Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lost. . . And Found!

FriendsI’ve been away for awhile.  Most of the time I’ve been busy dealing with some family needs that have taken my focus and a lot of my time.  Our daughter and her four children have moved in with us for a time.  The activity of young people (including a two-year-old) keeps me moving.  Changes to our home have been necessary to accommodate bunk beds and bikes and five extra people in our small house.  The walls of our little house have had to stretch a bit.  Things have been stored and moved out to help make them feel at home.  But that’s only part of the story!

Some of you are aware that my blog disappeared last week!  Lost.  Gone.  Not to be seen.  My dashboard and all of my posts were there but no one in the outside world could see them.  If you stopped by my blog, all you saw were ads!  I was perplexed and dismayed.  In the middle of all the changes in my life it felt as if I had been lost.  Even though I hadn’t been posting on my blog for awhile, suddenly I realized how much my blog and the ability to share myself means to me.  Working for days (and nights) with Blogger Help – and being given more than one reason for the problem by different people, plus pointing fingers at various places as the reason – I was the one who finally discovered the problem.  The registration for my custom domain had expired!  Now why wouldn’t I know that, you ask?  Why didn’t I renew in a timely fashion?  Circumstances surrounding changes of banking accounts and card information and email addresses caught me in never-never land.  Change of email address made to my blog account wasn’t passed on to the appropriate place for renewal contact.  There was no notice received, no way for the automatic renewal to take place and all of a sudden – I was gone.  Missing in action!  Once I discovered the problem, it wasn’t an easy fix.  Did you know that once you purchase a custom domain from Blogger, they no longer own and manage your domain name?  The Help people let me know right away and told me who to contact.  Calls  to that company and emails and pleas on the Help Forum – and voicing my frustration about needing simple answers instead of computer-eze – and finally someone forwarded my situation to the right people at Google.  Soon after that happened the information needed was sent and I was able to renew my registration.  Information entered – hit ‘submit’ – and viola!  Back again.  There I was again!  Looking at my blog again.  And I just sat here smiling at my computer.  Feeling all was well with the world again.  Feeling that I had been found again!

I have learned a lot over these past days (and nights) of searching for answers.  I learned technical things and I learned a bit more how the cyber world functions but most of all, I learned how very much this blog means to me because of you, my friends.  This is a way to share and deepen friendships.  When my blog was gone, I felt I had lost ME. It felt as if I had been marooned on a deserted island.  Cut off from you.  I’m back again and there will be changes.  Through the last months I’ve thought of changing my blog – changing how it looks and changing the focus a bit.  Over the past few days, as I thought of the possibility of starting over again if my blog couldn’t be restored, I reviewed and evaluated how I would like a new blog to look.  There will be changes in the near future – good changes that will reflect some of those things.  In the meantime – I’m back.  You’re ‘stuck’ with me!  I will be blogging more often.  Some posts will be brief.  Others will be filled with all kinds of things I want to share with you. 

Thank you to those of you who responded to my emails with questions about the details of your blog.  Thank you for the encouragement you gave me to keep going.  Thank you for sharing your stories and for deepening our friendship by opening a bit more of your life to me.  You may not know how much that means – it was as if you were here holding my hand.  That’s what friends are for.  And you, my dear friends, are dear-to-my-heart friends. Friends I treasure.  Friends I don’t want to lose!

14 comments:

  1. Adrienne, praying for you and your family with all the changes. The awesome thing is...none of this took our God by surprise and He has already went before you sister and leveled the mountain! Glad to see you back to blogging. There are weeks I ask myself, Why do I blog? Sometimes I feel that no really cares if I do or don't. Other weeks I think, "this is such a real waste of time". But you basically said what I needed to hear....It is a way to express myself".....glad to see you back "expressing". Hugs and blessings ,Cindy

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  2. So glad to see YOU back. I haven't blogged for a couple of months. No inspiration!! But I sure enjoy reading others. Shirley

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  3. Welcome back!!! And congrats on figuring out what the problem was! Isn't it funny how our blogs become extension of ourselves? It is good that you can count your blessings and decide that you want to make some changes too!

    I will be praying for your family situation. I hope the children and all of you can adjust to the new arrangements! Another chapter in the book of life...

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  4. Yeah, you are back!! and a full house too...I think thats when I would disappear!!
    Have a great week!!

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  5. I'm so glad you got your blog back, Adrienne. Thank you for sharing about your life. Bless your hearts, you are so very busy. Thank God for His strength and guidance. Our online friends do mean so very much to us. Love and Hugs ~

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  6. Happy you figured it out and have returned.

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  7. Stuck to you like molasses friend and proud of it! So glad you got things back to normal- well, at least with your blog. Is our life ever normal?

    Had unexpected guest call and arrive yesterday- getting ready for the area fellowship next week plus David's arrival so we have busy days ahead!

    Pray you are feeling His peace and presence with all that is going on in your life!

    Love ya!
    mary

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  8. So happy this problem was solved. It sounds so fustrating and you are very, very cleaver to have found the answer. You have been missed. Welcome back!

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  9. Sure glad you got it back. My goodness, I would have 215 heart attacks if I lost my blog. That is one reason I have stayed on blogspot.com. I've heard several on .com that lost theirs, too. Always able to get them back, tho.

    Take care and don't stress too much with the extra folks around. It will all work out....you KNOW what an awesome God we have. :)
    xo bj

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  10. Adrienne both of my daughters at one time or another have moved back in with their children. When we downsized several years ago and got a smaller house they both laughed and said we did it because we were afraid they'd move back in. :) I got your e-mail about your blog but I don't think I answered. I've gone back to work and have been working very long hours, including weekends, since August 6. Things are leveling off now so maybe I'll get to read a few blogs again! Working sure cuts into the fun stuff. :) I'm glad you're back! blessings, marlene

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  11. Yay! I'm so glad everything got resolved. I didn't even know you could actually own your domain in Blogger. I don't know too much! :)
    Oh, your house is overflowing, isn't it? I'm sure you've got stories to tell. You and your family will be in my prayers as your house wall expand a bit! :)
    Told you I'd make it over before the day was over. :)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  12. I am glad it is back and a blessing for you as well as all of us who stop by often. Oh my...your house sounds full but your attitude is perfect. Your heart is full as well. I have to repeat to myself often, People before Things!

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  13. Gosh I would be distraught if I lost my blog. Looks like you do not use blogger which is free.
    I do however par a small subscription to store my blog photos with blogger and that is done automatically and they do advise me first. It means I cannot lose any photos that are on blog. So glad you got it back.

    Having your daughter and 4 children move in must be quite traumatic for all concerned. Had my 2 grand children staying again this week and recently my daughter too and as much as I loved seeing them it was exhausting. Makes me wish I was 20 years younger.

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I am grateful that you stopped by to visit me. Your kind and gracious comments are appreciated and treasured.