1st Blogiversary

Thanks to inspiration from Tom and Joe, friends that I've known for years, I started a blog. I've known Tom since I was a scrawny kid (age approx 14) and he was a glamorous college student, complete with 1970's tie dyed shirts and beard. It turns out that not only does Tom have a bunch of blogs himself, but most of his kids have them too! You really should visit his eldest's blog. She rocks! Joe, I've merely known since I was about 17. Now in addition to being a pillar of the community - family man, he's this premier blogging tax guru in Des Moines.

I went a little nuts and started a number of blogs. I have my main one here that I write on a couple of times a week. Then there is the diving, extension project and recipe blogs.

I quickly learned that, through Blogger I can patrol through random blogs seeing if anything I read floats my boat. It is always worth a look at Blogger's Blogs of Note. There are some very clever unpublished writers out there in Blogland.

I also signed by blog up to Scottish Blogs. In October, I went along to my first ever blogmeet!

With a great deal of my family living in the US, and me being one of the worst correspondents on the planet, this blog was a great way for me to keep my parents, my sisters and brother and eldest son updated with all that is going on or not going on here in my little corner of Scotland.

My mother, was inspired to start a blog of her own. I'm so glad that she has, it is keeping me well and truly updated with the time line for things going on in her life.

My dear old dad doesn't have a computer of his own and doesn't travel in circles where that is important. Therefore, every couple of months, I print off the latest batch of blog entries, put them in date order, write a couple of notes on the margins and post the big envelope off to his place in Colorado. He takes this bundle with him to coffee with his oldest and best friend Lee (Hi Lee & Pat!) and they go over the pages together.

As of this minute my site meter reads that I've had 12,148 visits to my blogs. Whoa! There are other blogs who have loads more hits, but I guess I'm not really fishing for greater readership (though it is nice to see it increase). Still other bloggers completely outclass me when it comes to the craft of writing or knowledge of important things. I may get there eventually, but for now, I'm enjoying the journey.

So, really, this blog has been a long letter to my friends and family back in the US. It amazes me that anybody else would find what I write even remotely interesting and I am always flattered by the positive comments. Thank you to everyone I've meet this year either through reading your blog, you reading mine and thanks to some that I've actually met in person. Let's see what next year brings. . . .