My good blogging friend, IndigoAlison, commented on an earlier post that she sometimes wishes good children’s clothes could be sized up for adults. Bet she’d pass, though, on a rainbow- coloured handknit wool dress — but look Alison, it’s got stripes, you love stripes, right?
Luckily for Alison, I won’t be making her a gift version of this anytime soon. This wee dress was made out of yarn left over from this project from the Tara Froseth pattern Little Sister’s Dress .
But Nola doesn’t care about that. She just loves the duck button.
(By the way, she now has a full repertoire of animal sounds. Her answer to “What does the frog say?” is the most delightful “Bobbit, bobbit,” any Nana has ever bragged about, only topped by the whimsical way she meows, delicately, for “What does the cat say?”)
Now that I’ve charmed you with ducks and dresses and granddaughters, might I whine a wee bit. I’m finding it a bit tough to post these days. Partly that’s because we’ve got an amusing wee person and her ever-so-well-raised-by-clearly-superior-parents mother staying with us this week and the temperatures in this third straight week of sunny skies are more conducive to beach and hammock than to word-processing. But it’s partly also, my shallow, approval-seeking self admits, due to low numbers reported by my Statcounter. I’m blabbing and blabbing away and people are tiptoeing by, avoiding the boring blather . . . at least, that’s what my sensitive, insecure blogging self wonders. Really, I suspect, many of you are enjoying or grappling with the summer’s irregular schedule and not getting to your blog-reading. My own Google Reader has been sadly neglected.
But I’m curious to hear from other bloggers: Do you find a dip in the stats through July? Does it bother you? Do you respond by posting less since those words are rather wasted anyway and blog material is not to be squandered?
And if your numbers have soared, I’m not sure if I should ask you to keep that a secret and leave me my illusions, or if I’ll beg you to share some tips to keep the summer readers.
For now, though, I’m closing up my Netbook and heading outside. First a good run, but then the choices are walking to the park with Nola or taking her to the beach to look for crabs (since she’s arrived, her vocabulary has stretched: crab, beach, boat, barnacle, rock, stone, seaweed, ocean, house, Lily (the dog visiting next door) . . . and on, and on . . . )
In short, yes. Many people have something else to do. On the other hand, that means fewer people post and I don't get as far behind on my Reader:).
The weather keeps me off line more these days..it is lovely outside in the sun.
I read your posts everyday…do not always comment, please be reassured your blog is part of my daily round.
That rainbow dress is adorable (perfect for such an adorable girl!). I'll bet she loves it.
I do find dips in stats during summer, especially around holidays. I get the feeling that a lot of people are reading from work, and when they're home or away, not so much.
As the Hostess said, you're part of my daily round as well – still waiting for photos of the Paris loot! :0)But no pressure! You enjoy your summer – you have lots to entertain you, especially Nola. Patricia
I'm taking August off, reading and writing. Summer's too short in Ontario to spend time online. See you!
Love Nola's new dress. Stripes are adorable on kids especially rainbow ones. I'm a blogging newbie, so I don't know much about stats, I enjoy reading your blog though.
I am a reading lurker, but enjoy your posts. I am also " a woman of a certain age" and really enjoy both the light and frothy and the deeper thoughts you write about. Never hurts to take a little summer time off, though. My own family is small and I have no children, so I suppose I enjoy some of them through reading about yours! Keep up the good posts.
Cherie
LPC: Thanks for the reassurance — and for pointing out the compensation! Let's enjoy the summer while it's here, absolutely!
HHR: I'm impressed you manage to post and to comment so often while you're off on your nautical adventures. I'm a sporadic commenter myself.
Pseu: Yes! I'm often amused to note the spike on Monday mornings — as soon as people are back at work, they find time to catch up on their blog reading.
Patricia: Funny how the vacation stuff now seems like old stale news — but you're right, I should share some of that shopping . . .
Duchesse: I debate doing just that, but I seem to be a wee bit addicted. We'll miss you, but I think the break is a v. good idea.
Karin: Thanks! I hope I didn't sound as if I was fishing for blog-approval. My intention was more to balance effort with value achieved, I guess. Glad to have you reading.
Cherie: So nice to have you comment, but don't feel you need to regularly — I'm happy to have visitors who only speak up occasionally. Before I started blogging myself, I almost never commented, and even now, there are many blogs I read without commenting, especially if the blog gets so much mail that my comment would be lost in the hundreds.
Oh Mater, that dress! Yes it is stripy but truly I am laughing a LOT at just the thought! Mainly Kitty's face if I did wear such a dress.
As I have said a few time I do not EVER check stats, truly I do not see the point. I would happily write my blog to an empty space because I write it for me. All you lovely blogguettes are just the icing on the cake. But yes I think most people are out enjoying the fun and come September they and I will get to do some catch up and the stats will slowly rise again.
I am also aware that some bloggers see their blog as some kind of industry and to that end work very hard at pushing themselves via comments etc, but where is the pleasure if you have to work at it?
I have noticed my stats going down, but I can't help but wonder if it's reciprocal – I have been so busy it's hard to find time to visit other blogs, so I'm wondering if I've slipped off others' radar screen. I've also had little uninterrupted time to write – I have four or five unfinished posts in the chute, but never seem to find the time to complete them.
For me, the summer has been incredibly busy with my new job assignment. Paradoxical, since I am working at the beach!
I have a very short history of blogging, so I am only guessing, that people do blogging more on the working days. Week-ends are therefore more quiet. And naturally the holidays, when many travel around and about. I have noticed that the subject of the post can either pull people to comment, or push them away. Anyway, I think that it is most important to be honest and write about things that touch you in some way. And I just have to add, that the dress for Nola is so c u t e .
Indigal: You're def. icing on my cake, absolutely! And yes, I thought of how appalled your girls would be and had a chuckle.
Aunt Snow: You've intrigued me and I'm going to go catch up at your blog and see if I can find out what work you're doing at the beach. You're absolutely right that the stats-dropping is something I have a reciprocal part in, since my visiting is down as well.
Metscan: This is my impression as well, and it amuses me that people seem to blog more during their working hours — do you think their employers know?
Thanks for your helpful comments — good to have such pleasant company in this blogging endeavour.
Oh summer activities have kept my behind on many things, but your blog is one of the joys. I will also admit that I sometimes save up your posts until I have time to savor them, which does not help the stat-counter at all. Still, enjoy the summer, and Nola, while you can.
Mardel: Aw, you're sweet — hope you're enjoying your summer as well!