2022 A to Z April Challenge “Reflection”… Oh What Fun I’ve Had

I tried my darndest to blog hop more during the blog… and it was hard… but such fun in discovering many new blogs. Sorry if I missed you, but I didn’t keep up with all that I stopped on! Some blogs were ones I’ve known from previous years… but many are new ones I discovered this year that caught my interest. Some blogs I found had no “like” button to click… while some even required me to sign in… in order to even click a like or comment… those tend to send me in a tizzy… as my passwords are not on the tip of my tongue. I’m so tired of keeping up with passwords… if you have a better way, do let me know!

The one post on my page, “The Early Portable Potty: The Slop Jar” (2016), was a post I didn’t include in my April “time traveling”, but maybe I should have as it’s always viewed daily… and that puzzles me! What is the attraction that warrants all those daily views?

A Few Fun Facts…

• My April 1st post of the A to Z received 100 visitors, 9 likes, and 18 comments on the first day.
• The day receiving the most views was on April 4th, Letter C... 183 views.
• The day receiving the least views of “36”, was on April 23rd, Letter T… The Mistakes Made in Not Asking… it was a new post I wrote.
• Countries viewing on April 1st was.. United States (148views), Australia (9), India (8), United Kingdom (3), United Arab Emirates (1), France (1), Denmark (1), and Phillippines (1). I enjoy looking at the countries who visit… and always wonder how they found me?
• There were 35 countries who visited, besides the United States.
• April 7th touched me deeply when I saw 11 views from Ukraine. In all their turmoil at the moment, 11 people viewed my post of Letter G to read… and hopefully for a short time, it took their mind off of what was going on in their lives; I would so love to have contact with them, but sadly they never returned; I contiued thinking about them daily, wondering how they found me, and were they ok? Prayers they are safe and sound, and out of Ukraine at this time!
• My furtherest away readers were in Australia… 10,667 miles from my Connecticut home.
• This (2022) April, I had 2,153 view for the month. 2021 had 2,478, while 2020 was at 2,674… seems that views have dwindled down somewhat over the past few years.

New Blogs that caught my eye… in no particular order

• Marquessa Matthews: Her theme, “Letters to my Dad” is based on recollections and thoughts about her dad in the aftermath of losing him recently. A very touching read!
• lessbeatenpaths I always enjoy the “odd” city names and odd attractions when I travel.
• The Quiet Writer: An A to Z of all about Bridges… always something new to learn.
• The Sound of One Hand Typing: A mixed bag of writings
• Crackerberries: Personal musings and journaling
• Antique and Vintage Clocks A site on Vintage clocks… as a lover of cuckoo clocks, his site caught my eye in learning about other clocks.
• Vintage Daze – Pieces of the Past: stories sparked from vintage items found in antique stores
• TrishaFaye Sharing ‘Behind the Scene’ moments of her writing journey
• Backsies is What there is not Rememberances on foods in growing up
• Outside Perception: no theme… but I quite enjoyed the words chosen to write on.
• Zombie Flamingos: a blog about nothing, and anything… the blog name certainly caught my eye! I’ve enjoyed his topic on I-Phone photo apps. I can’t wait to try them out.

My favorite “oldies” from past A to Z’s… and most I’ve stay in contact with during the year… and always on the A to Z…

Stories Served around the tableAnne’s : Such fun memories this year in the questions “asking the grands”. And do check out her books she’s written on young sisters growing up in the tenaments of New York. I’m a slow reader… mind wanders… but they are holding my interest and I’m quite picturing Margaret and Lily as they bake the daily bread in Mr. & Mrs. Goldberg’s bakery; I’ve finished book one… now onto book two.

Janet’s Smiles I’ve been keeping up with Janet a few years now since we’ve met… always look forward to her posts. This year she entertained me with “date night” ideas.

Cassmob… Family History across the seas: I always enjoy history, and learned much on her history from “down under” and travels across the globe… definetly a world traveler!

The Curry Apple Orchard: Remembering the past and celebrating the future… interesting posts.

Anne’s Family History: An online research journal of her family history.

Finding Eliza: Family stories remembered in using the 1950’s census. I was so excited that the 1950 has arrived for us to research… but I was bummed in having to wait in diving in, until the A to Z ends.

For anyone who didn’t join in this year… hope to see you next year. It is somewhat intimidating to begin, but once you join, you’ll be back the following year… and better prepared! I did find my first year quite hectic to keep up with, but it’s all about “preperation”. I find myself thinking all year as to a “theme”… as I firmly believe for me it works the best… and I’m already scribbling notes for theme ideas for 2023!

Cogratulations on all who finished… and a big “Thank You” to all who took the time to stop in on my A to Z Time Traveling through my blog. I’ll be back next year… it’s like a family reunion of sorts… something you just look forward to attending every year… and must attend!

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Previous Years A to Z April Challenges…

2016: A to Z Southern Foods and Memories… they said write what you know… and being a girl born in the South… well this was what I knew.
2017: A to Z Conversations with Mama… it was a somewhat easy one for me to write as I’d journaled our conversations for years… I researched favorite topics to write.
2018: A to Z All About Nancy Drew… this one has been my favorite topic so far, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come up with another one to equal it
2019: A to Z Italian Famiglia Foods and Memories… I felt it was time to finally write the favorites of my husbands family foods.
2020: A to Z Family Stories… writing the stories of my husband’s family.
2021: A to Z of Mama in Photos... blogging on my mother through photos and memories.

To read more 2022: A to Z April Challenge… click HERE.

Click for more … Family Stories

© 2022, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

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