Monday, May 01, 2017

2017 A-Z recap

April has come and gone and I completed the A-Z challenge again.   I placed the survivor badge on the side, but I don’t feel so much as a survivor as just being glad that I am done with the challenge.It was enjoyable to explore the mythology stories of the stars (along with an elementary amount of astronomy).  I tried to check out several different blogs each day, to see what other people were exploring.  I was amazed at the talent of the bloggers and a variety of themes.  I learned about a lot of new places on the world, picked up tidbits about reading, writing and editing, and gain inspiration and helpful hints of having a good life.  I also enjoyed getting to know more people in blogland.  There are four blogs that I would like to highlight.  These bloggers blew me away by their research:   

  • Sara C Snider wrote about magic and medicinal uses of herbs.  At first I was skeptical, as I hold about as much regard for magic as I do for using the zodiac for understanding life, but the post was fascinating and helpful.  
  • C. D. Gallant-King told us about weird and interesting facts about Canada.  He reminded me again of why I like that country so much.   
  • Tamara Narayan wrote about various conspiracy theories.  Although I knew there are a lot of paranoid people out there, I may have under estimated the numbers of such people. 
  • And from the other side of the world, Heidi from Australia also wrote about astronomy.  However, she took a more serious tack than me.  If you didn’t get enough science and math and heard too much of Jupiter’s sex life in my blog, check out her posts.  


A bit about my sources...  I have several star guides at home along with a neat sky app on my iPad.  On the app, if you click on constellations or stars, it will give you more information.  I also found some information online from Wikipedia, Space.com, and Constellation Guide.   And then there is a favorite book that was most used during the month, Julius D. W. Staal’s The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars (Blacksburg, VA: MaDonald & Woodward Publishing, 1988). 


Next year…  I decided just a few days before April to join the challenge, but about half way through the month I found myself pondering what topic I might want to explore next April.  Right now I’m thinking that it might be ghost towns in Nevada, but we’ll see…  

Thanks to everyone who made the challenge enjoyable!  

26 comments:

  1. Whoa! Are there that many ghost towns in one state?

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    1. I did a quick survey and can cover 23 of the letters with a ghost town in Nevada (missing K, X, Y, and Z), which I could pick up via some other ways like using Z for Pioche which had it's second run as a zinc mine or maybe about a famous mine like Y for Yellow Jacket...

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  2. I always like finding new blogs, so I'm going to click through on a couple you've mentioned and I haven't visited before. You're already thinking about 2018s challenge? I'm impressed. Congrats on going from A to Z this year.

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  3. Congrats on finishing the challenge! I love ghost towns, so I’d like a whole month of Nevada ghost towns. R is for Rhyolite, right? That’s one of my favorites.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Rhyolite is a one (there's a few more "R's", too). Love the bottle house and the old train station.

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  4. This A-Z challenge looks fun. I might have to actually join in next year...it was already halfway through this time when I thought about joining it! Thanks for stopping by my blog this weekend!

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  5. Congrats! I don't think I would have the stamina or discipline to accomplish what you did -- at least not before I retire.

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  6. Oh my your ghost towns in Nevada area is very interesting to me, I even have a huge book about them (and a few other states) but I looked up a couple of them the last time I was in Las Vegas. Between work and life I've missed some of your incredible posts, but the good thing is I can go back and check them out yet! Thanks for sharing your top four favorite researchers and I'm going to check one of them out right now! (Lambert Florin's Ghost Towns of the West) is that title.

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  7. This is a fun challenge and it's great that it's open to each blogger's interpretation. You've listed some interesting ones. If I could come up with a good topic, I'd join in next year, but I do well to just keep up with the reading challenges I take on. And real life!

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  8. Great job with the A-Z challenge this year. I learned a great deal from your posts.

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  9. Hi Sage - well done on completing the A-Z and for mentioning four other bloggers - I will look in on the two I don't know ...

    I think once one gets into the A-Z ... it simmers away for the other 11 months ... sounds an interesting topic ... cheers Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/we-are-world-in-darkness-be-light-2.html

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  10. I enjoyed your theme this year and love the idea of ghost towns for next.

    Nancy
    http://www.filledtoempty.com/

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  11. What a neat and rewarding challenge this seems to have been. And thanks for the new reading! I'll definitely check out those blogs.

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  12. Great theme. Can't wait for the one next year.

    Greetings from London.

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  13. I am impressed that you not only finished (amazing)- but that you decided to join shortly before it started! Wow! I would definitely have to get some posts done ahead of time to participate. Ghost towns would be fascinating. :)
    ~Jess

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  14. I think the only way I could tackle the A to Z Challenge would be to write it well ahead. I'm amazed at all the research and work you did in April. Your theme for next year sounds interesting. I'm sure there are a lot of strange and eerie places is Nevada.

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  15. Congratulations on completing the challenge! And thanks for the links, I might have missed those other bloggers' posts!

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  16. Well done! I enjoyed your posts.

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  17. Nice reflection. I haven't read all your posts; it's impossible to read every post that might interest us during the challenge! So I want also thank you for your visits ans comments on my blog.
    -----
    Eva - Mail Adventures

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  18. I came to your blog a bit late in the challenge but really enjoyed your easy style of writing (combining mythology with astronomical facts).
    Thank you and congratulations.
    Reflection Post

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  19. Ghost towns in Nevada--that sounds like a good topic. I mentioned one of those ghost towns in my 2016 A to Z series on "Manhattan" and I could see then that covering more of these towns would be very interesting.

    Glad you made it for 2017. You are so right about the diversity of subject matter and the great writing throughout the blogs of the A to Z participants. I'm always a bit dazzled with the talent that is displayed each year in the A to Z Challenge.

    Thanks for reflecting for us and most of all thank you for participating.


    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  20. Congratulations for finishing the challenge. One of these years, I just might take part in it.

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  21. Congrats on completing the challenge. I quite enjoyed reading about Jupiter's sex life hehe. Thanks for the shout out, too! I'm really glad you enjoyed the posts. :)

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