Tuesday 26 March 2013

5th blogoversary

Hello...it's my blogoversary today.  5 years, where has the time gone?  Below I have copied and pasted my first ever post.  I wonder how many readers today have read it before?  None I suspect.


Blogging - I'm a blogger!!

Well where do I start? I suppose the first thing to do is to let everyone know who I am!
I am Sharon, 39, and married. I have 2 wonderful children - Rachael, 8, ( who also has Type 1 diabetes) and Luke, 6. We have 3 dopey cats - Sheba, Biskey and Smudge. We also have 4 goldfish but I don't have a clue what they are called these days as their names changed from day to day when we first got them 2 years ago.

I work as a teaching assistant in a primary school which I absolutely love. I get the best of both worlds - job satisfaction and loads of holidays. Contrary to public opinion we do not get paid these holidays, teachers do, we don't!! Currently I am in a Year 1 class (age 5 -6 years) but I have worked across just about all ages in the past.

My main hobby is cross stitching. If I live to 100 there is a vague chance that I could stitch all my stash but I doubt it. My favourite designs are Mirabilia, Amanda Loverseed's Cut Thru's and Lizzie Kate's for a quick stitch. I recently compiled a list of my WIP's and UFO's.........that was a scary job!!

I also enjoy stamp collecting, not philately - there is a difference! I collect stamps from Great Britain and butterflies from all over the world. I only started collecting again after Christmas 2007 but I am rapidly building my collection again!!
My daughter has Type 1 diabetes and has done since November 2005. This was a total bolt from the blue as there is no history of it in either family. She manages this fantastically, currently with 4 injections a day but we are currently having pump training. Soon she will be the proud owner of a pump - and she can't wait!! Rachael is under Dr Doughty at St Mary's in Manchester. Both him and Marie the diabetes nurse are fabulous and I can't recommend them enough. We only moved there in August 2007 after becoming disillusioned with our previous hospital.

Well there have been a fair few changes in 5 years but nothing major.

Let me see...well obviously I'm 44 now...lol.  We only have 2 cats now, Sheba had to be put to sleep a couple of years ago.  The 4 goldfish became 16 danios - don't worry no black magic was used :)

I'm still a teaching assistant but at a different school.  I no longer work in class but provide SEN support across school but mainly Key Stage 2.  I've also completed 2/3 of a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies now.

My taste in designers hasn't changed massively but it has broadened somewhat.  I still have little no chance of completing all my stash before I die.

Now, if you are still awake, here's the interesting bit...a giveaway.  Jo, of Serendipitous Stitching, pointed out that for a 5th wedding anniversary is traditional to give wood.  So my giveaway is a log.  No...only kidding.  My plan is to make up a package filled with some wood themed stitchy bits.  So for example there might be a chart from White WILLOW Stitching...get it?

If you would like to enter the giveaway please leave a comment on this post only.  I will choose a winner on Easter Monday but it may take me a couple of weeks to get everything together.  I'm not doing this to get new followers or anything like that so would ask that it isn't posted to other blogs.  Let's face it, the less it is advertised, the more chance you have of winning :)

32 comments:

Faith... said...

Congrats on 5 years of blogging! Now I see how you got part of your name Sheba! I will never finish stitching all my stash either but I am seriously gonna try!! :)

Adrienne said...

A huge congratulations on 5 years of blogging! It's wonderful to see such longevity in the cyber-community.

Cheers to another 5 years of health, happiness, stitching, and blogging!!

Tricia T said...

Happy blogaversary! I love coming to your blog and seeing the list of WIP's and UFO's with their percentages by them. You may never finish them all, but isn't it fun to have so many to choose from?? : ) I hope you get many happy wishes for your five years of blogging!!

Tricia
The Stamper's Stitches

Shirlee said...

Congratulations old friend! Do include me in your drawing : )

Minnie said...

Happy Blogaversary! Please include me in your drawing and I hope you enjoy many more years of blogging. Like you, I would have to live at least another 150 yr to finish my stash so don't worry just do as much of it as you can.

Poppypatchwork said...

Thank you for the update, we all spend so much time writing our profiles, but do we ever update them. Happy anniversary, 5 years how quickly it goes.
Please add my name to your give away, i love every thing to do with wood.

Mary-Grace said...

Congrats on your 5th blogoversary! Please include me in your drawing.
Mary

http://marygracescrossstitch.wordpress.com/

SoCal Debbie said...

Happy 5th Blogoversary, Sharon! How nice that you updated us since your first blog post and now. What a great idea. I'd love to be in your giveaway drawing for "wood" theme stitching.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Happy Blogiversary! I'd love to be entered in your giveaway!

Linda said...

I so enjoyed reading your first blog post Sharon. I think mine said (testing). lol What a great giveaway. I would so love to be entered. Happy Blogoversary. Here's to a hundred more.

Linda

Cath said...

Happy blogoversary.
Please enter me in your giveaway, thanks .X

Mii Stitch said...

Happy 5th Blogoversary!!! It's always a joy to read your posts. Please count me in your giveaway x

Katie said...

Happy blogoversary!! :D That's so exciting!! Please enter me in your giveaway. :)

Annie said...

Happy blogoversary from one of your newer followers! I would love to be entered in your contest!

CalamityJr said...

Happy blogoversary! Thanks for all you share with us. I especially like hearing how Rachael is doing, because my husband has been diabetic for 53 years. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with for this wood anniversary!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Happy 5th Blogaversary! Wood I like to be in your giveaway? Yew bet I wood fir sure! I'm pining for some st-ash. OK maybe I'll leaf it there before I branch off and lose myself.

I did actually read your first post, but not five years ago, it was last week when you mentioned your forthcoming blogaversary. I like to find out about a person's roots!

Lesleyanne said...

Congrats on your blogaversary. I don't think I have ever read your first post - great first post. I'd love to be entered in your giveaway.

Jane said...

Happy 5 year blogaversary xx
Your first post was really interesting and it's lovely to read all the updates 5 years later. I too have Type 1 diabetes and have always been on the 4 times a day jabs, I have never had any real problems with it in 40 years so good control pays off well in the long run.
Would love to be entered in your giveaway ~ having recently started a HAED design which I think will probably take 100 years to complete, anything different would be a welcome joy!

geeky Heather said...

Congratulations on five blogging years! =) I love your idea for the giveaway. Or maybe it was Jo's idea. How about, I love your idea for implementing Jo's idea? LOL!

Emma/Itzy said...

Well done on five years! I am not even to my first yet! :) I would love to be included please, clever idea to follow the wood theme.

Christine said...

Congratulations on your 5th blogoversary!

Claire said...

Happy blog Birthday.x

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Belated congratulations on your 5th blogversary :-) what a good idea to use your first ever blog post and compare then with now.

Miamina said...

Happy Blogversary!

It's lovely of you to offer a giveaway and I would love to be entered.

I loved reading your first post.

Gillie said...

Congratulations, Sharon! Best wishes to Colin too.... we've been in your shoes and it is a little frightening. No to the giveaway since I have too much already, thank you!

Anonymous said...

Kudos on 5 years of blogging!!!
I could never do it myself. Thanks for hosting a giveaway & extending the kindness.

Sue
okibi_insanity[at]yahoo[dot]com

Astrids dragon said...

Time flies when you're having fun stitching, doesn't it?!
Happy Blogversary!

Karoline said...

Congratulations on five years of blogging!

Laura Mint said...

I wish you all the best for your blogversary! :)
I hope to see you soon again
Laura

Sonya said...

Congratulations, 5 years is a pretty impressive achievement!

Anne said...

Happy Blogoversary!! It was interesting to read a bit more about yourself. I am a learning assistance teacher and am thinking of doing more course work too but it's so hard when your job takes up most of your life! I like the 5 year wood gift idea!

Meari said...

Congrats on your 5th year blogging!