Life in progress

Monthly Archives: March 2020


by 24 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

My day today so far–12:11pm: 

Again, I haven’t done much other than answer a couple of emails and check my social media channels this morning. It would be more exciting, I suppose, to do this later in the day, but then I’ll miss out on the opportunity to remind us all what day it is early on. And it’s true–I would have no idea what day it is if I didn’t do these posts. I’ll have to find a way to incorporate them into the A-Z Challenge. Anyone else doing it? Let me know your theme in the comments, if you have one.

Yesterday:

Alex and I went for a walk despite the fact that it was raining a bit. Two days inside was too much to contemplate.


Photo: Alex and I under our umbrellas. Alex, as usual, is smiling.

My eldest went to the corner store for cat food yesterday evening and came home to let me know they had toilet paper. But he didn’t buy any. I could have strangled him.

In other words, all is as normal here.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 15 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Monday, March 30th, 2020

My day today so far–10:54am: 

Though I haven’t done much so far, I feel like I accomplished something–I responded to some comments on my blog! As you know if I responded to yours.

I should be editing my upcoming book. I’m on a deadline and must have it ready by April 18th. This is not negotiable, as I signed up for a review service a full ten months ago, and have been waiting for this date ever since. Nothing like procrastinating ’til the last minute to get things ready, is there?

Alex was excited to get back to “school” this morning, so that’s a plus. The rain has stopped for the time being, so we’re off for a walk in a few.

Yesterday:

Spent the entire day indoors with a demanding kid. Hopefully my “yesterday” tomorrow will be more exciting. 😛

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 26 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Sunday, March 29th, 2020

My day today so far–3:04pm: 

Alex and I were working on his Easter bunny decoration earlier. Got that finished and hung up, then I went to the pharmacy–that’s about it. It’s a rainy day. Alex is restless and won’t let me work, which is frustrating.


Photo: A paper bunny decoration with coloured eggs taped onto a paper plate in a circle to make a wreath.

Yesterday:

Went for one long walk. A couple of days ago now (I think), Alex’s teacher was talking about the importance of social distancing and the fact that he can just wave to people without getting too close. Alex, being the social butterfly he is, started waving to everyone. So we were walking up one of the busier streets and I was explaining to him in sign language that he doesn’t have to wave to everyone, but if he sees a friend, that’s okay. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that there was a car coming as I explained it. The friendly man in the passenger seat waved back at me.

Ah, I love sign language.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 25 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? #SoCS Edition Saturday, March 28th, 2020

Straying from the setup of my usual #WDIIA posts because I don’t want to box myself in while writing stream of consciousness style. We’ll be back to regular programming tomorrow.

Sitting beside me now (because it would be cheating just as much for me to have sat down beside something in particular to post the prompt as it was for me to sit beside something now just to write about it–but I didn’t cheat! Honest!) is a package of old photos. This is the first one I pulled out of the package:


Alex must have been less than six months old in this photo, because he was still feeding through a tube in his nose. The g-tube that’s still in his stomach was put there when he was half a year old. Judging by his size, this photo might have been taken before his open-heart surgery. And judging by the rocking chair I was sitting in, it was probably taken in the NICU at CHEO. Definitely CHEO. (The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.)

Back then we were living one day at a time, not knowing what the next day or even the next hour would bring. Kind of like now.

I braved the store again today. No TP, but I did get everything else. Except Kraft Dinner. There wasn’t a single box left. I asked, because of Alex and his heart condition, if I could come in the morning to the store when the seniors did, but the cashier wasn’t sure. I have to call the store later and ask. I wore a mask–people stayed far away from me and didn’t even look at me, at least not directly.

What a strange world we live in now. It’s amazing, to me at least, to think that just a month ago we were going about our lives as we always did. Remember the crowds in the malls at Christmas? That was only three months and a bit ago! It feels like years. Makes you wonder what Christmas shopping is going to look like this year, doesn’t it? Amazon will be booming, methinks.

Yesterday … What did I do yesterday? Ah, right. Went out for two walks with Alex. Plus, I recruited his brother to watch him while I went off alone and worked in the back seat of my car. Good news! I got my edit done, so I can send my book out to beta readers.

Moving forward. It’s all we can do.

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

This adaptation of #WDIIA and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by both. To join us in the SoCS tradition, click the following link where you’ll find all the instructions and the other participants’ posts in the comments. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/03/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-28-2020/ Or you can link to this post if you just want to write a What Day is it Anyway? post.


by 19 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Friday, March 27th, 2020

My day today so far–11:28am: 

Didn’t make it to the store again this morning. I wonder if Saturday will be better anyway. It’s a day people traditionally try to sleep in. Maybe old habits will die hard. It’s a beautiful sunny day today, so I anticipate going out for lots of walking.

Meanwhile, Alex has lots of cool projects that have been suggested by his teacher. But he’s so impatient to get started! And I don’t have half the supplies he needs. Still a first world problem when you think about what others are going through.

Yesterday:

Went out for one short 50-minute walk yesterday. I was happy to see they’ve closed off the local playground. I was aghast that people were still letting their kids play there, right up until the day before yesterday! Stupid people!

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 57 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 28/2020

Had to double check again and make sure it’s actually Friday and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. What’s new? Not much around these parts. Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “beside you.” Write about whatever is beside you when you read this prompt. Not when you sit down to write, but whatever is beside you right now. Take note of it if you think you might forget. 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!


by 33 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, March 26th, 2020 – Fun Help Wanted

My day today so far–11:41am: 

Had a failed attempt to go to the grocery store. To start, I tossed and turned until 3:46 (the last time I looked at the clock) so I woke up late. I wanted to get there early, but I was going anyway. Then, on my way to the store, I got a call from my eldest son to say Alex’s feeding pump wouldn’t work. All in all it was a nice drive around the block. Will try again tomorrow. In the meantime, my best friend, John, is picking up a few essentials for me.

In better news, I found a mask I’d kept from a previous visit to the hospital, like, more than a year ago. So I have a mask to wear when I go to the store. Yay!

It’s the little things in life that brighten your day, isn’t it?

In other even better news, I’m almost finished the edit before the copyedit of my new book, Saddled, “Once a Week at Woody’s, Book 1”, so if anyone is interested in beta reading a romantic comedy novel about a male stripper (naughty but not erotica), let me know either in the comments or email me at linda@lindaghill.com. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “beta reading,” it’s a call for honest feedback on a novel that’s not polished. In my case, I only need to know if there are any boring parts, if something doesn’t make sense, or if you find any inconsistencies in the plot, flow of the story, or the characters. I know there will be a few small issues with grammar and maybe a few more typos than you’re used to seeing in a published book, but they will be taken care of when I do my next edit. I’ll need feedback by April 3rd. Serious inquiries only, please.

Yesterday:

I could only handle an hour and a half of walking yesterday because on Tuesday I crippled myself by going out for three hours! 10km, according to my step counter.

Alex had a scavenger hunt to do. I’m quite proud of this photo of a fire hydrant for some reason.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 62 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Change

Created at Canva.com

Photo: A black leather couch in a white room. I created a poster out of the photo. It reads: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi

 

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. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.

NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.

Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”

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


by 27 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

My day today so far–10:56am: 

Another day of being woken up by Alex, excited to start his school work. I’m attempting to get him to work independently, but he keeps asking me to watch his videos. I really shouldn’t complain though. We’re fortunate to have this means of communicating with the outside world.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the positives that might come out of this whole ordeal. Maybe it will teach us to be less wasteful, having so many things we can’t just pop out and pick up. In a time when we’re starting to forget what our parents who lived through WWII taught us, we’re learning first hand.

I can envision all of us learning to appreciate our families more–those we’re in forced proximity with, and those we can’t visit. And maybe it will teach those of us who have never worked in front-line retail to respect those who do.

What positives do you see coming from this?

In heartburn news, I’m just getting used to it. As one does. I won’t update again unless anything changes, which it probably won’t since I’m not giving up my coffee, aka nectar of the gods.

Yesterday:

We stayed in all day yesterday. Didn’t even get out of our pjs. I’ll try today to take a photo for tomorrow’s One-Liner Wednesday, which will be in place of #WDIIA. Maybe. I might do both.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


by 21 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Monday, March 23rd, 2020

My day today so far–11:44am: 

I woke up first to a call from my eldest son to say he was coming home from his job to stay. They’re letting him keep his job and go on unemployment so he can stay home and not risk infecting Alex. For my new followers (Hi! So glad you’re here!), my son Alex is Deaf, has multiple cardiac and lung capacity issues, and is tube-fed.

And as of this morning, Alex is incredibly excited to be able to learn from home via Google Classroom! Five minutes after the phone call woke me, Alex was in my room with his laptop asking me how to sign in to his Google account. As I write this, he’s folding laundry–one of the tasks he was given (chores of my choosing) to do as part of his school work. Can’t beat that!

Not sure if we’ll get out for our walk today since it’s snowing. The snow might turn to rain later. I wish the weather would make up its mind soon.

The heartburn is about the same. I’m almost convinced now that it’s stress-related.

Yesterday:

We managed to get out and do another 10K steps. Making more of a point of walking waaay around others. We came across some sidewalk art, so I took a photo. I couldn’t see the screen on my phone because the sun was so bright, so I only got one panel. Hopefully it will still be there tomorrow so I can get more photos.

Photo: Chalk writing on the sidewalk that says “Kindness is contagious.”

Let’s all make kindness contagious!

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!