I spent April writing my way through the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge with Pointed Ponderings, and today I’m accepting the invitation to reflect on the journey. I started the year inordinately delighted to discover the word manicule. It refers to the image/symbol in the shape of a pointing hand. And there was the idea for my theme. I often say I like to keep my feet on the joy trail, and I thought it would be fun to use a pointing hand to direct attention to the things on my trail that delight me. Of course, since I’m a self-confessed word nerd, all the things I wrote about somehow related to an obscure, obsolete, or simply charming-to-me word.
It’s no secret I’m crazy about abecedariums and any excuse to create them (or read another’s) delights me. April is definitely a happy place for me for just that reason, and I had a fabulous time again this year. But it also somehow felt very different to me as well. There was a spaciousness about my experience this year that was a bit surprising, but certainly welcome. There were a couple of unexpected things, but rather than being thrown off, I actually relaxed into a state of further mellowness.
As has been my practice for the nine years I’ve been playing, I didn’t write my posts in advance. I did have my list of words ready, and I prepped my pointed finger pictures ahead of time, but the daily writing and allowing myself to be pulled in whatever direction the present moment called me to is always what delights me most.
I equally enjoyed visiting other blogs, although I’m genuinely disappointed I didn’t get to as many as I hoped. My original goal was to visit 10 new blogs a day, plus visit all my faves every day. I fell pretty short with that – I only managed to visit 153 different blogs, although I did manage to visit about a dozen of them daily. I also had a new-this-year plan regarding blogs which were serial stories – and unfortunately that turned out to be a big fail for me. My plan was to devote my weekends to those – so I could read a week’s worth of entries at a time. I thought – and still do – that it’s a brilliant plan, and would help me keep track of each story with greater clarity. But alas, half-way through the challenge I became ill, and I spent almost all my weekend time simply resting and recovering and getting my energy up for the next week. But thankfully – and I’m so appreciative of this – there’s always the Road Trip to remedy my visitation short-comings.
I surprisingly had almost no trouble this year with the mechanics of commenting, barring Disqus and Wix blogs, which I can neither figure out, nor wish to sign up just to comment. Sorry/not sorry about that.
As always, I was delighted with the assortment of intriguing things folks chose to write about. It amuses me to think of all the participating blogs as part of a wonderful Cabinet of Curiosities, offering all manner of interesting things to peek at and explore. Poetry, gemstones, folktales, get-to-know-one-another questions, java, food, travel, book reviews , and a kajillion things more – my mind explodes with all the captivating diversions.
I know here might be the perfect point to list some of my favorites, but I’m actually deliberately refraining from that. One of the things I love best about the challenge is how inspired I become. Someone’s topic, or something they say, or resources they share often sparks something in me. I jotted a bunch of notes, and am thinking I’m going to share those treasures and point you in the direction of some of my faves in upcoming posts. I feel pretty strongly that we shouldn’t stop sharing, engaging, and celebrating each other just because the challenge container is closed.
Indeed, one of my goals for this challenge was to be inspired to return to blogging on a more regular basis, as I’ve allowed my blog to languish over the past couple of years. And I certainly feel like that happened.
I’m offering a shout-out of genuine gratitude to the members of the A-to-Z team – kudos for all your work!
I’m grateful to everyone who stopped by during the challenge, whether once, or faithfully, or any permutation between. It’s always a joy to connect.
I unabashedly love April and the challenge and appreciate everyone who decides to play. I always feel as though I end the month at least a little exhausted and yet filled to the brim. My well of ideas and inspirations has multiplied, my reading and to-watch lists grew, and my brain has been filled with all manner of things I’ve never considered or possibly even knew about before. How does it get any better than that?
I enjoyed perusing your abecedariums this month, although I did not get to all of them…but road trip, as you say. Good job! One blog post a month is about all I can muster anymore and it makes me a little sad…maybe things will change…or not.
Time and energy feel so mysterious these days don’t they? In any case, thanks for reading my posts. I always look forward to yours, whenever they appear.
As always I greatly enjoyed reading your posts. The words you share with us are truly delightful and so intriguing. Some are just plain fun to say. I think the idea of reading the serial stories on the weekend is great and I may try that next year. It is so hard to manage to get out and visit when you are in the middle of the challenge, especially if you don’t have your own posts done in advance. I’ve got to find a way to do that next year. Congrats on finishing! Looking forward to more blogging from you.
Thanks Janet. I always think it’s a double delight when a word is fun to say. I imagine our tongues look forward to that. It also makes me smile that we’ve been at this for years, and we’re still figuring it all out. I like that!
Yay!
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
Yay indeed Beth.
It’s always delightful to learn new words and read your introspective take on them. I love the connections we make through language and also through blogging. I agree with the difficulty of commenting on some of those platforms!
I’m delighted with the connections as well Margaret. And thanks for you fathful commenting!
It was great to read your interesting and engaging posts. I know you put much thought into your writing so Im glad to hear you will continue.
Job well done!!!
My Reflection
Thnaks Leslie – and congrats to you as well!
I agree: at the end I’m always a little exhausted but feel filled; I also get new inspirations for creativity — whether blogging or elsewise — that help keep me energized in the coming months. 🙂
It’s pretty great isn’t it?!
I love that you achieved your goal of getting inspried and motivated to write – that’s fantastic!
If you don’t want to wait an entire year until A-Z 2023, let me know, there another challenge (daily posts) that takes place once a quarter, next time in July.
Oh how interesting Tamara – I might just be up for a July challenge.
Deborah, here’s the link to the challenge’s host, check it out:
https://ultimateblogchallenge.com/whats-next/?inf_contact_key=c1253ab9fd0b3697cab587dc4f9fcc24680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1
Thanks Tamara – I’ll certainly be checking it out!
Congrats on finishing the challenge! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. And I agree about having to sign up to something just to leave a comment 🙂
Ronel visiting for A-Z Challenge Reflections 2022
Congrats to you as well!
Congratulations on finishing this challenge 🙂 Truly exhausted after such an exciting month!
Congratulations to you as well. I think we all deserve a bit of a rest for sure.
Congratulations on completing the challenge! I agree with what you say, “..all the participating blogs as part of a wonderful Cabinet of Curiosities, offering all manner of interesting things to peek at and explore…” There is an awesome diversity of writing styles and themes. Its great to interact with bloggers around the world. All the best for your revived blogging!
Thanks Archana. I love how inspired April leaves me.
I’m sorry to hear you got sick and hope you’re feeling better now. Which makes it all the more impressive that you wrote your posts every day! I will definitely stop by from time to time and check out the inspiration and delight you’re offering the rest of the year.
Thanks Anne, on all counts!
I love learning new words! I enjoyed reading your reflections post!
Thanks Lisa. There’s something exciting about learning new words, isn’t there? I always feel a little pop, like my world has just expanded a little. And how fun is that?!
Manicule is a beautiful word, indeed! I love to learn new words, too. I definitely need to visit your blog. Congrats of finishing the challenge, and the amount of blogs you managed to visit is impressive! Kudos for that, too.
Thanks Hannelore. Congratulations to you for completing the challenge as well. And now that the April madness is behind us, I’ll be catching up with more visiting and commenting.
Howdy
I’m just trying to catch up with all the reflection posts and trying to hook with some people who I didn’t visit throughout the challenge. Congratulations, by they way. Like Tamara said, she is so familiar with other challenges, so hit her up if you don’t want to wait all year for another challenge. I tried last year but it just got to be too much. I love abecedariums also, but don’t do them often enough.
Cheers,
Reflections from A2Z 2022Barbie
Thanks for stopping by Barbie. I’m still working my way through Reflections posts. It seems I’m still trying to find a bit of balance after the craziness I experienced as April.
Love your storytelling, your inspiration and most especially your surprise mail that always arrives at JUST THE RIGHT TIME!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, FRIEND! And thanks for the kick in the behind to get back to the blogworld…it’s been awhile!
Thanks for your kind words Vicki. It’s always lovely to see your posts, whenever they might appear.
April was a blur for me! Like you, I did not visit as many blogs as intended, and even fewer as month’s-end drew near. I registered at the last minute, on a whim, tacking one more thing onto my busy to-do list, and frankly, I’m just glad to have hit all 26 days!
I enjoy being spontaneous, but I intend to be more set in advance for next year. Congratulations!
Congratulations to you as well Red. And no matter how any A-to-Z challenge turns out, hopefully we’ve all had fun doing it. But prepping in advance seems like an increasing brilliant idea. 🙂
Congratulations on finishing the challenge and I hope it has inspired you to do more blogging. I think many of us struggled to do as much visiting as we would have liked – I intended to have more posts prepared in advance but failed miserably so I felt like I was chasing my tail on many days. I find it hard to get invested in continuing stories during April – there are just not enough hours in the day lol.
LOL – I love the image of April as a month of chasing one’s tail. Guilty as imagined! 🙂