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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Fourhundreth!

I'm still here, on the lake, working in this garden, my back yard, a slip between the house and the lake, often too wet to be cultivated, too sandy to be productive. On those benches I do my best thinking, looking at miracles after miracles as far as my eyes can see.

I've changed my profile picture though. For no reason.
I've collected some followers. For reasons I do not understand.
I've wondered why I've been writing here, when I could write somewhere else.  Writing comes easily here, in this little box where you and I post, a box no bigger than the 3x5 cards we used to take notes in college. Those cards served only one purpose: to record verbatim, the words of others, the words that would become our research.

"Four hundred" sounds like a lot. But, in just one year as a retiree, I have cooked more than four hundred meals, written hundreds of short stories, some of which ended up in my memoir, some ended up as fire starters.

Blogging has become a habit with me. The second thing I do after I wake. The last thing I do before I sleep.
I've made lots of friends; lost many; irritated a few. The world is available to my eyes and my soul with just one click of the mouse. 

Thank you for following this blog. Thank you for sharing your life and your world with me.
May we live to post four hundred more times!

43 comments:

Marlene said...

I, too, am trying to figure out what makes us do this!

Maggie May said...

It is a brilliant hobby and I think I will never give up as long as I have breath in my body!
Hope to always be able to come here and read your blog!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Hope said...

this is just another way of communicating. Another way of connecting.

natures garden's are amazing. they do wonderful things for us human beings.
thank you for sharing a bit of your life

Brian Miller said...

smiles. i am glad to have stumbled upon you in the journey...my habit is much the same...

PurestGreen said...

I can't imagine my life without this blogging community. It's like a wee online village. We stop by and visit each other, we make announcements and share heartaches. I'm so glad to have met you Rosaria!

Moannie said...

I am in no doubt why we do this - can you think of any other way I could be in touch with you, or Maggie May, or Erin or Mr London street or David mcmahon and on and on- you get the idea? We can share happiness and pain, show off our pictures, our sucesses and failures and be sure of help, encouragement and 'bravo's'

BTW. I do hope that you copy your posts...I can tell you how horrible it feels to lose them all, I had almost reached three hundred when I pressesd the wrong button.

Terra said...

I do enjoy reading and writing blog posts, and reading your blog in particular. You live in a pretty place right near water, which is a plus.

yaya said...

I started my blog as a way to communicate with my kids who live in another state..share pics, ideas, send love. What happened was amazing to me. I now know bloggers from all over the world, and have read wonderful poetry, stories, shared sad and happy times. And also have touched base with my own family. I have my blog published at the end of the year and that little book is so fun to read. I have people say all the time that they couldn't write a blog, their lives are boring. Well, so is mine and I love it, and find things to say almost daily! I enjoy your blog and here's to another 400... You go girl!

Sally Wessely said...

Blogging has opened up a new world for me. It is filled with amazing people who inspire, teach, and amuse me. I can't imagine not blogging now that it has become such an important part of my life.

You are the best! Congratulations for reaching a milestone.

Tabor said...

I have joined you a little late in your blogging life, but am enjoying the time spent. I do have one suggestion...now that I am a breath away from being a Master Garderner...raised beds! While they are not cheap, they can be done with scrap lumber, left over bricks,etc.

#1Nana said...

Congratulations on reaching another milestone. I aspire to reach your level...of both posts and readers! At the begining of the year I will complete a year of blogging. When I started I promised myself to stick with it for at least three months. Now i can't imagine not doing it, but I do wonder if it distracts me from other forms of writing.

I have enjoyed getting to know you through your blog and i appreciate the insight you've provided on how to be retired! Keep it up.

Unknown said...

It's amazing isn't it? What started as kind of a lark for me has now become 555 posts, 457 followers, and countless hours at the keyboard...writing and reading and enjoying! It's wonderful to interect with people all over the country and the world. Keep at it Rosaria...we love reading what you write.

Man of Roma said...

400 is quite a feat Rosaria. I also now am into blogging to an extent I can't live without it. It sometimes happens to me that I don't know what to say, which didn't happen at the beginning. This is partly due to the English language, which is not my own. But I think it is important to say to another blogger you care for: “I am here Rosaria, and I am reading you!”

Human communication, warmth: they count in blogging. Eccome se contano!

ellen abbott said...

It's fun. A way to meet people you would otherwise never meet.

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Grazie Rosaria for your dedication, your insignt, your grace and the poetry that laces your every word blogged here.

Evviva!

xx Lola

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Congratulations on 400 posts. That is quite an accomplishment - and one to be proud of. It is a pleasure coming here to visit you.

Patricia said...

Brava!! 400!! Why do we do what we do? Obviously it fills a need...for connection, for expression, for creativity, to simply record "Gilroy was here!" I am fairly new to blogging and I began it as a writing discipline. Most days no one is more surprised than I am at what ends up on the page. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. I appreciate being invited to share yours. :-)

L. D. said...

I bugged out for a week or so and I am now back. I contribute because I want to be able to enjoy others blogs. It is a fast way of making friends long distance and learning oh so many things.

Cloudia said...

Here Here!


Well said - I second that.



Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

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Donna said...

You do it because you are a good writer and communicator and we all enjoy reading! Thank good ness you do! Your beautiful view of life and your pictures of your side of the world are amazing to see...thankyou!

Hilary said...

It's a wonderful community, isn't it? I'm so glad that you're part of it. Congratulations on your 400th.

Rob-bear said...

Your 400th! Wow. Truly a veteran blogger. And such good thoughts.

No wonder that you have gained so many friends.

Shadow said...

strange thing, this blogging. can explain why either, but we do it. and love it. here's to the next 400!

A Cuban In London said...

What a beautiful paean to blogging. Many thanks and may your blog continue forever! :-)

Greetings from London.

the walking man said...

Kiddo you can shoot for four hundred more but seeing as my goal is to ooutlive everyone on the planet I think I will post a few more than four hundred more. But your four hundred have always been read worthy, intuitive and instructive so here's *tink* to four hundred more.

Lyn said...

Rosaria,
The number of followers to your blog is a testament to the fact that what you have to say and share is relevant. I hope you post infinitely more and that we are here discussing your "thousand" milestone.

Arkansas Patti said...

Congrats big time on 400. I've been at it for almost 2 years and still no 400. I think they call that a body of work.
Thanks for always being interesting since I joined the group and please continue.

Dawn said...

This is a wonderful post- and sums up many of my thoughts exactly!
Thank you for sharing your heart and days of your life with us.
I like your thinking benches. I have one too:)

Woman in a Window said...

Oh, god, yes, at least four hundred more! And so on and so on and so on. Let us have the chance to get boring:)

This blogging thing turns out to be an evolution of the soul, if allowed to do its business. I'm glad to be evolving alongside of you.

xo
erin

Tess Kincaid said...

I raise my cup of tea in a toast to many more, Rosaria! You are a light in the blogosphere, my friend.

potsoc said...

Uou look rather young and prim for a 400th.
Keep on blogging.

NitWit1 said...

I have a long way to go to catch up with you, but thoroughly enjoy reading your posts.

We never please everyone 100% of the time but I respect everyone's right to have their say and I refuse to get in a snit about anything.

So keep it coming when you feel like it.

I do not have something to say everyday, but I read alot.

Grandmother Mary said...

Amen! May we be so graced. Your's is a blog I feel grateful for.

RNSANE said...

Four hundred! Amazing. Blogging is pretty important to me, as well. I do miss a day every now and then but it took me a long time to be able to do that without feeling terribly guilty. I would really be lost without this contact with my blogging community. I've really made some incredible friends here and I don't know how I would have survived losing my job without being able to reach out to others in this way. I've made so many wonderful friends, gotten a wealth a wealth of support and learned so much.

I look forward to four hundred more posts, Rosaria!!

Unknown said...

Here's to the next 400 Rosaria! I love your phrase: "The world is available to my eyes and my soul with just one click of the mouse."

Anonymous said...

Sometimes we need a change. Your new profile photo looks great :-)

~Ron

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ds said...

No, Rosaria, thank you!! (I am wondering why I did not click that "follow" button before now; I guess I thought i had). Keep writing, gardening, cooking, teaching and sharing. Blogworld would be a smaller, sadder place without you in it. Here's to 400 more!

word veri is "rosah." How 'bout that?

Phoenix said...

Congrats on 400 posts! I like to look through my posts from years ago and re-read them. It's like a yearbook or scrapbook full of memories - really, I was worried about THAT? - and it's a wonderful trip down memory lane.

I'm glad blogging makes you so happy and keeps getting you to come back and write more. :)

Crafty Green Poet said...

Congratulations on your 400th post! I love blogging for lots of reasons!

Amanda Summer said...

wow - congrats on this milestone!

i enjoyed reading your words about blogging - how writing comes easily here in this little box --- how it connects people in this novel, and strangely satisfying new way.

blessings to your blog and to you, dear rosaria♡♡

Relyn Lawson said...

Happy 400!!!!!!

carmilevy said...

Please allow me to thank YOU for sharing with us. I only very recently discovered your blog, but I'm already entranced by your ability to view the world around you and share the meaning of it all with us.

It's a rare gift, and you've got it. I like how you speak of blogging as a now-regular part of your day. I write for a living - tech journalism, actually - and no form of writing brings me greater joy than blogging. There's something uniquely personal about this form, and I cherish those few minutes every day that I get to paint a slice for my readers.

So cool that I'm not alone in this. Here's to 400 more. And beyond.