Of Blogging and An Anniversary

Today is a special day as it happens to have been 5 years ago that I began blogging.  How has 5 years gone by so swiftly?  I want to share a few of the things I have learned about blogging during those years.

First of all, throw out the so-called rules that many bloggers offer in order to have the "right" blog.  This is not to say that certain guidelines aren't good to follow.  Many are, but most of what "they" think makes for a great blog is just their idea. You should follow your own heart and do what you enjoy.  Maybe you like lots of photos.  Or maybe photography isn't your thing and you don't have many to share.  I say whatever works best for you is what you should do.  Ditto backgrounds and headers.  Some say all white backgrounds are best, while others say use some color.  Headers or banners that only have your blog name and not much else are preferred by many now, but some of us prefer to make our own using our photos.  Do what you like.  Not what you think "they" want.  Be creative.  That is part of the fun of blogging to me.  I can be as creative or not as much as I like.  I'm the owner, publisher, writer and photographer all rolled into one.  

I've read more than once that taking blog breaks is a no-no.  Maybe it is if you are depending on a certain income from your blog.  But for most of us who just blog for our own enjoyment, there is certainly nothing wrong with taking blog breaks.  After all, real life should come before your blog and there will be times when a break is necessary.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Your real blog friends will be there when you get back.   Blogging should be fun.  Take a break when it ceases to be fun or when you are super busy.  Don't wear yourself out by burning the candle at both ends to keep up with blogging. 

There are a couple of other things that I would suggest in regard to blogging.  The first one is to turn off Word Verification if you have it on.  Many bloggers will not comment if you have it.  The second is to blog about whatever you want to.  Mix it up.  For example, if you are into decorating, great!  Most of us love to see pretty homes, but if you want to take a side trip down memory lane or share a day trip with us or talk about the price of groceries, please do so!  Personally, I prefer blogs that are what I call real.

Being real doesn't mean divulging what city you live in or your full name, unless you choose to do so.  Many of us don't get too personal in our blog writing since we try to maintain a bit of privacy if our family requests that we do so.  But it's perfectly okay to express your feelings, as I did the other day about losing a beloved relative.  And that brings me to my thoughts about how wonderful bloggers are and much I appreciate and love all of you who have been my blog friends over the last 5 years.  You have encouraged me, comforted me and cheered me on.  Thank you!  And, special thanks to each of you for the nice comments you left in my last post.   

One more thing before I end this wordy post.  I will be sharing some photos of our new purchase as soon as I have time to edit them.  This house needs a lot of work and I will welcome advice and so I will try to get those photos up soon!  We are doing as much of the work ourselves that we can.  That is the only way my darling, but sometimes stubborn hubby operates.  He is a real DIYer, for sure.  

Thank you again for being with me for the past few years!  I plan to continue blogging, but the break will be extended a bit longer.    

Happy Saturday to you and Happy Blogging!
xo Cheryl

Saying Goodbye To My Dear Aunt and Uncle

Some things are very hard to put into words.  My sweet aunt and uncle are gone.  My uncle who was trying to overcome a second broken hip just didn't recover and my aunt, who was in the hospital due to a fall, died just 2 days after hearing her beloved husband was gone. 

They were both quite elderly, but my aunt was always so young at heart and sharp as a tack.  She was always on her computer doing genealogy research and sending emails.  She was quite a brilliant woman and far ahead of me in the tech field, that is for sure.  A very snappy dresser and quite the talker, she never met a stranger in her life.   

My uncle was a gentleman, always.  Very kind hearted and devoted to his wife.  I will never forget when I stopped by their house just a few short months ago to drop off a little birthday gift for my aunt and found my uncle icing a cake he had baked for her birthday.  Even though the cake had fallen apart when it came out of the pan, he was doing his best to make it look pretty for her. 

We knew time was growing short for both of them as their health had begun to rapidly decline, but we didn't know it would be quite so soon.  My daughter had stopped in at the hospital to see my aunt the day after my uncle died and held the phone to her ear so I could talk to her.  Her voice was very weak and she told me that she loved me over and over and thanked me for all I had done for her.  Then she said she was just so very tired and ready to go now.  I think she had been holding on as long as she could to watch over her hubby.  She passed away the next day.

I loved these 2 dear people that I'm proud to have had in my family.  Some of you may remember they were the only family I had left aside from my hubby and children.  I am sad that they are gone and will miss them, but I take comfort in knowing that I will see them again some day.

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I'm not quite ready to get back to regular blogging just yet, but I will be posting a few photos in the next few days of our new purchase that some of you have asked about.

I will leave the comments open, even though I apologize in advance if I'm not able to comment in return for a while yet.  

Happy Fall to you!
xo Cheryl