Dear Readers,

Last Saturday, 18th November 2017, was an auspicious day for The Holly Tree Tales blog … it became A Dot Com … and was apparently “doing somersaults in excitement!”

In other words, this website, The Holly Tree Tales, went from being a WordPress Dot Com, to a Dot Com in its own right … from http://www.thehollytreetales.wordpress.com to http://www.thehollytreetales.com ~ and all was done with the blessing and invaluable help of WordPress itself.

The moment it all happened was incredibly exciting.  However, I was too tied up with dealing with other technical issues (related to suspected faults within my browser, it was later established by the WordPress “Happiness Engineers”, whilst attempting to conquer issues a few days hence) and, for the first time ever, I was also engaged in signing up to attend an international conference call online.  Thus, it was impossible to cope with any more on that day and I could not afford the time and energy to share the exciting news right away, as much as I wished to!

Saturday 18th November  2017 will go down in my life history book as one of great solo expedition and breakthrough, despite the tech issues that threatened to spoil my fun.  All part of the game of life, I suppose, especially in this present day … but utterly thrilling for me, as I continue to navigate my way through a range of challenges, not least ‘online’.

There is nothing quite like the sense of triumph one feels at facing a Fear squarely in the face, and then knocking it down.  Yes, believe it or not, I was afraid of the implications of accepting the offer of a domain name, which came as part of my annual WordPress premium package fee … an offer that had been sitting on my computer screen and seemed to wink at me every time I looked at the site’s stats, for nearly three years.  Talk about brave.  It is so liberating to have finally faced the giant in the eye and marched forward into the simplicity of having The Holly Tree Tales blog become an entity, that can become known in its own right, rather than a part of something else.

When I set up the blog, very nervously and working very much ‘in the dark’ in January 2015 – a mere seven months or so since ‘founding’ Towards Greener Borders (which is open to all to ‘join’, ie follow, and read and enjoy learning from by clicking and following prompt to like here) – it was with all sorts of excitement and not a little fear.  So many suggestions to take my writing, experiences, thoughts and concerns to the outside world.  So many times someone had gaily exclaimed “Oh, you should write a blog!”, which they seemed to think I might be able to do as easily as a black London Cab turning full circle in a space the size of a children’s playpen … or would be easier than writing a full book all at once. Few gave thought to the headaches I was having in just getting through each day with some semblance of success … and more of that another time.

It is not easy setting up a blog. Even with all the technological wizardry and magic that comes in the form of a blogging parent website, such as WordPress.  Even with so much ‘at one’s fingertips’ for guidance, one has to learn to drive the ruddy thing … and that takes time. Oh, so much time.  It is especially unnerving when one is not a reader, ie when one has not previously been a reader, I ought to say, of online ‘blog’.

I like books … I like the look of books, I like the simplicity of books, I like the smell of books, I like the feel of books, I like being able to underline in my own purchased (or gifted) books, I like to learn from books, I like to collect wise and wonderful books, I like to see books in other people’s hands … I like books.  But blogs? Oh, my word.  “What does ‘Blog’ mean?”, I continually spoke out loud ~ to myself or whomever was making the bold assumption that I could do just that. Blog.

Well, I defied all the odds that I had set against myself, quite unwittingly, and once again I slung my catapult of courage … sent the blog “Goliath” one great pea shot right in the middle of its forehead.  I started my blog.  And then I challenged it to come and get me, if it dared.  What I did not realise back in January 2015, was quite how much tech stuff I was going to have to learn, on top of having to find words to legibly enter onto the blank screen – and some even challenged me to publish photos of a respectable quality!  I slung that “Goliath” (the photography one) a pea shot, quick smart, and continued simply plonking my own amateur, and often blurry, mobile phone or camera pics onto my blog instead.  After all, how much time does one have in one’s life and how many hats can one wear and how many mental gears can one shift? And I am talking about shift. And I am talking about quick smart.

As the title of this website / blog (whatever we might call it these days) is The Holly Tree Tales, I have given myself licence to waffle and to write life’s experiences as story, rather than sticking purely to three lines in order to record something that others might see simply as fact.  That said, things in life such as transferring one’s blog from being an arm of something, to being a body in itself, IS significant.  Therefore I thought it worthy of sharing my huge excitement and sharing with those who are kind enough and enthusiastic enough to enjoy reading my words.

One thing I have failed to mention thus far, is the excitement at reading the words “you may now update your business cards”, which WordPress said to me in an email during the process of selecting / accepting / purchasing the domain name for The Holly Tree Tales …

 

 

That little phrase struck me as being rather significant, especially on such an auspicious day, and seemed to fit well with the fact that I was about to launch myself further onto the worldwide stage, by doing the tech things necessary to join (and participate publically in) an online, international, conference call.

Many do not realise that these things, for some of us, take “balls”. I don’t mean just the juggling sort either … stepping onto any stage unprepared takes either complete foolishness or an enormous amount of courage.  As I have chosen to live my life with authenticity, I have not learnt my lines.  It is scary, every single time … especially as the lines have not been modelled to me, nor taught.  Life is my university, and has always been.

And so, here we go, into the next adventure … online … and then out to the beyond and into the whole world!  Thank you, WordPress, for holding my hand through it all.   Oh, I forgot to mention that, somewhere in this exciting adventure, I have also learnt not only to create a ‘shortlink’ but also how to drive a ‘snipping tool’.  Such fun. Onwards!

To the kind Readers and followers of my blog …  may you all be equally significantly blessed.

 

❤

 

Holly x

 

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Thank you for being on the Journey with me!

via

http://www.thehollytreetales.com

PS. The original site address works too.

 

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WordPress Prompts

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