Daily cares

As my tagline says, the 3rd house in astrology has to do with communication and thinking on a small scale, concerning day-to-day things and conversation between people near at hand, like siblings and neighbors. When I started my old blog 5 years ago in September, I thought that blogging, with its daily writing habit and the ability to comment and link, had a natural alliance to the 3rd house. Since my writing group had recently disbanded, I thought why not set up a blog to post our writings and share comments as we had in person? So I dubbed the blog "3rd House Party," envisioning a comfy online living room to share our thoughts, our writings, and maybe a few recipes. Alas, I threw the party but nobody came.

But that's not true, because people did come. Somebody linked to me! I hadn't realized that I'd moved into a new online neighborhood full of interesting people that I would get to know and love -- even several offline and in person. It's been a wild ride, with all the joys and frustrations of any human interaction. I can't count the number of times I've thought of giving up and pulling the plug, whether creatively blocked or uninspired or just too busy with other things. But then something always changes and I'm drawn back in again.

Four years ago this month, I switched over to TypePad and changed my blog name to 3rd House Journal to more accurately reflect the one-woman writing endeavor that it is, even while open to commenting and conversation. A journal is a daily record, which I'm reminded of this month, the month of the annual NaNoWriMo novel writing event. I can't imagine I'll ever do NaNoWriMo, but I'm considering NaBloPoMo for the month of November, the National Blog Posting Month event that actually goes on every month now. The potential NaBloPoMo challengers this year include Sara and at least one other blogger who mentioned offline that she's considering it (will have to go check later this weekend!).

Offline life is calling, so I gotta go for now. More later...

Comments

[joanna]

When I started reading this, I thought that you were going to announce that you were closing your blog--and I am so glad that that isn't the case. Even though I've been more of a lurker than poster here these days, I really value your friendship and admire your writing.

[Lorianne]

Yes, I had the same response that Joanna did: "The party's over!" When I ask myself why I'd have that reaction (since I know you were considering NaBloPoMo), I realize that many bloggers post wonderfully self-reflective "what I've learned from blogging" posts when they END their blogs, not necessarily when they either re-invent or re-commit themselves to them. I find that to be an interesting phenomenon, as if the moment we consider something the most carefully & closely is often the moment we bid it goodbye.

But since you aren't saying goodbye, that previous comment is mostly moot: just a "small thought" that occurred to me while reading your post. I'm glad you aren't closing up shop, and I'm eager to see what this latest experiment (for isn't that what blogging has always been for some of us?) reveals.

[maria]

Oh boy ... I too thought that you were shutting down the blog, ending the party. What a relief to read that you are in fact "breaking out a couple of new bottle of champagne" here, so to speak. In the light of your last few posts, that still linger in my mind, I can hardly wait for his next stage.

[marja-leena]

Me too, same reaction! Oh, I'm so glad you are staying around. Your blog has been my daily read since I found it around 4 years ago, when you were writing your 'sensitive traveller' blog. I love the daily theme, isn't that all about living one's life with sensitivity? The act of observing with words or images somehow makes that observation more powerful and full of meaning. Thanks for being here, Leslee.

[Dave]

It's been nice having your company in the blogosphere for the last five years - a sane, steadying, and often lyrical presence.

[Kat]

Whew! So glad you aren't closing up for the winter (or forever). Leslee, your blog is the first blog that I've truly felt comfortable visiting and commenting. Thank you for that. Now, about NaBloPoMo, I'm thinking about it and wondering if I could really do it. My husband is egging me on.

[leslee]

Thanks, all! It's so funny that you thought I was closing up with this post, which of course was never on my mind. I thought I'd announce NaBloPoMo, but starting thinking about the concept of daily posting and rambled from there. Anyway, glad all you blog neighbors stopped by! Without your comments and your own blog posts I'm sure I would have quit a long time ago.

And to Dave, same here - you continue to inspire me. Not sure about that sane part, though. ;-)

[Sara]

Oh, yay, I hope you do it. Thirty straight days of you here would not suck at all. :)

It was funny to me that you described participants as "challengers." We are only challenging ourselves. And while it always seems to me a silly sort of challenge, something on a par with flagpole sitting or seeing how many people you can stuff into a Volkswagen, and while there's no way in hell that I could ever do this every single day of a year, there is something about the exercise -- especially in November -- that always does me good.

Maybe the silliness is part of the magic.

[mm]

Twofold congratulations, Leslee. On the blog birthday and on even considering NaBloPoMo.

Very glad you are there!