The Pirate asked me the other day what the highlights of the past year were for me, and I couldn't turn my mind around to look back…without his help. Turns out that this past year contained some VERY significant events, but I've always been terrible at thinking backwards, and I couldn't remember them (Sold my business! oh yeah! Went to the mainland with our priest! Hmmm, how could I forget such an exciting trip? etc. etc.)
Ah well, this propensity to "forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead" (Phil. 3:13) is probably why I've never been interested in taking photos. The only reason I take them now is to "illustrate" my blog posts so they won't be overwhelmingly black and white (do you remember the first time you read a book without illustrations? Very intimidating!)
Today is starting out VERY slowly since the Pirate is sick in bed - something which has happened fewer than 5 times in our life together. Saturday is a good day for me to write a blog post, since it's generally a reflective day without any commitments. I haven't been very motivated to blog recently, I think primarily because I realized a few weeks ago that I probably have a greater chance of encouraging others by leaving comments on their blogs than I do by writing my own posts, since I don't have many readers (as far as I can tell). So I have been spending my computer time reading other people's blogs and posting comments.
Yesterday one of the bloggers I read faithfully, Kendra at Catholic All Year, said something about how the point of trying to generate a lot of comments on a post is to get a conversation going. For some reason that never occured to me. Whenever I read a post with more than 10 comments, I refrain from adding my two cents' worth, since it seems to me that the poster has already been inundated with comments. I know I would be stressed to find more than 10 comments in my inbox in one day, feeling like I have to read and answer them all right away. I'm very much a one-on-one conversationalist: the more people there are in the conversation, the less I participate (I go into listening mode and let everyone else hash out the topic under discussion).
Of course, I love to receive comments on my blog posts, especially since most of the time there aren't any. So don't take this musing as a warning to not comment!
The Pirate has just gotten up so we can go to the house of our friend the doctor (she really is a good friend!) so she can figure out what's the matter with him. So I'll sign off with a photo of our "Christmas tree" (the traditional one of the flowering stalk of an agave). Two more days before Christmas season is over, when we have El Dia de los Reyes (the 3 kings). Feliz ano! (I can't make the tilde over the "n" happen in Blogger).
What a beautiful veranda!! I think I could just dream away there...
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the comments and ditto! For the first year I began blogging, I kept it in secret - open to no one and told no one about it.
Then, I stepped out by participating in a link up...scary for me.
Since I began blogging for my children and for myself, I was perfectly content without comments (plus the fact that I had all comments off).
Now, I really appreciate the trickle of comments that I receive. This has helped me to comment more often on other blogs.
Sometimes I really want to comment on other blogs, but I don't have anything (I think) that is worth contributing...so I abstain. Or, I just don't have the time.
Anyways, I really enjoy reading your blog and your adventures. You share a part of the world that is new to me; you share your love of the Faith, which is encouraging...thank you.
I'm here!!!!! Sometimes you don't think anyone is really out there. Are you able on the settings in your blog to see how many visits people have made? I often thought no one was there because there were no comments, but saw that I might have had over 50 people read that day.
ReplyDeleteI have been educated, entertained, and prompted to think by your blog posts, and I know now that I failed to thank you enough. So, dear, a huge, huge thank you! And please, keep posting throughout the year!
ReplyDeleteGosh I can finish a hundred books and sewing projects in that veranda...
I hope The Pirate is feeling better. Have a blessed 2014!
Valerie, Wanda, and Marcia - Thanks so much for the encouraging comments! I suspect that's what all bloggers are hoping for. Valerie, I'm glad you enabled comments or I wouldn't have been able to connect with you. Wanda, I can see how many visits I've had but it's rarely as many as 50! Marcia, I'm so glad to know that things I've said have encouraged you - that's what I want more than anything else is to encourage others. Bless you all!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read much of your blog, but I want to say that it's a very readable and fresh format, which is one thing that makes me want to come back. As I get older I can't - or won't - make the effort to plough through a lot of clutter.
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect it when I first began to write a blog, but I feel that my readers and I are in a small discussion that is part of The Great Conversation. This is a "discussion" that I used to have primarily with books and their authors, so it was pretty much a one-way conversation. Likewise with many of the blogs I read, and I presume, with some people who read my blog and rarely or never comment.
But I'm always grateful for comments, though I don't usually reply. And I never ever feel that I have too many!
I know I tend to be pretty quiet unless I have something to add to the conversation. I LOVE comments though so never be afraid to comment even if there are a ton on one of my posts. (This rarely ever happens.)
ReplyDeleteGretchen and Jen - how exiting to have you two actually visit my blog! I SO love both of your blogs. You're both great inspirations to me.
ReplyDelete