blog thoughts

Surprise! Morning posting. No excuse except a half-drained cup of coffee and some meta-thoughts about blogging.
Traffic has picked up lately due to the link with mycraftivity.com. This is good, though it happens to be a stressful time in the yang of my life -- a shaky household economy (due in part to our greedy politicians and the effects of their policies on the state's educational system.) So my new crafty pals are getting a little more than they bargained for if they link to my blog.
But --
I've noticed other women mixing their creative triumphs with their personal challenges, online, and we all benefit from the technology-enhanced sense of community and support. I'm self-conscious about my writing in some ways -- but it routinely brings me into contact with people I'd otherwise never hear from or know. Randall, my toothpick-chewing truck-driving friend from church, who doesn't seem like an internet guy but reads the church's weekly e-news letter and complimented me yesterday on a piece I published there last week. Jon, a very talented colleague who likewise reads that newsletter, initiated some much-needed dialogue with me based on that writing and I'm so glad. And Wendy from mycraftivity, who took the time to acknowledge my worries with some supportive words, though she knows me not at all. And of course, Al and JJ and others to whom my ties are strong - - I'm thankful for this blog resource, that fits with our busy lives, and allows me to say what can be hard to communicate when I'm one-on-one with someone. (I hate to sound whiney. I hate to worry people.) Thanks to all of you, people who obviously read this stuff and people who just glance at it surreptitiously from time to time. :-)