Saturday, February 9, 2008

Blogging Homework - Or Sleep?

So tell me, how did this blogging thing become akin to going to school and coming home with six hours of homework assignments? Not that I'm complaining, but I will be heading off for a short five-night vacation late next week and here's what I have due on my "blogging homework" list:

- Miriam at AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants will be coming out with the next journaling prompt on Monday, February 11th. I find these alot of fun and usually tackle them within the same day they are posted.

- Tim over at Walking the Berkshires has the 4th Cabinet of Curiosities coming up which is being hosted over at Archeoporn. This is set for February 18th but I'm not sure of the submission deadline, so this one has to get done before I leave on the 14th.

- The 42nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is due for submission on February 15th with the topic being The Best of The Best! The Academy of Genealogy and Family History. I am hoping there won't be a writer's strike for this one since Jasia at Creative Gene continues to do a great job and seems to attract all these bloggers to her carnival - 31 last count!

- Now Terry at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi is hosting a poetry smackdown called the First Annual Blogger Poet Roundup and wants submission by February 18th. And he expects me to be creative at that! This will be fun I'm sure.

- Then there is the 4th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture hosted by Lisa over at Small-leaved Shamrock. The topic will be anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture. At least the deadline is March 14th and that leaves me some time to summons me muses to help me a wee bit.

- And as if that were't enough, Terry - the instigator that he is - points out a neat challenge which, while at six words seems simple, really isn't. Larry Lehmer at Passing It On has written about writing your life story in only six words. I'll need to see about this one - but I love the idea.

See, the problem is I spend all this time reading some great, great blogs and no wonder why I am then up until 3:00 am researching my Welsh ancestors who settled in Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties in New York. I think what I need to do is compose the "Genea-Blogger's Prayer" which has to somehow include the words weary, eye-strain, and sleep.

Now I get it. It seems I've not only just done a "roll-up" of upcoming carnivals and challenges, I've also off-handedly put out a challenge to compose a prayer! Well Saints Alive! I think we all need to say a prayer or two this week and get writing!

8 comments:

Jasia said...

You have the right of it, my friend. I can't take on as many challenges as you or I wouldn't be able to provide as much new content as I want to share. Trade offs, there are always trade offs. I used to try to rise to every challenge but as time goes by and there are more and more of them I find myself having to pass on more and more of them. There just aren't enough hours in the day...

Terry Thornton said...

Thomas, A busy person is, well, a busy person! Knowing you, however, you'll think of six perfect words to sum up your life --- and then you'll whip out a six line poem that captures the essence of your blog! Have at it!!!! LOL!
TERRY

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed the last dew weeks trying to stay caught up. This morning there were 500+ unread items in my feed reader. A lot were news items I could skim over but about 100 were things I really wanted to read. That doesn't leave much time for writing!

I hope you have a great little vacation!

Anonymous said...

Thomas, "Homework" - I love it! I was starting to feel the same way. Are most genea-bloggers retired? I've barely kept up with any other activities since starting the blog! Here's hoping we get all of our assignments done in time!
Donna

Miriam Robbins said...

I hear you, Thomas! I missed Bill West's parade, a few other carnivals and memes, and I just don't know what more I can add to my many plates! You don't realize how addicting it all is (and how fast you fall behind) until you go a week without Internet!

Lisa / Smallest Leaf said...

Talk about homework... I sure had trouble keeping up with your Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories last December!

The truth is (kidding aside) that I wrote volumes more than I ever would have written if I had not had your prompts and deadlines looming. Thanks to your "homework" I had my busiest blogging month to date and fit in lots more research on holiday customs and memories than I would ever have done without that carnival.

I'm looking forward to reading the "assignments" that you can turn in on time this month, and trying my hand at some myself.

The good news is that we won't be facing a failing grade if we miss one or two...

Happy writing!

Lori Thornton said...

While awaiting Lake Michigan's thaw,
Thomas got down to his very last straw,
All of the memes
Were producing his screams
For a no blogging homework law!

Thomas MacEntee said...

Thanks Lori!

Put everyone should know that I am a strong backer of the No Blogger Left Behind Initiative!