One Year Blog Party! Come celebrate with me!

Hey fellow bloggers. Please join with me in celebrating my one year anniversary as of Feb. Please take a minute to post me a hello this week as your passing through. I see the crazy dots from all over (even though they just re-started my map?), but many of you don’t stop by long enough to say hi. I would really love it if you just dropped me a line or two in honor of my one year anniversary. I will then add your name to the pot for my door prizes of two garden related books, and two little simple water color landscapes that I painted, to mark my passion of gardening. So there will be three winners for the door prizes. All you have to do is post me a message to be in the drawing.

I wanted to take this moment to reflect a little about this first year of my blogging experience. First I must thank my dear friend Nadine, who got me started and helped me set up my blog. She was very patient and a good teacher. She has an amazing blog that gets quite a bit of traffic. She writes from the heart and everyone just adores her. Notice her awards on her sidebar.

I just jumped into blogging land head first, and started having a grand time. At first I mostly hung out with my church community. My church has a very strong blogging group. Did I mention Nadine? (Hint she is our pastor’s wife) She has been an influence on many of us getting into the flow here. If you notice my sidebar, Family & Friends, 90% of those blogs are people from my church. It is a great way for us to keep in touch with each others lives. Then I ventured out and just floated around here and there. After awhile I noticed I started revisiting certain blogs over and over again. They eventually became my "Blogs I Enjoy List.”

As the year has gone on, I have found so many wonderful and interesting blogs that have caught my attention. I have quite an eclectic group that I like. I notice lots of people tend to stick with a theme in their blogging. They have a common hobby or interest group. I have so many different interests that I find it hard to hang out with just one community. I love the garden groups especially this time of the year. There are some very amazing Christian woman’s groups going on. Praise and Coffee has a great big following. Sue's "The Two Shall Become One Tues." is a blog I am avidly reading. I am just getting hooked on the foreign travelers, brave American's on foreign soil, sharing their journeys. Frenchless in France is one to check out. There are the vintage groups, the decorators, cooks, tea lovers, book clubs, artists, knitters, writers…it just goes on and on. Probably the ones I find the most interesting though are the people that tend to do more of a personal journal approach. They tend to share many aspects of their personal lives for people to enjoy. Ramblings from and English Garden, is one of my favorites for this very reason. First of all Barbara lives in England, a place I adore. She has been sharing her life story, her travels around and about many famous and beautiful places in England, her gardens, and her walks around the English countryside. Her practical sensible approach to life is very heart warming to me for some reason. I just love how English she is :] Brin over at My Messy Thrilling Life has one interesting story going on there too. She is one busy gal, and she shares so many of the things going on in her life that she is so busy doing. Her cooking, crafting, reading, gardening, traveling, decorating, and just her exuberant approach to life is always a draw for me. Do check out her "Monday Moments!" If you are at all interested in how to raise charming, loving little girls who are learning manners and kindness and other such old fashion delightfully charms. You need to look up the "Balcony Girls" on Sandy's blog 4 Reluctant Entertainers. And yes, you will find a gazillion tips on how to live a lifestyle of hospitality that is most excellent. Then there are some blogs that don't say much...but when they do, people take note. My husband's blog Desert Reiver, is very much a reflection of who he is. He doesn't say much, but still waters do go deep. I think that is one of the main reasons we were so attracted to each other. I talk alot...he listens...alot. But when he does say something, it really matters, to me and to others.

So this was just a brief highlight of my year in blogging land. I think I will keep exploring, visiting and learning about new blogs, new friends, and new communities. Blogging is a very fascinating new world of communication. It is like an electronic version of the village watering well, where people met once a day to exchange news, have a sense of community and get their water for the day. I kind of like hanging out at the well.

I do want to add a great big thank you to all of you that have posted here, and especially to those who drop by on a regular basis.

I was very touched to receive my first award from a lovely gal over at A Haven for Vee

Vee you happen to be one of the folks who Make My Day. So here it is right back at you!

Rules: the recipient of the award will pass it on to 10 recipients of their choice; you may receive this award more than once; you must list your 10 recipients; say why you are choosing them; link to their blog; and finally leave them a little note to drop by your blog for a surprise!

So to all the regulars that make my day, please pick up your awards:

Just Being Me Grace
Knitting Mania Tiffany Tea in My Cup Deb's Random Thought's Swimming in Light Barbara Weighty Thoughts