400 blogs

No, that is not a typo, I did not mean to write about François Truffaut's famous New Wave French film. Rather, this is my 400th blog post. I can't believe I have managed it and yet there is another part of me that feels like this should be my 4000th post. I feel like I have been blogging for years and that is because I have. I started La Belette Rouge in October 2007 and here I am, still blogging, in July 2009.

This piece of internet real estate has been a home to me both when I felt at home and when I have felt homeless. It has been a constant for me in the midst of so much change. Whether I was in Lake Bluff, Austin, or here in Valencia I have had this blog and my adorable, smart, funny, insightful and gorgeous readers who always make me feel at home. I assure you if I didn't feel at home here I wouldn't be blogging in my pajamas.

I have so many times, in these last couple of difficult years, thought about quitting the blog and I did take a long break last summer----but I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I had. So many things would be so different. There'd be no Lily, no book in the works and I wouldn't have made so many wonderful new bloggy friends. I am so glad that I came back and that I made it to my 400th post. I feel sure I will make it to 500. When I think about doing another 400 I am not so sure I have it is me. But, blogging is done one post at a time.

In case you didn't know the traditional gift for the 400th post is to subscribe to the blog of the celebrant, to follow me here (see upper left hand side of my blog)and on Twitter. Consider yourself lucky, I told He-weasel that traditional gift for the 400th blog post are shoes, the 500th post is WendyB jewelry and the 1000th post is a trip to Paris. Please, whatever you do, don't disabuse him of my blogging anniversary gift giving schedule.

Also, I did want to use this post to thank Jennifer at Writing to Survive for making my blog her blog of the month. Please go over and visit her fantastic blog. I am a big fan of her gorgeous writing and I am very proud to receive this honour from her. Really, it is better than shoes.

I thank you all for being here, whether this is your first, fourth, fortieth, or four hundredth post. Your presence here means more to me than I can say, even if I had 4000 words to say it in.