Jeannette's Jottings

Yes, today, the 19th July,  is the fourth anniversary of my journal. It seems incredible that so much time has passed. What is even more incredible is that I have been able to keep it going so long.

Admittedly, I do not post as often these days. That is to be expected. I posted so much in the first couple of years and as time passes memories get used up and you find yourself with less to say.

To think I started the journal as a little something different, never expecting it to last more than a couple of months, if that. I just happened to see “blogs” listed on the main page and after having read an example, thought I would give it a go myself.

I never dreamed that four years down the line I would still be writing, nor did I dream of the friends I would make or the lovely people that I would come to know.

So much has happened over these last years. Our first Grandson was less than three weeks old when my journal was born.

The first photo I ever posted.

You shared his babyhood with me and also the birth of our second Grandson. Now Nathan starts school in September and Daniel will be three next month. You have watched them grow.

You learned of my Grandmother, her house and her friends, how my parents met, my feelings on my late brother, my schooldays, some of my working life, ghost stories and historical tales and some of my adventures in tracing my family tree. You have read some of my poetry, shared our photographs and so much more.

On a larger scale we are experiencing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have shared together the loss of our troops, the tragedy of the London bombings. We have seen the departure of Tony Blair and now rocketing food and fuel prices. Earthquakes, fires, the dreadful Tsunami, the flooding in New Orleans. So much has happened in the world that it is impossible to name everything.

You shared with us the loss of our beloved Pip and our joy in the arrival of Jack and then Leo.

More recently you walked with me through my diagnosis and treatment and shared our joy that I have been given my first year all-clear. Also Daniel’s treatment and operation.

During the last four years I have seen many good journals disappear. Some without apparent reason and with no word of goodbye.  Some regular readers have come and gone also. We have lost dear friends whose journals still remain as a testament to their friendship and their bravery.

We have shared together joys and sadness, worries and hope, faith and despair, we have lifted each other, supported each other, cared for each other.

So, I wish my own journal a happy fourth birthday. I shall continue to write, when I have something to write about or an idea springs to mind. I hope to still be part of our wonderful J-Land community in another four years time.

Finally, I could not have done it without you,  my dear friends and readers. No matter how much effort you put into a journal it means little unless you get comments, unless you get people who like to read what you have to say, unless you get regular followers.  I have been so lucky in having quite a few people who have stuck with me since the very beginning and many more have joined in along the way.

So my heartfelt thanks and love to you all. You have made “Jeannette’s Jottings” something I can be proud of. God bless you all now and always.

Many thanks to Sugar and Donna for the beautiful graphics both in this entry and on my sidebar.