If you think I'm dressing up as a biker or a cowboy you've got another thing coming....

I've lived in a fair few places in my time, up north, down south. Slap bang in the middle of big towns and right on the outskirts looking in.

I've lived in big houses, pretty little cottages and tiny, damp little flats. I've owned my own house and I've rented a fair few times as well.

I've lived in this village longer than I've ever lived anywhere else. There are a lot of plus sides to village life, you get to know people, faces, from all walks of life. It throws people together, forms groups and friendships that otherwise just might not happen.

One of the things I like most is that to me it feels like we've been stuck in time a little, in a very good way. If you leave your empty pram outside the Post Office, it will still be there when you've finished buying stamps and having a chat. If your baby decides to eject Sophie the Giraffe from her pushchair without you realising, some kindly soul will pick her up and put her on a low wall for you to find when you return in a panic.

A quick dash to one of the only village shops always takes longer than expected because you meet people on the way, catch up and check how they're doing. It saddens me to think that there are some places where these sorts of things just don't happen any more.

A friend of mine broke both her wrists last summer in the craziest camping accident I have ever heard of. It's difficult enough to manage without the use of your hands, but this lovely lady also had young twin boys to look after. On top of which she'd been told not to go anywhere unaccompanied in case she fell, as she wouldn't be able to use her arms to steady herself she risked further injury. It warmed my heart to see people, without question, taking care of her and her family. Rotas were arranged, visits were scheduled. Her washing was taken away and returned clean and pressed, her dog was walked, her meals were cooked, her house was cleaned. The boys were accompanied to school and back every day. She needed help and her community jumped up and gave it. It was amazing.

Now, I'm not trying to imply that I live some sort of charmed life, don't get me wrong, I don't. There are a fair few things I'd change, it's just that this isn't one. And it's not all rose tinted, but even the bad isn't really so bad. There's the occasional fall out and bit of scandal, but life would be dull without them. And a juicy bit of gossip can get around here at lightning speed.

It's also more than slightly bonkers around here sometimes too. We went for a walk by the river yesterday afternoon and, no word of a lie, a chap rode past us on his unicycle.....

From a very new person's perspective, I've found blogland to be a little bit similar to village life, although obviously in a less physical way.  It's lovely to see people offering support and advice, to otherwise complete strangers. It's nice to think there's a place where you can actually say, "hey, I'm having a hard time" and find that you're not the only one, there are others who know EXACTLY what you mean and even have some helpful advice following their own experience.  I've followed some blogs for so long that I sort I feel like I know their writers, though obviously I don't in the slightest.  I once waved at Cassandra from Only Fools and Horses when I saw her in a Carphone Warehouse, I recognised her so I assumed I knew her, oh the shame!  At least she was sweet enough to half wave back and look a bit confused at me...It could have been a lot worse, I have a habit of making a complete tit of myself in this sort of situation.

I suppose my point is that I'm not naive enough to think that blogland is purely a charmed and wonderful place only full of sweet natured people, though this has been my experience so far. I know that there are the other kind of people out there as well, and it does worry me slightly that I'm setting myself up for a fall by being here, being new to it all and not really knowing what I'm doing. That my naivety is going to bite me back. Really flippin hard!

So I guess what I'm asking is, is there a big blogger 'NO list' out there of things you'd be barking mad to post about? How do you stop yourself from getting it wrong or from giving away too much? Or don't you?  Do you deal with potential negativity by ignoring it and carrying on regardless?  How do you know if you're doing something that, to others, is completely bloody bonkers?

You'd tell me right? ;)