Thoughts and musings…

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Today I’m participating in some thought-provoking questions from Rory @ Earthly Comforts Usually I ponder these in my head but today I’ve wrote a blog post about these ponderings.

What is the weirdest fact you know?

I can’t think of just one weird fact, there are so many! The universe astounds me with mind-blowing fact after fact. I remember at school learning there was no end to the universe and it went on for ever. A rather lovely sounding fact is that, as Moby once sang, We are all made of stars. We are literally made of the same elements as stars.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Breakfast is the most important for me. If I don’t have any I don’t feel quite right for the rest of the day. But lunch is generally my favourite as it means a break from work (always a good thing) and sometimes, at a weekend or on holiday, a cup of tea and a toasted teacake in a quirky independent cafe can be an absolute delight.

What do you enjoy most about your blog?

It’s inspires and motivates me to write more and try out new things. I use it as a diary of my most enjoyable experiences – whether holidays, hikes or books I’ve read; a learning journal; a way to be creative; a place to make me more accountable (for example, becoming fitter). The blog community is full of lovely bloggers too and these also are a good motivation. (Touch wood, I’ve never come across a blogging troll).

What are you passionate about outside of writing?

I’m passionate about nature, my pets and favourite people, books, challenges, making goals, learning new skills, crafts and facts.

Advertisement

New Year Resolutions for 2023

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

Happy New Year to all Cosy Cottage readers! One of my resolutions for 2023 is to write more, both for the blog and in terms of a novel/short stories. I can be lazy and also have an inner critic who keeps a close eye on what I write and whispers maliciously in my ear, ‘that’s not very original, is it?’ or ‘why would anyone be interested in what you’ve just written there?’ Sometimes this nit-picker can give good advice among the put-me-downs such as ‘oh, repetition there, watch out!’ And to which, I have learnt to gracefully respond, ‘thank you, I’ll use a different word instead’.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

But I need to defy this way of thinking which makes me lazy about writing and self-conscious thinking about who may come across my words. My Inner Motivator comes into play here. Unlike the critic, Ms Motivator insists that without practice, there will be no perfect. In fact, there will never be perfect regardless unless one is Shakespeare. (And maybe he spent many an hour rewriting his plays?) So what tips does my Inner Motivator give for writing (and yes, inner critic, these aren’t original but taken from various books, articles, features, websites etc):

Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing.

Don’t worry about it being perfect. Or what people think. Just write. If you don’t start in the first place, you won’t improve.

My second resolution is to decide on a fitness goal and aim towards it. Over the years I have trekked Hadrian’s Wall, climbed Snowdon and walked along Chesterfield Canal among other endeavours. They tend to be difficult but there’s a tremendous sense of achievement at the end.

Decluttering my house is the third goal for the year. My wardrobes are full with clothes that date back years, some of which don’t fit anymore. If I could give away some (a third?) to charity that would clear space – and also my head. It makes my head hurt looking in my wardrobe and drawers!

I have various other goals – do more crafts, cook more, bake more – but I’ll stick with these three main ones for the official resolutions. I tend to have a mixed response with New Year Goals, sometimes they are kept but more often they are forgotten. We’ll see how this year goes. Good luck with yours!

200 blog posts!

Today marked a new milestone for Cosy Cottage – I’ve written 200 posts!

Out of curiosity, I had a look to see what the three most popular posts were:

Morecambe Bay: Beware of Quicksand – This was a clear winner, leaving the runners-up A Wander in Yarrow Valley Country Park and Masons Wood well behind. Interestingly, most of the statistics come in from search engines which is unusual for my blog.

Morecambe Bay

Maybe the word Quicksand is liked by Google or maybe people like to read about others who are trapped in difficult conditions, potentially perilous ones? I’m currently reading 127 Hours about a man trapped in the Utah Canyonlands. Isolated, miles from anywhere, his arm trapped, not enough water or food… Plot spoiler – he gets out but at some cost…

Morecambe Bay: Beware of Quicksand

Thank you for reading, liking and commenting! 🙂

Masons Wood

https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/tag/yarrow-valley-country-park/

Blog anniversary – four years old!

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Back in 2017, I started my blog – and now it’s 2021! I deem it highly successful, not because it makes me any money (it doesn’t) or because I have thousands of followers (I don’t) but because I enjoy it.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s reopened my creative side which has laid dormant since I was a teenager. I enjoy thinking up ideas, writing my blog posts, taking photos and merging pictures and words together. I love the fact that my blog helps me to learn, that whenever I include facts for readers to (hopefully!) enjoy, I’m enjoying learning those facts too. Maybe it’s trees or history, chickens or guinea pigs, it’s all a learning curve. On a subtle level, I would love it if my writing inspired a love of nature and an understanding of why it’s important.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

This year I have tried to branch out by creating a new podcast channel! Some of my posts are more picture-led than others but others are wordy enough for a podcast. An issue I had was the sound of my voice. Do others dislike the sound of their own voice or is it just me? But I found Anchor had its own audio voice I could use as a substitute so no embarrassment there.

This is more of a creative adventure rather than a money-making one. It was interesting to see how easy it was to do via Anchor and WordPress but I admit I get more enjoyment of putting a blog post together rather than a podcast of my blog posts. Still, it’s always interesting to learn new things. The web address is https://open.spotify.com/show/4p3kPV2T20jcPTErXoj2WI

To mark this ‘blogiversary’, later today I’m going to revisit two posts I wrote about this time four years ago. They were two of my very earliest posts. Happy memories of Llandudno…

Third Blog Anniversary – An Ode to Escapism

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Without meaning to, I took a break from writing my blog for three months. I really hadn’t expected to, assuming I would return sooner rather than later. I’m sure there must be many like me who mean to return to their blog but other things get in the way. Before I knew it, three months had flown by and the third anniversary of my blog (in September) had been and gone.

So what have I done in those three months? I’ve hiked 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail, spent time with curious children who claim to have lived past lives, visited Africa – to be precise Kenya, travelling on a very rickety precarious train – and have been trying to solve murder mysteries in a small town in Mississippi and a tiny island off the coast of Dorset.

Oh, and then there was the strange case of a secret alchemy group and its connection to brutal slayings in 1600s Aberdeen, Scotland.

A selection of books I’ve read this year

So you can see why I had no time to write my blog when I had the above to contend with!

Truly, I have found books and escapism a godsend this year. It has been one of my mechanisms for coping with a topsy turvy world.

My life may have become restricted in 2020 but my mind has still gone to various fascinating locations, encountering a miscellany of characters and scenarios, and so for this year’s anniversary I dedicate this post to writers of fiction and non-fiction, books and blogs.

I also salute the WordPress community of fellow bloggers. It’s a really friendly, inspiring community out there. It’s been a harsh year for many of us and it’s easy to feel anxious or upset right now but I find the blogging world quite the antidote. It’s a creative, warm and inspiring place to visit and take part in.

Now I’m back, I wonder why did I leave for so long?

If anyone would like to promote their own blog or a particular blog post (or someone else’s), visit https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/about/your-favourite-blog-posts/

For each link I will donate £1 to Butterfly Conservation.

Photo by Cindy Gustafson on Pexels.com

As an extra motivation aid, I’ve also decided that I will try to write a post at least once a week, and publish it on Sunday at 2pm, with an occasional extra post on Wednesday, same time.

We’ll see how long being organised lasts!

Thank you for reading. ☺️

Real Neat Award

I received the Real Neat Blog Award by Dear Kitty last year. Kitty writes a very interesting and varied blog about politics, animals, peace, war, arts and many other topics.

Here’s what she says about the award: “Late in 2014, I made this Real Neat Blog Award. There are so many bloggers whose blogs deserve more attention. So, I wanted to try to do something about that.

“It is the first award that I ever made. I did some computer graphics years ago, before I started blogging, but my computer drawing had become rusty. So, I made the award with this logo then.

“It is good to see that this award, which later came back to me, has gone to many places of the blogosphere. And that some people have made new logos for it, like the one at the top of this blog post.”

The rules of this award are:

• Put the award logo on your blog.
• Answer the 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
• Thank the person who nominated you and add a link to their blog.
• Nominate any number of people linking to their blogs and let them know you nominated them by commenting on their blogs.
• Come up with 7 questions for the people you nominated.

Kitty’s seven questions for me are:

1. Who is your favourite visual artist?

There has been a lot of beautiful art over the years which I love to look at but I don’t have a favourite artist. I love beautiful landscapes, Pre-Raphaelite scenes and art which tells a story – or makes me think and ponder.

2. Which is your favourite bird species?

Kingfishers have stunning colours and I always feel as if robins are curious to see what I’m doing but my favourite will have to be the chicken (I have to say this or my hens won’t forgive me!) My bantams are fascinating, complex little creatures and I feel that every day is a learning curve watching them.

3. Which is your favourite mammal species?

My favourite mammal species has to be the dog simply because the dogs I’ve known and loved provide a comfort and friendship. They may be untrustworthy scoundrels when it comes to food (yes, Teddy, I’m talking about you!) but they are always very lovable. 🙂

4. What is your favourite insect?

Butterflies are very beautiful although I wish they would stay in one spot so I could photograph them more easily! I do have a lot of respect for the hard-working bee as well. I read a novel called The Bees which gives a fascinating insight into the life of a honey bee. It’s fictional but the way the hive in the novel is constructed is based on real bee colonies.

5. What is your favourite plant?

I love all plants but the weeping willow is especially romantic in my view.

6. Where do most visits to your blog come from?

From the UK and the USA.

7. If you would be invited to make a space journey, then to which solar system planet would you like to go?

Not sure about this one, none seem very appealing in terms of atmosphere! I would be very curious though. Maybe Mars as it’s the nearest.

I’m going to stick with the same questions and nominate YOU. I’d love to hear your answers… 🙂

Butterflies and Blogs

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

To celebrate my second blog anniversary last year, I set up a page to promote other blogs. Each time someone promotes their or someone else’s blog, I will donate £1 to Butterfly Conservation (£2 for the first 25). So far, I have raised a grand total of £14! Hopefully, this will increase as time goes by 🙂

I thought I would promote a few of the posts from the page every so often and so here’s February’s offering:

Inspiration for Wellness is a blog focused on health, beauty and natural living. She’s a registered nurse with a passion for holistic health and her inspiring blog covers essential oils, nutrition, exercise, health supplements and more…

Here’s an example of a post –

Why I Love Essential Oils

Inspiration for Wellness has a similar post to mine called Networking for Bloggers. Here you can meet more bloggers and introduce yourself…

Networking for Bloggers

Mental Health From The Other Side – who is a retired mental health nurse – has an unsettling personal story to tell. It’s a stark and important reminder that mental illness can affect anyone and everyone.

My journey through a psychotic depression – part I

If you’re looking for craft and DIY inspiration, Michelle’s blog is a lovely one to find inspiration.

One example is the DIY Shabby Chic Lamp – https://www.blessingsbyme.com/2019/03/13/diy-shabby-chic-lamp-2

These great blogs aren’t the only ones mentioned on My Favourite Blogs page (the others will get a call-out next time) so why not head there to take a look? Or promote your own blog or someone else’s?

Photo by Cindy Gustafson on Pexels.com

For information on Butterfly Conservation, a UK nature charity, visit https://butterfly-conservation.org

If you would like to promote your or someone else’s blog or blog post, please drop a comment on to https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/about/your-favourite-blog-posts/

 

My Liebster Blog Award!

Rebecca from Wild Sensibility has very kindly nominated Cosy Cottage for the Liebster Award and I am delighted to accept my nomination. She’s got a terrific blog about nature, dogs, writing and running and I’d definitely recommend a wander to her website here: Wild Sensibility

I’ve copied Wild Sensibility’s definition (courtesy of The Global Aussie blog) of the award here:

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The award is a way to be discovered but also to connect and support the blogging community. Originally it was given out to blogs with less than 2000 readers but this has slowly lowered as the reward has gained popularity. If you like helping other blogs out, go ahead and do it regardless of its size.

The rules of the Liebster Award are (loosely):

1. Acknowledge the blog which nominated you.
2. Answer the questions your nominator asked.
3. Nominate two to six other bloggers who might appreciate the boost.
4. Ask them several unique questions.
5. Let them know you have nominated them.

Here are my answers to Rebecca’s questions:

1. What typically is the closest object on your right when you’re writing (not including a computer mouse)?

A cup (or should that be a big mug?!) of tea.

2. What one-sentence bit of advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?

Be yourself, it’s okay not to be the same as everyone else. Don’t pretend to be a trendy Take That fan if you’re really a geeky Suede fan! (As was my case!) 

3. Describe your ideal writing space and place (assuming money isn’t an issue).

I would have a lovely vintage style shed in the garden.

4. What is your most frequent photographic subject?

Probably scenes of nature, places of interest, chickens and other pets. It would be lovely to be able to take photos of wild animals but they don’t stay still for me and I end up with a blur instead! 

5. Favourite quote?

‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy’ (Hamlet, although I used to think it was ‘There’s more to heaven and earth than meets the eye’!) and To thine own self be true (Polonius, again from Shakespeare’s Hamlet). I think there is a truth in both quotes, we don’t know everything there is to know in the universe and it is best to be true to ourselves and learn to accept and respect ourselves.

6. What does blogging (writing, and reading) add to your life?

For some years, I felt something was missing from my life. Until I started writing my blog, I hadn’t realised it was simply having a creative outlet which, it turns out, is rather important to me. Blogging also makes me feel part of a wider, international community and the diversity of the blogs out there has entertained and inspired me over the last two years.

7. If you could choose to be any animal for a 24-hour period, which would you be and why?

A pampered dog, with lots of delicious food and nap time.

8. Do you have other creative outlets besides writing?

I would like to learn crafts and do more gardening and baking. I bought a knitting kit recently so hopefully will get into knitting soon. The last time I knitted anything was when I was 10!

The most difficult choice is who to nominate when there are so many fabulous bloggers out there. But I’ve chosen:

My Colourful Life

Nora Edinger – JOY Journal

Food.for.Thoughts

Cheryl Bayle

But if anyone else wants to answer the questions, go ahead! I know the rules say ‘unique questions’ but I’m going to cheat and just go with the ones above. 🙂

Share this:

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Two years ago, I started Dreams and Adventures at Cosy Cottage. It started off as a garden and chicken diary and has become a diary of some of my life’s experiences (including chickens and gardens!), an outlet to voice opinion on issues which matter to me (nature mostly) and a way to motivate myself to write and get fit. I love learning – whether it’s about plants or historic places – and writing it all down helps me remember.

Here’s a few of my very early posts:

https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/down-at-the-allotment/

https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/rurbanites-and-the-quails/

https://cosycottageandthequestforthegoodlife.wordpress.com/2017/10/04/all-cooped-up/

I’ve also virtually met many bloggers who have supported me via likes, comments and follows – and an enjoyable read of their own blogs. The variety out there is wonderful, thank you for the support and great reading!

So, to mark my second blogging anniversary, I’ve set up a page on my blog called Your Favourite Blogs. Here, you can include a link/s of your favourite posts or of the blog itself. If you want, you can even promote one of your favourite bloggers. For every link, I’ll donate a pound to Butterfly Conservation, a British nature charity which aims to protect butterflies and the natural spaces they live in. (Read about them here https://butterfly-conservation.org/ ) 

Photo by Cindy Gustafson on Pexels.com

Here’s where to find the page –  Your Favourite Blog Posts

100th blogging post!

Since I started writing Dreams and Adventures at Cosy Cottage, I’ve found the blogging community very supportive and helpful so, as a way of saying thank you and a means to mark my 100th blog post, I have decided to mention a few posts I have enjoyed recently.

Here’s a tip if you want to either promote your blog or find new ones to read – there’s a blog called What You Blog About and it features a wide range of writings covering all manner of subjects. One of which is mine!

https://whatyoublogabout.com/2019/05/24/dreams-and-adventures-at-cosy-cottage/#respond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a place to both submit your story and a directory to find more blogs. Thank you again to What You Blog About for paying Cosy Cottage a visit. 🙂

My second is one in which one of my nature posts inspired someone else to create a beautiful artwork.

It made me wonder if we all inspire and motivate someone else in life in some way but the majority of the time never realise this.

And then sometimes we get inspired by someone else in a subconscious way, in a way we don’t consciously think about but the seeds are sown…

https://familyfurore285309785.wordpress.com/2019/07/09/hummingbirds/

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

My third post is a lovely one promoting kindness from Cyranny’s Cove. She has started a regular kind-hearted challenge for us to join in. There is a lot of darkness in the world, so why not spread a little light?

https://cyranny.com/2019/08/01/kind-hearted-challenge-august-edition/

And talking of spreading more light, here is Anita’s blog. A cheerful site which always ends on a note of kindness.

https://anitashope.com/

For those of us who are fascinated by history, Alli’s blog offers a way to time travel to the medieval age and all the intrigues it offers. She recently went on a quest to Wales which can also be found here: https://medievalwanderings.com/

I started off with a blog supporting other blogs. To round off is one by It’s Good To Be Crazy Sometimes. Every week she has a blog party where we can promote posts and pay a visit to fellow bloggers.

https://itsgoodtobecrazysometimes.wordpress.com/

These are only a handful of the fabulous blogs I follow and I hope to promote more when I celebrate my second blogging anniversary in September.☺️