I felt like I needed to add this to the post as an after thought. I did not set this blog up, my oldest daughter did. I did not ask her to put this or that on here as I didn't even know what they were. And yes, there still are people out in the world that are this dumb about computers. I did remove the live feed because I didn't care for it. See I am learning slowly. I can change pictures by myself too. Hooray! Anyway, I did not write this post to stir up any hard feelings on any bodies' part. It was to point out how stupid I am to this blogging set up. And to hopefully gain some answers to a couple of questions I had.
I feel really stupid about blogging. First, for those of you who send a request about circles I am not being rude, I just don't know what to do about them. If you get ignored or what ever happens, I'm sorry I don't mean to offend anyone. I don't understand a lot about the blogging do's and don'ts. If some one would care to explain this to me I would appreciate it.
Also, there has been some talk lately about blogging ratings. I don't know what that is? Can someone explain that too. I don't care about ratings or numbers or whatever people are talking about. I started this blog to share our lives with our family, friends, other bloggers, and future full timers. I just enjoy doing photography, posting the pictures and writing all about our day.
I had a comment on the blog about me commenting on all the comments I get. The reason I do this is because I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate all the comments, support, encouragement, and friendships I feel like have developed since I started this blog. I don't do it for any other reason.
I just had to write down my feelings. It makes me feel better, and right now I could use that.
All is ready to go on Saturday. Take care everyone.
Ditto from here. I don't do Facebook or Google friends circles. I have learned so much from reading other blogs, and enjoy the contact with others. This as been a very supportive community. I try to encourage and support others with my comments as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Merikay. You have been one of my first supporters, and I always appreciated your comments.
DeleteI too have learned so much from other blogs. I don't do facebook either, wouldn't even know how to set one up. Or whatever you do?? ha ha....
Steve posts our blog. I don't understand all that much about blogging. I just know that I like reading them. We've been fortunate enough to meet up with a few fellow bloggers and it's like seeing old friends. Maybe one day we'll meet up on the road. Do your blog your way!
ReplyDeleteThank you Joan, I appreciate your thoughts. I sure hope we can meet one day. I look so forward to that.
DeleteI also don't know about circles. Many bloggers have a small program that keeps running statistics on readership. It can be interesting to keep track of if you don't let it become an obsession. The Sitemeter program allows you to see the last 50 visits to your blog, and where they are from (city, country, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI say to you and anyone else, "it's your blog and you should do it however you like." No one has the right to criticize another's blog - if they don't like it for some reason then quit reading it. What part of that is so hard to understand.
I love reading your blog and hope you don't let yourself become self-conscious or try to please everyone. You know the saying, "You can't please all the people all the time."
Thank you so much Gypsy. This is exactly why I like to answer the comments to let you know how much I appreciate you and your support. You have been there with me from day one with advice and help. I'm glad you like reading the blog. I won't I promise. I will do it just as I always have.
DeleteI enjoy your blog. I wouldn't worry about what others say. We are "on hold" right now, at home, caring for my husbands 98 year old mom, so I don't have the fun of writing about places we've been or things we've seen or done, but I love to write, so It's about my family, my flowers, and places we go around our area. Just continue enjoy writing your blog, and we'll enjoy reading it :)
ReplyDeleteBetty From Milwaukie, Oregon
Hi Betty, thank you for the comment. I really appreciate your encouragement and compliment. I know right where you are at. We took care of my parents also, and my Dad passed away in 2011. We wouldn't have been able to do this lifestyle while caring for him either, nor would I have wanted to. I miss him and my Mom so much. We love the pictures of Oregon and hope to visit or camp host there some day. So keep track of us and maybe we can visit. Take care.
DeleteYou do your blog your way, if people don't like it they don't have to read it. Don't know about ratings thing. I like to reply to my comments because it feelings like we are having a conversation.
ReplyDeleteWe have been fulltiming and blogging for 7 years now and enjoy doing it. Yes family, friends and other rv'ers read it, but now has become more of a journal thats we can look back on.
I find it interesting to see where the readers are coming from, and that there is a few pages views, but even if I had no readers would still do a daily posting. We fequently refer back to see what we did where and when.
Hi guys, thanks for the comment. I am like you I like to respond I feel like I get to know people better, and it just feels more personal to me. I started mainly for our daughters and us, but others seemed to like it so I am happy about that. I really appreciate your support and really enjoy your blog too. Take care.
DeleteKeep up the good work. Some one send me an email about getting rid of anonymous commenters, and I somehow lost it before I could reply to them. I hope it wasn't you??
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy, I so appreciate that. Yes, I did ask you a question on anonymous but no worries, my daughter helped me. She is the one that set the blog up for me so she is the one I go to when I don't understand something. You get so many comments I don't know how you remember them all. But your blog is awesome and your pictures, well what can I say...remarkable!!!
DeleteI found your blog a couple of days ago through another blog "It's about Time" and have enjoyed reading some of your earlier posts. I plan to add your blog address to my list of blogs that I follow. My wife and I are planning on retiring and going fulltime in the fall next year so your posts are very helpful for what we will be going through soon. Wasn't planning on retiring until 2015 or 2016 but after reading so many blogs that says don't wait, do it now we decided next year is the right time. Thank you for sharing your lives with us wannabes. :-) Curt
ReplyDeleteHi Curt, Welcome! So happy you found me. :)
DeleteOh how exciting you are going full time too. You will love it and you are so wise to speed up the process. My husband, Art, and I have no regrets. Maybe his pension will be a few $$$ less but with what we will be experiencing everyday, who cares. If we need to earn some extra money there are hundreds of workamping jobs out there. And camphosting is such a cheap way to live. Not having the house any longer will free up so much $. And we never know what tomorrow holds. Take care, and your welcome.
Good thoughts, Tammy. I've been blogging for a few years now but have to admit I don't know what blog ratings mean either - nor do I care!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have found though is that bloggers who constantly write about numbers of visits, numbers of comments and ratings(?) are the ones most obsessed by them. Strangely, they always say they don't worry about numbers but keep mentioning them in their blogs.
Just continue to write what you want for your family, friends and about your travels and everything else will work out just fine.
Send response to his blog.
DeleteTammy, circles are from Google plus which is sort of Google's version of Facebook. Only related to blogging in that some bloggers post links to their blogs on either Google Plus or Facebook. Some people even have a Facebook page for their blog. It is your blog so you should do it for you. Replying to comments is also a matter of choice. Some like you do it as a way of communicating with their new found blogging friends. Some do it to generate interest in their blog. Some don't do it because the commenter has to go back to the blog post to even know that you commented. Do what feels good to you. I think Facebook and Google Plus both have some valid uses. Some use Facebook (or even a forum) to tell about what is going on in their lives almost like we use our blogs. My problem with that would be that whatever you wrote is scattered here and there whereas with a blog, it is gathered in one place like a book you can go back to when you feel like it. Enjoy your blog for what it does for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining it to me, I didn't know. I don't do facebook, I don't want to do facebook either.
DeleteDoing the blog is enough and it is like you said in one spot. I like to comment whether the reader comes back or not; I feel like it makes it more personal for me. I feel like too it makes us seem more like friends, and should we ever meet up with you nice people we will know you better. That's just me and my complicated mind working. ha ha take care, and thanks again for the support.
Blog ratings is just a hype so that you will get involved with some of the SPAM sites that are out there.
ReplyDeleteWhen we started our blog as many others we did it as a journal of our activities that was available to anyone that wanted to read (Friends, Kids, Grandkids, Fellow Bloggers) it not to win a popularity contest. We hold to that principle today and have made many friends (Fellow Bloggers) some of whom we have met and others that we are hoping to run into some day.
Keep writing for yourself and it will be less stressful and more of a personal reward. Another thing is you do not have to reply to each and every comment made. Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Thank you for explaining that to me, I had no idea. I sure don't want anything to do with SPAM have enough of that!! I like to comment it isn't a chore for me. I like to feel that connect with other bloggers. Now I may find it harder to do later on but now I like it. We hope to meet up with fellow bloggers too and I hope we will know each other better through comments.
DeleteI enjoy your blogs and all your pictures. Take care.
I so agree....I don't do Facebook or the google circles either. I started our blog as a record of our travels. Now I can include the people we meet along the way too.....a great way to keep up with it all. I don't have a clue about ratings. I donread other blogs for information and I enjoy photography too so that's why I join other blogs. Some I have read and commented on for months now. Some I just read and enjoy......
ReplyDeleteSfaw travels Saturday......looking forward to a post.
Oops! I do read blogs for information, I enjoy photography, and its a connection to other RVers. Some blogs I enjoy reading and have commented on for months now......some I enjoy reading and never comment on.....blogging takes time.
DeleteSafe travels.....
You know I find myself doing a of oops lately, think it is stress or something like that Ha Ha......
DeleteI am like you some I read and some I comment on. I read so many there are times I just don't comment because it is late and I need to get to bed. Maybe when life slows down some I will have more time you think? :) You are right blogging takes time. But I love doing it, and photography is a new hobby for me and it gives me a chance to publish some of what I take. Looking forward to posting from HR too....
Tammy - I love, love, love reading your blog. Your enthusiasm and excitement are so much fun. You post the best pictures (like your header for example). As far as blogger ratings and stuff like that - I don't have a clue. I just post because that way I have a way to go back and find things because I can't remember it anymore. I do FB because it is about the only way I have of keeping track of the kids. But it's definitely not something I'm interested in. Google + sounded like a good idea to me at one time but then I ended up with all these people that I didn't have a clue who they were so I gave up on it also.
ReplyDeleteHi Jim and Sandie, thank you, thank you, thank you!
DeleteWhat a nice compliment. I hope the enthusiasm and excitement never stop for us, or you either. I don't do facebook even though the girls do I just let them have that one. :) I'm glad to hear I am not the only one not interested in the other parts of this journey. I don't feel like such a dumby any longer. Take care.
I click on send follow-up comments and get comments from people who comment on your posts that I click on such and when I saw the comment you're referring to about blogging... I had to visit his blog and I left a comment.
ReplyDeleteI was going to comment here but decided I'd copy what I wrote there! I know you're getting soooo excited about leaving on your new lifestyle!
Here's what I wrote there and why I blog...
Interesting. I'm reading this because of a comment on Tammy's blog.
When I leave a comment on someone's blog, I click on ~ email follow-up comments ~ I receive comments on such post from anyone who comments.
I enjoy this from my favorite blogs. LOVE to read what people think of whatever the blogger wrote. as well as myself ... the feedback is great.
Commenters who do this do not add to the site meter. And, if they just like to check back rather than click on comments ... then, well.. I don't understand that but whatever.
When a blogger such as RV SUE and Murmurs... hilarious ... has 5 billion commenters ... I will simply click on stop it... on the last comment.
Interesting why some folks blog and why and how they have it set up and what bothers or doesn't bother another... I say do whatever steams yer bean.
I know nothing of ratings. I blog because I can and love to go back and read what the hey I was thinking or doing at a certain time...
I would blog whether anyone read my stuff or not. As a matter of fact, when I started getting comments and saw pageviews? I thought... well. now! ain't this something. HAhaaa... I'm amazed anyone reads my stuff... I really am.
BUT I love it and I love to reply to comments of my readers ... love the back and forthing and I could care less about a site meter reading or adding ads ... I just like the blogging friendships...
yer welcome ... ;)
I 'm with you with not caring for rating or facebook. I was on facebook and deactivated my account. I can still get on it if I choose and it would only be to contact family members if I can't get a hold of them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog and it's always very interesting and fun to read your exploits. I'm looking forward to read about your travel adventures.
It's your blog and you have the right to do as you please.
It's hard to believe that the time for you to be on your way is already here in a few days.
Wishing you all the best. Talking about wishing, I better get over to Carolyn's blog to wish her Happy Birthday.
Hugs,
JB
HAhaa... hilo Julia... thank you... see? I would have missed this if I hadn't clicked on subscribe to comments...
DeleteI LOVE the comment sections of blogs well, my favorite blogs ;)
Hi Julia, thank you for those nice compliments. I have always enjoyed writing. My husband has always said I didn't to dive into journalism. Well I am, blogging. I hope I keep it entertaining that is my goal. I don't want negativity involved if I can help it.(which I know in reality I can't) Anyway, thanks for reading and becoming a fried. I hope your grandson is feeling better. Take care.
DeleteI started following your blog a couple of weeks ago and encourage you to continue. You are likely to comment on things that others don't agree with so nasty comments may follow. Please don't get discouraged. I'm an RV'er from Canada and love to sit in my chair in the morning, while having my first coffee, and reading interesting blogs. Go for it! Others will live vicariously through your experiences. Thanks for your blog.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
Barrie
Hi Barrie, good to hear from you. I am glad to hear that you can live vicariously through the blog. I certainly did the same thing while we were waiting for it to be our turn. Sometimes I would read a blogger's blog for hours at a time, dreaming. I will try to keep the blog interesting and entertaining. :)))
DeleteTake care and your welcome.
I love your blog, so for that reason...keep going!!! Mine is messed up too. I used to get everybody's comments through my e-mail account. Now I only get some, unfortunately yours is not one of them. I prefer to comment back through personal e-mails. So if I don't respond to you comments that's why. And I don't know how to change it back. Happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteHi Muffy, sorry mine is messed up I don't know why or how to fix it. I don't know anything about computers. I have problems I go to my daughters or son n law. Happy Easter to you too, and thanks for the support, Take care.
ReplyDeleteI started the blog for two reasons. Let family & friends know what I'm up to without having to retell it to each person and the blog is a great way to keep the memories. I would never take as many photos or keep track of what we did if not for my blog. I did find myself getting upset because I only have a certain amount of followers, but other blogs have more. Take a step back. Remember the 2 reasons I blog. Now I can relax and write freely.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie, you are so right that is why I started blogging. I started sending to a few people via email and then more and more wanted to see pictures and read our journal, so I had to do something that would take less stress off me. I am glad people find what I write about interesting, but like you I really do it for us, because like you said I never would take this many pictures. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteI was laughing like crazy when I read this post. I'm the family blogger here, but when my wife retired 18 months ago she had been a regular computer user. She so disliked using them that in the past 18 months she has gone online to her "new" Facebook page about 12 times.... the most recent occurrence being last September. So, we can both appreciate being stupid about blogging.
ReplyDeleteI used to take month long trips for my work (photographer) and I always found that after working on my laptop for a month I would come home and not remember anything about how my desktop tower was set up. It was maddening. Now I admit I need retraining after a coffee break.
One nice thing about the blogging world is that when any of us is feeling stupid or we have a question there are a lot of good people out there who have lived through our problem before. They don't always have the right answers.... but you can probably get SOME answers to almost any question!
Anyway.... you got answers on your queries so I won't repeat. Cheers and keep up the good blog -- your way.
A retired photographer looks at life
Life Unscripted on Wordpress
Hi Peter, I am so glad I was able to fill your morning with laughter. I didn't expect to get this much response when I wrote this blog. But I am glad that I did it did help me so much. I want also welcome you to the blog. I don't know if you will read this, I don't know if anybody reads my replies back but it doesn't matter, I guess, I just feel like it makes us more like friends if I answer you. I am glad to hear I am not the only American still having issues with the computer. You almost hate to admit that now days, for fear people will think you are mentally incompetent. Thank you for sharing your disability too. :))) You guys take care.
DeleteYour lack of experience on blogging is normal. We're all in some state of learning about how to do it. It's one step at a time, I think. I think you're doing fine. Your blog looks nice, it's easy to read and all the important stuff is there!
ReplyDeleteI remember Rick
(http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/)
writing about the Google Circles. I tried it, but didn't care for it. You could search his blog for more info if you like.
Remember this is your blog and you can do whatever you want on your blog. If anyone doesn't like it, they don't have to read it.
Personally, I think you're doing great!
I use Facebook and really like Pinterest. On Pinterest, if you read a blog about a great place to visit or nice campground, you can put it in Pinerest and refer to it later. I have categories for campgrounds in various states, rv mechanics in various states, and vegan recipes.