Woohoo: 500 posts!

As you can see, I have spared no expense in celebrating my 500th post.

(Insert commercial break: you, too, can hire this balloon-bearing bear for your next 500th celebration.)

My sister made to 500 today as well (here's her blog site) but she didn't spring for the bear so her site is more cheesy than my celebration. Not everyone has elegant tastes, I guess. But since she was the one who urged me to start blogging, I have to dedicate this post to her. I know she'll be honored.

I started Sumballo in March of 2007, nervously placing my writing out for the world to see. Now, if you believe the hit map over on the sidebar, the world has strolled through. I've had hits from Australia, China, India, Africa, South America, and on. Nothing from Antartica yet but a blogger always needs new goals.

Based on the fact that my first posts (no, don't go look) now strike me as rather stilted and amateurish, I think my writing has improved - which was a main goal (well, after having the world stroll through....). But the best part is the new friends I've made in the process. I feel like I went to Malta with Angela, am praying over the elections along with Maxine and studying Solomon with Dana. There are many, many others as well who have touched my life. I've been changed by this blogging experiment.

These 500 posts have included book reviews, Bible studies, financial talks, and a few jokes. Since my sister's number-one post based on hits is her brilliant report on whether we swallow spiders while we sleep (we don't, they think), maybe I need to branch out in my posts.

And one more observation: my sister wrote 2 sentences on her 500th post while I have written a short book. Give a writer a keyboard and look what happens. Sometimes we get to 500 posts in a hurry!

I'll be marching on, with some new direction and changes. Thank you for your support!

I'll post the winner of the book basket later today (when I have time to get all those names logged into a random generator), and report back. You can now go forth in the glow of this elegant celebration.