A is for abandoned. And, that's all this gal shall be writing for the 2016 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge . Life has taken a critical turn that disallows (such a word?) me to participate in this year's blogging challenge. Best wishes to all participants. To see the list of bloggers, click here .

When I was a young thing living in San Francisco a long time ago, I thought it would be fun, neat, and so very cool to be a street artist. Alas, I was no artist nor a crafter of pottery, jewelry, candles, hand sewn clothing, or other items that I thought I would like to make and sell.  Still, a young thing can dream. Okay, fantasize. Four decades later I am finally exploring that artsy-craftsy part of me.  Some of you already know I like to take photos. And, last year, I threw caution to the wind and illustrated my stories during the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. That was very scary. Drawing, that is. Here's an example of my new found artistry. Last week, I decided to doodle a daily calendar. Storybeader at Stroll Through Storyland planted the seed in my head when I read her post about calendars. Then, Tony, a photographer/artist friend from my young-thing days, shared a doodle page from his art journal on his blog . That clenched it for me. So, for now, I'm r

Today,  begins NaNoWriMo , which is short for National Novel Writing Month. Thousands of writers from all over the world commit themselves to completing a 50,000-word novel by the end of the month. That's about 1,666 words a day. That is not easy! Last year, I signed up to give a try. My enthusiasm lasted one day, which, for last year, was pretty good as I was feeling quite burnt out. I just didn't know it then. Once upon a time I wanted to write a Great American novel. Do I still? Dunno. I do have my unfinished novel, The Mystery of Sweet Fat's Ballroom , on my computer. The story takes place in both the present and in the mid-1930s. Lately, I think I should rewrite it. Keep the story in the 1930s, with flashbacks, if any, going back to the early 1900s. Okay, writing that got me excited. I might just go immerse myself in the past to get the imagination juices rolling. But, I know, for sure, I won't be writing 1,666 words today. So what got me thinking about Na

Ah, the Liebster Award. In the best Jackie Gleason voice doing a Scarlett O'Hara imitation that I can muster, I say, "How sweet it is!" Birgit of BB Creations ,  who I met during the 2014 Blogging from A to Z Challenge , nominated me for the Liebster Award. It is a virtual medal that bloggers present fellow bloggers as recognition for the enjoyment they receive reading the awardees' posts. That's my interpretation of the award. If you're interested in learning more about the Liebster Award, check out this post by Lorraine Reguly at Wording Well . Bloggers can choose to accept or reject the Liebster Award. I accept the award with much gratitude. Thank you very much, Birgit. Like the Oscar and most other awards, a blogger can be nominated several times over. I've been fortunate to be nominated twice. Yaay for me. So much for modesty on my part today. :-) The Rules for Accepting the Liebster Award According to Reguly , the rules vary for the

A few days ago, I met a professional photographer who told me that he never took photos between 10 AM to 4 PM because the lighting is bad then.  I left his gallery with "Never between 10 and 4" embedded in my brain, but still with disbelief. It being nearly 6 PM, I went crazy taking photos. Dang, if there wasn't a magical quality of light in the photos. I truly did not bank on it happening in my photos. So, what does that have to do with my evaluation about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April that I completed. Beats me. All I know is that I wanted to use the above photo for this post before I even wrote it. Maybe by the end of the post, the metaphor of taking photos will show itself. This was my second year doing the challenge. I found it more enjoyable than last year. One reason was that I did not link up both my blogs to the challenge, even though I post to the other blog, Take 25 to Hollister , every day. I chose to link up The View from the Top of t

Who doesn't like awards, especially when they are received unexpectedly? I do!  Last week, blogger Sarah of Sarah Who Reads Too Much surprised me with the One Lovely Blog Award. Whoo-hoo!   Thank you, Sarah, I appreciate the honor. The award does come with a wonderful catch. I must now play it forward and pass it on to up to 15 other bloggers, which according to past awardees are writers of blogs that I have recently discovered. (What's considered a recent discovery is up to me, since no one else is saying.) I'm continually finding new blogs to read, many from blog hops, linky parties, and memes in which I participate. The following are my picks of some of the many engaging blogs to which I subscribe. You may find one, several, or all blogs that appeal to you, dear gentle readers. Check 'em out! A Matter of Opinion Bungalow '56 Chaotically Me Crunchy Betty   Miranda Moments of Whimsy   Monterey Daily Photo My Life as a Domestic Nerd Naked Without Books Off on

I'm having fun checking out different blog hops and linky parties around the blogosphere. Today, I've hooked up with two new groups of bloggers.  One is PhotoHunt hosted by tnchick.com. This is my contribution to the pack of photo hunters. PhotoHunt has a weekly theme. "Colorful" is this week's theme. I took this photo at a local diner because of the colors. The second blog hop is called "Saturday Sharing," hosted by Say Anything...Cuz Censorship Sux. There, you link up your favorite post of the week.  Take a look, why don't ya, and maybe link your post, too.

I feel like giving you, dear readers, a break from me today and possibly tomorrow. And, maybe the day after and the day after that. We shall see. In the mean time, I'd like to introduce you to a few writers whose blogs I like to read regularly because of the fun and joy they bring in many different ways. Maybe you'll find their blogs part of your own regular reading routine. Enjoy! Arrmac's Blog . Arrmac is the husband. When he left the 9 to 5 world, he pursued his dream of being a cartoonist. He hasn't drawn in awhile. Not since he started writing career books with me. Hopefully, he'll feel moved again to go back to his drawing board. Until then, he writes about the creative inspiration behind each of his cartoons. It's a great blog, especially for aspiring cartoonists. Ed Pilolla .  Ed is a writer I met through the 2010 WordCount Blogathon, but I only recently began to find myself looking forward to reading his new offering daily. He is one kind of a poet. Yea