This will be a swift celebration. I am not sure this type of self back slapping suits an English girl. And besides, I am used to a slap slightly lower down.
When I started this blog my aim was 36,000. I will not tell you why that number but I had my reasons. I know reaching a million hits has taken a while, twice I have abandoned my blog and twice I have returned to it. It appears we are destined to be together.
When I started this blog I had about a million things to learn and I was very lucky having such wonderful teachers. Mostly, of course, is Dev whose patience and wisdom taught me not just about writing but more importantly about life and love. When I screw up in any of these areas (as I often do) it is because I have forgotten to follow his advice.
I have had advice from Todd and Suzy from American Spanking Society who told me about the importance of pictures and other gems that I had not even considered. As you can see, I listened to them. And Bonnie and Hermione whose mentions at the start of my blog life came as such a shock and gave me the confidence to stride out a little more. And Erica, the beautiful, inspirational Erica who has such experiences that sometimes I am quite jealous and spend time imagining myself in her place, that she notices me and comes to say hello makes me feel like I have arrived in some special place.
There is Chross, of course. Anyone who has anything to do with blogging in out little world knows what a difference he makes. My father used to bring me a bar of chocolate on a Friday night, a small celebration at the end of the week. Chross has made Fridays feel like they did when I was a child. I try to pretend (a little) that I do not check Chross about twenty times on a Friday but I do. I want the treat, I want the feeling of approval and I love the effect he has on my figures- sheesh- can you imagine if he were a personal trainer? (geddit?)
There is Arianna whose kindness and support have been unquestioning and important. She comes to me when I am fed up, she is a selfless and talented woman whose grace under fire far surpasses my own.
And also people who not only comment but who have become friends. Scarlet, Alice, Kaki, Mindy, Paul and many others who are so wise and thoughtful and make writing a pleasure. Paul, the most dependable commenter, I know I can depend on him to notice what is happening and how I feel. And Scarlet, in particular who writes so beautifully that I steal her comments and make them into posts of their own. If she wrote a blog I would read it every day.
Finally, DJ Black whose encouragement (and eye for design) has been most affecting. I won’t say more because he is even more English about these things than I am.
Writing this blog has changed me but now that I try to look back and understand what has happened I realise that what has changed me really is the people I met along the way. I am the luckiest of women.
Thank you.
I am so very proud of you, little girl.
Thank you. Lots. x
Poppy, you write so beautifully and honestly. You truly deserve this celebration. We are very fortunate that you share so much of yourself on this blog. I love reading you here, dear friend.
Congrats!
Thank you, Mindy. You really are lovely and I appreciate your (very generous) support.
I feel there should be nibbles or something. I got wine in but did not think of nibbles.
Why am I not surprised?
– and a thank you for staying wiur blog throughout!
But the more reason of course, for some very sincere congratulations
Thank you!
Although I did stop twice I am glad I kept my space- it’s good to have your own pile- isn’t it?
Congratulations, Poppy! How wonderful and well deserved.
Bravo, Poppy! That first million is always the toughest.
All of us, bloggers and humans, stand upon the shoulders of those who preceded us. We can never pay them back. We can only pay forward by helping those who follow. Your blog and the wonderful community that has grown around it acccomplish precisely that.
Thank you for everything you write and all you do!
Hugs,
Bonnie
Hearty Congrats, Poppy!
I now do my Jimmy Durante impression for you:
“I got a MILLYUN of ‘em!! HA-cha-cha-cha-CHAAA!!”
Many congratulations on such an impressive milestone.
So, what’s the blogging equivalent of a birthday spanking: one smack per hit?
Congratulations on making the big one.
Prefectdt
Poppy, good morning.
X12 
and warm 
Congratulations, by all means pat yourself on the back, but if you are too English to do so, you have lots of friends who will do it for you, and some who will do it somewhat lower.
I am grateful that you continue to write, you add a sparkle to my life and so frequently a smile to my lips.
I wish you many more millions as you progress through life.
Paul.
Em, thank you! We should meet for a drink to celebrate- that should not be that hard to arrange.
Bonnie, your philosophy is kind an wise and I endeavour to follow it. Thank you for your support and help.
Dave, thank you and if I my I will take the chance to get a big wolfe hug. (then I will scuttle off and look up who Jimmy Durante is)
Abel, tee hee. Sometimes I think it might be that kind of price and I have been paying it off my whole life. I like that idea.
Prefectdt, thank you so much.
Paul, you are a delight, as ever. Thank you for being such a wonderful and dependable part of my blogging life. xxx
Poppy, you deserve every single reader who contributed to that one million. I love the spell you cast with your honesty and your words: you are a potion mistress, magic spills from your hands and the wind lifts it and it blows into all of our lives.
I know you are magic because are more than a writer: you are a conjurer. You conjure moods, desires, fantasies and true tales, you prepare a cauldron simmering with beautiful photos and laughter and the harder things that make us wonder and look deep inside. You charm, you magick, you incant, you use your wand to stir the air about us, to make us catch our breath.
You are a beautiful witchy woman, and a sorceress of writing slantwise, of seeing life from mulitple directions, balancing submission and surrender with independence and fire. You understand the complications of such wizardry, never being all one thing or all another, but always being who you are: enchanting. xo
Jolly well done, Poppy. (Is that English enough for you?)
Many of us made our first shy comments here because it felt such a warm and welcoming place, and with the quality of the writing it’s not at all surprising that you have reached a million.
Scarlet, I saw this about an hour ago and was so blown away I did not know what to say.
I think I shall keep it. I shall keep these words and use them as defence against the nasty things that crawl and try to make a girl sad.
You are talented and wonderful woman and I am grateful for your friendship.
Alice, hello my fellow Brit. Yes, that is English enough for me, it is spiffing. Thank you for that, long may I keep up the tradition and keep meeting lovely people like you.
Well, I was going to give you a hug, but I see you and Alice are shaking hands so nicely. I’ll just hug both of you, though, may I?
Sccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarlet, if that happens then people might see us expressing emotion in public and then where would we be?
One million! Congratulations. I am sorry I am a bit late. I am so happy for you, you certainly have surpassed your goal. Your writing touches the soul of the reader and I hope you continue.
I will be more bold than Scarlet and will just give you a big hug and skip the asking part.
We can make it a big group hug.
Here is a clip of Jimmy Durante, stop about halfway, it gets wierd.
Thank you, Kaki!
I am thrilled to hear from you
A big group hug? Really? oh Lord.
I will look at the clip this evening- I don’t know who he is but I think 7 am on Monday am is too early for Jimmy
xx
congratulation
I knew you could do it
DJ
Thank you!
And thank you for the help and support
Bravo, Poppy! Isn’t it a wonderful feeling? We’ve both made our millions in the same week.
Here’s to the next milestone, and I know you’ll get there first. Your blog ROCKS!
Hugs,
Hermione
Thank you!
We are both fabulous and your blog ROCKS too!
Congratulations Poppy!!! I pride myself on perfecting the art of being fashionably late, but I am afraid I did not get my timing right at all for this party — so sorry to be late with my congratulations. You will certainly go on to 2 million and then 3. I shall throw the party next time.
Thanks for all the insights, fantasies, words of encouragement, and for personifying this thing we do in such a beautiful, beguiling, witty, self-depracating way. You achieved your goal. I am certain that hundreds if not thousands of girls like you have read what you write and because of it felt a little less alone.
Ari
Congratulations! Your blog is a must read for me. I’ve been on vacation for the last week and am catching up reading all of it. You write beautifully.
Arianna, thank you so much and fret not, there is no such thing as late here. It would be utterly depressing if people only read my current post. I love the thought of what you wrote and I shall let it carry me through the day.
Lea, thank you very much and I do hope you had a wonderful vacation and that coming home made you feel warm and fuzzy.