Why blog? Z-A Challenge 4/10/22

Click here for more info on this challenge.

Ha!  One of the reasons I enjoy a blogging challenge is that it keeps me blogging.  Well I'm behind again on this one as this should have been posted by the 4th October.

Why blog?  

My cousin got me into blogging back in 2006.  I've been on various platforms but my first post here on Blogger was 12th August 2012.

Wow I missed my 10 year anniversary.  Surprising considering that blogging gives me a way of keeping a record of my life.  One of the main reasons I blog.  I also enjoy the interaction with other bloggers.  Not that I have a huge following but there are definitely some regular visitors who I consider virtual friends.

I like to think blogging stretches my intellectual capacity.  (Having lost my Mother to Alzheimer's my constant fear is that my brain will to mush if I don't keep it stimulated and exercised.)

That said you won't find a lot of deep and meaningful things here on this blog.  It also has its ups and downs.  Following a challenge does keep me posting more often but then when a challenge is over it's easy to let my posting dwindle for a bit.  Life circumstances also have a big effect on how regularly I post.

What I'm definitely not is a) a writer, in the sense of trying to become a published author and b) someone looking to make money out of blogging.

In a nutshell, I blog for me but I do appreciate people taking the time to read my posts.  Thank you for your support.  

Xenodochy in blogging - 3/10/22

Click here for more info on this challenge.

"Xenodochy in blogging" is the team's prompt for today.  Someone clearly went through the dictionary to find a good X word and no doubt most of us taking part will have had to resort to the dictionary to learn the meaning:

Reception of strangers/hospitality 

So applying that to blogging I like to think I'm receptive to strangers and hospitable.  I usually try and visit back anyone who comments on my blog.  Of course that's not always possible and the Blogger platform doesn't make it easy to get a thread going on comments.

However sometimes comments are just spam or trying to get you to visit sites that are really set up for commercial purposes.  Those will get deleted.

It can also be a bit tricky sometimes when the blog you visit holds no interest for you but I would still try and politely leave a comment to show I'd visited where possible.

I like to think I'm a hospitable person - my mantra for real visitors is "take me as you find me but I'll always put the kettle on or open a bottle of wine" even when I have my grumpy face on!

Yearning - 1/10/22

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This is my second post for this Z-A challenge and I'm using the team's prompt for Y which is Yearning.

Right now I am yearning for chocolate.  It's my downfall.  I made the mistake of ordering a box of Lindor chocolates with our shopping order that came yesterday and they are calling to me.

These ones.  Can you resist?  I am having great difficulty right now but I shall resist.

Now don't start thinking how good I am.  Well yes I am good but not when it comes to chocolate.  I've already had a Millionaire's slice today.  And this evening I had a Chocolate  Crunchy Cookies Magnum although in my defence for that it was a mini version not the full size one.

But of course this challenge started with the prompt Zero Excuses so I will continue to make no excuse for my lapses when it comes to eating chocolate but I will carry on yearning for the Lindor ones.  Well at least until tomorrow.  I'm off to bed now that I'm on track for this challenge.

Zero Excuses - 1/10/22

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Yes it's another A-Z challenge.  Less arduous (in theory) than the April challenge which involves posting everyday except Sundays, this challenge involves working backwards through the alphabet with only 2 posts a week required.  Following that timeframe will take participants up to December.  The fantastic A-Z team have even given us suggestions for prompts.  What could be easier?

Umm well as often is the case, I'm late to the party.  The first two posts were due by the 27th September.  The first prompt was Zero excuses so I'm not going to make any for my tardiness.

I'm not going to explain that I didn't read the A-Z post about the challenge on the day it was posted.

I'm not going to talk about having my Grandson Vinny for the day on Wednesday or how Thursday was spent shopping for our trip to Nottingham.

And the trip to Nottingham for our Grandson Miles's 2nd birthday is definitely not an excuse for being late to the party.  Although look at his beaming face.

Visit our Grandson v getting blog posts done - no contest.  Miles would win every time.

His brother Noah was pretty happy too.

Anyway I'm off the mark, out of the starting blocks, on my way.  I'm sure there will be other weeks when I'm not on schedule but as the prompt says, there will be Zero Excuses.