Blogging, the Blogging World and the Cowgirl Blog List No. 1
Anyone for a Follow?
I’m probably the zillionth person to say this…but…
When I first started this blog I had a vague aim to practise writing, do something creative with my spare time and give a purpose to my obsessive visual documentation. I hoped that with a bit of luck some people might find the story of the cows and my general musings interesting – a willing audience, hurrah! Thanks must go to my lovely friends and family who loyally followed me in the first place which gave me lots of encouragement. Thanks x x
Of course, as I found out pretty quickly, and I think most bloggers would probably agree, blogging is so much more than this. I have found myself swept up into the friendly bosom of a parallel universe – the Blogging World – a huge community of pen and camera wielders much like myself, tip tapping away on computer devices all over the globe. Another unexpected and interesting result of all this interacting is that my blog seems to have developed a life of its own.
In Blogging World I have met like minded and not so like minded folk, where we might share a laugh, exchange opinions and chit chat about anything from the joys of butter and farming ethics to the beauty of nature and the state of the world and culture. A bit like a giant pub, but with pictures.
There are cultural differences in blogging styles and one of the things I’ve noticed is that we Brits seldom show our faces – this is not surprising to me (that would be giving too much away wouldn’t it?) but I wonder what the franker and more upfront bloggers make of chatting with a bunch of legs, spiders, masked faces, flowers or symbols. And for us Brits it can be tortuous process selecting an image to represent ‘me’, so why do we put ourselves through it? Probably because Blogging World is in essence an unreserved place so we have to maintain our cultural identity somehow!
Anyway, in the spirit of the WordPress award system, today I’d like to spread some blog love. The actual award thing I’m a bit allergic to; probably some unresolved issues with authority there, or maybe it’s just the reserved thing again.
There are so many good blogs out there but here are fifteen to be going on with.
Taking a break from lawyering in London and relocating to the French Alps with her husbandand two very young children, the writer of this blog wittily chronicles the trials and tribulations of her ‘new life in the middle of nowhere‘
Asked how she likes her eggs she replied ‘in a cake’ – a woman after my own heart 🙂
Honest, poignant, funny, fierce; this writer really has a way with words. She speaks from the heart about lots of different subjects from Downton Abbey to Freedom of Choice isn’t Always Freedom, and relates the personal with the political in a really engaging and witty way.
If anyone relates to being in the wrong job or being over-stressed or tired you should read her post Thank you Panic Attack.
Plus she takes great photographs too.
This happy light hearted blog is perfect for the armchair traveller, which I am these days. I always wanted to do a road trip across the United States, it even got to the discussion stage with a friend at one point. Now, I have fun watching this road trip unfold, taking in all the wonderful sights along the way.
Currently in Arizona, a-maz-ing!
I recently stumbled upon this beautiful blog, the record of an urbanite trying out small scale farming in Ontario, Canada and looking for a simpler life. The photographs are great, capturing a real sense of the place and the nature around. More walks please I say!
‘We’ll see just how simple that simpler life really is…’ they remark wryly in their About bit, which I thought was funny.
More tales from urbanites trying their hand at living the good life and proper self sufficiency, this time on four acres in Tasmania, Australia. I can now live vicariously through other peoples efforts with vegetables, you never know some of it might eventually rub off on me. The sheer positive exuberance and generosity of spirit and a great sense of humour makes the Serendipity Farm blog irresistible to me. Plus amazing phrases like ‘the twin machetes of adventure and change‘ are wielded about.
And they make lovely spoons. I missed out in their spoon lotto but I’m hoping to win won one day.
Permaculture Magazines covergirl and freelance journalist, an intrepid globe trotter WOOFing her way around the world (that’s Working On Organic Farms), Rebecca chronicles her adventures and misadventures on farms and smallholdings. One of her last placements was at a Hare Krishna temple in Utah, USA where she was stunned to find out they were more interested in Krishna than composting and recycling. Funny, thoughtful and quirky with fantastic photographs, I always look forward to reading the next instalment.
I love the way this blogger displays his metal detecting finds, like they are treasure. Having lived near the Fylde Coast and the river Ribble and its estuary for many years, the writer knows and cares for this landscape and its wildlife intimately, from all different angles – the surface, underneath the surface and its history. Fascinating.
What can I say? A writer who is in search of just the right word and she just about gets it right 100% of the time I should say. Beautiful, elegant prose delivered in small essays on all manner of subjects, from social issues to religious festivals and North American culture. In fact one of her posts was about essay writing itself which is what motivated me to start following.
That, and that she quoted writer Flannery O’Connor saying that ‘reading my own work is akin to eating a horse blanket…’ which tickled me.
She includes poetry and music in her posts and I always learn something even though I’m not always in agreement. She is truly engaged with her many readers and answers every comment with thoughtfulness and care. How she manages to do all this while running a yacht varnishing business at the same time is beyond me – another good reason to chuck out the TV!
Teashops. An obsession of mine too, why didn’t I think of this idea?!
Lorna has a mission to go to all the teashops in Scotland and report back to her readers. Cue fab pictures of buns and china. But it wouldn’t be doing this blog justice to leave it at that. She’s an engaging and warm writer and reading her posts are always a pleasure, you feel like you’re there with her.
Charming, Delightful.
I also really want to know what she does when she works on the oil rigs.
‘Just another (gr)egghead trying to get it in focus’ says Lemony
Typically modest from this amazing photographer of spiders, plants, her neighbours garden among other things, like experimenting with the representation of her recent illness pneumonia.
Creative and inspired.
Everything you ever want to know about news in British agriculture/conservation in short up-to-date snippets packed with facts. She leans towards the sustainable in outlook but reports on everything.
She also reblogs interesting related posts from other bloggers.
I particularly enjoy her ‘Vegetable of the Month’ and ‘Tree of the Month’ posts
Brave and honest, this writer is not afraid of tackling the big subjects of loss and pain, having been both part of a country’s tragedy and suffering a personal one.
I read the first excerpt from her memoir of her time in Sarajevo and subsequent events and wanted to read more.
Gerry, the erudite and eloquent Liverpudlian blogs ceaselessly on all things cultural – books, films, exhibitions, documentaries, radio programmes, history – a one stop shop for all my cultural needs.
He is also in love with landscape and takes you on guided walks around the Liverpool area. With stunning descriptions and beautiful photography.
Long reads, get yourself a cup of coffee!
Artist and photographer Debbie wanders her northern landscapes. I just can’t get enough of those images of Morecambe Bay.
Beautiful, wild, haunting.
Although this is the official blog of the Rowley Art Gallery, London and here you will find links to all sorts of beautiful art and artists, Hamer also blogs brilliantly on the walks he takes and the places he visits with top class photography and evocative description.
One of his recent posts was from Toledo, Spain where he got slightly obsessed with walls – ‘once I started photographing them I couldn’t stop’ he said. But I love a good wall too, so that’s ok.
Some of the artists that the gallery represents also guest blog so it’s interesting to see their work too.
I am saving up.
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So, that’s the end of my first list. I hope you have fun discovering some new blogs in 2013.
Happy New Year!
thinkingcowgirl 