I posted a passage of a song called 'A Children's Winter' on my facebook yesterday, to celebrate that first snow. The song was written by the late and much loved Dermot O'Reilly, and performed by him in the band Ryan's Fancy about 30 years ago.I got reminiscing about this Irish-Canadian group's music and how much we enjoyed it. Another song by Ryan's Fancy got stuck in my head: "So Long, it's been good to know ya." That seemed appropriate given some of the things I've been contemplating, regarding Bloomingwriter.
January will mark 4 years of doing this blog, and I have enjoyed it immensely, mostly for the privilege of getting to 'know' other garden bloggers around the world. About two years ago, I got hugely brave, and following the instructions created by my friend Kylee at Our Little Acre, I revamped the blog into the way it's looked until today. I've been trying to decide whether to move to Wordpress, whether to change the look of the blog, whether to stop blogging completely. After all, there are gazillions of gardening blogs out there, many of them totally awesome, and what's one more? I've stepped away from doing memes, from participating in awards, and don't have the time to respond to every comment, which makes me feel guilty.
But I decided the best thing to do for now was to spiff Bloomingwriter up for Christmas. We just redid our bedroom with a fresh look, and I used lavender (the plant and its colour) as the motif and one of the colours in there. I like it so much--lavender being one of my favourite plants, after all--that I decided to use a similar theme on my blog. So here it is.
Still haven't decided about Wordpress, or whether to continue blogging when I have so much else going on, but we'll see what the winter brings. Meanwhile, to my old decor, it's "so long, it's been good to know ya..." It served me well, but onward & upward. I hope you like the new look as much as I do.
Love the new look, jodi! Your blog has "matured", I think. Love the header. :) But I do hope that now, with this new coat of paint, you'll decide to continue blogging. I'd sure miss your posts.
ReplyDeleteRefreshing the look sometimes is enough to make you feel refreshed. Don't give up on blogging. It's not how often you do it, or how often you can respond to comments but about the quality of what you do. I think your posts are great, informative and never dull. I would hate to see you stop completely!
ReplyDeleteJodi, I like the new look- less cluttered nad more serene. If your bedroom turned out half as good, you must be thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI understand you are a busy person with lots of deadlines, but I do so enjoy reading your posts and seeing your part of the world. One blog more or less-maybe, but friends, even across the miles are special. :)
I hope you'll continue blogging, I'd sure miss you if you quit. I'm kind of at a crossroads with mine too. I love doing it, but I enjoy reading other blogs more than doing my own. It's so time consuming and I find that I don't have enough time for doing both.
ReplyDeleteI try not to stress over it and just do it when the time and mood strikes.
I'm very fond of lavender too and love the new look!
Hi Jodi,
ReplyDeleteI like how your blog turned out. I just spent some time looking at my blog through different templates. I wish blogger would come up with some new ones. change the colors a lot. I'd also like more color and font choices.
One thing I don't like about Wordpress now, is that when you go to subscribe to follow up comments, you get an email, and have to click on something to confirm it. I don't like that extra step.
As far as blogging goes, I've only been doing it a year. I started out not knowing about memes, and just did my own thing, then I got involved in some memes, but have never gotten into the tagging and awards made up by individual bloggers. I've been backing off on some of the memes lately.
I spend too much time blogging. Sometimes I think I may take a break from it.
I think of you as a writer, and not just a blogger. I hope you continue to post, even if it's not as often.
I enjoy your blog so much! The charm and personality really make it a treat when I see you have a new post. I hope you continue :)
ReplyDeleteStick with it Jodi! People want to learn from your experience and continue to lust after your Echinacea collection. Meanwhile, the lavender theme is quite refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI really like the new color and your header. I hope you continue, I love your writing style!
ReplyDeleteHi Jodi~~ As a fellow lavender fan, I love your new look. It's fun to play around with the different design options for our blog isn't it? This is time of year to contemplate and evaluate. I hope you'll still blog when you can.
ReplyDeleteI'm coming up on 4 years of blogging in a couple of months, Jodi, and I know what you mean. There's not enough time to respond to every comment now, or to visit every blog and leave a thoughtful comment. The number of garden bloggers seems huge.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet each voice adds something important to the conversation. I'd miss yours if you stopped blogging. I hope you'll continue---sans guilt. If you can take the pressure off yourself to live up to a self-imposed standard perhaps it will seem fun again and less like a duty. I hope so. Cheers, Pam
hi jodi
ReplyDeletei follow you from a far in a very green and snowless ct....love reading your blog and the new look and header is just wonderful -it has a soft early winter feel to it
wonderful
enjoy that snow for me :D
many thanks
tabby
I love the new look with the soft colours. I have one bedroom in those colours and it has really great feng shui to it. I hope you will continue to write your post. Your post are always so very well written and that is highly appreciated especially from a non english speaking person like myself. I means it is not my native language.
ReplyDeleteLOLove Tyra
I like the new look of your blog Jodi. The header really has that wintery look. As to four years of blogging, that is a long time. I think moving this blog would be very difficult. No more than what you post maybe you should stay right here and just post as you normally do. Don't feel stressed about it. I know I would certainly miss reading about the cat people, Jenny and your horse as well as your garden. Don't feel guilty about not responding to each comment. Just answer direct questions. I for one don't expect a response unless I ask a direct question about something. Yes, it would be a sad day in the blogging world if you stopped your blog.
ReplyDeleteI think the new look is very sharp. Love it. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint is just the ticket to keep going.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you continue posting. We all enjoy the things you have to say.
Dear Jodi, I am so glad you have decided to hang around a bit longer, we do so enjoy your posts and your comments as well. The new look is perfect, more contemplative and dreamy. Even thought there are a gazillion blogs out there, so many good ones!, yours stands out with your writing and perspective and photos. Please continue, even if it is infrequent. You would be sorely missed. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
¡ Beautifull !. Preciosa fotografia . Saludos.
ReplyDeleteThe new look is great - so serene and beautiful. I hope you decide to continue blessing us with your thoughts about gardening. I enjoy them so much, since they give me a different perspective on gardening. Although I live in Florida, I like to read about gardening experiences everywhere. Thanks for the opportunity to garden in Nova Scotia with you:)
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Jodi,
ReplyDeleteI subscribed to your follow-up comments, and saw that people made some good points. I have gotten so I can't respond to each comment on my posts, either. I try to do a group reply, but don't even get that done always. I try to visit the people's blogs, but find that some of them post about things other than gardening, that I'm not always interested in.
I'm getting better at saying a quick "hi" to those who have made comments, and not spending a lot of time trying to keep up with their blogs. Still, I know there are lots of blogs out there I'd love to have more time to keep up with.
Well, I've eaten breakfast and checked my email. I'm off work today in anticipation of a blizzard, and plan to get some messes cleaned up in my house.
I hope you keep blogging, and find a good balance. That's what many of us need to find.
Now that the snow has arrived in Nova Scotia--beautiful photos--and you've done a little "spiffing up," I do hope you decide to continue blogging, Jodi. Yours was one of the very first I started reading nearly two years, and it was THE one I used as a model of good writing. I remember the first time you left a comment on one of my posts and were so complimentary--I was thrilled! It really motivated me to continue at a time when I had just a few readers.
ReplyDeleteBlogging does take a tremendous amount of time, and I know you have many other commitments. I've noticed several blogs I read regularly are posting less frequently. This seems like a viable alternative--post only when you have time. I do hope you'll continue your blog; I would certainly miss your posts, which are always interesting and informative!
Love the new look Jodi and I was a bit worried you were stopping blogging at first. Phew!
ReplyDeleteAs for moving to WordPress - I have a Wordpress photo blog, so am building up some experience of both platforms.
There's pros and cons to both of them and I'm equally frustrated and delighted with each.
I had an email discussion with someone considering the same as you a while back where I outlined a lot of the pros and cons of each platform - I'll see if I can rootle it out and send it to you.
I commented about it on your last post and gleefully comment about it again - the new look totally ROCKS and suits you! Love it, love it, love it! The back and forth over To Blog or Not To Blog...for that is indeed The Question...is a familiar one for all of us. Whichever you choose, know that you have brought so much joy to so many - we love your blog, and you! Happy Holidays, babe.
ReplyDeleteHi Jodi! I too love your new look, it's great! And I too know the amount of time and effort it takes to craft blog posts. But like everyone else, I'm hoping you'll keep on keeping on. Yours isn't just another gardening blog; the insights you bring to your posts and the topics you address are unique. It's always a pleasure to see what you're thinking about and what you have to say about it! Btw, we love WordPress, but being Luddites, suggest that you take this endorsement with a grain of salt, since basically it means that WordPress is easy for us to use!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jodi!
ReplyDeleteYour blog headlines appear in the side bar of my blog - when I saw the good-bye I panicked! You can't leave! I get my best perennial ideas from you!! :)) I like your new look. Curious about the wordpress thing. Is it better? I've been blogging for a long time, too, and there are a few things with blogger that I'm not too happy about.
Anyhoo! Love the lavender!
Hi Jodi,
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction to your heading was...OH NO...she's not leaving us...something awful must have happened in her family! You've got to stay a while longer! Yours was the first blog I ever read and is always the first one I read before some others. We have so many things in common...one being lavender. I did not know it was your fav., mine also. If I had known I would have shared some with you. I have given over two hundred babies that keep seeding...if you want any...let me know for the spring! As for bedroom color...so serene, you will love it. We did ours over 15 years ago and I still love it. Our floors were a light grey rug and it has been changed to a darker wood floor and the walls just pop with white trim!
Love your new picture with the arbour...it has a soft seaside look!
I'm another one who instantly thought: "Oh, no!" I think your blog revamp has turned out a bit like your house - instead of moving somewhere else, you gave your existing home a bit of polish and paint and it came up really well.
ReplyDeletePlease don't stop blogging!
I hope that you don't leave. I enjoy your pictures of flowers as I do not have a green thumb I guess. I was on A Little Bit of Everything as little bit ago, and Kerin had been to Cambodia, and she loves taking pictures. . seeing the pictures of the flowers that she posted, I thought of you and the lovely flowers on here.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance look at hers.
Please, again. don't leave. You are a bright lite in some peoples days.
Betty
The new look is so fresh and pretty--you have to stick around and enjoy your new writing space!
ReplyDeleteI like that song too. Here's a link to my (late) friend U. Utah Philips singing it in concert. The song starts about 3 minutes in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtJdNIUcC4
And don't you dare make us sing that to you!
May I add my voice to the others in saying, "Please continue blogging!" I love your perspective, your sense of humor and your writing style.
ReplyDelete...and the new look is great. I've been playing with Wordpress for over a year and haven't moved yet. Blogger is so easy that its negatives can be easily over looked.
Gail
Jodi, just post when you can. Your blog will be here. Sometimes, I check your old posts and find a very useful information. Forget about feeling guilty. Most of the commenters never come back. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteFirst honoring Nancy's fine post that also speaks from my heart (a great new look while you contemplate), I feel like a mirror image of your post, dear jodi ... Though nowhere your talent, I too am squished ... between life, death, PC to Mac (pulling hair out transferring), blogging/no blogging, life calls, I tend, knowing I'll never kick my books out the door/web sites set up, blah, blah ... until I focus on ONE thing ... but the 'Ho-Hum Housewife' loves them all with, in the meantime, surrounded by "enough food to feed thousands," says Mr. Ho-Hum :) Perhaps, it's the time in our lives ... but please know, you have built such a huge 'fan list' that whatever you choose, many (like me) will follow and embrace the gift of simply knowing you. You're 'the bestest' ... and, hey, you survived another 'NOvember'! Stay well, dear jodi, and Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteYou've made me feel guilty because I don't think I've ever responded to a comment on my blog, although obviously I do enjoy reading them. It is all very time-consuming and my advice too would be to just post when you can. My blog is a bit different because I began it in advance of moving to Spain and started it purely so that family could see what we're up to, and any other followers are a bonus!
ReplyDeleteI think we often ponder the 'why' of doing this - it does take time, and it's silly that we feel guilt when we're not putting our all into it - as is generally the case, folks are generally much, much too hard on themselves. I don't know why I do it, but I know it's a creative space that I enjoy - so perhaps we all need to get better at not making it 'work'...easier said than done, I know! (Plus, if you left the blogosphere, where would I go for winter snow images, and images of beautiful, lush August gardens??).
ReplyDeleteDo what makes you happy. But I must state that the blogosphere would be diminished if you stopped blogging. You have a unique perspective, great information, and I always find inspiration when I read one of your posts. If you need to post less frequently, that's okay, and if you can't respond to every comment, that's okay too. We're all doing the best we can in our own way.
ReplyDeleteJodi:
ReplyDeleteI love the new look - the header photo perfectly captures the content and the geography of where you garden in our great country.
Change is a good thing for sure. I started blogging with the intention of starting a website - and have managed both, but will be frank when I say that blogging is still my favourite. I use Wordpress, and to be honest, find it to be an unnecessary headache! Perhaps it is only because blogger has made everything easy for us. I am still plugging away.
As for the, 'one more blog'..... I think you left out the most important part.... ' generous, knowledgeable, gregarious.....' I hope you see where I am going with this. You would be sadly missed - your kind words, encouragement, humour - and most importantly, your friendship. Even if it means one post a month, I am sure I speak for many when I say it would be better than nothing at all. Just know that you are an important thread in the quilt that is garden blogging, and an important member of the Blotanical family! Happy holidays my friend!
Love your new blog design, Jodi. It's very artistic and yet clean and crisp.
ReplyDeleteDon't even think about giving up blogging, girl. All you've got is a bad case of the epatoozies like I get around this time of year :-) It's just a seasonal disorder that those like us get when winter arrives.
Now that you've got your blog all gussied up you can't leave. It's like leaving a newly remodeled home.
Besides, your many fans and followers have spoken and its all agreed that you must stay and keep on giving us more good stuff to read.
You are permitted occasional breaks, however, such as a brief winter respite , but that's about as long as we can do without 'ya.
If you'd really like to know what busy is try running after a one year old energetic toddler Monday through Friday. If that doesn't keep you in shape I don't know what will . Of course if that was all I did I'd be okay but I blog, paint, keep a 3 story house, cook, garden, and in my spare time I work at the garden center. So, you see, you simply have NO excuses.
Hi Jodi. Just wanted to put my two cents in ~ even tho I don't visit as frequently as I'd like ~ I hope you'll stick around. I totally understand where you're coming from and I've only been blogging for (almost) two years. It started as something fun and I didn't realize the in's and out's of it or anything about blog "etiquette." It's been quite a learning curve and a consumer of time. I had to quit responding to comments as well except if someone asks me a direct question. I'm in awe of people who continue to post responses. It can all get to be too much with kids, jobs, etc. In the end, (unless it's work related) it's really personal so blog when YOU feel like it and I'm sure everyone will be happy to read. Winter is better for me even tho there is so much more to post about during gardening season.
ReplyDeletebtw, those amaryllis containers are very interesting. I've never seen anything like them before.
Jodi - love the new look and am happy that you are not discontinuing your blog. Wish the days had more hours or the weeks more days, but they'd get gobbled up as well, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteLove the lavender and gentle motifs.
thanks, maureen at kingsbrae garden
oops - forgot to mention our blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://kingsbraegarden.com/blog/
where you can find a new retrospective slide show each week, working backwards to May when the Gdn opens again. Lovely antidote to snow, beautiful though it is! And kind to the plants beneath, I keep reminding myself.
cheers, maureen
Hi Jodi! Is it too late to leave a comment to encourage you to stay with blogging? You have always come up with interesting memes and ideas... Your header photo is just beautiful! It's good to know you, too. :-) Even if I don't get around like I should.
ReplyDeleteI too want to join the chorus and tell you that the new look is beautiful and that there would be a disturbance in the Force (aka Blogosphere) if you were to stop blogging. It was interesting to read the comments and see how many of us are struggling with these questions.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up girl!
ReplyDeleteThere may be thousands of gardening blogs but yours is relevant, well written and makes for a great read. Did I say relevant??? Even with your balmy valley weather, what you write about still makes sense for us here in CB.
Yours is the only gardening blog that I read on a regular basis and despite the cats I still keep coming back! :)
Oh and Wordpress is GREAT! Open source, well supported and lots of fun!