…but I have to scale back
For a while, at least.
In the past few months my visits to your blogs have been intermittent at best; and in the past two weeks, almost non-existent. I struggle to find the time but I don’t want to neglect you. Not returning your visits is bad manners and I apologise. Interaction is a huge part of what makes blogging fun; no interaction, and it’s just me talking at you. I have battled guilt about it; guilt always wins. That has reduced my enjoyment of blogging.
Peter Steiner’s cartoon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have decided to take the advice I always give to other bloggers who make these sort of Help! I’m drowning in unanswered comments! posts – if you’re not enjoying blogging, then stop. I’m feeling a little burned out by blogging and it’s not as much fun as it used to be.
If you see me as rutilant – as I hope you do – you will naturally be devastated by my announcement, so I should make one thing clear:
I am not giving up blogging
- I will continue to post my daily joke
- I will post at least twice a week
- More, if I feel like it
- I will answer comments if I can
- I will not visit you every day but I will try to visit more than I have been doing
- I will understand if you decide to leave me, but don’t be surprised if I cry
If you don’t want the hassle of checking in every day in the understandable but forlorn hope that I might have deigned to talk to you today, you can always subscribe – third widget on the right then straight on for mourning.
Subscribers up = visits down but taking a hit on my hits is the least I deserve for my despicable dereliction of blogging duty.
I hope this is just a temporary situation and you’ll hang around to find out. But I’m selfish like that.
Happy blogging!
*
*
The two previous words:
Pleonastic – the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea. Guilty as charged. Always.
Quoz – something queer or absurd. Again, guilty as charged.
The Laughing Housewife 
I, sniff, sniff, understand.Blogging should never become a chore, that is not what anyone signs up for, (unless you make it into a paid venture than if it’s a chore well it’s on you). I understand the guilt, I have the guilt thing as well. What is it with guilt, guilt is a very powerful emotion or state of mind, I don’t know which but I know that it has extraordinary power over me at times. Blogging should be a happy thing.:)
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Exactly! And it has been, until lately. Thanks for understanding x
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🙂 xoxo
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Very understandable ~ Blogging should be fun 🙂
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I understand, and enjoy your break. We all go through periods like this
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Dearest Tilly, blogging should never be a chore you feel you MUST do. I have no wish to see you disappear like a rocket with a glowing red tail into the ether. But neither do I want to see you give up: just take it more leisurely! I only answer comments when they contain a question or I have something pressing to be said. I do a sporatdic pick and mix when I read others’ blogs, depending on time, energy and volume of posts. We are only too grateful for any crumbs that fall from your talented pen (or rather keyboard).
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sporadic
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xxxx ovd
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I certainly understand and have missed you. However, I’m not sure I can live without you. My email is in my profile so hope you can drop a line now and then. As an incentive, your years worth of free Maltesers, delivered weekly right to your door, should start arriving soon.
Forlornly,
Your pal, Al
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Almost, Al, you tempt me!
But then, you always have 😉
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May your wandering on other paths bring you back refreshed and with a sense of energy and your old smile returned. Enjoy your break from blogging.
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Thanks!
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I don’t always comment but I do always enjoy your Blog, and its nice to have a reliable source of cheer.
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Thank you 😀
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Hope you have fun in the blogging vacuum.
🙂
Not vacuuming though 🙂
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Perish the thought!
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I know how you feel..take good care.
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Oh no! Don’t consider giving up … but if it becoming a chore then it must be time to take a step back for a little while and have a rest. Put your feet up, read a book, eat some Maltesers, relax. 🙂
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Good for you.
You’re an amazing blogger and an amazing person and I, for one, am thrilled to have got to know you.
Take care of you. I’m sure everyone understands.
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X
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I have no problem with you taking time out, Tilly… I take them occasionally (sometimes without saying which is bad on my part!), but like you say you have to enjoy doing it for it to be fun. Enjoy your you time more, and then enjoy your blogging more. You can’t give up completely though… I’m commissioned to do your Christmas banner again this year, don’t forget… 😉
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Just what I need for motivation 🙂
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Lots of bloggers myself included are slightly on the back burner for a while. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing? Be happy x
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Could be! It’s been a loooooooooong winter…
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Tilly, if you were in paid employment, you would be entitled to annual leave to recharge your batteries. Take time out, go for walks, have away days, but bring the camera because you never know what is round the corner waiting to be blogged about.
Enjoy some ‘Me’ time.
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Excellent advice, thank you.
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Do or do not; there is no must. –Yoda, paraphrased.
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Appreciated, it is. x
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Linda, blogging is what it’s – but it shouldn’t be a MUST and that we feel that we have to do things. Still it’s a two way relationship, but it should be because we love to do it. Your welcome to my world when you feel for it.
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Thank you, Wivi x
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There IS life after blogging, Tilly, isn’t there? If you don’t come back I’ll know the answer.
Take care.
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hehe! I don’t know whether to hope you are right or wrong 🙂
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I refuse to hit “like” on this post, but I certainly understand. I am wrestling with the same issue. Even tho blogging is writing, my real writing is suffering. There is only so much time in the day.
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Exactly! And other things are being neglected (but not forgotten), like critiques…
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Ha! When I glanced at this I read the word as “children,” not “critiques.” Get to it when/if you can . . . no pressure.
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This is the right decision for you at this time, and you’ll feel better for it. Sometimes, I’ll let a week or more go by while I take care of my own writing and life. And then, I don’t always try to go back to see what I’ve missed, I simply start reading those I follow anew. Everyone seems to understand and is still friendly when I come back. I’ll still be here laughing at your jokes and passing them on to my elderly mother. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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It must be the weather. You see, late March, snow and snow and rain…..
It could have been hormones!?
It could have been Lent? Giving up Maltesers (?), reducing blogging, cutting down desires,…
Don’t worry. We’re all hanging around (just for a bit!). When you’re ready, please come back. You’ll be back. Take it easy. We all need to be recharged once in a while.
Take care.
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Thank you, Janet x
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I completely understand Tilly xxx
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I am enjoying it immensely and your blog too- breathe deeply !
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Take all the time you need.
Be well and happy, always.
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I will miss you Tilly Bud (Linda)! But then again a lot of the bloggers I read don’t subscribe to my blog, so I’m used to not hearing from them. But I do enjoy hearing from you, so pop by once in a while & take care of yourself.
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I will, and thank you 🙂
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Having to do the same. Like your promises, think I will steal them. Stay strong, I have to work hard to do and I do not always succeed.
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None of us do 🙂
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I’m glad you’re not giving up blogging and will look forward to your return. Everybody needs a break sometimes. Oh, and I don’t mind if you don’t reply to my comments.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I don’t know what rutilant is (did I even spell it correctly) but I understand you’re swamped. I don’t know how you do it all and have a family. I’m glad you are not giving up blogging. I don’t ming if you you don’t reply to comments or don’t visit my blog. I love your jokes. Don’t go away. I’d miss you.
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment xx
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funny thing about blogging … it’s GREAT when the mood is right, but a CHORE when the mood is off. The actual blogging hasn’t changed, but for some reason, our approach to the whole thing has. I’ve not yet blogged a year, but my anniversary is coming up and I am considering whether or not I want to continue …… hmmm. I guess cutting back is always an option. I’ll be looking forward to the days you do show up in the Reader. 🙂 Take care of you, first.
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Thank you, Sharechair. I’m coming up to my 4th blogaversary, so I’ve done well to get this far.
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I’ll still look out for you, Tilly. I’m also drowning, but as I can’t swim anyway, so what can I expect? 😀 Enjoy the break. xx
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You take one, too!
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I’m considering it.
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Tell me about it.. the more popular the blog ( and yours is VERY) the harder it is to keep up with commets, posting and other peoples blogs that you like.. we can only do our best and it should be fun!!
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That’s it exactly!
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and sometimes it feels ike a full time job that you’re not being paid for !
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You’ve got the right approach, I think. I appreciate it when fellow bloggers just say what’s going on…”I need a break” is sufficient. Commenting and keeping track is very challenging and sometimes things click better than at other times. Take care of yourself, and do pop in from time to time just so we know you’re okay! 🙂
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Thank you – I made the right decision: I’m already breathing lighter 🙂
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Tilly, I am where you are. I shall be chuffed to see you when I do, however intermittent: and I shall pop along whenever I can. Strange how real life tugs in cyberspace. It reminds me of the feeling the children got in Narnia when it was time to come home. Next thing they would find themselves on a railway station platform or some such mundane place.
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So long as I’m not Edmund, I can bear it 🙂
Take it easy yourself.
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So Many Feels on this one. I am all memed out myself personally, and have been scaling back too. I don’t visit as much anymore — instead of daily, only a couple times a week. and I don’t always leave a comment.
I notice many people go really hard the first 2 years..and then crash and burn. It IS supposed to be enjoyable. the day it isn’t fun anymore, means a break is required.
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I know how you feel and i do miss you when you are not around. I cut back and then decided I was not going to have a rule I could or could not blog every day. Now i just blog when I feel like it. Sometimes I should probably not write a post at all, but I do. I figure if someone wants to give it a miss, they will. I write for me, darn it. This is not a job. Dianne
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That’s it exactly – it was beginning to feel like a job I wasn’t enjoying.
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Withdrawal symptoms from Malteaser deprivation can be very horrible to see. Avert your eyes!
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I was gone for almost almost all of March and a chunk of April so I never left you. I simply left the platform to tackle other demands. Your words spoke brilliantly to what I was feeling too. Thank dear one! 🙂
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Sometimes, it is essential to let go. For a while, at least.
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