Happy Blogiversary To Us

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AustenBlog–at the time called JaneBlog*–had its soft launch on July 1, 2004, and our “grand opening,” when we actually started to tell people about it who weren’t helping us set it up, on July 15, 2004. Six years later, we’re still trucking along, more or less. Reading those old daily posts about the most esoteric of esoterica makes us feel extremely lazy; but much has happened in those six years.

Dorothy’s made a fresh pitcher of iced lemon chiffon rooibos and is serving it somewhere air conditioned. We were in the first fever of putting this blog together over another hot Independence Day weekend, so the heat wave is making us feel a bit nostalgic; but now that the fabulous new high-tech AustenBlog World Headquarters have central air conditioning and a pool, we are keeping cool even as we slave over the computer, and hope you all are, too (or warm for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere).

We promised a new look a few months back, didn’t we? While it’s still a work in progress, the main pieces are in place. We asked the lovely and talented Teresa AF–who also helped us with our first layout–to assist, sent her a photo of the Cluebat of Janeite Righteousness (yes, there really is one) and our favorite old-time baseball girl, and she waved her magic PhotoShop wand and sent the fab banner above, which we love and makes us squee.

If you’re wondering about the tagline, it comes from one of our favorite baseball movies (and favorite movies in general), “A League of Their Own.”

So if the Editrix ever exercises the Cluebat upon you, remember, it could be worse: Rogers Hornsby could have called you a talking pile of pigsh*t. Just saying.

*JaneBlog lasted about three days and was given up when we found another blog called JaneBlog by a young lady named, unsurprisingly, Jane. She was a Janeite so we decided to play nice and went with AustenBlog.

18 thoughts on “Happy Blogiversary To Us”

  1. Beauteous! Makes us want to do sumpin’ naughty to see the pink bat swing.

    Congrats on 6 years Mags. It must be a record for nonstop Jane bloggin’. Let’s call Guinness World Records and check, cuz I’m sure you’re a shoe in.

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  2. Happy birthday! Catherine Morland, herself a fan of baseball, hopes the air conditioning comes via crumbling masonry and the pool via the damp running down the walls 😉

    As it’s traditional in England to proffer sugar on a sixth anniversary (at least according to wiki, which is never wrong), I give you this, in grateful thanks for 6 years of insight and entertainment:

    “And here is my sweet little Annamaria,” she added, tenderly caressing a little girl of three years old, who had not made a noise for the last two minutes; “And she is always so gentle and quiet – Never was there such a quiet little thing!”

    But unfortunately, in bestowing these embraces, a pin in her ladyship’s head-dress slightly scratching the child’s neck, produced from this pattern of gentleness such violent screams as could hardly be outdone by any creature professedly noisy. The mother’s consternation was excessive; but it could not surpass the alarm of the Miss Steeles, and everything was done by all three, in so critical an emergency, which affection could suggest as likely to assuage the agonies of the little sufferer. She was seated in her mother’s lap, covered with kisses, her wound bathed with lavender-water, by one of the Miss Steeles, who was on her knees to attend her, and her mouth stuffed with sugar-plums by the other.”

    I wish you as many sugar-plums as you can eat without being sick for your birthday.

    Amanda Grange 🙂

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    • Catherine Morland, herself a fan of baseball, hopes the air conditioning comes via crumbling masonry and the pool via the damp running down the walls

      That sounds like the OLD HQ, actually.

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  9. Lily

    Happy Blogiversary!!! Even though I do not post often. I have been thoroughly entertained by the wealth of information you have provided over the years! As a long time JA fan it is most appreciated! WIshing you many many more successful years ahead!
    New look is great too!

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  10. Susan

    I read this as a re-run of Emma is on the television. In 100+ heat. Ick. But am refreshed by the charming new look. (I also love “League”…very amusing banner) Long may you wave, my dear. Goodness. Six years must be 60 in WWWeb-years. Good for you!

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  11. As a sister Jane Austen blogger, I am so happy to find your blog, AustenBlog.

    Several friends and I started a Jane Austen Tea Society a couple of years ago, deciding that we would read through Jane’s major works in the order in which they were published and discuss over High Tea at a local Nashville tearoom. We are now working through a list of English Victorian authors.

    Congratulations on your Blogiversary!

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  12. Maria L

    Congrats and I love the new look! Long may the cluebat swing. I hope you are having a wild party at the new Austen World HQ to celebrate.

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