Flowers enliven my back porch as Spring and Summer come together. I am keeping them alive!
I have had a very productive blogging week. I published every day this week.
Here are my posts:
- Five Minute Friday: World Reaching
- Superbells Lemon Slice : Wordless Wednesday
- Pray for Nepal (My most important post of the week. Please read, comment and share across your social media.)
- Lessons From Untangled (Great book. I highly recommend it. I really enjoyed writing this review.)
- 10 Things Thankful, Fast (I made it by the skin of my teeth and published at 12:01 a.m. Monday.)
- Literacy Musing Mondays, Week 20 (I am proud of this linkup with my two co-hosts. It keeps growing each week, and we have wonderful bloggers linking up book-related giveaways and fun literacy activities. If you are looking for a good read, be sure to check out this blog hop. If you haven’t joined yet, I hope you will consider it. We welcome all family-friendly posts.)
I have joined some challenges this week including Natalie Sisson’s 15 Day Blogging Challenge. This challenge is more for small business or entrepreneurs. I am not trying to build a brand or sale a product. I can’t even travel the world. My goal is to increase my audience so I can reach more people and travel the world virtually. I also signed up for Paige Taylor’s free Blog Smarter Course for Freelancer Writers.
Day 1 of the 15 Day Challenge is almost over. The goal was to establish some MIA’s. As Natalie stated MIA in this context does not mean Missing in Action. Instead the acronym stands for Most Important Actions.
I completed my first one that I mentioned in my Five Minute Friday post. I shed my blog of all the product review widgets. Gone are the Brand Ambassador and Linqia buttons on my main sidebar. Product reviews are not bad things. Many bloggers are able to work full-time and take care of their families completing product reviews. I actually enjoyed recycling unused period pads with Poise. I had a lot of clicks and made very little money. What I enjoyed about it the most was the creative challenge. I wanted to make my click quota but did not.
The only product-related items in my sidebar feature Amazon. I review books so I will keep trying to make money as an affiliate. I haven’t made anything yet, but I hope to someday. The only reason I even want to make money is I hoping that I can sale some of my writing so that I can pay for my blog fees and attend a blog/writing conference in the future.
What I have learned is that focusing on strict monetizing of my blog is not for me. I want to write inspirational posts that move people and inspire them. I want to create poetry and creative non-fiction that incite soul-searching and deep thinking. I know this is a tall order.
Where do I want to go with my writing and how do I develop a list of doable MIAs. First, I want to build my readership of this blog. I think this goal is going to require returning to my roots but more on that later.
Now on to my Thankful Things. I am thankful that I am dreaming and planning again about writing that influences and impacts people.
I am thankful that my husband is doing better after his recent health scare. He had an artery that was 85 percent blocked in his left leg and had to have a stint. The doctors caught it before any damage was done. If you want to read more about his surgery and our time in the hospital read here.
As a family, we have developed a list of MIAs. First both my husband and I are going to continue our quest for health. We start by working on my weight loss and his cessation of his nasty smoking habit. We need prayer that we reach these Most Important Actions for our lives.
I put a beautiful picture at the top because I am thankful for the color and beauty on my back porch.
So I will close with a photo essay of flowers. 🙂
I hope your life is filled to the brim with a harvest of love, faith, family, happiness, and thankfulness!
Your hosts
Also joining these hops:
Check out my Linkup Parties page for more incredible blog hops to join!
Thank you so much for taking my challenge and also for staying true to the purpose of your blog and making others happy through inspirational posts and these beautiful flower photos!
Looks like you already have a great audience that’s engaged in what you do and share.
Natalie Sisson recently posted…[170] How to Get Paid to Be Your Creative Self With Stephanie Halligan
So love those flower photos!
Jennifer Hall recently posted…Bullshit vs. Gratitude
What beautiful flowers. So sorry to hear about your husband, but it is wonderful that they were able to catch it early and that he is on the mend.
Here’s to another productive week!
My, you have been busy! But it sounds as if you are having some good thoughts and making some good plans. Beautiful flowers!
Sarah recently posted…TToT82: NOLA!
I’m glad you’ve had such a great writing week! I’ve done the complete opposite 🙂
Modern medicine is certainly a wonderful thing, isn’t it? (Although today’s procedures will seem archaic one of these days.) My mom had 90% blockage in her carotid artery 10 years ago and received a stent, and she hasn’t had a moment’s trouble since then. I hope this scare serves as the catalyst to help your husband quit smoking
Dyanne @ I Want Backsies recently posted…Thankful For Bladder Control And Other Mundane Stuff
excellent photos
hey! if, in your health quest, you find yourself walking (for exercise and such) come join us at ‘the 2 Mile Run’! (don’t let the name put you off, we all do two miles but the ‘Run’? I thought of naming it ‘the 2 Mile Traverse’ but that would be weird.) it’s not about running its about sharing the good and the bad of exercise.
good luck!
clark recently posted…TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- “…dispose the Day.”*
Ahhh I hope your husband heals quickly and that the efforts you’re both making to be healthier really pay off.
Your garden is BEAUTIFUL. Those flower pics are incredible 🙂
Considerer recently posted…Ten Things of Thankful 104 – #10Thankful
I’ll keep you and your husband in my prayers, that you will be able to reach your health goals.
Kristi recently posted…TToT: Rain, Running, Rest
Wow good for you!! That is amazing that you did all that writing in a week!! Are your finger tips on fire?!
I’m glad to hear that your husband is doing better. I can’t even imagine how scary that must’ve been.
Your flowers are so beautiful. Thank you for sharing them. I absolutely love gardening. It’s my favourite thing to do in the summer.
Kimberly recently posted…After The Rain
Hi, I sometimes blog with a microphone, speech to text. I thought about just doing podcasts, but I hate the sound of my voice and my presentation skills are awful.
Mary Hill recently posted…Literacy Musing Mondays, Week 21
Your flowers are lovely! I love to flower garden and enjoy it when others share bits of their gardens.
I also use Amazon for links to make a little money but haven’t made a cent yet either! : ) Oh well, I enjoy writing and don’t blog for the money. I’d probably just buy more books anyway!
Great job on all your posts this week. Thanks for offering the Monday link-up each week too! : )
Cathy recently posted…What did Jesus mean by ‘the world?’
Hi, everyone. Thanks for the wonderful comments. I will be free this evening and plan to visit everyone’s blogs and repay the kindness. I am so excited to see all the wonderful things that you all have said!
Mary Hill recently posted…MIAs, Flowers, and Thankfulness
Dahlias are one of my favorites, and I love the colors of yours!
Vanessa D. recently posted…Ten Things of Thankful – June 12
I recently went to a small blogging conference where I heard two women who monetize their blogs speak. It was fascinating. I have no desire to do it, as the skills necessary are not ones I possess, but wow.
I will pray for you and your husband to reach those goals.
So glad the doctors found the blockage and that they could do something to fix it!
christine recently posted…New Experiences, Hollow Legs, Taking Breaks, TToT Week 104
OH! And your flowers are so pretty! Thank you for the bit of brightness this morning!
christine recently posted…New Experiences, Hollow Legs, Taking Breaks, TToT Week 104
Beautiful flowers always lift the spirit. Good luck to you and your husband in your personal Most Important Actions.
I dont think I could go the monetizing route. I think it would be less enjoyable to me… On a totally different note… Your blog is gorgeous! I love the header! And your photos this week are awesome! The cue will go out tomorrow for six sentence stories if youre interested!
ivy recently posted…TToT
Now I love your acronym, “Most Important things”.
I love your personal evaluation and the fact you are sharing it too. I have learnt a lot from your writing.
It is important to identify what works for us, what we love doing that not only makes us happy but blesses those around us, in this case our readers.
Giant steps you are making and I pray all goes well and you find fulfillment in your new areas.
Thank God your husband is fine now!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend hope to continue reading your experiences.
IFEOMA SAMUEL recently posted…Exclusive Interview with Sheila Hollinghead (Part Two)
I had some dealings with flowers this week. I was meeting a friend’s baby girl for the first time this week and wanted to have fresh flowers out when they arrived. I am unable to see colours anymore so I relied on my mother to take care of that. She is a lover of all things that grow, smell fragrant, and brighten things up. I miss seeing the colours of flowers, but I can still smell them.
Writing is more important than making money. I know that isn’t a very practical thing to say, but I still believe it to my core.
Nice job.
Kerry recently posted…Into The West: RIP Sir Christopher Lee
WOW what a productive writing week! Good for you!
Your flower photos are absolutely gorgeous – I especially like that first one.
Prayers and best wishes for success for you and your husband as you move forward in your quests. 🙂
Oh, and I loved the invite to the literary musings on Monday. I am still picking so slowly through visiting the other posts – but I’ll get there! Really thanks again for the invite!
Wow! You certainly did have a productive writing/blogging week! I know how much work goes into posts, so that’s very impressive that you were able to get so many done this week. Great job! Our blogging ambitions are somewhat similar. I do Blogitudes with the hope of uplifting and inspiring others, as well as entertaining them with some humor from time to time. I have yet to try and make any money doing it. For now, I simply enjoy doing it and am trying to establish myself as a writer. Maybe down the road I’ll aim for more – not quite sure. I wish you and your husband well with your MIAs. They’re excellent goals and certainly doable with work and persistence. And I love your flower tour! Gorgeous pictures! 🙂
Marcia @ Blogitudes recently posted…Things of Thankfulness No. 4