17!

Seventeen (17)(!!) years ago, on Halloween night in 2007 -- 9 years after the stillbirth of our daughter, and 6 years after my last infertility treatment -- I hit "post" here for the very first time, and started my journey down another road less travelled: blogging.  

I'm not sure what more I can say about the past 17 years that I haven't said in my previous years of blogoversary posts. (And I will admit that this post is more or less an update of the ones I've written on this occasion in recent years!)  The blogging world has changed in a huge way since 2007 (most recently morphing into Substacks) -- but for me, blogging has been (and continues to be) a joy and a release and a comfort, and it has enriched my life in so, so many ways.  

I can't let this particular blogoversary go by without mentioning the person who encouraged me to start blogging. :) I'd been lurking around Mel's blog for a few months, throwing out the odd comment and then pulling up a stool and posting in the Lushary (Mel's virtual bar, fondly remembered), before finally taking the plunge. Getting to meet Mel (and her family!) this summer -- after 17 YEARS (!) of online friendship -- which led to so many other wonderful friendships and connections -- was one the highlights of 2024, and certainly of 17 years of blogging to date! 

This year hasn't been quite so prolific in blogging terms as some recent years -- 123 posts so far (including this one), versus 146 to this point in 2023, 163 in 2022 and 178 in 2021 (which turned out to be my most prolific blogging year so far). Still, not too shabby...! ;)  Somehow, I still keep finding things to write about... and I am very glad that people keep reading and commenting!  

Whether you're new here or whether you've been here the entire time (and I know a few of you have!) -- THANK YOU!  ❤

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Blogging stats, 17 years later:  

 
Number of years blogging: 17

Published posts (including this one): 2,495

Average # of posts per year: 147

Average # of posts per month: 12 

(So far in calendar year 2024, I've published 122 posts -- 123, including this one -- a minimum of 8 posts (in February) and as many as 20 in one month (September -- thanks to World Childless Week and its daily themes!).)

Published comments: 12,474 

Page views (all time): 1,959,495 (!!) 

Followers (on Blogger):  155 

Past blogoversary posts here.

First blog post ever here! :)