Photos (of us) by Desirea Rodgers
It's been fun to see all the entries come through for the RED iPod Nano giveaway.
Feels a bit like Santa over here, and it will be a true joy to give someone an extra present this holiday season. Make sure you're entered!
Last year this time, I had been working on my book Steady Days for almost a year (& there was still plenty more work to do!). My husband, Steve, thought I should start a blog.
Allow me to admit one thing -- I. did. NOT. want. to. start. a. blog.
Why not?
At the time, I didn't really "get" the whole blogging culture.
In many ways, it seemed like a huge expenditure of time for something that didn't give much in return. I felt plenty busy (& often overwhelmed!) already.
I also thought blogging seemed kind of self-indulgent. Like, who really wants to read about my diaper changing catastrophes?!
But saying that, I didn't really know of or read any blogs. Then, while doing book research one day, I came across this book. Which led me to this blog.
Which we all know is pretty incredible.
I thought, okay, I'll give this a try.
My very first post was more of a "How do I upload a photo in Typepad?-type post.
My second post had a bit more content (for the holidays) and took a lot of planning.
I'm not sure anyone but Steve read it. (Thanks, Steve.)
Now here I am, 268 posts, 110,011 pageviews, and 2,996 comments later.
I'm hooked.
Blogging does take a lot of work and require a lot of time. It can certainly be self-indulgent, too.
But here are a few reasons why I'm thankful for blogging:
1. It has given me an outlet in which to speak and share my passions (intentional motherhood, adoption, social justice, Love146, education, to name a few!).
2. That outlet keeps my creative and mental juices flowing.
3. My writing has vastly improved over the course of the year here. I feel like I have found my Steady Mom writing "voice" (most days, at least).
3. Many of you (719 subscribers, to date) have decided to follow along.
4. I am so thankful for you all and really appreciate that you feel there is something of value here at Steady Mom (even on days when there are no free iPods! =)
5. Blogging has allowed me to meet kindred spirits I never would have otherwise discovered.
6. Blogging has opened new opportunities and partnerships to me that I wouldn't have without it.
So three cheers for blogging--hip, hip, hooray!
And Steve?
You were right.
Again, thank you all so much for reading Steady Mom. Can I ask a favor today, please? If you read here regularly but don't often comment, would you take a moment to introduce yourself?
I'd love to know who you are, how many kids you have/their ages, and what part of the world you live in.
I'd also love to know what you'd like to see more of over the coming year here at Steady Mom. What appeals to you most here--what information is most valuable to you?
Help me tailor the content in 2010 to meet your mothering needs as much as possible!
