By Lynn Green

HickTown Press is now a year old. And I must say that I’m still having fun blogging. I also am appreciative of my loyal readers. I have to be honest with you. When I consider that there are over 20 million blogs out there, it just warms my heart to know that I actually have folks who read what I have to say on a regular basis. Some have emailed me to say that they visit Hicktown several times per day! There are people emailing my articles to their friends. Some have me on their “favorites” list or in their RSS feed. I don’t take that lightly at all.

Another thing I love is that in spite of the fact that I have never received any national press, I am averaging over 10,000 visitors per month. Can you believe that? Within a four week time frame, over 10,000 people roll through here to read the contents. That’s an honor—especially given that it’s by word of mouth and Google searches, primarily. The readership is not via national press coverage. It’s all consistency of blogging and good content.

I am thankful to Sis. Yvette, who sends us terrific, spirit filled “meat” to chew on from time to time. She is a slow, deliberate writer. She never rushes, which means we may only receive a few articles from her per year, but they will be meaty enough to give us plenty to chew on!

Of course I’m thankful to Deputy Monica C., who has known me now for close to ten years and who supports me behind the scenes (she’s in college so she’s very busy—but she was this blog’s very first visitor). Monica does not have time to write articles but she has the authority to go in and deal with a troll if one ever slips in here. So she’s a behind the scenes deputy.

Deputy Diva has been a Godsend also. I’m not the type of blogger to post notes to my site telling my readers that I’ve been too busy or too sick or too stressed, etc. to blog. To me, that’s unprofessional and tacky. So when I had my surgery, I emailed Diva and asked her to help me out with the blogging. My thing is, surgery or not, HickTown should continue to move forward with or without the Sheriff! So Deputy just stepped in and really helped greatly while I was recovering. And she continues to post articles whenever she can. Thanks Deputy Diva! If you all check out her writing style, she uses the “Hicktown” way of writing. Notice that in many of my articles about rogue pastors for example, I’m very sarcastic. When Diva writes, she uses that same style. I love it!

Regarding other changes, this blog is published on an old version of Wordpress software. I’m in the process of having that upgraded to the most recent. I’m also going to have a few more bells and whistles added to the blog and the design will change slightly. And my designer made an interesting suggestion to me that I’ll keep under my hat for now, in case it does not work out.

I’ll keep you all updated. What it will mean is that once the updated blog is being uploaded to my server, the blog itself will go down for a few hours. I don’t know the day or hour yet but will keep you all posted as I get information. But it should happen the week of July 21st.

Oh, and be sure to listen to Nina Simone’s version of “Everything Must Change”.  Her voice will send chills through you!

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