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Blogging 101: Rekindling The Passion

seal_v2-04Ruts are never a good thing: not in the garden, not in your life and certainly not in the blogging world. If I’m bored, I shudder to think how my readers might feel. It’s time to rekindle my passion for blogging.

With that in mind, I’ve signed up for Blogging University, March 2015, also known as Blogging 101. You can read more about it here. It looks like fun and its free from the folks at WordPress.

Our first assignment is to introduce ourselves. Since I’ve been blogging for a few years, I feel like an open book…or blog. If you’re new here, or perhaps stopping by from the “Class of March, 2015”, welcome!

So…what am I doing here in the land of blogging?

I came for the writing and stayed for the friends. Who knew? I’ve always enjoyed some form of creative writing. I started a blog as a way to express myself, and hoped that others would find and read it. I kept personal journals for years, but the appeal of blogging is the chance to share your thoughts and ideas with others.

I’m passionate about gardening and organizing, and probably inherited both loves from my father, a British horticulturist and hobbyist. He died when I was young, but passed on his love of gardening and his sense of order.

By day I’m a professional organizer. It’s a great profession for someone like me who enjoys helping others while bringing order out of chaos. I get to use my design background and space planning skills as well. Most of my clients have cats, dogs or both which brings me to my next love: animals.

I live in Silicon Valley with my husband of 20 years, our two teenage sons, and three adorable felines. They’re spoiled, one and all, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My love of gardening takes many forms. I grow potted plants indoors and on the deck. Outdoors I tend a perennial garden, with an ever-changing array of annuals, bulbs and herbs. A few years ago I fell in love with fairy gardens and added that to my repertoire as well. It’s a wonderful way to express your inner child.

On the subject of children, my now 15 year-old inspired my love of growing pumpkins. One happy accident lead to our first pumpkin crop: my little one spilled squirrel seed mix on the walkway, and our love of growing pumpkins grew from there. We’ve grown them ever since. I’m taking this year off after back-to-back squash bug infestations. Truth be told, I’ll miss them.

I’m looking for ways to keep my blog fresh and interesting and have even toyed with the idea of a new name and a whole new look. Let’s see what the month brings.

Special thanks to Michelle, Maureen, Alex, and the WordPress team for leading the way.

 

 

23 thoughts on “Blogging 101: Rekindling The Passion”

  1. I love your blog and hope it will not disappear from our interwebby world. When I first started blogging I heard most blogs stop after about three years – it seems to be the blog version of the ‘seven year itch’. I have just had my second anniversary, the same day I published my last post but I never noticed til the good WP folks sent me a note. So that is about how long we have been getting to know each other – you stumbled along one day quite early in my blogging life and have remained ever since xoxo It is so like you to notice a problem and set to and do something about it – I admire that so much! My blogging has been much interrupted of late, but I think that is because I have an upcoming wondrous event on my mind and everything else is taking a bit of a back seat. Life interrupts blogging!

    I was going to do something on my side bar as I have just noticed you have done – but I don’t know how to do it so It isn’t happening over at my place. You of course also once didn’t know how to do it and went and found out – see what I mean. Sigh! 🙂 Any way I hope you find much renewed enthusiasm for your blog over March – it will be another thing for us to talk about. 🙂 We’ll need at least a month!

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  2. As I am a new comer to your blog it all appears fresh and bright and properly kindled to me. However, I am sure it is a different story for the writer. My passion rarely dwindles, but my time to blog does.

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  4. Since Christmas I have also done far less blogging… the winter is not terribly inspiring! I always enjoy your posts Alys, so hope this Blogging 101 will help you get back on track, and spring will probably help too. Most important is that it is fun! 🙂

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  5. Well said. I’m in a rut myself, especially in feeling I’m sharing an idea that’s probably been shared already times ten. I’d like to share more personal stories but those posts take longer to whittle away at. Have fun on your journey and thanks for sharing it with us. 🙂

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  6. I keep hoping to get the time to do blogging 101. Tried it last time and couldn’t get past the tech parts. I’ve had to pass this time again but I see it’s merits in stirring the pot a bit. My friend at In Cahoots in Muddy Boots is doing it too. Now if she’d stop blogging long enough to come help me with my garden….
    Do you realize you have become part of most conversations around here? You are like a family member that lives in another town. I mention Alys and my children know of whom I speak. We go shopping and my daughter will say, oh, that looks like an Alys thing or a Boomdee thing. Have we slipped a cog or are you such an influence (good, of course) that it’s like we know you personally.
    I love that about your blog. It feels like home. I can pet a kitty and sit in the garden or pick up a good book. I think your blog is always fresh and full of inspiration. Now, I hope you find inspiration for yourself. 🙂 Hugs my friend

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  9. Pingback: Blogging 101: What’s in a Name? | Gardening Nirvana

  11. That is interesting both your story for me as a relative new follower and to know that there is something like Blogging 101, for me as a relative new blogger;0) A great post Alys, I look forward to more of this!

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  12. Well now, you are always on top of things hon. It’s that organizing thing again. You get twice as much done in a day it seems. Honestly, what would I do without you? I’d be still search for that connection we have found and grown. I’d be thinking, “I know you’re out there somewhere”. You my dear are my confidant, my inspiration, my cheerleader, my travel partner extraordinaire xoxox and always my true friend and all that embraces. I’m so happy you came by my new little blog back when. xoxoxoxo

    I sometimes get to feeling my blog is being ignored. I’m down to posting 2 times a month. But I’m hopeful I’ll start to find more time soon. I still enjoy bouncing around the globe, visiting everyone. Getting glimpses of their gardens, art, pets, travel, photography and making new connections. I would never give that up regardless of how much time I have to post. I guess I could simplify, less photo’s, less cartoons and such. But I feel connected to a particular style of writing and hate the idea of diverting form that and taking shortcuts.

    I guess I’ve said this many times, but isn’t it crazy fun that you never expected at all? I couldn’t have predicted our trip to Washington. I’m always just blown away by what Blogging brings to my life. If non-bloggers could relate, they’d soon all be bloggers too. Considering how many Bloggers are on WP is pretty cozy here.

    Hey, check out this activity page. It lights up when someone in the word clicks ‘like’ or comments. There’s this light in California that keeps blinking. Is that you? 😀 xoxooxxo You are my bright light, that I know for certain and I love you dearly, mwaaaa K

    https://wordpress.com/activity/

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    • Thanks for that amazing link. I looked at it this morning and was thinking, hmmm Dani and Pauline must still be asleep. No lights in Australia or New Zealand. That is pretty cool.

      I love your style of writing, your style of *being* really and couldn’t imagine you changing it.

      I agree: I think everyone has much to gain from blogging. It’s been a remarkable experience and continues to be so.

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  13. What a great post! As a relative newcomer to the party, I have found your writing to be very enjoyable and diverse. I have recently been feeling that many of my posts have fallen short of my inner blogger goals. I have slowed the number of my posts to find a focus. Perhaps the time has come to invest in a little education into my writing! You have inspired me..After a year of blogging I am not sure which direction I want to take. Your post has given me some food for thought. I very much enjoyed learning something new about you today. Thanks for sharing!

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    • Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words. I’m happy, too, that they’ve given you some insight into your own blogging experience.

      You are wise to slow down and exam what you want out of this whole blogging experience. I started out on Blogger with a very short posts, blogging about organizing and gardening and a variety of essays. I left Blogger for WordPress and have had a more enriching experience.

      Education in anything will surely reap rewards. Long after I graduated from college, I took night classes in drawing, creative writing and even business law…just for fun.

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