Bahama Shores Mama Year 2008 in Review

2008 will forever be remembered (by me) as the year that I started a blog.

I started off being brief.

I wasn't really sure what I was doing but I was super excited. I just wasn't sure how to tell My Man. I surprised myself by doing some soul searching while trying to explain myself to anonymous readers.

I "encouraged" a few friends to start their own blogs.

I overcame my critical nature long enough to post a picture of myself.

I jumped on a few bandwagons and joined some fun carnivals. And even tried to challenge myself in order to take more pictures. I learned a new word ~ meme~ and did a few of those too!

I started winning things for the first time in my life. Not once, or twice, but three times!

I dug threw some of my most requested recipes and posted those. I laughed at myself. I gave my kids nicknames and posted a bit about them. In short, I was trying to capture this moment in my life. And get positive feedback from it.

Suddenly, everything in my life was a potential post. My mind was constantly drafting posts. I tried to balance blogging and life. It was a constant struggle to prioritize my time between composing posts, reading and commenting on other blogs and checking for updated comments. Oh yeah, and the other things called life I was responsible for. Adding to that was the fact that My Man wasn't thrilled with the amount of time my new hobby was taking AND he doubts my security measures I've tried to take.

As life began to interfere with my blogging , the posts came further apart. I stopped taking the time to comment on the blogs I read. I was still reading them, just not leaving bloggy love. And then life stopped me.

I hardly posted at all over the summer. I did do some soul searching and tried to find a direction to guide me in regular posting. I found I was most often drawn to blogs of creative people that also showed their life. So I recommitted with a direction and decided to try again focusing on craftiness and my life. And let the posts come as they would.

However, I had lost most of my regular readers and really only had a handful of real life friends reading what I wrote with the occasional blog visitor stopping by.

I used this blog to vent. And even though I only had one comment, I felt better just getting it off my chest.

I blogged about one of my kid's birthday party. And when the holidays started coming around, Chickie Poo forced my hand by taking pictures and telling me to blog about it.

As I was trying to select which picture I would choose for our Holiday Card 2008, a post began to write itself in my head.

And then it happened. I had posted two days in a row.

And I realized I was reaching my 100th post mark.

So I turned the heat up.

Wouldn't it be cool to have my 100th post hit on New Year's Day to start 2009?

I thought so, too.

However, I failed to remember how much time is involved in blogging.

I had plenty of crafty projects going in the month of December, however, it was harder than I imagined to REMEMBER to take pictures along the way.

And a few days before Christmas I gave up.

I had planned to write a little tribute to my dad who died on Dec. 23rd 9 years ago and I just couldn't do it. I had already written about one of my best holiday memories but I just couldn't do my worst.

So I did a generic Christmas post and figured I'd do the rest whenever I got my mojo back. I had enough topics to draft posts for the remaining number needed, but not enough time to write them before the year ended.

And then it was January 1, 2009.

And I decided to get them all out.

Today.

So I will reach my 100th post today even if I have to blog all day long!

Sorry, honey!