A to Z Reflections 2024

Time for the post A to Z posts post.  That doesn't sound right, but that's what it is.  After the A to Z there is a prompt from the A to Z team called "Reflections."  I think it's important to participate in this, as the team works hard to bring us this annual April event.   Below are the questions they want to know the answers to, with my answers in blue. 

I have two blogs, and participated in the A to Z with both.  I will post this on both.

Reflections is an additional bloghop connected to the challenge. It is a chance to tell the team and the world your thoughts on the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2024.

Some points to consider for your reflection post:  😎

• Did you win?  Yes! 
• Did you post an alphabet of letter-inspired posts?  Yes! 
• Did you HOP to other A to Z participants?  Yes! 
• Do you believe your blog saw an increase in traffic and comments during April 2024?  Yes, a big increase. 
• Did you check the MasterList to be sure your entry was correct?  Yes. 
• Do you feel the A to Z Team (Arlee Bird, J Lenni Dorner, Zalka Csenge Virág, John Holton, Jayden R Vincente, and Ronel) supported you, your blog, and this challenge enough in 2024?  Yes!  
• What changes do you hope the team might consider for next year?  I think they did a fine job this year.  Of course, as soon as I read someone else's suggestion I'll think it's a good idea, I just can't think of one myself. 
• Will you do the challenge again next year?  Yes. Baring unforeseen issues like in 2023 when I got COVID at the end of March. 
• Did you use the http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2024-graphics.html Graphics page?  No, I just saved the graphics I wanted off the post. 
• Is the HTML useful to you?  Not for me, no. 
• Are there any other images or graphics the team could offer to help you?  No, you have me covered!  
• Any suggestions for the team?  Nope, doing a great job!  I do wish the winner's graphic this year matched previous years though. You know, the circle with the date inside?
• Any thanks?  Yes!  Thanks, thanks, and more thanks! 
• Any requests for the 2025 team's theme? (The posts you'll see on this site in April.)  No, I like to be surprised.  
• Any post ideas or requests for our monthly posts on the blog from June to February?  No, I'll be brutely honest... I only check the blog for the April event. I never thought to look otherwise, and didn't realize you had a monthly post.  Sorry!  
• (Guest posting requests? Poke team captain J! https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/)
• Have you followed the social media of the A to Z Challenge?  No.  Not much of a social media person.  Oh!  I do think I follow it on Instagram!  I will have to check.  Turns out I wasn't, but am now.  My account isn't related to this blog or my poetry blog though. 
• What was your favorite comment left by another A to Z participant on your blog during the challenge? 🏆  There were quite a few nice ones.  I liked hearing that I introduced people to plants they were unaware of, or how much they enjoyed the photos.  Probably the nicest thing was due to reading my Theme Reveal post someone decided to participate, and finished all A to Z!  It was nice to read nice comments on my own favorite poems that I wrote!  I may have written 26, but few were "good" in my eyes!  
• Did any other A to Z participant make you and your blog feel especially valued this year?  Oh, my... I "met" at least one that visited daily, outside my regular daily visitors (which were originally found due to the A to Z!).  
• Do you have a favorite blog that you found during the challenge this year?   One?   https://milepebbles.wordpress.com/
• Do you feel you had a positive impact on the Blogging Community during the hop?   Oh, how to answer this one!  Ummm... I guess so?  People seemed to enjoy the content.  That's positive. 
• Did you invite or encourage any other bloggers to join the challenge?  I did by mentioning it before it started.  I don't "know" many bloggers outside those who already participate.  
• Have you learned anything because of the #AtoZChallenge?  A lot of fun stuff from reading other blogs!  Recipes.  Interesting family histories.  How life was growing up in other countries. 
• Did you use a theme in 2024? Any thoughts on themes?  Yes, I always have had a theme.  For me, a theme seems to say it's taken more seriously than just "I don't know."  If you don't know, you haven't been preparing for months!  
• Was taking part in the challenge a positive experience for you and your blog?  Yes.  For both of us. 
• Consider the significance of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge, our values (community and inclusion), and your feelings about the experience. How may this influence your future blogging, learning, or actions?  I don't see it as influencing me.  I enjoy participating, by writing and reading other blogs. The blogging community in general, or maybe the ones who participate, seem to, with a few exceptions, be on the same page as to values. 
• Any other thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the #AtoZChallenge 2024?  I am glad to have participated, and completed all my posts, after missing it last year.  There were far more comments on my blogs than in previous years.  The usual waning as time went on, in both views and comments.  The usual many more views and comments on my gardening blog than the poetry one.  The writing category is huge, and poetry isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Also, the usual bloggers than started out great and then quit.  After three days of no post, I stopped looking, as there were so many other blogs to check out.  Sorry.  
• Will you consider doing the challenge again next year?  I don't have to consider it, I already know I will!  In fact, I already have my theme!  Some of my regular readers know about a windfall of some A to Z items I got at a rummage sale!  I may manage to incorporate them into an A to Z post for both blogs.  Not gardening related, but my blog has evolved to a few days of non-garden related anyway.  Maybe not the poetry blog, it's much less visited and takes so much more time.  Unless I begin writing now, maybe two poems a month will get me there!