Happy Blogger Birthday!

5 Years!

Here's  to another five years of blogging and learning!  
May you not get tired of reading, 
and may I not run out of things to say! 

In five years I have learned:
  • Don't measure your blog by your comments--otherwise you will think "spammers" care more about their family history than your family!
  • You don't have to have a picture for every post--otherwise you will run out of picture space!
  • You don't have to have a "research" paper for every post--otherwise you will grow weary of writing very quickly.
  •  There are connections to be made--I have had several distant family members contact me because they have run across the blog!  This is rare, but very rewarding!  It is also rewarding when I am doing an internet search and my blog pops up; this means the information is out there!
  • It is not as easy as it looks--there has to be planning, coordinating, and lots and lots of writing!
  • Use the blog to your advantage--I have begun to use the blog and the newsletter in conjunction with each other to give out more information than will ordinarily fit into the newsletter.  I was worried at first that it may be a crossover with information from the newsletter, but that is sometimes unavoidable.
  • Source, source, source--always cite your sources.  Even on your blog!
  • Blogs are a great way to keep your web bookmarks--many times while out researching I have not been able to get to a site I need, but since I have it linked to my blog I have been able to find very quickly.
  • A blog is a great way to challenge you and keep your learning current--I have to read and take classes, and to stay current on my learning, and to gather information.  This has helped me be a better researcher.
Five years ago today I posted my first blog post here.
I sincerely need to thank my daughter, Farrah,  for her help in teaching me how to use blogger; especially through my first few months. 

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