Blogivversary

Today is the ninth blogivversary of Rambles. I had various blogs before this one  including ones on Angelfire before Google came along but this has been the longest-lasting and most popular one.  During those nine years I have done 2850 posts and had 835,000 page views.  Of those page views 251,212 were from the USA and 210,537 from the UK.  Germany and Russia each had around 40,000 pageviews and the rest were predominantly from Canada, France, Ukraine, Australia, India, and The Netherlands.  Nowadays I average 300 to 500 pageviews a day.  I suspect my comment moderation puts some people off commenting but it has proved necessary because of the unpleasant spam I get.

The most popular search terms that have brought people to Rambles include starlings, new penny, wink, creepers, Buddy Holly, snowing, banana split, Rosa Bonheur, thank you, butterfly, trail, tattoo…  I wonder how many people found what they imagined they would?

My most popular posts – judging by pageviews – have been Eggheads (with 10,000 views);  Brothel Creepers (I’m sure the majority of the 9336 folk who visited that didn’t get what they wanted!!);  A Wink or a Wimble;  Eugene Grasset - Librairie Romantique;  Starlings; Buddy Holly - 1936-1959; A New Penny;  and that well known Bart Simpson phrase Eat my shorts.

Probably my most serious posting and one which still today brings comments and e-mails is “When my child has died please…”

If asked which was the funniest posting I ever did, I would have to go for “Women are from Planet X…”

I’ve had many other blogs in the past including ones for Words and phrases, the Wirral, my garden, the Hebrides, Exeter, Wildlife, Recipes, On This Day, Memories, Postcards…  Nowadays with the exception of my postcard one they are all incorporated into Rambles so I occasionally post about all those subjects.  But past posts on those blogs can be seen by clicking on my profile and looking down the list of blogs. The other great thing about “Rambles from my Chair” is that it has a list of my blogging friends down the side and that’s very important to me.

In 2012 I did a blogiversary post (how many 'v's are there in blogivversary?) and in it I mentioned some of the people that blogging had brought me into contact with.  "Some of them, like a Girl from Vermont (Heather) – I met early on and have kept in touch with ever since. Another reader of my blog – Canadian Chickadee (Carol) in Seattle doesn't have her own blog and yet we have become firm friends using both e-mails and snail mail.  I've visited friends and acquaintances all over the world and unlike my blogging brother, GB, I don't use aeroplanes and the car.   I just sit in my swivel chair at my desk and say hello from there."  People like Dawn Treader (Monica from Sweden), Heleen (from The Netherlands) and Hawwa (Eva from Morocco/Spain) are not only blogging friends but also fellow postcard lovers and we share our news by snail mail.  MessyMimi, Librarian (Meike), An English Travel Writer (Jenny) and A Georgia Girl with an English Heart (Kay) have visited and commented upon my blog for years now.  Fhina (Carol), the most inappropriately named Woman of No Importance, and Adrian, whose images sometimes leave me drooling with envy, are among the other friends I have made. 

So many friends I have been fortunate enough to make.   And in a month's time Partner-who-loves-tea and I will be meeting Friend-uber-special from Long Island when she and her husband come over to Scotland for a visit.  The thought of that is so exciting. 

Rambles from my Chair has given me enormous pleasure over the years and I hope it has brought you enjoyment (and possibly even education) as well.