TEN YEARS of blogging!!

Ten years ago today I wrote my first blog post.  Ten years!!

The first I had ever heard of blogging was maybe a year prior when Cheryl, my dear friend/co-worker/ next door neighbor in the intermediate department at Manheim Christian Day School (where my music room was located) started one.   I remember how we all tried to wrap our heads around why.  What was the point of blogging?  Wasn't email good enough to let people know what we were doing?  

I hadn't seen Cheryl for a few months after she left MCDS in the spring of 2005, and then we unexpectedly met up at the deli counter of a Weis Markets near Lancaster.  We were so happy to see each other again, and she told me she was still blogging.  I think she probably wrote down her blog address for me.  I was so happy to be able to still connect with her.  She still blogs, and her blog is listed on my sidebar as Winds of Life.)

And then I started thinking, why not start a blog?  I like to write.  I like to take pictures.  Friends and family could keep up with us if they wanted to, and would not need to be bothered by my long, newsy emails all the time.  

So on October 5, 2005 I timidly figured out how to make my own blog site.  I wrote a tiny, little post that day, and then tried posting some pictures the next day, knowing that no one would be looking, because no one knew I was doing it.  

At that time in our lives we had recently accomplished the hugest feat of our lives (up to that point anyway) - downsizing from our huge farmhouse that had seen many, many people come and go in the eighteen years we'd lived there.  We liked our little house near Lititz.   Granddaughter Destiny, age five, lived with us at that time.  

The very first thing I wrote about was the impending birth of our former foster daughter's baby.  (Nicole and her two siblings had been our little ones for about a year-and-a-half back in 1991-92 before they went to their wonderful forever family in upstate PA.)  In 2005 Nicole was staying with her in-laws in Lancaster County while she awaited her baby's birth, which was to take place at Lancaster General Hospital.  We had the fun of hosting her parents overnight and then going to LGH to see little Ethan Cole the next day.  (How cute is Destiny on this pic??)  Today Ethan is a super handsome about-to-be ten year old!  It's delightful to be able to stay in touch with Nicole and her growing family on FB.

Finally three days later, on October 8, I sent out this email to some friends and family to let them know about my blog.  

"I have a good friend who "blogs".  A few days ago when I was reading her blog, I decided to see how easy or difficult it would be to set up my own blogsite.  Amazingly, it was quite easy.  Since I enjoy writing and sharing pictures, it's a fun thing for me to do.  So if you ever wonder "What's up with the Stauffers?", just go to musicaljean.blogspot.com and you'll find out!"

My first response was from Anthony.  "Now I know the world is coming to an end.  Lisa got an iPod before me, and mom has her own blog and I don't."  Hahahahaha!!  That gave me a great deal of satisfaction!!

Here's a collage of pictures of our kids from that era.  I didn't have one of Miki, but I did have one of her kids.

I never have connected to lots of other bloggers as some do.  I didn't feel I had the time to read so many blogs.  My main purpose for blogging was to have a place to write, because I love to write, and to let family and friends know what we were doing.  As it turns out, my blog has served two other purposes - it is absolutely the best family diary ever, and I have gained some very valuable friendships through blogging.  Some are still blogging, others I've stayed connected with via Facebook.  

Probably one of the first blogs I found was that of a local person I was already acquainted with - Doris Jean.  Her blog is listed on my sidebar, My Journey.  

As I made my way around blogland I found a person named MaryAnn in Delaware.  I thought I recognized people on her pictures, so I got brave and emailed her.  We instantly clicked and are still connected today.  We had a delightful,  impromptu lunch together at one point. Her blog is also on my sidebar, Stepping Out.  

Soon thereafter I got an email from someone who had seen my blog.  Leigh Ann went to high school with my kids and wanted to introduce herself.  We eventually met at the local park quite by accident, simply because I recognized her children from her blog, hahaha!!  Our hearts have deeply connected on a number of levels over the years.  She still occasionally blogs and is listed on my sidebar, Holding on to God's Promises.  

At one point I noticed that someone from South Korea was visiting my blog.  What????  Then when she commented on my blog and I checked out her blog I discovered it was another high school friend of my kids, Lynn, stationed in South Korea at that time with her doctor husband.  I don't think she blogs anymore, but we've stayed connected via FB, and I so enjoy keeping up with her and her beautiful family.  

Then I got really brave after a year or so, and started timidly leaving comments on the blogs of complete strangers.   I remember contemplating before I did it.  In a lot of ways I felt inferior.  My house was not beautiful like theirs.  But there were things they wrote that totally transcended material things, and I felt drawn to them.  To this day I still feel deeply connected to Kat (Justabeachkat on my sidebar), Tonja (Tonja's Gatherings on my sidebar),  Tracey, and Dianne.  I've had the privilege and fun of meeting three of these southern ladies in person, all but Dianne.   Facebook has become a wonderful way for me to stay connected with them.  

Along the way I met Margie from Arizona and Lynne from Atlanta via their blogs.  I'm quite sure their PA roots had a lot to do with the connection we felt.  Again, FB has kept us connected even though they no longer blog.  Margie and her family were our very first overnight guests in this house in the fall of 2010 on their trip back home to PA.   Now that Lynne has moved back to PA I hope I get to meet her in person too.

At some point Cheryl told me to check out Mari's blog.  Her son was in the army and our son Ray was in the Navy.  Cheryl thought we would enjoy each other.  She was right!  To this day Mari (from Michigan) and I connect on a regular basis both on our blogs and on FB.  Mari's blog is listed on my side bar, My Little Corner of the World.  I do hope I get to meet her in person some day.

Occasionally I check out new blogs, but not often.  I just don't have time for more reading or more connections.  But within the last year I found Terri from Lakeland, Florida, and I liked her.  Now we connect regularly too on both our blogs and on FB.  Her blog is listed on my sidebar, Your Friend from Florida.  I'm sure I'll meet up with her in Florida one of these years. 

So much has happened in these ten years.  We could not have imagined at that time that in a few years Dick would lose his job, the economy would tank, I would end up leaving my beloved music jobs at MCDS and Grace Community Fellowship, and we would move to State College for our new jobs and a completely new life.  Some of you have followed us through that.  

But we have survived!!  God has not abandoned us.  We are not at the place we had envisioned we would be at this point in our lives.  We are still very much dependent on income from our jobs and will be for years to come.  But we have health, we have our beautiful little house near the mountains, we have churches that welcome us and our gifts, we have Anthony and Lori and their wonderful place close by, we have beautiful relationships with each of our children, grandchildren,  and extended families.  

Our horizons have actually expanded at the same time that other dreams have needed to diminish.  

And ten years later, I'm still enjoying this opportunity to write, share pictures, and keep our family diary.  I don't get lots of comments like some bloggers do, and that's ok.  I don't do this for comments.  But just for this ten-year milestone, if you read my blog, I would love to hear from you in the comment section here or on Facebook. If you don't like commenting publicly, maybe you could shoot me an email at musicaljean@gmail.com.