OK! Read through it again and it made sense to me. I was able to find some old posts back to 2007 with content I was looking for. I had not understood how to use the Newer Than & Older Than boxes. I did not know there was a a blank choice in Newer Than. I did not understand + _ * in a search. It took some bumbling and head banging in the past before your written instructions connected this time. It all has to do with my limited computer skills. I am confident now that I can find old info that I know is here. I know I can get past the newest 600 posts, and I know how to narrow my search to find very close to what I'm liking for.
Thanks for helping me!!