Friday 2 July 2010

Playing catch up

Do you feel bad for all the blog posts you miss? I do – hugely! Like last night – I was about to shut down the computer (or collapse asleep over the keyboard) and noticed a slew of new blog posts on my roll of honour, and each looked lovely and interesting, but I just knew by the time I slept, woke, got to work, did work-stuff, and then got to blogging, the new posts would have been superseded by equally lovely posts and I might miss them forever.

So this led me to thinking, how do you do it? Do you check out folk who comment on your blog first, and then if you have any time spare click on your blog list (which is pretty much what I do), or do you just click around where the fancy takes you?

I’ve also noticed that I now have 185 followers – blimey! Wow! Hooray! Welcome! It is very good to see you, and in your honour I am going to share a secret. I have been, for some time, planning a fabulous contest in order to say ‘thanks blogging buddies!’ I have been having a ball collecting things for the prizes and planning what to include. Not quite ready yet, but soon! Am rather excited, can you tell?

It’s been a while since I did a shout out about new followers – so here are five of the latest lovely folk to press the follow button.

Patricia Stoltey
Amber at I Still Got This Dream That You Just Can't Shake
Valerie at As The Moon Climbs
Christina Lee at Write-brained
MaryAnn Miller at It's Not All Gravy

Over the weekend I’ll be posting book reviews of the books read in June – although I have to warn you, I found this the other day:



The 'bwhahahahaa' is added in Photoshop, by the way, in case it looks like I search for cardboard boxes to chuckle evilly at me once opened.

The sad fact is most of my lovely gorgeous book collection is in boxes waiting for the day I buy my own little place (whenever that will be) and they will once again be able to proudly adorn shelves. Every so often though I crack and open another box. This time it was the Stephen King novels – lookee them! Oh books, glorious books.

27 comments:

Pat Tillett said...

I agree with you. I hate to miss posts because you never know when a truly spectacular one will slip by. I feel the same way about my own...LOL
Looking forward to your book reivews.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

It's like reading the newspaper. You miss a few days and what do you do? Go back and read the old news? Because there's fresh news to take its place. I say just start with today's news and move on from there! But be sure to visit my blog because I'm giving away "Like Bees to Honey"!!

Natasha said...

I don't care where the books are, as long as there are books!!!
I use google reader. Speed read mostly, but if I find something I like, I mark it unread and go back when I have more time. Makes sense? I am sure not- nearly midnight, and I should be in bed, not chatting.

Rachna Chhabria said...

I feel bad when I miss posts, but I try to catch up whenever I have the time, or rather I make time for that by foregoing television.

Hannah said...

I hate when i miss posts but instead of trying to catch up on all the old ones I miss, I restart my google reader on Monday so I'm only commenting and reading posts that are no longer than a week old. Otherwise, I'd spend so much time trying to catch up and not enough time writing.

ooooooh, books!!

Valerie said...

Thanks for the shout-out! The biggest struggle for me is balancing reading time and writing time, I think. So many blogs, so many amazing authors, so many great published books... let's not even talk about TV shows. So I feel bad when I miss things, but I try to tell myself that time is finite and words infinite, so in a sense we'll always be playing catch up. Like others have said, all you can do is your best and just try to keep afloat when you can.

Old Kitty said...

I had to be really harsh with myself and say cut-off point for reading and commenting is midnight everyday! :-) Otherwise I'd never sleep!! LOL!!

I am having such a fun time though that I really don't want to miss any of the blogs I follow. I always do them in order of when they post! :-)

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR competition!! CONGRATULATIONS with all your fab followers and thank you for the links!

And look at all those lovely books! Very nice indeed!

Take care
x

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your 186 followers, Jayne and thanks for the links. The contest sounds intriguing.

How disappointing that one can't buy cardboard boxes with 'bwahahahahaa' printed on them! :-)

Stina said...

Usually (today's an exception), I get up at 5 am to blog. This is when my post pops up. I spend the morning reading the posts that show up in my dashboard at that time, then I check out the posts of those who commented during the day (if I hadn't already visited their blog).

And yes, I do hate it when I miss a post. I keep saying one more, one more, and the next thing I know is I've been blogging for hours. Boy, I could have finished my first draft by now if I spent that much time on it. ;)

Ann said...

I am in catch up mode at the moment. I missed five days due to a computer virus. I hate missing posts. I had to stop myself going too far back though or I would be at the cured computer for the next God knows how long!!!

Congrats on all your followers. Have a wonderful weekend.

Fran Hill said...

I love finding boxes of books. Such potential.

The Words Crafter said...

Books. Glorious books! *contented sigh* My sink has dishes that need washing. My bed isn't made. Vacuuming? Ha! That's how I sorta keep up...

penandpaints said...

Hi Jayne
I always do that (notice the new posts as I'm about to shut down!) There aren't enough hours in the day, once my computer goes on, I can't tear myself away. We could all probably write more if we didn't do so much blogging, but who'd want to give it up? I love that I've found such great people to share the ups and downs with.
Love the bwhahahaa! I usually say it with a moo, moohahaaa, weird haha.

Maria Zannini said...

I use Google Reader. This way if it's an especially good post I can bookmark it as a favorite. I'm rarely more than a day or two behind so most of my comments are fairly fresh.

I do go through the extra effort of visiting people who comment though--just to be neighborly.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I so wish I could manage to keep up with everyone!! I do try and usually late at night. I appreciate the people who sometimes repost something the next day, or the next, for the numptys like myself who just don't seem to be able to visit everyone as promptly as they'd wish!! Sometimes I just flit from place to place, reading away, but not taking the time to comment. Which I feel bad about, too. Sigh.

Aubrie said...

I try to spend an hour or two everyday reading posts, but sometimes I miss some and it does make me sad.

Oh well, congrats on the followers and I'll be looking forward to your book reviews.

Lisa said...

Sometimes I didn't want my spectacular post to miss a certain reader, I went and invite him or her over :)

Your blog looks wonderful. Congratulations and thank you for leading me to it. I'll take over from now on :)

Ella said...

I feel guilt; My schedule has been altered, lately and I am behind!
Husband had vacation for a month; Our daughter out of school. I do what I can...
It is nice to know, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thanks for
visiting me~
Stephen King...nice; I'm grew up
45min from where he lives;Yes I'm a Mainiac.(someone from Maine)

Sally Annie Magundy said...

Hi Jayne!
You sweetly left me a comment on my blog - thank you so much for visiting my little blog and for the Happy 4th wishes! I thought I'd come over and say hello - I'm guessing that it's around dinner time for you now. I'm all smiley now, always such a joy to find oneself in the company of book lovers. I'll look forward to returning to your lovely blog.
Happy weekend to you!
Sally

Lisa K. said...

It's always such a struggle to keep up with all the great blogs. I try to balance it out between visiting the blogs I follow and visiting the blogs of those folks who comment and follow mine. It's always a juggling act!

Anonymous said...

When I'm behind (which is almost always) I read my most favourite ones first, and then look at commenters' blogs and lesser favourites in a fairly random manner.

Have a nice day, Boonsong

Hart Johnson said...

Oi! That blog follow/comment business can be difficult! My sidebar is in chronological order and I typically start where I last left off. If time is tight, which it often is, I skip people who haven't dropped by for quite a while (unless their topic looks like I can't miss it) and I also tend to skip blog fests If I'm not participating (they just require a level of attention I don't typically have at work). If I am REALLY behind, then I just hit the ones that people have been to see ME in the last few days.

Also hit commenters and new followers and once someone has been there a few times, they get added to the sidebar...

Rose said...

I tend to do the blog roll every couple of days but I don't keep it up to date enough- in fact haven't updated it for about 6 months- argghh! then people who comment remind me to visit but i do visit people who never comment on me just because I like them. I'm not sure- I just wander around the internet! I have had bad access in my flat though which has been really tedious

Anonymous said...

I follow posts in Google Reader, and read those who often comment on my blog first. Then, I try to comment on those who follow my blog, if a post strikes me. I don't get around to everybody every day, and I do feel guilty, but I'm trying not to. :)

I'm looking forward to your book reviews!

MissKris said...

I never have had the time to figure out 'Readers' and for the past 4 years, since starting day care for my two young grandsons, my blog time is seriously limited. I used to check out lots of blogs and I miss not having the time to do so any more. I do what I can do...I try to keep up with those on my sidebar and I do try to comment or email anyone who comments. It's the best I can do, and I try hard not to let the 'guilts' get me.

Mystica said...

The books wont go away so they will be there - whenever! I try to read the blog posts daily and right now since I am on an extended leave of absence for want of another word from home in Sri Lanka, I have all the time in the world. That ends at the end of July. I like to catch up though - I also hate to miss out TV - right now tour de france is late at night!

Anonymous said...

I'm so with you! Hello, by the way, I'm new to your blog. :) First people who get responses are the people I know regularly comment on mine (whether or not they made it to mine already that day)after that I go clickie on my blogroll.

And let me just say, even though I don't like Stephen King, I adore seeing boxes of books. :)