Blog Anniversay

During the pain and sickness of the last month, I missed noting my blog anniverary - one year on Feb. 25. It's been an interesting year, I've met so many nice people, and I've learned a lot about myself, what I like and don't like. Like what, you might ask?

(1) I learned that as much as I like to write, I'm not really an author or an entertainer. I pretty much write as if I'm talking to someone in person, which is funny since I probably wouldn't be talking to you if you were here in person (we all know I have socialization issues!). There's not a lot of razzle dazzle or anything really educational, and to me seems almost boring, but also like talking to a neighbor over the fence. I've talked about bluebirds, snakes, flowers, pets, grandkids, driving down country roads, clouds, my 'stuff', pee on public toilet seats, cuckoo clocks, and adoption, childbirth, and miscarriages.

(2) I'm not attracted to a lot of razzle dazzle blogs, but rather to bloggers who talk from the heart and seem like regular everyday people I might meet over the back fence or in line at the grocery store, like Ginger with her chickens and Susie with her homemade dog treats. We have enough things in common to share an email here and there on this and that, and that's the part I really enjoy.

(3) I'm attracted to people who are 'flawed' in some way, like Annie at Quiet Commotion, who are working thru issues from a dysfunctional past or poor health and are not afraid to share their thoughts and feelings about it. This isn't surprising, since I had a dysfunctional past, and also wanted to be a social worker at one point in my life. Like I'm always saying, I love the blood and guts of what makes up a person's life along with the joys and triumphs.

(4) It took a while, but I finally found the older generation out there. In the beginning, because I was following my niece Wendy, I was seeing mostly stay-at-home moms and home schoolers, and a lot of crafters and ebayers. Then somewhere along the way I stumbled onto Julie at Midlife Jobhunter, and thru her blog list I found my 'niche'. Not that I don't enjoy the younger moms and women and their trip thru the adventure I've already been on, but I also like being able to talk about my grandsons with those who won't find it boring! And then there's Bernie at Old, Who Me? who is writing from her eighth decade of life!

(5) I'm attracted to people who love animals. Dana and I shared a gazillion emails about the death of her beloved Lucky and then the adoption of her new fella, Beau, and Donna and I have shared training ideas for her rescue Izzy. But even if it's just someone who loves their pet enough to show a photo now and then or who includes their pet in family news, like Mary's humongus poodle Griphon, that's the kind of person I like to read.
(6) I found a few men out there! Glenn and his down-home tales and short stories, Tim who writes quirky posts and poetry that he knows I don't 'get' but read anyway, and Dan and Ron who are photograhers who share their view of the world thru a lens.

(7) Comments are my favorite part of blogging (like you didn't know that already!). I've been known to leave comments longer than the other person's post, and I read all the comments that others leave on other's posts.

Well, I could go on and on. My follower list is pretty short compared to most of my readers, and my blog list isn't too long either. But that's fine with me - I think it feels more intimate. I won't link to everyone, as all you have to do is look at my list! In addition to the ones I've mentioned above, there's Lorna and her search for a healthy life, Ethlemae who writes the most incredibly detailed and entertaining stories of her real life, Renee with her three sons, Missy with her book reviews, Bernie at On My Own who is the nicest and most inspiring person I have ever 'met', Rosaria raising my social consciousness and sharing her passion for writing memoirs and encouraging others to do the same. I know I'm missing some, but my hands are getting tired of typing, and you'll know you're on my radar because I visit you on a regular basis!

In looking back over the posts I've done this last year - approximately 123 if you include those still in draft - I do have a few favorites, including Confessions of a Demented Mawmaw about my temper, Watch Out for the Animals about keeping an eye on our neighbors dogs, the one about the suicide of my brother-in-law titled How Do You Get That Lonely, and the series about our baby bluebird.

What about you? Is there any post or topic in particular that keeps you coming back to visit me?
If you haven't guessed already, this post is a thanks to all of you for stopping in to visit, for wandering to MY wayside, and for sharing yours with me.