Monday, March 18, 2013

5 Years

Today, March 18th, is our Blogiversary.



Five years ago today I gave in to the urging of Dr Nicki and opened the web site she had written down for me and assigned the blog name she had chosen.
My first post, titled "Starting Point" had no pictures. I didn't know how to add pictures. It described my earliest memories of pet dogs. I don't know if anyone read it. No one left a comment.
My second post had pictures and it garnered one comment from Dr Nicki.  I didn't think I had enough to say to get me thru a week of posts but I made the decision, since no one was reading it anyway, to use my blog as my journal. I had tried keeping hand written journals several times in my life and after a few days or weeks at most, I lost interest. I expected the same results from a blog.
At that time in my life, in 2008, I was very unhappy and very lonely. We had left family and friends on the East Coast and moved to a place where we knew no one and had almost nothing in common with the people in the area. Rob was gone all week, traveling on business, and I was here alone with my dogs. I longed for human contact with people who had some common interests. I surfed the internet most nights till the wee hours looking for some way to communicate with others. One night I found a group of bloggers who all had an interest in dogs. I requested to join the group and was accepted. Suddenly people were reading my blog and commenting.

Blogging changed my life. I was using skills that I hadn't used in a very long time. I was writing and planning future posts. I was using my camera to document everyday events that would have likely gone unnoticed without the blog. I was meeting people who shared their lives and interests. I was building a blogging family who I cared about. We shared our daily lives, our successes and disappointments, our dreams and our fears. We celebrated each others milestones and mourned each others losses.


Back in 2008 I never expected to be blogging five years later or to be approaching my 1000th post which I'll be writing next month. There have been times when I faced writers block for one reason or another, but my blog has become an important part of my day and I look forward to many more posts.

Thank you to each of you who have stopped by our little blog if only to look at the pictures. Thank you to everyone who has stopped to read our thoughts. A huge thank you to those of you who have left comments. There are no words to express my thanks to those of you who have become our friends and our blogging family. You are so very dear to us and have made my life so much better.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

well we are here to read them all, we may not get to comment all the time, but so you know we enjoy hearing what all our family members are doing, Blogville is such a great place to wash away the pains of the day.

HAPPY 5TH YEAR - WOW

Hope you had a wee tip oh the pint for St'Patrick's Day

Your Pals
The Green - Mad Scots
Susie & Bites

Two French Bulldogs said...

Truly a special day!
Benny & Lily

rottrover said...

Happy Blogaversary! I have loved getting to know you and the dogs. I have really appreciated your wisdom and honesty. Here's to another 5!

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Wow! Five years. That's quite an achievement. So many bloggers have come and gone just in our three years. Every once in awhile, we have blogging block, too. Then something happens. We've enjoyed reading all about your dogs....even the sad times. So keep blogging.

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

We remember the excitement of the first comment. It was yours. And we still get excited when we see comments.

Molly the Airedale said...

We absolutely love your blog! Happy 5th blogiversary!

Love ya lots,
Mitch and Molly

Dexter said...

The time goes by so quickly. I started blogging for me and still do. It is an amazing way to keep a diary of life with our dogs. Happy Blogaversary!

Mango Momma

SissySees said...

Interestingly, I have kept a journal more often than not since age 7, but blogging has replaced that. We're so glad you blog!!

Matilda the Boxer said...

Happy blogaversary! I'm so glad you came to Blogville, because I've loved meeting you and your pack!

Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and Mom said...

Tissue Alert! {sniff sniff} Very nicely written and says it all. We've only been blogging for 2 years and following for 2 1/2 years, but we've found the same to be true. We've made so many new friends with the same interests (our pets). We've learned so much in 2 years and I'm sure you've learned a lot more in 5 years.

Happy Blogoversary!

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Congrats on this milestone - we too always enjoy your posts.

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

Life with Wrigs said...

Congratulations on five years of blogging, Sue! We are so happy to have found you and your pack. Blogging is so time consuming, yet rewarding in many ways. Love sharing with like-minded folks. Thanks for sharing your pups with us.

Susan and Wrigs

Lapdog Creations said...

Happy Blogiversary! :) So glad you decided to start one of these silly things and find us all thru DOT!

charlie girl said...

Congratulations on 5 years! I have to tell you how much I've laughed, I've cried and shared many similar moments as yours.

Hope to be reading your blog each morning with my coffee for another 5 years!

Charlie girl, Monty, Penelope, CLyde and Fergus.

charlie girl said...

Congratulations on 5 years! I've enjoyed your blog with the start of my day I believe for at least 4 years.

I've laughed and cried along with your blog and you, thanks for being part of my day!

Charlie girl, Monty, Penelope, Clyde and Fergus.

Piappies World said...

Happy 5th Year in blogging! You sure serve as our inspiration to keep up our blog. It's also friends like you who we always look forward to in sharing our adventures with the Piappies!

Love,
Piappies Fudgie, Princess, Frappie, Mocha, Sugar, Wai-Max, Wai-Pai & Forgie

Diana said...

Congrats on your successful 5 years of blogging!!

Marjie said...

Thank you for sharing your sorrows and especially your joys with us. I have enjoyed knowing you and your dogs for, what, 4 years, or maybe close to your entire 5? Happy Blogoversary, and many more!

Kari in Alaska said...

Happy 5 years!

Stop on by for a visit
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/

booahboo said...

Happyyyyyyyyyyyy Bloggieniversary to youssssssssssssssssss.. 5 years and many more wonderful years to go!

Congrats to you Sue!

Jed and Abby in MerryLand said...

Mazel tov on your blogiversary! We're so glad to have found you guys [and your mom]. We really miss Samba, too. Mama's still having trouble with her back, shoulder and hands, so we can't comment as often as we'd like, but we feel closer just being able to read your blog.

Slurps, Jed & Abby

Nicki said...

Congrats! I love having a way to look back at my life. Both the good and the bad.

soulbrush said...

OMG I remember it well, I remember finding you in bloggyworld and travelling along this path with you and the gang. I have laughed and cried along the way- you have some of my early art in your home, which still makes me feel so honoured and you have proved to me over and over again that 'unconditional' love always works best! Well done Sue and from me in London -here's a BIG bouquet of cyber red roses. xxxx