Sunday, February 27, 2011

Welcome Friends

One of my blog friends posted about why she writes her blog. From the comments she received it seems that most bloggers feel that they are writing for themselves. They say their blog gives them a chance to organize their thoughts and 'publish' them. But, if we write for 'ourselves' then why are we spending the time to put it all out there? Wouldn't a spiral notebook work just as well?! Personally, it's more complicated than that. Yes, I write what I want to write and when I want to write it. I enjoy playing with words. I kick myself when I post something and then realize I could have made it better by doing X, Y or Z. Mr. Lasser's words still echo in my mind - he is a constant critic, I always feel him looking at the screen over my shoulder (how rude) and he has probably never read one single post! He was my high school English teacher....a long time ago! But, I digress. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I write for you, my followers. But, followers are important  part of the equation. It is nice to get to know you as a group of friends, critics, supporters, etc. So, thank you for following. Thank you for taking some time to consider and comment on what I may have said. Welcome to my blog. I am so glad to have met you through the blogosphere.

Image from Canadian Independent School District
 Recent followers of my blog include:
  •  Niecey from Brawner's in Bend. I welcomed her, sort of, last week, but had the wrong name. (Or...did she change her name?!) Niecey is evolving into a country girl. Hooray for country girls!
  • Heritage Farm Village has become a follower. How wonderful to have an entire village following my blog! ;-)
  • Jane from Me 'n my Monkeys, all the way from Australia. How cool that we can connect so easily using the marvelous, magical, magnificent Internet!
  • Farmers Wifey. What I love about FW is that even though she, too, is on the other side of the world, we have so much in common: she's building a new house, which she refers to as the 'Money Pit' (I can identify with that!), she is fighting the dreaded enemy, The Blogger Butt, and she is a miscarriage survivor.
  • Cat is another country girl, and just the title of her blog invites readers to see what is going on in her life. She is at Crap on my shoes, egg in my pocket (and yarn on the needles).
  • Lori writes several blogs (I can hardly keep up with one) and one can be found at The Skoog Farm Journal. Like me, Lori is a retired teacher. She has horses and she lives close to where I grew up in western New York.
  • Leontien writes two blogs.  Her blogs include Four Leaf Clover Tales and Little Miss Bookwurm. She must be a kindred soul as she enjoys country living and books. A great combination! 
  • Another follower from Farm Friend Friday who I'd like to welcome is "Go West" Feral Woman, with a blog of that title. I think there is a bit of 'feral' woman in all of us! FW takes some awesome photographs.
  • Gail also has two blogs. How do these folks manage more than one?! She writes Familiar Spirits and At the Farm. I think Gail, like me, loves alliteration. She describes her blog as: "tale of tails, tedium, tenacity and how I react to each day, each duty, and each danger." Love it! 
  • Kim writes about Life in a Little Red Farmhouse. Her family recently designed and had the house built to look like an old farmhouse. It even has 'add ons', as if they expanded the house over the years. 
  • Heidi writes Vansteaders - as in homesteading and traveling in a van. She and her husband do both. They write about their adventures on the farm and on the road at the Vansteaders blog as well as at  Vantramps.
  • Pattie has also begun to follow my site, but I don't have a blog address for her. She loves rescuing animals...all kinds. Not only does she rehab animals, but she rehabs junk and loves working with architectural salvage.

9 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post and I agree with you--I originally started blogging to create interest in our farm and breeding program, cottage rental, so more of a business purpose. Within one week, I realized what a community it could be for me and that I would love it. I do love it and love my friends I’ve met. That includes you :)

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  2. I'm not sure you asked this, but I will put my two cents in anyway. Blogging keeps me creative with my photos and writing; I have to learn new things as I write about them; I have become much, much more attentive to nature, animals and other things; I can reach out and touch other people, who I would never have met it it weren't for the blogs and they have reached out and touched my life and helped me. I love that people take the time to comment and I try to do the same. Usually not this long, sorry. Have a great day!--Inger

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  3. Oh heck, I write for the people who read my blog, most of the time. I'm not a deep thinker, but, like most of the Irish, I love to tell stories. And, that's what I think of my blog as, a place to tell stories, as well as to record what is going on in my life.

    I'm like Inger, I have met so many wonderful people through blogging. I never, when I started, imagined that I would enjoy it so much, or look forward as much as I do to the wonderful comments I get on my blog.

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  4. Great post and i'll make sure i'll check all the links!

    Thanks so much
    Leontien

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  5. Haha, one of them is MINE!!!!! HOW SWEET!!!!

    Thank you soooo much! very unexpected and you just made my day which is a good thing because now i can go to bed happy!

    Leontien

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  6. You know...I had a friend ask me "why in the world would you want to blog?" It's been so much fun! I started at the encouragement of some friends who knew nothing about farming, and wanted to hear about life on the farm. As it turns out, I've gotten to "know" so many neat people from all over the country and beyond!

    btw...you can link back to my farm friend Friday post to see the answer to your question, if you haven't had a chance to! :)

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  7. I blog for my kids in my personal blog. So I don't forget all the funny stories about them as they get older...and get to know me a little when I am old and crazy. It's the whole reason I started. Seriously! The followers are just a reason to be regular. :)

    In my mission oriented blog, I blog for others who are dealing with the same issues and for those who don't know what my life is like in the day to day and want to understand...

    I like blogging...I like it looking pretty instead of my scarey skanky hand-writing...and when I decide to re-order my thoughts, I can with no scratching out...

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  8. It doesn't matter why we do it really I guess. I'm just glad people do. I blog to journal our new experiences of a farm life and hopefully encourage someone along the way to move from city to country living.

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  9. I started off writing just for me, even though I used to keep a journal for years. But I stopped that in my early 30's because I despise writing on paper and really dislike my handwriting, plus my fingers and wrists just don't have the longevity without giving my sleepless nights of pain. Typing is much easier for me.

    For a while I forgot why I started blogging and began creating posts I thought my readers would like. I spent way too much time trying to be witty and clever, and hours trying to edit my photos and make them perfect. Sometimes after spending all that time and hours of work for each post, I would become frustrated and disappointed only to receive a handful of comments, some saying simply "nice post". blah.

    So, last Fall I went back to writing mostly for me and I don't care anymore if I get more readers or if people like me or not. At least I now I'm genuine and real and I'm not posting just to please people.

    Since starting blogging almost 5 years ago, I have followed a few blogs and then met the bloggers in person, and been surprised, confused and disappointed that they were much different than the way they portrayed themselves to everyone via their blog.

    I am who I am and my longtime readers, who I now consider as friends already know that and seem to appreciate it. I'd rather have quality over quantity any day.

    ~Lisa

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