Tuesday, September 22, 2015

1500 posts and still going............

I don't really know what to say, other then to mark a milestone by saying that after having started this blog post in 2006, I have reached 1500 posts today.  This post is # 1500.  Now there are some who write daily, not me.  It's when the spirit moves me or something has happened that I want to document for posterity.

This morning I went back and read the first post, which for some reason is in another print color hardly readable.  Then I skimmed 2007.  Now none of those great photos show up because those posts were
written on a computer that crashed several years ago.  The computer guru was able to retrieve the posts, but for some reason the photos were not retrievable.

I'm not a computer savvy person.  I have discovered though that I like to write, much to my surprise.
Maybe it is because I now have time to do those things, like writing, that I never had time for in my life previously.  It is one of the few things I've done in my life that was not being done to make money to take
care of myself or my family.  It has been a purely enjoyable treasure.

As many of you know, I started the blog solely for my family after my daughter's passing.  It was my way of
letting them know that I was alive and moving on.  That was my intention.  In my wildest dreams it was impossible for me to imagine what the posts have brought to my life.

Great friendships with other blog writers and readers!  30,000 readers a month!  Right there is enough to astound me.  Calypso, a fellow blogger once wrote statistically about how many books blog posts add up to. I was astounded.  My son is always suggesting that I write a book.  In fact, I was approached to turn this blog into a book, but that is way too much work for me.  Promoting, traveling, and all the things involved.
I'm content with things the way they are.  My little contribution to my life.....and sometimes yours.


I had no parameters when I started.  I did want to write about life in Mexico. Daily things that weren't big deals.  Positive things mostly - few negative or ranting posts as some I have read about politics and things that one can read in all newspapers and magazines.  I needed to be upbeat for myself.  The accusation that I'm a "pollyanna" has been thrown around, but who cares?  It was never my intention to win a popularity contest, ha.

There is something about living in Mexico that makes one upbeat.  The beauty, the day to day scenes that are surprising and surreal at times.  Life in general is joyful, most of the time.

Here is a scene that I saw last week that illustrates the surprising things one can see if you take time to stop and notice.  Things that touch your heart in their simplicity and purity.

 There are vendors around the jardin that have to disassemble and reassemble their booths daily.  It takes the whole family working to set it up in the morning.  This family sells dried flowers which are made into bouquets in little baskets along with wreaths for children and women to wear on their heads.  The above photo was my indication that they were walking several blocks, as usual, to set up.
                                            A family parade of items to set up their space.
   And this little girl, in her pink crocs, was carrying a bouquet of dried flowers as well.  Very few children go to daycare centers in San Miguel.  The government has one and an NGO has one, but most of the children go to work with their parents, if possible. 
                                          Here she is passing in front of the Allende museum.
And, last but certainly not least, the father with the shelf with the baskets and head wreaths.  This has been carried for a couple of blocks, at least, as the jardin is closed off to vehicular traffic.

It is seeing things like this scene that enrich my life and hopefully it does for all of you as well.  Every day occurrences are the small things of life, but which add big doses of life and light to my life.  Again, hopefully to your life as well.

Thanks for being around.  Thanks for all of your comments.  YOU have enriched my life in ways that you can't even imagine.  The best things in life are free.    Life is good!

19 comments:

Life's a Beach! said...

Love your blog Babs and your description of life in Mexico! 30,000 views a month is amazing!

sparks_mex said...

I had no idea on my posts so had to look. First post was in 2004 and you have twice as many as I do. 731 is my count. I don't know where to look for monthly visits. Always enjoy your posts!

sparks_mex said...

And now I realize you are not referring to fence posts

Babs said...

Thanks Beck. Glad you're still around.........reading!

I too enjoy your posts and especially all your great photos.

Babs said...

Sparks - You are so funny. I have a site where I can go to get all kinds of analysis. I only know how to do it on blogspot though. I don't remember
who you write through........

2004 Wow - 11 years. Good for you.

Peter Kouwenhoven said...

We love your blog and your writing. Keep 'em coming!

Droelma said...

I am so grateful that I found your blog years ago and would like to congratulate you on your success, your caring, wisdom, steadfastness, sense of humor, patience, creativity and many other qualities that shine through in every post. I do a quick check every morning and you are #1 on the Mexico check list.
Even though I will have lived in Mexico for 20 years on November 1st I still learn a lot from you, because you see a part of Mexico, it's people and culture, I often don't get to see and therefore don't always consider.
My work, serving the poorest of the poor and those who are marginalized under the worst circumstances often make me see things in one way and not and the other. Often I forget to see the beauty next to the ugly and your blog has helped me a lot.
You, with your well written posts often make me re-think things, reconsider some decisions I made based on opinions I have of other foreigners and that are not always true, or you show me things that I never knew were there. I also appreciate your personal life experience .
And most of all you give me ( the aging work-aholic and single woman ) an idea what retirement might look like and most of the time I like what you describe.
I lift my late afternoon Chiapas cup of coffee,( hand ground and hand filtered and enough for several people to have a great conversation ) to congratulate you again, thank you for who you are and hope for another 1500 blogs....just another eight years or so.

Retired Teacher said...

Congratulations to you, Barbara, not just for your perseverance in writing so much over the years, but for the huge readership that your writing has deservedly attracted. Although I don't comment on all of your posts, I read them all. Each morning when I check on my own blog, I look to see if you have written something new. (I really should go to your archives and start reading what you wrote before I discovered your blog.)

It was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to meet you face to face, and I look forward to seeing you again in November. The gentle, loving, positive nature of your posts is a reflection of your own personality. I am sure that you have opened the eyes of many to the beauty and charm of Mexico.

I wish you many, many more years of enjoying life in the place you so love. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Fifteen hundred! Congratulations, but you don't look a day over 300! Hahaha...posts, I mean.

I don't know how long I've been reading (years, now), but I enjoy your labor of love.

Here's a toast to 1,500 more!

¡¡¡¡Viva Babsblog!!!

Saludos,

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we don't even want to think of our own, puny statistics.

Babs said...

Thank you Droelma for letting me know what it is about my writing that resonates with you. I hope our paths cross some day as I think I could learn a lot from you and your life's work with the poor and dispossessed.

Thanks for raising the cup of Chiapas coffee, which is what I drink each morning.
I WILL be in DF in NOvember and maybe, somehow we can meet for a cup of Chiapas!

Thanks for being such a loyal reader.

Babs said...

Bill, thanks so much for your kind words. I so look forward to seeing you in November in DF where we can meet and visit for as long as we wish.....

I do enjoy writing and more then that, I so enjoy connecting with people such as you.

Babs said...

Kim, you may not write often, but when you do, I SO love to read your posts. It is a highlight for me to have met you and look forward to that happening again soon.

I doubt I'll make it to 1500 more posts, especially if it takes another 8 years.
I feel life winding down, not just going going........

Anonymous said...

Hola Barbara!

Thanks for the kind words. And don't doubt yourself. I'm sure if, eight years ago, someone had said you'd make it to 1,500 posts, you'd likely have pooh poohed them. Yet here you are! Fifteen hundred posts and going strong.

And it was a grand pleasure meeting you too, and I certainly hope to see you again, perhaps this winter.

Saludos y un abrazo,

Kim G

Calypso said...

I try to (mostly successfully) stay under 1000 words per Blog entry (Steve calls them essays - take your pick). I have figured 500 words per entry is conservative for me. Your output at an average of 500 words would be 750,000 words. That divided by Amazon's average book total words 77,000. This comes to 9.5 average books. Quite the output amiga - write on!

Calypso said...

I had to look: 1764 entries in my 11th year. 40,000 unique visits per week. 882,000 words or 11.5 average books - I have slowed down considerably (about 6 entries a month as opposed to 25 in the early years).

Babs said...

Kim, not to belabor the point, but 8 years ago I was in my 60! Eight years from now I would be in my 80's..........we'll see. I find myself tapering down, even though I have a whole list of things to write about. I think my "get up and go got up and went" as "they" say.

Babs said...

Wow! Calypso, staggering numbers. With your 40,000 visitors per week, then I'm a puny, puny far distance from you. That's wonderful. I'm amazed at how many "books" we have both written.........
Congrats to you! Thanks for the info.

Joan said...

A book by you on Mexico would be so good!

Babs said...

Thanks Joan. A literary agent approached me last year about taking the blog and putting parts of it into a book. I wouldn't mind that part, but also required is to travel and promote the book at stores, group talks, etc.

I've done that stuff in my past life and it sounds too much like "work" to me , and I"m retired.

Thanks for thinking about it though Joan. I appreciate your confidence in my endeavors.