I’m still here

So some of you readers might have noticed a some funny sounding links at the bottom of various blog posts like IBOT or Wordless Wednesdays. In the blogging community, these are known as blog link-ups or linky parties for bloggers to connect and network with each other.

I know that the underlying motivation bloggers have for blogging is to write for ourselves. However every blogger still gets a huge morale boost whenever they receive an acknowledgement or comment on one of their posts. But the truth is, the only people who would comment on blog posts are other bloggers (98% of the time).

So one day, some blogging genius started these blog link-ups as a way to share our work with one another, support each other and cheer each other on.

There are tons of such blog link-up parties around the world. I’ve stopped by various ones from time to time. But eventually I found a couple of communities which I really felt comfortable with and enjoyed the like-mindedness of the bloggers there. Through these parties, I also met some other wonderful bloggers and got to know their inspiring stories.

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These blog link-ups have become like a regular ‘date night’ I look forward to each week. Instead of just blogging randomly, I found myself thinking ahead on interesting posts to write about to share at these parties. Almost like having a weekly book club to prepare for.

Buuuut… recently I’ve had to go through another round of re0organising of priority lists.

Those of you who have been following my journey would have known my big life changing decision of starting my own family day care. With it comes the whole shenanigan of running a business on my own. And on top of that, I’m also back at school to do further studies in Early Childhood Education as part of this whole venture.

Family still comes first, of course.

Sewing has been pushed to the backburner for a little while. I do miss it very much. I have a whole heap of projects I had pinned to make, which part of me is just aching to do.

I wish I could push back the cleaning and washing. But that unfortunately has to stay.

And I still definitely want to keep up my blogging and writing.

But I confess that keeping up with my blog reads has been challenging at times.

Now with blog link-ups, there is no wooden stick poised to rap your knuckles if you fail to read all your fellow bloggers’ posts. But there is a sort of code of honour. Like my book club analogy, you are expected to read the book before each meeting. At blog link-ups, you should take some time to read some of the other posts of the bloggers who have linked-up as well.

I really and truly enjoy browsing through the other posts at these link-ups, clicking on them and taking the time to read each one. Then leaving a note to say hello.

But sadly, many times I’ve had to let the blog posts pile up in my ‘unread’ list for a couple of weeks (sometimes longer) before I find some time to indulge in a good long marathon blog reading session.

So after some thought, I finally decided that it was time that I took a break from these link-up parties for a while. Because it really doesn’t sit right with me to be linking up my blog posts, but not being able to read the other posts at these link-ups (at least not within a reasonable timeframe).

Once I manage to get a better footing on the various things I’m now juggling, I hope to be able to carve out more time indulge in my blog reads on a regular basis and jump back on board the link-up parties.

I will still continue to blog every week as usual. And I think I might still stick to Tuesday and Wednesdays as my regular days to post. So please feel free to continue to stop by.

And I definitely will still be reading your posts. If I’ve stopped by before and said hello a few times, chances are you are already a regular on my reading list. If I have not have left a comment, it’s probably because I’ve just read your post on my phone and was tearing my hair out trying to type on tiny fiddly keys on my device. But I would have bookmarked your post to type out a properly spelled and punctuated comment on my computer later.

So. Basically. I’ll still be here. Blogging as usual. I may seem a little quieter than usual. But I’m still reading. And following. And writing.

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Linking up to Essentially Jess for IBOT