Pages

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Fifty Is Nifty


When I started this blog (nearly a year and a half and 500 plus posts ago) I was very careful about what I posted. I decided I would use no last names, no addresses, no contemporary photos of Chuck, our family or me. I was happy writing, taking photographs and learning. I used to describe Pink Granite as being off in a quiet little corner of the internet. Then something surprising happened: folks started dropping by, reading, leaving comments. These weren’t just the family and friends I had announced my blog to via e-mail. These visitors were strangers from multiple continents. Strangers who over the course of more than 500 posts, reciprocal visits to their blogs, a lot of laughter and interesting reading, became “friends”. Or, as Veronica over at Purple Ronnie puts it: “Friends Inside The Computer”!

I didn’t expect that to happen. I didn’t expect that Chuck and I would speak of the folks I “met” through this blog as often as we do. I didn’t expect to feel connected to “strangers”, who didn’t feel at all like strangers. I didn’t expect to feel safer and happier in my everyday world because of all the kind, thoughtful, well intentioned, warm and funny folks I was visiting back and forth with through blogs. As time went on, I realized that of the blogs I visited regularly, I had a pretty good idea of what most of the authors looked like. Last month, I added my voice to Pink Granite. All technological frustrations aside, that was a big deal for me. The fact that I was still invisible, seemed, well, a little uneven, a little lopsided. I talked it over with Chuck - no surprise - and he, uninhibited, Pollyanna of a soul that he is, was all for it!

So here I am. That’s me, Lee, Pink Granite. Chuck took that photograph of me at the end of February. We had been snowshoeing out back and up the hill behind the neighbor’s house. It was crisp and cold and sunny. I felt very happy in that moment. At that moment I was just about 49 and three quarters years old. Today I am fifty. I feel very happy in this moment too!


Layout by LMR/Pink Granite. Software: Apple iPhoto ‘08 & Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Mac. Transparency: Icy Transparency Frost by Diane Miller (Scrap Girls). Font: LunaITC TT

14 comments:

Roo said...

Happy birthday to you
Squashed tomatoes and stew
Happy Birthdddaaaaaay dear Lee'eee
Hippo Birdy to you

Nice to see the face behind the thoughts and words. Have a fab day and I hope your man takes you somewhere nice ;o)

Hogs'n'kisses from Peter and me

purpleronnie said...

Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
We just got back from a lovely weekend away and I knew itwas your birthday so I just had to quickly pop in and say
Happy Happy Birthday to You. Congrats on being 50 - if Oprah is anything to go by,apparently it's the BEST time of your life so enjoy every moment.
I am so excited and happy that you have decided to reveal yourself! I have always wondered... A happy blogger, a happy person is revealed in your face!
Thanks for trusting us!
xxx

Jeff Barnard said...

Happy Birthday Lee!

(...oh, to be fifty again.)

Pinky's Pages said...

Pleased to meet the face behind the words, pictures and the voice :) Hope you had a lovely birthday!!! A quote out of the book 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho:
"No one should feel afraid of the unknown, because everyone is capable of achieving everything he wants and needs."
Hugs, xx

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Look at you, cute as buttons!
Happy birthday Lee, I hope the next half century is just as wonderful!
xx
Morgan

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!- Love Kate and Phil

barbie2be said...

happy happy birthday, miss Lee!

Sue said...

Hope your birthday was special and that you were as spoilt as you deserve. I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful year ahead! And thanks for finally sharing a photo of yourself with us - hello Lee!! Nice to meet you properly!

Sue x

Pink Granite said...

Hi All -
Thank you for your kind words and your wonderful birthday greetings! Every comment touched me and made me smile. You made a special day even more so. I'm tickled that you got a kick out my photo.
You all rock!
Counting my lucky stars now...
<);o)
- Lee

Anonymous said...

Lee,

Happy belated birthday!

Just back from Philadelphia, having imparted some genealogical wisdom on some elementary school students (who, in turn, blasted mew with some amazing family tree displays, WOW!). Scrapbookers better watch out!

Congrats on your milestone and your blog's. Both make this a richer world!

Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors"

poetmama said...

Thanks for taking a leap of faith and sharing with us. It's nice to see your face! You have a beautiful smile. Happy Belated Birthday!!! May all of your birthday wishes come to fruition.
xoTiffany

Pink Granite said...

Hi George & Tiffany -
Thank you for your very kind words and good wishes!
You both contribute to my positive blog experience!
;o)
- Lee

Fiona said...

A very BELATED Happy Birthday Lee. I am struggling to keep up with all the blogs and have been madly trying to put all my books at work on the computer so have been resisting looking at the blogs. I am so sorry I missed your big day. Also you must be ecstatic that Obama won, I went on now expecting fireworks about that. Fiona xxx

Pink Granite said...

Hi Fiona -
Thank you for the birthday wishes! It just makes the celebration last even longer!
We are absolutely thrilled that Senator Obama is now the presumptive Democratic nominee!
Thanks!
;o)
- Lee