Friday, June 5, 2015

Blogging nostalgia


My apologies ahead of time for the following pictures, but they're screen shots of my computer taken with my camera.

Here's a nice one, before we get to the rest of the bad ones on this post ;)


Well, I think Bubba sleeping on a chair is nice ;)

Anyway...

Today, I finally sat down and actually went through the screen shots of my old blog, that were on the Internet Archive: Wayback Machine.

A couple of sweet friends, Liz  and Cindy, told me about the site when they saw this post.

There's not much there, but enough to look up some old blogging friends.

And also to see how embarrassing some of my posts were and my sad attempts at a header.

This is one of them from 2008:


Look at that post title... "Tagged!"

HA!

Still love Susie Q though ;)

In case you don't know, tagging was a "thing" back then.

You were asked a series of questions and you were supposed to answer them and pass them on.

I'll pass on showing my answers on here (cringe).

Here's a look at my blog after I finally gave up trying to do it myself and paid someone else to do it:



I'm thinking about doing that again.

I truly suck at technical things.


Then there was the awards.

Oh my... how exciting! You were "in the loop" if you received them. It meant that you had been noticed and your blog was something special.

Check out the title of this post:


I'm still thankful for all the awards I received, because people went out of their way to let me know how much they enjoyed reading my blog.

That's a nice thing to know, especially when you're not sure why anyone visits you in the first place ... cough... cough... and even more so when you're new to Blogland.

Back then, I always made sure the newbies got one.

Encouragement goes a long way.

Sadly, it's rare these days.

Anywho...

Eventually, it became passe and people put up "Award free blog".

Sigh.

So, let's see a glimpse of who made comments!

I think the only one left on this screen shot, that's still blogging, is sweet Brenda.

We've known each other for a long time, haven't we, my friend? :)


Eventually my blog list got so big, it had it's own page.

How sad is it that most of these people are gone?

Kasey from Lola B's... Love Leigh Things.. Mabel's House...

Lynne is still around though!


Tina, Cherry, Ruth Ann, Cynthia, and Joni are still blogging too!

Although most of them, not as often.

Oh and those buttons on the side...


That was a thing then too. Or is it still?

Sometimes I see them, sometimes I don't.

Oh well...

I think the worst thing, besides seeing my ex-husband's pictures and my old "about me" on there (more cringing here), was going through the list of blogs and only finding about 1/4 of them still blogging.

Some said goodbye and some just disappeared, like I did.

I hope that every one of them is happy wherever they are and that one day they'll come back like me and say hello.

All this to say, I knew it would be hard to take a look back, but I just didn't realize how hard.

Sadly, those early days of blogging are long gone and we'll never get them back, but I'm happy to be blogging again and for the new friendships I've made.

I really am :)

While I was writing this post, I thought of this quote:

"Don't cry over the past, it's gone. Don't stress about the future, it hasn't arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful."



Make it beautiful?

Well, I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything ;)

xo
rue



56 comments:

  1. Yes, dear friend, we go way back. I remember when you had that blog makeover. It was the cat's meow. Every time I visit here, I think, wow, I'm so glad she is back. Happy to know you're okay and I have my friend back.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  2. I should do a post of various blogging names and headers I've had. It would be a hoot. Because I change a LOT. (as the last few days of backgrounds would indicate. LOL) I'll have to check out your old site later this weekend. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly, that blog was erased about 4 years ago, Gwen. So you'd have only the screen shots like I showed.

      I think past blogging names and headers would be fun though :)

      Delete
  3. Hi sweet Rue! You're so right about how much blogigng has changed. I remember you from Rate My Space and when you left. BJ left RMS, Cindyl left RMS, and many others. RMS was getting nasty and I left and started blogging too! It was so much fun in the beginning wasn't it? I still enjoy blogging but I've slowed down a lot because my life now is so busy. I've lost some blogging friends too that just disappeared, some got burned out, some no explanation at all, and have lost some that passed away. I've lost some blog friends because they've become BIG BLOGS and don't have time to ever comment back to me because I'm a little blog. I've said it before, but I really missed you when you left blogland and I'm glad you've come back to us and the reminder of the good ole days of blogging.
    Have a great weekend, sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rue, wish I would have known you back then. I've been blogging for about four years and some things have changed, yet some things have stayed the same. I'm surprised to see so many that have moved on and no longer blog. I still have some friends that I've had from the start, and that's so special. Those pink roses are lovely, and I just want to tell you that I really like the end table next to your chair, it has a unique design.

    Here's to old friends, Rue........and new!

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
  5. The blog Mabel's House by Liz Owen is now Elizabeth-Harrell.com. She was divorced and just announced that she is re-marrying. Lots of changes in her life.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was with you back then too and wondered many times where you went. I'm glad you are ok.

    Blogging has changed so much that I've thought a lot about stopping. However, I love looking back (even though the photos are terrible) at my old house and my family. I'm bothered that blogs have become so perfect and people pretend that their lives revolve around a perfect house...well maybe they do, I don't know. August 2008 was the beginning for me. I do still find many encouraging women who want to connect about home and family. That's what I enjoy the most. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I meant to say: It was a treat to see your former header. I always loved the red-and-white checks. And your blackboard was always a delight. I agree--live in the here and now. [Sorry for the double message!]

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Rue, I haven't thought about Wayback for ages.
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rue, what a great post! Yikes, I agree, when I look at my first blog post it's kind of embarrassing, but it was such a sweet little community of online friends. I think my first blogpost title was "I'm desperate for Spring!" Eek. I actually loved your checked header at Rue's Peanutbutter & Jelly life. :) it's sad that so many stopped blogging, but wonderful that are still so many friends who do left. Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Rue...wow those metal ice trays sure did bring back the sweet memories! Searing hot Tennessee summers...only room for TWO precious ice trays in the little Kelvinator refrigerator....popping that coveted ice.....The clink in the colorful. Aluminum tumblers....and then the ice cold Co Cola or Dr pepper sipped on the vine shady wood porch....bliss.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I didn't know you back then, but I know you now a bit, so I am here in the present with you. This quote is a good reminder to us all. I hope that your looking back didn't make you too sad. xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. I was never a "big-time" blogger, but I was surprised at all the changes when I rejoined the blogging world. It did seem like it was getting too professional and too perfect. I am glad more people are sharing their real lives now. I do miss a lot of people on my blog roll. I actually had 3 years of my blog printed in a paperback book (Blog to print, I think it was called) and then I went through and deleted a lot of my posts. I still have them as a diary, but it wasn't necessary to leave them out there for a lot of reasons. Some were so amateur that it was embarrassing, some were just meaningless and some brought up things I don't want to share anymore. I am glad you are back and I am glad you seem so happy!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've always felt so jealous when other people talked about "I've known Rue since her PB&J days" and I never got to see that wonderful blog. Thanks so much for sharing that throwback with all of us newbies! :-) You also answered a lingering question I've had about "Award-free Blog" buttons I've seen on other blogs. I would think, "Well, geesh, you don't need to advertise that you haven't had an award yet...your turn will come." Haaahheeeheee! Now I know...

    And yes, I find a picture of Bubba sleeping in the sun quite nice. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh Sweet Rue, you wrote so much of what I think daily. Blogging has changed from where it was. Kindness is behind the closed door instead of being on the open side. I remember the days of RMS and how kind you were, I was so delighted to run across your blog then and even more to have you back in my life now. It's always fun to look back and remember, even more fun to move forward and create new memories with old and new friends. Your post speaks volumes. Thanks for the shout out.... love you girl...fondly ~lynne~

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh gollly, I still have old blogs of mine, "knocking around" on the Net. -grin- I can go look at most of them. And it can be fun.

    I have NEVER paid anyone, to do anything, with/on my blog. !!!! It's simply not necessary. I am totally not techy, and I have learned to do my own Banners. And to change the picture in them, frequently.

    I find that, when bloggers pay for a Banner... They never, never, never change it. Or the "look" of their blog. And to me, this is borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring. Oh so boring. I-need-to-change-my-blog-Banner-and-look. :-)

    Why cringe at an old blog? It was a learning process. How could we have ever gotten to "our-now"? Without having gone through "our-past"?????

    Never liked Awards, or lots of (sometimes blinking!!!! Eeeek!!!) sidebar stuff. In fact, I don't even have a sidebar. It's on the bottom of my blog, for just the necessities.

    Fun topic here! Pics, of our old blogs! Our old backgrounds and etc. Just might do one of these myself. :-))))

    Gentle hugs,
    Tessa



    ReplyDelete
  17. Our younger selves seem embarrassing but it was all part of the process of becoming our grownup self. I'm glad you found these old posts even if parts of it made you sad. I've enjoyed getting to know more about all you pioneers of blogging because I didn't even know what a blog was before 2012. You've cleared up a lot of things I wondered about.

    I hope this post ends up linking you back with some of your old blog friends, Rue, so that you can meet again. Meanwhile, we're all blessed to know the Rue of An Old-Fashioned World!

    ReplyDelete
  18. A fun walk down Memory Lane.

    I wasn't blogging back then, but I must say that your blog title was totally fun!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Rue! I have tried many times to leave a comment but it keeps vanishing. Ugh!

    I'm happy you are blogging and doing well. I'm on FB, Pinterest and Instagram. Please stop by anytime!

    Take care,

    Melissa Miller

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. me too, melissa! hmmmmm...

      m ^..^

      Delete
    2. hey, well this works so i will comment here! ;} RUE!!! so, glad to see your name pop up, my mod friend!! your home is so dang cute!!! look forward to more posts!!! WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!

      m ^..^

      Delete
    3. Hi Melissa! Oh my gosh... it's so great to hear from you!! I tried to email you back, but you're a noreply commenter. I hope you see this. What happened to your blog??

      (((hugs)))
      rue

      Delete
    4. Mod friend LOL I completely forgot about that, M! How funny....

      Thank you for popping in :)

      xoxo

      Delete
    5. Rue I have tried and tried to comment over the past few months and Brenda's too! No luck. Finally this is working a little here. I closed my blog long ago! We moved to Florida and have had many changes as well.

      Stop by my Facebook and Pinterest under Melissa Miller. My Instagram under melissamiller99. The "new blog" way for me, lol!

      Delete
  20. I didn't know you from your previous blog, but honestly - your blog header (the one you did) was just fine! I sometimes go to my old blog (melathome) at look at it, but it's bittersweet because that's the blog I was doing when my oldest son, Phil was still alive. I ended it and took a blogging break when he passed away in September 2009.

    ReplyDelete
  21. So happy to be able to "see" you again! You, Brenda and Tina @ Cherry Hill Cottage were the first blogs I found, years ago. I love reading about "real people" and their homes, not those "big blogs" that are constantly going from one huge budget project to the next. I'm glad you are happy and well! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really glad you found me again too, Deb :)

      xo

      Delete
  22. I think when blogs became monetary and less personal it just wasn't as much fun for a lot of bloggers. I said from the beginning that I wrote my blog to document our families life.I still do that. Those that visit my blog is just the ice cream on top. For those who are in it just for money it probably loses its satisfaction. People also quit commenting. I myself have all comments sent on to my email. No matter how busy I am with school, family and work I always try to find a bit of free time to let everyone who comments on DTA that I care by visiting their blog. Has it kept my blog small? Probably but I am ok with that and the lovely friends that I have made.

    ReplyDelete
  23. My blog is boring. The header's been the same since day one. Of course, now I have to go check out your old post on the Wayback machine....

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mabel's House has changed and she now has a blog at: http://elizabeth-harrell.com
    Miss those day too Rue!

    ReplyDelete
  25. It is unfortunate that things have to change and lives sometimes have to be reassessed to try and fit everything in. With things changing in my life over the last few weeks my visits to other blogs have been severely limited, but I couldn't imagine now not blogging and sharing things with people who have been so kind over the last three years. I cringe at some of my early posts but put it down to the learning process :-) Take care xx

    ReplyDelete
  26. I miss some of the ladies who used to blog, I often wonder what happened to some of them when I look at one of my old posts and the comments. And sometimes I feel like a dinosaur! I guess it's life though, friends can fall to the wayside and more people will continue to enter into your world. I love meeting new bloggers...I might read a comment from someone on another blog and think, "She sounds interesting." So our little world expands as well as shrinks.

    One of the things I miss the most is joining in on parties where everyone really DID visit each other. I think there's very little reason to have parties anymore. I met so many bloggers that way. A few weeks ago I joined a party for the heck of it. I visited about 20 blogs and left comments. In return I got about 4 emails thanking me, and 1 visit to my blog. Ha!

    Regarding the bat house...good for you. We really need them to balance out the bugs. For awhile we called our lakehouse the Bathouse, we had them living in our attic until we fogged them out and patched up the vent.

    Happy Saturday. Hope you're doing something crazy and fun!

    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  27. My Dear young friend..You honey are the reason I started my blog in 08..You were so kind to me on RMS and even encouraged me to "turn on my porch light" I really did love blogging at first until like Shelia ( Picklepoo) said it all became about BIG $$$ and the gals that I thought were friends couldn't even be bother to leave a comment back at me..
    I never cared one way or the other about the numbers games..I just loved getting up each day with my cup of coffee and visiting with peeps I thought were friends..
    It became so high school to me..Like I was not good enough to talk to because they thought I'm now the big woman on campus so to speak..
    I feel this is why so many left blogland ..If you didn't paint something or rearrange your home every five minutes or have a BIG project going at all times that many of us can not afford to do because we did not have ads that paid us at that time, we were just sharing our every day lives with are friends and family and enjoying that first cup of coffee with them..
    There are real people behind the camera and our homes use to show that not the staging and worried about having real flowers in each picture and being picture perfect..I would share the picture with the mail stacked on the kitchen counter and the one tennis shoe in the family room..And we would let people know this is real life..This is how we live every day..
    I have missed my TRUE blog friends..Lynne is one of them..but we still stay in contact..Brenda I found from your old blog and have followed her since then..I do miss Picket she had a true heart of gold, I miss Kim (Daisy's cottage) ..
    Great post honey made me think about the good ole days..I have not posted in over 2 yrs now, don't know if I'll ever go back..But am so glad you are back honey..Enjoy the ride once again..you have allot to offer..People always loved them some Rue..
    Hugs and smiles Gloria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, my dear friend... I will ALWAYS talk to you :) You know you can email me? heatherrue1929@gmail.com. I'll leave a message on your blog too, just in case.

      Love you too :)

      Delete
    2. Thank you my dear young friend..I don't want to lose contact with you again..Your so sweet to me honey..Hugs and smiles Gloria

      Delete
  28. Rue, I didn't know of your blog back then. I found you when I was reading Cozy Little House comments and so many people commented how much they missed "Rue". Then a commenter wrote that you were back and everyone rejoiced. Naturally, I had to check you and your blog out. It really made me wish I'd found you way back then.

    I have a varied taste in blogs. The first one I was addicted to The Daily Puglet. It was about, what else, a Pug and his Dalmatian brother. It was written as though the Pug was talking. I was hooked. I laughed and cried and read each days new post to my family and anyone else who would listen. Then it was gone. I was heart broken. Now I read mostly the ones that talk about their daily lives and relevant subjects. I love Cozy Little House and Mockingbird Hill Cottage and Ash Tree Cottage. I love your blog and never miss a post. Of course I'm a flat snout dog lover, so I've found "oh Melvin (and yo jake)".

    I loved your post today and will keep coming back.
    Sandra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure everyone rejoiced LOL But thank you so much, Sandra. That's really sweet of you to say :)

      xo

      Delete
  29. Blogging certainly is a journey. You're not sure whether to admire how far you've come or to cringe at how awful you once were. I'm not tempted to look at my earliest posts, I'm sure I'll want to delete everything :-)

    ReplyDelete
  30. I had found your previous blog a few weeks ago. I didn't think it was cringe-worthy at all....just a different time and a different place. Our life changes, events happen and we look at things differently. I'm glad you returned to blogging and that we have become friends. You are so special, talented and have so much to offer other bloggers! HUGS!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I do that sometimes. I have a true treasure -- a hummingbird's nest! It is so wee -- I keep it in the bookcase upstairs -- it makes me smile whenever I see it!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Blogging has changed a lot since the beginning....some bad, some good. I know that I for one are happy you are back.
    Hugs,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Rue,

    When I started blogging in January 2009, I'm not sure I even knew what a blog was but I loved it and jumped in with both feet. I very much remember your old and dear blog.

    Blogging changed so much my head started spinning. The sharing and caring part moved into numbers, ads and having to have an expensive camera to take the perfect pictures. You also had to have multiple projects lined up to entertain your readers. After three and a half years....I said enough and quit.

    I returned about three months ago and decided to blog 'my way.' I post when I have something to say and I love to share bits of my home and life with my readers. I just decided one day that I don't have to fall 'into the modern day blogging world.' Amazing and I must say I am truly enjoying it once again.

    Welcome back!

    Barb

    ReplyDelete
  34. It sounds like blogging back then was great fun, but seriously, isn't it even more fun now that you have me and my wise ass comments to brighten your day?

    (I've NEVER done anything significant on my blog myself. Are you kidding me?! It would blow up in a NY minute).

    ReplyDelete
  35. I´m a new blogger but was a silent reader for years.I don´t know if blogging was better then but I sure am happy to have found your new blog.I love your chair and the roses <3.
    Have a great week.
    Hugs
    Caroline

    ReplyDelete
  36. Dear Rue,
    Isn't walking down memory lane a joy and sting all at the same time, I did not know you then but I am very happy to know you now, and from reading these comments I see many women who cherish you and the friendships you all have.
    Blogging is a unique environment, where I too am forging friendships and bonds that mean the world to me.
    I think it would have been nice to have began earlier as I can see most everyone has lovely memories!
    xoxo
    Jemma

    ReplyDelete
  37. Golly Gee!!! Wasn't it a suprise to get a comment from you dear RUE!!!!! :) It's funny how blogging's changed...isn't it... *sigh* but it is VERY good to hear from you.....stop on over any time ~ we'd love it!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Ladies... thank you so very much! I'm so glad that I was able to find some old friends (that still remember me) and that so many new friends left so many sweet words. I'm truly humbled that you enjoy this silly little new blog of mine and that you continue to come back.

    xoxo,
    rue

    ReplyDelete
  39. I remember those days! I started in 2007 with "Jillian's Pages" ! It is still there but my background is missing. I love going back (when I have time - ha!) and reading some of my old posts. Some of them were actually pretty good because I was kid free and had time to THINK about what I was writing. I still write on the fly and hope whatever I write is good enough. After all, it is my blog and people take it or leave it. It started out as an outlet for me to get over an emotional loss and I'm still blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Rue, I remember finding your blog back just before you closed it. My blog was called Coffee and a Muffin back then. I think you were showing some lovely kitchen cabinets or dining room cabinets (with lovely vintage cut designs on top, I think it was). And then your blog went private. So I never really got to know you back then. But I'm glad to be doing it now!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hello dear girl,
    I was thrilled to hear from you. And just look at what an impact you made on so many people here in blogland those many moons ago. It seems we all miss the beginning years of blogland before it all became so competitive and stressful keeping up. It was such a wonderful community and I do miss it. I am still blogging but hit and miss trying to maintain all the different streams of social media and my store. Thank you for reaching out. I have missed you. Welcome back hon!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Rue, so nice to hear from you! I had found a blog with a similar name to your old one a while back and was really confused for a moment until I realized it wasn't you! Glad to see that you are back and I hope you're enjoying blogging. Yes, things have changed - like night and day really. Back then the big blogs were Daisy Cottage and Cherry Hill Cottage - those are gone. It's all very very different now. But I'm grateful that my blog allows me to still stay home and make money (so that's a good change). I see lots of familiar names in the comments - this is so fun - it's like a renunion! :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. I had to take down "outside" third party links from my sidebar about a year ago as sadly somewhere one of them had a virus attached to them and it was showing up as a warning on my blog. When people told me they were getting that warning I took them all off and that warning never appeared again in visitors virus programs, so I am leery of putting things that aren't my own, up again. My blog needs a lot of work as far as making it look professional and pretty, but I'm too cheap to pay for it--lol!!! I'm content to leave it "as is" and keep plodding away on it once a week. I didn't want to spend too much time of the computer these days --too much to do with family and around the house and my new stateiI lost a few friends to cancer the past few years and I realize life is too darn short!!

    I do love to hear from old blog friends and much to my delight I found some on facebook and instagram!

    ReplyDelete
  44. It was a whole different world wasn't it? I rather miss those days and the community. Not that the commercial, perfectness in blogging today isn't wonderful. Wait. That's right. I hate it! ;)

    I often find myself wondering about some of the bloggers from back in the day and wondering what they are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'm totally going to go check that site out! :) Thanks for letting us know about it. I know I have said it in previous comments... but I am so glad you came back. Blogging has changed for me too. I really just blog about whatever I'm into currently and I just don't worry about it anymore. It is just an on line journal for me now. I go to some of the big blogs and look, but rarely comment anymore. I found that I would spend so much time leaving comments and then they would NEVER reciprocate. That kind of seemed like bad manners to me. So that is why I stopped commenting so much. I don't post so much any more either.... There is so much going on in my life but it isn't all fun and rosey. :)
    So anyway! I love coming by and seeing what your working on! :)
    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for leaving a comment. It means so much to me that you took the time and I read each and every one. If you don't have a blog, look for a response under your comment. I try to get to them within a few days :)

For some reason, the comment box doesn't always show up, so if you want to leave a comment, replying to someone else's comment seems to work. Also, I've had to switch from safari to chrome in order to comment on blogger, so that might be the issue. If not, you can always reach me via email, located on my side bar. Thank you!