Tag...questions

Well I have been managing to read a few blogs this week, not as many as I would like to, I am so enjoying this questioning tag. Artsy Crafty Babe made an open invitation to join in, so I thought I would, please feel free to join me. I think it is a great way to find out a bit more about the person behind the blog and why they do what they do. I get asked all the time 'WHY DO YOU DO IT' ???So here goes...

1)Do you promote your blog? No not really other than than when I read someones blog I like to leave a comment, or I feel like I have been peeking secretly at someones diary. Friends and family know I blog, most are not even interested enough to ask what I write under, although two people I have not seen through the summer commented to me this week that they had read my blog. All positive stuff, but I always imagine that no one knows me, it did spook me a little. See I am not as confident as I might come across as.

2. How often do you check hits? You can do you do this? I have no idea how you go about this, if anyone can tell me...in a simple way, I would be grateful, although I would hate to worry if I have enough or too few hits...would this lead to 'Oh not many hits today...I must change the way I write' etc...

3. Do you stick to one topic? Well NO, I blog as Suzie Sews, I used to comment as Suzie Knits then I found out about the famous Wendy Knits and thought people might think I have copied her, so I changed it, as my blog suggest in the header 'SUZIE SEWS and knits and Mothers etc...' I write about the creative side of my life...a lot of things effect it from the day to day stuff so sometimes I go a little off topic.

4. Who knows that you have a blog? Immediate family and some friends, as I mentioned most people are not the slightest bit interested 'Blogging whats that' a few have taken an interest and the feed back has been positive, although most just do not read it, I guess they already think I am a bit obsessive with my projects without having it confirmed (unless they do it secretly). I guess I am just wired a bit differently to most of the people around me as if someone I cared about was doing something they are enthusiastic about I would be interested in it as it makes them who they are. I have two very close friends who have moved away, I miss them terribly, they 'get' who I am and its a great way to keep them in touch with them.

5. How many blogs do you read? To many to be as productive in my free time as I should be. I have a core of about ten blogs I read daily and a lot I read every week or so as I enjoy sitting with a cuppa and catching up with them, I pop in and out of others through links and comments, often I hit on one that really interests me and gets added to the 'must read' list.

6. Are you a fast reader? NO not really, I scan words, if something catches my eye I then give it my full attention. I often read books like this, something I picked up from having children as you do not have the luxury of time to read everything you want.

7. Do you customise your blog or do anything technical? Ahhh!!!! scary...no I am to scared. I want to put a banner up, every time I try the picture takes up the whole page and I can not shrink it, I put a few buttons on etc and would like to put up a book list as I am always buying books, especially craft related. Although there is a down size to this, my computer is a few years old now, the memory struggles and some blogs take ages to load and some I just can not get to load FULL STOP, usually because they are heavily customised.

8. Do you blog anonymously? NO, I am who I am, the feed back from people who know me say 'It is like you can hear me talking' I do not try and make myself into someone I am not. I admit to being very creative (that does not mean I am good at it, just creative) and my personality matches it, sometimes I am a bit gushy and I think a lot about things, actions words things I see and say, I worry a lot too. I guess this comes across. I am a mother of two and I had planned not to talk about my children, I can not help it, they are all part of it. YES I am careful about what I post regarding my children, I do not want to take chances, I know its a mean world out there, one of my favourite bloggers in the last year stopped posting photo's of her children and eventually stopped blogging due to something happening to here pictures. I felt very sad and angry about this.

9. To what extent do you censor yourself? Oh LOTS, I have a little routine when I blog, first I pick my pictures then I just type away, loads and loads of words, being dyslexic I allow myself not to worry about the spelling just yet, then I read over it and delete easily half and then play about with the words, basically I edit it to say what I want to, but keep the interest held...I can go on a bit... I do not call it witter for nothing. Then it gets reduced even further as I take some of the raw emotions out of it and check the spelling, although very often poor spelling slips through...I am always surprised that when I do write something that is very personal to me, and I just have to put it out there, the comments are always at there most genuine. I do not want to 'bitch' this is unproductive and just hurts people. I am not here to debate or start up negative conversation on politics, religion or even child rearing...As these topics are all part of my life then I guess I do censor a lot, but the purpose of my blog is craft related...knitting sewing baking, mothering and a little about the women behind it all.

10. What do you like most about blogging? The inspiration is the biggest part of it for me and escape from the real world, it seems to be a much more friendlier place to be, I feel I can sit down with a cuppa and have a 'chat' with so many like minded people who do not think I am odd because I like to feel fabric and yarn run through my hands! It is a way for me personally to finally write. I have always kept a journal or inspiration books and I have written editorials and articles for a local magazine, so it is something I enjoy but with years of being thought of as stupid because of the dyslexia it is a path I have dare not walk down...until now. OH and the photographs, yep I have always taken pictures... I adore pictures, if you have been on holiday and have a whole load of pictures bring them to me. No I do not get bored I really do enjoy other peoples pictures. I have told stories all my life without words and used pictures instead. It is the gift from my (sadly departed) Dad that I treasure the most...Thanks Dad. Every click of the shutter with his camera I felt his hand over mine.