My First Blogaversary!

Today is my 1st Blogaversary! You can't really tell by my blog archive - the first blog crashed last Febrary, so I started this one up! I have my paws crossed that my aide doesn't touch any red buttons! I'm not sure if you can access this link, but it is the address to my first post. I had no header or any frills, but I sure started meeting a lot of friends.

http://goldensamantha.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Amber-Mae was my first commenter! When I started the new blog, my assistant figured out how to give this space a new look. I joined Twitter and Facebook too! More important, I joined DWB, which has brought an amazing sense of community to my blogging life. I found more new pals and read the daily news over there. I lost some dear friends this year too and miss Honey and Terra, as well as those blogging buddies who I'll meet one day over the Rainbow Bridge.

I want to send out thanks to so many friends who sent me love, support and gifts when I ate the G-L-O-V-E, and who have helped me at other times in other ways. Sweedy, Eduardo the Snuggle Puggle's mom (see her badge on my sidebar) designed the purple kong header and blog. I owe big thanks to her and please visit Eduardo, who is very ill. Mimi, Scout and Freyja also added big techie touches to this blog to help refine some of the messier aspects and I am so grateful!!! And as recently as last week, Ann from Zoolatry sent me this very pawesome holiday header, which motivated me to get the festivities started! Thank you Ann, Maggie and Zoey for this beautiful work, as well as for the lovely "Samantha is Golden."

So that's a lot of writing. I am so very grateful for my pals in (unbelieveably) the cyberworld. You all feel very real in my life - daily. Perhaps one of the pieces of the pie that fell into place as evidence of the validity of our friendships through blogging came with our visit to San Diego, where we met so many of our 'puter pals. As you all know, Val and the Boo Bears put on the Royal show for some western blogging buddies, as well as with the blogging community's good Italian friends. Having never laid eyes on one another, we all had a ball and shed copious tears when it was time to part. Thank you again Val - it was great to meet you, Joey, Kealani and Sue, Marco, Simona, Judy, Ben, Sangtar, Michelle, Kona, and so many others. I hope to revisit some day and meet so many more of you!

Here's a little slideshow of my adventures over the last year.