Happy 100th posting to my blog!

So, after 100 blog postings I thought a few facts and figures about the blog would be a good way to celebrate this momentous occasion! - On a practical point: Half way through, I noticed I wrote the dates the American way.  I.e. Month first, then the day.  Sorry! The blog posting which brought Irish Stew for the Soul into being was posted on 12. 8. 2010 with a very respectable 11 viewers for starters.  . Interesting for me is the variation in the number of blog viewers per posting. The statistics dept. in the blogger world indicate that in 5 years of posting - in fact just four days short of exactly five years,  I have had a total of 11,610 page views, which is an average of over 116 viewers per posting.  But viewer numbers are far more higgledy piggledy than that. The posting with the least number of viewers was Fasnacht - when one takes One´s Fun very seriously posted on 2. 13. 13.  A perfectly respectable blog posting with lots of photos. -  But it has had only 3 viewers to date. On the other end of the statistical spectrum is  Mofa - My Speed Drug of Choice posted on 6.5.12.  This is tops to date with 385 page views. That is followed by The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins posted interestingly enough only seven weeks later.  This posting received 356 viewings.  One might think that was to do with the words in the heading.... i.e.  Speed and Drug etc.   But other ´catchy´ headings don´t draw a crowd.  For example one might think This Happened on a Beach in Brazil - posted 4.12.12, would tempt a potential viewer to hit the click button.  But that posting was only viewed 54 times. Likewise Views of New York posted on 1.20.13 has unusual pictures of New York taken from a ferry.  It has had only 23 viewers. -  On other hand A happy little story about a happy little cat in New York posted on 4.16.13 garnered 177 clicks. All postings to do with Wellie Racing had very respectable posting numbers with reader numbers ranging from 100 to 200 plus. Similarly all postings with nice pictures of the Bodensee area and from holiday locations area tend to receive 100 plus readers.  Ireland between the Raindrops which was only posted 9.22.15 has had 121 hits already for example.  - And two comments!  But there is one interesting exception to the popularity of the pretty photo blog postings that I do ponder on.   (By times only I hasten to add.  Even I and my ego think about matters other than those pertaining to my blog a few times a day.  At least.  Honest!) Anyway the posting is titled  I feel like I live in a Christmas card on Mr. Rogers´ Mantelpiece!  posted on 12.29.10.  Even if one was not personally acquainted with the aforementioned Mr. Rogers, one could imagine images worthy of a Christmas card would garner loads´a clicks.  But to date this posting has had only 16 views. Another interesting oddity is Berlin is Amazing Part 1 - 4.1.14 which merited 133 reader clicks, but Berlin parts 2 and 3 had only 13 and 14 readers respectively.  Go figure! Some serious postings receive more hits than I would have imagined starting out.  I never meant to ´aim´ for serious on Irish Stew for the Soul.  But hey occasionally ´serious happens´ what can I say!    This Blog Posting is not even a little bit Funny - posted on 3. 25. 11 about various reliable media sources is up there with 175 viewers.  A repeat of the posting albeit slightly modified, also garnered good viewer numbers.  And even more serious Every Relationship needs a Herb Book garnered 24 readers.   As it was only my second blog posting back in December 2010, I was surprised it received attention at all. Other serious blog postings do not garner great numbers of viewer clicks at all.  For example Are your New Year´s Resolutions beginning to teeter of the wagon a bit? - Try working backwards! 1.6. 2014 has had today only 11 readers.  Another serious topic but in a lighter tone and an easy read was The Secret to a Happy Life in less than 100 Words. By W.C.  posted on 4.29.2015.  To date this posting has had only 9 readers. Another surprise for me is the funny postings.   I thought they would be ´a hit´.  Alas they garner relatively few ‘hits´ for my taste.  For example Parental Notice: This blog post is P.G. 11 1/2 years old was posted on 1. 29. 11.  I happen to think this is a funny posting, worthy of viewer attention.  Alas the world thought otherwise; the posting received to date only 20 hits. Another funny posting An Emigrant´s Dilemma in Terminal 2 - Or, get Bertie out of my face!   was posted on 4. 20. 12.  This was a copy of a letter which both the Irish Times and the Kilkenny People deemed worthy of printing in their newspapers. But on Irish Stew for the Soul, reader viewing was not high, relatively speaking, with only 38 views And worse  If this doesn´t give you a laugh - you have a coffee on me!  which was posted 2.9. 14 has had only five readers to date. There is one exception however to the ´funnies pattern of unpopularity´;  For Woman, Ladies and Girls Only posted 5.20.13, received 99 hits. Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tips have poor to so so ratings, ranging between 5 - 35 viewers.  Understandable enough, Hausfrau Róisín is not Jamie Oliver or Martha Stewart!  Blog postings on Travel Tips are more respectable, but still nothing that might cause the editors of  `Lonely Planet´ to feel worried So, other thoughts from ME about MY blog! First Why Blog?  Nope, I don´t make a living from my blog postings, never made a penny. BUT I do enjoy it.  Looking back on the posting reminds me of nice times.  Like anyone who expresses themselves in any way.  I can say what I like; I can talk about what is relevant to me (without incitment to hate and all that usual sensible stuff etc).  In addition, while I don´t think I have written anything that would make any elected official shake in his/her boots, I am glad I have the right to do so, esp. bearing in mind that Amnesty International exists for people who suffered the consequences of speaking their mind.  No, I don´t have a dead line, neither do I have to tow the line nor consider any one else´s line. I have chosen to aim for two blog postings a month.   Except 2011 when for various reasons that I can´t remember, I only posted about six times.  With that schedule, I am in awe of people who write for a living - especially journalists or bloggers.  I mean to write daily for one´s living.. How do they keep up!  HOW do they find things to say, and then say it well?  Daily.  Amazing! Some postings that stick out in my mind.   Two of the above mentioned do: The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins is one of my favorite postings because the topic is indeed amazing.  My cousin lives up the road from CERN in Geneva, which is the nuclear age plus.   So one night I walked down the road from my cousins in the opposite direction from CERN and there was a farmer planting crops. It kind of blew my mind a bit; we humans started planting crops about 10,000 B.C.  So if you will - The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins. A happy little story about a happy little cat in New York is another favorite because I enjoyed recounting the story of the little cat that lived with me in New York. I enjoy my funnies - even if my reader’s don´t share my taste in funny!   I don´t know about you, but I just don´t get the $200 dainties thing..posted  9. 7. 12 is a favorite funny, but only garnered 18 views. Buggati - a celebration of excellence posted 6. 29. 12 with 60 readers is another favorite of mine.  But that was because the experience of seeing all those beautiful cars was extremely enjoyable for me.  It was a matter of self-discovery that I could get excited about rooms full of cars. Previous to my Buggati experience, I had thought of cars like I think of wheelbarrows - I am delighted they are there, they make life so much easier, but well that is that.  I never thought any I would ever think to give any car a second look.  Then I fell in love with Buggatis..... The blog posting that stands out the most for me is: So, I´ll start at the end of the list: St. Patrick at the Palace of Westminster which was posted on 7. 17. 12.   The reason it stands out for me is because it surprises me that it never stood out for anyone else!  Well only ll people to be exact. The posting as the title implies refers to the Palace of Westminster, the seat of government of the United Kingdom.  There in the very centre of that building, in a room that was once described as ‘the political centre of the British Empire`.  There in that room is a mosaic of  St. Patrick, St. Brigid and St. Columba.  It is really beautiful.  And I had never heard of it, and never heard anyone talking about it.  Clearly with only 11 viewers my blog posting did not get people talking about it either!                                                                --------------------------------- This blog posting celebrating the 100th is dedicated to my Ex-Beau -  Bill X.  He suggested the blog’s name - Irish Stew for the Soul.  Interesting perspective as he was of Puerto Rican stock himself, but it has served me well. Thanks Bill!