WordPress recently reminded me that I created my blog site seven years ago. My first post was on August 1, 2012 and was an account, illustrated with photos, of why I live in the woods.
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 1000 WordPress followers and several hundred more followers by email and on social media. I have had over 44,500 different visitors and over 77,000 views. I know many bloggers whose stats are much, much higher, but I am thrilled with what I have.
During the past seven years, I have been visited by readers from many countries around the world, 162 countries and territories total as of today. My top post in the past year was Appalachian Sayings: The “hind catcher”.
In April 2014, a second blog was added, Believing for Ben, chronicling my grandson’s journey through pediatric neurosurgery. Ben was only three years old at the time and now is nine and getting ready to begin grade four. 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.
A third blog, Captured for a Moment, was added in October, 2015. I refer to it as my “photos only” blog with no commentary, just photos. Unfortunately, it has been very neglected of late.
Additionally, I follow 334 other WordPress bloggers from around the world and have developed lovely blogging friendships with many of them. Some of those bloggers now post very infrequently, and others who I once followed now no longer post at all. 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!
Unexpected in common hours 
Congratulations, Debby ! I am very proud of you and love your blog! And a devoted follower! I love you. “Aunt” Janet
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Thank you! I love you, too and am so glad you are healing.
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Happy 7th Anniversary! 🙂
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Thank you!
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🙂
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Congratulations
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Thanks so much!
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Your welcome
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Happy anniversary! It is such an achievement. Wishing you many more fruitful blogs and anniversaries 🙂
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Thank you! I can’t believe it’s been 7 years!
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I agree with you — blogging has brought me so many friends and experiences I would not have had otherwise!
One thing I have done lately that was inspired by you, was going to teach in a prison. I was just a one-day speaker, part of a group that goes in once a week for 12 sessions, I think, but your experience was one of the things I considered in deciding to go! So thank you and Happy Blogiversary!
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Oh wow! Good for you! Going into a prison can be a scary experience, and I hope you found it to be fruitful, maybe even inspirational. I really enjoyed teaching in the prison and wish I could still do that. Thank you so much for your kind comments!
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I have been there three times now and it has been great. I have loved teaching people who really want to be in a class — as opposed to kids. I love teaching kids too, but since they don’t know they are going to need to know things, they have other things on their minds, like the importance of throwing erasers at each other. 🙂
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Haha! So true!
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Congratulations, Deb, and wishing you (and us) many more!
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Thank you, Dries! Yes, many more to us!
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Congratulations Deb on seven years of blogging. Been here for 10 and I still enjoy posting.
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Thank you, Arlene! Ten years for you. That’s great!
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HAPPY 7TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLOGGING DEB——I FEEL TOTALLY BLESSED TO BE A FOLLOWER OF YOU BLOG– BUT MOST OF ALL NOW –DEAR FRIENDS!!! BLESSINGS TO YOU DEB!!!!!!
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Thank you so much! That means a lot! I hope you are doing well, my friend.
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A huge congrats. 😀 😀
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Thank you, Cee!
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So glad you are still posting – congratulations
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Thank you, Laura. I’m glad I didn’t abandon my blog. I did once consider doing that.
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Many many congratulations! I enjoy reading your posts 🙂
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Thank you so much!
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