October 3rd is my 6 year blogiversary. Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s gone that quick, and other times, it seems forever. Anyway 6 years on, and I’m still blogging, and I still love it.

For this post, I thought I’d take a little look back at some of my favourite posts. I do write on a number of different topics, so I’ve groups them into various categories, and have chosen six from each. This post took a lot longer to compile that I expected, partly because I relooked at each and every post I’d written which was a very interesting exercise, but also because it was so hard choosing which ones to include. I would have loved that list more …

FAMILY HISTORY
– Anzac Day Blog Challenge: He Was Proud to be Australian
– Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge: P is for … Charlotte PHILLIPS
– Trove Tuesday: The Saddest News of All
– Diaries, and the Stories They Can Tell!
– A Wedding in the Midst of War
– Looking Back: Photos of My Grandmas

FUNNIES
– Ten, Eleven, Twelve Commandments of Genealogy
– 13 Signs You Have Genealogy OCD
– Favourite Family Tree Quotes
– All I Want For Christmas Is A New Surname
– Genealogy, As the World Sees It
– Are You a Genealogist or a Family Historian?

HISTORY
– History Meets Street Art in Adelaide
– History Under Your Feet
– Australian History – the Bits You Didn’t Know About
– Trove Tuesday: 1 March 1954, The Day the Earth Shook South Australia
– A List of Don’ts for Women on Bicycles Circa 1895
– Australia Day, 26 January … or is it May or July?

RECORDS AND RESEARCH
– Australian Government Gazettes – Have You Discovered Them?
– Australian Birth, Death and Marriage Records
– Finding Genealogy Evidence in the Most Unlikely Place
– Obituaries Really ARE Genealogy Gold!
– Trove Tuesday: Deaths of South Australian Pioneers
– South Australia’s First Motor Car and Early Registrations

REFERENCE
– 20 Tips for Genealogists
– 27 Golden Rules of Genealogy
– 50 Genealogy Blogs You Need to Read
– Societies Need to Adapt, or They Will Die
– The Importance of a Catalogue
– It Pays to Read the Ts&Cs

SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLOGGING
– Tips for Geneablogger Writers and Readers
– Use Social Media to your (Genealogy) Advantage
– Facebook vs Mailing Lists
– Tips for Genealogy Bloggers
– 17 Websites to Find Photos for Your Blog
– Do You Have an “About Me” Page on Your Blog?

and just a few more that are worthy of a mention:
– Arrggh, the Power is Out Again!!
– More Free Websites for South Australia Genealogy and History
– Family Tree Photo Wall Part 2: Almost Done
– DNA Testing and Bullying

Thanks to my readers to taking the time to read my posts. While I do write for me, simply because I enjoy writing, it is always nice to know that I have readers, and I hope you find them useful, and interesting.

Anyway happy reading, and now on with the next 6 years of blogging.

Apparently time flies when you’re having fun blogging, as it was on this day (3rd October) in 2011 that I wrote my first post here on Lonetester HQ.

I found re-reading that first “Hello World” post is interesting, as back then I simply knew I wanted my own genealogy blog (separate from work) , without knowing exactly what I’d write.

Now 5 years and 300+ posts later … I’ve written about all sorts. About websites I’ve found and used, about programs, about books I love, about local history, events I’ve been to, genealogy cruises, social media, even me and my pets, and of course my family history.

I’ve taken part in (and created) geneamemes and blog challenges, met many new geneabloggers along the way, as well as having distant family ‘discover me’ through my blog. I’ve even been nominated for some awards.

Even after 5 years, I would say that my blog still doesn’t have a ‘specific’ direction other than most of it is history and genealogy orientated. And I’m fine with that. I’m not a professional researcher or writer, not every post is a “how-to” one. In fact in reality I’m more of a “I’ve done this … or found this …  and you might find it useful” writer. In otherwords writing from my experiences.

Anyway I do love blogging … or maybe I should say I love writing. But blogging lets me share my stories and experiences with others in a way that simply writing them (for me) doesn’t.

While I’d love had have a giveaway or something to celebrate my blogiversary with my readers, instead I thought I would help change someone’s life by making another loan through Kiva. For those who are unfamiliar with Kiva, it is an organisation that allows micro-loans ($25), to be used by those needing help from all around the world.

“By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. For some, it’s a matter of survival, for others it’s the fuel for a life-long ambition. 100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans.”

Anyone can participate in Kiva. In fact the more the merrier. Every loan really does help. And the loans are paid back (slowly), which then allows you to relend that money again. If you are part of the genealogy community, and are interested in Kiva, you might be interested in joining the Genealogists for Families group on Kiva. For more about Kiva loans, have a read of “Can You Spare $25?“, and visit their website www.kiva.org.

I never started this blog to gain the whole world as my audience, but it is nice to know that some do read my posts and find them useful. So thanks for being here, taking the time to read this, and here’s to the next 5 years. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to get some CAKE!

The 3rd of October 2011 is a date I remember. It was the day I sat down to write my first post (and second) on this Lonetester HQ blog.

I remember wondering what to write about, and after my “Welcome” post, I decided to take part in Geniaus’ “So You Think You’re a Tech Savvy Genealogist” geneameme.

Now 3 years, and 203 posts later, I still LOVE writing!

Happy 1st Blogiversary to Me, Happy 1st Blogiversary to Me, Happy 1st Blogiversary to MEEEEEEE, Happy 1st Blogiversary to Me! Now to celebrate I want to give you all a cupcake (your choice of frosting of course) … Well I really, really would if I could, but you know it kinda gets squished in the mail, so in this case you’ll have to imagine it.

I do find it hard to believe that it has already been 365 days since I sat at my computer and wrote my first post here on lonetester HQ … but time (and life) seems to fly by these days … and obviously that includes geneablogging as well. So here I am a whole year later celebrating my 1st blogiversary.