Since then, a post has gone live on Catching Happiness 1,095
times, including today. That’s a lot of words!
Over the course of that 10 years, I redesigned the blog’s appearance (see image below), and started a newsletter. I read hundreds of books,
lost animals and people I loved, welcomed a new puppy, burned through a laptop,
watched my son grow up and leave home, restarted my career as a freelance
writer and editor, and traveled to some amazing places. Basically I experienced
what anyone of my generation experienced as they moved through this particular
stage of life; I just chose to share a bit of it publicly.
Original Catching Happiness header |
Little old Scout |
I’ve also shared information on positive psychology, the
Danish practice of hygge (which seems to be everywhere now!), written many
posts about books and reading (possibly my favorite simple pleasure), and even
shared my love of a frosty shake known as a Black Cow. None of my posts ever
“went viral,” and by far the most viewed post has been “Happiness A to Z—26 Things That Make Me Happy.”
Baby Prudy |
Baby Luna |
What’s next?
I am so grateful for all your kind comments through the
years. I’ve made many online friendships through Catching Happiness, and
through reading other people’s blogs. It’s been a fantastic experience and I’ve
met with nothing but kindness and friendship. Not everyone can say that of
their online experiences.
But it’s time for things to change. What started out as a
way for me to explore a more personal style of writing grew into a project that
has consumed many of my hours. It’s been a labor of love and I don’t regret one
minute of it, but as I’ve taken on more freelance work over the past two years
I now have less time to spend on Catching Happiness. I don’t want to say
goodbye…but I also feel like I’ve said just about all I have to say about
simple pleasures and everyday adventures!
Tank and friend |
Previously I’ve tried to stick to a twice-a-week schedule,
except when taking a deliberate break from blogging, but I’m not going to hold
myself to that going forward. I’ll only post when I feel like I have something
special to share—when inspiration strikes. It may be once a week, or it may be
less frequently. I’m not sure yet what my posting will ultimately look like.
I’m also going to look into assembling a “Best of” compilation of my favorite
posts, possibly for sale as an ebook.
Staying in touch
If you subscribe to posts (see the sign-up info on the right
side of the page), you’ll always know when something new is published. You can
also follow Catching Happiness on a feed reader like feedly.com (basic version
is free, and I have no affiliation with them). I’m planning to continue the
Happy Little Thoughts newsletter for the rest of 2019, but I may discontinue it
in 2020—I haven’t decided.
If you want to stay in touch between posts, you can always
connect with me through email or social media. Click here for more information
about that.
Thank you all for 10 years of friendship, growth, happiness, and, of course, simple pleasures and everyday adventures!