Tuesday, March 8, 2016

A 5th Anniversary for String of Pearls

I didn't finish this in time to post it yesterday, but here is a belated Happy Anniversary post to this blog that has brought me much joy and fulfillment, along with many new online friends, over the past five years:

March 7, 2016
Five years ago today, I started String of Pearls with the encouragement of my daughter-in-law Regina.  (At the time, she was my only D-I-L, but three more wonderful girls have joined the family since then.)

My first post was--let me see, how do I put this?--nothing to write home about.  (Here it is; read it and you'll see that I'm not being overly self-deprecating when I say that!)  It was very short and had no pictures.  But being as technology-challenged as I am, I was just so excited that I'd figured out how to navigate the blogger dashboard, and I could hardly wait to push the "publish" button!  It would be a while before I got a handle on including all the different bells and whistles--like photos and embedded hyperlinks--to my posts, or to adding various side bar gadgetry and other elements to my home page to make it look more professional.

When I started out, I had one married son and had not yet become a Grammy (my twin granddaughters would be born three months later); today, I have four married sons and seven grandchildren (five girls, two boys) who are the joy of my life.  (What a difference five years makes!)  When I started out, my youngest son was just about to graduate from high school; today, he is a college graduate and a military officer living overseas.  (The nest, therefore, is officially empty.)  When I started out, my four oldest sons were in their 20's, which seemed unthinkable to me at the time; today, two are in their 30's, and in a matter of months, another will hit the big 3-Oh.  (Where do the years go, I'd like to know?!?!)

There have been quite a few times in the last two years or so that I've considered shutting this blog down, thinking that I've said about all I have to say...but then I find some inspiration that makes me want to keep at it.  (Sometimes, that inspiration comes from just knowing that my husband--a.k.a. my most devoted reader--will miss finding my voice here, especially when he's traveling for work.)

One of my main purposes for starting this blog was to chronicle my family's history...to tell stories that my boys might have forgotten or maybe even never heard.   Another purpose was to have a place where I could express my love of marriage, motherhood, and my Catholic Faith--leaving a love letter behind that will live on long after I'm gone.  And finally, I simply needed to write.  Writing makes me happy.  :)
This was taken at a niece's super-fun wedding reception in 2014;
but this is the expression I wear when I'm writing, too.  No kidding.
I'd already been working on my first novel, Finding Grace, for about four years when I published my first post at String of Pearls.  The finish line on that manuscript was in sight when I became a blogger, and my middle son asked me if I thought blogging would keep me from crossing it; but I assured him that in some ways, I thought blogging actually helped me with my other writing. It helped me to exercise my writing muscles and keep them in shape.  (Besides, at the time, I didn't believe for a second that Finding Grace would ever be published; but I knew that I could publish a blog post any old time I wanted, which made it a really appealing medium for this fledgling author!)

When I started out here, you could count my readers on one hand, maybe two; today this blog gets many more "hits" per day than I ever could have imagined in 2011--a far cry from the numbers a superblogger gets, of course, but that was never my intention when I dipped my toes into the busy waters of the blogosphere anyway.  I was writing for myself (and my family); if anyone else happened by and was entertained for a minute or two, then that was just gravy.

So thanks for all the gravy, readers!

This post makes #1,235 for me.  I don't know if there are 1,235 more where this one came from...but at least for now, I'm taking it one day at a time here at String of Pearls.  No plans to close up shop yet.  And who knows?  A year from now, I might be celebrating the old girl's 6th anniversary.

20 comments:

  1. I absolutely love reading your blog and hope you will still be writing this next year, and many years to come! This is one of those things I look forward to in the morning .... my coffee and your blog!

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    1. Sorry I haven't been that great at getting posts up in time for morning coffee lately! I'd like to get back to that--to writing a post first thing after getting up every day. No promises though... :)

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    2. That's okay, I just read whatever post is there from yesterday with my coffee. I am just happy you are planning to keep it going!!

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  2. Happy Anniversary! As a loyal reader I am glad there are no plans to close up shop, but the one day at a time philosophy is sound!

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    1. Thanks so much, Madeline! You ARE a loyal reader! Especially since you're not related to me by blood or marriage!

      It has been such a pleasure making online friends like you, truly.

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  3. Happy blogbirthday! I'm so glad you're in the blogosphere. (you got "here" 6 months ahead of me). Thanks for all the terrific posts!!

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    1. Thanks, Nancy! (I should have called this a birthday rather than an anniversary; I like that term--blogbirthday!)

      We have so much in common--we're grammy bloggers who joined the blogosphere at almost the same time. I like to think that if we ever met, we would be fast friends (but I would probably worry that you wouldn't like IRL me as much as blogger me!).

      Thanks for all the nice comments over the years.

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  4. Please keep the blog up!!! I check it daily!!!!

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    1. Thanks, sweet girl. I'd like to keep it going, and maybe even get back to daily (or almost daily) blogging. Thanks for the support!

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  5. Happy Blog~aversary!!
    So glad to read that you enjoy this blog as much I enjoy reading it!

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    1. You are so sweet, Joy! I have loved hearing from you over the years, my friend!

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  6. I totally forgot to mention that Mike was so proud of this blog that while we were on our first date, he told me all about it. He pulled it up on his phone and used it as an excuse to sit next me while at the restaurant so he could show me. :)

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    1. Haha! I love this. How adorable.

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    2. That is so sweet! (Son #3, going for favorite status--and that day, winning!)

      I love it that this blog is part of your first date memories! <3

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  7. Happy Blogiversary to you! It's always a treat to see a new post from you, Laura!

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    1. I am tickled that you have become a reader, old friend! :)

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  8. Happy Blogoversary! Five years, sadly I haven't been reading that long, obviously I've got back posts to read. Yes five years have bought massive changes within your family!! So glad you're not closing up shop. I think as a writer you may just have to accept you'll be here for a while yet;-)

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    1. Blogoversary--there's another term I like!

      Thanks for your support and all your sweet comments over the years!

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  9. I love your blog and your enthusiasm for your Catholic faith. I hope you keep writing!

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    1. I hope so, too. My husband has observed that I seem happiest when I'm blogging regularly. I think I get endorphins from the writing!

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