For the month of April my blog had 6,215 page views. Every time I look at my stats I am blown away. I am so impressed by the number of those who flew in and out the windows of my blog. I picked up 12 new followers; about the same as last year. More important, to me anyway, is I made new friends. Some I will continue to follow as the year progresses. Now if we could just figure out how to get people to leave a comment to let you know they stopped by.
I like doing the challenge. I didn't get around to as many blogs on the list (1500 by the end of the challenge) this year. That is a lot of blogs. But what I did was chose 20 new blogs to follow through the entire challenge. As well as those of my friends who also did the challenge. That was enough of a chore for me to keep up with. I continue to be frustrated with those who start the challenge and then stop. And for those blogs who don't make commenting easy. Otherwise I have no complaints.And I will be back in 2016. I also have a couple of ideas in mind for a theme. Until then.....
Those are terrific stats, Paula! I don't imagine there's many folk who couldn't relate at some level with your Lessons. I've fantasized about joining the next challenge, and doing my entries ahead of time like you recommend ... but I don't want to NOT reciprocate with those who leave comments, and right now I just don't have the time.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand Myra. It is a job to try to keep up with and I don't even have a job!! I spend a lot of time at my computer, as you can see. I hope you get to join in one day
DeleteGreat reflection post, Paula! It definitely does help having things written beforehand. I would always read over what I was going to post the next day and maybe fine tune a word here or there, but I was glad the bulk of the stuff was written. I agree about finding it difficult to comment on some blogs; that was my biggest gripe, especially cause they had some good things to say that I wanted to comment on and there were other comments on it, just couldn't figure out how to make it work. I visited as many as I could plus my regular favorite blogs plus a lot I had added to follow during the challenge; one time I figured out it took me over 2-1/2 hours to read them all. I think I commented on all of yours; I hope I didn't miss one or two along the way.
ReplyDeletebetty
Yes, Betty you are my faithful friend. You never missed a day. I tried to visit you every single day too. I really liked your theme as it helped me to get to know a bit more about you. That is a good idea for a theme! It was hard to do all the reading for me this year. I would just get bogged down and lost interest a few times. (I think it might have a bit to do with grieving and a bit of depression) But I got around to a lot of them!!
DeleteYep, it's the commenting, not the posting that gets us every time.
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
DeleteHi Paula - I think I had the same problems with the commenting at times and I didn't follow anyone through for each post as I wanted to check out as many new blogs to me as I could - which is how I found you and I'm so pleased I did :) I have to say although I had jotted down some ideas for most letters I didn't write any posts until the Challenge began - I think I work best under tight deadlines and pressure!! Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace
ReplyDeleteI don't work as well under pressure. But some do! Happy to see you today
DeleteI did a little creating posts the night before but I also did a several of the posts on the fly the day of. I need to think of a theme if I consider doing this again next year. Although,i do like the freedom not to stick to the theme because I didn't have one. I didn't know anything about themes.
ReplyDeleteI did my best on responding to comments but many of them were NO Reply so they didn't get mine anyway. I'm sure they think I didn't respond.
Congrats on the high numbers for traffic!
I think it is too bad when people go to all the trouble to do the challenge and then make commenting so difficult.
DeleteI enjoyed all the A to Z blogs. Well done, all of you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne
DeleteThanks Paula for visiting. Can't believe I made it and I probably can't do it next year, but we'll see. Don't rush me. LOL
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'll not rush you.
DeleteI loved your blog challenge! Your entries were great, and gave me lots to think about! I have trouble enough commenting on the daybook posts, but not as badly in the winter when I have more time. Ick, I don't even want to think about winter!
ReplyDeleteMe either. Let's put that winter behind us. Thank you for following me during the challenge Ellie
DeleteI enjoyed your A to Z challenge. Hopefully I will be joining you again next year.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will too Wendy!
DeleteAs far as commenting goes, obviously I don't have any problem commenting on your blog, but I did on some. Some blogs I could only seem to comment through my Google + profile and I didn't want to do that. I am concerned about security (my husband works in cyber security and advises me) and have a blog alias that I wanted to use. I couldn't figure out how to do that.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your summer and having all of the kids home.
Thank you so much for stopping by
DeleteYou're a pro at this! Slow but steady wins the race and you are pacing yourself. Now if we can only weed out those dropout bloggers and get bloggers to make their blogs more accessible. That wastes valuable time when we come to those and as a co-host much of my time is spent seeking out the bad links so others don't have to deal with them. That's a lot of links to cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another year and for your Reflections. You are a bearer of good news!
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Happy to have participated Arlee. And thank you for creating and hosting this wonderful challenge.
DeleteSo excited to see what you have in store! I thought your theme was one of the better ones of the blogs I got to check out! And thanks so much for stopping in once in awhile!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Gal!
DeleteGreat reflections post and congrats on finishing the challenge. I enjoyed reading your posts. I also agree there wasn't enough time to get around to all the blogs. The A to Z is getting bigger every year, but that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteSunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
Thank you Sunni...so many good blogs. So little time!
DeleteYou summed up nicely! So glad you plan to be in again! I'm following you! And that's not creepy following, that's blog following.
ReplyDelete~ We made it!!! ~
Stopping in from Life & Faith in Caneyhead.
Ha! Ha! Happy to have you follow me!
DeleteI am just now finding you through your reflection page. Sorry I didn't show up in April, but since I'm a writer I started with the (WR) folks, which helps tackle that large lists. When the dust settles, I'll be back to read the posts that call to me. Even though we haven't had time to become blogging friends, glad we did our thing this April.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Stepheny. I am not a writer. I just see myself as a blogger. Mostly about my life and the things that interest me.
DeleteYour A-Z stats are awesome! I'd love to have that kind of readership! Way to go. Great reflections post. I have the same complaints that you do too...
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
I don't know if I can call it readership. I didn't get anywhere near that many comments. And I couldn't have kept up with them if I would have. I just like to write about my life. Happy to have you reading now
DeleteCongrats on completing the A to Z Challenge! Looking forward to next year! See you on the Road Trip!
ReplyDeleteMary @ Jingle Jangle Jungle
I have never done the road trip. Maybe I'll give it a try this year
DeleteHi Paula - that was a very sensible idea - to find 20 blogs to follow besides your normal following through the A-Z ... I found a few .. but failed to keep up this year properly .. as I'd taken on another project - so need to pick that up again ... first to do my best for the A-Z in the tidying up process.
ReplyDeleteI loved your theme - and it was very poignant to read ... but you'll be so pleased you've written these up and seen all the thoughtful comments ... take care and cheers - Hilary
Thank you Hilary. Having you come by everyday was important to me. I so enjoyed your theme as well and without the A to Z we would have never met!
DeleteHi Paula--Good to meet you, even at this late stage of the challenge. You really went into this with a plan, didn't you? I'll be taking a page from your book next year and approaching A to Z with more of a strategy--and a lot more organization. I love seat-of-the-pantsing, but it takes too much time away from the real point of the challenge--the commenting and community.
ReplyDeleteI just had a peek back at a couple of your A to Z posts, and clearly I'm going to have to come back (when I'm not at work!) and read more. Right now I'm just going to sit here and boggle at the fact that you've already posted eleven times in May while I've been on blog sabbatical. Yowza. :)
I invite you back at any time Kern! I love my blog and my blogging friends. That is what makes me write something everyday!
DeleteI'm here to read all the blog posts! #RoadTripBegins
ReplyDelete#CommentBoxGoingToBeFilled :D
LOL! I am happy to have you. I love it when my comment box is filled!
DeleteHi Paula,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I found there were so many interesting blogs out there and was really sorry that I could not get to as many as I wanted to. I chose 5 different blogs everyday and started intentionally at the bottom of the list because I knew that not everyone would get to the bottom. It paid off for me because I read so many good blogs and saw lots of good photography.
I am on the Road Trip also and look forward to reading blogs and finding new friends along the way.
Take care.
Shalom,
Patricia
I agree with everything you have said. There are many good blogs out there. Now that we are going at a more relaxed pace we can find them! Hope to see you again!
DeleteLoving your theme :) I think it's really interesting seeing what everyone chose for their themes! This was my first year and I didn't have a theme. I think next year, I might
ReplyDeletePopping by on the A to Z Road Trip
Debbie
www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com
It makes it easier for me to have a theme
ReplyDeleteLife lessons is a great theme and I like the idea of choosing a few new blogs to follow. I did that too, but it wasn't at all part of any kind of plan. Thanks for stopping by my blog and checking out my Random Acts of Kindess!
ReplyDeleteThank you Brandy! I enjoyed your theme. And I am happy you stopped by
DeleteHello there.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing the challenge! Thanks for visiting me too along the way. Just meandering through today from the Road Trip.
Entrepreneurial Goddess
I am on the Rad Trip as well. Starting to slow down for a break though!
Delete