Over the last two weeks, I have been greatly blessed with two things. First of all, I now have 104 (yes, you read right!!!: 104!!!) wonderful, lovely Followers. Can you believe it????
When I first started blogging, I wished for 50. Then when I got to 50, I aimed for 75. And to think that I now have 104??? A miracle. I am grateful beyond words.
Also, over the last two weeks, because I am reading more blogs, commenting on more blogs and have over 100 followers, I have been showered with more blogging awards. I mean showered.
Again, I am grateful beyond words.
Remember when I thought I could handle passing on the awards by chosing 5 bloggers from my blogroll and go alphabetically down my list as I get them?
These wonderful happenings have presented me with a dilemma. Because of getting so many awards I have run out of time to comment on them and accept them. I simply can't manage the time to name 5 (or more) bloggers to pass the awards to, to list the awards and who gave them to me, etc. etc. (I know, it sounds like an ungrateful teenager saying she doesn't have time to spend time with her parents because she is too busy playing with all of the toys THEY have given her!)
So, I am going to do something radical. I have been reading other bloggers, and I see that they have stopped doing the awards. I have decided to do the same.
I want to thank everyone and anyone who have taken their time to award me with a blogging award and tell you all (sincerely!) how much it means to me to get each and every one.
But from now on, I am going to stop blogging about awards or participating in them. Instead, I hope to concentrate on the blog posts themselves, instead.
I know this is breaking some ancient blogging protocol and that I am risking losing a lot of my readers. I pray this will not happen. You are like family to me, (each and every one of you that read me and whom I read!)
So, please, please don't hate me...but I am no longer going to post or forward any of the awards that I have been bestowed.
If I ever get another award (especially after this decision!), I most certainly will thank you by commenting directly on your posts, but I can no longer manage to post a separate post on my blog to thank you and I am no longer able to forward any awards to others.
I am going to take the list of awards I have already gotten off my blog to be fair to the others who I have not listed yet.
I love you all and I thank each and every one of you who mentions my blog on their blog and/or who have given me present or past blogging awards.
P.S.: I have posted another post today, so if you haven't read it yet, go to the post below this one.
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About Me
- The Retired One
- I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!
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21 comments:
I don't get so many (all at once) that it's impossible to post them, but I've gotten to the point where I don't give them to anyone anymore.
Hey Joan,
No one is gonna hate you!!!
I started following you 'cause you're dang funny, and it works, and you have a great blog that totally stands on its own, you take care of your commenters and leave fantastic comments as well, and people follow you because of that!!
Keep it real, keep it "you", and we'll all be here! :)
I did the same thing..I just would rather people leave a comment.. congrats on all your followers! :)
Now you have 105 Followers, as I just signed on.
I'll be back to keep an eye on you.
I don't do awards either.
So much to say, so little time. LOL
I hope you'll stop by and say "Hello" sometime.
http://lagirlsweetea.blogspot.com/
How can anyone hate you? You bring so many joy sharing your beautiful pictures and comments. There are only so much time one can spend on the computer, we all have our lives to live. Be proud of your awards and if this feels right for you then it is the right thing to do. You will not loose any of us who truly enjoy your talents. Thank you for saving that beautiful bird, now that is time well spent. Take care my friend/I care....Hugs, Bernie
You couldn't possibly offend anyone or upset anyone with this decision. It is totally understandable.
You are fortunate to have so many followers who aren't afraid to make their presence known. Mine are a shy group! I know I have them because I can log into my statcounter and see where they are coming from, etc and of course the statcounter on the blog shows me from day to to day how many people visit. I don't think my followers are necessarily bloggers....maybe they are cloggers!
Anyway, I digress...YOU deserve whatever awards you have gotten and any future awards you will receive!
JJ: It is good to know that others feel the same and have "survived" not participating in them by passing them on. I am always so flattered to get one, but it is very time consuming to pass them on.
Insanity Kim: Thanks so much. I am so relieved that you are not offended by my decision! You are one of my fav blogs, too. You know that, right?
Far Side: That is so good to hear!! Thank you for helping relieve my fears!
LaGirl: you MADE my day! I will certainly go to your blog and check it out!! Woo Hoo!!! Thank you so much for becoming my latest Follower!!
Bernie: You are such a sweetheart! Thank you so much. I am lucky to have you as a blogger friend!
Cathy: Thanks for your vote of confidence and your support. I wait to see your posts everyday and enjoy your stories and photos so much too!
It is interesting that a lot of readers don't publicly join on as Followers. Maybe they find it too time consuming too? It is really important to bloggers, though, to know someone is reading them regularly, so I always try to join on as a Follower to the blogs I like to read so they don't stop blogging!
HOW DARE YOU! Kidding! =) We all know you are awesome and a fantastic blogger! So do what ya want we'll still linger or at least I will!!!! Just don't leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm new to blogging (just since Feb.) and have only received one award...which by the way thrilled me beyond words...but it was so much work posting and forwarding to 10 more. Not that I didn't have at least 10 blogs worthy of awards. We understand and still love you!
joy c. at grannymountain
Those blog awards have good thoughts behind them but they are a lot of work! That's why I don't post them! I figure if I comment on someoneone's blog and/or become a follower - then they know I appreciate them and am a fan. Don't worry - you won't lose anybody. I suspect a lot of people feel the same way!
Brittany: Thanks so much. I have gotten support for my decision (whew!) so I feel much better now. I am not going anywhere, don't worry...I will keep blogging and reading yours too!
Joycee: You deserve a LOT more awards, and I bet they will be coming your way before you know it.
I would never have believed a year ago that I would have to ask to be forgiven for not posting awards because I was getting so many. I am so thankful people understand where I was coming from and not take it the wrong way.
I remember being so excited to get my first one, and now, like you, I just don't have time to acknowlege them. Heck I barely have time to blog at all!
Happy Monday!
Sharon
Congrats on all of your blogging followers! You have quite a fan base going on! I agree about the awards. I sure love that people have thought about me but I cannot keep up with them and pass them on. Good for you for making this decision. No harm done honey!
If anyone stopped following you or liking you for that reason, then they liked your for the wrong reasons!
I think as long as you acknowledge an award by saying thanks to the person, you are fine. It can be so cumbersome to think about "oh crap now I gotta think of 10 other people to give this to that haven't already gotten 900 things from me"...or whatever. lol
Now, run through the streets shouting "I'm free, I'm free" just like the actress Jean Arthur did when she was finally done with her studio movie contract back in the 40s. ;)
I don't take awards anymore either. Like you I had to quit because I could not keep up with them. I think all my readers stayed with me and now know not to send them to me. I would rather spend my time blogging than working on awards. Thankfully, most people understand this.
Shellmo: I think you are right..a lot of people are feeling the same way.
New England: I love your posts, they are more than enough for me, no need to post your awards, either!
DVM: I love going to your site every day, and I feel the same as you. No time to post the awards when you have other blogging to do. ha
Thanks for your support.
This Crazy: I do feel like shouting: "I'm free, I'm free!" ha. It was weighing down on me because I was getting them and did not have time to thank everyone for their wonderful compliment of an award. So an award actually backfired by becoming burdensome. I never would have believed this when I first started blogging.
Judy: It is SO good to know that others have stopped taking awards too for the same reason. It is so odd that something so wonderful can end up being difficult. ha You (and every one of my Followers) have my gratitude for understanding!
{{{{hugs to all of you!}}}}
You may have 106 since I don't show up on the right side. Congratulations. I want to work towards 100 someday.
Don't even worry about it for a single moment! It's the thought that counts and you deserve good thoughts! It isn't about following the rules. I don't really like the whole chain letter-ness of the award. Kinda ruins the feel of it to me. But thanks for posting this, its nice to see other peoples opinions and know I'm not the only one who wonders if its worth the trouble.
Thank you for the comments regarding the awards. I have felt so bad that I have not had the time to follow up on the ones you passed on - but working full time and also trying to get the house packed up and cleaned up, my time is pretty well spoken for. I took last week as a vaction week, and posted about that time and how it was used/misused, on my blog.
I'll be heading to MN in a few weeks, and I do not know if I will see Ron or not. I'll send you an e-mail soon about that.
So sorry that you were sick with pneumonia, poor baby. Glad that you are recovered. I personally think that pneumonia is scarier than the Swine Flu. And no, I am NOT trying to be funny.
I hereby award you the Non-Award Blog Award. Take a bow.
Grannyann: I don't know why you don't show up, because you ARE on my dashboard list as a favorite to read. Are you on blogspot? Maybe it only lists blogspots on the blog roll? I don't know how to add others there. Any ideas?
The blogroll on the right are the ones I read, but it is incomplete because there are other people (besides you) that don't show up. The Followers are listed at the top right of my blog and they had to specifically click on "follow this blog" to get listed.
Yeah: It is comforting to know you feel the same way.
Jessica: Thanks. I am hearing from lots of bloggers that they feel the blogging awards are cumbersome. Maybe we started a "movement" to slowing them down a bit. I think they are kind of nice, because it is great to hear others enjoy your writing/blog, but when short of time, they are burdensome.
Thanks I am feeling better, I took the last antibiotic pill today. I am glad, because they had some unpleasant side effects as well.
Fran: Funny lady!! Ok, I took a bow...which was a great deal easier than to list 7 other bloggers, etc. etc. etc. Back atcha!
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