...MY BLOG IS 2 YEARS OLD!

Well it's that time again, better pour yourself a cup of coffee or whatever is your preference; and kick back for a longish post.

Every year I take my vacation at this time; 3 weeks in September. Two years ago while on vacation I decided to cave in and start a blog. Before I went back to work it was done, up and running, with about 4 readers. Hee Hee

Last year on vacation I blogged about the First Blog Birthday (link below), and this year, I'm doing the same. Lordy how time flies!! (especially when you're on vacation, groan)


Holiest of craps, when I started this little blog up I had no idea it would still be here and going strong 2 years later. After almost 24,000 hits (wow, thank you!) not only is it something fun and therapeutic for me, it's also gotten me a LOT of really good online friends that I'd never have had.

This blog started out on a basic Blogger template just exactly like this one:


In a short period of time I knew I wanted sunflowers, baby... so I changed it to this:


And then I wanted to make it "sunnier", so I changed some coding to make it like this one, which is where it stayed for a very long time:

This is what it looked like in fact, until only 8 months ago when I changed it to this existing skin. THAT was oodles of fun, I made all of the subtitles etc. myself in a paint program.... I loved it!

Most of you won't even have seen the first 2 skins.... and if any of you long time readers did, you may not even remember them it's been so long. But those of you who have been around here before this last change and will no doubt recall seeing the old "Green and Yellow".

Last year for the first BlogBirthday I did a post showing some of my favourite ha-ha's and some marks in time from that year of blogging: BIRTHDAY #1

During that vacation I had to live with a lot of stress and NO SLEEP.... as that was when we started the renovations on the house. Hubby was home every day working on it, so every single day meant noise, mess and dirt.



And as we had just had new windows and door put in, I had no living room or dining room to use.... until almost Christmas!


Yes, it was a very, very stressful time indeed, but now it's mostly done inside and looks good.

In the year between that birthday and this one, the world has surely seen many instances of bad, and good. And in my blogging friends' lives there have been milestones as well. To pick just a few:

Tracey ~ Last year I felt bad as she had moved twice. Well you can add a third time to it now, peeps!

Lexy ~ Has begun a new life in a new home with a new devil cat. And lost some loved ones in the process. ((hugs))

Rich ~ Well.... I still haven't convinced him to move up here so he and his partner Justin can legally be married. Still workin' on that!

Rhonda ~ This photographer has just kept improving, and she just posted the SEXIEST shot of Sav!! (Def Leppard's bass player and my fav)

Pam ~ My sister Pammie just opened her own photography website and although it's still a work in progress it's looking great! Also she has just managed to survive (so have I) another doggie scare. Her pup will be okay though!

P.B.Backy ~ "Pa" Backy lost his father recently and with the help of friends and family is getting through it.

Orion ~ This firefighter extraordinaire has been accepted into the U.S. Army Reserves! (it isn't Airforce but it'll do... heh heh)

Patty ~ Lost her much beloved cat, married the love of her life, and moved from here in Alberta to Ontario.

Karen ~ Just got the good word from her oncologist that she is still cancer free! WooHoo! AND.... she's still managed not to murder a certain co-worker...

Debs ~ Her and Greg got to celebrate the blessing of their son Andy's return from his deployment in the Middle East safe and sound!

Janna ~ My Rocker Chick Sista has been successfully building a new life, and dealing with her father's diagnosis of lung cancer.

Trucker Bob ~ Still dealing with a brain tumour and giving it hell. Hang in Bob, you're doing great!

Vince ~ The Rocker Guy finally admitted to liking some of Def Leppard's guitar licks! YeeHaw!

Dr. Sketch ~ My dear friend Sketchie started up his own blog, AND is awaiting his first book of poetry to be published!

And some of my non-blogging friends who read here faithfully......

Monica ~ Has successfully completed her first of two years courses in Massage Therapy. I know who I'LL be going to!!

Vicky ~ My friend Vickytoria is pregnant with her first baby!!

For myself personally:

I survived the first year in a new position at work, which meant the loss of a job I absolutely LOVED. I make the best of it and quite frankly, it's the people I got to keep working with that was the blessing.

I got totally and completely addicted to a website called "Opacity" (link on my sidebar) and became one of the original forum members. There's a huge membership there, but there is a small group of us there (some are in my blog links) who consider ourselves a "family", we're that close. This past year has been wonderfully rich with these new friendships made there.

And because of that website, I've started recently to become more interested in photography myself and have begun to learn a bit more about it. And I have to say, WHAT FREAKIN' FUN!!!

I finally got to use some of my decorating ideas, it was a complete and very pleasant surprise that we got new furniture.

There are so many other things that have happened to me, my friends and in the world.... but far too many to list them all. Suffice it to say that in this past blogging year I have witnessed many ups and downs, and shared lots of laughter and doled out a lot of hugs and prayers. It's been a wonderful ride, this second year.

Without you the readers, this blog would be a moot point, and "nothingness". It's because of you that this is so much fun for me!

Thank you all for your visits here, please keep coming back for the visits. I love them! Here's to Year #3 !!

PEACE!!
Love Jude