I started out blogging in 2007 over at MidlifeCrisisQueen.com.  At that time I loved the freedom blogging provided me as a writer. Rather than write a piece and then try to get it published somewhere, I could publish it immediately.

  Back then blogging was new and free.  I had over 90,000 views in my first year.

I wrote about the emotional trials and tribulations of deciding to change everything in midlife. It was a blast. I found my people, new friends from all over the world!

Then things became much more technical with too much social media involved. I learned that I needed to find somewhere else to “self-host” my blog. In other words, lots of time and money to upgrade and maintain my sites.

Then there was Facebook and Twitter and Google+ to join and post on. Then there was Pinterest and one very nasty letter from the legal department at Getty Images, charging me $800 for using one of their images by mistake.

The last straw happened last fall when an update from WordPress screwed up my main site beyond repair. After that it became impossible to post on Midlife Crisis Queen.

This week I was hacked and then charged $100 by Blue Host to clean it up…. and we’re done! I got into this gig for fun and to reach others with my writing, but the Internet is becoming more and more expensive and hacked, with less and less fun in it for me.

I now plan to maintain this site for as long as it is still fun and trash the rest of my sites.  Too bad it has become such a hassle just to express yourself, because:

Freedom of the press is only available to those who own one!

Please check out my books here! I have a new one about building solar!