New Year, New Site

by Barbara Ann Yoder | Jan 26, 2022 | News | 12 comments

Image Copyright Larissa Kulik, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.

After a long hiatus from blogging, two long years of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sixteen months of hard work teaching and writing, draft six of my novel completed and in good shape, my editing and publishing course thoroughly updated and overloaded with resources, because that’s the kind of teacher I am, the next thing on my list, the thing I’d been avoiding for years, was to redesign my website and consider blogging again.

Much to my surprise, once I finished my book, which I’d quit blogging to write, and once my website broke when I updated the software running it (company not to be named), I had to do a redesign because page and post elements were jumbled. Fortunately, the process turned out to be fairly quick and painless. I picked an excellent graphical website builder and theme, the Divi builder from Elegant Themes, and got outstanding technical support from my site host, Bluehost, and after the year I sweated developing my site back in 2012, the three or four weeks it took me to redesign and relaunch in 2022 have made me feel like I’m still as tech savvy as I used to be. Thank goodness for the advances in graphical website builders. What a difference a decade makes.

This is a very long story for a post I’m writing simply to test comments—how will they look when I’m not logged into my site? Will they work the way they’re supposed to or will I have to do more research and wrangling to get them just right? I’ll find out when I publish this post.

In the meantime, I need to acknowledge that I worked far too long and hard on my site one day last week and exacerbated the shoulder and arm pain that’s nagged me the last few months. It’s time for me to read an old post again, “Write About Your Aches and Pains” and also, in spite of the relative “Instant Results” I’ve achieved, time to take a break as my new Be Focused Pro app has just reminded me. A body is not meant to sit at a computer for hours without getting up to stretch or dance or call a friend. There are plenty of wonderful things one can do after twenty-five minutes of work during the five-minute break that is now four minutes overdo, and so, with respect for my body’s limitations, I end this post, and extend my gratitude to anyone, or everyone, who’s been kind enough to read it.

Comments

12 Comments

Ed Connor on January 26, 2022 at 9:53 pm

Congrats, Barb. Nice site!
- Barbara Ann Yoder on January 26, 2022 at 10:05 pm
  
  Thanks, Ed!
Jayne Benjulian on February 7, 2022 at 3:34 pm

Awaiting more posts. Brava, Barb. You make me laugh.
- Barbara Ann Yoder on February 7, 2022 at 5:08 pm
  
  Thanks, Jayne. I’m glad I made you laugh.
Tania Pryputniewicz on February 7, 2022 at 3:35 pm

Barbara,

I’m so glad you’re back! I loved your blogposts and look forward to reading more here in this new evolution. Can’t wait to hold your novel in my hands—congratulations!
- Barbara Ann Yoder on February 7, 2022 at 5:08 pm
  
  Thanks, Tania. I so appreciate your support.
Ruth Thompson on February 7, 2022 at 4:26 pm

It looks great, Barbara! And hooray for the five minute break!
- Barbara Ann Yoder on February 7, 2022 at 5:12 pm
  
  Thanks, Ruth. Hooray for you!
Marcia Meier on February 7, 2022 at 5:18 pm

Agree with everyone here, Barbara. Website and blog look great, and kudos for self care! Marcia
- Barbara Ann Yoder on February 7, 2022 at 5:37 pm
  
  Thanks, Marcia. Self-care is one of my resolutions this year.
Barbara Rockman on February 8, 2022 at 4:01 pm

How wonderful to know your writing and living needs and to honor them! Such an excellent model for all women creatives. Thank you for inspiration and I look forward to more news about the book and thoughts about the writing process.
- Barbara Ann Yoder on February 8, 2022 at 4:46 pm
  
  Thanks, Barbara. What a sweet comment. You inspire me too.