Putzing

For several years when I was in college I lived with my grandmother. She was in her eighties by then and spent a lot of her time at home. She would sit in a chair by the window, walk around with a dust rag, never actually dusting anything, or just sit and tell me stories about years gone by.

She called those moments “putzing” and at the end of the day she would usually tisk tisk herself for not getting more accomplished. 

What Mommom did not realize is this: It is in the Land of Putzing that bonds are formed.  Unbreakable bonds between a granddaughter and her mommom. Between two tween girls laying on the floor reading teeny bopper magazines with bare feet swinging and bubble gum popping. Between a husband and a wife lazily snuggling on a couch. 

Even between grown women putzing around on the internet.

Over dinner a few weeks ago Yvonne from Stone Gable told me that she sees us as the Laura Ingalls Wilders of our time, documenting the every day through our blogs, preserving memories for future generations. I have never heard it described in a better way. We share our lives, our children, our homes and families through these blogs and in doing so we forge strong friendships.

Like many of my current friends, I met friend Courtney though blogging. Courtney has always had a gift for recognizing the beauty and the value behind moments that others may just see as “putzing around.”

She even named her blog Our Small Moments. She took beautiful pictures to record everyday interactions. Wrote about the small stuff because she knew it would add up to be big stuff.   

Tragically, Courtney was right.

When her husband, Scott, was diagnosed with cancer, Courtney fought even harder to capture every small moment that she could.  Her family fought for each small moment with Scott that they could get, but there would never be enough.

Scott died this week.

Courtney and her two beautiful children are left to pick up the pieces.

And as a community of her fellow bloggers, writers, wives, mothers, and friends, our hearts have ripped wide open.

As women tend to do, we started buzzing and organizing right away. Although we are scattered around the country and unable to be there in person to hold up our friend as she lowers her husband into the ground today, we will still be here for Courtney.

Putzing around on the internet.  

And if you are putzing here with us today, reading our blogs and Facebook feeds and wishing there was something you could do, please consider clicking over to the fundraising page that has been established in Scott’s honor. If you can donate $1 or several to show Courtney your love in a practical way,  please do. If not, please visit and leave her a virtual hug.

It is these small things that add up to be big ones.