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| Source: Kim at 40's and Fabulous! |
Kim has two wonderful blogs that she works so hard on. Before this morning, I have mainly read her My Life's Journey in Focus website where Kim features her beautiful pictures. In her other blog, 40's and Fabulous!, Kim, focuses more on her marriage, relationships and her happy life. Kim calls herself a Bliss Wife, and here she is:
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| My Life's Journey in Focus |
Please go over and check out both of Kim's blogs. She wrote some really nice things about me on her 40's and Fabulous! blog, where the real "featuring" goes on. What really touched me the most is that Kim "get's" me on how crazy I am about my best friend husband, Cary Matthews.
I really feel as if this is a God thing in the timing of it. Believe it or not, I do get discouraged about this blog sometimes. I certainly work hard enough on it, and pour in the hours of hard labor. (This post is my 1300th!!!) I've had a difficult time figuring out where I fit in with others in Blogland though. It has all been trial and error. The learning curve has been huge. I had no idea what I was doing when I started out, and focused mainly on my family and friends who actually read it. I didn't participate in or even know about linky parties, and the only other blogs that I knew to visit were Pioneer Woman, Derfwad Manor, Living Oprah and Chubby Mommy Running Club. My sister is JulieJulie at CMRC, and she suggested that I begin my own blog. Mrs. G. did actually stop by to visit me once and look at my Christmas-decorated hutch and left me a comment, which was very nice of her.
Becky Povich "discovered" me and introduced her friends to me. There I also met Lisa Ricard Claro and their other writer friends. I am now feeling very comfortable with the writers. Through them, I discovered linky parties (just last summer) and began to join in right and left. That turned out to be great for my indoor photography and still life picture skills. I began to really feel right at home with the photographers.
I got a great response and was posting away, joining in and feeling as if I was getting somewhere. At least I was getting exposure and more comments than I ever had before. When you plan your week around joining ton's of linky parties, it changes your blog. I ended up posting more, and stretching myself in order to also write about the things that really interested me, and to document our family adventures.
Then, I got the wind knocked out of my sails when who I call "The Vintage Ladies" dumped me en bloc (not the ones who are still on my sidebar). All at once, they stopped acknowledging my linky posts (even if they only had 6 others on there), stopped commenting, and stopped visiting. Those who were following, unfollowed me. There were about 20 of them, and it was obvious. I could have inadvertently pissed off one of them, but not that many. At the time, I was puzzled, and did get my feelings kind of hurt. I thought that I was fitting in with them just fine. I sure was working hard for them, planning my posts to join their memes. I finally began researching such things about a month ago, and apparently this stuff happens ... a leader will post on their blog who to boycott and dump. It is like a high-school cliche or something.
Right about that time, I was listening to Joyce Meyers and she quoted where Jesus said that if a town doesn't welcome you, wipe the dust off your feet as you leave it. So, that is what I did, and it opened the door to many more positive things.
I took my followers widget off for a while, and that was good for me. At least it wasn't staring me in the face every time that I got on here, seeing who had quit. A few people figured out how to follow me any way. Thanks, guys! I put it back on for the A-Z Challenge and that was cool, because I have gained around 25 new followers during the past month.
So, what I am getting at, comes back to Kim and all of my special friends and frequent readers who encourage me to keep going and to keep trying. Thank you, so much, and I hope that I have been an encouragement to you also. I have really cut down on the number of linky parties that I participate in. I only have a handful now, and they are in the areas that interest me most and help me grow. I hope, in turn, that makes my blog a better place for you guys to visit.
Go forth and be nice! Encourage those who come across your path whenever possible, and lift them up. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. As you can see, that last one is my hardest to abide by.
Love ya lots,
Kathy M.
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17 comments:
Hey Kathy! Congrats on being featured and I will jump right over there! You certainly are a sweet person and I cannot imagine why anyone (or two!) would NOT like you! It's their loss!! And hey, thanks for the nice mention! :)
Congratulations on being featured, Kathy, and I feel badly for you that those unfortunate blogging incidences happened to you. I have never heard of a blogger boycotting another blogger! I wish you would tell what blog it was where you saw that the "leader" will post whom to "dump!" This is because I am nosy, I guess, but I truly would love to see what kind of person would publicly do such a thing! And if one person said that and others followed... well, Kathy, you really wouldn't want people like that as Followers anyway, would you? Personally, I despise people who just 'go along with the crowd' and have no mind of their own. I think those people are sad and really have no self-esteem of their own. So I think you are lucky if you got rid of a bunch of people like that. On the other hand... were you a Follower of all of the people who "unfollowed" you? I, myself, have 'unfollowed' a blog or two if I 'followed' the person and kept leaving comments and they never became a Follower of mine and never left comments for me. So make sure that THAT didn't happen with you. Either way, I am glad that you found your niche in Blogland. And as long as you have your family and friends following your blog, you are a rich woman!
Best,
Gloria
Thank you, Becky. Joyce Meyer said the other day (I listen to her in the mornings sometimes while I'm blogging) that 10% of the people you meet are not going to like you, no matter what. It did help to make me a stronger, no-nonsense person in a short period of time, along with some other things going on (mostly just being 52, I think!)
Thank you, Gloria. No, I'm not going to name names ... naming the category will probably get me into the grease as it is. It wasn't even on one of their own blogs where I found the boycott info, it was on somebody else's. She posts a name and then closes it after a week and takes off that post! I just typed in "boycott Kathy Matthews blog" or something similar one night and found it. Who knows why people do the things they do? You bet that I did unfollow and remove them from my sidebar. I am also removing my links to their linky parties as I come across them in my posts. No more free advertising to those who don't like me!
You are so right about me being richly blessed.
Grace - thank you for your email about this post, I really appreciate it.
I'm stunned. First, I can't imagine anyone not loving you to pieces. You're one of the nicest people on the planet. Second, to "group boycott" like that...I agree, it sounds very high-school-clique-ish. Sounds to me like those women mostly need to grow up. People like that aren't worth your time anyway.
As to finding your "niche," I think you stand in a category alone, and that's a compliment. You fit into a lot of spots just by virtue of your many talents and your courage to try new things. Don't pigeon-hole yourself, and don't let anyone else pigeon-hole you either. Your niche is "Kathy Matthews, Blogger Extraordinaire!"
Congrats on your "feature!"
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Kathy, wow, I had no idea. First of all, I don't even know what a "linky party" is. I guess I am pretty naive. I just blog to blog. I have learned a lot from people like you about blogging and life. That is what it is all about. Remember, "The last will be first." Just use your voice the way you are meant to use it.
I'm with Retired English Teacher. I can't amagine a mass exodus. Not even sure that makes high school. Sounds more junior high to me. Just blog to please yourself. Those that appreciate you will find you as they have.
Huge congrats on 1300. IMPRESSIVE.
I'll be sure and check out Kim and her blogs. And I agree with all the comments here - you are too nice for people to be mean to you. Keep on blogging!
Wow. That is wonderful and amazing and so cool. Congratulations!
Ellie Garratt
Oh my gosh....people can be so heartless, can't they? It just irks me to no end!! I've had my share of those kind and just flip 'em the bird and move on!! You go girl!! Your blog is super fantastic! Don't let it get you down. As you say, sometimes it's so 'cliquey' it's pathetic!! When you think of all that the world is about and all that is happening with others, people like on some memes can be just a pain in the a$$..........ignore 'em.
As for your blog and you being highlighted...that is awesome!!! You truly deserve it.
What an excellent post.
Thank you so much for visiting with me yesterday, I'm trying now to play catchup and stop by with a smile and a big Texas "Howdy" for you. Your comment made my day.
Here's My Thursday Post...Sting's Fields of Gold Have a wonderful day.
Thank you for this post too. I know how you feel, I've been blogging for five years now and sometimes I don't know where to fit but when I found meme's to link and the topic is my interest I go for it, so I survive the blogland ^_^
All the time I blog hop and there are many bloggers that are worth to be praise at. And I think as bloggers we should encourage each other though we may not see in person but words will keep forever.
When I first came to your blog it was your post about orb and I had a goosebumps with that. Then I noticed the most beautiful photo of you and Carly. Then I noticed you have a very good eye on taking pictures. Keep it up and remain gorgeous!!
Hi Lisa - Thanks, but it has been known to happen ... there are people in real life that don't like me much either. I really appreciate all the things you just said about finding my "niche". You are so good to me.
Hi Anonymous - Thank you so much for leaving me a comment! Please keep stopping by to visit. I'm glad that my blog helps you in your studies.
Hi RET - Thank you for your encouragement, so much. I really love to blog too, and thanks for reminding me to use my voice. I'm getting braver about that.
Hi Patti, thank you! I did consider putting junior high, but didn't want to tick off anybody that much. I am learning a lot from you, and how you always remind me that it is my blog and that I can write what I want to. I still try to stay positive though. I appreciate you and all of you very much, that is for sure.
Thanks, Lynn! Not much chance of me quitting at this point. I'm nearly obsessed.
Hi Ellie, thank you! It sure is a neat thing that Kim did for me, isn't it?
Hi Anni, thank you! You are always so straightforward and I love that about you and your blog. I'm sorry that similar things have happened to you, but I am glad that you know what I am talking about. It validates me.
Love to you all, and I hope that you have an excellent day!
Kathy
Hi Kim, we must have been writing at the same time ... and your comment showed up before mine. Wow, 5 years! That is great; you are one of the long timers. Good for you.
Yes, I think that encouragement is the key, and thankfully that is how most people are in Blogland, as far as I can tell. You really made my day yesterday, my new friend. P.S. - some of those pictures are weird, aren't they?
Kathy, what a very honest post! And No. 1300??? WOW!
When a guy makes a great shot on those infernal golf tournaments my husband watches, some jerk inevitably yells, You da MAN!!! Not sure what the equivalent would be here, so I'll just say, You da WOman!!!
Hi Marylee! Thanks for making me da WOman today, lol!
Kathy, This post was very interesting! I blog on Typepad (I am investigating switching to WordPress) but I've never used blogger or blogspot, so I don't really 'get' the "follower" thing at all. When you say linky parties are you just talking about what I call memes? (Like Skywatch or Watery Wednesday?).....If you have time to answer in an e-mail, I'd love it! (I hope you aren't going to wish I hadn't found you ;>)...thanks for the interesting discussion.
Congratulations on being featured AND on your 1300th post--Wow! That's a lot of posting! I'm impressed by the variety of your posts and your upbeat enthusiasm for life.
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