Celebrating 200 Blog Posts!

It's kind of hard to believe how long this little blog has been going. In the past I've tried to keep up with journals but have had minimal success. When I first started "Luke's Ponderings," it wasn't here on Blogger, but on WordPress. It did okay, but there were spurts where I wouldn't write for awhile and then I'd forget my password. Towards the end of that particular blog, I couldn't remember the password so I just decided to start a whole new blog on Blogger. And I am really happy I made the switch. Customizing a blog on Blogger turned out to be so much easier - so it ended up being a no-brainer. The old "Luke's Ponderings" is still on WordPress for those who may be interested in what I wrote prior to October 2006. At that time, I was pretty much new to the whole blogging experience, so please excuse the typos and lack of focus.

Now I'm 200 posts into this blog and I am having a lot of fun keeping up with this thing. Some weeks are a little tougher when I'm lacking motivation to write or am having a difficult time coming up with a topic. But if you think about it, there are thousands of topics in which to write. All you have to do is put on that thinking cap and voila - something to write! But I promise you this - I have no desire to quit writing altogether. After all, that is what I got my degree in college for. I feel that this is an extension of that. This helps to keep my mind refreshed with the writing process and as long as blog's continue to exist, my writing will continue.

For those who visit "Luke's Ponderings" often, you may have noticed a new look to the blog. Not only did I feel it was a time for a change, but it also helps to celebrate the 200 post occasion; if you will. And to make the blog look even more professional, I have incorporated a banner to the blog. Four pictures are included in the banner and I thought I would explain the importance of each of those pictures. Obviously there's American Idol. For three seasons now, I've discussed the contestant's performances here at "Luke's Ponderings." That will continue well into the future. It has been something very important for me to write about and its become identifiable with the blog, as well. Next is the Mackinac Bridge. This is significant because it's the link between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. I often discuss issues involving Michigan and the U.P., and the Mackinac Bridge is an iconic image for the state. The third picture in the banner is of the Tahquamenon Falls, located in Upper Michigan. Again, it's an iconic place in the U.P. - in fact, it's the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. It's a beautiful and scenic place, and it and the Mackinac Bridge are important scenic locations up here. Thus those two images explain why they are included in the banner since I often talk about U.P. and Michigan issues. And last but not least, a picture of musical notes. This is synonymous with music, which is often a subject I discuss, particularly in the "Songs I Dig" blog. Those pictures along with some nifty looking fonts and a well-stated "theme" wrap up my thoughts on the banner and the new look. I hope everyone likes the changes!

With that being said, "Luke's Ponderings" has undergone a great transformation in the last two in a half years. The blog's exposure on the web has gradually picked up and more people are noticing it each and every day. In my opinion, we have a long ways to go before it becomes one of the most elite blogs on the web - but I'm doing everything I can to get it noticed. And you can expect that I'll keep plugging away and writing when I can. I am also considering registering a domain name for the blog - as this is the web project I am most focused on and willing to continue for many years to come. So the changes here aren't finished just yet. I am always thinking of new ways to get the blog noticed, so you can be sure that "Luke's Ponderings" will be around for a long time to come.