Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Am I offending you?

I just got finished reading a blog post called "The Secret is in the Sauce" (you can read it HERE too if you so desire.....) But it all boils down to getting people to 1-read your blog and 2-stick with you. I don't know if you noticed, but I've started to change the face of the blog ever-so-slightly. Of course, yes, this is a blog about adoption. Hence the title "From Russia With Love", but as many of my fellow adoption bloggers can testify, I think at some point you get a little tired of adoption, adoption, adoption. You (make that I) don't want adoption to be the only thing that defines our lives. Chad, Charlie and I are so many other things. We are Christians, we are a family, I love to cook, read, and buy things with coupons. We love football and Halloween and dressing up like Pirates. And I LOVE SHOES. Lots of shoes. Sometimes I want to go off on a tangent about just how much I love shoes, but I felt in the past I am doing you a disservice if you came here to only read about Russian adoption. I thought about stopping the blog. I thought about changing the blog. Then I thought-who cares- I'll just write about what I feel like writing and hope no one is offended and stops following me.
Because if you know me personally, I am a kind of love me or leave me kinda gal. But for some reason when I mysteriously loose a follower it makes me a little self conscious. Is it something I said? Was it something I didn't say? I know, I am taking this blog thing WAY too seriously. But it is important to me. I love blogging. I love you, all 76 of you that follow this blog and the many, many more that lurk in background and stop me on my way into church and say "oh my gosh, I can't believe you cussed out a government agent"
So, I say all that to say this. Things are changing a little bit around here. If you don't like my posts like "Tight Wad Wednesdays" or how I am addicted to Zulily please let me know.
Oh my goodness that was a HUGE tangent! (See I'm getting you use to the new From Russia With Love....) Anyway, the secret in the sauce article. In order not to offend or annoy you I should do a few housekeeping items which I won't bore you with the details of. Some of them I'm not doing either because it annoys me too (like music playing in the background....) But one of the top 5 major complaints:
WHEN SOMEONE COMMENTS, YOU SHOULD COMMENT BACK TO THEM
Ooops. I've been blogging for over two years now and I never even thought about doing that. I read EVERY one of your comments. I LOVE comments. It keeps me moving in the right direction from a writing standpoint, but more than that it lets me know there are people out there that support me, think I'm not wasting my time typing huge posts like this one, or that I am providing useful information to you. I wish more people would leave me comments. But writing back to them? Have I totally offended you if you wrote me and I never said anything about it? Yikes. I mean if you take it from the point of view that if someone calls you or emails you, of course you would write them back.
So, just some food for thought. Sorry if you commented in 2010 and are waiting for me to respond to you. I didn't know I could do that to be quite honest with you. When I comment on other blogs, I don't go back and wait for a response. Maybe that's just me. Sorry if I let you down and you think I'm all stuck up and stuff. But I am turning over a new leaf. If you would like to leave a comment, I will write you back now that I know you were all offended and stuff. Please don't leave me. 

13 comments:

  1. I will leave a comment and say, it's your blog; write about whatever you feel like and I will read it because 1) it helps me do something besides work at work and 2) you were practically my sister growing up and it's great to hear how things are going for you, Chad, and Charlie.

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  2. lololo i have followed you for along time and prayeed hard theyd finally let charlie come home and its ok if you never commented sometimes i just read..

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  3. Not offended, just getting lazy with my comments lately :) I don't usually respond either. I have to say, I'm not a fan of the music thing either. But only because I usually try to read blogs as I'm listening to the TV. I like to multi-task :)

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  4. Why would I leave...I love lurking in the background"....makes me feel somewhat omnicient. Well, sort of.......

    Love from the dark side....UBD

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  5. I'm bad too about commenting on others and I agree with you on the veering away from all adoption all the time - I like to think of it more as just chronicling our everyday lives and occassionaly bringing adoption into the mix. You better write a comment to me in response!! :)

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  6. I love to read your blogs, no matter what the subject. It makes me feel close to you.....
    Oh wait, that is a Mother thing!! But, I do like keeping up via the "blogsphere". Love you lots!!

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  7. Ok- here it goes-
    Brittany: you ARE like a sister to me and I'm glad I help you escape from work.
    Denise: I am SO glad you aren't offended
    Nicole: Glad for your support and glad you think I'm funny. Lets be friends and you can laugh and talk about how pretty I am (hehehe)
    Jeanette: You are NOT lazy, you are just a multitasker that hates blog music like me.
    UBD: You are omnicient, you fabulous lurker you.
    Chris: I thought about typing you your own response because you were the only one that specifically requested one. Very nice. Agreeing with me AND stating your demands clearly.
    Mom: I love you too. And I am proud that you blog too (See pedal through the year or picture perfect on my blogrole)
    Everybody good?
    Love, Sarah

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  8. Can't stand the music either. Mostly because my sound is usually on full blast after visiting some abc fun website with Oliver. I bounce over to a blog and am bombarded with Tayor Swift screaming at me.

    I too am offended when I lose a reader. What? Too many pictures of my adorable child?

    Write what you want. I'm going to go write about my enclosed porch. I have a love/hate relationship with your coupon posts. Maybe jealousy is the proper description. It's just a talent I don't have. Someday...

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  9. Write about what you want! I do!!! All the time. It tends to be at least partly about Aidan, but not so much about adoption anymore. . .we've been home for 3 1/2 years, afterall. And, no, you don't have to comment back to me. I won't feel offended. . .haven't yet! Stay true to yourself. That's the best way to stay true to Charlie and Chad. God Bless!

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  10. Dear Sarah- I have been a faithful reader of your blog for a long long time. I, for one, have never felt offended because you didn't "comment" on my comments. I read your blog because #1 we are both adoptive mother's from Pskov, Russia... and most importantly #2.. you make me feel "normal"... so if you don't comment I'm sure you are busy cleaning up some awful mess (like sugar poured all over the carpet, like Savannah did yesterday) or trying to call the vet because your dog just at a poop diaper... or perhaps cleaning a diaper "residue" off the wall while a naked butt Charlie runs through the house...or maybe it's just trying to calm an extreme temper tantrum that's happening at a most inappropriate time (like the library one or like Savannah's at the grocery store last week.. AHHH yes, I love you... because you make my life seem so very "Normal".- Love you Sarah... Shawn

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  11. I'm TOTALLY offended. Haha. Yeah right! I love you! I LOVE your blog (when I have 2 seconds to sit down and read!) and you should do what you want. Losing a follower hurts when you have 20, it hurts when you have 200. I 'follow' a bunch of blogs I don't actually read- let's face it- who has time for that and (real) life? Really? So if someone is doing a tiny bit of housekeeping so be it. And as for commenting back. I'm not 100% great at that either. Enabling your email address helps a TON because you can just reply directly to the comment and it will go to the person's email address. Brilliant! Did you know that? PS Matthew will be in SC in a few weeks at his parents house for a week. You should totally steal a few minutes and go introduce Charlie to him (and Mike and Ruthie!) ;)

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  12. I love reading your blog...I especially love seeing my name pop up! I think I don't count though, since our brains have the same genetic makeup. And also since I am family, I don't mind if you don't comment on my comments:) I'll probably see you and give you live comments in person, when you cook me a fabulous dinner.

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