Happy New Year! I hope 2018 is off to a great start for everyone!
As those of you who have been following this blog for a long time know, this year saw a real slow down in my blogging activity. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and, well not quite soul searching, but debating and struggling and wondering what the heck and generally trying to figure out why I haven’t felt like blogging much and what do I want to do about it. I came very close to deciding to give it up completely. It has been 14 years of book blogging and that is a pretty long time. However, I like blogging and I don’t want to give it up entirely.
But what does that mean, exactly? I can’t say I have a full answer just yet, but it does mean there will be changes. The biggest change will be a re-focusing of what this blog is about. I have enjoyed Sunday-what’s-going-on-in-the-garden and The Dashwood Chronicles posts very much and I want to expand on that sort of thing. More garden and chickens but also food and environmental issues. More, hey I read this really interesting article about XYZ.
Also cycling. I bought a racing license for the year and Astrid and I are going to test ourselves in some honest to goodness sanctioned races. We’ll be placed in a category! We’ll earn points! There could be fame, glory and prizes! The last bit is highly unlikely but at the very least there will be challenges, adventures and fun and in a way that’s even better.
There will still be books, that’s for sure. But I’m not going to try and blog about everything I read anymore. It’s begun to feel like an obligation and that’s no good. When I let keeping meticulous track of my reading go halfway through the year, I started to feel much freer — to read what I wanted at the pace I wanted, to not worry about taking notes but simply to enjoy the experience. The not taking notes part was a revelation. It had been so long since I simply read a book I felt like I was getting away with something. I plan on keeping track of the books I read, if I don’t, I know I will forget what I have read and in two years realize when deep into a story that I have read it already. The keeping track though will be a bit more casual and mostly over at GoodReads, so if you feel inclined to see exactly what I am reading feel free to check in on me there.
I feel like I have been compartmentalizing my life between work and home, between gardening, books, and cycling, between all the things that matter to me. The separations are beginning to chafe because the separations aren’t real. So instead of a book blog with forays into gardening, I guess this is going to turn into a more personal blog with forays into books. Or something.
I realize this probably means some of you who visit regularly will stop coming by and while I am sad about that, I am also okay with it. We all gotta do what we gotta do. No hard feelings.
I’ve also been spending a lot less time online and it is grand. I have had time to start knitting again. I forgot how much I enjoy it. I will definitely continue to visit your blogs but I might not be as regular a visitor as I have been in the past. I will miss that, you are such a great bunch of folks, but I hope you understand.
I plan on making some changes to the blog itself since it won’t be just about books any longer. A new name, a new look, but the same URL, which might be weird but there is no need to ditch everything, right?
Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing books and stories. Thanks for allowing me to be part of such a great online community. You all rock!
Here’s to a New Year filled with good friends, good books, gardens, chickens, and all sorts of exciting adventures!
I’ll be looking forward to whatever you write about. I think it makes sense to have blog content that reflects what you’re most interested in, it should make it all a relaxed and more enjoyable experience for you – not a chore. You’ll have realised that my bookish ‘reviews’ are generally fairly sketchy, and that suits my purpose, giving me a wee reminder. I hope that you and Bookman have a happy and healthy 2018.
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Katrina, thanks! You are so kind! Yes, your reviews do tend to be short and that is perfectly ok! But your travel tend to be long and I enjoy those posts very much 🙂 Happy New Year to you too!
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Congratulations on coming to what seems like a very sound decision! Happy 2018!
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Thanks Isabella! Happy New Year to you too!
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Whatever you decide to write about is totally cool and is nice to hear about your knitting and cycling and hearing about the Dashwoods–it is all interesting! I am just glad you are staying online even if on a more limited basis–I understand that feeling only too well and it is nice, actually, not feeling like you have to post every day and that it does not have to be about books. For a while I was not visiting anyone at all online, but I do hope to get back to visiting other readers even if it is not a daily event–I miss hearing other people’s news! I love your new header, by the way!
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Danielle, thanks on all counts! I do enjoy blogging and being online, it just needs to fit in my life a little differently these days. I know you understand!
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Change is always good Stefanie and I will follow your adventures books or no books! I mean from Carrot Soup to Gardening, I have picked up so many things from you, so less books is no big deal. Besides over the last year, I have also not blogged about all the books I read, only the ones I really liked or the ones I was asked to review! I gave up on blogging about every book, long back – just way toooooo much of an effort! So, here’s wishing you a grand 2018, with a lot more and a lot many adventures!!
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cirtnecce, you are so kind! Thank you! Happy 2018 to you as well. I hope it is off to a good start!
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Hi Stefanie, Happy New Year. My wishes to Bookman and to your furry and feathery friends. I am so excited to know that you will offer a view into other aspects of your life too. Although I love book-blogs, I love personal blogs more. Regardless of the themes you explore here, I will be here to read what you write and share my thoughts. Thank you for sharing yourself with us. I love the new look. The flower is cheerful. It made me smile. And yaaaay for acquiring the license. (Astrid, Calvin is proud of you!) 🙂 ❤
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Happy New Year to you too Deepika! I hope 2018 is off to a grand start! Thank you for your wonderful kind words. You have such a big beautiful heart! Astrid sends her thanks to Calvin and hopes there are many great adventures in store for the both you as well!
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I’m so glad you decided not to abandon the blog. I appreciate your book reviews because they are usually of books I’ve not heard of so I get a new perspective plus of course you write with such good insight. I will miss them but I also love hearing about the Dashwoods so am glad to know they will keep making an appearance. After 14 years you have ore than earns the right to do with yiur blog whatever want to so just do what yiu enjoy most and best reflects yiur interests. Looking forward to seeing the new incarnation.
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BookerTalk, thanks! You are very kind 🙂 I am sure there will still be plenty of bookish-ness, I think gardening and the Dashwoods just might have been freed from Sundays-only.
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No complaints here. Bring on the next episode of the Dashwoods
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Time is also a big issue for me. There never seems to be enough time to blog. Blogging also takes time away from reading and other things. I do not blame you for cutting back. Blogging should not feel like an obligation.
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Brian Joseph, no, never enough time to do all the things, is there?
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I think many of us, bloggers or not, can understand. My book reviews are short and meant to just give a quick overview of the type of book it is. Some bloggers get into such detail that I often think they could have read half of a new book in the time they spent on the blog.
I’m glad you’re not abandoning us completely. You and I have several interests in common (chickens, veganism, gardening, but not bicycle racing!), so it’s always fun to read what’s happening in your world.
A happy, healthy, and more relaxing 2018 to you, Bookman, and the Dashwoods.
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Joan, thanks! Yes, we do share a lot of interests. And I hope once you get the garden going in your new house that you will be sharing that on your blog!
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I look forward to reading more about chickens! And I will always enjoy your book posts when they do show up, and other thoughts too. Happy New Year.
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Jeane, thank you! And I hope 2018 is off to a good start for you!
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Your new plans sound like fun.I love reading about people’s lives from hobbies to food to lifestyle &coffee course reading.Makes me feel like I really know them even if it’s only on line.Your bike racing wow😊😁
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Rhonda, you are so kind, thank you! Yeah, I am still wondering how I managed to agree to bike racing! 😀
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Happy New Year, Stefanie! I say you gotta do what makes you happy. I can’t wait to see what new adventures you share and I look forward to reading about them. I love to read about other things than the books too just because there’s always so much to learn and it’s great to hear what others are up to. Same reason I share some of my artsy pursuits, etc. Anyway, here’s to a fabulous 2018!
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Happy New Year Iliana! Thank you for the kind words! We’ve been at t his a long time you and I! I love your artsy pursuits! 🙂
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I just wanted to say that I’m still here for whatever you decide to post about – I do love your chicken updates and get so many good tips from your gardening posts! Life is short – blog about what you want to blog about! 🙂 Happy New Year!
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Thanks Laila! I hope there will be lots of chicken, gardening, book and other interesting things in the future. I hope you 2018 is off to a great start!
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The changes sound good and here’s to a fun new season of blogging!!
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Thanks Wanderwolf! Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year! So many of the blogs I check in on regularly have recently posted something similar- blogging isn’t as popular as it used to be, but a lot of us aren’t ready to let it go! I hope your new configuration works for you. I always enjoy your posts, even though I don’t comment much.
I used to comment as Tungsten Hippo, but I decided to stop updating that site last year. So I’ll comment with my own “general” blog info!
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Love your Winnie-the-Pooh quotation…I think that with some of us–and you’re definitely included in this–books suffuse everything eventually. And I like the personal approach.
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Happy New Year! I’m happy you’re following your bliss with what you continue to blog about going forward, and I look forward to hearing about the continued Dashwood adventures. Also I hope to hear about books you’ve particularly enjoyed, when those come up.
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The blog has been changing in focus which is pretty healthy…..a blog done as an obligation really makes no sense. I’ll continue to visit although posts about knitting might be a bit much to bear! Best wishes for 2018!
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I’m late to the party but I like the new name and the header. Best belated wishes for 2018!
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Wow, 14 years of blogging. It’s only natural that over that time the content of your blog would change. I love your posts on gardening and your chickens, and I’m looking forward to reading more from you about those topics.
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The beginning of the year has been so busy that I’ve only caught up with this email now. I’ve been noticing your slow-down and I’ve certainly noticed the lack of posts this year. However it’s only now that I’ve found time to come looking for you. I’m sorry to see you reducing your posting but I think you are wonderful for making the decision that suits you. It would have been a hard decision I know but change is good and it’s been clear to your longterm followers that your interests have been changing. I wish you well in your “new” life, but will still visit when you post of course!
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