'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
'No,' said the child. 'What is it?'
- The Mouse and his Child. Russell Hoban.

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Monday 2 August 2010

Nablopomo



I'm not sure how I discovered it, but some years ago I found a site called nablopomo. It's all very casual, but the idea is to challenge yourself to post each day for the calendar month. A theme is offered but you don't have to stick to it. At the end, if you've succeeded, you download a cute little 'I did it' sticker and award it to yourself. In addition, and if you wish, you can get yourself on their blogroll, which grows longer and longer each month, as this supportive site gathers momentum.

The theme for this month is GREEN. Which, as you may know, is my favourite colour. So here's my second post of the month. All about nablopomo, and showing you their lovely green challenge sticker.

My first post was a limerick. About a woman who fainted on the croquet green. And we know that capital-L-Limerick is a place in Eire, commonly known as the Emerald Isle. Which is not one, but two coincidences, given that I did that post before I even knew about this month's nablopomo's theme. Wow. Isn't that spooky possums?

My personal challenge is, of course, not just to post, but to post interesting posts that people want to read. I know I'll be able to rely on you all* to tell me if my efforts veer towards the quantity at the expense of quality.

* Especially RWP and YP.

14 comments:

  1. What the hell? It's 2.45pm on Sunday afternoon but for you it's already Monday! You're living in a time warp!

    I am proud to have been asterisked and will certainly let you know whether or not your posts are acceptable or not. A few green ideas - cabbages, bile, envy, Greenland, Norman Greenbaum, "Greensleeves", frozen peas, The Green Man, putting greens, how to mix yellow and blue together, Martians, the indy band Greenday, sea sickness and the fodder crop alfalfa. That should keep you going till the fifteenth at least.

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  2. Thank you YP. The list of green things is indeed long. I thought I'd include a few posts on 'going green' as in 'ecological green', too. I do hope this is acceptable.

    Regarding time, it's all relative.

    I trust this reply to your comment is acceptable to you.

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  3. I'm with what's-his-name; I'm proud to have been asterisked. If your first two August posts are any indication, your August readers are going to have a wonderful time. I am one proud to number myself among both your august and August readers, by the way.

    My verification word is wincess, which rhymes with princess, which prods me to suggest that you might blog during August about The Princess and the Pea. [Peas are green, unless they're black-eyed peas.]

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  4. Thank you Robert, for your comment, and your inspired suggestion. Inspired, that is, by the WV, of course. I have a theory that all bloggers are insidiously and subliminally influenced by the word verification words. I'm sure I could write a post about this, but not this month, as it would be too tricky to weave 'green' in there.

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  5. More suggestions:
    1. Green Grow the Rushes, Oh (song).
    2. How Green Was My Valley (film).
    3. Lavender Blue, Dilly Dilly, Lavender Green. Daphne in Leeds (mydadsacommunist.blogspot.com) has already blogged about this one.
    4. The Green, Green Grass of Home (song).
    5. Various vegetables eaten by Americans (turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens).
    6. Limes (one could work in Limeys and scurvy on this one).
    7. Cucumbers, asparagus, rosemary, and thyme.

    This time my VW is nonse, short (I suppose) for nonsense. Your theory gains more credibility all the time.

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  6. Your comment upon my comment was most acceptable. Please carry on...

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  7. Thank you YP. Is this acceptable to say?

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  8. Thank you Robert, for your other green suggestions. I now have 24 green suggestions. 29 if you count asparagus, rosemary and thyme, and mustard greens, collard greens as separate suggestions. They are all terribly good, and I am very, very grateful.

    WV is 'conic' which rhymes with 'ironic' which is probably what I am being.

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  9. I'm happy that another Kiwi is doing the Nablopomo challenge this month. I won't be doing 30 green posts though! Looking forward to reading yours.

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  10. I'll pop over and read yours too, Juli!

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  11. That's a neat challenge... and a great idea! I may have to try it one of these days. I think you have a wonderfully creative, eclectic mix of posts, and if you enjoy them, that's what counts! :)

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  12. Thank you Beau. The post-a-day thing is a good routine for me. Over the years I think my writing has improved. Along with responding to feedback too, of course. I am only partially tongue-in cheek when I thank YP and RWP for their suggestions and comments.

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  13. Katherine, everything you write is wonderful, but I also find the motivation and discipline of these challenges good to follow through, occasionally, and they do move our thinking in new ways, so fully understand what you mean. My favourite colour is green, too, so I shall be watching with interest. x

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  14. I like the way you brought up the idea of it being good to 'move our thinking in new ways'. Excellent notion! Sometimes I have no idea I thought something until I start to write.

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