My 10 Most Popular Posts of 2017 and My Plan for 2018

I got a lot of new subscribers in 2017, which was nice. (I know you’re there, even if you’re not talking… come join the conversation!)

2017 was a year I tried to settle into a groove with blogging. In previous years, I tried to do daily (which was way too much) and other times when I had no schedule. In 2017, I tried to post on Tuesdays and Fridays. For 2018, I’m going to go back to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday format. Because of the interest in book challenges, I’m going to try to check in once a week with what I’m reading and my progress on various challenges. Starting next week, that will be on Mondays. (Happy New Year, BTW!)

Most of the popular posts from this list are from 2017, but some are older (some much older). Without further ado, my top 10 from this year…

1. 11 Best Non-Fiction Books About Mental Illness You have no idea how happy I am to see this at #1. People are becoming more interested in mental illness, and I think that’s a wonderful step toward conversation and destigmatizing what so many people struggle with.
2. 10 Best Novels from Over 100 Years Ago This post is from 2011 and has consistently been one of my most popular posts. It’s a little sparse, back when I just made lists but didn’t consistently post pictures or say anything about the books. But… I guess that’s what Amazon is for?
3. What Bullying Looks Like as An Adult Again, another post I’m happy to see as popular. We really, really need to stop telling children no to be bullies and then turn around and do it ourselves. Take a look to see the subtle ways you might be participating in bullying.
4. Don’t Ban Eleanor & Park A post from 2016. I’m so against book banning. I think that any book that really speaks to someone is going to make someone else mad, and that’s okay. Kids need books like these. Eleanor & Park is a book I wish had been around when I was in high school
5. Book Challenges 2018 A very recent post, but it just goes to show how interested in book challenges people are becoming. I’m going to try to be better about posting updates on my progress next year. Join me and feel free to update me on your progress too!
6. Open Letter to the Writer Who Left My Writer’s Group You know, I almost didn’t write this post. I hate that I may have contributed to discouraging another writer. But it wasn’t done out of a spirit of meanness, and I think that it’s important to admit to my mistakes so I can become a better person. None of us are perfect. And even though the writer who this letter was intended for will probably never see it, maybe someone else who needs to see it will.
7. 5 Things Not to Say to a Writer This post is from 2013, and I remember what made me write it. I was still working at crisis back then. We had some down time and were sitting around. I was working on a story and started bouncing ideas off my Arizona bestie, who is not a writer. He pretty much said everything on this list, and it made me crazy. When I showed him the blog post, he laughed.
8. Promoting Kindness This post was inspired by all the vitriol I see (even among friends) over differing opinions regarding politics.
9. 10 Best Fiction Books About Mental Illness I love that more people are trying to write characters with mental illnesses; I just prefer that people get it right. Exposure to fiction is known to increase empathy, so reading about characters with mental illness definitely can promote understanding and reduce fear of these disorders.
10. The Pros and Cons of Writing in Coffee Shops Spoiler alert… it’s not my thing!

Doing a very scientific analysis, it seems that my most popular posts are lists of books and more personal type posts. I’ll try to keep that in mind as I’m brainstorming topics next year.

Are there any topics you’d like to see me write about? Any topics you’d like less of? I’m always open to suggestions, so feel free to comment on this (or any post) or email me at doreeweller@gmail.com.

Thanks for coming along for the ride that was 2017 for me! I’m hoping that 2018 will be even better.

Never Enough

Do you ever think you’re never enough?  Not pretty enough?  Not fashionable enough?  Not skinny enough, gourmet enough, housekeeper enough, mom enough, smart enough, energetic enough?  This list could probably go on and on.  In a culture where being the best and most beautiful is the goal, most of us will never meet it.

My dogs are mutts.  Yeah, I say one is a German Shepherd and the other a Lab, but they’re both mutts.  If I took them to an AKC event, no one would look twice at them.  Ripley has a “defective” ear that won’t stand up straight.  Midnyte has a cracked and dry nose.  Neither of them are going to win beauty contests, but I think they’re the best dogs in the world.  They greet me when I come home and sit at my feet when I read.  They love me unconditionally, and I love them back the same way… even when Ripley wakes me up at 4 a.m., vomiting pieces of frisbee she thought looked tasty. (true story)

I often call my backyard my “sanctuary.”  I love it back there.  Wind rustles softly through my Mesquite tree and my Palo Verde.  My wind chime sounds softly, and it all goes together with the birds chirping in my tree and my neighbor’s Mesquite, while I inhale the soft smell of desert mixed with the sweetness of things blooming.  It’s never going to win any contests with Better Homes and Gardens, but I love it.  Even when a dust storm blows through, leaving debris all over my yard.

My point is… even though these things probably aren’t the “best” in an objective way, they’re what I love.  I love them for their flaws and despite their flaws.  I love Ripley’s “defective” ear.  It’s part of her quirky personality.  I love Midnyte’s cracked nose.  It reminds me that she’s getting older, and that she’s been a loyal friend for many years now.  I love my crooked tree and the leaves piled in my yard.  Because it’s home, and there’s no fragile illusion of perfection.

I’m me.  Overweight, unable to do anything productive with my hair, chip in my front tooth.  I’m also witty, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal to those I love.  I could write an entire blog about what I’m not.  But why would I?  Why should I?  I don’t have to be the best at something to enjoy it, and to bring enjoyment to others.  I try to spread positivity.  I’m still judgmental and rude sometimes, but I keep trying.  Because life is a journey, not a destination.  Cliche, but true.

I wrote this post because it’s been something I’ve been talking about in my group lately.  And because someone posted this video on Facebook.  It’s a powerful slideshow of pictures of beautiful women.  The women in the video are ordinary, but the photographer captured the essence of who they are, in that one moment where their sense of humor, compassion, joy, or love shone through and was captured.  I have pictures of me where I’m beautiful for that moment because who I was shone through for a moment.  Beauty isn’t one moment in front of a mirror, or one day that your makeup and hair was perfect. It’s confidence.  Love.  Joy.  Compassion.  Loyalty.  Being a mom (or a dad).  Staying positive.  Grieving someone who’s gone.

Here’s to 2014.  Embrace possibility.  Be beautiful.  Go forth and awesome!

Friday Writing Prompt- Resolutions

Write about a time when you (or your character) made New Year’s Resolutions.  What happened with them?  Did you (or your character) follow through?  Are you (or your character) making resolutions this year?

I don’t typically make New Year’s Resolutions.  It’s just that I’ve never seen the point of picking a certain date to start things.  If I want to lose weight, I want to lose it now.  If I want to reduce my stress, I’d rather do it yesterday.

However, I recently realized that creating New Year’s Resolutions is more about looking back on the past year and anticipating the coming one.  Sitting down and thinking about the year in review and thinking about my plans for next year might not be such a bad idea after all.

Here’s a list of popular New Year’s Resolutions:

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New-Years-Resolutions.shtml