Category: hobbies

My Second Blog Birthday

I am currently on holiday but thought I should acknowledge a milestone for my little blog. It is now two years since I started blogging properly. When I get my teeth into something, I generally stick at it for a while but doing this for two years was totally unexpected. My blog birthday is here and I am grateful to all the wonderful readers and contributors who have helped me get this far.

Looking Back

Although I had a free WordPress blog for a while, I rarely used it. Once in a while I would write a book review or poem but it was very much a hobby.

Then, at the end of May 2022, I made a decision to blog regularly and establish a site that celebrated the things that I enjoy. In doing so, I became a part of the brilliant blogging community. As a result, I have made some blogger buddies and appreciated making valued connections and friendships.

Things I Have Achieved

At the time of writing, I now have 983 followers, written 671 posts and welcomed many wonderful guest posts.

I have also joined an incredible group of bloggers called ‘The Climate Change Collective’ where we celebrate environmental initiatives. Each month we take turns to write posts, including recent research and practical methods to help fight global warming.

Here is our May article for you to have a look at:

Climate Change Collective: How green spaces help our planet

Thank you so much for supporting my blog and taking time to respond to my articles with comments. I really appreciate the love my blog has felt and look forward to another year of producing lifestyle articles. If you haven’t already followed the blog, please consider it.

On it’s second blog birthday, I think I will have to raise a glass in appreciation for the blogging community.

More Star Wars – News!

If you are anything like me, you will have watched all of the Star Wars films several times over the years. I was born in 1977 when the original Star Wars movie came out. This fact makes me feel like I am part of a Star Wars generation. TV series and movies come and go but right now I am excited to see that there have been more Star Wars news announcements over Easter.

I was beginning to wonder what comes next after the disappointing news that Willow won’t be renewed in the near future. Never say never though. It feels like this is the right time for some big feature films to appear on the horizon instead.

So we all need to get ourselves ready to be wowed by the amazing special effects of ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). I was recently watching a documentary about how they began with Star Wars – Episode 4. George Lucas gathered together a group of model makers and technology wizards to push the boundaries of film making. Now they make so many epic movies and lead the way with CGI.

Anyway, here is what we know so far about the new Star Wars developments. So, strap yourself in and get ready for more light-speed action and heart-warming Jedi orientated narratives.

Mandolurian Paved The Way

As the Mandolurians say quite often, ‘This is the way.’ For me, it is a no-brainer that Lucasfilm are continuing to extend the Star Wars Universe. George Lucas always saw the possibility of lots of storylines existing on the same timeline.

With the popularity of Baby Yoga (Grogu) and his companion Mando (the Mandolurian) there was bound to be more. The spin-off Star Wars series such as Obi-Wan and the Book of Bobba Fett have roped in younger fans and kept Star Wars popular and relevant. Rightly so.

What’s New?

Legendary Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy announced that there will be three more movies in the Star Wars franchise. They will be covering different aspects of the Galaxy and set at different times.

Dave Filoni, who fronted Mando and Bobba Fett, amongst other TV shows, is directing a film about the New Republic. I have been loving the new Disney Plus seasons and wondered how they all connected. Maybe this film will bridge the gaps.

James Mangold will apparently direct a movie taking us back to the dawn of the Jedi. Meanwhile, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing as we watch Rey (played again by Daisy Ridley) trying to build a new Jedi order after the events of the last film.

In A Nutshell

I have to say I wish I had had tickets to the Disney Celebration event last weekend. It must have been amazing to witness Kathleen Kennedy announce these incredible new films. Since producing Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler’s List and the newer Star Wars movies, I have always found her an inspiring film maker.

Are you excited about three new Star Wars movies? Do you have fond memories of growing up with the franchise? Let me know what you think in the comments. Perhaps you are a lifetime fan of Yoda, Leia and R2D2, like me.

Also, have a look at my recent Dungeons and Dragons review. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar content. I especially love reviewing books, TV shows and movies. My blog also keeps you up to date with environmental issues and how to be ecofriendly.

My Current Projects

Sometimes I feel like just taking stock of what I am up to with regards to writing and blogging. This post is to let you know what my current projects are and how I am getting on with these.

As a teacher, I have to be very organised in order to write fresh content. I also want to keep expanding my horizons because one day I want to write for a living.

Blogging

My blog is nearly two years old and I have varied the amount of content I produced. Lately I have tried to be more consistent and I can see the engagement has gone up. Here are a couple of recent articles I am proud of:

Allelujah Film: Celebrating The NHS
Read, Watch and Listen – April

Audio

I have also decided to really get into podcasting again. I dallied in it once before but did not make enough time to grow the podcast. Now I have decided to make sure I produce some spoken content weekly, even if just a small amount.

Here is my first episode:

Or you can find it here:

JamieAdStories Podcast – on Apple Podcasts

Final Thoughts

I appreciate your thoughts on my current projects and would love some followers for my brand new podcast. Thank you for being supportive and keeping up to date with my content.