1st Anniversary of my Blog

Today is the 1st Anniversary of this blog.  WOW!  A whole year, 241 posts, 36 drafts not yet published, and all of them, one way or another, about my dogs and me. 

At first I was just talking to myself, recording thoughts and challenges, frustrations and fears about dog training, trialing, and my involvement with other dog people.  It was a place to store a few photos along with extended captions.  Truth is, I've always loved writing and have started two other blogs, (my dreams, my poetry) but never had a subject that held my interest until it was "My Dogs".  (Well, I did publish a serial website a few years back on wild food foraging that took a few years to write.  That one is still up, but after Hurricanes Katrina, then Rita, then Gustav hit us directly, I quit foraging for edible weeds.)

Eventually, I sent out a few blog links to "persons of interest" -- husband, sister-in-law, son, mom.  Then a few cousins or friends if I was writing about them in particular.  A few dog club mates. Then, this year, my small handful of agility students. My site meter began to report 30-45 visits a week.  That was pleasing.

Then several weeks ago, I added the web address to some comments I made on a few other agility blogs, because they provided a space to add it.  Readership increased, and this week I had 221 visitors. Besides the US, the map shows some readers in Alaska, Canada, Australia, Russia, UK, France, Sweden, and more. Who can they be? It would be incredibly rewarding to know.

So if you land on this page, whoever you are, please help me celebrate my blog's birthday by leaving me a short comment.  Consider it a candle on my "blog cake".  I'd like to know where you live, how you found me, what you think of my blog so far, etc.


Every morning this past year I've woken up pondering what I might write about today. This morning I woke up thinking maybe I've written about all there is to write.  I will soon have all the nearby Trial Site Summaries completed, my 2011 titling goals met for Maxie and Lucky Lucy, my basic handling maneuvers and exercises recorded. I've conveyed most of my struggles getting to the point of being comfortable in the ring, hopefully encouraging other shy, un-atheletic, uncertain competitors like myself to persevere. What else is there to say?  Am I about to lose my mojo?

"Adoring Eyes"
Maxie's 1st birthday cake with his wallet photo on top.
July 17, 2008

At least I can share how I am celebrating this day.  Turns out, today we celebrate Maxie's birthday, too, so this morning I baked him some heart healthy oatmeal cookies in Papillon shapes, and tonight when John gets home we will sing Happy Birthday to him, toast the blog, and take some pictures which I will post tomorrow.  That will be celebration enough.

See, what makes my world go around is looking into Maxie's adoring eyes several times each day. I melt into his eyes (plus 3 other pairs)!  I feel such love coming from him, he totally accepts our mutual co-dependancy!  We need, and want to need, and don't give a crap what others say about people not supposing to need, each other.  What fun we have!  And my only birthday wish is:

May all this fun continue!

Upwards and onward!

P.S.

John also brought me a little bouquet of flowers and a FoohMax Agility Blog Happy 1st Birthday card.  That was sweet!  I placed it by my computer, where it will keep me company tomorrow as I process photos.