Eight Years!

This week marks eight years since I began blogging with my first post having been published on February 9^th, 2013.  And incredibly since then, I have been coming to you weekly for the past 416 weeks.

When I think back over the previous 12 months, I realize we have lived through some horrendous times with this pandemic.  As my seventh-year anniversary blogging post was publishing last February, we were just beginning to feel the effects of the growing pandemic.  Since then, we have seen it devastate the world, although now there is at least hope of an end in sight.  The previous 12 months changed the way we all lived our lives and changed my blogging as well.  For 2019, one of my most common topics was travel which in 2020, did not happen for many of us.

Looking back over my previous 52 posts by blog category, I see that I wrote about Books six times, Travel (or wish for travel) nine times, Memories eight times and Entropy (randomness) nine times.  My biggest category by far by a factor of more than 2:1 (twenty) covered what most all of us did during the year—stay At Home.

Since travel was basically off the table for most of us, I found time for many projects at home last year.

I tackled several major outdoor projects in the yard and indoors, had fun with puzzles, cooking, and building two doll houses for my two granddaughters.

But enough about me, now for the most important persons, who were it not for your dedicated reading, I would just be writing a private diary.  It is very special to me knowing you consistently read my posts some of you even going all the way back to eight years ago.  Thanks for your continued interactions, your thoughtful comments, and even your occasional suggestions about a topic.  Knowing that you are connecting to me through these posts continues to be an inspiration for me to continue this effort.

And to my new readers as well as occasional readers that found my site last year, while every topic I write about may not have been of interest to you, it is still rewarding to know that you are enjoying even one or two.  I never got into this for the “numbers” so know that each and every one of you are appreciated.  Whenever one of you “likes” a post or begins to follow me, I always go to check out your website to see who my new connection is.

But what will 2021 and the next 52 weeks hold for us?  Well hopefully we will be able to return to travel, one of my favorite activities and one I enjoy writing about.  With that travel, we will also be able to once again visit family and loved ones in person and possibly for the first time in over 12 months, give and receive a hug.

While we have all lost so many loved ones this past year, I know we will never be able to return to normal.  But at least once it is safe again, we will be able to get together with friends or attend events, something we have sorely missed.  And just being able to go out to eat at a fine restaurant or any restaurant for that matter will be a welcome reprieve.

These are all hopes I have for 2021.

So, in closing, as most of you already know by now, I love cars and love to drive and have often used these rides as a metaphor for my posts.

So, thanks for coming along for the ride so far.  I hope it will continue to be an enjoyable journey for you.

Here’s to another fun year.  Cheers!