Another Blog About Blogging

When I started blogging a year ago, in January, 2009, I had no idea what I was doing.  I wrote the following in my first post:

At 61 years old I often think back and wish I could remember more about myself or my children or some event or activity....all those years and all those things that brought me to today. I like where I am today....I live with Doc, who I call Kenny, who thinks whatever I do is okay. I have 1 son and two daughters, 1 daughter-in-law, 2 sons-in-law, and six grandchildren, all of whom I think are the best ever, and who all bring joy beyond description to my life. I'm not sure that they think that whatever I do is okay, but they let me share in their lives and that makes everything okay for me. Blogging feels like a good way to reflect, remember and share the things that take us from day to day, and with time make up the life we look back on.

Why "Living Consciously"? I am, like everyone, getting older and I hope, like everyone, that continues for a long time, so I want to do it the best I can. I feel like one of the keys to that is to live consciously. It is something I have thought about and tried to do for a long time, but still can't totally define., and certainly am far from being really good at. Maybe blogging will help me along that path.

As I start my second year I'm still a neophyte. I think the blogging endeavor has helped me to do what my title suggests I am trying to do....live my life more consciously. Oh, and  it has also cured me of a computer Mah Jong addiction. The surprise serendipity  for me has been the wonderful people from the blogging community that have come into my life. All ages, from all walks of life, writing about births and deaths, loss and healing, marriage and divorce, tragedys and triumphs, the everyday and the mundane. Writing about life. I truly value everyone I have gotten to know and all that they have shared .

I have learned a lot about blogging from other bloggers. Joanna, at  The Fifty Factor has done a wonderful series of posts that answer a lot of questions about the "how tos" of blogging. Betty at
A Glimpse Into Midlife has very kindly and patiently answered many of my questions by e-mail about how to do something or why something doesn't work. Others have offered suggestions about my recent crazy HTML issues and Thais at thedesign-house fixed my HTML issues and re-designed my page. With all this help, I still have questions.

• Do you feel as embarrassed as I do when you leave a comment and then see that there is a typo in it?
• Do you know what the difference is between a member and a follower?
• Do you think "lurking" is a very unflattering term for dropping by to visit a blog you don't follow?
• Do you publish posts on a schedule or just when the muse moves you?
• Have you ever left a comment and then worried that what you said came out wrong? Do you e-mail to clarify or just let it go?
• When you go to a site and see that the person has more than one blog do you get a little flustered?
• Do you really, really like being able to visit with your friends in your pajamas with no make-up and before you have washed your hair?
• Do you like it when people put a question or questions at the end of their post?
• Do you sometimes have trouble thinking of a way to end a post on just the right note?

I do, so I will just say thank you and all the best to everyone for a great new year.