WordPress reminded me yesterday that I created my blog site five years ago. My first post was the following day (on August 1, 2012) and was an account, illustrated with photos, of why I live in the woods. Coincidentally, I received notice from Twitter today that someone just retweeted that post!

I blog because I love to and never thought I would have any blog followers outside of a small circle of friends and family members. Today I have over 700 WordPress followers and several hundred more followers by email and on social media. I have had over 25,000 different visitors and over 50,000 views.  I know many bloggers whose stats are much, much higher, but I am thrilled with what I have.

During the past five years, I have been visited by readers from many, many countries around the world, 144 countries total as of today.   My top post is Appalachian Sayings: The “hind catcher”, which finally surpassed the previous top post, Now Blooming in My Corner of North Georgia: Mimosa and Magnolia.

In April 2014,  I added another blog, Believing for Ben, chronicling my little grandson’s journey through pediatric neurosurgery.  Ben was only three years old at the time and now is seven and getting ready to begin second grade. Believing for Ben posts also have appeared on this blog, and members of my blogging community have followed Ben’s progress from diagnosis to the announcement that he is cured.  Much encouragement and many prayers and healing thoughts have been sent our way from my blogging community.

I added a third blog, Captured for a Moment, in October, 2015.  I refer to it as my “photos only” blog with no commentary, just photos.

Additionally, I follow 294 other WordPress bloggers from around the world and have developed lovely blogging friendships with many of them.  Some bloggers who I once followed now no longer are posting, and I miss them.

I am so grateful to everyone who has read my posts and/or followed this blog and my other blogs. Some of you have been with me since I began this journey.  Even though we never have met, you comment on my posts and continually send me words of encouragement.  Blogging has been a much more rewarding experience than I imagined it could be!  Happy anniversary to me!!