And so #SOL15 begins

Motivated by Kevin's example, I tried the March challenge last year -- or was going to and either got sidetracked early or fell off the wagon -- but can't remember which. Then there was a daily blog challenge in November. I was holding on until my internet went out for a week. 2014 was not a good year for blogging challenges. It was not a good one for writing challenges. Going on 13 years of NaNoWriMo, 2014 was the year I threw in the towel. Chalk that up to the number 13.

Maybe 2015 will be better. I've done blogging challenges before although not recently. They are a good way to recharge or break through a blogging block. I've got one of those too.


The problem is not word deficit but could be word and information overload -- too many blogs, social media streams and daily writing commitments. I'm still OK with writing letters (now email) but that is a lifetime habit. What if that starts to go too? Like gradually losing vision from age and cataracts?

That's the why -- now a few words about the who. If this were journalism not slicing, I'd have started off here and moved to what, etc. Slices can be sliced and diced any which way. I'm retired, not a teacher anymore, unless teaching the world by through community and advocacy blogging counts. I taught college as a late returning (there's a slice) graduate student teaching assistant and then as an adjunct -- other teaching (mores slices) too. Born in Canton New York, 1943, I grew up moving around (super slice!) back when hardly anybody did and lived overseas for eight years (there's another!). Mostly though, I lived in South Louisiana, Cajun country, moved to Davis CA in 1993 and Mountainair NM in 2000. I've been here since then and blogging since 2006.

By Vanessa Vaile, hopefully

to be continued.