When I initiated Peculiar Work in February 2022, I predicted that my blog posts, “some lengthy, will appear on the “Blog Posts” page at irregular intervals.” I note that my last post, “Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail bill refiled in U.S. House,” was published on May 27, 2023, more than three months ago.
My little blog is a mere droplet in the vast sea of on-line media. I started it partly as a vanity project, a sort of notebook and repository for writing about subjects of interest to me. I hoped that my thoughts and perspectives concerning some of these subjects would be of interest to at least a few other readers. I still do. As my introductory comment last February suggested, though, I knew that I didn’t possess the facility, energy, and self-discipline that enables many other successful bloggers to churn out entertaining and useful material on a frequent, even daily, basis. But this was never my intent. In fact, I break most of the rules offered by social media gurus about how to increase readership or monetize one’s “brand.” If anything, I consider myself something of an expert in “unsocial” (or, some might say, antisocial) media.
The explanation for my gap in publishing posts is more mundane, however. In recent months, Nan and I have been occupied with (among other unexpected personal and family matters) moving from a rented house to a newly built house a mile away. We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to do this, and we greatly enjoy our new home. We are especially grateful to Little Compton architect and contractor Ashley Sparks, who designed and conscientiously oversaw every detail of the house’s construction. She and the team of capable subcontractors she assembled kept the building project on schedule and under control (although costs beyond our projected budget are mostly the result of her impetuous clients’ decisions and choices).
We are still sorting through and re-arranging all our worldly possessions, while tackling many necessary tasks, indoors and outdoors. My limited mental and physical resources of time, energy, and attention have necessarily relegated Peculiar Work to a lower priority.
But the dust is clearing. I hope that in the weeks and months ahead I will be posting some new material. Thanks for your interest and patience. ♦