Happy anniversary! Cottage Smallholder is three years old today
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 38 comments
Photo: Ripe plums
It was a cold and wet day in August when I started this blog. Danny set up the software and I hovered in the background impatient to make a start. By the time everything was ready to go I looked at the default message on the first Classic WordPress screen. Two simple words stared out at me.
“Hello world.” All enthusiasm was punctured with a phut.
“Well what are you going to write?”
“I certainly wouldn’t have started like that.”
In fact I hadn’t actually thought about what to write about. I glanced around the kitchen and spotted The Contessa lolling in an elegant basket on top of the puppy’s cage. And today she lies beside me under the capacious white duvet that covers the human dog basket. The weather is the same, cold and wet and drab but so much else has changed over the last three years.
The blog is no chatty 3 year old toddler. It’s more of a wise friend. Nudging us to share what we discovered. Encouraging us to experiment, reflect and search further. The blog has brought a focus to our lives. We have learnt so much, had loads of fun and ‘met’ so many people. Blogging is a community activity after all and our lives have become richer and more rounded as a result.
There are 1,052 articles here as of today. You contributed most of the 12,804 comments that make up the bulk of Cottage Smallholder content. Thank you all for that magnificent contribution, for reading this blog and helping us grow.
My first blog post 12 Aug 2006
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Hello GTM
I’ll email you as I’d like to continue reading your blog. Your twins are adorable.
Hello Martyn
Thanks for all your support!
Hi Lucette
Thanks for dropping by. Love the combination of knitting and plums on your latest blogs.
Hi Michelle in NZ
We love your visits too.
Those pastry scrap biscuits are yummy ?
Hi Tamar
I love that (1 human year = 9 blog years). It’s the first time I’ve ever done something for 27 years – apart from breathing!
Hello ElegantSniff
Welcome to blogging. It can become quite addictive.
Hi Sally
Grazie Mille
Hello Linda
Your new website is full of promise. I love the seed packet template!
Hi Leslie
Thank you. You are a really talented artist, love that stole!
Hi Z
Thank you for dropping by.
I’m so impressed with your wall. Wow.
Hi Michelle Sheets
Thank you.
I’ve just checked some stats – 223 countries/territories! It’s amazing the power of the internet.
Hello Daryl
Thank you for your encouraging words, much appreciated.
Hi Jane Aka Aromatic
Thank you – you’ve made my day.
Good that you are back blogging again.
Happy Anniversary!! New posts on your blog are much looked forward too! I have learned so much from you and been inspired by many items that you have written about! You have a wonderful flair for writing and its an absolute delight and privilege to follow your blog. Heres a toast… I raise my ‘cup of tea’ to the continued success of ‘The Cottage Smallholder!!!
Thinking of you and wishing you a speedy recovery!!
With Love, Jane xxx
I love your blog and am so grateful for your words and images.
Daryl in Maine
Happy Anniversary Fiona, and guest blogger Danny too!
So Fiona, have you done a survey to see how far your blog has gone? You have lots of british readers obiviously, and we yankees, Michelle and Zebby in NZ, I have a feeling you circled the globe, haven’t you?
Not bad for 3 years! Congratulations!
Happy anniversary and many more!
Well Happy Anniversary, Fiona! Yours is one of the few non-knitting blogs I follow. Why? Good writing, a nice perspective on life, lovely recipes and a chance for me to adventure beyond my small sphere of life here in small town Massachusetts USA.
Thanks for writing and may you continue to do so.
Also, I send you wishes for improving health and a hello to Danny and the mp’s.
Congratulations on three years of blogging. I haven’t even been blogging three weeks yet. How inspiring.
Happy blog-day 🙂 I have just started blogging, and your blog has been an inspiration to me. Even more so now I know how long it’s been going 😉
Tanti auguri. xxx Sally
You say it’s your third anniversary, but that’s 27 in blog years. I’m sure you’re familiar with how blogging makes time fly — you think you posted yesterday, but you look and discover it was really the middle of last week.
So, my heartiest congratulations on this, your 27th year as Cottage Smallholder.