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Happy Anniversary!  

2/21/2016

16 Comments

 
Picture
I wasn’t sure I’d make it.
 
But I did.
 
This month marks the one-year anniversary of Girl Clown Dancing, the blog you’re reading right now.  (Just in case you’re wondering, that comes out to 525,600 minutes, or 31,536,000 seconds.  Isn’t Google great?) 
 
Purposefully intended to be an essay driven site with a dash of memoir mixed in, this platform has allowed me to polish and nurture my writing… but it has done a lot more, too. 
 
Those were my original intentions for starting a blog.  But just as important, and it’s something I realized soon after inaugurating this site, GCD has given me the freedom to write about exactly what I want to write about.  And, for someone who has long made a living writing for others, which also included meeting their point of view, word counts and deadlines, that’s a real gift.  (This is not to say that a good part of those assignments weren’t satisfying to do.  It’s just that they weren’t my ideas.)          
 
Indeed, thanks to the magic that has made it possible to create this web site, I can now think, muse and pontificate about life from a unique point of view—mine. 
 
When it comes to word counts, I get to write as much as I want to write about until the job is done. Deadlines still loom, but because they’re self-imposed—I  post a new essay  every two weeks, usually on weekends—they’re  somehow  easier to meet. 
 
When I began, I had three topics I knew I’d write about.
 
Those were old cookbooks (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/my-beautiful-love-affair); how I accidentally (literally) found yoga (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/yoga-by-accident), and the suicide of my daughter’s first father (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/a-shot-in-the-dark).
 
 Other than that, I was at a complete loss. 
 
The Hubster—who, after more than a decade of marriage, remains my biggest cheerleader—knew otherwise. 
 
“Don’t worry about that,” he said.  “You’ll never run out of things to write about because you’re a journalist.  Observe and look around you, and you’ll see there’s always something happening.  Once you do, the ideas will come.”  
 
Oh, okay. 
 
Of course, he was right.
 
To date, I’ve penned nearly two dozen essays, including dredging up topics that aren’t exactly festive. 
 
Yes, there was the big thing: the story of my late partner’s sudden death, which has impacted my life, and my daughter’s life, about as much as any single event can do.  But I also wrote about the challenges of a marriage that included eviction from a home that I loved (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/a-decade-down-many-more-to-come), and the time I was snookered into buying a new vacuum cleaner that really was too good to be true (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/getting-snookered). 
 
I’ve also rejoiced over finally getting my very own, pink Princess phone (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/the-princess-in-our-house), and attending my first professional wrestling match, which was way more entertaining than I could ever have imagined (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/wrestling-makes-the-bucket-list).  Then, too, there are my thoughts about New Year’s resolutions (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/resolutions), and remembering the time I decided to never read again (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/the-healing-and-happiness-train).  
 
There have also been those posts that matter so much to me.
 
These include remembering my weekly violin lessons of so long ago (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/saturdays-with-mr-muma) ; making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/ode-to-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich), and grieving the loss of cursive handwriting (http://hilaryrobertsgrant.weebly.com/blog/where-art-thou-cursive). 
 
At any given time, I might have three ideas lined up—or none.
 
It’s all good, and it’s also a labor of love that I plan to continue for as long as I can.
 
Most important of all, I want to thank you, my loyal readers (especially those kind enough to regularly leave a comment or two, here’s a special kazoo honk out to you), for welcoming Girl Clown Dancing, and this girl clown, into your busy lives.  
 
It is welcomed and appreciated more than you can ever know. 
 
P.S.  Don’t be shy!  Please feel free to comment on any of my posts over the last year.  Simply head over to Archives, found on the right side of your screen, and click on any month.  Thank you!  
16 Comments
George Marshall link
2/21/2016 02:25:58 pm

Congratulations Hilary!
I think my favorite was one about your daughter. A special girl indeed.

Reply
Hilary
2/21/2016 05:31:45 pm

My brain is a sieve. I don't remember that one... unless it was in my post titled Housekeeping... where I mentioned her messy, MESSY room. :) If not, can you remind me? : )

Reply
Ammy
2/21/2016 02:53:07 pm

Congrats Hilary! It's been fun reading your blog.

Reply
Hilary
2/21/2016 05:30:38 pm

Thank you! Here's to another year of keen observations. :)

Reply
Jerry link
2/22/2016 11:51:11 am

Mazel tov!... Time flies!... Keep 'em comin'!...

Reply
Hilary
2/22/2016 12:25:09 pm

Thank you... and, I *will* :)

Reply
Heather Risinger
2/22/2016 03:05:30 pm

congrats! You DID IT!

Reply
Hilary
2/22/2016 05:05:38 pm

And as a fellow blogger, *you* definitely know how challenging it is. :)

For those interested, here's the link to Heather's Huff Post posts: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-risinger/

Reply
Susan Jordan
2/23/2016 12:57:15 am

Happy First Anniversary plus a few days, Hilary! I'm sorry I somehow missed it the first round. Here's to many more blogs!!

Reply
Hilary
2/23/2016 08:20:35 am

Thank you so much, and here's an extra kazoo honk out to you! :)

Reply
leslie spoon
2/23/2016 08:17:05 am

Hilary That is a good idea to show what you have written about. I am looking forward to more.

Reply
Hilary
2/23/2016 08:22:03 am

Thank you! Yeah, by providing links to some of my past blogs, I'm hoping that new readers can take a look since it's just one click... and keep on reading with each new post. That's the goal, anyway. :)

Reply
kerri
2/23/2016 04:46:15 pm

Thank you for always sending me alerts- it's about the only reading I do lately, and I am a faithful follower and a devoted fan. I respect your talent and love your writing! Very engaging, informative, entertaining. Well done, and wholly recommended... Congratulations on your first year, and here's to many more!!!

Reply
Hilary
2/23/2016 05:20:26 pm

You're welcome, dear friend. And remember... if there's ever a post that you really like, I will never, **ever**, say no if you want to SHARE on social media. The more folks who know about GCD, the better! xo

Reply
Jim Nolt
2/27/2016 11:09:50 am

Congratulations, Hilary. I enjoy reading your words and look forward to your second year.

Reply
Hilary
2/28/2016 09:12:09 pm

Thank you! Lots of stories coming down the pike, with the newest post being published this coming weekend. :)

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    Hilary Roberts Grant

    Journalist, editor, filmmaker, foodie--and a clown! 
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