Author's Choice
In yesterday's blog, I celebrated the 2021 Genuinely Faux blog entries that received the most readership according the Blogspot metrics. I actually enjoyed seeing what landed at the top. But, this time I get to share with you the top ten posts from my perspective.
I decided I wasn't going to put any particular restrictions on this list - they can come from Postal History Sunday or it can be Throwback post. I will, however, remove the posts from yesterday's list from contention - because I've got plenty of quality posts to fill this list several times over if I let myself.
These are just ten blog entries that stay at the top of my mind. And, after nearly three hundred blog entries in 2021, that might actually be saying something.
If you are so inclined, feel free to take the links and enjoy a few of the following.
Ha! And you actually believed me when I said TOP TEN? This list goes to eleven!
Actually, I added this one because I feel like this has some very good imagery. I am sure those who do creative writing professionally might cringe at it. But, from my perspective, this is pretty darned good.
This post simply shows everyone that I can still write something that focuses on techniques for growing on our farm. I could certainly write more of these in the future, but I am not always certain people want me to do so. Since they do take some time and energy to get them right, it's a tough call. That said, this one is an excellent example. With another re-write or two it could be pretty good, don't you think?
There have been times that I have been so pleased to actually acquire a certain item that it did not take me all that long to produce a Postal History Sunday featuring that item. Sometimes, the rush to produce something and "do it justice" resulted in a good enough, but not superb, post. But, with this one, I think I got the balance right. I learned a host of new things, I provided some interesting information to those who were reading, AND I think it reads pretty well. We'll take it!
8. Thought You'd Always Be There
You had to know there would be at least one entry in the top ten that took a look at the local food/small scale enterprise angle. Well, here it is. I usually consider it a good sign when not one, but several people involved in local foods or local businesses told me they could relate to this one. If you want to get a look at some of our "truths" regarding local - here it is.
There were actually three blogs that I liked for this slot that fell into the same vein. In the end, this one stood out. It's an important message for all of us - especially in a time when confrontation seems easier to achieve than reconciliation.
6. The Price of Bread - Postal History Sunday
It all began with a single item that caught my imagination, and once I researched that, I had an idea of what to look for. A couple of items later and we have a nice blog post for Postal History Sunday. We have a connection to agriculture and food production, which makes it a nice fit for who we are and what we do. It just goes to show you that Postal History Sunday has found its way into some prominence in the blog as a whole.
When I started cutting blogs from my list of potential "top 10" entries, I usually removed those that were "Throwback" posts (ones that were a updated version of a previous year's entry). But, this one.... This is one of my all-time favorite posts. It's short. It's well-written (even if I say so myself). And it still makes a point that stewardship of the land is not the same as control and alteration of the land. We all need that reminder.
There are times when the blog I end up writing is not the blog I initially set out to write. Then, there are times when that blog - the one I did not intend to write - becomes so much better than the original idea ever could have been. The sad thing about this blog is that the best lines are not mine...
"[T]he question is not only whether we’re proud of what we’ve achieved. We should also ask whether we’re proud of how we’ve achieved it." - Adam Grant
This entry has it all. It has a Faux Real story in the middle of it. It has insight into our farm and the farmers. And, the content can be applied universally. This was also a blog that was not planned and came together rapidly. Now - when I say not planned, that doesn't mean I haven't thought about such things a fair amount in the past. It's just that some writings get constructed over several writing sessions. Not this one!
2. Depths of the Tomato Forest
It's a Faux Real story that includes our Guardian Dragons, butterflies and some people we care about. What more needs to be said?
And the number one entry is a blog post that snuck past people - and that's part of my motivation for including it here. The other reason? I found real value in reading this one again and came away feeling ready to do whatever it is that I must be doing next.
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Again, I thank you for being willing to read and consider some of the things I write. This year actually turned out to be a pretty good year for writing. I wonder what the next one will bring?