CONGRATULATIONS J-LAND! 5 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG!
There is so much to say about my involvement in J-Land. My son John Scalzi helped me set up my journal on 9/16/04. In his journal, he told people to go on to greet me. A lot of people wrote "Welcome to J-Land" Egotist that I was, I though that meant John-Land. Even told my husband that. Silly mom!
Almost immediately, I began to make friends. My first were Krissy, Val and Chuck (RIP). I've made many other friends since then.
There was always a celebration and chat for anniversary. We made a big deal of it. I just missed the first anniversary. I've not missed any since.
Soon after the anniversary, there was an AOL Journals Awards. I got in at 2nd year and won a then-calld Vivi Award for:
I was thrilled and could hardly wait for the J-Land "Ball" announcing the winners. I think the awards stopped in 2006 or 2007 because there was a lot of in-fighting in the committee. To bad, I really liked the awards and seeing my friends win. I also got to go read new journals.
J-Land has been a wonderful outlet for me both in public and private journals. I've shared my poetry, my everyday life and in private my very personal feelings. I've never found a blog or journal setting where you can mak friends, IM them in the same place and meet new readers and writers. My alert list somtimes overwhelms me, but I do my best to read, lurk and comment.
Every year we have one of this kind of graphic announcing the year anniversary. There have also been some other very beautiful graphics made. I'd put them all up, but a lot of you have them saved already.
I don't know who started J-Land, but since I got on AOL 4 years ago, I have laughed, cried, prayed, felt empathy or sympathy, sadness at the loss of our members. We are a family here. Most of us will never meet in person, but the love we have here is every bit as strong as that we hav with our local friends and in some cases stronger.
So here's to you J-Land! 5 years strong and moving right along! This is one of the best things to happen to me and you are all responsible. Thank you all,
Thanks to Donna for the animated tags today. I don't remember who made the Vivi award.