In February 2022, my two Blogger blogs were successfully combined and transformed into this https://www.leithpeterson.ca blog. Thanks to London, Ontario, Canada web developer Darshan Gunvantbhai Bhavsar for his help with this. In December 2021, Bhavsar graduated from Fanshawe College’s three-year Computer Programming and Analysis (CPA2) program, so is up to speed on the latest information technology matters.
A number of commentators on various WordPress sites, particularly the wordpress.org forums, also provided valuable feedback.
Reasons Why I Moved From Blogger to WordPress
For more than 10 years, I maintained my two Blogger blogs. I found them relatively easy to navigate and use. Although I occasionally had to get technical help to sort out various difficulties, it was a relatively rare occurrence.
However, in 2020 Blogger introduced a new interface which made it more difficult for me to maintain my blogs as I had in the past. Even though I was able to get assistance to resolve these new hurdles, it was not easy to find. This is because Blogger expertise in my area (London, Ontario, Canada) is almost non-existent. Consequently, I decided it was better to move to a platform that was used by more people locally. That way, if I needed help sorting out various matters, I would be more likely to find assistance.
Combining the Two Blogger Blogs Into One WordPress
I decided to combine the two Blogger blogs into one WordPress under the https://www.leithpeterson.ca moniker, for simplicity’s sake. The posts on my new WordPress blog are subdivided into two categories, one for those that appeared on my https://www.leithpeterson.ca site and the other for the Blogger version of my https://www.counterpoise.ca. The difference between the two categories is the first deals with me and my interests generally and the other explores my views on Indigenous issues.
It was not an easy task for Bhavsar to help me create the “Leith Peterson” and “counterpoise” categories on one WordPress blog. For example, some of my labels (called subcategories in WordPress) were located on both my blogs. He consequently had to adjust some of the “slugs” (the url version of the name) so they would show up accurately in both.
Although Bhavsar has provided me with lots of guidance regarding maintaining my WordPress blog and writing posts, I have still found learning this new content management system (CMS) to be quite the daunting task. It is more complicated to prepare a post than it was in Blogger. For instance, I am supposed to prepare brief excerpts for each post, so search engines are better able to pick up keywords that are needed to properly index my blog content. In addition, WordPress’s “block editor,” which involves adding “blocks” to a post to separate elements, such as “title” and “heading,” has been difficult for me to adjust to. Despite these challenges, I realize I must learn these new techniques to make my WordPress blog as good as it can be.
“Study Hours” 1940 and 2022
Most successful endeavours are the result of dedication to the task at hand. They can be as fundamental as studying for exams, as my mother Jay Peterson (1920-1976) did when she was working on getting her B.A. in Art History degree at the University of Rochester, 1937-1941. Below is a picture she drew around 1940 entitled “Study Hours.”
I am assuming she was depicting herself. In many ways, completing a project has many of the same characteristics now as it did back then: resource materials, preparing notes, and a desk.
I used a self-timer to take this photo of myself sitting at my desk.
I am intrigued by the similarities and the differences between 1940 and today. The focus of my attention is my computer screen (resource materials) instead of a book; my notes are prepared not with a pen, but by manoeuvring my computer “mouse.” However, the desk is still part of the equation.
I do not know who the man was in the portrait on my mother’s 1940 desk. However, I do know that in December 1943, she married my father Charles T Peterson (1913-2007). Below is a photo of the two of them taken around 1948.
“You Have to Break an Egg to Make an Omelette”
Just like I got a brainwave from my mother’s drawing, I gained insight from recalling one of my father’s favourite expressions: “you have to break an egg to make an omelette.” My “omelette” is my WordPress blog and it is now my responsibility, along with those who are helping me and/or encouraging me, to make it as good as I can.
Feedback on My New WordPress Blog
One of the best things about launching this blog is the positive feedback I have got on it.
Marion Gardiner said on February 21, 2022:
All good. . .I read Highway’s story and your account. You are truly an excellent writer and have a way of making the words so interesting and descriptive. How you described your concerns about sharing a desk and how it actually worked is something.
Your life story is worth hearing/reading-it always draws me in. Loved your description of Tomson and Rene’s “permanent astonishment”. . .
Marion Gardiner
Gardiner is referring to my November 15, 2021 post about Tomson Highway, which can be found elsewhere on this blog.
On February 22, 2022, Susan W also gave me encouragement:
Keep the good work. You provide valuable info.
Susan W
“Anonymous” observed on February 24, 2022:
The site looks great. The navigation is good. You have a lot of history within the site. All the best in your new WordPress world.
Anonymous
On February 27, 2022, “Anonymous #2” gave me further reasons to keep at it:
I am continually blown away by your writings with all the thought, research and attention to detail that you bring to them. You’ve done so much to raise the profile of individuals who have made a difference, to you individually and beyond. Such interesting and talented people you sprout from! You are making a difference by creating a solid record of these once hidden pasts. [Your site is] great and most readable/accessible. Well done on building and maintaining [it] and for finding such capable help conquering the technical glitches.
Anonymous #2
Conclusion
I am happy my first post is now published. Hope my musings about “study hours” and “omelettes” will be of interest to my readers.