Are You A Blogger?

1. 87

   Kathleen Odenthalposted 10 years ago

   Im a blogger and I am assuming many others here are bloggers. I was wondering what you blog about, where you blog, and was thinking that maybe we can do something like post our blogs so we can follow each other or something.... I blog on Blogger and my focus is the arts, all mediums ranging from writing to photography to ceramics. You can find my blog at http://artfromallmediums.blogspot.com/

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   1. 81

      drpennypincherposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I started my blog and my HubPages account on the same day, nearly 2 years ago and have developed them at the same pace.  I have 89 Hubs here at HubPages and 89 blog posts on my blog- I wanted to see which would get better traffic and revenue.
      
      So far my blog at blogspot.com is getting more traffic, but I get more comments from readers on HubPages.
      
      My Blog is Penny Pincher Journal at: http://pennypincherjournal.blogspot.com

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      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Nice blog, but you could do a lot better with it if you fix the site speed - Google hates slow sites and yours is incredibly slow!
         
         Here's the pingdom test for it:
         
         http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/#!/dMsBE3/ … ot.com.au/

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         1. 81

            drpennypincherposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Marisa, thanks for looking at this and for the advice!

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            1. 85

               Venkatachari Mposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Hi, I went through your blog just now. It's very great. So many ideas to save money. The content is very great and useful. Much impressed.

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   2. 91

      Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have been blogging for a while but not seriously. Recently I started taking it more seriously. I have had a food blog for nearly three years. In January I moved it to Wordpress and it tanked. About a week ago I moved back to Blogger and things are picking up again. I have several others I am working on but they are fairly new.
      
      I'm not posting my blog links here because it's against the rules. However you can check out my blogs at:
      
      (caroleesbestrecipes.com)
      (ravagingmind.com)
      (personalsafetysd.com)

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      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I wish I'd known you were moving that blog!  I'd have told you to use the Permalink Finder plugin at the very least, or to 301 redirect your Blogger blog to Wordpress.
         
         If you don't do one of those things, then all the link juice and reputation you built up on Blogger is completely lost when you move to Wordpress, even if you had a domain name and transferred it.   That's why your blog tanked when you moved it.

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         1. 91

            Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I wish I'd have known that too Marisa. I got some instructions on how to do the redirect from the backend but that was way too technical even for me.

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   3. 67

      Hezekiahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have a blog about music
      http://soulful-keys.com/
      It gets a quite a bit of traffic, that's many from my YouTube piano tutorials in which I have over 1,000 subscribers.

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   4. 80

      chateaudumerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Kathleen! Enjoy reading your blog. Ms Romano! I have been blogging since 2009 about life in the Philippines versus life in the US as well as my love for Marinduque Island- our second home. I will appreciate if you visit it,  http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com or at http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com

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      1. 76

         jemuelOposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I like your blog and I love the photos too. You really have wonderful place there. Marinduque is such a paradise. By the way, I am from the Philippines too. Nice to meet you.

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2. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 10 years ago

   Hi Kathleen,
   I started a blog ( Blogspot.com) before I started here. I was just stepping into the writing water at that point and the blog did not do too well. I only have two members, and that was not until after I was on here because they were from here.
   I have views, only I can not tell which are the robots and which are real, there are no comments. I never learned enough to find out what I was doing wrong there. I have not written a post since I cannot remember when.
   I will give you the link but do not expect a lot.
   http://birdfeedergarden.blogspot.com/
   
   I looked at your blog and it looks interesting but I am about to sign off for the night. I will have to go back and check it out again. :-)

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   1. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      First of all, you're still using the .blogspot name.  It's much better to attach your own domain name, it will make your site look more authoritative and it will cost you less than $10.
      
      Second, your navigation is not good. Ask yourself, how are readers meant to find your posts?  No one wants to wade through posts by month, they want to find the bird or plant they're interested in.   On Blogger, categories are called Labels - get rid of the Archives menu and add a Labels one instead.   
      
      Third, there are some gorgeous Blogger templates now which look more like a professional website and will enable you to organise your site better - right now your sidebar is all over the place! 
      
      I would also take the trouble to integrate your Adsense ads better (i.e. make sure the size and shape fit the space they're in - don't use a square ad at the bottom of a post for instance).

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      1. 84

         viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I plan to have my own domain name on Blogger but don't know how to go about it, so i'll appreciate your help once again Marisa
         
         Will i have to have a domain name for each of them?
         
         You also inspired me to start my own websites on Wordpress as well with your step-by-step hubs on how to start a WP website. I am happy to say they are doing fairly well (not enough yet though).

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         1. 84

            viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            PS
            Marisa I will truly appreciate a honest critique from you for these 3 of mine:
            
            (vintage-couture-fashionblog.blogspot.com)
            (big-brother-africa-reality-show.blogspot.com)
            (simpleinteriorconcepts.blogspot.com)

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      2. 60

         The Examiner-1posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you Marisa, I will look into all of those issues that you mentioned. The reason for the first one is because I only have enough to pay my house bills, if I start making any income on my blog then I will look into the domain name.

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      3. 60

         The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I have begun working on these Marisa. I have changed the template and ad size on my blog. I almost had a domain name but they wanted a business name & credit card (I do not have either), so I am still looking into that. I am also still checking out the Labels. When I first tried that, the list titled "Labels" was something different entirely. I am seeing if there is any way I can change that.

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         1. 85

            Venkatachari Mposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Hi, I have just looked at your blog. I hope when you write a blog, you will be mentioning the labels in the box provided on your top right hand side. These labels will appear on your blog when you add a gadget of Labels. You will select in the option whether you want them to appear vertically in a list or in a haphazard manner horizontally. The label fonts get bigger when you add same words many times. You may visit my blog to understand it by clicking the button on my hubpages profile.

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            1. 60

               The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Venkatachari M,
               I looked at your blog as you recommended. I already knew all about what I saw. The problem that I am having is that all can find on Labels is a gadget add-on which has its own list. Unless I create it myself and that is what I am trying to figure out how to do.

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               1. 85

                  Venkatachari Mposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  The label gadget does not show its own list. It shows whatever you incorporate as labels in the labels box that you type on your right side before publishing your blog.
                  Regarding other options, I exactly do not know.

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                  1. 60

                     The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Thank you. I will check on that.

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3. 87

   Kathleen Odenthalposted 10 years ago

   Ah! Sorry Cardisa I didnt know it was against the rules :-\

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   1. 69

      Nanciajohnsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think lots of us didn't know it was against the rules!  Oops!

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   2. 91

      Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You can read the rules here: http://hubpages.com/faq/#forums-violations

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4. 57

   Dale Hydeposted 10 years ago

   I have a blog that is several years old "Dale's Bits and Pieces of the Rainbow" (dalehyde.org).
   
   My views there are higher than here on HP as of the past six months or so.  It is a Blogger blog that I have changed the layout on and also I own my own domain and don't use the Blogger domain.
   
   It is monetized with Google Adsense and does generate some revenue.
   
   I have been posting more there than here of late.

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5. 69

   Nanciajohnsonposted 10 years ago

   I have one blogger blog that is doing fairly well with traffic.  I haven't added AdSense yet to it but only a link or two to my amazon affiliate account.  I am considering working in more blogs since everything else is not working that well for me.  I look forward to reading your blog on art since I also am an artist.  (top10standmixers)

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   1. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The easy way to refer Hubbers to your blog is to add it as a link in your profile.
      
      I think your experience with comments is fairly normal.  I find the same on my blogs - I have good traffic and make more money there than on HubPages, but I hardly ever get a comment.

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6. 84

   Pcunixposted 10 years ago

   I've been blogging since 1997, actually before that but that's when I registered the domain.  There's no point in my posting a link to that as it is a very niche technical blog that very few people would have any interest in.  I have a newer blog about coin collecting, again something of limited interest so no point in posting a link.
   
   There was a time when I made good money at that older blog, though now it sometimes struggles to reach $100 a month.  The coin blog makes next to nothing, but I enjoy it, and that's the point of everything at the end: you do things to make money so that you can do things you enjoy.  I'm just skipping the "make money" part there.

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7. 84

   viryaboposted 10 years ago

   I started a blog on Blogger some years ago, but at the time, i knew 'diddly squat' about what i was doing.
   
   Then about a year (or so) ago after following Marisa Wright's advice. I visited her blog and it inspired me, i gave it another shot. Its been a breeze since then (i think) and have since added 4 more. 4 of them are niche blogs while the 5th is a mix of sorts.
   
   I'm glad i listened to her.
   
   I don't have followers but my traffic is fair. . . .  These are the 3 niche blogs
   (vintage-couture-fashionblog.blogspot.com)
   (big-brother-africa-reality-show.blogspot.com)
   (simpleinteriorconcepts.blogspot.com)
   
   The blog with a mix are un-featured hubs i moved from here . . .
   (ginnysblogcorner.blogspot.com)
   
   The 5th is private.
   
   Bubblews distracted me (big time) for a while, but now I'm back to my senses   I am now working to make them work better for me.
   
   Now i want my own domain name on Blogger, but haven't figured out how to do that yet.

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   1. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Viryabo, for some reason I couldn't find this thread.  I've sent you an email about the luxury fabrics blog (which is linked on your profile) - if you didn't get it, check your spam folder. 
      
      The interior concepts blog has no navigation at all.  Right now, all the posts are visible on the front page but that won't be enough as it gets bigger.   
      
      The vintage blog needs navigation too.  People aren't content to simply scroll and scroll and scroll - you need to provide a way for them to find what they're looking for.    On Blogger, Labels are the equivalent of Categories.  Use them to create a menu.   I haven't tested the tip in this article but it's a place to start:
      
      http://www.fabulousblogging.com/2013/03 … zes-posts/
      
      The Big Brother blog looks fine, the problem with that may be the longevity - it will only last as long as the show lasts.   
      
      Just a tip - try to avoid hyphens in your domain names.  It's much better to simply run the words together with no punctuation. 
      
      http://blog.silktide.com/2011/06/how-on … o-efforts/
      
      You can buy a domain name from Namecheap.com.   The best thing then is to ask them if they know how to attach it to Blogger, as registrars often have slightly different systems. 
      
      One more thing - I'd recommend cutting down to two or three blogs.   Blogs need to contain good information to be successful, and if you spread yourself too thin, you won't be able to build up sufficient material on each blog.

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      1. 84

         viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you SO much Marisa. Really appreciate your help, as usual. I just saw your reply and will go check my mailbox now.
         I will start working on those improvements, but i may be back with a couple more questions.
         And thank you for the link.

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      2. 84

         viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa i couldn't find your email. I also checked my spam box. I so want to see your suggestions on how to improve the luxury fabrics site.
         
         Also, i can't find/remember how to email fellow hubbers. I have become a bit rusty it seems.
         
         Meanwhile i'm working on implementing your helpful advice. I am having slight problems working out the vintage fashion blog navigation bar but i think i need to work on my labels first.

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         1. 84

            viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Found it. It was buried deep in my spam box. Thank you so much.
            Now to go and digest it.

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   2. 85

      Venkatachari Mposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have gone through interiorconcepts blog just now. There are only 2 posts there and both on homepage only. Posts are very great but blog needs revamp as suggested by  Marisa Wright above.

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      1. 84

         viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for taking the time to check them out Venkatachari.
         
         I just started the simpleinteriorconcepts blog last week and i plan to add more content every week. My goal is once a week but if i can do more, the better.

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         1. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Once a week is enough.   Remember, a blog is a long-term project and if you post too frequently, it will only mean that you run out of material faster!   
            
            JAnderson posted a quote elsewhere from Google, saying that the addition of new material was far less important than the overall quality of the site.

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            1. 84

               viryaboposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks a million Marisa. I shall keep this in mind.

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8. 47

   pateludayposted 10 years ago

   One needs to be well involved with the topic to create anecdotal entries for greater readership.

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9. 63

   Wendy L Hendersonposted 10 years ago

   Hi Kathleen! I love your blog. I shared it with Google+ and I'm now following you. I have a few blogs. This is my main one http://affiliatemarketingdummiesblog.info/ but I also have a midlife blog and toddler blog.

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10. 87

    lbrummerposted 10 years ago

    I have an elementary art projects blog, Kids & Glitter (lbrummer68739.net), that has gotten a lot more traffic since I added a projects gallery so it is easier to see the projects available.  I don't get many comments, but do get occasional e-mails asking questions. I average about 700 visits a day now since adding the gallery.

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11. 72

    jennabee25posted 10 years ago

    I have been blogging on and off for a long time.  I use Blogger for two of them, and a craft shop suite called IndieMade for the third.

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12. 76

    jemuelOposted 10 years ago

    Hi! I've been using Blogger as my online writing platform. I blog about personal and career improvement. I also include some posts on personal finances, the topic which I am really interested with.
    
    Here it is: ( ingeniousnote.com)
    
    This blog is quite new, and I only have few posts as of this time. I just bought a top level domain last month. Well, having your own domain gives you more authority as Marissa pointed out.
    
    I'll surely check your blog Kathleen, and the rest of blogs posted on this thread. Can't wait to see your masterpiece!

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13. 91

    Cardisaposted 10 years ago

    I was hoping that new posters to this forum would get my drift and stop posting their blog links to the forums.

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    1. 61

       LindaSmith1posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Apparently they want to get banned from forums or HP for spamming with the links.

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       1. 87

          lbrummerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I take it that if it's (the address) clickable, it's a link.  But, it's okay to write the site address.  Do I understand that correctly?  I doubt that anyone is trying to do things that will get them banned.  Anyway, I wouldn't, and if I'm doing things wrong I don't mind being made aware of it.  I prefer that it's said in a nice way, but I guess I'm old enough to take it any which way.

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          1. 91

             Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

             Yes, it's okay to write the site address, so long as it's not a link. Having a link provides a backlink back to you website. It's not a good idea that HP has a page full of external links. This may be construed as spam in Google's eyes.

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14. 85

    Venkatachari Mposted 10 years ago

    I am blogging since two years on blogger. I started it to blog on healthy lifestyles and to spread awareness towards good morals and ethics. But, I hope it is very dry or I am unable to present my views clearly and appealingly. It does not attract traffic of more than 20 to 30 views per blog except 2 or 3 which got some good views. I applied for google adsense. But disapproved 2, 3 times due to irrelevant content. Even, I moved some 20 posts on TV serial episodes to another blog to make it my original content. Now I have 40 posts in it and still adsense rejected. I think I should change my style and even subject to attract traffic and get adsense approved.
    
    The following is the link to my blog: http://vnktchari.blogspot.in/

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    1. 47

       pateludayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Write About your experience real life in reasonable good English.

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15. 75

    Silva Hayesposted 10 years ago

    Hi, all.  I have blogged since 2008, documenting my mosaic art.  http://www.mosaicroad.blogspot.com.  I will check out all your blogs.  Thanks!

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16. 62

    Conleys Reviewposted 10 years ago

    I recently created Conley's Marketing Tips blog, if anyone is interested, at: http://conleymarketingtips.blogspot.com/

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17. 60

    Ezyshineposted 10 years ago

    I run a lifestyle & health blog.  http://www.ezyshine.com/ Please have a look. I need your valuable suggestions.

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    1. 85

       Venkatachari Mposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Your blog is awesome. Just  went through some articles on recipes and interior design. Very good posts.

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       1. 60

          Ezyshineposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks for your suggestions.
          
          You can follow me on other social networks.  Stay in touch.

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18. 60

    Ezyshineposted 10 years ago

    I run a lifestyle & health blog.  http://www.ezyshine.com/ Please have a look. I need your valuable suggestions.

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    1. 85

       Venkatachari Mposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Your posts are so great on your blog. But here there is no activity to follow you.

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19. 62

    Conleys Reviewposted 10 years ago

    I have a Cooking blog which covers many aspects of cooking, with photos and videos at http://cooking-cookware.blogspot.com/p/home.html.  Take a look and comment.

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20. 85

    Marisa Wrightposted 10 years ago

    Hmmm.   I reported this thread TWICE to the moderators because I was worried everyone was breaking HP's rules by posting links to their blogs.   Nothing has happened, so I think we can all safely assume they are happy for us to post our blog links in this thread.  So here's mine:
    
    http://pointeshoesonline.com
    
    The blog section is in the right sidebar under "Tips & Advice".   Hubbers will be interested to see the volume of eBay ads on the shoe pages, which HubPages would regard as search engine suicide.  This blog's traffic went up 50% after the recent Panda update.

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21. 91

    DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years ago

    I have several blogs, but since I was trying to focus my attention on HP articles, the blogs got seriously neglected.  I've not posted anything for over a year on any of them.
    
    I never did have them 'monetized,' so they were not money-makers anyway; more of a social thing, and the only one that really worked in that direction was the cats' blog, as part of the Cat Blogosphere, where folks have blogs writing in the voices and from the perspective of their cats.
    
    It was the only one of all of them to gain any attention or comments and interaction.
    
    I just don't think I have the energy to deal with trying to resurrect the the others, or to deal with all the "back door" technical issues.  I just don't 'get' all of that.  Too confusing.

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    1. 85

       Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Well, it sounds like you'd be mad to even try, since they weren't doing well and don't have any potential to make money.
       
       I find the best thing to do with blogs like that is delete them (except the Cat one).  If you leave them in existence, they will always be there in the back of your mind, whether as a reminder of failure or as a feeling that you "should" do something about them.   
       
       If you delete them, it will be like decluttering your house - good Feng Shui! - and you can then re-use all the posts on Bubblews after a decent interval.

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       1. 91

          DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Probably a good idea, Marisa.  I might also keep the journal one about hubby's health.  I only posted one or two posts, and then he had some serious setbacks, but things are looking more promising, now.
          That one is titled, "Journey to a New Heart."

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