I can't believe it... I have been blogging for 7 years! And, I am actually remembering to mention my Blogiversary. I have been a bit sporadic with that over the years...
So, I do have one tradition:
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Written World,
Happy Birthday to you!
Now, what should I talk about? Twice I sort of got on a soap box about blogging and community and how people could be unfriendly. This year I have been anti-social myself. Do you ever wonder that by getting so big the community is actually dying? People don't join in things like they used to. And then there is commenting... People don't really comment on blogs. I remember when I started blogging I had a blog roll in my sidebar and it was perfectly manageable for me to go through it and see if there were new posts from each blog. Nowadays the thought of doing that hurts my head... But, part of me misses that simplicity. I didn't ignore everyone and feel overwhelmed all the time.
2012, for me, has been the year of projects. I got back in the habit of taking pictures. Yes, they are often of the cat, but I have also taken some pictures that I love and am proud of. I am hoping to take photography one step further in 2013 with my new camera and the photography courses I am signed up for. I also got back to my postcard collection. I have been collecting postcards since I was a little kid, but I hadn't been taking an active role the last few years. I made a project to collect the 50 states and I am very near completion. I also joined Postcrossing to branch out and get postcards from all over the world. To add to this experience I started a blog to show my collection off and not have it just sit around in boxes. It launched yesterday and is called The Postcard Project.
In many ways I got beyond reading and that is a bit sad. It was almost always my main hobby, but other things have taken over. I still read, but I haven't got a routine that I have time for everything else and the reading, too. I think maybe I have just read so much over the years that I needed to take a step back and remember that there are other things out there to enjoy... I still plan to read. I am hoping 2013 will see a return to that, but hopefully with other projects thrown in. I hate neglecting my books, so I can't stop reading entirely.
Anyway, here's to another year of blogging, friendship, books, conversation, Twitter chats, fun mail, gifts, cards, postcards, photography, and whatever else you find to keep you entertained. One goal I had for this blog when I wrote last years Blogiversary post was a template change. I at least managed that!
Happy blogiversary! I think it's good to slow down, shift priorities, find balance and joy.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary!! 7 years is quite a milestone =) Here's to an awesome 2013!
ReplyDeleteHappy 7th blogiversary, Kelly! I agree that the community has gotten very large and sometimes it's hard to keep up but at the same time, it's still possible to make new friends which is fun! I'm glad I've gotten to know you better over the past year. Here's to a fun year ahead! Keep sharing those photos too. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy 7th, Kelly, and here's to many more! I get overwhelmed sometimes too, but I think there will always be bloggers who enjoy doing things together, who go out of their way to be friendly and inclusive, and who will keep what we value about the community alive.
ReplyDeleteHappy bloggiversary! I'm so glad that the blogging community introduced us to each other. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary Kelly!! I hope we get to celebrate many more...
ReplyDeleteSeven years - what an achievement! Happy blogiversary!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Written World! I hope 2013 brings you more of what makes you happiest!
ReplyDeleteWhich I hope includes reading, just cause I like to read your thoughts on books!
DeleteHappy blogiversary! It's always interesting to look back and see how your interests have evolved over time, and I think blogging helps to document these shifts.
ReplyDeleteLi
Happy blogiversary! I know what you mean about commenting. For me, I usually don't leave comments for a couple of reasons: it's harder to do comments on my phone/kindle (and I often go through my blog reader on those) and some of the spam filters that people use. I get why people use them, but most aren't very user friendly (especially on my phone or kindle...).
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary! And wherever your life takes you, I hope you can find time to include the bloggy world. We love having you here!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog-a-versary, Kailana! I've been with you for six of your seven years, and I love that we're some of the 'old ones'. Well, perhaps I speak for myself when I say that. ;) At any rate, thanks for all you do, from co-hosting the Advent Blog Tour to wonderful reviews and being my friend.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary you wonderful whacky wild book-loving fanatic of a cool friend you!
ReplyDeleteHappy 7 years Kelly! Some day we will get to meet up, somewhere in the Maritimes. So close, and yet so far!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on seven years! Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that paragraph about the blogging world changing…it really has. But I try to change with it and stay close to my friends!! Happy blogiversary to you Kells :D :D :D I just realized after reading this post that my 6 year is coming up soon!! And that means ALMOST six years of knowing you because you were one of the first bloggers I met :) And it's been a great six years. You know what? I might actually join post crossing! I have this postcard art project I want to do and that would be an awesome way of getting the postcards to do it!!! Love you!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 7 years, Kelly! That is something, a big achievement. And you know we like you posting your pictures too, and whatever interests you. Plus, you did read this year, too, and even get reviews in!
ReplyDeleteI like how you say you discovered you didn't just want to read, but wanted to do other things too. I'm like this too, there are times when I can read,and times when I
can't, and need to do my photography too, or writing (which I'm trying to get back into a daily habit of doing). I think reading is a big part of my life, but it's not my whole life.
I'm glad you made it to 7 years, and I certainly have enjoyed getting to know you!
Happy bloggiversary Kelly. I've loved getting to know you better this year (even though we've been blogging together for years)--I think that twitter is to thank for this, especially as my blogging seems to wax and wane like yours does. Too many projects get in the way. Some days I'm glad to have all of the hobbies but some days I'm just exhausted. I would love to read more but I know that I have to give up things to read more--and some of that is spending time with Scott. It's tough to do it all.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm so glad I know you! xo
Happy blogoversary to you Kelly! I think you're right about a lot of things in the community changing. I know I don't comment nearly as often, and I don't read blogs nearly as often either. It's just not good, and I do see the community as dying a little. It makes me sad, but I think that's inevitable in a way. I used to be really active on Myspace in 2006 nad 2007, but now, Myspace is like a graveyard, and i haven't had an account there in years. So many things online are like that - they flare up, and die away, you know? Wow this is a depressing comment...um...rainbow and kittens and postcards and fun stuff?? :D
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary!! Mine's coming up soon (6) and I'm wondering what I can say. I've not been reading (or blogging) much lately either. Maybe you'll inspire me to get back at it. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary! I can totally understand when projects take time away from reading. I never seem to have enough time in a day to do everything I want to.
ReplyDeleteSeven years! Awesome! Way to go! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary!
ReplyDeleteI think that the bigger the community has become, the harder it is to keep up with reading blogs and commenting, etc. I personally had to pull back a bit so as not to feel overwhelmed. For me, the hardest part has been the branching out into Twitter, etc. I can't keep up with all that. I certainly hope the community isn't dying, that would be too sad!
Happy blogiversary! I think that no matter how big it gets, you'll always find your "group" (just like high-school :P) - usually the people who are read/are interested in the same things you are. I have about 60 blogs in my Google Reader, but only about 15 in my top-list of blogs I always try to comment on. It would be impossible to manage otherwise.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your blogiversary!!! What an amazing accomplishment! I like the idea of focusing on other projects..sometimes that is just exactly what you need to do. I would like to see myself have a more diverse mix of reading and other things as well. Congrats again!
ReplyDeleteWow, 7 years!!! Hard to believe, for sure. I'm about 6 months away from hitting #7, myself, and rather shocked. Happy Bloggiversary, Kelly! I don't think there's anything at all wrong with changing interests. I've had dramatic fluctuations in the number of books I read, over the years, and I'm leaning more toward working on photography, fiction and other artistic pursuits in 2013. Happy Holidays, too!
ReplyDeleteWow! 7 Years. Congratulations! I hit #5 in January which made me look twice when I realised it!
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