This blogging world

It's a funny thing this blogging business. I've been reading lots of wonderful blogs for about 18 months now and have so thoroughly enjoyed them. I've read about new babies, pretty projects, gardens designed and planted, houses bought and personalised. I've found out how to needle felt gnomes, knit socks and nurture carrot seedlings! 

Last year I started my own blog just for far flung family and friends but my heart wasn't in it and I soon closed it down. 

Since then my ideas and energies changed and again I have started with a new blog from a slightly different perspective. This time I am happy to share with all the mamas in blog land and beyond - just like they have shared theirs - and with it has come the realisation of what a great community is out there. And where once I just looked, admired and repurposed their amazing ideas, now I want to thank them and let them know how clever they are. So I leave a comment when I've read a particularly inspiring thought or found a very useful project because I know how nice it is to have someone out there let you know how much your thoughts and craftiness are appreciated. 

And there's another bonus as well - all of a sudden I don't feel quite like a distant and aloof voyeur anymore, but rather as part of a like minded group with a dialogue and some give and take. Its a lovely way to connect with other mama's out there doing their 'mama stuff' even though I'm never likely to meet any of them in the Real World. 

It takes a bit of time to write a blog - each post has many photos taken and either resized or discarded; the topic selected and written (I do a rough draft on paper because I'm visual and like to scribble at odd moments!) then maybe revised as its being typed and finally published. 

Then of course later theres a bit of time spent reading any comments left and maybe having a quick lengthy peek at Other Peoples Blogs!! 

So having discovered all this for myself, I am no longer hesitant to leave a comment because I know that it isn't all about the number of comments you get, it's simply the fact that someone, anyone  has taken the time to 'thank' you for your words. 

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PS - all the photos above were taken at our two Yule celebrations - one for The Family at Home and one for Those Who Have Moved Out!  Yes there are quite a few of us now and we had a couple of extras thrown in so the table was Full! Our home is small tiny and what you see in the photo is almost all of it. I'll post some more pics of our Shoebox someday soon.  

Disclaimer - These are just random thoughts! I am not trying to generate comments but am using this space to write whats on my mind ......... with gratitude!