Mom's Begonias
Sometime this morning, my little blog counted its 30,000th visitor. 30,000! When I started writing last fall, I remember watching as the “site stats” numbers change and being thrilled to hit 100! I recall the excitement I felt when the number hit 500, then 5,000, and later, 25,000. It’s crazy fun to take notice of the numbers … but also to look at what resonates with others.
Now … here I am .. roughly 10 months later with 235 posts archived, 2,689 comments from you, dear readers, and 176 active subscribers.
I’ve been “Fresh Pressed” twice.. the first time, my post about Christmas music blaring on the radio the DAY AFTER Halloween hit a nerve with others. “Sorry Frosty, not yet” was featured on Word Press’s home page on November 1, 2010. I was so green to the process that I didn’t understand why I suddenly had so many comments. 110 people commented and 46 bloggers “liked” the post enough to leave their smiling Gravatar on my home page.
I’ve written a lot, and it will not surprise anyone who knows me well that my single largest category has been based in “attitude.” HA! Following that, the categories I have written the most about are: life, family, home, love, personal, relationships and thoughts. I’m proud of these for they are testament to what matters most to me.
Imagine my surprise when my emotional post about bawling my way through the Royal Wedding called “So, did you watch?” was Fresh Pressed on May 3, 2011? 4,793 people read it, 137 bloggers gave it a “thumbs up” and 334 posted comments. For days, I was very busy responding to each and every comment … but oh was it ever fun!
For all the delightful visitors that popped in, the “Akismet” functionality also managed to block 822 Spammers. Kind of like checking on a mouse trap, it’s satisfying to know the little buggers didn’t make it through. Take that !!
Search engine terms that let others find me have included the following:
- boogity boogity boogity amen
- what dreams try to tell us
- the best you you can be at any moment is yourself
- princess diana funeral
- william and harry
- i found faith in my mothers kitchen
- turbo jam
- mj’s baked delights
- no mom jeans
- confidence at any age
- what does doubt mean to you
What I can’t easily articulate is how validating this blog’s interaction has been for me. Yes it’s thrilling to be featured on Word Press’ home page but it’s also empowering to have struggled to write on emotional topics and later feel a connection to you via your heartfelt commentaries.
It’s both the creative outlet and the connection to you all that brings me back, time and again.
When I told the hubbs that I’d hit the 30K number today his comment was, “well you’re a pretty normal gal and I’m sure others can relate to you.” He knows me well and his words mean a lot. Especially since he’s never once read my blog. In his words, “I don’t have to; I know you, and I know who you are and what you stand for.” The funny thing is, he’s in so many of my posts, and the topics I write about, we’ve often hashed out together long before I start writing. He’s proud of me and doesn’t hesitate to tell others what I’m up to. “Did you know she writes a blog?” he’ll ask. Funny man.
Attitude, life, family, home, love, personal, relationships and thoughts.
Thank you for visiting .. please come back again! 🙂
