Past the Halfway Mark -- 6 Years in the Blogosphere!

Over a month late, but at least it's out. Happy birthday, Edge of Night!

Well howdy ho!

Long time no see, eh? How have you all been? Ignoring the massive, flaming dumpster fire that is the world at the moment, I hope life is treating you as well as it possibly can. It's been an absolutely...

Uh.

It's been a year. We'll just go with that. It's been something of a special year.

And in that year, I've missed being here dearly -- this blog was, for several years of my life, a big part of me. And, because of that, it will remain a part of me for the rest of my days... in whatever capacity that may be, from an active hobby and place to share and practice, to the pleasant memory of a place that allowed me to grow, hone my skills a little, and find a little bit of myself. It, and all of you along the way (because I wouldn't have made it this long without your lovely interactions), have surely earned a special place in my heart.

News, Updates, & Life Off the Page

• Life has been busy outside of the blogging world!

• Filled with the usual time consumers, like work (retail during a pandemic! Lovely! It has felt like working 4th quarter [the holiday season] all year long!), and the constant balancing act of maintaining a healthy social life, personal life, work life, and -- brand new to me -- a dating life. All this still goes on, even despite...

• ...the fact that, among other things, my city was closed and shut twice, due to both this trash heap of a pandemic and not-so-peaceful protests.

• (While I may briefly mention things here and there, and I am always open to talk and respectfully discuss, I'm not going to dive too deep into the politics and my opinions here. We all get an earful on the daily, and I'm not looking to open that stanky can of worms.)

• ...along with the most beautiful walks in the woods...

• ...the most gorgeous sunsets...

• ...the most enjoyable trips to parks, lakes, and the occasional event; fun times in coffee shops and antique stores, exploring quaint small towns, lying beneath the stars, campfires, laughing, smiling, and smelling all the wonderful little roses that life has been kind enough to offer me.

(I could edit these photos, make 'em nicer, or at least add some drop shadowing -- but I'm struggling to get this post out as it is. They do little justice to the beauty of the moment, but they're real, untouched, and unexaggerated! That's more than can be said for a lot of things these days! 😉)

• I have so much I want to write, here and elsewhere.

• I have journals at home that I've always tried to keep up with, that I need to catch up on; I have a Christmas 2019 poem that I've been writing since last year for a friend, still attempting to work that one out; along with misc pieces here and there, that I want to eventually have finished and posted here; I desperately want to get back into my Wattpad posting; I've been trying to get this post out since October... It never ends!! But it's all fun. One thing at a time.

• That said, I have plenty going on in the background.

• Not much has been happening around here as of late, but I'm still working on stuff. A lot of my own, personal, outside stuff at the moment. but plenty of things that I will, eventually, be able to post here, too. I have a lot of ideas to work with. I have an evergrowing supply of fuel. I just need the time, the will, and the energy. It'll be slow going these days. But I still have the desire to be here, and that's all I really need.

Thank you for 6 amazing years.

I'm not even doing blogiversary stats this time around -- 'cause I'm lazy, and not much will have changed in the past year anyhow. They're fun, and a great way to look back, but not always necessary. That said, I'm keeping it short and sweet this year -- a simple thank you.

For everything. I've loved my time blogging. Truly have. You are all very, very special. I started my first blog when I was about 16 or 17; since then, I've seen fellow teens and young adults grow, find themselves and their worlds. I've gotten to witness all kinds of events in peoples' lives, good and bad, every time they decided to share details and I happened across them. I've made beautiful friends, with talents and perspectives common to and separate from my own. I've grown, and changed, tremendously.

The list goes on -- it's been a better, longer, and way more of a wonderful learning experience than I thought it would be. And it ain't over, yet -- though it has come time to slow it down from previous years. That's okay -- and I may get back into it, stronger than before! Who knows. We'll see. I'm happy either way. Again, posting at my own snailrate takes a lot of the stress away... but the fun remains.

Maybe sometime, when I have more time, I'll take a look at sprucing up the place a bit, too... and actually finishing it, this time.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. I'll see you soon!

Best wishes for the rest of 2020, and beyond.