My sixth Blogiversary

According to the first entries on "Collecting my thoughts," this blog begins October 1, 2003. However, I had to back fill a little, using October 1 as sort of an indexing page for topics [see right side links on my blog] poetry, family stories, fiction, etc. My first entry was actually October 2. It didn't quite work out the way I'd planned--the people to whom I'd been sending my writing beginning when I retired in 2000 are either disinterested or enjoying other adventures of their own, although a few do keep up, so I just write for me and the few regulars I've picked up along the way who drop by occasionally. According to the "dashboard" of blogger dot com, I've written 7,015 entries at this blog, but that doesn't count the ones I removed. Altogether at all my blogs I've written about 8,500 entries and over 400,000 have visited, although some of those entries have been written by guest bloggers, particularly at my "Reunion" blog where high school classmates have been contributors of stories and photos.

The imaginary menu, if you stop by for the celebration and conversation free of politics, religion and health tips, is: Morning--tea, coffee and mixed fruit with a few nibbles from Panera's bakery; noonish--chicken salad on croissants with veggie snacks; afternoon--high tea with assorted goodies, a few sugar-free; dinner hour--baked salmon with my secret sauce and asparagus, with something gooey, decadent and chocolate for dessert. If it's warm enough, we'll sit on the deck and enjoy the fall color and the birds that stop by the creek. Please, no gifts--I have a full house. I'll put the cat in the laundry room, and the imaginary dog (a dalmatian) will be at the neighbors, so no animals will jump on you or make your allergies flare.