Hi everyone, one year ago today, the cafe was launched and the name voted on and chosen. Can you believe it has been that long and the cafe is going strong, even stronger than when it was started.
I want to take some time to give a great big thankyou to a lot of people, top of the list is AndiF who became as she calls it, the unofficial person in charge, and we all owe her a big debt for her untiring work on behalf of the cafe. To a large extent she is the reason the cafe is still operating.
Also many thanks go out to Maneegee, Cabin Girl,Brother Feldspar, Olivia, Izzy, Katiebird, Brementown Musician, Zander, Kansas, Maryb(not sure of her screen name), second nature, family man, and some others I can’t remember at this time but they have all contributed in great measure to this success of this grand cafe.
So Now I would like to ask for all you cafe’ers, how about jumping in and offering to host cafe’s and become a part of this in an even bigger way. Volunteers sign up here!!!!!
Just to end this cafe intro properly, welcome to the site, come on in and enjoy the food, the drinks, the conversations, the people, the fun, the community this site has become.
PS: Shirl has some errands to run, and when she gets back she will join us in the cafe…
Tons of Love and buckets of hugs to all!!!!!
Hi folks, the anniversary cafe is now open for business, bring food, drink and your party hats.
Hi, Diane!! Happy Birthday!
Hi Katie, you were a really big part of this cafe as well, with all your formating, coding and hosting, it wouldn’t have been the same without your help and support…many thanks to you..
(shuffling feet) aw, shucks. . .
Happy Anniversary, Froggy Bottom and froglets all!!!
The Goddess of Hugs is just sliding in to Wish you all the best and congratulate all of you who put your time and energies into keeping the Cafe running with such charm and good humor.
I am just barely back from a conference in Yellowstone, and some play time with spiritual family. My feet aren’t quite beneath me yet but I did want to say a BIG Good morning, or mid day or whatever part of the day you are enjoying in your place in the world.
Love and Hugs everyone
Shirl of the Stars
Perfect, Katiebird. Thanks!!! I’ve missed you and your big welcomes.
Miss ya Shirl … huggies and smoochies!!!
{{{{{{{{shirl}}}}}}}}} :*
Huggies and smoochies right back at ya. I’ve missed you too dear Olivia. Your flowers (and your energy essence) always add so much to my days.
Big Hugs!
Shirl
Hi Honey :o)
So nice to see you here again. But lucky me, I can see you in other ways ;o)
Hi magic man. Happy to see you here or there and every other place I see you. Sorry “they” have been keeping me so busy of late, but I have lots to share with you. Email coming soon.
Love you Super
Shirl
I love you too :o)
Happy Anniversary! Yay! Diane and shirl are here too!
Hard to believe a year has already flown by…
Yay!!! Cabingirl is here too!!! I was just remembering our first “conversation” in the welcome wagon (pretty miraculous, since I can’t remember sh*t these days)and smiling to myself about what a mainstay you have become here at Booman both in diaries and comments AND the FBC!
You are a wonderful addition to our little froggie family and I always smile everytime I see your name.
Thanks for being you,
Hugs
Shirl
No, no, not in charge!!! (And definitely don’t want to be.)
I very much appreciate your acknowledgment but the most credit I can accept is as unofficial coordinator.
It’s really a testament to the excellence of all the people who do hosted cafes, all the froggybottomers, and everybody who joins in the fun that the cafes in fact go on quite happily without anyone being in charge.
Add the wonderful Izzy to that list of hosts.
“unofficial coordinator” it shall be, I was trying to think of the term you used and thought I had it.
Yes it seems to have worked quite well without an official structure and I think it will continue for a long time. It’s really the heart of the community spirit, which we on this site have seen first hand. In some ways this cafe spirit has become a model for other blogs, I have noticed recently.
Thanks for the rememberance of Izzy, I added her name above to the list and if there are any others I have left out, please everyone, mention them.
And we all stick to her! 🙂
To this computer illiterate person Andi is my hero. She showed me how in such simple explanations that even I could get it, how to do certain things that it seemed like everyone else knew how to do..make words Bold
,
and a few others.
Thanks so much.
It’s great to see you in the cafe. You should drop by more often.
And it was completely my pleasure to help you out with the html — small payback for getting to read all your great comments at BT.
Hi diane-Happy Freaken Birthday(just for you I will forgo the other F word)!
You are being way way to modest. It was your Welcome Wagon Diaries that started all this and when they became so freaken popular you came up with this idea and a wonderful one it was and has continued to be.
And to all the other dedicated hosts who have continued to make the FBC a nice oasis to rest weary minds-to all of you-Thanks so very much. As the song from Cheers goes-isn’t this the place where everybody knows your name…and if not we’re more than happy to welcome a new ‘face’.
Hi Chocolate, thanks for your compliments.
I got all teary eyed when I was writing this and then with each comment I get more of those memories back and now, well, almost ready for the tissues.
Thanks also for the use of ‘freaken’, which coincidentally I having been using a lot lately, for some reason.lol
Special, special hugs to you chocolate, my first real friend on the site, way, way back in the early days, and still to this day seeing your screen name makes me want some chocolate(ink)!!!!!Hugs…
I’ll never forget meeting you here diane or your trying to get me to do a diary(ha…that didn’t pan out so well did it)most especially liked our chats in the regional threads when we tried to do the continuing story thingy(technical term there for all you newbies)-that was fun. And as I recall I never did give you the potato dumpling recipe.
As for teary eyed-well these are the good kind of tears..and hugs back to you-make that a freaken big hug.
With special thanks to Cabin Girl for sending me over here from the first diary I posted in, Kansas who was hosting that day, Shirl and Diane for getting this rolling, and Booman for providing the real estate. Also to Indy, KatieBird, AndiF, FM, Olivia, RF69, IVG, Mythmother, DJ, MilTracy, ManE, MaryB, Brother Feldspar, Supersoling, (and others I’m currently forgetting-my bad) for making this such a lovely place to hang out.
May I propose a toast to absent friends, GhostDancer, and Gooserock, prominent among them.
And to zander who also helped establish those early cafes and was such a welcoming presence!
I have a feeling that both zander and ghost pop in to lurk now and then and perhaps they will see this diary and decide to post.
Zander was great, how could I have forgotten, she was the hostest with the mostest, was right there with the drinks and food. lol…..Zander we miss you, ghost, we miss you, come back and join the fold.
Zander was the first emisarry from Booman Tribune to greet me and that outstretched hand gave me my first hint that this place was different. Boy was my intuition right! :o)
So here’s to Zander…wishing her well, wherever she is :o)
I bet this has been the longest continuous thread in blogtopia history.
Hey Manee, I think you brought up something interesting, never thought of it that way, but other than open thread, there is no other continuing diary this long, is there?
Manee, who was and is always there to lend a hand, thanks brother, love from my heart to your heart!!
always good to see you, shirl and others back in the pond.
Froggy Bottom Lounge
tumultuous merriment
a place to unwind
The frog with red eyes.
Cool picture from a cool queen.
Where you at today?
My Latino stud
young enough to be my child
life is so unfair
Happy anniversary and thanks to all those attentive individuals that have made this possible! There is always a place to go where everbody knows your name.
like to point out that Brementown Musician was the first Monday host, she’s still around spreading great comments here and there. She was at the Left Coast Meetup and I believe at YearlyKos too.
Any and all lurkers, make this your day to de-cloak and introduce yourselves! If you don’t have an account yet, take the plunge. It’s Free!
There are so many other people who have contributed so much more than I have! Manny, you’ve got super-amazing elephantine memory to come up with the Monday hosting gig — especially since I never actually hosted anything. By the time I was awake on the West Coast, Diane or someone else had always put up the cafe (those were the days when one lasted all day!) So as much as I love the cafe, I really can’t take credit for the tremendous work that other folks have done.
I was looking for you all weekend at Yearly Kos — I’m sorry you weren’t able to attend. It was just an amazing blend of political wonkery overload, schmoozing, alcohol, and sleep deprivation. I’m still walking around hitting my head with my hand in the hopes that I can shake my brain into something resembling functionality.
To Diane, Shirl, Manny, Andi, Katie, Kansas, Brother Feldspar, and all the others — you have created a truly wonderful spot to nurture all the many friendships that make this site so special.
were able to make it to YKos. I had all intentions of going but real-life responsibilities intruded on my plans for frivolity and fellowship. I hear the gender balance was much better than the Left Coast meetup in March 😉
And I said it before, but I’ll say it again, you have great insight on the issues and I hope you’ll share them more with us!
you are most certainly not a fraud, we can’t help it if the cards are stacked against us on the Left Coast regarding time zones. I do find it funny when I’m still awake after Andi opens up the Coffee Cart though, gotta luv nightowl syndrome.
Happy Birthday and congratulations to all!
And, yes, I know, I really do need to check in here more often. My bad! 😉
Woo Hoo!
Happy
I’ll join in a toast to all the great hosts, commenters, picture takers, and friends past and present, and a big bowl of Gator Stew for the iPig.
Peace
all I’ve got to offer from my refrigerated cube at work are kind words! Happy One Year, FBC!! And here’s to many more, I hope!
I think it might have been Manny who first told me I should hang out in the cafe shortly after I joined officially several months ago (I was a long time lurker from last year). Little did I realize at that time what great advice that was, and these days, when Manny speaks, I listen!
BT just wouldn’t be the same without the FBC, and I’m thrilled to be part of it. I can’t begin to recount how much I’ve learned from the other frogsters (um, posting pics, html, souping up Firefox, among other things), and to all who’ve extended a kind and helping hand, I thank you from the deepest depths of my michievous heart. You know who you are, and thanks again!
And a super special thanks to Diane for getting this off the ground to begin with! I’d offer flowers, but I’m at work, so they’ll have to wait till I get home tonight.
😉
Heh … you would say that wouldn’t you? As NDD would say, “don’t go gettin lippy here.” I guess I’m going to have to make a list of all the pink flowers we have in the garden just to prove I’m not a total curmudgeon!
Oh, and btw, checked the comments at your b today? I left one you might find amusing. (Oh and thx for the email…I’ll digest it when I get home.)
Just be thankful I didn’t say to plant impatiens … 😛
Yes I did see it … gmta for sure … 🙂
If I haven’t scared you off of blogging w/ that email then I feel much better.
I hold my ground and draw the line at impatiens, begonias, ageratum and dusty miller. Petunias, maybe though.
you de-lurked on a frontpage post and I mentioned the cafe, then you explained how you were a bigtime lurker. I think I spent the rest of that night wondering how many people read these threads and never comment. There’s definitely not a lacking of humour around here. Helps maintain sanity and a ‘safe zone’ from drama.
Oh, and I really think you should add some pink flowers to your garden to usher in a vibrancy and fullness that can only be achieved by the color’s radiance.
:-X
I heard that! And they’re already there, despite what the newly “non-nice” Olivia says! I will post my list of pink flowers later tonight, once I’ve made the full tour and write them all down. Oh, and water them too. Sigh.
Yeah, I’m definitely in it for the humoUr too … so glad there’s no lack of it!
Wow! Happy birthday all you froggies!
how’s life treating you?
Happy Birthday!!
And thank you Diane. You were among the first to welcome me here, along with Zander, and Shirl. You’ve done such a good job waving people in the door to this place. I can’t see this place being as succesful as it’s been, with out you. :o)
There’s another toast that needs to be drunk. Thank you many times over! That was such a wonderful service to the Froggy Bottom. My tendonitis hearts Omir!
What is this robo-rater of which you speak?
Super … Omir invented an auto fouring machine and with one click of the button all the cafe comments are foured. I can’t find the orig link … it’s bookmarked at home. Maybe some other froggy has it handy while I search for it. You need to use firefox tho.
Here it is RoboRater
For once I hope to be faster than Olivia in retrieving useful information!
You’re not disparaging my searchables are ya?
Quite the contrary … that was a compliment, toots. Who else can we depend on to maximize the capabilities of google??? Huh? Remember, I’m the one who links to dubious cartoons, and good thing I’m at work, otherwise I’d have to re-post a certain linkie. Heh.
Here you go!
Everyone should have one. Especially if they’ve volunteered to be the new Welcome Wagon guy. 🙂
Go [Herehttp://www.moosegrins.com/bootrib/roborate.html} my friend.
Still burning up out there?
Hope you and Bu are staying cool inside.
imitation about 5′ in front of the a/c and I’m about 4′ beyond.
Going to set up her ‘wading pool’ a bit later…this sucks!
Amen, KMc! Omir should get some kind of award just for that, though his stories are much appreciated as well! And I also have to thank Omir and Cali Scribe specifically for nudging me helpfully toward Firefox, with which I have fallen deeply in love. Just the kind of friendly helpful extended hand I mentioned in my earlier post. Thx for reminding me!
here is link to robo rater:http://www.moosegrins.com/bootrib/roborate.html
Well, it’s a good thing that I don’t have tendonitis like KMC, cuz it looks like I’ll be rating individually because my browser doesn’t support the robo-rater.
But thanks to everyone for the links! :o)
That makes two of us, Super! I’ve decided we should be proud — we give out homemade 4s.
Hey super and everyone, Opera browser does support it and it’s the best browser around, free download and lots of bells and whistles you won’t be able to live without. Heads and shoulders above firefox or IE.
Happy Anniversary to everyone — you’ve all created something really special with this community, and I’m really happy to be a small part of it.
Izzy, you’re not a small part at all! Au contraire, mon amie, your cafes are legendary in someone’s mind (mine, I think?) and always so much fun. Besides, we need our very own shoe blogger, you know.
You’re so nice, IVG! Here, I’ll share my favorite shoe picture:
For some reason that made me think of that shoe hat Katherine Helmond wore in Brazil. Wish I had a pic of that to post for ya … hope you know what I’m referring to … the upside down leopard spot shoe hat.
Hey just now while I was searching for the roborater link I came across the first cafe I put up and it was w/ your encouragement Izzy. Thanks for giving me the gentle nudge and helpful words. 🙂
Oh, it was my pleasure Olivia! I remember that night, too — your first cafe! And look at you now!
Congratulations, everybody, and well done!!!
I think you were the one who started getting major traffic on Thursdays in the cafe, needing to open up more than one daily. You caused the rest of us to have to work harder throughout the week! Thanks for rising the tide 😉
Are you calling us boats? 🙂
It’s been such fun, hasn’t it? So much more than anybody would have thought it could be. And isn’t it still unique on the web?
Kansas, how could I have forgotten you, I blame it all on the hooka lounge last night, next time you guys have to cut me off.
lol! I keep thinking I’ve forgotten somebody, too! Wasn’t there a period when you were hosting three cafes a week? I remember you doing Sundays and, was it Wednesdays? But I think you did Mondays, too. At the beginning, I used to think I had to come up with some special theme for each one, but it quickly became unnecessary. If Diane builds it, they will come.
a weekend host for a while. I know we were always brainstorming ways to pick up site traffic on Saturdays. That’s how the photo fair and book club came to usually fall on that day.
I think I did several days a week, but Brother did Sun, I think I did Mon, and Wed. on and off, can’t really remember all the details.
‘If Diane builds it they will come’, well maybe I should open a restaurant, like I always wanted to, at least in the old days, and was going to call it ‘Diane’s Place’….lol. Thanks Kansas and big hugs!!!!!
and who started the “hump day” he was here for awhile and then moved I think.
that’s right, almost forgot about the Troll Hunter™
Abbot!! That’s right. Remember the last we heard from him he had gone to college and was having trouble with his internet connection. I hope he’s doing well.
((((Diane!!)))
Here’s to the friendliest and most versatile cafe/bar/coffeehouse around! Allow me to order up a round of “4s” for everyone!
Happy birthday from the other side of the pond to the Café du fonds des grenouilles
Wow! has it really been a year already? But then again it seems much longer than that too.
I haven’t been around too much but sure glad I popped in to find this fabulous party going on. Always love the love fests we manage to have here.
To Diane especially for getting the ball rolling and all who have joined in along the way I stand up and salute you!1 Bravo and job well done.
I have missed this place tremendously these past three weeks but needed to take care of my health problems. Finally feeling back to almost normal(whatever that is)and will be popping in more often. The best thing that came out of this was I am now a NON smoker and intend to stay that way.
Anyway, Congrats to all that make this place so very special!!
glad things are starting to balance out for you. Major kudos on the nonsmoking bit, never an easy thing to do. Miss ya mucho!
CaliScribe, me, Brementown Musician, Kamakhya, diane101, SanDiegoDem, (front) SallyCat, alohaleezy and shirlstars at the Sass Em Back 101 Left Coast Meetup back in March.
Aloha, hi, glad you feel well enough to stop by and good that it was today.
Time is sure flying lately, is it not.
Big hugs and loves to you!!!!!!!!
Who’s around?
I’ve been on a hard day of yard work and chasing snakes away from the pond. I’ve been cutting branches an limbs off trees and while at the pond saw one snake out in the middle of it. That was enough for me. 🙂
Are you being serious about your snake adventures? That sounds very brave of you.
Oh yeah. They are doing some work in the back on one of the city sewer lines. When ever they dig them up they always find balls of water moccasins down there. No weed eating at the ponds for a while.
I did get a good bit done out front and in the car port though.
Has FBC gotten you up to a kilo of chocolate yet?
Ya – best to stay far, far away from those.
Funny you should mention that … I was just about to go get some chocolate.
Are you going to watch the game tonight? It’s likely to be the last of the season.
Water moccasins are a nasty piece of work…the only poisonous water snake in N.Amer. IMS…and very aggressive.
Dealt w/ a few of them many yrs. ago in Ks and OK…best left alone.
Hey there FM, Olivia, Sr. Eeegee, Kansas, Diane and whoever else is around I may have missed!
I’m here for a short visit before I venture out to start the evening watering ritual <sigh>. All sorts of rain in the northern part of the state today, but nary a drop here and a scant (20%) chance of it happening here tonight…
Snakes again? Jeebus, steer clear of those beasties, FM. I suppose this was another one of those charming cotton mouths? <shudders>
Good luck w/ the watering. Can’t you set up a sprinkler or and let it go for a bit and then move it etc.?
Yeah, I have a little sprinkler that I use for the veggie garden, but have to use the fan spray for the rest of the garden. I’m going to start with the veggies here in a sec, so I may pop in and out for a little bit. This has been a really hopping anniversary café today!
Hi IVG. I don’t steer clear of those beasties, I run screaming away from them. I figure don’t tempt fate. 🙂
sounds like you had an ‘exciting’ day.
To exciting. I’m ready for a shower and a long nap.
Howdy Andi, as well! Hope you and pups had a good day out in the woods. Did you have any adventures?
Oh, and FM, if you take a nap does that mean you’ll be around for the late night café? I should really get to bed earlier tonight. Today I was exhausted with all that html wrangling, but Olivia sent me a great email with tons of tips on getting it right. Now I just have to learn them!
It’s possible for the late night. I’ve been waking up all during the night lately. Can’t promise anything though. I do know at the moment I’m ready for a long nap.
We had a nice walk this a.m. No adventures, though; that would ruin my standing as one-half of the second most boring couple in the world.
Did you have a busy day today?
Yup.
Well I’m going to run and get a shower and see how a nap can be worked in there.
I’ll see everyone later.
back in a few.
… over here.