Life in progress

Monthly Archives: January 2020


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 1/2020

Hi there! I’m back with your regularly scheduled Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Of course, I’m writing this while it’s still January, but the prompt is for Saturday’s post, and Saturday will be the first of freakin’ February! Crazy stuff, man! Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “choices.” Base your post on the subject of making small, uneventful choices. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our beautiful SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


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Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 31st, 2020

It’s the last day of Just Jot it January 2020! Where has the month gone? Our final prompt comes from Robbie Ann who has nothing on her blog, so I won’t link to it. Thanks anyway, Robbie Ann!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 31st, 2020, is “chaos.” Use the word “chaos” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 31st, 2020.

2. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

8. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

9. Have fun!


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#JusJoJan 28/20 – Never Finished

I’ll start one more time with a warm thank you to our guest prompter. Lauren provided us with our prompt word of the day, “finished.” Thank you, Lauren! You can find Lauren’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow, if you’re not already!

It seems there are more things in my life that will never be finished than there are that I’ll be able to finish.

Dishes? There will always be more.

Same with laundry, sweeping up dog hair, shoveling snow …

Okay, the snow will melt. But will it be back in December?

Yes. It probably will.

But it’s those things we never finish that keep us going.

Where would we be without dishes?

Hungry.

Or cleaning up a really messy kitchen table.

Without laundry?

Naked.

Or smelly.

Without dog hair?

Dogless, of course.

Without snow?

…

Enjoying going outside.

I have no idea where I was going with this post.

 

 

This aimless, unfinished post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/30/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-30th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


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Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 30th, 2020

Welcome to your 30th prompt for Just Jot it January 2020! Today’s prompt comes to us compliments of Lauren. Thank you, Lauren! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 30th, 2020, is “finished.” Use the word “finished” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 30th, 2020.

2. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

8. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

9. Have fun!


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One-Liner Wednesday/JusJoJan the 29th, 2020 – Doggy Boo-Boo

Winston is rocking the pink bandage the vet put on him today after pulling out an ingrown dew claw.

Winston, the beagle-Basset, laying on the couch looking pretty miserable, actually.

 

If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure.

Here are the simple JusJoJan Rules:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

2 a) The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

3. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!


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#JusJoJan 28/20 – TV Time

Thanks very much to Barbara! She provided us with our prompt word of the day, “television.” You can find Barbara’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow, if you’re not already!

Okay, you’re going to think this is weird.

You might even laugh.

But get this …

You ready?

No, I’m not going to say I don’t have a TV–I do. And it’s on during Alex’s every waking moment.

The strange thing?

…

You sure you’re ready?

…

Are you sitting down?

Because you should be sitting down.

Okay. Here we go.

…

You know, after all this build up it’s probably going to be a big let down.

But in for a penny

in for a pound.

Right?

Okay. Here it is.

My big confession.

…

Watching TV is …

…

…

on my to-do list.

That’s it.

Because I really want to do it, and there are so many things I want to watch, but I just don’t have time.

And NOT watching TV, I think, is detrimental.

To my creativity.

I spend so much time on the Internet, or alone, or in my head …

And the only face-to-face human contact I have, sometimes for weeks on end …

is with my kids.

I forget, sometimes, how regular people–adult people, who aren’t family and aren’t disembodied voices that I read on my screen–interact with each other.

I’m forgetting how to relationship.

(Yeah, I just turned relationship into a verb.

Sue me.)

And that sucks, because I write relationship books.

Which is what romance novels are, after all.

So, yeah. I need to get around to watching TV.

Just one of the thousand things on my to-do list.

 

This histrionical post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/28/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-28th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


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Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 28th, 2020

Hey there! I’m here with your 28th prompt for Just Jot it January 2020. Today’s prompt comes to us courtesy of Barbara. Thank you so much, Barbara! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 28th, 2020, is “television.” Use the word “television” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 28th, 2020.

2. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

8. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

9. Have fun!


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#JusJoJan 27/20 – Razzle Dazzle

To start, I’d like to say thank you very much to Debbie for our dazzling prompt word today! You can find Debbie’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow!

Is it just me? Or is it a fact that the older you get, the harder it is to get dazzled by anything? I wonder if it’s cynicism–the belief that whatever dazzles now can’t last.

It’s experience, right?

If we can get old, anything can.

Still, if you know me, then you’ll know there’s at least one thing that doesn’t stop dazzling me, no matter how old it gets. A band that’s been together for 33 years. A band I’ve traveled half-way around the world to see. Japanese rock group, Buck-Tick.

And guess what?

They recorded a whole concert on their “Go on the Razzle Dazzle” tour.

Here’s one of my favorite songs from that tour, with English subtitles, no less.

Tell me you’re not dazzled by this! I dare you!

 

This totally dazzling post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/27/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-27th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


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Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 27th, 2020

Monday’s here and so is your 27th Just Jot it January 2020 prompt. Today’s prompt comes to us compliments of Debbie. Thank you so much, Debbie! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 27th, 2020, is “dazzle.” Use the word “dazzle” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 27th, 2020.

2. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

4. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

7. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

8. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

9. Have fun!


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#JusJoJan 26/20 – Being Busy

Thanks very much to Saumya for our prompt word of the day, “busy.” You can find Saumya’s blog here. I didn’t find a Just Jot it January post there–maybe she’s busy! 😀 Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow!

You know, I say I’m busy all the time, but it’s not necessarily the case. Kind of.

I mean, I always do have something to do.

But some of those things I have to do take a certain amount of creativity.

And so, I’ll sit down to get “busy” on them, and I just … can’t. So I run off and make myself a cup of tea, or play a mindless game, or learn something from a podcast … You get the picture.

And then sometimes I come back to whatever it is I need to do, and I can actually do it.

But other times, I come back and immediately run away again. Because I’m not ready. Not creative enough. Or just afraid that whatever I do with whatever it is I need to create will come out as crap.

It’s procrastination, is what it is.

But it’s not just that.

The fear is real.

The problem is, when I do reach the deadline (which is usually bed time) that I absolutely have to sit down and do it, I get stressed.

Because if I just hadn’t procrastinated all day, I’d have it done and I’d be able to get to bed before 2am.

I need a way to get over it.

The solution is probably exercise.

Yeah. I’ll do that instead of what I’m supposed to be busy doing.

*rolls eyes*

 

This procrastinated upon post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/26/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-26th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here