Weekly Smile #WeeklySmile
Blogging this year has been odd for me. Near the beginning of July I missed a day, which isn’t unusual, but then I didn’t miss any more for the rest of that month. I didn’t miss any days in August either. And then came September and I didn’t miss any days. In fact, most weeks I had at least one day with multiple posts. I had been thinking of a slowdown, but couldn’t think of how to schedule it in. Sunday I put up my Smile reminder shortly before going to bed, which is very late for me. And then Monday, I missed a day. I figured I’d do a poem Tuesday. I can sit down at any given time and write a poem, even if just a Haiku or something. But I didn’t have a spare minute, so no poem. No poem, no post. I missed two days in a row, so my blogging break officially began!
Of course blogging is as much about reading and communication as writing. I have been doing more reading off line, so I’ve read very little on the blogs since Friday. I’m not sure if I read more than a handful of posts Sunday, Monday and Tuesday combined. I didn’t have time. There are days I spend 4 hours reading blogs. And 9 hours work, plus over an hour of travel to and from work, plus exercise every day, plus take care of the dogs, plus cooking, plus…. there are not enough hours in the day I have been frazzled. I don’t expect anybody to read my blog so I know they don’t expect me to read theirs, but for some reason I sometimes feel I have to. Usually I enjoy it, but sometimes it becomes a chore.
Lately it has been a chore.
If I quit work, gave up blogging and did nothing except work on artistic projects I have already started I could go 11 hours a day until the end of the year and not finish them. That’s the ones I’ve started, not the ones I have in mind. Working, spending 4 hours on the blogs, doing all that other stuff that makes up life, I have made almost no progress in months. Perhaps not since I started my streak of not missing a day blogging.
So I am officially on a blogging break. I will do a Weekly Smile but no reminder. I might do a coffee share. Maybe. I might do one or two other posts during the week. Perhaps. But I will cut my reading time down significantly. Even going for many days at a time without reading a single post unless I really feel compelled. (Note – in the past I often read blog posts while at work. Lately I don’t have time and I feel I have to cut reading at work 100%. It is not fair to not be putting 100% of my efforts into my job.)
And do you know what? Deciding to have a major slow down is like a weight lifting off of my shoulders. I am free! Something to smile about. I know, a weird smile, but a big smile.
So that was my smile this week, starting a major blogging slowdown/break.
What made you smile this week?
If you haven’t seen it, here is a little background to The Weekly Smile as well as some quick guidelines.
So, what made you smile this week? Write about it and post on the link-up (or click the little blue frog below). While you’re there, read what everyone else is smiling about! And come back to it later, if last week is any indication new smiles will be added daily!
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Note – the weekly smile runs Wednesday Morning to Wednesday morning. I post in the morning (Eastern US) and put up the link usually between 7 and 8 AM EST. I also try to post on Sunday as a reminder. People can and do join throughout the week.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
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Awh I’m sad that you are going on a break Trent😟 but I can totally understand how overbearing blogging can become ( both reading and posting part). Hope you have a relaxing time while on hiatus. But do know there will be one person who will definitely miss having you around the most😉😔 I still hope you don’t go MIA completely and pop around the blogging world once in a while to say us hi 🤗💕
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I’ll still be around, just not nearly as much. I may even post a lot more than you ;) And it won’t be for too long. And I’ll be sure to continue to harass, I mean talk to you though comments ;) And it’s nice to know I’ll be missed <3 :)
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Hahaha it will be a pleasure getting harassed, I mean getting to talk to you even through comments! I’ll be looking forward to the posts and seeing you around whenever it is… 😉😊
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😃😊😎
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Finding out instead of paying the £27 I’d be quoted per ballet class down in London I can use the nearby University for advanced classes at the same cost for a term! 😀
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Universities are always a good resource and not having to travel to take class is something to smile about :) I think it’s great that you are keeping up with your dancing despite a full schedule of singing.
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Your blog was recommended to me due to my blog being called Debs World and the fact that I just wrote a post about World Smile Day. I have put up a link as suggested. I understand the blogging break thing and recommend we all do it from time to time. There is a great big world out there to explore and then come back and blog about it! Take it easy, no pressure :)
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Hi Deb. Nice to meet you. I’ll head over and take a look at Deb’s World a little later.
I missed “World Smile Day”. I think I was too busy being off line ;) It is relaxing and nice to not worry about what is happening on the blog, but I’m sure I’ll be back full force soon. And the Weekly Smile will continue even during the break.
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Thanks for replying Trent. I’ll look forward to future weekly smiles. :)
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I went from posting every day last year to every other day this year and I like this way better. There are so many things I want to do and see and it is sort of hard to do that stuck to a computer. Take a break, do something fun and just enjoy life. Take some more pictures of your dogs.
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So far I’ve just put up this one post this week and have read absolutely zip. Well, almost zip. I do need to take pictures of the dogs – I haven’t done anything more than a phone picture all yea! Seeing the pictures of Daisy you posted a few weeks ago makes me feel I’ve been remiss in “puppy” pictures!
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I occasionally plan an actual photo shoot with Daisy we did this last week and the pictures are a hoot. I will probably post them this week. I had her one of her sticking out her tongue blown up in black and white and color for my photo walls.
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I meant to take pictures of the dogs this weekend, but it is hard when I’m watching them. They play very hard and I need to be constantly aware to make sure they don’t go bother a neighbor or decide to chase down some random barking they hear in the background. Can’t wait to see the latest Daisy Pictures!
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Same here..Glad you wrote on this topic. If you ask me i am going through writers block since last one year plus i am too much occupied by my priorities. Its not easy to take out time honestly but one should keep trying at least..Thank you for this..!
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I do think we all need to take some time out for a breather on occasion. We come back fresher. So far on my break I’ve mostly just been relaxing, but I hope to start working on other creative things outside of the blog. I hope your writer’s block goes away – for me if I just sit down and make myself write, just write anything, it often helps, but there are times even with that no ideas come.
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Agreed completely with you and thank you very much for your warm wishes & i too hope for the same. Actually m planning to start with a proper course on creative writing as i wish to pursue my future in this profession. I really need to work on my grammar & vocabulary but i hv lot many things on my place currently so lets see i am looking for a short term workshop or an affordable course for the same. Would be more than glad if you can give me some tips/constructive criticism on improving my writing or suggest any book i can refer to make my work better.. Wishing you a restful sabbatical :-)
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Doing a short course or workshop is a good idea. Let me know if/when you have something you’d like me to look at and I’d be happy to give you some constructive criticism. Off of the top of my head I can’t think of any books (I know there are a lot out there), but just reading a lot helps.
Good luck and thanks for the well wishes :)
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Thank you for your feedback. Yes sure now whenever i post something i will surely look out for you to guide me. If someday you have any spare time please do go through my previous work and let me know if there are any changes to be made or any kind of mistakes you feel like correcting in them. Although i don get much time to read but i will try my best to do the same. Thanks once again. Take cre :-)
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No problem. I’m not sure when I’ll have time to look at what you have posted already, but I’ll take a look sometime.
Have a great week!
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Thank you and wish you the same!
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I can so relate! I sometimes feel a self imposed pressure- I must read, comment, answer comments… and there are not enough hours in the day because I work fro 8-5. I do miss it if I am away from the blogs for more than a day though.
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Blogging should not be a chore or pressure. It needs to be enjoyed. There is no need to do daily posts, your followers will not leave you because of that. Take it easy ad enjoy blogging. It’s fun. There are not enough hours in the day to do all, so don’t worry. enjoy your time off and keep smiling!
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No, it shouldn’t be a chore. At times I just get into routines and habits and don’t realize that it is running me down. So a little break, or slowdown, will be nice :)
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Blogging has been a real chore for me because of time. If I can manage to get up early, I can write a post before I start my day. But usually I go to bed in the wee hours of the morning so getting up early doesn’t happen. I’m going to try to work on that, though. It’s a much better thing to get up early and blog and do as much as I can before I run off to start the day with the boys. We don’t start homeschool until 10 in the morning so if I can manage to get up by 8, I can blog in the morning. I think. That’s the plan. Let’s see if it works!
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It is hard finding time. I’ve been able to carve some out, but other things have come up that are higher priority. I’ll still find some time.
I hope you find a way to make it work for you. Maybe a little in the morning will work.
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