It's Time to Retire....

M.I.A. That is what I bet many of you have been thinking. It is true and not true. I am pretty easy to find if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on my YouTube channel. I posted my annual lust list for 2017 and then just did not bother to come back here after that. It is now two months later and I finally feel as if I can fill you in a bit as to the reasons; it is nothing earth shattering I promise you. I have been writing this blog for nearly 7 years, nearly 700 posts under my belt..that is a very long time in blogging years. The blog has gone through so many changes, some big and some barely noticeable. The truth as I said, is not earth shattering. Plain and simple I hit a block...not just writers, but on so many more levels. 

So many of you who have followed me here for a long time know that I have fibromyalgia and arthritis, on top of that I also have depression, which also is effected by the seasons more so, and as the cherry on top I have anxiety. This past few months has been one of the worst for the all of the above. So major block. Then there is the writers block, an obvious. After all these years I simply do not know what to write about. I had been trying, and having some success this past year of getting sponsors who were kind enough to send me products to try and then review/promote, giving me a subject matter on a silver platter so to say, but after a burst of that happening on a regular basis it dried up. I tried to put out announcements and "pleas" even but nothing came of it. So my Ruby's Musings blogging tour really was the last time I had such an offer...do the math, it has been months. I often in the past have thrown in blogs about daycations with hubby, but sad truth is, those have come to a near stop and the couple times we have been out and about it has just been wine tasting and well again if you are a long time follower, you have read that, been there right? The last ditch effort so to say for content is recipes. I do love to bake and cook and share that with you, but they are not the most popular of blog posts so the effort seems hardly worth it. 

I am not the classic retro blogger, I am not the classic how to blogger, and tho I would love to do a regular retro/vintage fashion blog for you all, that requires A) a regular influx of new clothing, or new ways of putting an outfit together B) SPONSORS sending me goodies to wear and C) someone to take my photos because selfies in the mirror with my phone just are not going to compete with other fashion and style bloggers....OH and a sub category from that, having the time to seek out interesting backdrops....no one wants to see the same old locations over and over. Over the last few months and trips hubby has let it be known that tho he is not opposed to taking my photos, and helping with videos now and again for YouTube, he does not like that each and every time we leave the house and have time together that it turns into a "working" daycation/vacation. I have to listen to him, and see his side of it and take his feelings into consideration....but it does tie my hands as I do not have anyone else to go to for the photographs etc.,. So that brings me to the title of this long awaited ( or has it been) blog post....retirement. 

I bet you thought perhaps I was speaking about retirement from a job. Well, in a way it is. Not that I see my blog entirely as a job, but on the other hand when I when I was working on getting sponsors and then making them happy it became one. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE all the sponsors that I worked with. I thoroughly enjoyed receiving goodies to try in the mail, who wouldn't? But I had to look at it like a business and a job. The items I was in charge of promoting was my paycheck. I have ALWAYS enjoyed writing, it was a passion from an early age, so writing is never a chore, IF I am inspired, and if I am not, then yes, then it becomes a job, it becomes work and often without much payback. In this age of busy lives, the desire for instant gratification and to multi task, I feel blogs often go forgotten by the wayside. I am guilty. I subscribe to so many blogs, and I have not ready or even visited to skim over most of the ones I subscribe to, even those that come into my email, making it so much easier to keep track of, they will back up and then I have to spend an entire day reading....on the other hand I tune into YouTube nightly and at times in the morning, to watch and listen and yes if it is in the morning I multi task. YEP! I am guilty...so I understand. I also when reading a blog do not actually always read every word...my mind is so busy that it is hard for me to focus and stay that way....even reading books has become hard for me. Heck, even writing has become hard as my mind wonders if I am not totally into the subject of which I am writing about. 

Awhile back on one of my youtube videos and across social media, I mentioned the idea of doing a newsletter, and a few lovely people said they would read it....but the more I looked into it and played with it, the more I realized how different would that truly be than writing a blog? That just did not seem appealing to me at all. so that fleeting idea flew right out the window. So that made me realize that I really had finally come to the realization that perhaps it was time to move on. It was time to retire from blog writing. GHASP! I know. Trust me it was not an easy thing to realize that is where I am at, but as much as it was something that created a heavy feeling in my heart and the pit of my stomach it was also like a weight that was lifted. By not having a weekly deadline for both a blog and now my youtube show , it freed up time where I could have more "me time". I need that. I need time to sit and be disconnected and just be me. I am sure I will miss it....I will miss all of my loyal readers who have become friends. HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS...... you can still connect with me over on Facebook, though yes, I am not posting as much over there, I still do post on a daily basis....and on rare occasions deal with the pain that is LIVE FB ( don't get me started on that love hate relationship I have with the latter), and you can of course find me on Instagram, Twitter and the newest, well not that new,as  I have been doing it a little over a year now.....the Ruby's Musings on YouTube and the At Home with Ruby's Musings show.

Each social platform offers different and cross over content. My Ruby's Musings Facebook and Twitter feed are basically the same thing, as the FB reposts over on Twitter...truly it just depends what platform you prefer. FB is where I post fun vintage/retro images that I spend countless hours searching for, and of course you can always reach my YT and blog posts via the fan page as well.  I am happy to connect with you either way, I will always answer any comments on both as soon as I am notified. Instagram is more of a variety, a real mix of things. I try to make it a mix of promotional photos, outfit of the day posts, and on occasion a more personal post is made...if my family allows it.  Instagram is my preferred platform now, and is a better snapshot into my daily life and truth be told if I was to use only one platform and retire all the others, it would be I.G., though since the updates to make it more like FB pages, it is not quite as good as it once was. Lastly as mentioned, and I know many of you follow me on the next one, my YouTube channel. It is a verbal version mixed with a visual of what my blog is.... was. Like my blog has always been it is a real mix. I tried for the first several months to keep it the same format each week, but since returning from my blogging tour in September, I have had fun mixing it up, from "Get Ready With Me" to "In the Kitchen with Ruby" and everything in between, I have just been having fun with it. I figure that I can easily take what I share here in the written word and fit it into a video. I can still share products, clothing, make up etc and give you an honest review, but I can also simply do a video sharing my daily life or a "Week in the Life of " , and of course if ever anyone has a "Dear Ruby" question I can go old school and do a video on that. If you are a sponsor reading this, then I would love the chance to work with you and share your product and business on YT as well as my other social media platforms, I feel that I can do just as good of a job getting the word out there that way as I can here on the blog. 

So there you have it. I am retiring ...at least for now...just like rock stars and actors that retire and then have a "I'm Back" revival tour, I shall never say never about coming back. I will not delete Ruby's Musings dot com as I have nearly 700 posts here that many of you are still reading and catching up on and enjoying. There is something for everyone. You can follow my life journey, get a new recipe and learn of new places to visit and businesses to shop from. This blog is a piece of me and I could never hit the delete button....ever. IF you do not already follow me on FB, Twitter, IG and or YouTube, I hope you will do so and say HELLO! Let me know your thoughts and let's connect and become friends. 

So for now, I am dropping the curtains, dimming the lights and like in one of my favorite shows from my childhood,The Carol Burnett Show, sweeping the stage and giving a final tug of the ear to let you know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you for your support.