blogger milestone | Charmed Reflections

Good morning! It’s Monday morning and I am feeling pretty good today even despite my fall yesterday. Apologies for the rant post but I was feeling pretty down on myself. My sister reached out this morning and offered to bring me my dad’s cane. We caught up for a bit and I am happy to have something help me hobble around. I’m okay. My knee on the other hand is pretty banged up.

Last week, my blog hit the 995 mark and finally, I’m at about 1008 followers. I wanted to wait a bit before posting a celebratory post in case I lost some followers. I’m glad to see more engagement and have been better at reading and discovering new blogs too.

I thought I would celebrate by sharing some artwork, and answering a few “get to know me” questions!

Why did you start blogging?

I started this blog back in April 2019 when I wanted to get back into writing. I had written a couple of e-books and wanted a platform to share my personal stories and experiences with grief and loss. From there, the blog went through many changes and has really grown in the past year.

What do you enjoy blogging about?

Everything and anything. I’ve really come to like cooking soups, stews and creating my own recipes, so I share those from time to time. I also like researching mental health trending topics and sharing my opinions and stories about my professional experiences here. I’m also trying to promote awareness about chronic illness and invisible disabilities. I live with hEDS — more on that later.

What kind of music do you listen to?

A bit of everything except heavy metal or rap. I have 40 playlists on Spotify from indie folk, classical piano to classic rock. I listen to a lot of classic rock and I grew up on music from the 50’s and 60’s. It really depends on my mood. I would say I listen to more indie folk than anything these days. And top 40, 80s-90s more than anything.

What are your favorite television shows?

That’s a good question. My all time fave shows include Supernatural (I watched from 2005-2020). Twilight Zone, X-files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel.

More recently – Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Lucifer, Animal Kingdom and The Vampire Diaries is a guilty pleasure. Back in the day, I loved shows like Sex and the City (the reboot is awful!!!), Seinfeld, Cheers, Friends, That 70’s Show and even That Family Guy. I also really liked Bones and re-watch it every couple of years.

Most of my shows have ended so now I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch indie news on Youtube. Or gamers like Markiplier, jacksepticeye and more.

What are your favorite hobbies?

Because of my hypermobility, I wasn’t able to do a lot of sports growing up. I got into music instead. I studied classical piano for about ten years and clarinet. I even joined a city orchestra and performed in concerts and competitions. I retired from stage performance in 2017 to focus on health, and compositions. I’m using a penname for this blog now and try not to share my music videos here.

Sometimes I take a break from music and focus on digital art, photography or painting. I’m also really into herb gardens, DIY crafts and home living these days. I’m in a nesting phase of my life.

What do you do for work?

I’m currently on disability leave after having received a permanent disability diagnosis. For now, I have this blog and music to keep me entertained on good days. I write often because it gives me something to look forward to each day.

Before that, I worked in office administration from 2000 – 2019. Almost 20 years and I was working towards a career in communications and taking training through my job. I spent six years in health administration and learned a lot. A couple of years in education administration – student employment. And I have an extensive background in community stakeholder and event planning. That is my real passion and something I was really good at.

Unfortunately, I got really sick and was battling almost daily migraines in 2019 and had too many sick days. It was HR that told me I should look into LTDI and here I am. I’m using the term “medical retirement” for now.

Well, that’s a loaded question. I stopped sharing my real name and pictures here on wordpress after having some issues with creepy men that I wound up having to block. They were leaving sexual comments that I didn’t find appropriate – especially when posting about grief and loss.

So now, I use a penname (though Wendy is my first real name). I’m rebranding my image here and am working on new artwork to share with you. Unfortunately, it only takes a couple of creeps to ruin it for everyone else. I do have some social media accounts reserved for long-time followers or those I know personally. I share pictures there. The accounts are private. Also, if I ever am able to work again, then I really don’t want potential employers finding this blog. Unless they want to hire me for blogging!

For now, here’s a baby picture of me – getting an early start in writing. Yes, I’m old. That my young friends, is a typewriter.

What do you like about blogging and wordpress?

I think the main thing here is the community. I’ve met a few online bloggers that I really like to communicate with. I’m pretty bad for leaving comments on blogs so I am trying to get better at that. I’m still shopping around for a tablet that I can use while lying in bed on bad days.

So for me, it’s being able to share my artwork and daily life thoughts, and being able to connect with others like me. I can also learn a lot about different things here.

Thank you for your ongoing friendships

I think that’s it for now! If you have any questions you’d like me to address I can do that in a second post.

Thank you all for following my blogging journey here on WordPress. I know I post a lot – maybe more than most bloggers. But it gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to get up each morning.

I try and keep posts to one a day but when you don’t work, there’s a lot of hours to fill in. I’m also working on story ideas for some fiction novels. I’ve got a good start on one book but not sure I will share it! We’ll see how it goes. I can write up to about 6,000 words in one day. Sometimes I will draft 3 or 4 blog posts and save them for later. I write whenever an idea comes to mind or something sparks my interest.

Please follow!

If you want more posts like this and free downloads, then follow my blog. I’m working on a series of templates for checklists, tasks lists, and printable journals!

I FINALLY hit the 500 mark! It’s taken over a year – but it’s worth celebrating! I was at the 500 mark, then lost a follower? But I gained a couple of more today!

So, THANK YOU!

Now that fall is here – which is obviously my favorite time of year – I’ve revamped this blog and changed up the colour schemes. I’ve always hated ultra white backgrounds as it’s hard on the eyes at night time. So, hopefully you find the website to be softer and more “fall” like.

I’m also working on some new banner art and other graphics and things. I’m trying to make the most out of the blog .

What do you think? Does it put you in a festive mood?

Fall is my favorite time for year for many reasons. Some you know already – but for my new readers – it’s worth sharing again!

Sweater Season

The weather is cooler and we can bring out our fuzzy sweaters and my favorite pajama pants. There is nothing finer than sinking into bed and snuggling up under a warm comforter. Of course, a body would be nice at times – but you know how that goes!

Fall is beautiful

When I was in better shape, I would go for urban hikes with my camera. The River Valley is just so beautiful this time of year. The leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and crimson red. I get lost in the natural beauty.

Yes, the days are shorter. But cloudy and cool days are perfect for sweaters, hot chocolate, and snuggling up with a blanket while watching a movie on Netflix.

Fall Cooking

I love fall cooking – as you may have guessed with my sudden desire to get back into the kitchen. Casseroles. Soups – I made a delicious chicken noodle soup today and will share the recipe with you this weekend. I made a blueberry loaf the other night – and it’s GONE already.

I got brave and decided to try some baking. I’m not good with dough. My mother was the baker in the family and I spent hours watching her in the kitchen as a kid. I squealed when the scones I made yesterday came out nearly perfectly. My diet went out the window as I ate like five of them.

I love stews and casseroles. Butternut squash, zucchini muffins, beet stew, pasta casseroles — there’s just so many recipes out there to try.

Scones – I didn’t have a pastry brush tho

I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen. I was sweating by the end of it. My condo is nice and toasty warm after having the oven on for most of the day. And this chicken noodle soup – while it’s not perfect – it’s hearty and delicious.

So yes! I’m excited for fall. I have a whole bag of tomatoes in the fridge – what do you think I should make with them? Bruschetta? Or a casserole? The choices are literally endless.

Even though life gets busy in the fall with kids going back to school and parents going back to work – especially right now with COVID — for me – this time of year feels less hectic and less rushed. Maybe that’s because I’m not working right now.

The cool crisp air in the mornings is refreshing and reminds of being in the mountains. I love getting up early on Saturday mornings, sipping a hot cup of coffee and starting my day with some music.

I hope I can continue this routine when I go back to work in a few weeks.

Can you believe it’s September already? Where has the year gone? Time doesn’t slow down even when we’re at home. This time of year, makes me appreciate the days a little more.

For the month of September, I will be working on a “positive” challenge and thinking of all the things I’m thankful. I’ll be sharing things like poems, inspiring quote and art.

Thank you all so much for being here! If you’re a new reader, welcome! For long-time readers, THANK YOU. I appreciate all your comments and engagements – even if sometimes we disagree.

What’s your favorite thing about all?

Charmed Reflections

Tag Archives: blogger milestone

Blogger milestone: 1,000 followers!