My farm-style kitchen boldly reveals my appreciation of that which is old (or old-fashioned) and that which is modern and convenient. I have no problem mixing the old with the new. In fact, I love that. The plank flooring and farm sink give a nod to the past, and the Hoosier cabinet and marble top dresser are authentic antiques. At the same time, the appliances and white wall units are brand new and up to date. When I'm cooking or baking, I often have my lap top computer sitting on the counter so I can read recipes online or from my cookbook software, but my approach to homemaking is old-fashioned. I'm canning and freezing foods, and I make a lot of food from scratch. More and more, I'm using less and less processed foods.
The comfortable way I feel about mixing old and new in my kitchen carries over to my homestead blogging too. Think about it. Those of us who like to practice hobby farming or homesteading and then blog about it . . . well, we're obviously mixing the old with the modern there too. We are striving for a simple, sustainable life style of living off the land and doing it ourselves, much like our grandparents or great-grandparents did. At the same time, we use modern technological advances such as digital cameras, computers, mobile devices, and the Internet to share our experiences with others. We're a bit of an odd breed.People blog for a lot of reasons and about an endless number of topics. I haven't been blogging all that long, but I have learned a lot about blogging in a short time. And I've "met" a lot of people. A lot of seemingly wonderful people! For those of you who like to read blogs but are not yourself a blogger, I just want to give you a word of encouragement. If you have ever thought for even a moment that maybe you'd like to start a blog, then go for it! Here are a few tips for getting started:
- Go to a site like Blogger.com or WordPress.com and register for a free blog. It won't cost you anything. (I use Blogger for this Maple Grove blog.)
- Follow the instructions on the screen to start setting up your blog. You'll learn as you go. You can keep it private while you play with it and publish it when you're ready.
- There are some very helpful blogs that teach you how to blog.
- Ask questions of people you know who blog. (Ask me questions. I'll be glad to help you if I can.)
- Think about what kinds of topics you want to write about. You'll eventually find your niche.
- Take photos to include on your blog. It's true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
- Research topics you write about. You'll learn a lot too!
- One last thing about bloggers -- they like to know that people are reading what they write. I didn't think about this so much before I started blogging myself, but if you enjoy reading a blog, consider leaving some comments, "joining" the site, or subscribing by e-mail. That way you'll be notified when there is a new post on the blog, and you'll be a huge encourager to the blogger. We love to know that the time, effort, and feeling we put into our blogs are actually read and hopefully appreciated.
