Twenty Years of Blogging....

 Nov. 4, 2005....I was in the early stages of costuming our church's second production of "The Gospel According to Scrooge" and found that I was monopolizing a couple of threads on sewing discussion boards...so I took a deep breath, signed on with Blogger, and put up the first post.

The photos I added to those early posts have all been dropped by Blogger; I think that happened when Google took over.   I tried linking them to an external album, but Photoworks has closed up shop as well and those are also gone.  

I don't suppose anyone is trying to see them these days anyway.  

I posted almost every day back then.  Hard to believe now, but I was immersed in sewing and had lots to talk about...much of it centered on the clothes I was sewing to wear in our church choir, as we were asked to wear garments from a specified color group, which changed monthly.  So it would look good on the broadcasts.  But I found myself feeling really out of sorts with posting about what I wore to church, when the service was so good and touched my spirit.

So, in 2008, I started a second blog, where I could talk about faith and related topics.  I was still posting *almost* daily to the sewing blog, but sometimes the faith blog would take precedence. 

Then, in March of 2009, I found myself gainfully employed.  Part-time, to be sure, but it took a big chunk of my time.  A year later, I moved from general office work...just helping the accounting team as needed...to being the church data base admin.  Which made sense, since I have a degree in Computer Science.  My work commitment increased to 24 hours a week.  Which doesn't sound like an awful lot, but it was now what was controlling my time.

For the last 10 years, I've been doing well to average one post per week in each of the blogs.  

Despite that, earlier this year I decided I needed a place to collect various bits of fanciful writing I've done over the years....some of it has been published here, some over on the faith blog, some to the now defunct Facebook Notes....and some didn't fit anywhere.  So I opened up a third blog so I would have a place to post and link those things.  It kind of amuses me that I did that.

I think maybe 12 people have found that one, lol.  But that's ok.  I haven't posted a boatload of stuff there yet anyway. If I were doing the proper author thing, I would be posting that to Substack, which is sort of like Patreon for writers, with a paywall that would only allow subscribers to read my stuff, but I don't feel like I'm quite on that level.  If I had  a boatload of followers who left lots of comments on what I posted, maybe, but as it's pretty much crickets over here on all three blogs these days...I'm just grateful for folks who DO stop by and read.  Substack is way over my grade level, lol.

But, blogging has changed over the years.  When I go back and look at those early posts I am gobsmacked by the number of comments.  But, as the years have passed, many of the folks whose blogs I followed in the early years have dropped out of blogging altogether.  The community that all read and commented on each other's posts has  moved on.  

And, you know, I had to work through that.  Was this worth doing if only a few people read it...or if only bots were hitting the posts?  I finally decided that I blog for me, to help me process life and work and, you know, all the things.  It feels productive to write a post, even if it serves no other purpose.

But I have enjoyed it, and the friends I've made along the way, even if they have moved on and aren't checking blogs anymore.  It's understandable.  Life is busy.  It's easy to read a post on a feed burner and kind of a nuisance to click through the links to actually leave a comment.  My own blog commenting has fallen way, way off.  So I am guilty as well.

But it is nice to have the outlet to post to when I have something to say, and when I can make time to sit down and write it up.  We no longer have an active church choir, as our director has moved on to other demanding tasks, so the choir wardrobe is no longer driving my sewing.  I am helping a bit with the costumes for our current Christmas production...and I do have some photos and such to put into a post soon..but I'm not in charge of it.  Which is fine.  It needs to move on too.  

So... with that little look at the evolution of the blogs, I do want to say THANK YOU to all the folks who have read the blogs through the years.  I am deeply appreciative that you would take the time to check out my ramblings and even leave a comment once in a while.  It means more than I can say to know that it isn't just bots hitting the stat counter, lol.

Here's to more sewing!  And more creating!  God Bless Us, Everyone.... ;-)