Dear Reader:
Happy New Year! And look who surprised me this morning in all her glory? “Middle Amaryllis” greeted 2015 with two beautiful blooms… back-to-back!
It reminded me of the two-faced Roman god, Janus, who looks to the past with one face and to the future with another. (Though I will have to say the two “faces” of my amaryllis are much prettier than the sculptured faces of Janus…don’t you agree?)
What a way to start the day…much less the year! I took time to do some reflecting last night and realized that three weeks of feeling crummy (and missing out on holidaybirthday activities) had distorted my overall remembrances of 2014.
The last three months of this past year have certainly been challenging…all the trips back and forth to St. Francis for physical therapy while adjusting to “Python” constricting wrappings on my left hand and arm several weeks in succession. (Though I do love my physical therapist….adorable and so sweet!)
And then coming right on top of all of that…an (initially) innocent sounding cough that decided to settle in my larynx and not leave. (It didn’t even have the decency to pay rent!)
Christmas was definitely “dampened” by my laryngitis and bronchitis. (How I have any lungs left is quite miraculous…I feelt like I have coughed them up several times a day for weeks.)
Isn’t it wonderful that nothing stays the same in life? Whether good or not so good….change will happen. When one has been going through a ‘not-so-good’ time…this knowledge is quite gratifying.
To add even more hope and joy to my mental health…the sun came out so beautifully yesterday…and after two doses of antibiotics I am already feeling stronger physically and my voice is beginning to return. Life is reassuring me (through my amaryllis blooms) that it continues to go on…and something beautiful can “pop” at any moment.
Besides…how can I ‘poo poo’ 2014 when I went to Ireland for goodness sake? Those memories will last me a lifetime!
In fact WordPress sent me two annual reports this year….one showing that the pictures from Ireland Anne and I sent- (which John put on the blog) drew the largest number of views from 2014!)
The first annual report covers the time period from Jan 1 to the fateful November 19 time period. The second annual report covers stats from November 25 until December 31. I want to share these reports with you and I will also provide a link to both reports, if interested.
But… just in case you can’t open the link (for some reason)….let me share some of the major stats with you.
First Annual Report (January 1-November 19- 2014)
Crunchy numbers
The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 79,000times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 3 days for that many people to see it.
The busiest day of the year was June 25th with 982 views. The most popular post that day was Photos of Becky and Anne in Ireland.
How did they find you?
The top referring sites in 2014 were:
Where did they come from?
+ From all over the world
− 168 countries in all!
Most visitors came from The United States. U.K. & India were not far behind.
Who were they?
Your most commented on post in 2014 was Stop and “Remark” about God’s “Remarkable” World
These were your 5 most active commenters:
- 1
Gin-gEdwards 116 COMMENTS
- 2
Ambika Murthy 56 COMMENTS
- 3
Sis Kinney 46 COMMENTS
- 4
Jo Dufford 41 COMMENTS
- 5
Honey Burrell 33 COMMENTS
(* Thank you girls for commenting and letting me know your thoughts…it helps me tremendously.)
Here is the link for this report: http://archivechapelofhopestories.wordpress.com/2014/annual-report/
The Second Report only included the blogs from November 25, 2014 to until December 31. It is interesting to see the change in dynamics in this short a period, however.
Crunchy numbers
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,600 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 60 trips to carry that many people.
There were 426 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 58 MB. That’s about a picture per day.
The busiest day of the year was November 25th with 166 views. The most popular post that day was When to ‘Cut Our Loss’ and Keep Moving A’head.
How did they find you?
The top referring sites in 2014 were:
Where Did They Come From?
51 countries in all!
Most visitors came from The United States. Brazil & India were not far behind.
Who were they?
Your most commented on post in 2014 was When to ‘Cut Our Loss’ and Keep Moving A’head
These were your 5 most active commenters:
- 1
Gin-g Edwards – 11 COMMENTS
- 2
Johnny Johnson – 8 COMMENTS
- 3
ambikasur – 6 COMMENTS
- 4
Jo Dufford – 5 COMMENTS
- 5
Brooke- 4 COMMENTS
* Once again gals and guy (Johnny) I appreciate you taking the time to make a comment….I look so forward to getting comments back on any blog reading. Means the world to me!
Here is the link to this report: http://chapelofhopestories.com/2014/annual-report/
So until tomorrow I share with you this blessing for the New Year… that I love from Irish poet John O’Donohue.
“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”
My hope for all of us as we travel this next year’s time period along our journey is that we are brave enough to accept change and use it to help us grow in the light of God. To be the person God always wanted us to be. To reach our full potential…using the gifts God gave us.
And now John O’Donohue’s Poem for a New Year…..
“For a New Beginning”
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
—John O’Donohue
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
* Ya Alert….my good friend Libby texted last evening to let the Ya’s know that her darling daughter, Betsy, had quite a health scare yesterday at work. An ambulance was called and Betsy was taken to the hospital to check her light-headedness, extreme rapid heartbeat and accelerating blood pressure.
Over time it eventually dropped down low enough to release her with a monitor to get more information on what is going on. Hopefully then there will be some much wanted answers to this puzzling episode. Please keep Libby’s and Betsy’s families in your prayers this week. Thank you.
* Betsy is our “It’s All Good” mantra gal…she is the epitome of optimism and love…so Betsy I say to you now “It’s all good” because you are in God’s hands.” And as Auntie/Mama Boo would say…” Don’t worry…It will be alright”!
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Happy New Year, Becky!!
I found all your statistics quite interesting! While I certainly don’t consider myself to be “the bomb” when it comes to modern technology, I also don’t consider myself to be in the “dark ages” in that regard; point being: I had NO idea what some of those “sources” were that led people to your blog! “Urlm”? I have heard of most of them, but still. Isn’t it a whole new world out there?!
I’m glad you’re on the mend once again and trust that your voice will truly be back soon! Loved the poem by John O’Donhue – how very, very appropriate for this beginning of 2015!!!
Sis Happy New Year my friend! I, am like you with all these search engines….but glad they found me. I just adore John O’Donohue’s thoughts….an amazing writer and person!
I have to tell you a story about me and poems. My last semester of English in college was all poetry and I thought if I ever pass this class I will likely never read another poem unless it’s on a greeting card. Yet here as I am older I gind myself enjoying poetry more and more. I really liked the O’Donohue poem in the blog today.
Tell Betsy she has another prayer going up for her well being too please. She is far to young and beautiful to be sick and I am sure God will touch her with his healing hand.
I still start out my mornings reading your blogs. The blog just starts my day off on the right foot! Thank you for sharing your gift with us all.
Thank you Johnny for your comments and support during this transition time….just goes to show there are no random acts in life…just lots of God’s Winks!
These statistics are fascinating , Boo!! This report should reaffirm that you are doing so much good in the world. You are loved and appreciated by so many.
Yes, I agree that 2014 was a good year as of all years that we are here still able to do almost anything we want to do most of the time. God is Good!
Also I pray that since Betsy’s condition was recognized in 2014 that in 2015 she will get the answers and medications she needs to live fully as the beautiful young lady that she is.
I am thankful that you are getting better each day. 2015 is going to be full of many adventures. Can’t wait to go on this journey with you, my friend.
Are you packed yet….Let’s go!
I think EB is in our near future for some R and R!!
I agree!
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finaly I have found something that helped me.
Kudos!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope 2015 proves to be the best year for you and that you are able to “experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”
Whaat a material off un-ambiguity aand preserveness of
valuable knowledge regarding unexpected emotions.
Thank you.