Projects

Saturday, June 08, 2024

Twenty Years of Eat the Blog

 

Twenty Years? Oh My!

I certainly never expected this blog to go two decades when I first sat down to type a few recipes back on 2 June 2004. Good thing I did, as search engines have become largely useless thanks to AI-at least I have a record of successful recipes. I have a record of some rather terrible ones as well but that's what I'll call the learning curve of doing things well. *coughs*.

I didn't set out to blog every moment of Dan's childhood, and for that we're both thankful. I've tried to be respectful of his privacy, and not post things likely to embarrass later on. There's a generation that have had their toilet training and worse documented online. 

My hope is that the homeschooling posts will be reassuring to parents wondering if they are up to the task. So much of what's online in the homeschooling community is downright intimidating. I wasn't the best teacher, nor was I the worst. What homeschooling provided was one-on-one instruction and the ability to tailor to curriculum as needed. That sort of flexibility isn't possible in a classroom of 30 students. If there's anything I'd encourage thinking about before deciding to homeschool, it is behaviour. If you are having behaviour/discipline issues with your child, homeschooling might not be the direction to go. Sometimes an outside authority figure is needed. Sometimes. You know your child, so use that knowledge and be honest with yourself. 

By 2013 the blog started to shift away from cooking and focus on my vintage clothing/thrifted fashion interests. Chuck some perfume posts in there too. I'm glad I did the perfume reviews because I was treated to the most virulent, hilarious, outraged comment on J Love perfume I'd received  in 20 years of blogging. I wouldn't have wanted to miss that. It wasn't even a negative review! People have strong opinions about perfume (and everything else) though it is telling that comment was left in 2024. It took twenty years of blogging before someone went full-on personal attack on a long-ago post, on a largely abandoned blog. I wonder if it has to do with the demise of Twitter and the uselessness of X as a forum, or if people are just getting angrier? 

Outraged comments aside, twenty years of blogging has brought so many lovely people into my life. I'm so lucky to know such wonderful people. We've been through a lot together, haven't we? Thank you for being here, and thank you for letting me be a part of your lives as well. 

I'm going to try to pop in here a bit more often, and visit your blogs as well. I have a new computer and phone and I'm sure (okay not that sure) there must be some way to get photographs up here without copying them from Tumblr, but otherwise I am still on Tumblr as @goodymcgoodface. I'm spending less time on Instagram as it seems all I do is block scammers and get bombarded with ads. I log out now when I'm not using it. That keeps the listening tobetter target ads down, and it forces me to be thoughtful about logging in to use social media rather than mindlessly scrolling. Why use something designed to make you feel bad about yourself? My mother is dead, I don't need Instagram taking her place.

I hope you're having a great summer/winter and again, thanks again for being here. My life is better for having such great people in it.


11 comments:

  1. So nice to see you here! I missed you! I want to read anything & everything you write!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So happy to see you back to blogging, Goody! What an achievement, 20 years of blogging. Well done! Well done to Dan on graduating, too. He does look handsome in his cap and gown! My grandson didn't get the A level results he hoped for and decided to re-sit them. He has the final re-sit exam tomorrow 11th June and we're hoping his grades will have improved - then he's off to uni. Not sure where yet; it will depend upon his grades...
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:01 AM

    Ich bin schon länger eine stille Leserin ihres interessanten Blogs und schreibe Ihnen aus Deutschland.
    Auch durch Sie erschließt sich mir eine andere Welt, die ich noch nicht kennenlernte.
    Vielen Dank für Ihre Berichte, auch aus schweren Zeiten. Ich wünsche Ihnen und Ihrer Familie alle Gute und würde mich freuen, wieder mehr von Ihnen zu lesen.

    Es grüßt Sie Petra aus Deutschland

    ReplyDelete
  4. Emily6:47 PM

    Congratulations on your blog anniversary! I'm happy that you're still popping in from time to time to post something new. I'm old-school and I really like to read blogs, even though they're increasingly rare in a world where most people choose to build their social media empire on Instagram, Youtube, Substack, or Tiktok.

    I couldn't resist taking a peek at the fragrance review that drew someone's ire. I thought your review was fair, balanced, and full of picturesque imagery-- a true pleasure to read! I can only assume that your eloquence as a reviewer triggered a psychological meltdown in a very fragile, combative person who goes on an ad hominem attack whenever someone on the Internet doesn't agree with their opinion on a subject, no matter how trivial that subject is.

    Wishing you and your family a great summer,
    Emily

    ReplyDelete
  5. congratulations to your 20. anniversary - dear goody!!
    in 2004 i only used to recive & write emails.... did not knew that something like blogs even exist. until 2010 and a knee surgery with 2 month of lying down.
    dicovering your blog was an epiphany!
    very very stylish outfits with coolest vintage clothing, hearthy and healthy recipes and extremely smart text and good black humor......
    <3 <3 <3
    thank you!
    miss you!
    xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy 20 years, Goody! I was happy to see a comment from you, and I wondered, "Does this mean she's posted?" YES! I had to click through and read that hilarious comment! "a phake phony no talent no taste, no smelling Snob" - wow.

    I've been reading Substack and following a few writers there, but it feels clique-y. I was disappointed that it's impossible to stay logged into Blogger to comment on posts through my phone, stupid iPhone.

    Anyway, good to see you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:11 AM

    I’m so glad you’re back and posting - however intermittently! I’ve loved reading your blog for so many years and the 20-year celebration has finally prompted me to comment :) Vicky

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad to see you back in the blogsphere again!
    Years of following your recipes for food and fashion has been the equivalent of a home-schooled course in having fun while adulting -- and I do regret having missed the Egyptian hissy-fit about perfume (?!).
    Danny's cakes have been inspiring, both those you baked for his special occasions and those he created for the State Fair. And let's not forget his expertise in sounding like a chicken.
    Or your chicken purse.
    Please keep blogging. This sad, mad world needs your wit and wisdom.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow 20 years! I haven't been reading it that long but I have thoruoghly enjoyed following your blog ovr the years that I have so happy Anniversary and I look forward to seeing more posts in the future. xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations on 20 years Eat The Blog, Goody! I hope to see you here more often! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Many happy returns and here's to many more years !

    ReplyDelete