Hello! If you are a returning visitor to my blog, you will notice that things are looking quite different. My look is totally new. My archives are no more. My web address, however, is the same. It’s like I’m starting a brand new blog, but I’m not.
I began my site, valeriebasham.com, over a year ago with the help of a good friend. That good friend decided that he was tired of working on websites, so I was left to fend for myself. I soon found myself drowning in a sea of web design – plugins, upgrades, php code – I didn’t know where to begin to run my own site. It was as though our mechanic started working on our car, but decided mid-way through that he had to stop, so he handed me the wrench! I blog because I enjoy writing, period. Writing is a release for me; it’s therapeutic. Web design is definitely not my thing. It turns out even my web guy didn’t like it! 😉 I’ll admit, I liked the old look. I enjoyed making a little money from the ads on the old site. I enjoyed the “spiffy” appearance of Word Press. However, when it comes down to it, I enjoy writing a whole lot more than owning a cool looking website. And yes, I like writing even if I don’t make money doing it.
With the help of another friend, I’ll be changing my look even more. I will try to place some of my old content on this new theme. I hope you will be able to find your way around without a problem, and leave me comments with ease. (I absolutely LOVE hearing from you!) It will take time to get it all working just right, but in the long run, this will be a low maintenance site that will allow me the time and freedom just to write.
In another season of my life, I might have been able to learn to maintain the Word Press site. But, right now, it wasn’t possible. I have four young children. I homeschool. I am expecting my fifth child in ten weeks. And, above all of that, I am the Bishop’s wife! 🙂 I must keep my priorities in order. Blogging, and certainly web design, are at the bottom of the heap.
It was fun to have that spiffy site. I learned some things that I wouldn’t have otherwise. But now I have a chance to start over. I have a new “notebook” full of blank pages! I can’t wait to fill them up! I hope you will be back to see what develops. I’m sort of curious about it, myself!
With great anticipation about the future,
valeriewritenow.com 
This blog is much easier to navigate. I got lost on the other one and didn't visit much as a result. Looking forward to reading more of your writing.
Laura 🙂
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I'm glad you were able to re-direct your URL to this new format. WordPress was relatively easy when I first began fooling with it many years ago but I think they have advanced beyond the ability of the average blogger to keep up.
I didn't mind updating files when it happened a couple times a year but when the updates began coming a couple times a month I grew weary of it. I think others did too because the plug-in developers got tired of trying to make their plugins work with each new version of WordPress.
If I was younger and not so completely burned out with it we might have tried DRUPAL or some other platform which I've heard is easier to maintain.
The bottom line is exactly as you explained it. Writing is what blogging is all about and if blog maintenance takes away from your writing then it is defeating the purpose.
Keep up the good work.
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