It was 2 months ago that I hit 1000, it took me 6 months to get there. I want to give a shoutout to @thealliance and @enginewitty for their kindness and support; I am pretty certain they are the major factor in my growth. The other communities in my banner at the bottom are awesome, but thealliance leadership and members makes it really feel like a family. It was also through thealliance that I found @sircork and @youarehope, a cause that makes me proud to be a steemian.
I feel like I have grown a lot in these past couple months, and not just in numbers. I did my first podcast with@sustainablelivin last week, with the gentle and constant encouragement of @marianewest. A couple hours ago I did my first live radio show with @pennsif, "My Life In 8 Songs" with a "YouAreHOPE" trio of guests. It is not posted yet, but I will resteem it when it gets posted. I had to go to the big city today, had appointments I just could not rearrange and so I came FLYING home, got everything all hooked up and ready with plenty of time to spare, but... I could not flip to another window to see my notes, I did not even know what song was coming up next. When I tried, the audio cut out and I was scared to death I was going to lose the show right before I was supposed to be on. I sat there like a deer in the headlights trying to wing it, for an hour, my first time...lol! It was less than fabulous, but it is behind me now and that feels good. This old dog tackled a new trick!
I am getting a grip on the witness thing and if you have not delved into that I encourage you to do so. There is no reason to wait as long as I did. When I started on steemit, I had the impression there were 2 types of things going on here: A social media side and a tech side. The witness stuff was "techy" so I didn't care. Turns out the witnesses are some incredibly dedicated people - or they OUGHT to be - and they have a huge impact on both sides. I am not going to pretend I know enough to tell you what witnesses to vote for, but may I suggest... Go to the witness list that is right there↗️ on that drop down menu next to your avatar. Visit every blog on the list and try to get a feel for what they are about. I am still working my way through, have used about half my votes so far.
UPDATE: Courtesy of @pennsif - thank you kindly sir! "One small point regarding the witnesses, it is better to go to @drakos Witness list so you can see all the witnesses like Team @sircork, not just the top 50.
https://steemian.info/witnesses"
Blah, blah, blah, I know... I said I was doing a giveaway, didn't I? And the folks at steemsilvergold have been awfully nice to me, I should probably make it shiny although it is not the fanciest shiny... so lets make it two.
First up is a lovely the 1 troy ounce .999 copper round pictured above and below, with a tribute to the Second Amendment.
And for the ladies, or the rockhounds, or the men who love ladies or rockhounds, or ladies who love ladies or rockhounds... I am digging myself into a hole here aren't I? OK, for anyone who prefers this, how about this awesome picture agate? It was made by the mother of my friend at our local store, she sells her Mom's hand made cards and jewelry there. To be honest, I thought it was Idaho agate but it is from California. We can't hold that against a rock! (Sorry, I would lose my "Idahoan" card if I did not take a cheap shot at Californians there! 😁)
There is a little acid etched heart on the back, so it is still cute even if it flips around, which my necklaces always do...
Now, to get either of those gifts I will need a mailing address and it occurs to me that a lot of folks do not like to give out personal information so let me add a third giveaway of 2 SBD.
I realize these are not the grandest prizes ever offered, but I hit 1500 followers, I did not win the lottery... 😜 To be eligible, leave a comment below and tell me which prize you would like: round, necklace or SBD. You do have to pick ONE. Do not enter for all three or I will disqualify you. When this post pays out, I will divide the names into the three groups and randomly draw a winner. Upvotes and resteems are always appreciated but not required. Thoughtful comments will be tipped.
So I just can't end this post without a "thank you" to @c0ff33a, a man who changed the way I do steemit just being himself. His level of engagement with his fellow steemians is just so admirable, it is an honor to call him "friend." There are a LOT of other wonderful people who have helped me along the way, please do not feel slighted if I failed to mention you! I have to stop somewhere and there is a HUGE list of awesome people on steemit!
I am humbled by this milestone and delighted to be a part of this pioneering platform with YOU!
