One of our good bloggy friends, Desiree, over at Driftwood Ramblings, has decided to take a well earned break from blogging at the moment, and I know that we all miss her. She provided wonderful photos of her own garden, stunning gardens that she had visited, not to mention all her wonderful doggies! I certainly miss seeing her comments around in blogland, but I know that she will return when she's ready.
Meanwhile, I just wanted to wish her a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! Desiree, I hope that you will manage to have a lovely, relaxing day and that you will be spoilt rotten on your special day.
I tried to give this particular birthday cake a garden theme, as I thought it was appropriate for someone who loves her garden so much. I'm sure Desiree won't mind if we all have a slice as well, because I know what a generous hearted lady she is.
Another good bloggy friend, Jenny, over at Knees and Paws, has also announced that she will be giving up blogging for a while, to concentrate home-schooling her son, Elliot. I'm sure we all wish her luck and send our love to her whilst she concentrates on this very important task.
All of us who blog know just how much of our time that it takes up. Sometimes I feel things slipping away from me a little bit, as I am so anxious to keep up with everyone and always try to leave comments. I am retired, but I don't know how others manage to keep up with it all when they go out to work, lots of them full time. Certainly, there is no way that I could have spent so much time on my blog when the children were growing up.
Blogging is enjoyable, and we have all met so many truly lovely people from all parts of the world, but it shouldn't make us feel stressed out or worried about keeping up with everything. Perhaps having a little break from time to time is something that we could all think about. I think we know each other well enough by now to know that we will all still be around when we return.
I don't know if any of you have any thoughts on this. Meanwhile, I will go and search out some more photos for Sunday's post! Hugs to you all.
24 comments:
Hallo, dear Thisisme, and happy birthday, dear Desiree! That cake is extraordinary! I didn't know that today is Desiree's birthday. I hope she reads your blog today and realizes what a dear friend she has in you and how many people she has touched around the world. Desiree and Jenny are two of the most intelligent, articulate and caring people I have ever known. The blogging community needs more like them, indeed the world needs more like them; but their families also need them. Blogging is fun and leads to great friendships but it can turn into a full time job that takes over your life and causes you to neglect family members. The time is fast approaching when I will need to break away for awhile to clear my head and experience life as it used to be in 2008 before my blogging journey began. I miss Desiree and I will surely miss Jenny. Both are outstanding citizens of the world as are you, dear Thisisme!
Happy birthday to Desiree! The cake is wonderful- and quite low cal, too.
I am so proud of Jenny for doing what is right for her son.
I find myself waking up earlier and earlier to take care of my blogging. It certainly is a conundrum. I am going to be cutting back on my posts.
Have a wonderful day in beautiful England, my friend!
Dear Diane,
Thank you for mentioning me today and for writing about this dilemma that we all share. I also miss Desiree, and wish her a very happy birthday!
I know we will be in touch through email and also facebook, so it's not goodbye, just "see you soon!"
xo
Jenny
Blogging can be as exhausting as it is rewarding and fun. We all need a break now and then. You are a thoughtful friend.
Happy Birthday to these bloggers and hope your friend enjoys her break
Happy Birthday Desiree, I will miss her!
You outdid yourself on that cake my friend. :) Hope Desiree has a nice birthday.
I try to blog when the kids are at school or late at night. It helps that I suffer from insomnia, heehee, but I couldn't have blogged when they were all little. I can't imagine trying to string together a post with five of the little heathens running in/out/all about. :)
And you know me - I take my breaks when I am forced to - i.e. I end in the hospital. Enough of a break for me.
A lot of bloggers, like you, have more extensive blogrolls and I can imagine the time it gets to visiting everyone [think if you made phonecalls or visited, in person, that many people a day. Makes me weary. I cut back "blog hopping" [finding new blogs through old ones] because it just became too much. I am happier, myself, with what I have and who I know.
Hope you have a wonderful day my friend - I can't believe I am actually commenting at a "normal" hour [8am here/2 pm there] HEY! We're both awake at the same time ;D
Also I hope all went well on Monday. Please let me/us know. Hugs sweetie.
That was a beautiful cake. Happy Birthday Desiree !!! I hope you have a great one. I hate when people stop their blogs or drop you sort of speak - because you do get close. But why stop instead of taking a week here and there. Love, sandie
Balance is so difficult. If I worked outside the home I fail to see how I could blog. I know for some with small kiddos it is a relaxing technique. I blog nearly every day and now that I am in full garden mode it is getting harder to do. Happy Birthday to Desiree.
My thought is... We all need to listen to our selves. And heed that *little voice,* which tells us; "Blogging is becoming stressful."
That's the time to take a bit of a blogging holiday. In whatever way, it suits each of us. And for as long, as it feels right to us.
Listen to ourselves! That's my constant motto, for everything. I don't think anyone knows us better, than we know ourselves.
:-)
"If we had no faults of our own, we would not take so much pleasure in noticing those of others."
~Francois de la Rochefoucauld
And having answered your question, and said my piece... I now want to request something of you. :-)
My request? Please do not send me an email reply to my comment(s). Please, please, please do not.
All I love, is for other bloggers to visit my blog and leave a comment on it, now and then. That is all, all, all. Honest.
Please... Pretty please... Pretty please with sugar on it... :-))))
"If we had no faults of our own, we would not take so much pleasure in noticing those of others."
~Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Happy Birthday to Desiree! The cake is cute and yes, I'll be having a slice, thank you.
Blogging can be so time-consuming - both writing and reading. But I love it. I prefer reading people's everyday lives to reading a book, so that's how I justify it. I've met so many nice people! But now and then - we all need a break....
Happy Birthday to Desiree! The cake is cute and yes, I'll be having a slice, thank you.
Blogging can be so time-consuming - both writing and reading. But I love it. I prefer reading people's everyday lives to reading a book, so that's how I justify it. I've met so many nice people! But now and then - we all need a break....
Hi Diane! Most of us can relate to the timely topic of your blog post, thank you for writing it. I know I have been out of control reading blogs and comments. Blogging and other social media can truly become addictions. An addiction doesn't have to be a mind-altering drug. Important areas of my life have been neglected as a result.
Blogging should not be stressful. Pressure would have to be felt when one feels it is expected of them to comment on some of the daily blog posters. I never got to the point of "email alerts" for comments but this would have to have a negative impact on a marriage and family life.
"Auntie" aboves mentions heeding our "little voice" regarding blogging. Actually the "little" voice is not small at all, it's quite loud and vocal ... it's also called a conscience.
Happy Birthday DEAR DESIREE & THIS IS ME & thank you for posting this. I totally understand the need to put blogging on the shelf for a while, as I'm down to one piddly post per month myself. Perhaps when I return from Spain next month I'll be inspired ... miss all you fine bloggy friends the most. THAT was the unexpected joy of blogging, the community. Hugs to ALL of you & blog on, ladies!
I for one my sweet friend have had many happy times enjoying the awesome scenery of South Africa and it was through the eyes of Desiree and Linda that I grew to love South Africa like I never thought I would.
Both of them are missed so very much at this time and I also want to wish Desiree a very Happy Birthday.
Beautiful cake and how fitting its theme!
Happy birthday to your dear friend, Desiree.
I understand Desiree and Jenny's need to pull back from blogging. Since January I find my life has been turned upside down with my blogging duties as co-host of the upcoming A-Z Challenge.
I know I will be doing the same come May!!! And then, I will also be making a concerted effort to pick two days for blogging and try to stick with those. Otherwise, it's so true, life just slips by while we have our heads buried in our cyber worlds.
Great post!
Jenny @ Pearson Report
Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Happy Birthday to Desiree - beautiful cake Diane.
I feel that I am always late in catching up with everybody, but the truth is that once my normal work day is finished, it's quite relaxing to sit down and catching up on blogs. Even though I am fairly new to blogging. I have met such wonderful friends through blogging and enjoy staying in touch. We all need a break every now and then.
I think Jenny is doing a great thing for Elliot.
Have a lovely evening my friend!
Hugs x
Dearest Diane,
Oh, my belated Happy Birthday to Desiree as well♪♪♪ You always are thoughtfull to your friends♡♡♡
I think I can understand how bloggie friends find hard to manage time here and personal life. For me as a Japanese, it takes long time to read friends posts and write comments. So, I regrettably excuse the reply for my comments.
PS> Thank you very much for the sweet comment for me. I AM tackling with it, haha. And SO sorry abou face-book. I will think about it later after I solve my main trouble.
Love you always, xoxo Miyako*
Hello!!
A very very very Happy Birthday to Des!! :) :) :) (Even if I am a tiny bit late.. :| )
I guess it's been almost a year since I first happened across Driftwood Ramblings. And it's been one of the most awesome, absolutely amazing discoveries in the blogiverse. The pictures she posts are unbelievably beautiful, and everyone knows she's one of the best commentors in the Blogiverse. I thought I was the only one, but I guess just about everyone misses her..
As for breaks, I completely understand the need for them. A year ago I used to blog obsessively, spending hours reading and commenting on other blogs, and updating my own blog. It took mindblowing effort to tear myself away from my blogging frenzy and get my head back into my 3D life. Now I blog in moderation, and as dictated by the time I have. I miss it a lot sometimes, but I guess it's for the better. I dare not get addicted again..
What a happy cake! Great job!
I dropped out of memes because I felt I should visit all the other participants and I just didn't have the time. I would love to post and read other blogs at least 4 times per week but that just doesn't always happen.
I don't feel stress about blogging because I am not trying to hit any target numbers with followers or posts read. I hate to hear of anyone feeling stressed about blogging. Unless there is a business connection, it should be a happy outlet.
you are a nice blogging friend.
First a Happy Birthday to the lovely Desiree, she and Knees and Paws will be missed as they step back from blogging.
Reading the comments here my friend, I think you have stirred up a huge hornets nest. You already know how I feel about blogging so I am not going to repeat it all again. I am now a firm believer in quality not quantity when it comes to posting! Your real friends/followers will still be here and we should ALL be spending more time in the real world but finding the right balance is very much up to the individual and so very very difficult to do! I know splitting my blogs seems like more work but somehow it is much quicker to post a photo and it means I am not posting for the sake of it on News From Italy. I hope I will just be posting when I have something of interest to those with a love of Italy. Enough rambling off to the real world now. :) xx
Oh that cake is lovely! I think our blog friends are just like our other good friends. If you do not see them for awhile you can just pick up the conversation where you left off..
Happy April and blessings for a beautiful new season..
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