friday 5: about my blogging

5 about blogging hosted by Jan

1. When did I start blogging? What/who prompted me? desert spirit's fire! was my first blog ever; it debuted Tuesday, 16 July 2002. After a long series of disappointments, etc., I'd started writing again a few years earlier. During summer 2000 I created and hosted an urban gathering place on the old msn groups; around the same time I started reading and writing some in the then current iteration of the United Church of Christ forums—for a while they became a daily obsession! In fact, some of this blog's early content is from book discussions and a few other conversations I participated in on ucc.org. In May 2002 I'd finished a year-long certificate in Community Economic Development at Big State U and needed to discern what was next. With blogging becoming the thing to do, why not a blog? It had to be theology! To figure out a title, I made and sorted through a long list of possibilities and finally decided on desert spirit's fire!; here are some reasons why. Later on I started 3 more theology blogs that currently aren't active. In addition, I have several other blogspots for several other topics, but they're mostly very incomplete archives because I try to keep my Facebook design page active instead.

PS preservation project is my urban blog; there had to be, has to be, one about cities!

2. How often do I post? How often do I visit blogging friends and/or other blogs? Including Friday 5 that I play most weeks, I've been writing about a half-dozen posts per month. I've reviewed books from authors and their publicists; I've written blogs / amazon reviews for some of my own faves. Most months I participate in synchroblog, plus blogging for environment-related annual events, including blog action day and world oceans day. I've become remiss about visiting other blogs, though I almost always visit and comment on all the other Friday 5 players.

3. Why do I keep on blogging? Most likely I'd have continued anyway, but because these days I'm not teaching or preaching, at least this blog gives me an excuse to think and write through a few ideas. Now that blogger keeps fairly accurate counts, I'm also heartened to be getting 100+ hits a day, but would love more comments (of course!).

4. What do I like to write about? I especially enjoy writing about environmental stewardship, nature and creation in general.

5. Have my blogging habits changed—or are they changing? A few years ago when I was teaching on a regular basis, I made sure to post the notes I created for class handouts either here or on city paradise / urban wilderness; since I haven't been teaching lately, that's not happening now. On some level I'd love to begin writing more intentionally about my own life, but I fear not getting readers (or comments), and I truly fear being dismissed and misunderstood, with possible comments offering glib suggestions and/or rationalizations.

Bonus: Recommend a blog.

It's not as active as it used to be, but I enjoy Wandering Spirits Kennels. I first met Tamara several Best Friends Animal Society forums ago (they've all migrated to Facebook) and, of course, we've reconnected on Facebook and I proudly wear a gorgeous necklace she created from her own beads that I bought in her Bi-Eyed Beading etsy shop.