Auld Acquaintance, New Acquaintance

Happy last-few-hours-of-2008!

It's been almost exactly half a year since I asked "Is this thing on?" as I introduced Joy to the blogosphere in my very first Elvis Sightings post. Now here we are, six months and 100 posts later, with a conversation and a community well beyond what I had ever imagined. As I said at the time,

I'm writing mostly for myself, but also for family and friends already met, and also those not met yet. I hope there will be conversation, because I like conversation, but if not, that's OK too.

Well, the conversation has been more than OK. I owe a major debt to Maddy of Whitterer on Autism, for discovering Elvis Sightings and introducing me to her extensive readership. (Niksmom and Osh followed me over from there, I believe.) Bedtime ritual posts led me to jesswilson at diary of a mom, and Rhemashope at Autism in a Word, whose precious daughters have plenty in common with mine. A discussion of the Scottish poet Robert Burns (who introduced, if not actually penned, the Auld Acquaintance poem that we all mumble through on New Year's Eve) opened the doors to Therextras and a lively ongoing conversation with Barbara/BRatK. And then there's Mama Mara, always on the edge and also right around the corner. And many more, and I hope many more yet to come!

Then there are Joy's family members, both the commenters and the lurkers. And the wider lurking community from church and friends far and near and goodness knows who else. Thank you for keeping up with us, and all the prayers and well wishes. Your support means the world to us.

And then there are those who reach Elvis Sightings through search engines. Some find topical tidbits (linear nevus sebaceous syndrome, for example, or craniosacral therapy). Many others are in search of the other kind of Elvis sightings, or vampire encounters, or Santa Claus. Or "how bad is fizzy juice," or whether Handy Manny and Kelly really have something goin' on the side. Welcome all -- even if you don't find what you expected here, we'll raise a glass in your honor anyway. Elvis and Santa and yes, even Edward, can be real for you too, if you clap loudly enough or something...

You know, my mother and her mother both had/have two lovely traditions that I never did manage to latch onto for myself: personal journaling and regular family letters. Suddenly at the age of forty, by taking up Elvis Sightings, I've discovered a way to do aspects of both, with a lovely connected conversational twist. It's been a treat so far!

Finally, I must also acknowledge that I've actually only written, well, ninety-eight posts here. The other two are courtesy of my co-blogger, co-parent, partner in marriage and all sorts of other shenanigans, JoyDad himself.

So together we'll pour the fizzy juice not too long from now (it'll be midnight somewhere in the world, if not necessarily here) and raise a glass to auld acquaintance and new. Blessings to all in the new year, and we'll see you in the next 100 posts!