I’m feeling really happy and giddy because today is my blog birthday! One year ago today I made the start I’d been thinking of and planning for a while and wrote my very first blog post. It was exciting and scary. I was scared of several things, the unknown and putting myself out there and not of the work but of the effect the work might have on the family.
As someone who has set up and run two businesses in the past I have no illusions about the level of work and time it takes to build and maintain something and and once I commit that’s it, I’m committed. There are no half measures.
So I had all these thoughts and more running around in my head. I knew I could do it but should I wait a bit longer, that sort of thing. I didn’t rush in but I decided not to wait. I took time to plan the whole look and feel of the blog I wanted. I read up on blogging, I wrote ten posts before I started; I tried to grasp the technical aspects. In other words I did my homework and decided to start in my birthday month of September. I thought as I was turning 39 it would be a cool project to have in the run up to 40 and wow was I right! Blogging this past year has been amazing and here are my reasons why.
Babies – Having babies addles your head. Well I can only speak for myself. I wanted something to take me out of that, something cerebral and intellectually stimulating.
A Challenge- Blogging is hard work and takes a lot of thought and time. It’s also very rewarding to have a challenge, to set goals for yourself and to watch it grow and meet new milestones.
New Friends – Making friends as an adult is hard but blogging is a brilliant way to find like minded people and I should know having made such great new friends this past year that without the blog I never would have known which is a terrible thought now. Finding people is hard at any time but finding people you really connect with can seem impossible right? Blogging cuts right through that.
A Record of a Life – It only occurred to me quite recently that the blog will be something for the children to look back on in the future and for me too, a lovely record of our lives.
Socrates said ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ and there is something to that. It’s been a revelation to have to think about, analyse and challenge my thoughts and feelings about what I put in writing in the blog.
Connectedness – I don’t get very personal but I am fully here, the same me as in real life. I’m pretty much an open book and glass half full kind of person and through that I think I’ve found a level of connectedness I didn’t imagine. In the words of F Scott Fitzgerald;
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
Not that the blog is literature but the principle is the same. You put something out there in writing from the heart and if you’re like me you try not to think that others will read it and you wonder if anyone who does will say ‘what is she on about?’ when in fact you find that lots of people do feel the same. It’s humbling, liberating, surprising and lovely.
New Skills - I have learned so much this past year, improved my photography skills and my computer skills but more importantly I’m a better writer than I was a year ago. Before the blog I hadn’t written creatively since my schooldays despite always wanting to. The blog gave me the push, the discipline. I have to post regularly, keep going and while it’s been good discipline I still decide how and when I do it so it’s freedom too.
As We Get Older Life Narrows – We listen to the same music, follow the same routine, move in an ever decreasing circle but because of the blog I’ve found myself more motivated to do new things and more opportunities have come/are coming my way. My brain and my life has expanded rather than narrowed.
Change - Before I started the blog I knew I wanted some things. I wanted to meet new and interesting people, to be challenged and inspired, to learn something new, to have an adventure, the opportunity to be creative. I also wanted to ‘get over’ some past traumas from a cancer scare and from having my children. I didn’t want my world to ‘narrow’ to be diminished by things that had happened to me but it’s hard. I chose the words ‘healing’ and ‘muchier’ (from Lewis Carroll ‘You used to be much muchier, you’ve lost your muchness’) as my focus for the year and I started a blog. This quote, from Socrates again and one of my favourites really sums up my feelings on the matter.
‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.’ Socrates
Blasting the Comfort Zone – In my opinion the only truly age defying thing is to blast the comfort zone, a seductive place of doom. Oh believe me I like my comforts as much as anyone and they do make me happy but not this kind of happy.
So yes the blog has impacted on family life but only in positive ways. Sure the house is messier, drives me crazy and people say ‘how do you find the time?’ which the answer to of course is when you really want to do something or feel a pull to do something you make the time. There are days when I’m not feeling it. I wonder how long I’ll keep it up and what I’m doing it for - I’ll have to read back on this list! So you see I really don’t know why I’m compelled to do this I just know the rewards have been great and I’m feeling much muchier.
Thank you guys for reading and for your comments and support this past year. A blog would be a lonely place without readers and without comments so I’d love if you’d use today to check in. Ah do. You could tell me how long you’ve been following, just say happy birthday dear blog or write me an essay, whatever you’re feeling.
I’m running a competition on facebook to celebrate so if you’re not already following the blog on facebook pop over there to follow and enter, though it’s only for readers in Ireland so apologies to everyone else : ( I will have to come up with a more international competition sometime in the future.
Today I’ll be celebrating by cleaning aforementioned messy house and walking two miles with the buggy in the rain to collect Saoirse from school. Later I’ll eat something lovely, one reader said recently ‘I can’t wait to see what you eat next’ and raise a toast to That Curious Love of Green. One birthday down and two (mine and Saoirses) to go on September 17th.
Have a great week out there : )
Well Happy Birthday to the blog
Thank you Margaret : )
Happy one year blog birthday Jane..congrats on a job well done….looking forward to the next year…
Thanks Suzie, me too! : )
happy birthday Jane to you and the blog!! I love reading your new posts everyday and admiring your beautiful home and wishin i could make all the yummy dishes you create!! Maybe the above blog could be my inspiration to start trying to just like you set yourself the challenge a year ago!! Continue blogging and.creating and quoting!! A fantastic blog Jane!! Love it!!! Chat you soon xxxx
You’ve really made my day for me Aishling, thank you : ) Anyone as creative as you who plays music so beautifully can learn to cook beautifully! It’s just another creative pursuit, only it’s one anyone can do, you just have to start! Start by googling easy versions of things you like to eat. If you follow what they say you can’t go wrong though you might be an experimenter like me, I put it down to the lack of a mathematical gene : ) You will be amazed how easy it is and then Donal can do the washing up : ) Feel free to ask me any questions any time too, mid-emergency or whenever and thanks again for saying such amazing things about the blog. I appreciate it so much I can’t tell you
Happy Birthday Jane,
I can’t believe you’re only at this a year! Your blog is fantastic and always has something new and fresh to offer. I found the blog through a post on Facebook you had done for the Because I’m a girl campaign. I started following your blog from there and the rest as they say is history.
Enjoy your morning and Happy Blogging Birthday!
Karen x
Wow that is high praise indeed Karen, I’ll be walking on cloud nine all day. Thank you, means a lot : )
Happy Birthday to my favourite Blog. In my head this is very appropriate since it’s Labor Day here and your Blog is obviously a “Labor of Love”. Cheers!
Or necessity! Thank you Mary and happy Labour day : )
Happy 1st Birthday to my favourite Blog!
And Happy, Happy Birthday to Jane, whose hard work & dedication has made this Blog the delight it is, both to the eye, the heart and the stomach!
I love to think of it as a safe, cocooning nook of loveliness in the world wide web!
Here’s to another year of “That Curious Love of Green”!
Hurrah : ) Thank you Kerry : ) What lovely things to say and for me to hear! Thank you for all your support through the year. Only for the blog we would never have met either, imagine! Thank goodness we did : )
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary/birthday. you are an aspiration and if I was organised I would love to also have a blog as I got lots of photographic material and interest in stuff that the folk I meet in my day to day life are just not interested in or are too busy to get involved. I love reading your quotes and you are so well read and obviously juggle lots of balls. well done and have a wonderful 40th. When does life begin ? x
Go for it Melam! Make sure to let me know so I can be your first follower : ) Thank you so much for your great comments/support throughout the year. You always say just the right thing to give me a boost at the right time so thank you. I do feel life begins again at least at 40 : )
Congratulations… I continue to enjoy your blog more and more with every post
looking forward to MANY more years of Lovely Jane!!!
Thank you Emily, this time a year ago we had yet to meet!
happy birthday the curious love of green it a great blog and from one that is not a great writer of the English language i just love to read someone that is and you and my good friend Catherine Ecker stand out as two people I love to read as your choice of words is so simple but so descriptive. by the way you share your real birthday with my lovely daughter Doireann so happy birthday to all the lovely ladies
Ah well happy birthday Doireann it’s a lovely birthday to have and thanks for your kind words Janette, it’s lovely to hear. Does Catherine have a blog? I hope I haven’t missed that!
Happy blog birthday - I had no idea that your blog was so young!
Thank you very much : )
I am so very proud to know you Jane. To have been watching you bloom here. And it’s a bouquet to behold. Your quippy modest gorgeous determined self is an inspiration to all of us 40 something Virgo bloggers.
Love Always,
Shalagh
Thanks Shalagh, you always have a way with words! Thank you for your support all year : )
I am shocked that your blog is only a year old. I am going to have to go and read your very first post now! You have packed so much into a year and your posts are always so fresh and interesting you’d think you were an old hand. If I saw the picture at the start of this post anywhere it would have made me think of you, how absolutely perfect. Happy birthday That Curious Love Of Green!
Wow Joanna, thank you and what a lovely thought that the photo would make you think of me anyway! That is really sweet : )
Happy Birthday to you and your fabulous blog. The blog has been a big part of my life too, since it was born shortly after my precious little twins! I will always have the association of the two, as I used to take a break from the mayhem here and immerse myself in the recipes and your family life, which seemed a lot calmer than mine at the time!!
Keep up the blog. Here’s one happy customer!!
Edel, I sometimes have to immerse myself in it for the same reason : ) Thank you for your support and your lovely thoughts : )
Congrats, really inspiring blog!
Thank you Emir : )