For the mind, by nature stagey, welds its frame
Tomb-like around each little world of a day.
We jump from picture to picture and cannot follow
the living curve that is breathlessly the same.
— Louis Mac Neice / 1907-1963
What little world?
EACH LITTLE WORLD that collides with mine:
The world of interiors and exteriors; bibliophiles; china and dishing; feasts and fests; food; flowers and gardens; material possessions and textile obsessions; worldly goods and bads.
Your worlds and mine.
Let the collision begin.
The above two paragraphs and accompanying two photos announced the arrival of my blog exactly three years ago today. Though collision is certainly not the right word — more like a whisper — given the few folks who actually read it in those days.
In the beginning I posted daily; sometimes even twice a day. It seemed easy compared to putting out two editions of a daily newspaper as I did in my pre-blogging life. I considered the blog to be more colorful versions of the myriad topics I covered in print. But when I went to the garden bloggers' 2009 meet-up in Chicago, they told me myriad topics were a blogging no-no. It's all about niche marketing and staying on topic. If you've been reading this blog for the last year — or week — you know that's not what you'll find here. I veer off track easily and often.
While I love to garden and write about it, I am equally adamant about art and reading. I am passionate about politics and history, and have been fascinated by food, fashion and fiber long before I ever picked up a trowel. In fact, I came to gardening through Elizabethan embroidery. I have been steadily writing about those topics since 1981 with a couple of short breaks between publishers. I've said it before and I say it again: To limit my blog to gardening is to limit my life.
If you live in Wisconsin — or pay attention to politics — you know my life, like that of thousands of others, has been turned topsy turvy by the actions of our governor. Some of you were not very happy when this mostly-garden-blog suddenly went political in February of this year. I wish I could say you've seen and read the last passionate political post but I know the fight's not over, and thus neither are my takes on current events. I spent part of my newspaper career as an editorial writer and editorial page editor — professionally opinionated as I like to say. I was writing about politics right along side of home and garden stories. And that's how I see the blog — the place where all my worlds can come together.
I've been lucky to discover a world of readers whose pursuits are equally diverse. Some of you I've known for years in my pre-blog life, some of you I've met in person post-blog and some of you I look forward to meeting one of these days. I picture all of you when I write, when I decide what to write, and when I look to see what you've written.
Thank you for continuing to visit my little world. I'd love to hear what you think so don't be shy; leave a comment. If you do comment, be sure to scroll down and type in the crazy combo of numbers and letters that let's me know you are a real reader and not a robot. Here's to another year of sharing our worlds.
