Erm, Hello Everybody; It's Me Again

[poliphilo]

So- metaphorically speaking- I went  as far as the street corner, hung around till it got chilly and then came home. There are, I believe, marriages in which this kind of thing happens all the time.

I hope I've been away long enough not to seem a complete fool.

Besides,  I proved to myself I can get by without having the computer on all the time- and that's good.  For the best part of a week, I switched it on for an hour in the morning and an hour at night- and all the rest of the day I did housework, tidied the attic, cooked plum crumble, socialized, read books, watched Ghost Whisperer- and did crossword puzzles.  It was a return to basics. I enjoyed it.

But crossword puzzles or LJ- which is the better use of my time?  No-brainer, that one.  Besides I was lying in bed, composing LJ posts in my head, and it seemed pretty silly not to be writing them down.

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Good to see you again!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

And like all good marriages where this happens, you are welcomed back with a nice cup of (metaphoric) tea and you can get comfy in your chair again and no more will be said.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Which reminds me, it's a good half hour since I had a nice cuppa. I need to go put the kettle on.

[silverhawkdruid.livejournal.com]

Hey, we all need a change of scenery from time to time. :-) Welcome back!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Hehe - once bitten, forever smitten! I'm glad you enjoyed your back-to-basics week, but I'm glad you're back, too.

Over the years, I've sometimes gone through phases of feeling the same sort of things as you did last week - that I'm frittering time away on LJ and could use it better elsewhere. But I've also gradually realised that the very nature of LJ allows for phases like that. You can take a holiday for a while, or even announce a temporary hiatus, without it needing to be an irreversible decision. If it turns out you really don't want to come back, that's fine - but if you do, it's all still waiting here.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I was beginning to treat LJ as if it were a job- that obliged me to produce a post every day. The fun had gone out of it.

My approach now will be much lighter. If I've got something to say I'll say it- and if not I'll take the day off.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! I hoped you'd be back.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Cheers. It feels good.

[aellia.livejournal.com]

Hello!
Good to see you back again :-)
x

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm happy to be back.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

*beams*

you know I would never have written a single poem if it wasn't for reading yours.

Welcome home.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And very good poems they are too. You have a lovely, light touch.

Thank you.

It's good to be back....

[wokenbyart.livejournal.com]

You must've made a lot of plum crumble! (How I miss my mum's apple crumble.)

Well... I stayed away from LJ for about a year give or take a month or two, having said I was leaving and would never return. I'm so used to this 'place'.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My father-in-law's plum tree is (for the first time ever) producing huge amounts of fruit. Consequently I've been making a crumble a day- and yesterday I also cooked pork in a plum sauce.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

Happy to have you back :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Glad to be here. :)

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Nice to see you back. I was afraid you'd fallen in love with Wikimedia or something.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Wikimedia was a diversion. I posted all my photos over there- and then ran out of things to do.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

I was once absent from LJ for a month. Well, not actually absent, I'd just put up a future dated post and hadn't figured out how "date out of order" worked so my posts were ALL in the future. I was beginning to wonder was I getting boring...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

So, did those posts not show up until the future date was reached?

[oakmouse]

Everybody needs breaks now and again. I didn't see your original post until I got back online after my move, but I'm quite pleased to see this one. Your stuff is always interesting and worth a read, and I'd missed you while first I and then you were gone. Welcome back!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I was only gone a week.

I'm glad you're posting again too- and look forward to hearing about Maryland....

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how long you'd be away. Writing is a good habit. So is sharing. I know I haven't been posting as much on my own LJ- I've been hanging out at other places a bit more than I should.

I am working on not spending quite so much time online as I've been- but I will always try to make that time.

I am glad you've decided to, also.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's a good habit- and one I've always cultivated. The problem was I was getting so I felt I had to post something every day- and then obsessing over it. I needed to remind myself there are other things in life.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm glad you're back. :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Me too. :)

[clindau.livejournal.com]

It's good to see you posting again.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[mamadar.livejournal.com]

It's good to get offline sometimes--the Internet can suck you in like a black hole--but I am so, so glad to have your musings to read again.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Yes, I was getting sucked in. I needed to pull back and set myself some rules of engagement.

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

Good to see you this morning. :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's good to be back.

[silveredmane.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you've returned. It was only a week, but I missed you and was anticipating missing you a whole lot more.

Welcome back.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you. That means a lot.

[sculptruth.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see you'll keep writing here (of course)! This is a place for stories. Balance is important too, and I'm happy you have found yours.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Going away, coming back- it's all part of the narrative.

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

We love you, tony!!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I love you too.

[sovay]

Nice to have you back.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Were you gone? I am kidding. :-) I'm glad you're back.

We all need a break, sometimes. I do wonder, though, why some folks think blogging is somehow a less valid way to relax or process the ups and downs of life. I get the impression that when we think that way, we are taking ourselves far too seriously. That's a bigger problem than blogging, if you ask me. :-)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I was getting obsessive about posting every day- sometimes spending hours over a couple of lines. I needed to step away to get my sense of proportion back.

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

welcome back!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Welcome back, Tony! Just for the record: you dont have to feel an obligation to post every day - or every week - or ever, for that matter. I go through times of not posting, followed by spates of two or three a day. Everyone has his or her own posting style.
You are my favorite LJ friend. I would miss you terribly if you left for good.
You have so much good to say!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much.

yikes...

[suemars.livejournal.com]

i haven't read in a couple of day and saw your return. 60 comments, must mean lots of people are happy you're back. i am. so welcome back, funny, once my son ran away, to the corner and back. i was glad to see him return.

Re: yikes...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I did think of going and taking a picture of the street corner- with the paper shop on the far side of the road- but decided that would be taking the metaphor too far.