Sgraffito decoration in Prague © Ricky Yates
During the coming week, on Thursday 4th February, this blog celebrates its seventh birthday. I published my first ever blog post here, on 4th February 2009, four-and-a-half months after we arrived in Prague on 19th September 2008.
With this one, there are now 342 posts on the blog. But I do have to confess that the past twelve months have been the least productive year of the blog’s existence, with only 37 new posts being added. The previous lowest total was 41 in 2011-12. However, if you go down the right-hand sidebar to ‘Archives’, and then click on ‘Select Month’, you will discover that I have published at least one blog post in every one of the eighty four months since February 2009 – no mean achievement!
I don’t normally go around blowing my own trumpet, but I do have to say that I am quite proud of the blog and having kept it going for seven years. In my time of blogging, I’ve seen several other blogs started, which have then died after two or three posts. Others, that have gone for a while longer, and then ground to a halt. I am determined that this isn’t going to happen to me, though I acknowledge that it nearly did in 2015, when I only managed to publish four posts in the three months of July, August and September.
Much as I enjoy writing the blog, I do find it quite time-consuming at times. I try to write in interesting but coherent English, with correct spelling and punctuation, and doing so takes time. And when I am stating facts or re-telling history, I also want to be sure that what I write is accurate and true, which means regular visits to my bookshelves & Wikipedia 🙂
Looking ahead, as my blog enters its eighth year, I am sure I will have plenty of things to continue blogging about. After Lent and Easter, I shall be in the UK for nearly two weeks, visiting family and friends and then attending this year’s ICS Chaplains Conference. I have three English-speaker – Czech weddings at which to officiate in 2016, which are always enjoyable as well as fascinating occasions. At the end of September, I will be in Warsaw for the 2016 Eastern Archdeaconry Synod. And at the end of July, there is another very important wedding too….
Likewise, I have not forgotten the promised post(s) about walking with Sybille, from Görlitz to Kamenz, along the first part of Der Ökumenische Pilgerweg in Germany, last August. This remains uppermost in my mind because I hope we will walk the next section, some time later this year. And I do have brewing, a post on the proposed ‘In/out referendum’ that the UK has been promised by David Cameron.
My thanks to all those of you who regularly visit and read my blog, especially the small number of faithful ones who also take the trouble to leave comments, rather than just clicking ‘like’ on the link posted on Facebook. Do join me in raising a glass to wish ‘Ricky Yates – an Anglican in Prague’, a happy seventh birthday!
And here I thought the cake was for A’s birthday. Happy Birthday to your blog!
Hi Grant from Dallas – the cake was definitely for Alex’s birthday. He was 90 last Wednesday whereas the blog is only 7 next Thursday. But thanks for being at worship last Sunday morning & for dropping by here & leaving a comment.
Many happy returns to your blog, Ricky, and congratulations for posting so regularly in the midst of your busy life. Your blog is 2 years older than mine, which like yours, has slowed down somewhat in 2015, but still continues. 🙂
Thank you Perpetua! And thank you for being one of my most faithful commenters too. Don’t stop blogging 🙂
Hi Ricky,
Congratulations on the blog’s seventh birthday and continued success with it. I look forward to each new post because you have a wonderful ability to involve your reader in the event or situation you are describing, to connect with them on a deeper level than the mere words themselves and to express your feelings and beliefs through the words and the great photographs you include each time. I’ve been a regular follower since 2011, having first discovered you while researching for a family visit to Prague in 2010 (your Slapy Dam post) and I am often drawn back to re-read your past posts. They’ve become ‘old friends’ to me.
Thank you for all the pleasure and information your blog has given me, it simply oozes your humanity and kind heartedness. God bless and best wishes for the next seven years.
Hi Sean,
Thank you again for your kind words & my apologies that it has taken me more than 24 hours to approve your comment & to reply. Please continue to visit & to comment in the year ahead & beyond 🙂
Congratulations ! And thank you for taking the time to keep the blog running.
I also recall your mentioning of a book you were writing some time ago (half a year maybe?). How has that progressed? 🙂
Thanks Peter – Unfortunately, despite promises made last year, the book is still a work in progress, though I have added to the text in recent days. When it is complete & published, you can be assured that it will be advertised here!
Hi Ricky! I have already spent an hour or two reading your blog, and I realized immediately that what I’m reading is something worth coming back to over and over again. I’ve never been to Prague before, nor any part of Europe, but your stories convince me that I should (I MUST) start saving and see the places you’ve mentioned here.
Happy birthday to your blog. It’s definitely something to be proud of. 7 years! 🙂 Continue blogging, because you definitely tell good stories!
Hi Janey,
Thank you for visiting & for the blog birthday best wishes! With 342 posts, there is plenty to read 🙂 Glad to know you enjoyed it.
Happy #7! Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Stephen!
Happy “blogiversary”, Ricky! That is a great achievement to keep a writing project such as this one going for this long… it is such a shame when some blogs slowly peter out to nothing, even though I totally understand… it is tough to keep thinking of things to post about especially after you’ve now lived in one place for a long time. Looking forward to keep following along in the eighth year!
Thank you Cynthia! Thank you too, for being both a regular visitor & commenter here in more recent times.
I concur entirely that it’s sad when a good blog dies. I certainly don’t lack things to blog about, despite having now lived in the CR for almost seven & a half years. It is just finding the time and concentration span to put together a coherent post, that I sometimes struggle with. Please do keep following – it is very much appreciated by me 🙂
Hello Ricky,
Well done, you! Seven years is quite the commitment! While I do fall behind on reading your blog when things get very busy, I eventually read every single one of your posts and always enjoy them/learn from them. Once in a while, your blog will come up in my search engine when I’m researching something about our environs; that’s an accomplishment on your part.
I agree that the hardest part of keeping a blog running is finding the time to write quality content. The ideas are always there – just not always the minutes. Anyhow, keep up the marvelous work and take care!
Hello Em,
Thank you for visiting & commenting once again – it’s much appreciated.
Yes – several of my past posts rank quite highly in Google, for the topic I’ve covered, usually because hardly anyone else has written about it 😀 I discover which are the most popular through using Google Analytics, which amongst other things, shows the most popular landing pages.
I concur completely with what you say in your last paragraph & many thanks for the good wishes.