Marie at 1 Write Way

Five Things on This First Day of November 2025

It’s been awhile …

Time

I often joke that now that I’m retired (since April 2021), I feel I have less time to do all that I want to do, not more. I don’t have the surplus of time I thought I would get by giving up my “day job.”

On the upside, I’ve been busy with living, which for me means knitting a lot and working on our gardens when the weather allows. Lately, the weather has accomodated outdoor work here in northern Florida. Also, I’ve started bicycling again, about once a week. And I still go to yoga classes twice a week and the gym twice a week.

Aging

On the downside, all this physical activity–bicycling, yard work, yoga, strength training–leaves me so physically tired. And achy. I take Gabapentin, I put menthol patches on my aching joints. I drink wine to either dull the aches or make me care less about them.

I don’t complain to my doctors because they will simply say it’s an aging thing. My body is breaking down, more or less. Ironically, the resumption of bicycling has resulted in the reemergence of bursitis in my left hip and left knee. (Ironically because bicycling is supposed to be easy on the joints.)

Does that stop me? No. I get too much joy from the ride.

Last week, an older man (well, he was probably around my age) passed me going the other way and called out, “Hi, young lady!”

I waved but was too slow to respond as I wanted: “Hah! I’m 68 years old!” At that moment, I felt like a kid.

Knitting

Currently, I’m working on a shawl (no photo yet) and participating in a Mystery Knit-A-Long (MKAL). The MKAL is hosted by Laura Nelkin, the same woman who organizes the Knit for Food Knit-A-Thon.

This is my first MKAL. We have a choice of six hoods to knit in either one color or two colors. Sight unseen and pattern unknown, I chose the two-color hooded scarf. For four weeks, once a week, Laura provides a clue to the project’s pattern. I don’t know what I’m knitting until Laura provides that part of the pattern. That’s the mystery. It really messes with my comfort zone, and I think that’s a good thing.

This is clue 1:

Knitted black and blue rectangle. Work in progress.

I presume this is the top of the hood. As always, I made a couple of boo-boos. Since this is my first MKAL, I’m giving myself the grace to just continue knitting and, worst-case scenario, I’ll keep the hood for myself.

Thanks to Laura, I’ve learned two techniques that are simply life-changing. How could I have been knitting for over 50 years without learning these tricks? It’s only recently that I’ve been participating in knitting workshops, hanging out with other knitters. Knitting, like writing, is a solitary act; but also like writing, we learn so much from each other when we come together.

Before I forget, I also knitted my husband a pair of socks.

Handknitted socks in colors of brown, green and purple.

Writing

Aside from the occasional “own your hypocrisy” email to my congressional representatives, I haven’t been writing. And as I write here, I realize I miss it.

But I often ask myself, Why? Sure, there’s the fiction I’ve played around with, but that’s not what this blog is about. I really don’t know what this blog is about anymore.

When I started writing this blog, I thought to use it as a vehicle to build a career as a freelance editor. But I didn’t really want to work on someone else’s writing. I wanted to work on my own.

So then this blog became more about building a community, a writing community for the most part, but a community of like-minded spirits overall.

And that was all well and good until I felt a “shift.” When my sister Shirley died on July 1, 2022, my worldview shifted. Imagine an earthquake, tectonic plates shifting, creating fissures, cracks in my complacency. A few more earthquakes, and my current world is unrecognizable from before July 1, 2022.

And yet … .

Maybe I just needed a break.

Cats

Wendy is doing very well. No issues with her eating for the past few months.

Wendy during the early days of her recovery.

Wendy doesn’t “pose” for the camera as much as Raji does.

Raji in his happy place.

Thank you for reading, for being here. I’m curious as to why people write blogs.

Questions: What do you get out of blogging? What do you want to get out of it? Are you getting what you want?

P.S.

My paid account with WordPress (WP) will run out in about a year, and I’m thinking about transitioning to Substack rather than renew my WP account. To that end, I’ll be crossposting, testing the waters with Substack. While I would prefer not to change platforms, WP is becoming more complicated and buggy. Life is too short for that nonsense.

Marie A Bailey

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61 responses to “Five Things on This First Day of November 2025”

  1. I’ve never thought of my disjointed writing as a blog, but maybe that’s what it is after all. But who knows why we do it. It feels like sending out smoke signals or messages in bottles, hoping for connection.

    Nevertheless, I’m always glad to read yours. That’s one spectacular pair of socks you’ve knitted.

    And yes, do come on over to Substack. I haven’t yet learned my way around the neighborhood, but there are lots of smoke signals happening there.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you, Eileen! Blogging is like sending out smoke signals. “Hello out there!” There definitely are a lot of good people on Substack. What holds me back from regularly writing on Substack is the relentless call for paid subscriptions. Writers have some control over the prompts that Substack embeds in their newsletters, but not enough control, in my humble opinion.

      And from the comments on this post, readers get annoyed by the requests for paid subscriptions. I’ve been reading on Substack long enough that I’ve learned to ignore them.

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      • That’s a good point, Marie. I subscribe to more Substacks than I can read. And while many are excellent, I am not a paid subscriber. I don’t even have the option for paid subs on my own Substack. I figure that balances things out. How would I choose which ones to pay for? So I make it simple by paying for none. At even $5 a month for every subscription, I’d have to give up food.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. First, that’s a great photo of Raj! 😂 Ollie was posed similarly a little while ago, but I didn’t get a photo.

    I miss seeing you here, but I know how much time it takes, and it seems like you are very busy with biking, knitting, and other things. HCR and Joyce Vance are both knitters, so you’re in good company. 😊 I know nothing about knitting. I think you must deserve extra points for knitting with cats around!

    I have a Substack account, and strangely, I have followers, though I’ve never posted there. I think I should, but there’s already so much to keep up with!

    Anyway, good to see you here today!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you, Merril! I’ve missed being around here, too. I love that HCR and JWV are both knitters. Greg watched them converse on YouTube recently and said the first thing they talked about was their knitting :-)

      I’m lucky that Wendy and Raji do not mess with my yarns or try to interfere when I am knitting. However, Raji gets annoyed if I knit while he’s lying in my lap. Most of the time he’ll just scowl, but sometimes he’ll jump off in a huff ;-)

      I have followers too on Substack although I haven’t posted anything since December. I do hesitate posting on Substack because I’m so bad at keeping up with WP (as well as FB, IG, etc.) I’d have more time if I did less knitting ;-)

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Great to see you here. I love blogging and have been doing it for 15 years now. I have made the best friends here. I initially started a blog because my then publisher suggested I do it. It is a good way to get the word out about my new releases. But it is more than that. Its all about relationship building. I’ve even met some of my blogging friends in person. You can never have too many friends! xo

    Liked by 4 people

  4. I agree on the buggy nature of WordPress. I don’t like how Substack continually asks readers for donations. There are some authors who have pay sites. I don’t support them. On the free sites I’m continually messaged about donations. Now to your question “Why do you blog?” After twelve years my answer is because I enjoy it. The weekly schedule keeps me active mentally.

    Liked by 5 people

  5. Yes, my knitting is waiting for me to have the courage to create the neckline (I often feel hesitation at this point), but the piecing is coming along, I am writing weekly blog posts, and I did a pair of novel drafts—cutting in half, adding back—last month. I am able to walk again and run a mile, after being barely able to cross the room for month due to injury. Reading. Yes, they blame everything on “aging” but that’s really not helpful. It took me almost twenty years to discover that my blood pressure change was due to menopause. Well, I should have figured that out. My healthcare advisor, when I was going through horrible flushes for… forever, gave me bad advice. But there we are. We do what we can and adjust to our current abilities. And we consider options, as they enter our awareness.

    I lost weight, gained while I couldn’t even walk, but it’s coming back off now. I’ve quit drinking, never use drugs, cut back on salt, attempt to remain calm. Blood pressure is variable. The current political situation is not conducive to calm.

    Liked by 2 people

    • No, the current political situation is not conducive to calm. I have to strictly manage my news diet otherwise I fall into despair. I know my knitting mania is one way to avoid the news. At least I eventually have something to show off :-)

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I blog with WordPress for the people who read my posts, but mostly for myself. I enjoy writing. I detest Substack and the monetizing of blogging. I read Heather Cox Richardson on Substack and my MFA thesis advisor’s Substack because it’s free. I occasionally look at others, but mostly I toss those alerts unread. The begging for money makes me dislike the person who sent it, and that’s sad, isn’t it?

    Liked by 3 people

    • The thing about Substack is that it (the platform) does the “begging for money” even if the writer doesn’t want it to. I know at least one writer who puts a message at the end of her newsletter telling her readers to ignore Substack, that her newsletters will be free forever.

      Prompts to subscribe–even for free–are embedded in a writer’s newsletter. Substack allows some control over where the prompts are located, but we can’t get rid of them altogether.

      I read Heather as well as Joyce White Vance and several others for free, but I also pay for a few. There’s a knitter I follow-Sandi Rosner–who packs a lot into her weekly newsletters, and they are all free. Yet, I pay a monthly subscription. The quality of many of her newsletters is what I would expect to find in a polished knitting magazine, which is no surprise since she is a knitwear designer and editor. I’m more than happy to support her work.

      Then there are writers like George Saunders. I subscribed to him for free briefly. Too many of his newsletters were for paid subscribers only.

      What Substack doesn’t make clear is that their business model depends on paid subscriptions. Substack takes a cut and that enables the platform to function without advertisements. For now anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I know what you mean about blogging, which more and more strikes me as an old-school phenomenon. I’ve pretty much dropped it since engagement ain’t what it used to be.

    I tried Substack a couple years ago, but they wouldn’t let me transfer my followers from WordPress (even though they all opted in to my blog!). I wasn’t able to get many new eyeballs over there. Depressing, but whataya gonna do? I hope you’re able to get peeps to make the move with you.

    The older I get the less I find I need the public response. I write a lot of things that I don’t wind up posting, but getting them off my chest is the main point. It works! This year I’ve written a novel and a short story collection that’ll never see the light of day but they were so cathartic.

    Good luck!

    Oh, and I also know what you mean about aging … Oy. (Gabapentin didn’t do much for me, unfort.)

    Liked by 5 people

    • Oh, sorry that Gabapentin doesn’t work for you. For me, it just takes the edge off … but it also helps me with anxiety, of which I have plenty these days. Unfortunately for me, any meds that will make me painful will also make me drowsy.

      I do have trepidation about moving to Substack, which is why I want to “transition,” have both WP and Substack going at the same time until my WP plan ends. Honestly, I don’t like Substack, but I want to keep writing publicly and WP is getting too glitchy.

      I imagine someday I might stop blogging altogether. Maybe. Right now it’s a nice way to stay in touch :-)

      Like

  8. I’ve never been a consistent blogger but I’ve gotten even more inconsistent lately. My WP account will be up next fall and I imagine I’ll make a decision then whether to continue or not. Several of my favorite bloggers have quit lately so, obviously, they were feeling the same thing. Selfishly, I hope you continue in some form or the other since I always enjoy your posts.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Janis, thank you so much! Comments like yours make me want to keep up my blogging :-) I would just like to be more consistent, even if I only manage to write, say, monthly. I know a few bloggers who quit, some because they got burned out with trying to juggle blogging and other work.

      WP gave me a deal on a two-year premium plan which is the main reason why I’ll be here for roughly another year. The only thing I don’t like about the free WP plan is the ads. Gosh, they are so gross!

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    • Oh, dear, Ellen, the last thing I want to do is have hip surgery! Actually, any kind of surgery ;-) At least the pain from the bursitis is not chronic. Not yet anyway ;-)

      Like

      • Those surgeries are ten years in the rearview mirror, a gift from the way my body was put together. Funny thing, when they replace the hip, they remove the bursae. But the bursae grow back. I’ve had bursitis post-hip replacement, which they fixed with a shot. So I’m thinking no surgery to fix bursitis, just a shot. (fingers-crossed)

        Liked by 1 person

        • Fingers crossed for you too … and me. If my hip gets any worse, I’ll opt for a shot. Right now it’s my right shoulder that gives me the most grief … oh, Lordy ;-)

          Like

  10. I enjoy writing blog posts because it’s a type of writing I wasn’t taught. I’ve had to figure it out on my own! The blogging community is very important to me. I’ve started monthly newsletter on Substack to hedge my bets with WordPress, and there is some excellent content there. I don’t charge people to read my letters/Substacks. I’m happy if they just read them and respond!

    Liked by 2 people

  11. what a nice update! I stopped blogging for 2 reasons: I was writing professionally and got burned out. And WordPress got too complicated! I hate these block things. So now, I write every day in my handy dandy spiral notebook. I feel like I have dozens of books in me, but I’m so worn out from my very physical job now—which got a little crispy last year. I seem to overdo everything. 🤣

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi, Cheryl! Burn out is a real thing, especially for those of us to tend to overdo everything :-) I’m the same which is why I’ve become so inconsistent in my blogging. I feel like I need 48 hours in a day, not 24 … lol. I’m glad to hear you are still writing, and that raises another question–how much of our private thoughts, musings, stories do we want (or should) air in public with our blogging? My major constraint is knowing that a family member might read my blog. There’s thoughts I wouldn’t minding sharing with the world, but I don’t want my family to know. Yikes.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I started in order to contribute to my society. That’s what I wanted. Lately there have been a sign or two to let me know I might have succeeded, a little (none of us can do much alone, it takes us all). And yes, that makes me happy!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Is there another knit-a-thon-No-Kings-Day in your future? ;-) I get it about the blogging thing. I think I’ve managed to let go of guilt for not writing more regularly – but realize I’m still needing the awesome WP community at large and especially the circle of blogging buddies I’ve made in my life so I’m not ready to give it up! So I’m gritting my teeth with the WP snafus & updates (largely ignored!!!) & mysterious disappearances of comments made/sent/received. HA!
    Oh and doesn’t Raji look fine…I remember when you blogged about when he first came into your lives…he’s come soooooo far!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I do believe that the Knit-a-thon is an annual event. Whether it will coincide with another protest day? Gee, I so hope we all might be in a better place by then.

      It’s definitely the WP community that keeps me coming back to WP. I know some WP bloggers are also on Substack which is the only reason why I would seriously consider ‘moving” over there … but we’ll see. What I don’t want to do is force anyone to subscribe (even for free) to yet another platform. Meanwhile, I haven’t posted on Substack in over a year … lol.

      Laura, I don’t think a day goes by that my husband and I don’t marvel at how far Raji has come. He is officially a SnuggleBunny. Nearly every evening after everyone has been fed and we’re (the humans) are watching TV, Raji stretches out on my lap and falls asleep. My husband gets jealous and tries to coax him to his lap ;-)

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Good on you for continuing to ride your bike, Marie. And what lovely socks. also love that shawl patten and color.

    The cats are looking good. I’m glad Wendy isn’t having food issues.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I can identify with all of this, except for the knitting. I tried it decades ago but it didn’t take, but I did take up cross stitch shortly after. Keep enjoying your retirement, Marie. And I hope your aches and pains aren’t ever too hard to handle. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Jennifer! You know, I’ve done some cross stitch and needlepoint but could never stick to it. I always come back to knitting. Fortunately I have a friend who enjoys cross stitch and who has kindly completed kits that I bought for myself to do … lol.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. First off, Marie, your knitting is enviable. And what a great way to build a community.

    Why do I continue to blog after so many years? At first it was to get my books out and to communicate with other bloggers and writers.

    As time went on and on, I’ve kind of burned out of writing and these days post mostly about my dog, some nature photos and the occasional review of books by fellow bloggers. Maybe I’ve just become lazy or unmotivated.

    I try to keep up with some bloggers that I like a lot but the zest I used to have regarding blogging has dwindled quite a bit.

    Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post and really these days I find more joy in reading other bloggers posts than posting my own. There are times I think, Oh, I should post something but what? Then, a tiny spark of inspiration occurs.

    Good luck with your MKAL. That is awesome! And your cats are lovely.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Carol. I’m feeling much the same as you describe. If it weren’t for the community here, I’d probably give up my blog altogether. Comments such as yours, though, make me keep wanting to at least share when I feel inspired or simply want to show off (my knitting) ;-) I love your posts from Bau’s POV :-)

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Hi Marie I am with you with the buggy nature of WordPress and find that the editor is all but useless for me now. I am on a free platform – I must now compose my posts offline and then copy and paste them which means I lose the advantage of some of the benefits of the block editor.

    So, I contemplate giving up my blog of 14 years! Blogging- it’s certainly changed my life and brought me a wonderful supportive community unlimited by geography and even led to a latent career post semi retirement in professional writing.

    I’m still not sure there is one theme to my blog and thiar is okay. It started out as a travel journal then transitioned to photography in a community sharing arrangement and then posts of personal reflective essays became the order of the day as well as a little bit of cooking etc.

    Now I think I write from the heart because it feels a need and I want to do so or would like to know what people think about a particular topic. I don’t write regularly – just when I do I feel it is an important independent voice in the media sphere.

    i am trying Substack but it is starting from scratch all over again. I think I have 2 followers – here I have over 8100 but not all active- of course.

    Good luck in your decision. You can find me on Substack if you decide to go that way at – Marnie’s Global Forum

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks for letting me know about your Substack. I’ve gravitated toward “writing from the heart” as well. If I felt compelled to write like an expert on anything, I’d probably give up my blog ;-)

      The problem I have with WP is mostly as a reader, like when I’m logged into the platform and yet still have to do login gymnastics in order to leave comments on someone else’s WP blog. That is so annoying and is not fair to the other blogger.

      But we’ll see. Since my last post, I saw that WP has another plan that is less expensive than my current plan, but still allows me to avoid ads. I’m pretty sure it didn’t exist when I signed on to two years of my current plan.

      Liked by 1 person

      • That alternative plan sounds promising. I would like to eliminate ads for my readers but when I asked them, it appears that the ads don’t show up as often as I anticipated them to do.
        I used to have the logon problems, but I must have circumvented that now as I remain logged on to wordpress on the device I am using. Then use a different tab to read the blogger’s post. That seems to help. Then again, some bloggers have settings that require logins every time. It is as you said, annoying.

        Liked by 1 person