This weekend we take time to remember the brave men and women, both past and present, who served our country. Thank you.
How do you plan to spend Memorial Day weekend; do you have any rituals?
We started off our weekend delivering flowers to (4) different cemeteries in the area. My parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles are at one cemetery buried in a large family plot, while both of my brothers are buried in (2) different cemeteries in the area. My husband also had a friend who passed away last year so we also brought flowers to his grave at a 4th cemetery.
Monday my son is having a cookout and our whole family will be together so I'm looking forward to that as well.
As many of my remaining, loyal readers have witnessed, after nearly (10) years of blogging (mid June-2008) my posts have decreased dramatically as have my comments on your blogs (and for this I am sorry). Life, grandchildren and priorities in general are the reasons for the most part. I still love books, reading and learning what others think about the books they've read but, posting and commenting sometimes feel like a job for which I'm not getting paid and as a result now take a lower priority. LOL
I was shocked when I went through the list of blogs that I've followed and read over the years, amazed to find that over 150 of the blogs I had read at one time or another are now defunct or haven't posted in several years. Is this a new trend, the loss of book bloggers everywhere? Have you noticed this as well?
Today I deleted all of the defunct blogs from my blog roll and posted links on my sidebar to the blogs I seem to read on a regular basis. PLEASE let me know if I missed a link to your blog or deleted you, my regular commenters, in error -- I'll want to amend that.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Enjoy Your Weekend!
Happy Memorial Day! We don't have any relatives buried nearby, so we won't be going to any cemeteries, but we will have a BBQ/swim party in our backyard on Monday.
ReplyDeleteI have been blogging about books since 2016 and I've definitely seen A LOT of book blogs fall by the wayside over the years. Most book bloggers cite the same reasons as you did—too busy, other priorities, waning interest, blogging feeling like a chore, etc. Blogging isn't the trend it used to be, but I still enjoy doing it so I'm planning to keep chugging along. When it stops being fun, I'll hang up my hat. I hope other book bloggers will hang in there as I love reading book blogs. I might be a dying breed, though ...
Susan, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and, I hope you have a great weekend as well.
DeleteBlogging is hard work and it's even harder when you have to read a book first so I think book blogs come and go fairly often. I imagine there are a lot of new ones out there but I don't have the energy to search for them.
ReplyDeleteI'll be working all weekend.
Kathy, I agree with you totally regarding your blogging comments. I'm hoping you get some fun time over the weekend as well despite working.
DeleteHappy Memorial Day! I do think there's a lot of turnover in book bloggers- a lot of my favorites have gone by the wayside too. Thank goodness there are so many of us that I've found new favorites, but I've definitely noticed it too...
ReplyDeleteGreg, thanks so much for commenting as your blog is one I enjoy reading and it was missing from this list - now added -- have a great weekend.
DeleteThanks for sharing your Memorial Day plans with us, Diane! Hope you have a great time with your family. My husband plays in a golf tournament every Memorial Day and I'm so happy to say that he is well and playing this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAs to book blogs, well, I'm one that has come and gone more than once, but I think I'm back to stay. I have finally found a good rhythm for me and I think many of us have had to learn that we can tweak things to suit us, while still having a good time. For example, I'll be taking more than one break this summer for extra reading time or while we are busy with other things or gone. And, yes, I've noticed several that are no longer around. Also, notice those who only post now and then, but I'm all for that. As I said, each of us have to decide how it works for us. I think many have switched to only Goodreads or Twitter or whatever. I have found that I don't do best with lots of social media, so I only do my blog and read quite a few others. Always happy to hear when you feel like sharing. :-)
Kay, I'm not one for much social media involvement. I do try and keep my Goodreads up to date though. We've been bloggers for a long time now and I do enjoy reading your posts even though I don't comment often enough.
DeleteLots of our blogger pals are gone too but we just had one that stopped five years ago come back. Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian - you know I love your blog and Caren's too - love those cat and dog posts. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
DeleteI honestly hadn't paid any attention to a decrease in bloggers. For myself, my business has gotten so busy that I've been posting a blog every 2-4 weeks! I'm still reading the same amount. But I can't get to the computer for reviews and such. I'm glad that your decrease in blogging is only because you have a different set of priorities. Better that than something un-organic.
ReplyDeleteWe do what we can as we shouldn't feel pressured by a hobby after all. Thanks for sharing and commenting.
DeleteI wrote about this on my blog a while back. I think social media has something to do with the decrease in blogging. Writing a blog entry takes time and thought, and commenting does also. You can't just click a 'like' button or throw out an emoji. I fear people are getting addicted to this fast communication. I am one of those occasional bloggers at this point, but I think that when the little ones begin school full-time I will read and write more often. There are blogs I miss a lot. But there are still plenty on my sidebar list to choose from. These days I don't get to read all the ones I want to but I do my best. I'm so delighted that I still have people stopping by when I write only a few times a month. A deep topic that I'd like to see explored.
ReplyDeleteNan, we go back a long way and love that in addition to books, we have grandkids similar ages. We do want feels right. I'm not a huge social media far and most of the friends I have there are family. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
DeleteI always enjoy your blogs when you post but I am bad about lurking. I don't have any big plans for this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAs for book blogs disappearing I think it is some blogger across the different genres I have noticed it in health and fitness blogs and knitting blogs too. Blogs seem to come and go. I didn't see Modern Mrs. Darcy or Novel visits on your blog roll those are two active very good book blogs I read. Thank you for all your work you do on your blog.
Susan, I'm not familiar with the 2 blogs you mentioned, I'll check them out when I have a minute. Thank you
DeleteSounds like you have lovely weekend plans! I was going through the list of blogs I follow on Bloglovin and was surprised to see how many have stopped. Some actively quit and others seemed to kind of drift away. It does take so much time so it's not surprising. I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteI agree Katherine. Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
DeleteI am glad you got to deliver flowers, theres just not enough of that anymore, I am sad to say. I know what you mean about bloggers, and there are those that visit and comment but they aren't actually reading the whole post, which I think is not fair. I put alot of time into what I am posting, have the courtesy of reading the whole post if you are going to comment. I have seen alot of blogs come and go. I hope blogging doesn't become defunct as well.
ReplyDeleteJoann, thanks for sharing your thoughts one blogs and bloggers. It is a time consuming -- dare I say -- hobby.
DeleteAs you know my blogs aren't dedicated book blogs but you know I USED to (the operative word being "used" to) do TONS of book reviews on both blogs. Now, I have practically phased them off. I do them every now and then, why? Because they aren't worth the enormous time suck that they are. My readers aren't that interested anymore.......you KNOW the enormous amount of time it takes to read and review a book and there is virtually zero return for me.......I am tired of losing my weekends to them. Wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Day! xxoxo
ReplyDeleteCaren, I hear you! I enjoy reading you animal related posts as well as Brian's Blog. Animal lovers can't get enough of the cuteness. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. (Added you on the sidebar).
DeleteI think its not unusual for book bloggers to exit after a year or two. It's a lot of work to keep up some consistency. I couldn't have done it when I was raising my family. Now it's a hobby that I truly enjoy - so I keep on blogging. There are certain blogs that I miss but I get that the blogger had to stop.
ReplyDeleteWe're celebrating one of our granddaughters' 2nd birthday tomorrow at a family barbecue. Really looking forward to going to someone else's house on a holiday, lol. Have a nice weekend, Diane. It's so nice that you take flowers to the cemeteries.
Mary, yes, I couldn't imagine working, raising a family and blogging as well = too much pressure. I laughed when I read "looking forward to going to someone else house on a holiday" - me too, I still host all the major holidays sadly LOL enjoy the special birthday.
DeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering about blogging this morning as I sat down to write a couple of reviews. Sometimes I think it would be easier to read and move on to the next book instead of having to gather my thoughts and find the good in what I have read instead of questioning what an author was thinking. Are my interest the same as others or am I just being selfish and wanting a place to list what I have read in hopes that someone would be interested.
The question of “why do I blog”, is becoming harder and harder to answer.
As you said, blogging is work and with a regular 9 – 5 other things are more enticing and when, a year ago, I decided that people and places were more important than books, I noticed that my reading time and desire to tell others took a drastic nosedive.
Nancy
Booksn’whatnot
Nancy, my old "book group" friend, I am so happy that you commented and shared your thoughts on books and blogging. Your thoughts on blogging are very close to mine. I am selfish in that I enjoy having a place to list what I've read every year since 2008, but, I am not thrilled when I feel like I should review all that I've read LOL (Added you into my sidebar) Enjoy the rest of the weekend .
DeleteI'm still around and still reading, but I find I have less time now for writing than I used to when I was working full time. I'm not reviewing everything I read but I am keeping up with adding them to Goodreads and making few comments. Without reviews I sometimes forget why I liked or didn't like a book! I'm not sure what that says about me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've taken on a few volunteer jobs, which are requiring more of my time than I had planned on. But, I've committed to being on the board of directors for a rescue group so I will stick that out for my term.
I've also noticed that more than a few blogs I used to visit regularly are no longer posting. When I was at BEA two years ago, I met a lot of new bloggers, but due to lack of time, I didn't follow up with most of them.
Leslie, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has less blogging time since retiring. I suspect it's that our priorities have changed. Thanks for commenting...updating my sidebar.
DeleteIn the nearly nine years I have been blogging, I have also seen a lot of blogs come and go. I also don’t comment or visit other blogs as I once did. In part I am more involved with authors now and in part just lazy. In the last few year, a number of active bookish forums have started on Facebook and I interact with members there. I still love being a book blogger and the international book blog community.
ReplyDeleteMel, thanks so much for sharing your blogging thoughts. I think it's nice that that us long time bloggers can still find time for an occasional post LOL
DeleteSo much has changed in 10 years... my anniversary is coming up soon, too. Life evolves and priorities are different now, but I still love reading and keeping up with my blogging friends even if I don't have quite as much time for writing and commenting. Happy Memorial Day, Diane.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, you hit the nail on the head. I think us long time bloggers understand where others in the blogging world are coming from and, we just appreciate that occasional life, books update.
DeleteI was just thinking about some of my favorite bloggers who have disappeared in recent years. I enjoyed their thought-provoking posts, as well as their family photos and recipes, but I do understand the desire to step away and spend more time living life. My blog has come and gone over the years, but I've found my groove and now look at it mainly as an online journal for my reading and travels. I love getting comments and having a conversation with those who stop by, but I know it's difficult to visit everyone you follow. I'm not on Twitter, but I have a feeling that's where a lot of the conversations between bloggers have gone to. I'm glad you're still here, Diane!
ReplyDeleteAs far as Memorial Day, we're going to relax and enjoy a beautiful day on the coast as we remember our sweet daughter who has been gone for 13 years today.
Les, I've always enjoyed the family photos and recipes of fave bloggers as well. I'm just grateful you and other fave blogs still post occasionally. I hope you know I read your posts on a pretty regular basis but rarely comment sadly :(
DeleteNo need to feel obligated to comment. I do the same on many of the blogs I follow. There's only so much time in a day!
DeleteThat's wonderful that you take time to go to the cemeteries and take some flowers to those loved ones. We took a little road trip and enjoyed one of our nearby state parks. And, oh yes, so much has changed in blogland hasn't it? Right now I have a bit more time to blog while I'm on the job search but I've certainly gone through periods where blogging felt more like a chore. Anyway hope you have a wonderful time with your family today!
ReplyDeleteIliana, sounds like you had a nice weekend. Thanks for sharing your blogging thoughts. Also, hope you find the perfect job for you.
DeleteVery nice Memorial Day post, Diane. I hope you've had a good day of remembrance, and that you enjoy your get together with family.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your upcoming blogiversary! I've just hit a milestone--10 years of book blogging this month--though I don't post as much as I used to, due to time constraints.
Have a great week ahead, Diane!
Susan, it seems as if there are a lot of us bloggers who started in 2008. It is understandable that priorities change. I am still happy when you and my other fave blogs occasionally post.
DeleteI just passed the 10 year mark on my blog--May 27--and I definitely have gone through phases when I was more active on it. For me, it's always been entirely on my own terms--writing my thoughts down about books helps crystallize my thinking. I sometimes feel the pressure to post, and totally understand when people want to bail and move on. I love reading other people's blogs because I have uncovered so many outstanding books and authors that I would never have considered reading. Good luck with life, grandkids, etc. Happy summer!
ReplyDeleteJane, it seems as if there are a lot of us bloggers who started in 2008. I still love reading your blog and to see what you and other book lovers are reading.
DeleteOur Memorial Day was good. We spent it in Santa Barbara. It felt weird to not grill something but on the way back we stopped at a farm stand and picked up fresh veggies and I grilled them and served them with cornbread. Simple and good. With all my health stuff I am focusing more on health so this was perfect.
ReplyDeleteI didn't do any reading because my book club book fell off my Kindle! I added it back today but could not turn Wi-Fi on or risk losing others so I had to wait until today to fix it.
Blogging. A handful of tried and true have remained but so many have ditched their blogs. Some have remained present on social media so I still connect with them that way. In some cases I connect with them more this way then before. But others have just disappeared.
Sounds like you had a nice weekend Ti. I always loved a 3-day weekend when I was working.
DeleteIt is amazing how many blogs go by the wayside and I get that; you're right that it sometimes feels like a job and when it does we should step back, take a break if we need to. We are not beholden to anyone! I spent Memorial Day flying home from the UK so didn't do any activities that were related to the holiday.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a nice time in the UK Helen and that you are looking forward to a summer without work :)
DeleteYou make good points Diane about blogging. I think people should just fit in blogging on their own terms, not to feel pressured but just to do it when one's up for it. I still enjoy it but it doesn't have to be all the time ... it varies how often for sure. Sounds like you had a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteYes, it seems to be the consensus that we should blog according to our own terms and not against any set schedule.
DeleteMy blog will soon be 13 years old. Sometimes I do get weary of keeping it up. Just think, I say to myself, I could read more if I didn't have to write up each book and post it to the blog. But for those of us who can keep it up, at whatever intensity works for us, I find it a valuable service, a delight, and a celebration of reading books, both making my own posts and reading others. Thank you for keeping me on your blog roll, for commenting on my blog when you are moved to do so, and for keeping yours going at whatever rate you can.
ReplyDeleteJudy, I really appreciate your sweet comments and wow 13 years is certainly a feat. I do love tracking what I've read, but reviewing -- not so much.
DeleteI just read some good words about keeping one's blog going. Thought you'd like to read it. All the way at the end of the post. http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-reading-life-review-may-2018_1.html
ReplyDelete