Another year gone by: celebrating 8 years of blogging and 62 years of life
October is a big month for me.
Next week, I will celebrate my 62nd birthday.
And this week marks eight years since I published my first ever blog post, and So What? Now What? was born.
In past years, I have marked my blogiversary in various ways: giveaways, sharing lessons learned, looking at the numbers, questioning the very future of the blog…
As I was contemplating what to write about this year, I asked myself, “What is the most important thing I have gained from blogging?” And the resounding answer is connections with people…people I know in real-life and those I have met online…people who write their own blogs and people who take the time to comment on mine.
The fact that you are reading this post means you are one of those people. I cannot thank you enough. You have taught me…inspired me…made me laugh…made me cry…made me feel part of a welcoming community.
To celebrate this year, I would like us to get to know each other better. As a gift to me and each other, I ask that you share one thing about yourself in the comments. In return, ask me a question…about blogging or me personally…and I promise to answer.
Your turn
- Tell us something about yourself.
- Ask me anything. I promise to answer here or in a future blog post.
- I recently heard from someone that they were unable to comment on my blog. If you have any problem commenting, please let me know through email or social media.
Image by Artturi Mäntysaari from Pixabay
Ah, the techiness if being allowed to comment – I am having all sorts of problems but not here. Now, about me. I started before you but in my head you were always there, so I was surprised you were 8 years blogging.
What is your favourite thing to blog about? (Not what gets the most engagement but what subject do you enjoy crafting or researching)
I am planning a trip to Japan and getting very excited. A little sad as I think it will be the last with 2 of the kids together (the third is not coming but moving back home to look after the dog for us). Travel is and always has been, my favourite thing to do! I am sad I will not be sharing the fun with the kids for much longer…
The techiness is definitely NOT what keeps me blogging, Lydia. That’s for sure. You were one of my first connections through blogging. When did you start?
In answer to your question, I’m not sure I have one favorite subject to blog about. I love when I have an epiphany (even a mini one) about something and think I can’t wait to share that. I also enjoy doing the monthly Thank You Notes, because I get to look back on the things that made me smile during the month. Thank you for the thought-provoking question.
Have so much fun on your trip! I know what you mean about the children flying the coop. Savor every moment.
Christie, congratulations and happy birthday! These two important milestones are definitely worth celebrating. As far as something about me, I am an open book as I share our retirement lives on the blog. But, if there is anything you are curious about, I will be happy to answer. Do you like to cook, and if so, what is your favorite thing to prepare?
Thank you Suzanne! In answer to your question, I do enjoy cooking, more so since I retired and have a little more time to devote to domestic activities. I don’t have a favorite; I like experimenting and trying new recipes I find online. That said, I don’t like to prepare anything too complicated. I am easily overwhelmed! If I find a recipe that says “easy” in the description, I’m in. I made a walnut pesto in the food processor not too long ago that was delicious!
I’d love to know where you went on your most memorable vacation…or staycation.
Happy birthday. Something about me? Ummm, I love music but rarely attend concerts as the crowds overwhelm me. My question of you – and it’s a biggie, so I hope you’re prepared… what’s your favourite sandwich?
Thank you Joanne! I don’t attend many concerts either, even though I also love music. My husband and I did see a Beatles tribute band last year in an outdoor theater. It was great and I wondered why we don’t do that more. In answer to your question, I love a good turkey avocado sandwich or grilled cheese when I’m needing some comfort food. Oh, and you can’t go wrong with a BLT. (You may have noticed I’m a little indecisive and I love food!)
Hi Christie, congratulations on your blogging anniversary, it’s a huge milestone and I always enjoy popping in to see what’s been happening with you. Also you and I are now the same age at 62 – how good is that? Happy birthday to you!
I’ve been blogging since 2012 so feel like I’m almost a dinosaur! I still enjoy it and will keep going for as long as I can.
Something about me: Contrary to what some people think, I don’t share everything on my blog or on social media, I pick and choose and some things are no-go areas.
My question for you is: Do you feel as if you’re 62 years old? How old do you feel in your head? (I know that’s 2 questions but they’re sort of linked).
Thanks for having us over to celebrate with you 🙂
Thank you Debbie. That’s impressive that you have been blogging for more than 10 years…and that you are still enjoying it. It shows. Your blog is one I always look forward to reading. And I agree with you that some areas are no-go. Also, there have been a few things I felt compelled to get permission from someone before sharing.
I feel pretty good about 62, especially since I’m sharing that age with so many women I admire (like you)! I will say that I feel younger in my head…until I look in the mirror…or something happens that reminds me how long I’ve been around. When I spend time with people that are younger than me, I sometimes think of us as the same age. Then I’m surprised to hear that they are 10 years younger or more. I will say that I am happy in this stage of life. At this point, I wouldn’t trade my experiences, knowledge, or freedom (e.g., retirement) for a younger body. Occasionally, I worry about getting older (like end-of-life old), but then I remind myself to live in the moment. Wow, how was that for a long answer?
Hi Christie – I don’t have a question for you because I feel like we’re on such similar trajectories in life – I’m 62 in a few weeks, my blogging anniversary (9yrs) comes a few weeks after that. We’re both retired, we’re both awesome – what more could we ask? xx Happy birthday and blogaversary xxxx
Thank you Leanne! I also feel like we are kindred sisters. Happy early birthday and blogaversary to you too!
Happy Birthday and Happy Blogaversary! My question and fun fact are linked… Baking is my therapy, what’s yours?
Thank you Sammie! I too enjoy baking, but I would say being in nature and a good workout are my therapy. If I can combine the two, all the better.
Congratulations Christie..for your blog’s celebration and that of your birthday!
Thank you too for linking up for #WWandPics.
Denyse.
Thank you Denyse!
Hi, Christie! Haven’t dropped in here in a while, and I don’t know why. I do always enjoy your posts.
I guess a thing about me is that I’ve only been blogging for 4 years. My question for you would be: Have you taken a course or something to help you learn more about blogging? I’ve always thought I would like to attend a workshop or something to learn more about it/get better at it, but I’ve not seen anything offered.
Congratulations on your blogversary and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
It’s nice to hear from you again, Gale. Welcome back! To answer your question, I think I’ve learned the most about blogging from trial and error and the kind input from other bloggers. I have taken some SEO and technical courses from blogaid.net, and early on I took a more general course from bloggingfromparadise.com. If you find a course you like, I’d be interested in hearing about it. I still have a lot to learn.
Christie, my most memorable vacation was last year when we spent a week in Italy for my daughter’s wedding. However, my favorite destination is Bora Bora. I don’t like complicated recipes either, but I do love delicious food that also looks pretty. Also, just another thing I noticed. Your gravatar does not connect to your blog. That might be something you want to look into. It makes it easier for folks to click back to your blog after you have left a comment on ours.
That sounds lovely, Suzanne. I haven’t been to Italy or Bora Bora, but would definitely like to visit both. I need to work on the looking pretty part of my cooking, I think.
Thanks for the tip on my gravatar link. I’ll check into that.
I’ve enjoyed your blog from the day you started and I don’t think I’ve ever missed an entry. You probably know me almost as well as I know me! 😂 I turn 60 soon and although most the time I don’t think about it at all, occasionally I feel a little panicked about it. I definitely feel like the same old me inside. My question for you is how much time a week do you spend on your blog? And happy birthday!! Can’t wait to celebrate with you tomorrow! I love you.
Hello sister! I do appreciate you being my most loyal follower. I can relate to what you said about your age. I do the exact same thing…panic for a brief moment occasionally, but mostly I don’t think about it. As for how much time I spend on my blog, that is an interesting question for me, as I haven’t thought too much about it. I would estimate that I spend anywhere from 2-4 hours preparing each post, depending on whether there is research involved. I spend at least that much time each week responding to comments and reading and commenting on other people’s blogs. There is also time required for technical maintenance: updating software, troubleshooting glitches, that sort of thing. Once a year, I go through a security audit, which takes more time, and this year I did a theme update. That might be more information than you were looking for. The short answer is “it depends,” but I would say on average, 6-8 hours a week.