In Honor Of My 800th Blog Post, I Give You Daisies & Zinnias

/ Ally Bean

Daisies for Quality, Zinnias for Endurance. Living in harmony in an ikebana vase on our kitchen counter. I like the symbolism.

~ ~ • ~ ~

Would you believe this is my 800th post on The Spectacled Bean?

Never would I have thought I’d stick around here as long as I have. Yet something about blogging caught my fancy.

It put a little pep in my step.

A little bounce in my pounce.

The izzle in my fo’ shizzle.

Certainly I must have something profound to say about this, right?

Some wisdom to impart…

Some life-affirming conclusions to share…

Some fricking how-to advice to foist on you…

But you know what? I don’t.

All I can think to say is that I’ve learned oodles while writing this blog and that I’m delighted by how many people read and comment on it. I may not fit into any one niche, but I do have a sense of community here.

And that’s what personal blogging is about, I do believe.

Thank you. You’re the best.

~ ~ • ~ ~

How many posts have you published on your blog?

Do you know? Do you care?

Just curious.

89 thoughts on “In Honor Of My 800th Blog Post, I Give You Daisies & Zinnias”

  1. Good morning Ally Bean, and congratulations! I do not know the exact # of posts this blog has scratched out, (500 something I believe) however I did get a little “Happy 6 Years” from WordPress not long ago. I hope you stick around for 800 more 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deb, thank you. I had no idea how many posts I’d written until I glanced up to the top of my dashboard and I noticed I was at 799, so I figured I had to celebrate 800. You’ve been here 6 years? That’s wonderful.

      Like

    • Congrats on 800 (and is it now 801?)
      And I actually think I followed you a while back (maybe around the 300yh post – depending on how long it took you to reach 800)
      And I like how you wrote this post because it is what I feel exactly – blogging is for us and the community – oh and not sure of my posts but I do know I am almost to 20,000 comments –
      Whoa

      Liked by 1 person

      • prior, thank you. I would never have thought that I’d end up with 800+ posts to my name, but here I am and there it is, so I did. I like the sense of community that is part and parcel of personal blogging. You’ve got a lot of comments going on there. Good for you!

        Like

        • Well I assume half are mine as replies – and again – as we all know – numbers mean nada at times.
          Like someone might be proud of 100 posts if they wrote stuff they liked – and someone else has 500 and it was pictures and one per post- so we “weight”
          Things differently – right?
          And out of those comments I have – many are “nice” or are just emojis – ha – so it is not amount – right?
          Peace

          Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, thank you. I didn’t start out to be here this long, but the blog [and I] have evolved. Now it seems second nature to publish something here. Go figure.

      Like

  3. Yup! I just had my 300th. Weekly. Zealously. Obsessively is more like it.

    I’m so impressed you’re at 800. And so very glad I’ve discovered you, even late. I feel the same about the community we create — or to we simply uncover it?

    My congratulations

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    • Janet, 300 is nothing to sneeze at. That’s an impressive amount of posting that takes a goodly amount of zeal. I wonder if you’re right– we merely uncover a community that was waiting for us all the time? Meant to be.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Congrats on knocking off that milestone. I’m approaching that four-digit number, and it’s hard to believe. I follow so many people who have been generating good content for a good long time. I’m glad I found you, you do bring some fun to the table.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dan, you’re getting near 1,000! That’s incredible. Should I see that number on my dashboard I’ll probably be ready to give up. But no doubt you won’t and I’m glad of that. I agree, I’m happy that we found one another out here in the www.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Congratulations from a person who has published zero posts, but may get the itch to do so one day.

    “Fo’ shizzle?” So Snoop Beany Bean of you . . 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jill, thank you. Go to your Dashboard, then open the “At a Glance” tab. The number of published posts is there along with the number of comments you’ve received. I rarely look at this tab but I happened to do so and discovered… 800.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I had to go look and I’m at 1,210. I’ll be hitting 7 years in the next few weeks. Like you I evolved from something I though my blog would be to something that I find fun to do. I love the blog community. I know more about more of you than I do my neighbors (and I’m ok with that!). Congrats on #800! That’s nothing to sneeze at!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, you are rocking ye olde blogosphere! Congrats on posting so many interesting, albeit cat-centric, posts. 😜 I agree with you that my blog now is nothing like I thought it’d be when I started. And I agree that I know more about my virtual friends than any neighbor… whoever they might be.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, thanks! As a rule I’m not tuned into my blog numbers, but this one caught my eye. It was a big one and easy to remember, I guess. And now that I’ve mentioned it here I can get back to being my bad self. 😎

      Liked by 1 person

  9. It says I have 1750 exactly…. which is one of those non-round round numbers. Though a few of those are reblogs or reposts of some of my old stuff, so let’s say about 1700. That’s just quantity, though. Quality is another story. Your swizzlesticks and zinnias definitely make your 800 greater than my 1750….

    Liked by 1 person

    • evilsquirrel13, oh go ahead and give yourself credit for posting 1750 unique off-the-wall posts. Only you would think to disqualify some of your own posts because they were reblogged! I’m glad that swizzle sticks and zinnias have come my way, they make for good flapdoodle and twaddle. 🙄

      Like

  10. Bursting with pride on your awesome 800-post number. The only 8 in my number in 418. Like you, I blog to connect with others. God knows, I hope my writing skills have improved since 2013 when I began. Again, BRAVA!

    Liked by 1 person

    • marian, thanks for your support. It means a lot to me. I was surprised when I realized how much I’d written here. I started this blog in 2011, thinking I’d be here for a year or two. Guess I was wrong about that.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, thanks. I have to wonder if I’ll make it to 1,000 posts, LET ALONE 8,000! You dream big, girlfriend. I happened to notice the 800 number [located under the At a Glance tab] and thought that I’d write about it. I was surprised to realize how many posts I’ve done here. Suddenly I feel tired… 😴

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Congratulations! *sends electronic cake through computer*

    I don’t know how many posts I’ve written. Since I started in 2004, changed blogs a few times, then quit, then came back… Quien sabe?

    To 800 more!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I have posted 3,071 posts on SLTW since starting to blog in 2010. (Like Evil Squirrel noted, that quantity measure says nothing about the quality of postings.)

    Anyway . . . I am delighted that you asked me to check TODAY because . . . 713, 317, 371, 137, and all other permutations of those 3 digits are my “lucky numbers.” The fact that a zero made its way into the mix is no matter because 0 = nothing! 😀

    And . . . WRITE ON! I love swinging around here to watch the quirk in your quizzle. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • nancy, you’re prolific and have loyal followers because of it. Good job, my dear. I think I’ll wear out before I get anywhere near 3,000. 😐

      I’m delighted to know that my post guided your attention to your numbers. And lucky ones at that! Oh it’s a good day to be you. If you play the lottery and win big, you’ll let us know, right?

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Wow, I have no idea how many posts I’ve written. I suppose there is a way to find out. 🙂 My blog keeps me process and celebrate/vent over the experiences and emotions of my life. Writing is fun!

    Like

    • Margaret, I’d guess that you’d have published about a gazillion and five posts by now. You started ahead of me when I had a blog [elsewhere] in 2004… as you may remember. 😃

      Like

  18. Congratulations Ms. Bean!! Wooo! Now I have

    All (1,920) | Published (1,908) | Draft (1) | Private (11)

    Damn near 2000. I had no idea, but I always was a bit long winded. Maybe I’ll throw a ‘party’ when the number hits 2000, or I may not notice. I never did before.

    Question for YOU: How did you get an ‘ad-free’ blog? I want one and all….

    Liked by 1 person

    • Melanie, I don’t keep track of my numbers on this blog, but I happened to glance at the info and was surprised that I’d written 800 blog posts. And you’re near 2,000? You are prolific. I don’t know how you do it!

      This blog is a Business level blog on WP. Meaning I pay for the opportunity to not have ads + I get a few other features along with the price. To me it’s worth the cost. Since I started doing the blog this way, I’ve had more traffic to the blog.

      Like

    • Jan, I had no idea either. I happened to notice the number on my At a Glance tab and it got me thinking. Pretty much it got me thinking that I’ll just keep on keeping on– and see where it takes me.

      Like

  21. Yikes 800!!!! That is fantastic! So, I got curious and I’m not even half of that – 342, and around 666, 673 blocked spam. Flowers are pretty Ally Bean, in perfect harmony, like the # 800 –

    Liked by 1 person

    • Susan, I was surprised by the number, too. I don’t attend to my stats so when I saw 800 I was amazed. I just went to check and I have 16,587 blocked spam comments. You *win* on having the most spam comments. Congrats! 😉

      Like

    • Carol, I know! Once I realized that WP kept a record of how many posts I’d written, I was fascinated that I’d not noticed this before. When you find your number, will you share it?

      Like

  23. Hurrah! I went to look, just for you, and I have published 1190. That’s in a lil over five years, so yesss, blogging gooooood for meeeee, too! 🙂
    The amount of learning I get here, true education in our WordPress community, is enough to keep me comin back!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey, I agree about how I learn so much from fellow bloggers. My life would be empty without them, so onward I go with this blog.

      1190! You’ve been rocking the blogosphere, haven’t you? It’s interesting to remember what you’ve talked about– and in my case, what I’ve forgotten that I talked about. Such a thing… blogging.

      Like

  25. Congratulations! 800 is such a nice number 🙂

    I have no idea how many posts I have right now, nor do I know how many were deleted earlier this year when I purged almost everything older than 2016. I had made a decision that anything older than 2 years was irrelevant and therefore trashed it. Still not sure it was the best decision I ever made … but I still like the idea of a 2 year rule. ok – maybe 3 😉

    I love this community. I love the conversations, I love the stuff I learn, I love the laughs I get. I have no plan of stopping any time soon 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joanne, in earlier blogs I deleted old stuff on a regular basis. I either got rid of years or sometimes topics/categories that I no longer wanted to talk about. It was invigorating to let. it. go.

      On this blog, I’ve pretty much let it all ride. What I find interesting is to see which old posts the WP algorithm choses to plop at the bottom of a newly published one. I have that feature enabled here. I’m amazed to find some of things I’ve written then forgotten about.

      I love this community, too. The conversations make me think &/or laugh, and the insights into how other people live their lives keeps me feeling up-to-date and inspired. So happy that we found each other along the way.

      Like

    • Deborah, thanks. Somehow I hadn’t thought of this 800th post like that, but you’re right. As for 800 more posts… I rather doubt it. Someday, in some way, this blogging gig is going to end, but I appreciate your optimistic attitude.

      Like

  29. Congratulations on 800 posts! That’s truly amazing. I think fitting a blogging schedule into life is hard, and I admire anyone who can keep at it regularly. I’ve been blogging since 2011, but I have had to take many breaks, sometimes for months, so I am nowhere close to 800. Keep up the goodness!

    Like

    • Kate, why thank you! You flatter me. I don’t know how scheduled I’ve been while keeping this blog, but I’ve shown up often enough, I guess. The 800 number surprised me. I know that many of my commenters have numbers far greater than this, but I like the idea of celebrating a round number that’s not often the focus of celebrations! 😉

      Like

  30. I love the symbolism of those flowers. They’re two of my favourites.

    I’ve published 760 posts at the Dept. in the past 13 years; at my other blog (active from 2007-14), 1227 posts.

    It’s a little bit astonishing when you put some numbers to it all, isn’t it?

    Write On.

    Like

    • nance, I didn’t put those flowers together in that vase thinking I’d have something symbolic, but once I snapped the pic and looked up what the flowers meant, I was pleased. You’ve written loads. I’m impressed. And yes, astonishing it is. Keep on keeping on, and we’ll see what comes next.

      Like

  31. I never pay attention to that stuff. I only know it’s my blog anniversary because WordPress tells me when it comes up. And I checked how many posts I’ve written after you asked, and I’m at 707 and had no clue.

    Congrats on 800 posts! I’m so glad I found your blog.

    Like

    • Akilah, I’m not tuned into the numbers on this blog either. I happened to notice on my dashboard that I was at 799 meaning that the next post, this one, would be 800. I liked the idea of celebrating it, so I did.

      I’m glad that I found your blog, too. 707 is a goodly amount of blogging. Congrats to you!

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Congrats on 800! I had to look up mine, just because you challenged us, and according to WP I am at 733 published. Blogger shows 492 but I’m not sure about any of that since my Blogger automatically syncs to WP and I don’t think I’ve done that many on WP alone, although I did have a blog through Vistaprint when I first started. It is amazing the amount of things I’ve learned and like minded people I’ve “met” through blogging. It’s funny because when we first were on the “Internet” I made sure to tell the kids “Never” to talk to “strangers” online. LOL I expect cake for 1000 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, thanks for taking the time to check your blog post numbers. I agree, your numbers don’t make sense between Blogger & WP, but whatcha going do? While keeping a blog I’ve learned so much, too. And I’m grateful for it. I’m laughing here about your “don’t talk to strangers.” I think we all were like that at first. Now, I’m cautious, but able to feel comfortable online. I, also, want cake when I hit 1,000. Good idea.

      Liked by 2 people

  33. Congrats and cheers!
    I’d say you’re firmly blog embedded – but that brings up images of ticks to me and you’re nothing like them. (Oh, OK sometimes you tickle, but that’s the only similarity)
    We’re glad you’re here.
    Blog on (because we all want that cake at 1,000…some friends we are HAHA)

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, thank you. I was surprised to see this number, but once I wrapped my head around it, I decided it was a good thing. I want cake, too. Maybe even before 1,000… 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

  34. Congrats Ally! Of course I had to go & check mine as soon as I read this and, even over four sites, I’m nowhere near close to that figure. But I figure I’m only just starting to take the whole blogging thing seriously and to blog with any intent to a schedule. I shall keep on keeping on and look forward to you doing likewise for the next 800!

    Liked by 1 person

    • deb, I was surprised when I realized I was at #800. I don’t keep track of such things, but there it was. I used to post 3 or 4 times a week which bumps up your numbers lickity-split. I look forward to reading your posts now that you’ve decided to take blogging more seriously. Once you get into the groove of it, blogging can become second nature.

      Liked by 1 person

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