 My Charles, Bodie, and I went on a vacation. We went to the White Mountains to visit the Bristlecone Pines, and I took 500 photos. I'll share some of those with you another time, but for now, here's a Bristlecone being bathed in the sunrise while the moon hangs just out of reach.
While I was away, one of my favorite blogs signed off. It was a huge surprise to me, because the couple who wrote Young House Love were always so dedicated. I came back from my adventure, from a place where there is no cell reception, to find that YHL was gone. And I felt sad. More than sad. As many commenters said, I felt like I had lost a friend. Most blogs have a short lifespan. They're around for that quick burst of enthusiasm about whatever, and then they're gone. YHL was seven years old, pretty long in the tooth for a blog. According to Timothy Burke, a professor of History at Swarthmore College and a long-time blogger, even the longer-lived blogs generally only last around three or four years before becoming something else. I started following YHL when they were still calling themselves, "This Young House." They were two people in their twenties, working on their first house, and figuring things out as they went along. To a gal who had recently moved to a new area and was feeling rather lonely, the blog was a godsend. They posted often. They were cheery and enthusiastic, and they even inspired me to start my own blog. As the years continued, they posted more often. Clicking on their blog was part of my morning ritual. It was something to look forward to as I took my first 15 minute break of the day. Theirs wasn't the first weblog I followed only to see it leave. Blogs have a natural life cycle, much like the people who write them. I still miss many of those bygone blogs, but I think I'll miss John and Sherry most of all. I'll be in mourning for a time. I'll keep blogging, though I don't think this site will ever see postings of predictable regularity. I do strive to post every Saturday on Sapid Cellar Door, in case you're craving some Mellisa-time, and I'm not appearing here. And I'll keep seeking blogs out. I still have a list of favorites, and ones that I find myself following in a more dedicated fashion these days. Blogs probably won't see as many sunrises as that Bristlecone Pine up above, (somewhere over a million sunrises so far,) but they still bring me joy and a sense of community, and I'm grateful for that. While I may be in mourning black for a bit, there are many reasons I'll be in color again soon. Here are a few I visit multiple times each week: My Favorite and My Best The Bloggess Vintage Revivals Manhattan Nest Semiproper Wil Wheaton Anne Wheaton Door Sixteen Emily Henderson Neil Gaiman Amanda Palmer |