2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,200 times in 2010. That’s about 8 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 44 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 129 posts. There were 115 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 188mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was April 20th with 51 views. The most popular post that day was Collage Faces I Love.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were iheartfaces.blogspot.com, en.wordpress.com, diane-adventurebeforedementia.blogspot.com, stephensonfamilyofmuleshoe.blogspot.com, and Private networks.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for woman legs, sexy legs, cotton candy clouds so fluffy and white, nothing’s gonna change my world, and double crown hair.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Collage Faces I Love April 2010
6 comments

2

Welcome to My Southern Life July 2009
1 comment

3

Snuggle Time January 2010

4

Nothing’s Gonna Change My World April 2010
2 comments

5

What a McDonald Filet O’ Fish and Biggie Fries Can Mean! March 2010

We’re Moving

Because of the increased prices from WordPress for extra space and posting video, I have decided to take the plunge and move to Blogger. Hope you enjoy the new blog. It is up and running now.

Please be sure and change your Favorites and links on your blogs to reflect our new URL at:

http://my-southern-mint-juleps.blogspot.com

Thanks for your support, and may everyone have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Welcome Fox William

I checked out my best cyberspace buddy’s blog this morning, and it had happened. Their first grandchild was born yesterday, May 13, 2010. Meet Fox William, Grandma Diane and Grandpa Bill.

Don’t they look proud and like “real naturals?” Sure hope they don’t get me, but I had to show you this adorable little boy, Fox William. From the time I found out this little fella was due in May, I kept telling Diane it would be great if he shared a birthday with my second son, Nicholas Earl. Well guess what, he does. If he has the same sweet and loving personality as my sweet Nick, they will be truly blessed — and I bet he will too.

Congratulations Grandma Diane and Grandpa Bill! Remember, SPOIL, SPOIL AND SPOIL SOME MORE! Please check out the new grandparents’ blog, Adventure Before Dementia, and leave them a sweet message if you get a chance. You will not be sorry you did. Diane’s blog photography is absolutely stunning, and her stories about Australia amazing.

Just tell her Kathleen sent you.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Nicholas Earl too! He was the BIG 30!

Graduation ?

Well one of my grandchildren graduated. I am getting too old. My precious little Joey, my second grandchild, graduated from Kindergarden this week. He is the one in the middle with the navy pants. Isn’t he adorable? Grandma sure thinks so.

Celebrating Mom

 

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

I spotted this young mother sitting on a bench with her baby in the Cat Country area of the Memphis Zoo. The sweetness of her smile and tenderness in her body had me finding a moment of say “AH.” I love using my telephoto lens where I can catch such precious moments as this without disturbing the natural pose of mother and baby. I also love the Memphis Zoo for the beautiful and natural surroundings for these gorgeous animals, but I often find myself “people watching” as much as “animal watching.”

Memories Until I See You Again

Today is not only the two-week anniversary of the loss of my precious Mom, it is also Mother’s Day. So how does one exist when all their Mothers are gone. Yes, I did say “all” one’s Mothers! I was very blessed to have had three (really four) Mothers in my life. Of course, my biological Mom just passed away with the return of breast cancer in the liver and kidneys. Ladies, please remember to go for your mammograms — this is so important.

Mom and I at the Memphis Zoo. Yes, that skinny little girl is Kathleen.
No wonder I love the Memphis Zoo so much now.

Family History

Today Phillip stumbled across this photograph in The Commercial Appeal and remembered my family history. I will share more about my family’s historical cemetary later, but I had to share this tonight. What a treasure this is to me to FINALLY see Kate Bond who was related to my precious maternal grandmother’s family. There is a road in Bartlett named after her (as well as a school).

The resemblance between she and my grandmother is amazing! I know I would have loved her dearly since she loved flowers and animals. I also remember the flower shop in the Curb Market mentioned. It was there for many, many, many years. My grandfather and I would go there on Saturday to purchase the glades and other flowers for my grandmother to prepare a floral arrangement for our church the following Sunday. I had no idea it was owned by some of our family. Don’t you just love this photograph also. Thanks so much Phillip for finding this for me.

I have a graphic project I need to get done tonight for work, so more will come later when I have more time.

“Kate Bond, the daughter of William and Hallie Bond, was born in 1886 in Bartlett. Kate lived for many years in the 1883 homestead built by her parents at the southwest corner of Stage and Kate Bond roads. It was there that she grew her fields of flowers that she sold at the Curb Market in Memphis.” ~ The Commercial Appeal

Miss You So Much

Today has been a day of lots of rain, thunder, lightening and tornadoes – and knowing God has rained on my precious mother’s gravesite for the first time. Of course, I know she is in Heaven whole and pain-free, but it still hurts to think of the body I knew being out there (even in the casket and vault) in this weather. I must remember this body is but a shell now, and her spirit departed long ago.

One Last Smile for Grandma

This week’s theme at i heart faces is “Smiles.” Little did I know the day in March I took this photo with my Canon how special this photo would become to me and my precious Mackenzie.

This special smile is the only one I have of my precious granddaughter hugging my mother, her great-grandmother, for the last time. Shortly after they were here for Spring Break, we found out my mother had terminal liver and kidney cancer (the return of breast cancer) and was soon in a comatose state. Late tonight, April 25th, she passed away peacefully.

The Transition

As Phillip, my stepfather and I sat with my mother at the nursing home today, I noticed the changes the Big “C” has brought over her precious little body. The return of the breast cancer first took over her normal gentle manner while attacking her brain.

Others called this dementia, but I knew better. I have seen this process before. I watched my grandmother’s mind be taken over as the breast cancer metastasized in her brain little by little, until the comatose state set in. The same has occurred with my mom.

The breast cancer has now taken over her liver and caused the kidneys to shut down causing increased swelling in her little body. This frail little body with such thin arms from the lost of weight before, is now expanding and filling out with the accumulation of toxic fluids in her body. Her normally very pretty hands are now swollen and blue as well as the arms. They look like at any minute they could break open. I only pray the skin will keep expanding to accomodate this swelling.