In a random check of some of the oldest blogs that I've visited (since I started blogging) I find that Tonya and Bonnie have been blogging since June 2005. Some of us have just started, some of us blog daily (or in Calico Cat's case two or three posts a day!) and some of us blog once a week, once a month, when we get around to it. Anybody know any history? Who was the first quilt blogger?
I started blogging at the very end of October 2006. And now it takes up a good chunk of my day. I tried to remember what I was doing before I started blogging. I was quilting and teaching. I had dogs and cats in the house and I was active at church. I used the computer a lot to e-mail my mother and my two kids in the States. But I think I can say that there have been activities in my life that overtook other things for a little while before I moved on to new things.
A good 10 years ago I started on a walking campaign. Our old dog Shoko was a willing companion and so we walked everywhere! I was walking about two hours a day and it paid off. I lost weight and my cholesterol went down. It was an obsession to see how much I could walk in a day with my little step counter (which I still wear) and minutes logged. That was a very good habit to get in to and I still make walking part of my daily routine but I'm not as obsessed as I used to be (and my weight has gone back up. Sigh.)
Another thing that took over my life for awhile was Flylady. Actually pre-Flylady I was drawn to a book on housekeeping, Side-tracked Home Executives, and I followed that system off and on from when my kids were babies. When Flylady came along I signed up for e-mailings and religiously attacked my cleaning zones for that week. My house really looked great and I think Flylady didn't train me to be such a great housekeeper as she taught me to use my time better. Tetsu really loved this stage of my life! Recently I've been thinking I ought to sign up for Flylady e-mails again... This house....!
For awhile I was journaling, for I'd nightly write the day's events and my feelings into a journal and this grew into a prayer journal too. I still keep a prayer and Bible reading journal but a lot of musings from that has blended into my blog. I have to be careful that blogging doesn't completely replace this quiet time with God.
And now I'm blogging and reading blogs and answering comments and taking pictures for my blog. I'm pondering things that I want to remember, things I want to tell people, things that my friends and family might want to know.How did you used to spend your time before you came upon the blogging world? And do you think you've found a good balance for time in front of the computer (with cyber friends) and in your "real" world? (though blogging is REAL for me!)
14 comments:
I think my first post was in December 2005...
I certainly spent more time quilting and reading.
Hi Tanya,
I read your blog almost daily, and I really appreciate your window into quilting and Japan. I haven't started blogging, though friends and family have been bugging me to...don't seem to have enough time! And I hate taking pictures. I suppose if I wrote a blog instead of reading quilting blogs I might have time, but I love reading! I learn so much and am so encouraged by it too. I'm a SAHM who homeschools 4 and helps DH with his construction business. I quilt whenever I can. Maybe some day...
interesting question... I think I watched more movies.. Dear son was also younger and needed more time/attention...
I'm just new to blogging. Started July 2008. Before blogging I spent my free time in the garden and was pleased with the schedule I set up for quilting time. Now everything is upside down! I'm blog addicted! Just yesterday, I purchased a "weekly schedule" note pad and starting Monday, I will begin to balance out my days. Wish me luck!
I celebrated my 100th post the other day and have enjoyed making new blogging friends. I have learned many things that I don't think I would have without the benefit of the blogging world. I struggled with how to manage my time before I entered the blogging world, and I still am! I guess I am going to have to check out flylady - again! There has to be an answer for my time management issues!
I've been blogging for a little over two years. I have a good balance, before blogging I wrote a LOT more snail mails and e-mails to keep in touch. Now, my life's an open "book"... my friends keep up with me here. A great, thought provoking, post!
I've been reading blogs about 1 1/2 years and started my blog last Oct. It does take a lot of time but I really enjoy seeing all the quilts, travel pictures and learning so much from everyone.
I gave you an award for your blog and hope you will pick it up on my blog.
Lois
I have become more of a multi-tasker.
I get up earlier to be able to blog.
I moved in the meantime do not get out as much - so I am not spending as much money...
I no longer belong to a quilt guild = and no longer have those commitments.
Oh those dark ages before blogging! I was still hooked at the computer, reading quilting newsgroups - Quiltswappers and Quiltart, mostly, with a few others for good measure. I still belong to a couple of the smaller newsgroups, but switched over to blogging, cause it has pictures. I used to walk with my brother while he was between jobs. I still subscribe to Flylady emails and have tried to incorporate her principles even though I don't do everything she tells me to.
Hi Tanya,
I have two blogs, one started in November 2007 (147 posts) and one in May (74 posts)--guess I'm very consistent! A little over a year ago, we moved to a farm, and my life changed pretty dramatically. Riding horses was not only a pastime but my social life, and since moving us all to a farm I have cut myself off from that social scene and all the time it takes to trailer horses to and fro, and have avoided the people I used to hang with, for reasons I won't go into! I still socialize, but more in the dinner party venue. So blogging becomes part of my farm and art chores and fits in very harmoniously.
What did I do before blogging entered my world? Well, I belonged to about 26 yahoogroups - quilting yahoogroups and reading yahoogroups both. I received several hundred emails a day. So I was still spending lots of time on the computer. Now I belong to less than 10 yahoogroups and often delete messages without reading them. Blogging has taken their place.
I am still struggling these days to find a balance between the rest of the things in my life and blogging. I whittled down my bloglines list and then added a bunch of new ones. I've just now caught up with my reading after not reading at all for several weeks. It seems like my time to quilt has been cut drastically by my blogging - especially now that I spend two days a week babysitting Joseph. I hate it that I got so far behind on my reading - I hate not being in touch with my blogging friends - but I also hate it that I don't have all the time to sew that I want to have.
I'm ot sure about the answer . . . .
I am so glad you have a blog, & you brighten my days, & broaden my knowledge with every one of your posts Tanya.
I am so glad I have access to get to know a little about you.
You are a joy!
Thankyou.xx
I haven't been blogging that long but I'm not quite sure how i used to spend that time!!! Its something I really enjoy. I also used to follow Flylady and even now I'll often set my kitchen timer to do a room. I probably do need to sign back up for the emails and get into it again, might give me a more organised house and a little more time!
I started blogging in May of 2006. At first I didn't post regularly but find now that I post on most days. I always have my camera with me and am thinking about my next post.
Before blogging, I was more active in Yahoo groups. I love getting to know other bloggers in a different way then you can in a yahoo group.
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