A Little A-Z Reflection and The Frugal Shrink

The A-Z Challenge is over and everything is back to normal. Right? Thanks to all the hosts and hosts of hosts that helped out, as well as, participating in the A-Z.
Once again, I wrote like a mad-woman for my posts, only this time, for The Ruralhood. I wrote 26 memories of one summer, The Waiting Summer. I mostly enjoyed it, well… now that it’s over.
Last year, my theme was Grim Tales from the Ruralhood where I used a Brothers' Grimm title and created my own short story for each day of the alphabet. I wanted to do something similar this year. However, my theme was tamer and more personal writing. BTW, my Grim Tales book is being looked over and should be back to me by the end of May. Then I’ll get with someone to help me prepare it to upload as an eBook. We’ll see if I can get it done by the end of summer.
This year for the A-Z, I fantasized about hitting all of the links, but once again my day job got in the way. J I loved meeting the new bloggers that came to my blog and those who returned to see what I’d written. Very flattering. I also appreciated my regular blogging friends who supported me.
If there is a negative, it’s that I visited over 700 blogs to get 55 new followers. But, thankfully, I would rather have readers comment than follow anyway, but, I like followers too. I ran into a couple of advertisement blogs (spam?), those who (I guess) decided not to participate after all and those who started, but didn’t finish. I say kudos to you all for starting it. I tried to comment on those. blogs to be supportive. 
I considered stopping the whole thing myself on week three. I even prayed once for God to please end the A-Z or April soon -- before, I lost my mind. What a waste of a prayer – huh? All in all, the A-Z went well at TheRuralhood.
However, I now have a fear of people named April.
One last thing about my posts at The Ruralhood. I’ve put a tab on the blog where I’m listing all twenty-six stories so it will be easy to access them. There won't be much editing at this point. And they're not all there, yet. Just saying.
Along time ago, my daughter started a blog and posted on how she lived frugally during her intern year and a couple of years past that. She was quite the coupon-er and sales hound. She was featured on a news station in Springfield, MO once for that very thing. And she used to speak to groups on how to get the best deals.
Even though she doesn’t have to be frugal any longer, she loves a good deal and is back to blogging here and there about it. The reason I’m talking about her blog is that this week (I think) she’s posting her interview with the daughters of Amy Dacyczyn’s. Who is that, you ask? In the1990s, Amy Dacyczyn’s produced a newsletter called The Tightwad Gazette.  She lived frugally and wrote about it. Then she put her ideas in book form -- later on. Anyhoo, my daughter thought it would be fun to see how her children turned out. The daughters agreed to be interviewed by my daughter. To give you some background, The Frugal Shrink has written an intro here.  After that, you can click on Newer Post or here for the next post, if you’re interested.
So are you still among the living after the A-Z? What did YOU get out of it? Do you remember the Tightwad Gazette? Do you like good deals?

Comments

Hi Teresa .. I loved your Waiting Summer tales - they made fun, interesting and memory jogging reading. I love the A-Z .. Arlee's little baby is such a brilliant concept.

You made 700 blogs - boy that's brilliant .. I have lots of catching up to do .. thankfully that list is around for the year ahead ..

I've popped over to TFS .. and look forward to the interviews .. I'm generally pretty frugal and make do - I remember my early days of distinct frugality!

Cheers Hilary

I thought you did another fantastic job for the challenge! I'm so glad you're putting your short stories into book form. :)

700 blogs...whew! That makes my mind boggle.

I think I remember reading the Tightwad Gazette! I'd have had a baby by then and was trying to be pretty frugal. Very cool!
JoJo said…
Well I enjoyed your blog posts! :) I visited over 600 blogs and only gained 15 followers. This year was kind of a bust for me, overall.
Pat Hatt said…
Yeah got a few new followers but numbers rarely matter to me any more, as comments are better anyway.
Hart Johnson said…
Holy COW! You got to 700 blogs? I bow to you! And your follow rate seems about what mine was--a little under 10% of what you visited.

I think your daughter's project sounds fabulous!
That's cool about your daughter!
Several people have noted a low percentage of return visits. Maybe we need to add that to the instructions next year.
Keep us posted on the book!
Arlee Bird said…
You did well with the Challenge posts. I enjoyed the ones I read, but unfortunately it was difficult to keep up with one blog's posts let alone the list. I think you had me beat on the number of blogs visited. Hitting all the links? I'd say that is a very tough one even for those of us without jobs

More tweaking of A to Z needs to be done no doubt. Someday we might get it absolutely right. But it's all a Challenge, right?

Keep us posted on the book. And don't forget about promoting an A to Z Book on the A to Z Blog if you have the book to promo.

Now off to check your daughter's links.

Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
John Wiswell said…
I expected a minority to reciprocate visits, so when I hit hundreds of blogs and only got dozens of comments, I was set. What I really wanted, and seem to have gotten lucky with, is finding people who wanted to talk and strike up friendships over our passions for the printed word. I'm glad you've found some of those as well.
Susan Kane said…
I have no idea how many blogsites I visited. I tried to check out ten a day, but I also went to the sites I follow or who follow me. It was demanding in that way.

I truly enjoyed discovering new people like you!
Suzanne said…
Hi, visiting from the reflections post :) My first year and I enjoyed blog-hopping and comments received - although by the last week I was glad it was nearing an end - I could not post every day permanently!
Suzanne @ Suzannes Tribe
cleemckenzie said…
I barely skimmed the surface on this one and it wasn't because I didn't try. There were just so many!

A fear of people named Alice is healthy and perfectly understandable.
Liz Mays said…
I completely remember The Tightwad Gazette. I bought it, and I'm thinking I have a follow-up book too? Or have I forgotten? Clearly I haven't looked at my bookshelf in far too long!

I hope you get your book back before long and get it going into ebook!
Mina Lobo said…
"However, I now have a fear of people named April."

HAH! :-D

Sharon Himsl said…
Have not heard of the Tightwad Gazette but sounds interesting. I'm quite a penny pincher myself. As for the A-Z, it was exhausting to say the least and life changing to say the most. The vastness of the blog community was the biggest surprise. As a new blogger, it changed my previously lukewarm attitude towards blogging and gave a kick start (which I needed) to finishing my novel.
Mary Aalgaard said…
Brava to you! Your writing is wonderful. I loved reading all about you and your memories. Glad you were there.
Mary Aalgaard said…
Oh, and Millie and Willie would love it if you'd drop by for coffee (And Cake, says Willie) soon!
Kristin said…
I remember the Tightwad Gazette and was living the lifestyle at the time. I will have to read the interview and see how her kids turned out.
Anonymous said…
It was a long hard month, but I loved taking part in it. As you said, by week three I was struggling. If it weren't for the day job it would be a breeze! I may be mad, but I know I'll be signing up for next year!

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