Rumination
1. To turn a matter over and over in the mind.
2. To chew cud.
How in the devil's name is this word and it's meaning associated with a photo of pretty pink slippers you ask?
My gorgeous new slippers are the perfect foot attire when sitting in my rocking chair to Ruminate. Mr red roses informs me I ruminate a lot. Maybe chewing some cud might be beneficial although I'll keep that up my sleeve for desperate times.
For several weeks (probably more) I have toyed with the direction of this blog and how I need to proceed. Often I have wavered with throwing in the towel like all bloggers who are finding their own unique path and not because I run dry of ideas but dithering over HOW often do I want/need to post. The direction I'm journeying along has become apparent to me and herein lies a dilemma. My creative side is nudging me to be more prolific with posting with emphasis on a photo to convey my thoughts because I'm no wordsmith. Sure I can string a sentence together but if I'm honest I find composing time consuming and laborious and I truly admire bloggers who write so eloquently (and probably don't do a gazillion drafts with endless checks in the process).
Changing to a different format like Tumblr was considered but my kids and a couple of wise fellow blog friends advised I can still mould my blogger blog into what I desire and I ran the risk of losing my connection with my blog readers which didn't appeal.
A part of my blog journey has been to answer all comments because I appreciate and value the effort my readers take to do this. There are literally thousands of blogs circulating so to capture the dear folk who stop by RRC astounds me. The rapport I've built up with many of you since commencing the blog last August has brought me untold joy and I certainly don't wish to lose this camaraderie.
I guess what I'm trying to say is if I step up my input into this blog I may not have time to answer comments as frequently, sometimes not at all? Also I want/need to find time to follow and comment on my favourite blogs which is important to moi. Truly there just isn't enough hours in a day and I suppose we each need to discover what works best for ourselves.
Even as I waffle here about this issue I'm feeling overly dramatic but I would be sad if any reader felt I had lost interest in what they had to say. Far from it, I read every comment twice before publishing and again after publishing. Your words make my day!
Finding the quirky angle or beauty in a photograph brings me a silly amount of joy and I'm revelling in this. Who knew!
The Instagram app on my iPhone has become addictive due to the fact it is quick, easy, followers can easily leave a comment or push the Like button. Instant gratification which has lead me to question the merits of blogging for me personally. So much so I find I'm taking photos that could be displayed to perhaps better effect on this blog. I'm no photographer as such..heck my hand-me-down SLR is still on auto, I don't use any whizz bang features or tricks and I still haven't learnt how to crop. *Note to self...Read the Manual Annie.
Finding something to snap helps me focus on the beauty in my life and surroundings plus it's also a great stress reliever and stress is front and centre in my life at the moment. My husbands workplace is going through very turbulent times and I have a health condition I need to get my head around.
I do feel like I'm waffling now so I hope you get what I'm saying. Basically I'm going to attempt to bombard you with more frequent succinct posts which hopefully are entertaining.
Well that's the plan! I live in hope.
Now if all this talk of Instagram wets your appetite please don't ask me how to set it up to link to your blog from your smart phone because I took the lazy easy option and asked my incredibly smart son to install it! However you can visit here where Beth has written a post on how to set up the gadget-thingamy-whatsit.
For those not familiar with the workings of my Instagram sidebar just place the cursor over a photo and a brief description appears then click on the picture for an enlarged vision. Each day I usually place a couple of pictures of whatever takes my fancy.
Fun fun fun!
Righto then I'm off to boil the jug for a cuppa and contemplate reorganising my wardrobe. A far bit of cajoling is happening to get my daughter on board to do the deed for me!
Take care one and all...
Annie xx
Righto then I'm off to boil the jug for a cuppa and contemplate reorganising my wardrobe. A far bit of cajoling is happening to get my daughter on board to do the deed for me!
Take care one and all...
Annie xx
Dear Annie, we love your blog whenever it appears - more is good, rare builds up the anticipation - win win! You express yourself beautifully, and the photos are always lovely. I thought they were pink baby booties for a minute, and that something Very Interesting Indeed was happening, lol. I so love pale pink, wish they were mine. And I can't crop photos either. I blame being of Mature Age. xxx
ReplyDeleteOh gracious you've made me laugh Patricia about my slippers looking like booties! This never occurred to me. Hotfoot it to Sussans for a pair. Comfy as.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, they do look like booties! Oh the dilemma of being a blogger! All I can say is just do what makes you happy and easy in your mind, if one week you want to write away do that and if another week photos and just a few words do that. Don't worry about perfect photos, it does not matter as long as we see! I'm getting to be a bit of a nerd with photography but feel like a complete novice when I see some of the outstanding photos that some bloggers publish so I've decided it does not matter as long as the photo looks ok it does not have to be perfect! I know one blogger who has around 700 followers and in the end decided to do a general thank you to all who comment on the next post which seems to work for her. It's a personal thing though and at this stage I try and reply (unless it's a no-reply address) to each and everyone and also thank people in the reply section under the comments but I'm not really sure if many go back to see if there's a reply in that bit. Ok, perhaps I'm waffling now! As I said do whatever makes you easy. X
ReplyDeleteYour comment is so beautifully put Suzy, thank you. I wonder too if everyone pays a return visit. I view blogging as an apprenticeship of sorts and reckon a year tapping on the keyboard at least is good training but some would beg to differ.
ReplyDeleteOh Annie! You precious soul. Most bloggers wouldn't give two hoots about what their readers thought. You do what feels right for you. That's something I've learnt in my nearly 2 years of blogging. It's your space, your rules. Do what you wish! J x
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane, you're a sweetie through and through. In the end we must be happy with our own journey.
DeleteIt's good to ruminate.. and ruminate out loud. It helps you find your feet, find your blog voice and it means you are settling into this precious space of yours. I am just grateful that you are here... bloggin'! I love your words.. and I think you have the balance just right wrt words/pictures. It's funny, when I started blogging 4 years ago, no-one returned comments to readers in their own comments section. It wasn't the done thing as it assumed that everyone had the time to come back to check to see if you replied and it falsified your stats. Now it's the done thing. I I'd prefer visiting that person's blog in my travels to comment and show my appreciation that they have come over to comment on mine. A-M xx
ReplyDeleteOnce again thanks A-Me for your words of wisdom. I'd say you have perfectly summed up the confusion I've felt concerning the most effective method of replying. More and more I'm thinking we all need to keep things simple or as bloggers we'll all burn out!
DeleteI have been pondering this reply thing for ages, ever since blogger introduced it under comments and i have been thinking of writing a post about it. (warning, this could be a lengthy comment on yours instead!) The way I tend to go is if it's a new person that leaves me a comment then I will reply via email. However not many commenters have linked up their email address and it just shows as no-reply. Then If they have one I 'll go and find their blog and comment there. Last resort I'll use the reply under the comment. I'm just not sure how many people will return to a previous post? Funnily enough, I do re-read your comments and replies as I know that's how you work and I always come over to see new posts anyway : )
ReplyDeleteNow....back to your blog. I feel that it takes time to be comfortable with what works. I really enjoy the randomness of some blogs and the absolute consistency of others so there's no formula. Posting about things that sit right with you will mean that those that read and comment are your kind of people so don't change.
Finally, before I completely take over your blog, thank you for the link in your post. I actually got the idea of putting the intsagram feed on my blog from seeing it on yours!
Have a lovely weekend
x
Great comment Beth and thank you, everyone has given me food for thought.
DeleteI also wondered about this new reply inclusion and felt that maybe bloggers feel compelled to utilize it? Yes please do a post on this Beth and I shall link to it. As I mentioned above to A-M as bloggers we need to be careful of burnout and trying to 'do it all'.
Annie, I completely understand what you're saying. It's finding the right balance which works for you. My blog writing is sporadic, as is my blog reading. I take the view that blogging is fun and to not make it a chore. And I'll be along for the ride as your blog evolves...xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much brismod, these are wise words indeed which I take on board.
DeleteSo glad you are along for the ride with your delicious sense of humour!
Hi Annie, I so totally understand where you are coming from. And the ruminating? Well, I've only just started this blog and I'm already doing that too! I think your blog is great and interesting to read. I'll be checking to see what you're saying every day ! Mx ps: love those slippers. I think I might go and look for those even though I already have 2 pairs of new slippers! (the indulgence!) can u tell me where you found those? I'll look for them down here in non-sunny freezing Melbourne! (I'm really homesick for Brisbane at the moment!)
ReplyDeleteThank you M for liking my humble blog..so appreciated! Ruminating can be useful but annoying all at once.
ReplyDeleteSlippers are from Sussan.