I hate it when I “bite off more than I can chew.” It happens in the real world and in my virtual blogging world (and I never seem to learn!). Do y’all ever do that? I get ambitious and think I can do tons of different things at once — then it comes crashing down and I have to start paring away the unnecessary. I’m in the process of paring my blogging world right now.
The “internet gods” have been giving me strange signs for awhile. I’m starting to sit up and take notice. I’ve gotten the feeling that I need to re-arrange things.
First, my blog got “hijacked by sattan.” The BlogHer team informed me that my blog re-directed to spam sites (in Goggle searches). Anybody who found my blog through Google went through something called “sattan.org” to another site. Nobody was coming here! That problem sorted itself out, and didn’t seem to be a hack of my code. It might have just been a Google glitch, yet it was pretty frightening to think that I was going to have to start over with a clean slate. It was enough to make me want to give up blogging (but, I’m not ready to do that).
After that, my internet connection started acting “wonky.” It still is. Some days I have internet, and some days I don’t. There is no rhyme or reason to it … I seem to have internet at the whim of Charter Cable. If my husband is home, he can usually get it running again (bless his heart). He isn’t home most of the time, though, and I just sit here and click the mouse and shout, “Oh FFFFFuuuuudge.”
When I thought things were back to “normal” on the blog, last Friday, I woke up and my blogs on this server were all gone. If you clicked on my site, it told you, “Internal Server Error.” I have had five blogs on it, and it did that on every stinkin’ one. Fortunately, my server was able to restore it pretty quickly…but it was just one more thing.
I decided it was time to consolidate some blogs and delete some blogs. Over the next few days, whenever I have internet service, I’m doing some “bloggy housekeeping.”
I’m moving most of the posts from Share A Square to this site. Share A Square was a project we did last year to make 140 afghans for children with cancer. The pictures of the lovely afghans and squares (donated by big-hearted crafters from around the world) are being moved to my Flickr site. That site will remain on-line, but it will be mostly a “shell” that points to the posts here and to the pictures on Flickr.
Last January, I had started a site for “Dora,” my snarky alter ego. Somehow, I “channel” her. She thinks she is the “third twin” for Dear Abby and Dear Ann and that she can offer “advice.” I don’t know where she gets these ideas.
Dora wanted her own blog, and I acquiesced. However, I started having weird health problems right after that, and didn’t feel very “funny” — so I let her site languish. I’ve moved her Dear Dora posts onto this site and plan to remove her blog. Don’t tell her that, or I’ll have Hell to pay.
Last year, I got really ambitious, and started a blog called “Out Of Chaos, (simplifying our lives, dragging my husband kicking and screaming all the way).” I planned to write about the process we are going through as we downsize our lives.
We are “empty-nesters,” and had hoped to be able to get into a smaller house before another year goes away. Since we are both “packrats,” we have a lot of “simplifying” to do before that can happen. Then, the economy cratered and took the wind right out of my sails. The posts for Out Of Chaos have been moved here, too. I’ll probably continue adding posts, because it inspires me to keep moving, but it won’t have its own website.
I hope that with these moves I can get my blogging back on track. I have two ongoing projects on which I’d like to focus. One is the Good Medicine Project (making medicine bags with lucky charms for the cancer patients and their siblings at Camp Sanguinity). The other is that “optimism virus” I’m trying to spread on the internet. I call it “Only The Good Friday,” and I hope to have it set up as a meme before another week is gone.
At least, with everything consolidated, when the internet or my blog goes wonky I will have only this site to concern me. Next time I want to start a new blog, would one of you come shake some sense into me? I’d surely and purely appreciate that, and I promise that I will do the same for you.
Other posts you might enjoy:
- Is Your Blog User Friendly?
- I’m Tentatively Breathing Again
- Getting The Most Out Of A Meme
- Blog Review—Scribbit
- Now They’ve Done It. Blogger Made Me Want To “Change My Tone”
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{ 5 comments }
Take a hint from Ree over at Pioneerwoman.com and just have your various blogs as additional pages on this one…..Any time you do lose your mind and start a new one, it is just a new page. And your readers will cross-read your other stuff as well.
Its all I can do to keep Only in Maine going – I have no idea how people like you and Ree keep up with all of this other stuff as well.
Since I’ve been blogging I find myself in PJs a lot of the time and my formerly usually clean home looks like I just suffered a tornado. My knitting lies ignored and building dust bunnies. My fingers are on fire from being on the computer ALL DAY between my blog and looking for topic inspiration, uploading, downloading, etc., blog hopping, and commenting for readers…..(plus FB, of course which is exploding with new old friends). I’m pretty sure I had a life just a few months ago, but it is lost under the pile of papers and potential post backup materials stacked several feet high on my coffee table – which, by the way, was once a vast expanse of shiny, transparent glass…..
HELP!!!!!!!
anna l’americanas last blog post..Me ‘n Pepe Le Pew…….
Oh, would that I COULD do what Ree has done. I’m nowhere near on the same plane, and her blog is a pretty intricate work of code, I think. I’m not sure, but I think it involves more than just a “new page.” I could be wrong.
I would sympathize with your plight…you are obviously addicted to blogging…but you don’t need sympathy. You need a 12 step program (and so do I!)
I’m glad you have gotten it started! I made progress at combining mine, but real life interrupted, shame on it! If I were smart I would dump them all and start over, but I want proof in my own mind I actually accomplished writing all that stuff — the good and the bad, it was a journey I may want to look back on when I am 114, assuming the internet has not gone the way of the eight track. And yours better be online with it — or the links won’t work!
Sounds like an excellent plan, and much less stressful.
Maybe you need to stop blogging from haunted hotel rooms *wink*? Seems like the spirits within are having some fun.
Robins last blog post..No post today
Just like me not to get a spirit who has any internet savvy
SO, just so I have this correct… “this eclectic life” will still be here? I receive your wonderful bloggies in my e-mail and… and… I don’t want them to go away! *sob*
I am glad you are organizing and getting this to a more manageable place.
Please let me know if I need to do anything to keep coming back.
I do so love it here.
Hey hon! I have too many languishing blogs as well. I like your plan, and may have to do something like that myself whenever I get a round toit. I’m sorry you’re having the charter blues. It’s a constant issue with gamers. They all seem to hate charter. My lil no-sew medicine bags didn’t work out. Back to the drawing board!
(I’m NOT giving up!!)
Thornes last blog post..Waiting for the Good…
I don’t know if any other internet service is better, but Charter s**** like a Hoover! Sorry the no-sew bags didn’t work out…we’ll get ‘em done, though.
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