Sunday 28 August 2016

A Blogging Milestone ~ 500 posts

Who would have thought that I would ever write 500 blog posts? Certainly not me! One reason I tried my hand at blogging was because my boss at work was thinking of starting a blog for our department and, as I had no idea of what a blog actually was, I figured I had better find out in a hurry. As it turned out we never did start one but I did learn a few tips about the process along the way. Now that I am retired I use mine as a visual diary which I can look back on and see what I have grown in the garden in past years, what the weather was like during each season and so on.




My first post which was made on the 1st June 2013 featured two of my favourite photos of our granddaughters. My oh my, how they have grown since then. They are both at school now and also have a little brother as well.


Don't you just love this one of my youngest granddaughter with the peacocks? She loves the wildlife and it will be interesting to see if she ends up studying to be a vet when she has finished school.

As I mentioned in that first post I had received a lot of help from other members on the Down to Earth Forums and that help has continued to this day. I have been able to help out some others as well who are new to blogging even though there are still lots of things I don't understand in this field. 

Rhonda at her last book tour presentation. 
Recently we have had a few members who are considering whether to start up a blog or not and Rhonda has given me permission to copy her advice to them:

'My first post was on Brandywine tomatoes because I didn't know how to start. After that I just posted about what I was doing but over time I tried to not only write the facts but also the meaning of what I was doing. I remembered the rules of journalism I'd learned at uni about thinking of my readers as intelligent people who didn't know much about my topic - but I tried to put that into practise with humility because I didn't want to lecture anyone. I wanted to create a feeling of my posts being a conversation with a good friend. After a while I developed my own style and it became second nature.

I think everyone has their own style but you can't develop that unless you keep writing. Just be honest, write your facts, add photos because they add authenticity to your words, and if you can add some meaning to your facts you'll give your readers genuine insight into you and your topics. If you remember to write about who, what, why, where, when and how you should cover all you need to write well. Those six elements are the basics of every post. It's what you do to add to the basics by injecting meaning and grace in your own particular way, that will satisfy your readers. It will probably satisfy you too'.


That is very good advice from a very well known and experienced blogger. So if you have ever had a yearning to start a blog why not give it a go. If you would like some help then join us on the forums and don't be shy to ask questions. You would be most welcome.


 I have never been interested in photography until recently but am now keen to take some better blog photos. My son and I have been keeping an eye on a row of trees in a park near us as I wanted to take a photo of them before the blossoms appeared as well as afterwards as they look absolutely stunning when they are covered in white flowers. I noticed as we drove past that one tree was starting to change so we raced home to pick up the cameras and headed back to try and take some really good photos. Unfortunately most of them were very ordinary and, as it turned out, one of the best ones was taken with my little point and shoot Canon. :-) So obviously more practice is needed. Of course it might help if I read the instructions too. Oops!



  
 A new addition to our family of wildlife since last Christmas has been silly Sally who currently has taken to laying her eggs in the middle of the clivea plants which grow under our camellia tree and which is very difficult for an adult to get under to pick them up. She keeps us entertained and is good subject matter for the stories I write for my grandchildren. I hope to make an album of stories for them one of these days so that will be another learning curve. I need to watch out for specials at BigW and Snapfish so perhaps that will happen before Christmas as I think there are a lot of photo album specials around then.

Mandy from The Old Dairy

Over the past three years I have made a lot of online blogging friends which has been a lot of fun. I have met some of them in real life at our Simple Living Toowoomba workshops. By the way, Racheal is now writing the blog for our group and has some new entries there including details about a new Op Shop she has found, Collectables Boutique Op Shop, which helps the disadvantaged. I must check it out.

I wonder if I will still be blogging in three years time. Who knows what the future holds but for now I am quite happy plodding along with my little blog and I hope that my readers find something interesting here now and again.

Have a wonderful week!








31 comments:

  1. Chel, I really enjoy popping in to see what you are up too. You have been such a great help with setting up my blog. Well done in 500 posts!

    The advice from Rhonda is great advice. I'm still learning my style, but blogging has come to be something I really enjoy too! Xx

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    1. I can tell you enjoy blogging, Emma. How you find the time though is beyond me. LOL!

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  2. Congratulations Chel, what a great achievement to have 500 posts up for us all to enjoy.
    We can be sure a visit here is interesting and informative or sometimes just chatty ....here's to many more, well done.
    We will have to have a celebration coffee when I get back.

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    1. Okay Margaret, that will be great. Enjoy the trip!

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  3. Congratulations Nanna Chel!........500 posts! You definitely have a lot to say. Well done. I love the photo of your grand daughter with the peacocks. Pure joy!

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  4. A great milestone. My personal thanks too for all your practical advice and tips when I started blogging too.

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    1. You are welcome, Mr.HM. What a great blog you have now!

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  5. Congrats Chel...interestingly I have gone the opposite way. I started in 2011 in my city life called My Vintage Life and posting weekly on my op shopping adventures and renos to our new home . Then we made the tree change when I left my library work in 2013 so the focus has changed. I changed my blog name and focus this year and have tried to make my pics speak more...but I really miss the city and most of all trawling through op shops... xxx

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    1. I think I would miss the city too, Meg although we really live in a big regional city not a major capital.

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  6. Kids grow like weeds - but in a good way. ;)

    I like reading your blog and whatever the number posts to come, as long as you keep enjoying what you're doing it.

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    1. I will give up blogging when I no longer enjoy it, that's for sure Chris.

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  7. 500 posts, wow! It's great to have that record like that to look back on. Meg:)

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    1. Meg, when I started off I never thought I would write that many posts.

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  8. Well done Chel! I guess it's all in the consistency. I began my blog in 2009 but haven't quite reached 300 posts yet as the writing has been a bit hit and miss, especially the last 3 years, as I've restructured my life. Maybe I should have blogged about it but the personal things are something I try to keep that way. You and others are inspiring me to make time to blog as I already have a record of gardening, soapmaking and sewing to look back on over the, almost, 7 years of my blog. LOL, may have a 7 year itch and revamp the whole blog so it's easier to search! Roll 0n 2017....

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    1. Robyn, I miss your blog so when you have settled AGAIN you really must get into it again.

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  9. Congratulations!! That is quite a milestone. I hope to be reading still when you hit 1000! You have taken me on so many journeys around your beautiful country, and I have learned so many new words and ways of doing things, and I even won a contest you had and am the proud owner of a book on Australian lizards to read to Miss Lily when she comes by. While we may never meet in person, in the past 500 blog posts I have come to feel as if I know you and we are friends - and that really is the beauty of blogging isn't it? Hooray for you and here is to 500 more!!

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    1. Thanks Kathy, I know you always enjoy seeing our Australian wildlife etc. You really must visit our beautiful country one day.

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  10. That is a lot of posts Chel. Congratulations. Such a wonderful record of things to look back on. How often do we find it hard to remember what we did last week (or is that just me)? You have captured all those memories, and helped others along the way.

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    1. Sherri, I read old posts and sometimes have no recollection that I have even written them so it is a good reminder. I even have to use the archives to find some posts which I haven't labelled very well.

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  11. congratulations! 500 blog posts, it's all been fun & informative reading, have been inspired many times.
    keep up the good writing :))
    thanx for sharing

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  12. and STILL you have not run out of words...... good grief!

    congrats XXXXX

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    1. You must have run out of words though Lynda :-) A blog post or two would be a good idea.

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  13. Congrats Nanna Chel, what an awesome effort. What a wonderful idea to print them out and have them for future generations. Keep up the great work, thank you, Guida.

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    1. Thanks Guida. I hope to print out the stories soon.

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  14. Congratulations dear Chel. You are an inspiration to many, and I hope to reach 500 posts some day too. Thank you for your beautiful posts, which feel like letters from a friend. :) X

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    1. Thanks Sally. I never really intended to be inspirational as there are so many bloggers out there who really are inspiring with the content of their blog posts but if someone learns something or is encouraged by my 'experiments' that is an added bonus.

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  15. Chel, well done, if I only had your fortitude. Keep popping in to see your writings. Time I looked at my web log now that I am at home more often.

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    1. Deb, you have no excuse now apart from settling in, unpacking and so on and so forth :-)

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  16. Congratulations on 500 posts! That is a lot of work.

    I've been blogging off and on since 2006. My newest blog, Joy in the Middle, has only been in existence for 3 months, and it began its life as Embracing Home. It will be a very long time before I reach 500 posts!

    Blessings,
    Patti

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