I'm joining the Tuesday 4

I read several blogs that participate in the Tuesday 4 ,so I thought I would join in this week. Here it goes.

This is the first picture I posted on my blog.
It was on my second post from which
came the idea for my Second Look series.

 

1.  Tell us about your blog.  When did you start blogging?

My blog is a personal blog with no particular focus unless you say that I like to share more flower and nature photos than any other kinds. I started blogging April 2011. 10 Years! I'm amazed that I've been doing it that long. And while there have definitely been ebbs and flows in my posting, I don't think I've gone more than a couple of weeks without posting over the past 10 years. Once again, I'm amazed. I didn't think I had that much to say, and perhaps, if you read some of the posts, you will agree. But sometimes, when I am able to express my thoughts and feelings in a clear and meaningful way, I feel like that maybe I do have something to share.

2.  What prompted you to begin blogging?

 Originally, I had stories that I wanted to tell, but soon learned that they were not my stories to tell. They involved others and out of respect for their privacy, I didn't share most of them. Over time, bits and pieces of some of the stories have come out, but most of the original material I thought I might write about is still bouncing around in my head.

My third post was about my cat, Annie.

3.  What was your first blog about and why did you choose that subject/title?

My very first blog post was titled, "What's in a Name?" and discusses how I came up with the title, Live and Learn-Toss and Turn. It's too complicated to explain here, so I will rerun that first post soon.
 

4.  How has your blog changed over time, and has it done for you what you hoped it would do in the first place?

In the beginning, I was trying to find a voice for my blog. Since I wasn't going to share the personal stories I had planned, I tried different things. I did cooking and recipe posts. I participated in food waste groups. I did my own set of inspirational sayings and photos. I documented some of our visits to various places both local and far away. I collected stories of others first memories of school. 

But I really hit my stride when I started doing my Second Look posts. Every Wednesday, I would explore my yard and look for details that I might otherwise not notice. We inherited an overgrown large yard that was hard to control and it wasn't until I started doing the Second Looks, that I truly appreciated it for it's beauty instead of  the work it needed. I also learned a lot about nature as I researched a bug, bone, or plant I would find. 

Looking for the positive in my yard spilled over into other parts of my life and in general made me a happier person. Four years ago, we moved into a new house with a smaller, better contained yard and the Second Look posts didn't inspire me in the same way as they did before. Eventually, I dropped them as a regular feature. I miss them and would like to find another focus to replace them. Someday...

My blog didn't turn out how I imagined, but it did something that I had never imagined that it could. It gave me a whole new set of friends that I would have never had the chance to know without it. Because of that, my little blog has exceeded all expectations and for that I am very thankful.