For the Love (Part 1)

Maybe I’m too modest, not ambitious enough.

I took a Writers’ League of Texas blogging workshop in October, learned some tips and tricks for increasing readership, then lost my notes and asked the instructor to send me her presentation, which she did. Still have not implemented the ideas. Heather at Becoming Cliche has published three posts about improving blogs and getting more traffic. My email links to them are starred and mostly unread.

After beating myself up for being “lazy” I got to thinking about why I blog. The term blog is, of course, a contraction of “web log,” and that’s how I use it–a log of my life, ideas, activities, a personal archive and public diary. If others find it interesting and choose to read it, even follow, that’s wonderful, but I don’t feel a strong need to “drive” traffic to my site. I use categories and tags (although I still don’t understand the difference). I will get around to reading Heather’s blog and implementing the workshop ideas.

I recently got a new laptop and I’ve spent too many hours getting everything working properly. As dependent as I am on Adobe products for my art and graphics work, they were most unhelpful; their customer support, well, sucks. Now I know why Steve Jobs hated Adobe.

When I’m not keeping up my blogs I go about my busy retirement: household tasks, meals and errands; appointments; workouts and walks; church and choir; condo board work; grandchild time; reading (less than I’d like); knitting and stitching, and my postcard art, on which I spend hours at a time.

One tip I often read is to have an editorial schedule and keep to it. Hah. I had a job. With lots of deadlines. If you’re following my blog, I doubt that you have marked your calendar and wonder why I don’t publish on a “schedule.” Thank you for reading, for following (if you do), and please check back regularly.

Part 2 will appear on my other blog next week, so please visit there as well.

Here’s how I spend my “idle” hours, usually while watching movies or TV.

A postcard-size design I made up. I’ve discovered I really love embroidery!

A square for a multi-colored sampler blanket (this variegated yarn has all the colors; the others are each of those colors) for my granddaughter

Cotton yarn acquired for next-to-nothing at a thrift shop–either a dishcloth or a washcloth. Silly, but it’s a fun pattern.