"Fun is about as good
a habit as there is."
~ Jimmy Buffet


Hi all,

Happy 11th anniversary, everyone!  Can ya believe it?  I both can and can't!  To think I'm sitting here, only days away from 27, doing the same thing that began when I was only days away from 16... pretty astounding!  And cool, I think.  Others might prefer to substitute nerdy or insane in but I'll stick with cool.  ;-)

Anyhow, I'd like to thank everyone who took part in the creation of this issue.  Anniversaries are pretty sad things to mark by one's self so I'm glad that didn't happen here!

But I'll get all sappy later on in this newsletter.

Enjoy and thank you for being a part of our group!

God bless,
Jenni

------------------------------------------

Last year we started with open letters from members but this year I'm gonna shake things up and start with some numbers.  I planned to do this years ago but never got around to it.  Something tells me the figures are more impressive now.  I did my best to gather this information but it may not be 100% accurate.  But it's pretty darn close and I kinda doubt anyone's gonna want to verify these independently unless they're really, really bored.  ;-)  So...

11 Years of JABB: By the Numbers



First, the least surprising number: 287
287 is the number of newsletters, JABBs and CABBs, that we've produced in 11 years.  288 if you wish to count the 12 Steps which was our original mailing.

And, if printed, how many pages would those 287 newsletters plus 12 Steps (in Times New Roman 12 point) require?
The answer: 1,224, depending on spacing (I used the spacing you see represented in this newsletter, single except in between paragraphs)

Now the real fun: How many times would the name Andrew appear on those 1,224 pages if you printed them?  6,792!  And that also does not count anything like Angel Boy, the Lovely One, etc.  And that's only the name Andrew as it appears in the newsletters.  If I were to count the whole site... you wouldn't hear from me again til next year cause I'd be that busy!

And as for the website?  Well, I have numbers for that, too!
13,369 (and counting) files are required to maintain the JABB web site which comes out to
392,596,718 bytes that make up the JABB web site OR
374 megabytes

And to keep all the content in some sort of order, we've required an Encyclopedia which as of right now uses 471 entries.

All of this, of course, has relied upon constant communication between members.  While there's no hope of ever taking count of how many emails have been sent among individuals, I can tell you that as of this morning 24,092 messages have been posted to the JABB YahooGroup.  (As of 6:36 AM, July 19th, Central time)

And all this has happened in the:
11 Years OR
132 Months OR
572 Weeks OR
4,017 Days OR
96,416 Hours OR

5,784,988  Minutes OR
347,099,306 Seconds
since JABB began
(figured as of 6:28 AM on the 19th, Central time)

and the:
10 Years OR
121.6 Months OR
527 Weeks OR
3,702 Days OR
88,862 Hours OR

5,331,732 Minutes OR
319,903,969 Seconds

since the JABB YG was born
(figured as of 6:32 AM on the 19th, Central time)

And I, for one, look forward to watching these numbers grow!

------------------------------------------

Open Letters to JABBers:

From Yvette:

Hello everyone,

 

I think in the wake of all the things that have been going on in my life, the only thing I have been able to do for this anniversary is to write this letter.  I have been so grateful for this list during the past years, particularly for the understanding when intentions and actions were two distinctly different things with me.  I have tried, to keep my word, as I think that is an imperative part of what TBAA’s message was, to do what one says, and to fulfill those promises.  For whatever reason, it sort of reminds me that amidst all of the hard times (and there have been plenty), we are somehow stronger together than we would be had we closed shop and opted to scattering ourselves out in the fandom.  It seems to me that amidst all of the factions and cliques that are out there, this is the best place to be.

 

That feeling of solidarity is one that I have come to appreciate as another year on this list winds down and gives way to a new one.  I am reminded in a very profound way, that although our numbers are few, there is a voice here; one that appreciates TBAA as was intended.  This is a voice that I believe will continue to be heard regardless of all the ‘noise’ that may be going on around us. 

 

I cannot think of too terribly much else to say that I have not already said in the past, and I feel that repeating those words would detract from what I have already said. I am very glad to be seeing this list still flourishing and providing a presence in our lives, as opposed to the contrary, which we are seeing outside of the list.  I can only think of two words to say right now…Thank you!

 

Thank you for remembering the overwhelming impact of the work of John Dye, Charles Rocket, Della Reese, Roma Downey and others who brought magic into our world and inspired this list to start all those years ago.  Thank you to the founding parents of JABB, Jenni and Audrey (wherever she happens to be).  You started a legacy that will hopefully be around in many years to come.

 

Thank you God, for inspiring the best things to happen here in the most perfect way.  Thank you for each of us, for the friends that we have found and will find in the years to come.  Thank you for fun and lightheartedness in a world that is sometimes a depiction of the contrary.  Thank you  for inspiring all those other universes (Beauty and the Beast, Moonlight, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) to come into this one and create something magical.

 

It has been an honor for me to be among you, and it continues to show in every thing that we do together.

 

Thank you all for ringing in another year with us!

 

Namasté,

Yvette

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Jenni:

Hi all,


Okay, now I'm gonna be sappy.  At least a bit.

So this has been quite a year!  I have a feeling I always, if not write that, at least think it when I sit down to consider the anniversary.  But I truly think this year has a claim on being a pretty extraordinary year for JABB.  I mean Andrew grew a beard so, really, that was excitingly momentous for us all.  ;-)  Just kidding.  I mean he did but that's not really what made this an extraordinary year.  Come to think of it, I'm not really sure what specifically did.  I think it may be this feeling I have that this year JABB has been honest.  Or at least more honest than in years past.  Kinda ironic since with each passing year the newsletters seem to slip a bit more away from reality and into Dyeland mode.  Yet there truly does seem to be more emotional honesty in JABB than in the past.  So that's what I'd like to thank everyone for, firstly.

I can remember in the early years trying to keep everything funny and goofy and if not that at least distractingly absurd.  And while it's all fine and dandy to write a top ten when one's spent the week enjoying classes and watching sitcoms, it was a bit of an emotional drag to do the same with a sinking Chemistry grade and squabbles amongst cliques.  Yet I felt like that was what was expected from JABB.  After all, most of our feedback did contain some variation on "That was funny.  I look forward to the laughs every two weeks!"  Such messages were appreciated but did make me feel responsible for continuing to bring on the laughs. 

We've come a long way, babies!  How Tess like.  :-)  I've so enjoyed the goofy banter and crazy antics of Dyeland.  But I'm grateful, too, that we've allowed ourselves to depict our characters grieving, angsty, desperate, and more.  And not just our characters but our true selves!  I really can't tell ya'll how much reading and writing these things have helped me face my own grief, angst, and desperation.  I hope it's helped you, too.

Secondly, I'd just like to thank everyone for simply being here.  Still.  One would think that a girl signing up to co-run a fan group dedicated to a TV angel of death would be able to face the transitoriness of life a bit better than I do.  But I do miss our former members.  I
hope they're living happy lives.  I hope sometimes they see a chihuahua or a bucket and smile and think of that crazy group they used to belong to.  Sometimes I feel guilty for feeling sad about them when I should be happy that there are still people around.  But then I think it would show a sad lack of humanity to just forget people as if they were replaceable.  So I don't.  But I gotta say the remembering and the unknowns are a lot easier to face when I know there are still people on the YG that I can talk with and people receiving this newsletter and getting something outta it. 

While I'm being nostalgic...

I miss TBAA.  I miss our anxious chit-chat about what will come next:
"Maybe the murder trial this season!" 
"Maybe more screen time for Andrew this season!" 
"OMG!  He cut his hair!!!"
"Oh... oh... I think he's crying.  Oh, Andrew's crying..."

Fun times.  I miss them...  Kinda.  To be honest, sometimes I don't feel like those times are gone so the feeling of missing becomes nonexistent.  I feel like this past year, more than any other since the 03/04 TV season started with out TBAA, that excitement has come back for me and I hope for others, too.  And I think the only explanation for that is that we really are doing a good job of keeping these characters and their messages alive in our hearts with our chatter and our stories.  So thanks for that, too.  Cause, seriously, if ya'll turned shipper I would probly have to go sit on my staircase and weep and then weep some more as I thought of poor weeping Andrew.  And then I'd realize I had no one to commiserate with cause all the TBAA fans are too busy writing stories turning our poor angels into Romeo and Juliet.  Sad, sad fate which I'm glad I missed!  Again, thanks to you all!

But in all seriousness, thanks for continuing to give me a reason to do something that (barring the occasional minor issue, probly more minor than I often realize) I really love.  Thank you for your prayers, kind words, encouragement, friendship, creativity, and so much more.  Thanks for helping to make up a place where the message "God loves you!" can still be heard.  Thanks for being you!

God bless,
Jenni

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Liz:

A couple of years ago, I was just going through some websites I had come across about John Dye when I came across the

site for JABB.  After looking at it as best as I could, I decided to join up.  It was the best thing I could do in
regards to a site about our favourite green eyed guy.

It's been a wonderful experience meeting new people in different parts of the world (I think we can thank computers for that) who share similar likes.

I also enjoy reading the posts of the different characters we have going in our fantasy world of Dyeland.

I guess what I'm saying is that it has been a truly wonderful experience being here and I wouldn't change a thing.  The people I've met have been great and the helpfulness has also been wonderful.

Thanks to everyone for everything.  Long live JABB (even when we're old and wrinkled, it'll never be forgotten lol).

Liz

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Nicole:

::clears throat::

 
To my fellow JABBers:
 
You rock.
 
That's a cool way to start a letter, I think.  And it's true! Awesome.
 
Moving on.
 
I've been here with this group for 2.5 years now and I still can hardly believe it. I never seem to stick with one thing this long. And by "thing" I mean groups. I usually kind of drift in, peak inside the door, then drift out. Three months is ordinarily exceedingly long for me. So this is like an eternity! And yet, it's all gone by so fast so far.
 
I guess what I am trying to say is how much I really love this group and the people in it. I don't have any interest in drifting as I normally would. And as much as I love Andrew, I have been thinking (shocking, I know) and I can't really say that it is solely my fascination with him that has kept me here so long. It's the people in this group. The friends that I have made. That is what has kept me here.
 
We're all different. Not one of us all believes the same things. But that is okay. It all works out. And it's actually pretty cool also, cause it means we learn from each other all the time. We can and do have real discussions about all sorts of things.
 
And then, for some reason, weird things happen to us. ;-) Whether good or bad. But we share in a lot of those things and I like that. We cry together, get annoyed together, laugh together, and of course, swoon and be sappy together. It's awesome and I don't think I'd change any of it.
 
Like I already said, you guys rock. JABB rocks. We are such a very unique group. I've said that a billion times already, but it's so true. I can't quite put it into words how exactly, even though I've spent some time trying. Maybe it is a mixture of things. Our friendship, our differences, and also the fact that we don't only keep the characters of "Touched By an Angel" alive with us, but we also keep the feelings and ideas behind the show with us. I may even take that a step further and point out the idea that we don't just continue to embrace the obvious in the show. But we ask questions and discuss so many different aspects of it.
 
We learn a lot from each other, but we continue even years later, to learn from this show and its characters. And that's just really unique in itself.
 
So maybe that's a little closer to the mystery. ;-)
 
Anyhow, this has sorta turned into a ramble, so I am gonna go ahead and end this. But if nothing I've said has made sense yet, just know this:
 
I love JABB and I love all the people I have met through it. You are some really great friends and I'm so glad to know you. Thanks for making JABB (and loving The Loveliness) such a wonderful experience for me.
 
Happy anniversary to us!
 
~Nicole
 
P.S. Have ya noticed how totally adorable Andrew is? Just sayin'... ;-)

-----------------------------

Thank you for a wonderful,
astounding,
moving,
hilarious,
life-affirming,
angsty,
goofy,
original,
exceedingly and
awesomely bizarre,

delightful,
and amazing
11 years!

Here's to many, many, many more!



JABB TOC

JABB 279

(The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)