Four years old today: Happy Birthday Cottage Smallholder
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales, Discoveries | 23 comments
Photo: A snap of the view from our back door today
When I was four, I remember going to a fancy dress party dressed as a fairy. I had a wand and glittery shoes and presumably dinky wings. A tiny part of me secretly hoped that by dressing the part I might feel what it’s actually like to be a real fairy and possibly even to be able instantly to cast spells. But as I clattered down the road in my new shoes I seemed so human and clumpy and the wand remained just a sparkly star stuck on a stick.
When I sat down on a cold wet August day in 2006 and wrote the first post of this blog, I can’t remember what my expectations were . I know that I wanted readers but now reckon that I was hoping for a little instant magic too.
I had no idea that Cottage Smallholder would have such a fundamental affect on our lives at the cottage. Writing is a great way of automatically assessing the status quo. Particularly events that I chose not to write about. Blogging and your responses have challenged and encouraged me to explore and question. But thinking about the blog today, I realised that the biggest change has been within me. I am happier, more content and confident and this is largely down to you. Readers are essential to the life of a blog.
Thanks to Danny we now have a great forum and it’s heartening to see so many people chatting and sharing ideas on there. If you haven’t yet visited, check it out – it’s fun and interesting. Danny has become much more involved with the site over the past year and this has been great for me. It has now become our site!
I feel so proud to be part of a burgeoning community and truly appreciate your support.
Thank you.
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Happy birthday CS. I can’t remember how I first found the site – I was probably looking for a recipe or something like that. I read some of the other articles, found them interesting, and started coming back regularly.
The forum was a great idea. I think it appeared during a ‘lapse’ when I hadn’t visited the site for a while so I was a little surprised to find a fully fledged community had appeared while I was away!
Happy Birthday to you
Squashed tomatoes and stew…
CS is a great blog and now so much more
Long may it flourish!
Who knows where the CS brand may go in the next 4 years!
All the best to you both
from us all at “The Cochinery”
Celia
x
Hi Fiona and Danny, and congratulations with the 4th birthday. I love reading your blog in the mornings, about your Min Pins, the (poor) cockrels, the garden, everything.
Thank you for the effort you’ve put into it while you have been sick.
Have a wonderful day.
They say it’s your birthday! (nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah)
It’s my birthday too, yea!(nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah)
They say it’s your birthday!(nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah)
We’re gonna have a good time!(nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah)
I’m glad it’s your birthday!(nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah)
Happy birthday to you!
Okay, okay, I’ll stop!
Thank you Fiona and Danny for giving all of us a wonderful place to gather, share, laugh, cry, and have lots of fun. Bless you both!
Happy fourth anniversary, Fiona. I lurk, never comment (well, till now), mainly because I live in New York City and I have no space whatsoever to grow anything (except mold, but that is not deliberate). I love visiting your blog and it does make me think about how I want to live my life in the not so distant future. Wishing you many more anniversaries.
Happy fourth anniversary, I look forward to reading many more blog entries concerning the adventures of Fiona, Danny and the three Min Pins.
Happy Birthday Cottage Smallholder and a very big congratulations and thank you to Fiona and Danny. You have enriched so many lives with the blog and the forum.
I have made so many friends here and I feel privileged to be part of the CSH community. Long may it continue.
Happy Birthday to you both xx What a great site and long may it continue.
Danny and Tommy x
Congratulations Fiona (and Danny too)!
I love reading your blog posts, the photos and the burgeoning community too. Can you believe folks who have never met and live on opposite sides of “the pond” are going to meet because of you????
*hugs*
Happy Anniversary!