Sunday 1 September 2013

Happy Birthday Serendipity


 
Eight years ago today... September 1st 2005 ,I posted the very  first edition of Serendipity on AOL  ,and became a member of a very unique group,this group entitled me to go on magical trips to J-Land ,I also received visits from so many people who also came  from J-Land ,so many people turned into friends , from all over the world ,and my what wonderful friendships were formed ,how well we all bonded ,we shared our glad days, we shared our sad days . we shared pictures, family news, mundane stuff ,exciting stuff some very clever ladies amongst us would make graphics and signatures personal to us to make our entries more themed and interesting ,Among them was Donna,Chris and Sugar and lots of other talented ladies A Huge thank you ladies  .....We talked about  our pets  too,oh and our hobbies ,but if you belonged to this fantastic on line family ,you know all this ,So if I'm boring you ,by telling you" the road you know" ,sorry . Have some more cake  

The next year I woke one morning,turned on my computer and found myself on the AOL  welcome page,promoting 'Silver surfers ' and of course our journals ,another valuable friendship was made with a lady who lived nearby ,she had turned on her PC  only to see me ,looking back at her , she saw me in the street and asked 'Was that you  etc etc ',yes says I, and Debbie and I have been best buddies ever since !

And then ,I was  voted' Lady of the blog 'by fellow journalists all over j-land ,one of many such awards ,I remember my dear friend Jeannette Locorriere won the travel blog award ,such pride for us UK  journalists

You will notice I have called us journalists throughout .We decided that's how we preferred to be known ,journalists from J-Land ,I seem to think it was a lovely friend Jeannette Oakley who started this ,another prolific quality  journalist ,who encouraged and helped so many of us get started .I know I could't have done it  without her patience  encouragement and help in those early years , Below is a picture of me taken around that time ,at Old Hunstanton on the Lincolnshire coast
 
Do have some more cake


 
 
Here is what I wrote on my journal,in 2007 
 
Over the last two years I have introduced you to my lovely family, and you have shared many of our gatherings, I have taken you along with Maurice and I when we have gone out and about .I have shown you knitting, sewing and patch work I have done, I told my Mothers life story, told you about all the Vicars I had the joy of knowing, Like so many of you I did a tribute to a victim of September 11th
I was honoured to get to know and mourn John Santore ,this for me, like many of you was a moving thing to do ,and I will always keep a place in my heart for this brave young fire-fighter. You shared our joy when we got our puppy Kizzie; I have told you about my ironing, and when I have cleaned my windows! (Guess what; we haven’t had our Summer duvet on yet!)
I have told you what books I have read .all about Maurice’s shifts and what I have for my supper .and you have faithfully commented and given me so much pleasure with your reply’s and your own journals ,So thank you all for sharing the last two years  with me ,sharing your journals/blogs and lives with me  ,There I wrote that in 2007...

Then bomb was dropped ,well we had heard rumours but it couldn't be right? could it ? we thought !!!Huh!
AOL  took away the journals facility...
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
AOL Journals ended on 31 October 2008. AOL and Blogger cooperated to migrate our blogs,
   Thankyou to Guido for these facts
I was lucky ,because I was able to migrate my' blog'{weblog} from AOL to blogger ,without losing my early entrys ,following the instructions given at the time  ,Phew !
 
Oh yes Happy Birthday to Sara Smiles her blog is nine today ,
So I continued to blog ,about all the things I had always posted about ,saw no reason to change !The only difference that I can see is ,not many comments nowadays!!!! hint hint !!! ,though checking on the statistics page I see I have many page visits .In the begining I used a tower PC  now I am onto my second laptop I still pick and peck using one finger ,sometimes two to type ! ,I still sew and knit and crochet ,I have just retired as chairman of our residents group and resident board member  ,though I am still on the exec team and committee,of A.R.F, Axiom Residents Forum.
And although I can't now  walk far I still get around on my buggy and am still enjoying life to the full even if it is at a much slower pace . 

Here is the latest item I knitted , it's a minion hat for my Grandson

And it was my sister Jeans  bithday last week so I made her a cushion

Here I am in her gorgeous garden ,after spending a lovely day with her

And at a Family fun day ,for the children of Axiom Residents ,The fire brigade attended for the kids to check out the fire engine ,Granny Jan checked out the firemen ! well it had to be done !

 
I will close this entry as with many others
 
With love from Jan xx

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jan, I may not comment much but I am reading and enjoying, still new to this blogging business.
Pat x

Debra Hall said...

Serendipity is a mixture of many things, is fun and informative. Your genuine warmth free falls through it. We are Facebook friends too, so our friendship online channels in other ways. Keep on writing Jan X Debra

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan
Lovely reading your latest entry and Happy Birthday to your journal .
Love being your sister and friend
Much love
Jeanxx

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Happy blogging Anniversary . So glad you are still writing and sharing with us.

TARYTERRE said...

Happy Blogging Birthday/Anniversary. I've been following you for a while now and enjoy every post you make.

chris said...

Happy belated birthday, I was out with Alan and family all day yesterday,
Love Chris x:-)

chris said...

Happy belated birthday, I was out with Alan and family all day yesterday,
Love Chris x:-)

Sara said...

Great post, Jan... Happy Birthday to your blog xx

And thank you for my Birthday wishes too, lol... has it really been 9 years??

Though in many ways I feel as though I have known my journal friends forever xxx

Bunny said...

My original comment seems to have been lost in the ether, but it was just to say how helpful and inspiring you've been over the years, Jan.
I've loved your trips out, family history,and wonderful fun gatherings. Thank you for sharing them with us, copiously illustrated...oh, and for teaching me to copy and paste :)
You are much loved. Off to get over all that cake.
XXX

Linda :) said...

Happy Birthday to your blog from a fellow J-Lander... :)

Sybil said...

Hi Jan, Sorry somehow missed this one...have been away for a few dasy to Edinburghh to see friends. Got back a few hours ago and now about to go to bed as I am whacked !! I missed all our lovely Jland company. It was never the same on blogger. And although I made an effort with blogger I never reallt seemd to get the readers so stopped reporting...still love to look in on all my friends though,,,and just LOVE reading about yor escapades ! Sybil xxxx