The fifth birthday of this blog

I’ve just discovered that I was too busy getting engrossed in our exciting election results to notice my blog’s fifth birthday on the 8th of May. This response to an Illustration Friday
challenge to create a picture on the theme of ‘Mischief’ was what started it all. On that day I said:

This week's illustration theme reminded me of an incident when my daughter Flo was a little girl. I think the picture tells the story. I did in fact need to use my two year old toddler Xavier as the model as Flo is now fifteen and applies her own lipstick impeccably. I hope you like it, I've had fun producing it.

Since then so much has happened, I've made so many blogging friends on the way. I did my ‘One Mile from Home’ year long challenge. My art and sketching improved. I had an exhibition in my house. I started my Family Portrait blog. I made friends as far away as Australia and as close as London who met up with me in Sandridge. Dear Cindy Woods, who commented on my first post, and who I admired so much for her art and her humanity passed away. And the model for this picture is now seven years old and Flo is all grown up, twenty years old and at university.
Anyway thank you all you visitors, lurkers, commenters and friends. It’s been fun.