What?
Today is my 7th blogoversary. I’ve been speaking my mind, for better or worse, since October 17 2001.

Why?
The terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the birth of the blog really have nothing to do with each other, yet they are inexorably intertwined in my mind. Living an isolated existence in unfamiliar territory, my choices were clear: either start a blog or become a female version of the Unabomber.
My original post is still up at Blogger.

Not completely sure at first what I needed or wanted from a niche in cyberspace, I soon found a good reason: asking questions. I’ve learned so much from blogging, from posing those querys… many of my posts ask ‘why?’ and it’s far from rhetorical. I really want to know; to understand how things work and why. As much as I told myself that it was all in fun those first two years, I really wanted to know more about why we’d been attacked, and the world at large.

Little did I anticipate back then the true joy of blogging: the community. I’ve met some of the most wonderful people through blogging and now believe that relationships and information exchange are the most significant and rewarding purposes -and side effects- of blogging.

Who?
I wouldn’t have started a’tall had I not been reading Kitty Mead’s blog. BitchBlog cum Dotcomkitty. Over the years I meandered away like any ungrateful young heifer, but it’s nice to know that my unsuspecting blog mom is still there.
In 2003 Madfish Willie plucked me off Blogger and foisted me onto Munu’s Great Leader and overlord of all things Munuvian, the wonderful Pixy Misa. I switched to WordPress in 2004 but I’m still here at Munu, kicking Pixy in the shins under the table every once in a while.

There’s just no discounting community in blogging. If it weren’t for other bloggers I’d not still be blogging. I love the give and take. Case in point: recently I threw up a link to something I thought was cool and Kim from What’s That Smell took it and ran with it, making me think in a new direction. After commenting over there I thought ‘this is what I love about blogging!’

Webster’s defines ‘friend’ as: one attached to another by affection or esteem. In that case, I’ve gained many wonderful friends from blogging, some I’ve spoken with on the phone. I’ve also had the honor of meeting two incredible bloggers, Tammi and Boudicca.

Bloggers were there for me when my dogs died, one year apart. When my Mom passed. Bloggers helped me win the portrait of Tess offered by Leanne at Intricate Art. Bloggers helped me deal with a year and a half of YsD.
I’ve learned that bloggers will celebrate with you in good times and hold you up during the bad… and as much as I wish it, I know that I could never repay all the kindness that’s been shown to me over the years. Bloggers, to me, are family.

Of course, not everyone who comes by to leave a comment is erudite or even polite. And that’s okay. I learn as much from the people who don’t agree with me as the ones who do; and if I value their opinion at all it’s a push to re-examine what I’m thinking. Turn it over and come back with a refreshed view. Over the years I’ve pretty much honed what I believe but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be wrong about something and people are always welcome to disagree with me.


Something I’m very sure of: I’ve been a conservative since 1980. The one and only Democrat I cast a vote for was Jimmy Carter. Talk about being scared straight!
Recently this has become a bone of contention for some, so I thought I’d better post a sign and make things clear. Joanie, I used one of your textures on this.

Of course, there would be none of this sitting on my arse filling the empty spaces in my noggin if it weren’t for Arthur. My husband is the perfect man, at least for me. There’s been no time when he wasn’t loving and supportive of me. If I told him that I was going to take my mother’s 200 year old dry rotted chest up to the roof and set fire to it he’d ask how he could help. I love you, honey.

Where?
From Florida and Texas. In hurricanes, through droughts, under rainbows, over the bodies of sleeping dogs. From the depths of depression and atop the pinnacles of happiness.

When?
Anytime. When I can’t sleep at 3:00a because I think the scaly growth on my back is cancerous. 5:00a when Bree wakes me because she can’t wait to eat or go for a walk. After dinner. Right before lunch. When I should be mowing the yard.

How?
WordPress is my platform of choice. Well, that and 15 active plugins:
Akismet
All In One SEO Pack
Close Old Posts
Comment Quicktags-Reloaded
Custom Smileys
Dean’s Permalinks Migration
Delink Comment Author
FlickrRSS
Google XML Sitemaps
Show Top Commentators
Subscribe to Comments
TextLinkAds
Theme Switcher
Twitter Tools
WP Polls

…and 8 that are not currently activated for one reason or another. Scripting issues, mostly.

For the ‘old timers’ below are a few samples of my headers, harking back to 2003. Let’s stroll down memory lane together.

That top one, from 2003? It just makes me cry, like I’m looking at who I used to be and what I used to have. I love all three; alternately bright and dark, I am a composite of all.

And how cool is the Wayback Machine? After going through my archives I’m happy to report that I’ve been a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy since at least 2003.

Of course, no look back would be complete without my girls. I miss you both terribly.


Future?
Last March I moved my previously secret blog, Beannachd, into the light… stripped of anything incriminating, of course. Is that my future, or do both blogs serve their own purpose? I haven’t really figured that out yet.

We never know what might happen tomorrow, but as long as I’m here I hope you’ll still come around.

And, thanks for everything.