It’s my one year anniversary of blogging!
I feel a bit like my one-year-old self in the picture…… I stood up. I took the first step, but I’m not steady on my feet yet. I fall down a lot. And I’m reliant on that bottle for comfort.
OK – the bottle has been replaced by lots and lots of dark chocolate.
For a brief, but embarrassing moment, I thought my anniversary was on April 4, like Jana Last, and I left a comment on her blog saying so. But what really happened is that I had posts ready to publish on April 4th 2012, but I was too scared to hit the publish button until April 21st. I should really learn to check my sources more carefully!
I doubt if anyone read those first few posts, even though I stewed and stewed over them. Then I got up the nerve to ask to be added to the Geneabloggers blog roll. People actually read what I wrote and left me comments! A couple of my family joined in too. Uncle Don – you are the best! And a friend started following early on even though she’s not that into genealogy and certainly doesn’t know most of the people I write about. Thanks for the encouragement, Danita!
I’ve discovered what a great community there is among family history bloggers. It’s extraordinary! Support, encouragement, advice, knowledge – freely shared by people I’ve never met and possibly never will. I’ve found it very difficult to balance my own life and preparing my own blog and research with time to read and support other bloggers – not to mention how much I learn from them! Some weeks it’s more of one. Some weeks it’s more of the other. Thanks for the support – you know who you are!
The most amazing thing that happened because of blogging (combined with weird coincidences on Facebook) was finding my half-sister, whom I hadn’t seen since she was a baby and I was 8 years old. An intention and a picture sent out into the blogosphere that I never expected to be found…. Incredible!
I hope to have achieved a better sense of balance by next year, to walk at a steadier pace, and to have a better sense of direction. I’ll surely fall down and embarrass myself sometimes. But who knows who or what I may discover in the process?
Thanks for walking with me into the past, through the present, and on into the future!
I’ve got plenty of dark chocolate on hand for the journey!
Happy Anniversary Kathy. I’m glad you hit that publish button. I read a few other blogs on a variety of topics, but the main thread between all of them is the writing skills of the bloggers. As an avid reader I admire that talent. I think it’s pretty cool about your half-sister too. You never know what surprises are in our future and we are never too old to try new things. At least that’s my motto.
A good motto to live by! Thanks for being a reader and frequent commenter – you know I appreciate it.
Congrats on your blogging anniversary!
Thank you!
Happy first year blogiversary, Kathy! May you have many more–and much more dark chocolate than you’ll ever need 😉
Thank you Jacqi! I try never to run out of chocolate, but it happens once in a while.
Congratulations, Kathy! You express very well many thoughts about blogging that I share with you. Balancing life and blog research and blogging and blog reading & commenting — yes, that’s quite a juggling act. We’ve been at it about the same time ( my 1st anniversary was in February), and I also still feel fairly tentative about this whole project.
The genealogy virtual community is so friendly that I can hardly believe it!! No one has said a critical word to me, and many have offered support and advice. It’s a good place to be.
My one fruitful contact was a third cousin who had a whole houseful of genealogical documents (4 family trees, really) to consign to my care. That’s good, because I wanted to look up one of those trees. But I have to be careful not to overdo — one bite of the elephant at a time.
Happy First Anniversary! And many happy returns!
Mariann, I guess I missed your blogiversary. 🙁 I thought surely you had been at this much longer as your blog is so well written and you are so knowledgable. I count you among the helpful and friendly bloggers.
Thank you, Kathy! And I count you among exactly that same group.
Happy Blogiversary! In about five months, I’ll be there. It has been a great experience so far.
Regards,
Grant
Thank you! Good luck with your blog!
Wow….it has been a year!!!! How time flies when you are having fun. You are having fun aren’t you? Seriously, I think you are doing a very good job. I can’t imagine how many hours you put into it, but it has to be a lot to come up with all the info you do. I know it can be addicting. Anyway keep it up.
Yes – I’m having fun!
Happy 1st blogiversay Kathy!! Mmmm…dark chocolate. A yummy accompaniment to blogging! I totally understand the challenge of balancing life with blogging and all that goes with that, not to mention trying to fit in family history research in there too. You have done a great job with your blog.
Wow! Connecting with your half-sister after all these years is truly amazing. That’s a testament to the power of blogging and social media, isn’t it?
Congrats again Kathy on your blogiversary!
Thanks Jana! It is a juggling act I’m still learning. I hope I can get a better rhythm going one of these days. After connecting with my half sister, the rest of blogging is icing on the cake.
Kathy,
I want to let you know that your blog post is listed in today’s Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/04/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-april-25.html
Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much, Jana!
Yeah, I’ll take dark chocolate over a bottle of milk any day. Happy Blogiversary. Keep on Bloggin’!!
Congratulations, Kathy! You’re amazing! I’m so proud of you for living your dream, even if it seems lopsided, sporadic or out of balance. I think that’s part of the spice of life. It’s kind of like a puzzle, sometimes you find the pieces quickly and sometimes you have to hunt and hunt for the missing piece, and sometimes you never find it. Wishing you the best!
Aw, thanks Joan! I’m having fun with this.