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Daily Archives: January 18, 2020


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Prompt Me Part 3 – #JusJoJan 2020

Week of January 19 – 24, 2020

I’m looking for prompt words for Just Jot it January! This is your chance to inspire other people and have your blog linked to the Daily Prompt post.

I’ve decided to do this weekly this year. I only need 5 prompt words today–if you miss getting your word in on this post, your next (and last) chance will be on Saturday, January 25th. I’ll schedule these posts at different times of the day so people all over the world get a chance to see it first.

Read the rules carefully! I need 5 single words to use in the Just Jot It January challenge, for January 19th through to the 24th inclusive. This is how you can be included:

  • The first 5 comments on this post that include a single word will be the prompts for the first full week of January. These prompts will go up on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I’ll take care of One-Liner Wednesday and Stream of Consciousness Saturday myself.  If you write more than one word in your comment, for example, “My word is antidisestablishmentarianism,” I’ll ignore it. Same thing if you try to slip in two, even in two different comments–I’ll only accept the first. If I get the same word twice, I’ll only accept the first person who got to it. If you’re the second, feel free to try again. And please, remember this is a relatively G-rated blog, so nothing too risque.
  • I’ll link back to the blog of whomever gives me a prompt on the day I use it.
  • Make sure you get your comment in early. You don’t want to miss out!
  • Please don’t bother entering a prompt if your blog is inactive or if it exists only to sell things. If you haven’t posted in over a month and you’re only looking for clicks, your prompt word will be rejected. If, on the other hand, you’re planning to use JusJoJan to inspire you to get back into the swing of things, let me know immediately in a second comment — NOT the one you give your prompt word in. Remember, that’s ONE word only. If I can’t find a reasonable number of posts written in the last month that aren’t trying to sell a product, your prompt word will be rejected.
  • I observed a few years ago that many of our prompt words were negative in nature. I found they didn’t do as well as the more positive words. I don’t want to limit you, but please keep in mind that if your word is on the sadder or angrier side, your prompt may not get as much participation.
  • If you provide a prompt, I encourage you to join in as much as possible throughout the month.
  • Only one prompt per person for the month. If you get in this week, don’t try again next week.
  • NOTE: Please count the number of correct (one word only) comments ahead of yours. If there are already 5, save yours for January next week!

Please see the “Rules” post for a complete list of the prompt words. I’ll populate it as the words come in. Here’s the link in case you missed it: https://lindaghill.com/2019/12/31/just-jot-it-january-2020-the-rules/

Okay. Are you ready? Aaaaand… prompt! One word!

 EDIT: We have all our words for this week! Check back next Saturday for the final prompt request post for this year!


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#JusJoJan 17/20 – A Jade

I’d like to start by saying thank you to MB for our prompt word, “jade,” today. Thank you, MB! You can find her Just Jot it January post here. Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow!

I don’t have much to talk about on the subject of jade, the stone. And I’m not easily jaded on any subject. So I thought I’d check out the dictionary definition of the word “jade,” and lo and behold, I found something to talk about!

I had no idea that “jade” the noun, can refer to, and I quote from Merriam-Webster dictionary:

a broken-down, vicious, or worthless horse

I’ve known a jade, and I didn’t like it.

I worked, for a time, at a few different thoroughbred horse stables. My job was mostly mucking out stalls and feeding the animals.

There was one place I worked for–I don’t remember the name of the farm, but it was in King City, Ontario, where, at least at the time, there were reportedly more millionaires per square acre than anywhere else in North America, including anywhere in California.

There, I met a horse we less-than-affectionately called “Shithead.” That wasn’t the horse’s real name, and to be caught calling the horse that in front of the owner would most certainly have resulted in being fired. (I don’t remember the horse’s real name, but he was a winner at the track, apparently.)

So Shithead wasn’t a broken-down horse, nor was he worthless. But man, was he vicious. He detested people. All of us.

Fortunately, we didn’t muck out stalls with the horses in them–racehorses and pitchforks should never be in the same place at the same time. But that meant we had to lead the beast out of the stall to put him in a paddock, and bring him back later. It was only a short walk, I managed to avoid Shithead’s teeth by holding his lead rope close to his chest, walking close to his shoulder (he walked very fast, so I was never ahead of him anyway), and flicking at his nose if he tried to turn around a bite my body.

Except one time when I was cooling him down after the jockey had him out on the track. I worked there in the winter, so I had a good thick coat on and thank God for that because have you ever been bitten by a horse that meant to bite? It’s not like the little nibble you might get if you don’t hold your palm flat enough when you’re feeding one. It hurts!

I was happy not to have to punish the horse–I was in too much pain.

At other farms I’ve worked at, punishing a horse was called a shit-kicking. At a thoroughbred farm, it’s called an attitude adjustment, again for the sake of the owners who have tens of thousands of dollars invested in the animals. I didn’t feel the slightest bit bad that the vicious expensive horse received an attitude adjustment that day.

All this to say if you ever come across a horse whose name is Jade, stay away from its teeth. It might have come by its name honestly.

 

This true story is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/17/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-17th-2020/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

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