Happy 4th Anniversary, That Old House

I am trying to type as little as possible.

I had another surgery this morning on a malignant
melanoma on my left arm.  I know, bummer.

But this should take care of the McNasty, so all's well.

After I emailed or texted family and friends,

I thought, "Now to tell my blog family."

And I remembered a post I wrote just two years ago,

on the 2nd anniversary of That Old House.

This week marked the 4th blog anniversary,

and so I'm repeating that post.

Partly from laziness, or enforced idleness right now, but also because it is appropriate.

It's about why we blog.  Or at least, why I blog!

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Two years ago today, on October 1, 2008, I hit "publish" for the first time,

and to my astonishment found that I had begun a blog.

There was one picture of the house, from the realtor's listing.  That first post is here.
(Links to my old posts are in red; links to other blogs are in bold type.)

The picture that stole my heart, in the Multiple Listing ad.

My next post was not until Halloween,

when I was feeling rather nostalgic for Halloweens past, and rather sorry for myself.

No pictures.  I was just doing this to hear myself think, sort of out loud, and to help myself

come to terms with leaving our old house, where we raised our girls, and living in this new-to-us old place.

That Halloween post of 2008, I didn't put up any pictures from the past.

I was missing my girls (their little selves) and our old Craftsman house too much.

Next post was early December, about Thanksgiving

By now I had visited some other blogs, and I realized I had to include some pictures.
It took me all day to figure it all out.

I confess I used Mary's beautiful Little Red House blog as my inspiration.

Mary, they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

Also in early December, I got my first comments, which completely astounded me. 

Remember that feeling?  It's a Sally Field at the Academy Awards moment.  

A few more posts, just ramblings and a few pictures, and then Cindy of Applestone Cottage found me,

and suggested I participate in a blog party.  My first jump into a meme, or blog party, or linky party,

was on February 7, 2009 . . . about the transformation of our master bedroom from wallpaper Hades:

to soft blue Heaven.

The blog party? It was Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps On The Porch.

 It was Susan's 4th MM; I think she's up to her billionth by now, and it's still a favorite of mine.  

I got 26 comments on that post -- 26! -- and I knew

Cindy had been on to something when she suggested a blog party!

This was fun.

And it continues to be fun.

I also think it's more than just fun.

We don't have those neighborhoods anymore, where the women chatted over the garden wall, trading gossip and mutual support -- but we have our computers.  As women have done since the dawn of humankind, when they gathered in someone's cozy cave while Gorg and Vlomp were out hunting whatever early man hunted -- we have managed to find one another and communicate.

Our garden walls may be virtual, but we can still trade that chat and that mutual support.

I wonder if, when Al Gore invented the Internet, he ever envisioned this happening?  :-)

So thank you, my blogging friends, for two years of laughter, some tears, loads of fun and inspiration, and for being there -- out there somewhere -- because it's wonderful to realize I'm not always talking just to myself.    -- Cass

No linky parties today.  Just me, just talking, over the garden wall at That Old House.