Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Blogging Anniversary…

I’ve been at this AEV thing for just over a year, and I’d like to take a moment to thank a bunch of you for your friendship and patronage over that time. I’d especially like to thank, in no particular order, Crystal, Steve, Paula, Liam, Friar Charles, Don, William, Mike McG, Joe, Winnipeg, Darius, John, Crescentius, Drew, Sandalstraps, Deacon Denny, Rashfriar, Talmida, Matthew, Derek, Alice and John H., and JohnCVermont. If I’ve left anyone out who’s still reading, I apologize and I thank you as well.

I’ve deeply enjoyed the discussions we’ve had so far, and I’d also like to express my appreciation to you for helping to strengthen and deepen my faith in ways you might not even realize.

God Bless,
Jeff

14 comments:

Mark said...

thanks for including john and me on your list. as you know john is 'mad' over his grandsons. they go to catholic school, their friends are mostly catholic [that sounds funny---mostly catholic] and though he disagrees on some points, his relationship with clargy and lay catholics is great. it almost seems like there are two churches: the hierarchy on one hand and the lay persons, at least the ones we know, with a few exceptions, on the other hand. Of course this is a gross simplification, but it is true in our experience. i guess being a live long catholic i swing with the flow. alicequ

Mark said...

i don't know how the "qu" got on the end of "alice?" john wants me to post a football comment on his blog tomorrow. probably run off what 'visitors'he has. alice haynes

Anonymous said...

Jeff: And thank you for the obvious hard work and high quality execution. AunEstamosVivos is a very welcoming place to hang out.

I have a list of perhaps 20 blogs I review from time to time, some more than others. I have to say that yours...and those of your correspondents who themselves blog, by the way...are remarkably unlike many others. What is going on here?

First of all, the tone is engaging and respectful. You present as *genuinely* interested in the comments shared. But there is more: you consistently highlight points of convergence, this in a medium where divergence is too often salient. The model is a conversation among folks who, but for distance, might be friends.

Secondly, you don't blog off the top of your head. Your communiques give every evidence of having been well conceived and well crafted. I often come away both challenged and replenished.

Third, you display a welcome tolerance of ambiguity. Whereas with the garden variety blog one can predict effortlessly the hobbyhorse trotted out at any provocation, you seem remarkably open reexamining prior assumptions and entertaining fresh perspectives.

Finally, I love the fact that you engage us with moving words + moving art. We are more than doubly fed because the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

Jeff said...

Alice,

Thank you. John has football comments coming up? I'll have to have a look! The Patriots open up vs. the Jets at the Meadowlands on September 9th! Where's that Cowboyangel at?

Mike,

Thank you for the kind words. Your deep insights and thoughtful, well considered comments are always welcome here. I said it before and I'll say it again... I wish you had a blog of your own.

cowboyangel said...

Jeff, congratulations on your Bloggiversary. I second everything Mike said, and said so well. (Yeah, Mike, get a blog!)

On Sunday night, we had dinner with some writer friends from Provdence, and I mentioned that I was blogging now, though I still don't feel comfortable with the medium. I mentioned your blog and told them what an incredible job you do, coming up with such well-written, insightful, and excellent pieces on a regular basis. You are my blogging hero. I don't know how you do it. Working full time, six kids, and producing such high quality material every few days. I'm going to buy you a copy of Writer's Market for your birthday and mark some venues to send your work. You're too good to not get paid!

Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading more wonderful stuff all year long. Especially your heart-broken lament over the Patriots when they get their butts kicked at the Meadowlands! :-)

Anonymous said...

There is a virtual cake for you Jeff at my blog.:-).

Anonymous said...

Jeff, grats on the blogiversary. I enjoy your blog and am happy to be one of your readers. Personally I am worried that this blogging thing is getting a bit addictive for me....

All the Best,

-B

crystal said...

Congratulations on your blogging anniversary, Jeff :-)

I've really enjoyed reading all you've posted, and especially appreciated the chance to know you personally.

Liam said...

Jeff -- I'm terribly busy and just stopping through to say congrats and thank you for all you've done over the past year.

Jeff said...

“Shucks, folks, I'm speechless.”
--The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz

My goodness, all of this good will. Now might be a good time to spend that capital by putting up a topic that's bound to make everyone angry.

William,

You are my blogging hero.

Get the hell out of here. Are you kidding me? After that brilliant Christmas Meme of yours, when I realized I had no business writing anything at all? I’m not worthy. I wish that I could be half as creative as that.

I don't know how you do it. Working full time, six kids, and producing such high quality material every few days.

It keeps me out of mischief in the evenings. Think of it as a particularly effective form of Natural Family Planning. :-)

There are a lot of things I’m fairly good at multi-tasking at, but even I haven’t figured out that one yet.

I'm going to buy you a copy of Writer's Market for your birthday and mark some venues to send your work. You're too good to not get paid!

Can you tell that to Anne, please? She’s not as much of a fan. When she growls at me to "get off the damned computer” through clenched teeth, she's careful to add that she wouldn’t mind so much if I was being paid for it.

Especially your heart-broken lament over the Patriots when they get their butts kicked at the Meadowlands! :-)

In the only words that John Kerry and George W. Bush ever shared besides the Skull ‘n Bones oath at Yale, “Bring it On!”

Jeff said...

B,

The addictive part is something I think that all bloggers have gone through at at least one time or another, and it's good to recognize it in yourself when you see it. It's something to keep an eye on. It's been known to happen to me. See comments referring to my "boss" Anne above. :-)

Jeff said...

Paula, Crystal, and Liam...

It's been great getting to know all you guys too, and I thank you for letting me "crash your club" and for being so welcoming to a new blogger when I came on. Without you guys I might have chucked it all in a matter of weeks.

Your stuff always enriches me, and I'm always eager to see what you're going to say next.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I just had a virtual piece of your cake at Paula's. Congrats on your blogiversary!

Jeff said...

Hi, Forget Me Not. Thank you.

Come sta ? Come vanno le cose ? Forza.