Six word Saturday

I need to make some changes

Since my very first blog post it has been a point of honour with me to return all visits to my blog.  If people are kind enough to come to mine, then I feel I ought to reciprocate.  It’s common good manners, and by doing so I have met some wonderful people.  Unfortunately it has reached a level where the blog has a tendency to run my life instead of the reverse.

I’m not ready to relinquish the good friends that I’ve made, but I need a bit more leeway.  If you leave a comment, I will always respond, and I will always return the visit.  If you simply ‘like’ a post I can no longer guarantee to call on you.  I realise that this means that I may miss out on some great newcomers.  I can only hope they will stop to chat.

You might notice that I have adjusted my Comments box too.  No need to scroll down and down to leave your comment, but if you want to read the previous ones just click on ‘older comments’.

I know I’m far in excess of my six words this week, but I just had to get this off my chest.  The flowers are from an Open Garden event I attended in the Yorkshire village of Stanghow last weekend.  Off you go now to visit Debbie.  And have a great weekend!

130 comments

  2. I know just where you’re coming from Jo, my camping blog has been running my life since I got back from holiday last week and I’ve nowhere near as many followers as you have. I’ve even neglected my own ‘mousehouse’ blog as I’ve been concentrating on sorting and editing my photos, deciding which ones to put on the blog, writing the posts, replying to comments etc, all while doing five different jobs. I haven’t gone to bed before 1am for the last week!

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    1. It’s easy to let it get that way, Eunice, especially if you’re trying to work as well. I’m lucky not to have that complication. Best to just enjoy what you do, I suppose. Why not combine the blogs? I think I did ask you about that over at yours. Anyway, hope you’re managing some relaxing this weekend. 🙂

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      1. Combining the two blogs just wouldn’t work Jo as they are completely different from one another. The camping blog is exactly that, while the mousehouse blog is my life in general, plus they are on different web hosting sites anyway, so trying to mix the two would probably end up as a completely unsatisfactory mess 😦

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  3. Blogging can take control of our life, if we allow it, Jo. Don’t feel bad about not responding to the “Like” only. Some people just scroll through their READER liking everything. I can’t imagine saying I like something that I hadn’t read. Keep your balance lovely lady! xo

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  6. I know how you’re feeling, Jo. My blogging visits are very sporadic of late, and even my replying to comments on my blog is on a go slow. My ‘must do’ is to (try to) post once a day, so if I can do that, good, and then I can try to get round to all of the blogs I follow. I know I miss posts, but something is better than nothing! Have a good weekend.

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    1. I do regard it as 2 way traffic, Tom. If you’re doing it just for yourself you might as well have a private blog, mightn’t you? The demands of a job would make it impossible for me to maintain this though, so I do sympathise. The important thing is to enjoy it. Otherwise why bother? 🙂 🙂 Rock on, Tommy!

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  7. You’ve always been one of the most accommodating bloggers on my must-visit list, Jo. Don’t know how you’ve managed. Cutting back a bit sounds wise. Salute!

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  8. I don’t know how you’ve done it as long as you have, Jo. I never visit people who only like a blog post! If they make a comment, I used to be so much better at responding, but in the last 4 months, I simply haven’t had time. But I’m not so keen that everyone needs to read my blogs. I write them as a diary for myself mainly. If people do visit, I’d like to see some comment that shows they actually read it and didn’t just scroll through the pictures! Only you can decide what do do with your blog. There don’t have to be any “shoulds.”

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    1. It’s different if you’re working, Cathy. I couldn’t possibly do this then. I enjoy the interaction and blogging is one of the best things ever to happen to me (sad, aren’t I? 🙂 ) If I’d invested this amount of energy in something else I might have amounted to something by now. Your holiday starts this weekend. Woo Hoo! 🙂 🙂

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      1. Maybe once I’m free and not working again, I can get back to enjoy the process of blogging and interacting with people. My life has been a whirlwind for 4 months and I’m happy it’s now coming to a close. I seriously need some rest and relaxation time. I love blogging too, and I enjoy it more when I have time to interact, so it’s not sad at all that you love blogging so much. You have really made such a great effort and have many good friends; it’s more than I can say for myself. If it makes you happy, you should continue to enjoy it for as long as it gives you pleasure. But I hope you won’t feel obligated to respond to people. Once it becomes a burden, it’s no fun anymore. 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your summer. I can’t wait to get home to see Mike and Adam (who is now living at our house again) and Alex and Sarah. I miss them so much! I think my working abroad time is coming to an end. 🙂

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  9. Good policy! I don’t have anything like your traffic but have difficulty keeping up. My policy has been more random – try to visit everyone, but when busy let it go. “Comments only” seems fairer. Likes are too easy – I’m especially suspicious when I get a burst of likes from one person over about 10 seconds. No way did that person read anything! (Not sure about follows, often they seem just to be a ploy to get you to follow back, but I usually at least glance in case it is a kindred spirit).

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    1. I always give the ‘follows’ a chance too, Anabel. With me it’s partly about reducing my Inbox. My current laptop was a quick, cheap replacement and it isn’t coping very well. Nor am I 🙂 🙂

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  10. Lovely photography as usual, Jo 🙂 I think that’s very wise of you to put your life first. You need to get out and about and live and then come back and show us your world 🙂 To me, when people ‘like’ a blog post of mine, sometimes I can’t be sure if they have read the post…I big part of me likes to think they have. But in general I check out bloggers who are happy to interact me with in the comments. Time and time again I do get some spare time and when I’m feeling up for it, I’ll engage with more bloggers through the Weekly Challenges and that way I feel I don’t spread myself too thin. I have always been amazed at your blog – the frequency of posts, the engagement, the amazing photos always…a lot of passion as always. Thank you 🙂

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    1. The passion is what keeps me coming back, Mabel. Blogging is one of the best things ever to have happened to me, and I can’t be half-hearted about it. I value the time that other people spend with me, and I’m always amazed that people like yourself manage to do it as well as working, so thank you very much. 🙂 🙂 Another relaxed weekend? It can’t decide here if it’s Summer or Autumn.

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      1. ‘Blogging is one of the best things ever to have happened to me, and I can’t be half-hearted about it.’ You said it, and summed up my sentiments about being on here. Blogging has changed my life in so many ways, online and offline.

        I went out shopping all day for a hoodie. Bought hoodie. And unexpected pair of pants. Now I’m having a tired Saturday night 😀 😀 Hopefully you are getting warm weather still, and make the most of it ❤

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  11. You were checking out ‘Likes’ while keeping abreast with your comments and blog reading??? WOW! Glad you have decided to slow down superwoman 🙂

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    1. You never know when one of those likes is going to turn into a lifelong friend, Madhu, but I have to say it doesn’t happen all that often, and it IS very wearing. 🙂 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Carol. I know you only post weekly, but you have a job and you write for other sources too. 🙂 🙂 These were from a nice little Sunday afternoon jaunt out. Not sunny, but good scones!

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      1. I’m not even managing once a week at the moment, and poor old Justin has been sadly neglected. I figure I will eventually get back into it. In the meantime, I love reading everyone else’s stories.

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  13. Jo, you have been an absolute whizz the way you respond, but you are so right. You can’t be ‘there’ for everyone. Blogging is supposed to a pleasure after all, not a trial of Hercules, which it could easily become. Your blog comes first, and those who follow and love it, will keep following and loving it. And if sometimes I miss your posts, it’s because I’m busy juggling time too, not because I don’t want to be there. Lovely photos. Lovely you 🙂

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    1. Oh, but you’re a sweetheart, Tish. 🙂 Some of us have real jobs (like proper writer, not to mention allotment keeper 🙂 ) and still manage to keep up. It’s an engaging hobby for me.

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  14. It’s the only chance to survive, Jo….
    I’ve always wondered how you could manage such a rithm in posting and commenting!
    Awesome photographs and a wise decision for this Saturday !

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    1. Thanks, sweetheart! I do enjoy the visiting as well as the posting, but there are times it becomes an effort, and it’s supposed to be fun. I’ll always chat, and it probably annoys some people, but you really have to please yourself. My husband will assure you that I always do. 🙂 🙂

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  16. That has been my strategy for some time now. If time permits I check the likes as well but that doesn’t happen very often. Your rapport with commenters is just fabulous, and how you manage to blog and respond and do all you do never ceases to amaze me.

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    1. Thanks so much for that, sweetheart. 🙂 🙂 I never would have stayed in this game for so long if I didn’t enjoy the interaction. People like yourself make me smile every day. Hope things are on the mend?

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  17. I have always admired your capacity for interaction on your blogging site Jo. I have always tried to keep mine more manageable because of the time constraints. Now, let’s see if you can really keep away from the keyboard!

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  18. J > IT seems a very reasonable change! Conserve your time for those that give you theirs. Or perhaps really would benefit from hearing from you. We never know what fears and hopes underlie folks ‘likes and comments’.

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  19. I’ve always wondered how you managed to keep up with comments: I didn’t realise you were also checking out likes. What a woman. And now, as Chica says, a wise one too. You’ve packaged your announcement in beautiful photos, especially the richly maroon first one and the peach-and-maroonly-freckled one .., and the lily-curves. Here I go again. Mention one and I have to mention the lot. Go forth and let your life run your blog.

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    1. Thank you for being wonderfully supportive, as ever. 🙂 🙂 Life? What liife? The garden was wonderfully rich with lilies. One of 3 in a tiny village but this was far and away the best. Saturday/turning down under Sunday hugs!

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