Blogiversary!! Update to Correct My Failing Memory

Tomorrow will be one year hanging around here writing about family, stealing jokes, memes, great recipes, and generally making up the rules as I go along.

Here's my first post. (A year ago I couldn't have added that link to save my life).

This post (a day early) will be devoted to gratitude.

Some of you may know how I started blogging. I bought a computer in late 2004 and at some point discovered Blogging Baby (see my sidebar and save me putting in another link), a parenting blog, and fell in love with it. I started leaving comments and more coments and more comments. My first banner read "because Blogging Baby's comment boxes are too damn small". I would have left it but many new visitors didn't understand the reference. All the original BB visitors sure did.

After a month or so one of the writers (Jen C.) sent me an email thanking me for something - no idea now what. I was blown away. Wow.

Then, several people started saying (in the comments) "get a blog, Ann". I was terrified of the thought. Jen offered to set it up once I made up my mind. Then she made my mind up for me by setting it up and emailing me saying "you have a blog - now write something". She also wrote the first post - one word - Welcome!. She may have created a monster.

I'm bound to forget someone. Thanks to Jen, L., Gawdessness, Dutch, Jay, and Roger (and the ones I've forgotten) who nagged until I finally did it. They were among my very first visitors and are still around.

There have been so many others who have helped. Andrea (formerly of Japan - now Canada) took over with my blogroll until I finally tackled it myself. Jen has been available whenever I begged for help. Angela has been my right arm, updated my banner (update - Angela just reminded me that was Andrea, sorry Andrea), and restored my blog when I zapped it by thinking I knew more than I did. They're all listed under contributors which makes this a "team" blog. A good word - team.

And to many others - too many to list who have responded when I've asked questions or become confused. One who stands out in my mind is the almost anonymous woman who unlurked to teach me how to do ° and ¢. She helped on something else too and now I can't remember what (it's back in the archives somewhere). Another showed me how to fix a misteak goof. (hope that works). You all know who you are (sounds like the Academy Awards doesn't it). They'll start playing the "shut up and get off the stage" music any time now.

To Worried American, another great-granny, who invited me to join her on her blog - very different from this one.

To all the friends I've made over the year. I was feeling quite isolated here. I didn't fit in with the senior set too well because of the girls and I didn't fit with the "mommies" too well either. I've found so many friends here. We're all so different and yet we have so many things in common. 99% of you are on the blogroll and I promise to catch up with the other 1% - probably this weekend (I hope) if Blogger cooperates.

I love reading your blogs and having you read mine (and respond). I don't think Angela will mind if I repeat a snippet of one of our conversations. We agreed that the age difference all but disappears here. I'm almost 50 years older than she (not quite) but it doesn't seem to matter when we're chatting about baseball or kids or the many other things we find in common. It's the same with all the visitors. No matter what our differences may be, they seem to vanish when we talk as friends. Even national boundaries don't mean much. We represent the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, India, England, Scotland, Philippines, Netherlands, and, once again, I've probably missed someone or some country. I'm thinking about rearranging the blogroll by country if I can find a spare block of time. It would be interesting, I think, to see who is where. We have many different faiths (or none) and probably disagree sometimes politically as well. It doesn't seem to matter here. We find common ground which I think is vital.

We toss the word "love" around a lot but I love you all.

Thanks to all for everything you've done.

In other news, there really isn't any. School is going well, the driving has eased up a little, and I'm feeling much better. Ray does well most days - it will always be a day at a time with him but then so it is with us all.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend.

Big hugs all around

Ann