Big Day

I am very excited to write this post. It's my blogoversary! A year ago today The Spouse sent me a link to Blogger suggesting I check it out. I am soooo glad he did that and glad that (for once) I listened to him.

As you may remember, I used to write a column for the parent newsletter at The Child's school. I loved that gig. I had an editor who helped me find my voice (thanks forever, Julie) and a monthly deadline, which provided this undisciplined soul with the structure needed to get something written. But when we moved The Child to St. G the gig went away and I missed it. Starting a blog would, I thought, give me a necessary dose of discipline (publish or perish) and maybe, just maybe, by committing to posting 5 times a week, I would find my way to a writing life.

Wow. In the past year I finished the draft of a 10 year old book, contributed to an on-line writing project about moms which will be published next year and had work accepted to the forthcoming Unbound Press journal. My 5xweek goal was exceeded as this is my 546th post. "They" say that to be a writer you have to write. I'm a writer, now.

In the beginning I sent the link to 3 or 4 people who would read the blog, thereby assuring the accountability needed to provide fresh content. The blog is now averaging 65-70 hits a day. Even after subtracting repeat hits from people coming back to check on comments and such, that's still more than the original 4. I have readers all over the US and Canada. There are readers in the UK, Europe and even one in Dubai. Since attaching the site meter in March I have logged (as of this very second) 9, 486 hits with 20,928 pages read. That is kinda cool. My favorite thing is to look at the site map with all the little dots spreading across North America and out into the world and think about the amazing global community that has come together to read this little blog full of snippets, recipes and random observations of just one ordinary woman. It is astonishing.

The best thing about this blog is all of you, especially the tight little group of blog buddies that has been formed; incredible, talented, funny people like Jon, Iwanski, Pat & Sling. There's darling Edy from whom, it turns out, I was separated at birth. There's Grish (as lovable a geek as The Spouse), Swede & Czech (the first blog buddy I've met in person) and Amy (the wind beneath my photoshopped wings). And of course, there is the Pied Piper, Charlie, who claims that he attracts nutters. (Some of us qualify).

And not to play favorites or anything but I have to devote a separate paragraph to the inimitable JP. I found him by the very random device of the blogroll on Blogger. "All Things Bitter" sounded like an interesting title so I clicked on it. There I found a clever, hysterically funny writer who quickly became the first stop on my daily blog tour. I made The Spouse teach me how to make links just so I could link to him. He was the first person to honor me with a link. Since that time he has become - and I know this sounds crazy since we've never met - a good friend. And not just because I can ask him for coding help. Omaha, Nebraska was never high on my list of Places to Visit Before I Die but it is now. (I'll stop now because if I start gushing he might get all melty and sappy and that would seriously mess with his bitterness. We wouldn't want that, now would we?)

( I puffy heart you, JP and you know that. Word.)

It occurs to me that I shouldn't have started listing people by name because the band is going to start playing the "your time's up" music before I get to everyone. If you are linked over there to the right, rest assured that I love and esteem you. I love reading your blogs and am honored that you come to read mine. I am a better writer because of you as I strive to make it worth your while to keep coming back.

My first year in Blogtopia has been an unmitigated gas and my little Pollyanna heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for all your support and encouragement and thanks for being such great writers yourselves. You inspire me. Belly up to the bar, kids. First round is on me. (Hey, can somebody give JP a lift home later?)