood.

There's knowledge that we now share which makes for deeper conversations and funny stories. My daughter and I can go out for lunch and giggle at the ridiculous conversation the woman next to us is having on her cell phone. And we can laugh about darkly comic stuff she wouldn't have understood just a few years ago...like this book. 

Oh my word, somebody please buy this for me for Christmas. 


5. J.K. Rowling used the pseudonym, "Robert Galbraith," to write a book after she wrote the Harry Potter series. The book was a bestseller. Unfortunately, someone leaked her secret pseudonym but she sued the snitch and won the case yesterday. 

So why would one of the most famous authors of all time use a pseudonym? For precisely the reasons one might expect, to get unbiased appraisals of her work. Said Rowling, 

I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer.

Let that be a message for all of us in early stages of our writing careers. There is simplicity, honesty, and freedom in anonymity. 

You can read more about the story here.  And you can visit "Robert Galbraith's" official web-site here.



6. And speaking of Ms.Rowling, we are in full-on Harry Potter mode around here. How do I know? Because my middle child is using Harry Potter character conflict {Book 5 to be exact} as personal metaphor:

Me: No, you may not help your younger brother and his friend build their fort. Three is a crowd and because you're the oldest & biggest, little brother is feeling threatened that you're just trying to take over his operation.

Middle Child {dead serious & without missing a beat}: So you're saying that he's feeling like "Cornelius Fudge" and I'm basically "Dumbledore?"

Me: Um, yes. I hadn't thought of it that way but that's exactly what I'm saying.

{See #4 about the fun I'm having with older kids.}

*I put this on FB a while ago so my apologies if this is a repeat. It was too good not to include.

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So there you have it: Six things I learned in July. Your life feels more complete? I've inspired you to change the world? You're going to watch Dukes of Hazard tonight? 

a la mode: Your Place for Life-Changing Posts

What fun stuff did you learn in July?

Even better, if you could write under a pseudonym, what would it be?


*And if you're wondering how one watches quality vintage programming like the Dukes... Amazon Prime. We don't have cable or a dish but Prime ends up being 6-ish dollars a month and gives us loads of free TV & movies. Plus, 2-day free shipping on anything else Prime provides. Win-Win. {Shameless affiliate plug over.}