At this time last year, I was trembling with excitement as I pressed “Publish” on my first post.  I didn’t know how addicted I’d become!

I’ve learned so much in the past year, about blogging, food, research, computers, marketing, and social media.  I’ve connected with about a bazillion people all over the world, between my own readers, the blogs I keep up with, and my new Twitter friends (who, Yes! I am missing already after two days without Twitter).  Social media is an oddly fascinating, powerful tool, and has definitely become a major part of my life.

I still don’t quite know how to talk about my online world with my real life friends.  I start to tell a story that in normal life would begin, “My friend said…” and my thoughts go through this:

“My friend/my acquaintance/my co-worker/this person I know/my friend I met online/one of my blogging friends…*sigh*  I read online that…”

It’s a funny life I lead.  I’m loving this trip I’m on!

The best part is definitely the people (which is probably why I prefer checking my email and Twitter before I work on my writing – bad idea!).  I have even been blessed to meet some folks in real life: Donielle, Sarah, Kelly and others.  I have been honored by the invitation to write for Simple Organic.  I recently connected with some real writers and am looking forward to honing my craft (and maybe even writing that book someday!).

Blogoversary Randomness, Because I’m Like That

I’ve found that I really enjoy blogging, but I’m still not very self-disciplined about time management. I always said I couldn’t do a job where I was my own boss with no one to be accountable to.  Thanks for continuing to comment and keep me motivated to keep writing!

I’ve built a brand.  I didn’t know what I was doing, really, but Kitchen Stewardship has become more than just a tagline in my head.  I am “Kitchen Stew” and I am starting to believe that “Kitchen Stewardship” could become a household phrase.

I’ve pulled my relatives in. My mom is absolutely taking the real foods journey with me and is an avid reader, and one of my aunts has recently become a frequent commenter.  My poor mom.  The first comment she ever made was a bit personal, not embarrassing at all, just a compliment, really, and she signed it “Love, Mom.”  What would you have done?  *blush* I edited her signature out!

My in-laws still have no idea what I do. Just a few weeks ago, my father-in-law asked, “Do you put recipes on there?”  ‘Nuf said.

I stay up too late. The perfectionist and over-achiever that I am, along with my, uh, verbosity, means that my posting schedule is always over-ambitious.  Someday – soon! – I’ll keep it to one post a day!

Why that picture of Lovey Girl? One of the things I’ve learned is that you’re “supposed to” have a photo in every post, and she’s just cute.  I love my sassy girl!

And now, in classic Katie style, I will tell you something I’m going to share with you next week:  a post called 10 Reasons I Love my Readers plus a week of giveaways to celebrate you! Thank you for helping me build this community beyond my wildest dreams.

Are you curious how I got started?  Here’s my first welcome post, and my first real post.  (Sneak peek:  I’m posting the actual pictures of the experiment I reference there in a few weeks!)

Want to give me a blogoversary present? Say a prayer for my self-discipline during Lent!

See Me Speak

For my local readers:

• “Just Food” Series (about our responsibility as Christians to be good stewards of our eating choices)
• Catholic Information Center downtown
• Tuesday, February 23 and March 2
• 7-8:30 p.m.

The first session will share information including clips from Food Inc., and the second will be more practical “how to accomplish this in your kitchen” with some guests, including yours truly.  You could certainly get a lot out of each session independently if you can’t make both.  (Food Inc. is 99 cents this month at Eye on Video.)

Got any local just food resources to share with me?  Please do!

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I’d love to see more of you!  Sign up for a free email subscription or grab my reader feed. You can also follow me on Twitter.

If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

I’m pleased to join up with Amy’s Finer Things Friday.