>Change can be exciting! Getting a new design was both fun and scary. What if I lost control over changes? What if I didn’t like it? What if it ended up looking good, but wasn’t user-friendly?

All is well. It’s an exciting step up after two years of blogging on an average template that anyone on Blogger could have.

The hardest part of the process was choosing a background. The background takes up a small amount of space, but it’s crucial to the mood and spirit of the blog. It has to reflect the writer, but not detract from the writing. Colors, style, and the rest enter into a decision.

In the process I realized that I really need to learn HTML. If I knew even a little HTML, I’d be more helpful in making layout and set-up decisions. Husband uses Microsoft Frontpage for his web site; a little knowledge of that software would be handy, too. Perhaps that would lead to more success with Technorati tags, too. There’s so much I don’t know; so many fascinating and useful tools!

I took off to visit my injured brother for a few days just when the new template was about to launch. This would have been fine if (and that’s a big IF) I’d been able to get online. As it was, his home internet wireless is weak, and his dial-up is quite slow. I could receive email but not answer it, and that made it tough to communicate with Margalit while she was putting together the finishing touches. My solution was (you guessed it) a trip to Starbucks. Their new orange mango banana smoothie is delicious.

Now that it’s up and running, I’m thrilled. Yippee! Compost Happens gets a makeover! And I don’t even have to weed or water it!