One Thousand Posts

Eastern Shore, June 2008

Assuming my math is correct, today marks the 1,000th post for this blog.  March of this year will mark my third year of blogging. Combine all this with Valentine's Day the fact that I heard a songbird yesterday, and there's good reason to celebrate with a little giveaway.

Before that, I thought I'd share some random factoids about Life in Mathews:

• The post that received the most comments was  2009's Name That Goose with 48 comments. (Even when you subtract the two I made it still is the clear winner). This was how my mother's killer goose received his official name of Gustav.  That goose now has his own Facebook page, his own video and is an international nuisance personality.  Click on the link to read the other names people suggested and to see a picture of him and his attitude aboard a John Deere tractor.
• The second runner up for highest number of comments  was Name That Ghost, which was a contest to name a ghost haunting a house Mathews Mark lived in. 
• (See how I can say stuff like that as if it's normal?  I mean naming a goose is one thing, but naming a ghost is insanity quite another.)
• One of the most viewed/downloaded photos is the one above, which I took back in 2008 on a camping trip on the Eastern Shore.
• One of the most viewed posts is one I did on Merthiolate and Mercurochrome.

In summary, it appears that when I write about anything except Mathews, it's a hit!

Just kidding.

(Sort of.)

Here are some additional facts:

• Very few things have given me as much pleasure and enjoyment as writing this blog, even though most days I wonder why I do it, who on Earth would ever care about reading it, and why I continue to spend so much time on it.
• I have about 65 followers and receive about 100 hits per day, give or take.  These are low stats compared to real/professional bloggers, but to me they are astonishing! I cherish each and every visit, and each and every visitor, even if people are usually just stopping by to find out why Mercurochrome was banned in the U.S. or  to see if they can find a good name for a ghost goose.
• Within one year of starting this blog, I had enough bloggers interested in Mathews that they wanted to come for a visit, and the first of two Blog Fests was born.  This year, the core group--and others--will participate in Blog Fest West in Seattle.
• Within two years, a publisher stumbled upon the blog and mistakenly thought I could write a book signed me on to do a pictorial history of Mathews. This blog has opened up doors that I never knew existed.
• I've met so many wonderful people, made lifelong friends, reconnected with people from my past, and received so much joy from letters I receive from random readers. 
• Although it is time consuming, blogging has truly been very, very rewarding.

To say thank you for reading, I'm re-gifting something I won a while ago in a contest held by friend and fellow blogger Mental P. Mama: The Shift, a DVD starring Dr. Wayne Dyer.  Although she sent me this DVD a long time ago, it wasn't until last Friday night that I got around to watching it. I absolutely loved it.  Dr. Dyer talks about shifting from a life that focuses primarily on achievement and accumulation vs. serving and giving back; about creating a life of meaning and purpose.  Most of all he talks about the importance of art, creativity and connecting with Nature, something I've been able to accomplish by moving back to Mathews in 2001 and sharing the photos of this beautiful area on the blog.

To enter for a chance to win, just leave a comment. I'll announce the winner later in the week after I survive a basketball tournament, the work week, and a son who is studying for his learner's permit.

When did I grow old enough to have a son who is soon going to be driving an automobile?!  Serenity now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and bringing me so much joy with your kind words and hilarious remarks.  

Just thank you.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.