Today is the third anniversary of blogging for me. I went back to the Archives and read a few of those first posts and find it hard to believe so much time has passed. I still feel like a newcomer, drafted in by John, Becky and Mary Lou. Others had been reading my comments on their sites and began encouraging me to write as well.

I was tongue-tied at first and certainly in need of help to get me to the publishing point but after a few weeks it began to fall into place. I’m sure John and Becky appreciated it when I quit calling for help. I’m a well trained monkey now and in command of the few steps it takes to publish. I would like to learn how to get my photo’s into the blogs I write……I’ve been waiting for Becky to have the time to figure it out. Since our computers are different, she has been dreading the exercise.

In the beginning, my goal was to write about each of my grand-parents and their families…..eventually of my own family and to finish with my life story. I have not been enthused over genealogy in the true form but I wanted my children to know where their roots came from……..with a personality sketch of each person as I knew them.

Since my children came into the larger family, late, they had no idea of the connections and early lives of each. I am the last of the Stricklett-Andersen line who can do that for them…..so I took a deep breath and started out. I knew after I’m gone they would regret not having asked more about “family” things……so much information goes to the grave with our loved ones and lost forever.

After writing about the Andersen’s, then the Stricklett’s…….our own family of four; my mother, father, brother……I then wrote of my own life. When you are in your 70’s, that takes a lot of writing. I couldn’t imagine the joy, despair, sorrow and pride I would garner each day as I wrote of our lives. When I look at the larger picture and weave the colors into a family portrait….I am immensely proud to have belonged to such strong people.

As a child there are many things that transpire and go undetected until you are an adult yourself……then the mysterious things that went on begin to be reasonable. Sometimes you have to be an adult to understand why adults do the things they do.

For the friends I’ve met as a result of blogging and the interest they have had, I am thankful. In a small Ozark town I am one little old lady with a computer who spans the world through space. It has given me purpose and direction and one more reason to get up every day and do something positive.

To all the readers, near and far, I thank you for stopping by. God bless you…….

Essentially Esther