Four years ago this week I wrote my first blog post. I wasn’t really sure if anyone would want to read it, but amazingly people did and now I average approx. 2500 views per week (which isn’t massive figures compared to some of the ‘big’ bloggers out there-but I still find it incredible).
From the beginning I wanted my blog to be a mixture of simple living, vegetable growing, money saving and old fashioned cleaning with a modern day twist. But overall I wanted the blog to be helpful and easy to understand, as I had to learn the hard way from endless book reading and lots of ‘trial and error’…. I wanted people to be able to learn these skills easily. I hope I have acheived this.
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When I started blogging my daughters were 12 and 14 years old and now they are young adults at 16 and 18 years old. I am so glad I wrote about our birthdays, christmases and special events, as I now have reminders of these wonderful celebrations on my blog (and smaller details in life are so easily forgotten if they aren’t written down).
Many people over the four years have commented on my blog and the comments are the one thing that spurs me on to carry on writing….it is so lovely to hear from you each week. In fact I was only planning to write for one year in the beginning and because of your wonderful comments it spurred me on to continue writing.
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There have also been some sad times and low periods over the last four years that I never expected to write about when I first started my blog in 2012….
…….One of my oldest friends passed away three years ago after a long battle with cancer and my father in law passed away after a long illness two years ago…..your comments were beautiful on both occaisions and I will never forget the kind words you all left for me and my family.
There was also a low period when my dad gave up ‘his patch’ at my allotment as it was getting too much for him……
And the awful time I had to make the aganising decision to give up my lovely four allotments…….
And not to forget Judy our highly ‘reactive’ rescue dog (the main reason for giving my allotments up). I didn’t know how much she would change our life as she was so scared of everything (incl. dogs) when she came to us in October 2014. Unfortunately it all came out as barking and lunging and I had many people shout at me while I was walking with her…..but it wasn’t her fault, she just needed time and love….and lots of training……and thanks to Havers Dog Behaviour Judy is so much better than she was and you can see in her ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs below that she looks a lot less timid and scared and whole lot more healthy and confident.
Each week during these low moments, your kind words kept me going….thank you!
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However, there has also been many, many happy things I have written about too, such as family events….
Halloween parties……
Fund raising for charities…..
And being one of the runners up in the ‘Grow it’ magazine allotment competition….
And featuring in the Kitchen Garden magazine….
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As you know I love to bake using my allotment / kitchen produce and I hope you enjoyed reading my recipes, such as my lavender cakes, courgette tray bake, beetroot cake and also my cheesy courgette scones …..
….we have enjoyed eating them! Together with all the jams and pickles I have made over the years:
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One enormous change to our life was when we knocked the wall between our kitchen and back room down, to make our kitchen diner…..it has made such a difference to our house and it is a room where we all spend many hours together. Though I am still amazed we managed to live without a kitchen for six weeks and ate meals using our microwave, slow cooker and a ‘one pan’ camping stove…it definately took some organising, but it was worth it.
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Finally, my biggest passion in life is growing vegetables in an organic garden with LOTS of flowers to attract beneficial insects.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the many ‘highs’ (and ‘lows’) that I have experienced in my allotment and my new kitchen garden…..
….And the produce that I have managed to harvest over the years…..
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I feel truely blessed to have enjoyed many moments that I have written about over the last four years and I am so glad that people seem to enjoy sharing these moments with me.
Thank you for your continued support!
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I will be back next week as usual.
Have a great week!
XXX
That’s a relief I thought you were going to say you would stop blogging. Inspiring as ever, and informative. Your blog is one of the good things about Friday.
Lol, that is what Mr Thrift said when he was checking it
Like the previous comment, I thought your lovely writing today was leading up to bad news! I love your blog – I was new to blog reading just 18 months ago and am pleased I found yours. I love to hear about Judy. I think I’ve read most of your archives but every now and again I go back and re-read something. Long may your blog continue!
Oh bless you LH and thank you for reading my blog
Oh my goodness, I fear you’ll have many ‘regulars’ thinking you were about to say you’re off!!😂 A Friday would not be the same without you’re weekly update and this post in particular is wonderful! A snapshot of what you’ve achieved. Amazing and you should be so proud of that kitchen garden! Please keep blogging!x
Oh thank you Helsbels…what lovely comments I am getting this week
How quick the time flies, each year I turn my blog post into a year book, I love reading them with our grandsons.
What a lovely idea Marlene. Have a great week XX
Happy Bloggiversary. I absolutely love reading your blog and have benefitted from reading all your recipes and tips. Keep posting and we’ll keep reading.
xx
Thank you for your kind words Mum….and I enjoy reading your blog too XX
It is incredible and I’m very pleased for you (and a little bit jealous!) but you do prove that honest, interesting and original blogs do succeed. Here’s to making it 25,000 views per week. X
Lol I don’t think I will ever have that amount of views…..but it really doesn’t matter anyway, as long as the people who read regularly enjoy it I will keep going. Have a great week XX
Its amazing that four years seem to have passed so quickily, I do so enjoy reading your posts, its a wonderful mix of growing and home, and wonderful money saving ideas, thank you, look forward to the next four years! Do have a good week.
Sue
Thank you Sue and I hope you have a great week too XX
I read your posts every week and have never commented before but it has been wonderful to read about your love, honesty and perseverance with Judy. Rescue dogs often come with their own baggage, most often not their fault, and it’s heart warming to see your hard work paying off. Oh, and I also love the veg talk too. Look forward to reading many more posts in the future!
Thank you so much for commenting on my blog, it means the world to me to hear people say they enjoy my writing. Thank you for reading my blog too XX
I have said this before and I will say it again. Your blog is my go to blog when I need to search for something. I have told people about it, referenced it and generally love it! I am going to make a concerted effort to comment more as I feel I take but don’t give and that’s wrong of me (I know that’s not why you wrote you comments) so a huge thank you to you for all your posts and here’s to many more to come. I look forward to them xxx
Oh bless you Tracy for your support, however I understand people prefer to read and not comment (though I LOVE to receive coments). I too read lots of blogs and only comment occaisionally as time restricts me….I enjoy your blog imparticular and love seeing what you have been upto each week as you are living my dream – (though lack of money, age and my husbands work make my dream impossible lol). Have a great week Tracy and keep blogging too
I too thought you were going to say that though you enjoyed writing the blog, it was getting too much for you and you had decided to concentrate on other things. Thank goodness you didn’t because I look forward to reading it. It brings a bit of home to me in Canada and I have received many tips from you for my garden. You really have a ‘green thumb’. Thank you and many happy hours in your garden.
Thank you Ann for your kind words and continued support. It never crossed my mind that people would think I was going to give my blog up lol. Have a lovely week XX
happy birthday to your blog!!! i love reading your blog, you have so many tips for gardening and simple living!!!
thank you and have a wonderful week,
regina
Thanks Regina for your kind words. Have a wonderful week too
Well done – doesn’t time fly?
It does doen’t it Sue….How long have you been writing your wonderful blog for?……I really love reading it
happy blogbirthday!
Thanks Mary XX
Happy Birthday Lisa. I think you are an amazing lady and wish I could be so efficient and organised as you, or even half as! Your blogs are so interesting they would make a lovely printed book.
Oh bless you Maureen and thank you for your support over the last few years XX
Happy Bloggy Anniversary! Your blog has helped me with gardening no end. And I love your kitchen, it looks so well planned out. Well done on having such a lovely blog!
Thank you Sol and thank you for your continues support