I refuse to think its just me

9:16pm 
There are some things in life that I understand only certain people are good at; not a talent everyone can pull off with ease and comfortability. Then there are some things that should, I think, across the board, either be harder or easier tasks. As long as we're talking about people in the same age group. I wouldn't ever compare a six year old's ability to a 26 year old's.
That said, I have to ask, for those of you with blogs like mine {you're not professionals and you don't sponsor other people or take professional pictures that you sell} does it take you a really long time to post something? Is it really just me, as some of my friends are telling me? I don't think it is, at all. But I thought I'd give this a try and see what you all say.
I put the time at the top of this post and then I'm gonna put the time I end this post so we can see how long it really takes me. Maybe a post does take longer than under 30 minutes, as I talked about with a friend.
I don't usually time myself, so maybe this is one of those situations where time slips away from me and I haven't noticed. I'm going to purpose to use italics, bold, different colors and add pictures to this post. Since I usually do those things, I thought it would only be fair here.

So lets see... what can I talk about here? Blogging, of course. That is my topic, right?
So, if I were to write out my 'rule book' for blogging, I guess it would look something like this.

playing on the deck, with their "pack-packs" 

Never attempt a post when kids are awake and needing attention. 
Don't make it a nightly habit to blog instead of spending focused time with Jason. 
Blog with a purpose. Sitting down with nothing on your mind will only result in wasted time, until the right thing pops into your mind - and then you're just blogging to blog and that's annoying. 
If you begin to write on a certain topic and the words aren't flowing 
freely from your brain... don't post it. Don't even finish it. 
It will suck up too much time and clearly, your brain isn't done mulling 
it over and ready to pass it on to other readers. 
Its the whole "think before you speak" rule, I guess. 
Don't over think how people will feel about what you write. 
Try to completely clear your mind of the readers. 
Not in a way that you'll be easily offensive, but in a way that keeps you from secretly blogging to another person or trying to please a specific type. 
This will turn your blog into something that is far from your blog. 
And people hope to read and see YOU, not who you think they want you to be. 
Editing does not come natural to you. So don't try it. 
Just say no to editing programs ;-) 
Remember you want your kids to view this as a glimpse into their past, someday. 
You want to remember things as they happened; as they looked. As you remember them.
Even though you get a kick out of seeing other people's edited photos and you're 
usually awed and impressed by them - remind yourself for you, its going to be something 
that requires time you do not have and time, {if you acquired more of it} 
you don't want to spend editing.
Never promise posts on specific days of the week. 
You've tried this, remember? You didn't like it. It didn't work so well for you. 
You felt like you were a slave to your blog and you hated that feeling. 
To some it comes effortlessly and natural, but not for you. Let it go. 

I'm sure there's more I'd tell myself {I and me have lots of conversations together} but you get the point.
it was at Target, for only $6 - Daddy couldn't say no :) 

A good friend of mine recently told me that she forgets to look at my blog and then when she remembers, she has like 20 posts to catch up on, so she wondered if there's any easy way for her to know when I update. I told her she could do a feed reader and she said she tried that once and it didn't work for her. 
Then a few days later a couple friends said to me "you know what you should do with your blog? Create a Facebook page just for your blog and then when you update, put a link there, letting people know and its an easy way for them to take a peak and see the stuff you write. I mean, everyone's on Facebook, so it would work for most of your readers." - while I agreed with her that it would be convenient {especially since many of my readers only read when they see a blurb I post on Facebook} I did not agree with her that everyone is on Facebook. I know people who still aren't. Splitting hairs, I know ;-)

At any rate, I created a Facebook page for just my blog and decided it would be appreciated by people who could care less and don't want to see my blog updates popping up on their home page. 
But what made me laugh, were the people who said, "whoa! you must be a professional blogger now!" and acted like I'd be at the next Academy Awards. It's just Facebook, peeps, lets not forget. 
I do not blog professionally, my kids probably haven't even noticed I do blog, because its rarely done around them. My husband doesn't loose time with me due to it {he plays Halo and I blog - the end} and I can't remember the last time a blog post took so much time it stressed me out or other household/life duties went by the wayside because of it. 
I did start to wonder though, when a friend of mine wrote on my facebook wall that she had seen a quote that said, "behind every good blogger is an unfed husband." - who wrote that quote?! 
Could it be it came from an UNFED husband?! I hope not. I'm hoping it was just a joke and really hoping there's NO women really do this just to blog. Don't worry, Jen... I enjoyed the quote and thought your comment was funny... just worried the quote was possibly true! 
I slowed down my journal writing because I only had time to do it at night, when Jason and I wanted to spend time together... I handwrite much slower than I type. 
I still journal... but its at odd, random times of the day, when I hear a funny quote, need to write a verse down and remember to journal something new, sweet, scary or difficult phases the kids are in. 

at the park last week, with Gideon. 

I've been asked to "guest blog" for other websites. I've always said "thank you, but no." 
Not because I think there's anything wrong with it, but because this will not become a part time 'job'. I blog because its fun and because I enjoy it and because when I find time to write about and to and for my family, I do. 
Maybe I'm not managing my time well and if I did that better, I could do things like guest blog or whatever. I just don't want to. Not right now at least. Could that be something I do when the kids are grown and gone? Perhaps. 

I'm guessing there's nothing special at all about the way I blog. Some of us might type faster than others, but I really think the myth behind "blogging takes SO much time!" is a myth, created by NON-bloggers. What do you think? 
Also, by the way, you know how people say they get SO addicted to certain websites, magazines, books or tv shows? I'm addicted {in a healthy way} to all of your blogs. If you're on my sidebar blogroll, I'm a fan of yours and read each new post with great anticipation. 
I'm also addicted to Kristin Hannah novels and Pandora, but that might be another post in and of itself.

playing Parker's drums on Sunday. LOVED how Kara put the ear phones on :) 

Aaaaannnnd... that's a wrap.  9:40pm


**I'm adding this comment to this post, so it doesn't count in my timed post. 
Something I've done for a while now is, if I have something on my mind I want to blog about, or I have about 5 posts stacked up... I usually take a couple days and work on them one-by-one and then I post date them.
So like this one, I wrote it back on like Monday night and had it scheduled to post today. That way I don't have so many posts being published in one day and I don't feel overwhelmed with it all. So if I can get 5-8 posts in my scheduled page, I can sit back and relax and write new ones at my leisure without stuff being MIA on the blog. Does that make sense?
Its like when you meal plan and you freeze already made meals ahead of time. Even though you made dinner that night, its for a future date and you're going to pull a frozen meal for that specific night. Hopefully that all made as much sense to you as it did in my head :) 

Comments

Nicola said…
Stef, great post. It always takes me a long time to blog. At least 1/2 hour to an hour. But part of the reason is how slow our connection is with the satellite.
Alyssa said…
Ok Stef....you know I NEVER leave a comment, but I felt the urge to do so today! I am beyond impressed with your speed! Wow! I am one of the people who says "it just takes too long", while my poor little blog sits out there in cyberspace with 1 lonely post. I think I just like reading other blogs more than writing my own. :) I LOVE the google reader, have a ton of blogs on my list and never miss a post, and I can come back and pick up whereever I left off. Lastly, the unfed husband.......I think the quote would sound better as "unfed children". Afterall, ladies....it's 2011 not 1950, draw your husbands a map to the kitchen and set him free...

That's all for now....miss you Stef, but keep up the great posts! Makes me feel like we talk everyday!
Alyssa said…
One more thing.....Your blog design is cute! I hadn't seen it in awhile because of the reader.
Stef said…
Cola, having slow Internet would keep me from blogging AT ALL! I confess I've become one of those annoying, impatient people when the loading from one page to another takes to long. Seriously, I've been known to talk to the laptop as it ticks on the slow(er) days :)
So I admire your blog even more now! Good for you!

Alyssa, you came out of the closet! You've told me before that you read my blog, but I always forget since you NEVER post ;-)
I miss you too! So sad that we're family and can only see each other once or twice a year. Sorry about that :-\
I do miss your craft blog, a lot. I figured you just got too busy with business to keep it up.
I stopped using a reader BECAUSE I love seeing people's layouts and enjoy the creativity of each one. Some days I miss my reader, but even on my cell, I can see websites in their regular format, which is cool.

Also, thanks for the compliment. I guess I type faster than I was willing to admit.
Also, I've been blogging almost 8 years now. If anyone should do it fast, it should be me.

I did this blog post in front of Jason, for a witness. But he wasn't surprised. He's usually with me when I blog :)
Stef said…
oh Alyssa, I agree! If your husband will starve because you're busy or just had a baby or whatever, shame on him AND his Mom! ;-)
Brooke said…
You are good. I've often wondered how you write 'longer' blog posts, comment on and read so many other blogs (I love how you comment on most of my posts by the way :) ) and get moved in so fast when you move, etc. My blog posts don't take too long, but that's because they are far in between (or I blog in 'binges' :) a bunch at a time when I find a little block of time) and my blogs are pretty short, mostly pictures. What takes me longest, probably, is going through all my pictures and narrowing down when there are a lot. I always want to write longer blogs with more thought on what's going on in my heart and I think in blog format a lot planning them out in my head, but rarely find time to get them down in posts. Writing those type of posts or any deeper writing takes me longer, because it doesn't come as naturally maybe?
Gina said…
This is great! So many people have convinced themselves that blogging is hard. Seriously, it's not that time consuming, although I'd have to say, you really do whip them out! Really, it all depends on what I'm blogging about. Usually I can post swiftly, even with kids around, but some posts just take more thought. Those are my late night, usually rather inspired posts. I follow many of the rules you do for blogging--having some set rules is beneficial for family life. My current problem isn't having time to blog--that's pretty quick--it's having time to read the blogs I love. I can get lost there for hours and even if I just read one or two, if the kids need me the blog gets put to the side. Needless to say, I get backlogged quickly. :-( Thanks for keeping up your blog Stef--we surely enjoy it!
Gina said…
BTW--you could have added an e-mail subscribe to the blog for people to get updates that way, but maybe the world of FB is more appealing to people. :-)
Charlotte said…
It is not just you! My kids know I have a blog, because they are older, and they love reading mine. But I hardly ever write a post in one sitting...except my Monday Musings which I write early in the mornings.

I do like having 1 promised post a week....that way it keeps me faithful to be in touch with family and friends.

And most of the people that read my blog do it from an email subscription, even my 94 year old grandpa who is computer illiterate except for email.

And just my two cents...if either your children or husband are suffering from being unfed or uncared for because of blogging, then end the blog. Me included. :-)

I blog what is in my brain, and don't think too much about being profound, or else I will sit and think, and think....
Stef said…
I agree Charlotte! Since when did this stuff need to take over or consume our lives?!
I don't even have a computer with me during the day - its still quite "manageable".
I think people in my Mom's generation have a harder time with it and that would make sense, at least to me.

Your comments were all fun to read! I love how we all do things a bit differently, but very much the same. Super cool.
Erin said…
Stef - blogging doesn't take me much time either. It is the reading of all the other good blogs out there that can suck so much time from me. Ah! Gotta check myself!!
I think the unfed husband line is just a jab a people choosing to do something different, e.g. write on the www for all to see!
I LOL at Alyssa comment - Draw your husband a map to the kitchen & set him free. Love it! Ha! And I love to cook for my man. But please, he ain't gonna starve w/o me cooking. :)
FullofSunshine said…
I love Alyssa's comment! Well said,Stef I have to say you are one of the best bloggers in my book : ) I enjoy reading- Keep them coming!

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