Life in progress

Monthly Archives: August 2020


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#SoCS – Rice Krispies

I buy those mini ten-packs of cereal every couple of weeks for us to munch on if we run out of food before my once-a-week shopping trip. My son Chris usually eats them, all but the Rice Krispies, so I have about 8 boxes of them in the cupboard. I suppose they’re not sweet enough for him. He loves his Rice Krispie Squares, though.

Why do they call them squares? They’re rectangular.

I loved the little boxes of cereal when I was a kid. I used to open them along the tear lines and open the waxed paper inside and pour milk in and eat the cereal right out of the box. Do they still have the lines in the boxes to do that?

I’ll go check. Be right back.

I’m back. And no, you can’t cut the box open along the lines anymore. I suppose you could still do it yourself, but who knows if the package inside is milk-proof?

I’d have to try it to find out. But I’m not hungry right now.

I’m counting down the number of spoonsful of green tea ice cream I have to eat before I can open the chocolate peanut butter one. I’d say I have maybe a dozen spoonsful left. That’s some major self-control right there.

Proud of me? I am. Almost as proud as I would be if I hadn’t bought it at all. But there you go. Pobody’s nerfect.

So now I’m wondering how old I have to be to remember eating cereal and milk right out of the box.

Probably ancient.

 

 

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

This aging-myself, on-time-for-once post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/08/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-29-2020/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 29/2020

Friday’s here and so is your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Having a hard time getting Alex out of bed for his walks lately. He’s finally turning into a teenager! Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “more than a hundred.” Write your post inspired by something you have more than a hundred of in your home right now. 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 45 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, August 27th, 2020

My day today so far–11:53am

I have failed. I have failed in my resolve and thus, as a human being.

Okay, maybe it’s not quite that dire.

Let me back up a bit.

Thursday (that’s today, right?) is shopping day. Despite best-laid plans to get up and be at the grocery store when they opened at 8:00 I didn’t wake up until my son screamed at me that it was time to go shopping now, Mom, at 9:00.

So I quickly dressed and jumped in the car.

Here’s my excuse: I’m in the ice cream aisle, it’s, like 9:40, and I haven’t had coffee yet. AN UNCAFFEINATED BRAIN CANNOT FUNCTION IN THE ICE CREAM AISLE!

So I did it. Even though I still have half a container of green tea Haagen-Dasz in the freezer at home, I bought a container of the chocolate and peanut butter one.

I have failed.

And damn it, I refuse to be sorry.
Photo: The lid of the most heavenly, most addictive ice cream on the planet: Haagen-Dasz Chocolate Peanut Butter.

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 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.

 


by 3 Comments

“Saddled” 40% off sale ends today, and “Pixy” is freeeee

Today only, you can get Saddled 40% off at Kobo!

Saddled is the story of Michael, a guy who’s ready to quit stripping for a living and settle down in a career he’s been training for for years. When he starts to his new day job, he meets Sandra, the Sales Manager. Thus begins an office romance … or does it?

Add a gaggle of humorless co-workers, a no-dating policy at the office, and the fact that Sandra assumes Michael is gay when she sees him disrobing for a pub full of men, and you’ve got a novel that one reviewer describes as “…a huge barrel of laughs!”  (Link goes to the full review on Amazon.)

The 40% discount is available ON KOBO ONLY in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. If you’re here in Canada, you can read any of my books that are on Kobo for free with your Kobo Plus subscription!

If you want to take advantage of the discount, add the book to your cart and enter the promo code AUGSALE at checkout.

CLICK THIS LINK!

Next up: PIXY!

In the mood for some lighthearted paranormal romance? Have I got a freebie for you!

Ivy is a widow, managing her farm all by herself when Merryn appears, willing to help until he’s summoned back home. But if they touch, she’ll be drawn into his magical pixy existence and linked to him forever…

Pixy is available only on Kindle. Pick it up FREE until August 30th, when the price goes back to 99 cents. On September 1st, it goes up to $2.99, so get it now!

KINDLE US

KINDLE UK

KINDLE Canada

KINDLE Australia

 


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One-Liner Wednesday – Just me?

Photo: A new lawn being laid with a hoe, held by someone out of the picture, evening out the soil to roll out a roll of sod on top of it. Caption reads: “Am I the only one whose eye puts an N between the W and the M whenever they read the word “lawmaker”?”

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 26 Comments

#SoCS – A Brush with Good Health

It’s been a while since I last had a brush with good health. You know, one of those rare moments when nothing hurts? Anyone over 50? I’m talking to you.

My latest what-I’m-calling-stress-related ailment is tinnitus. As I sit here, it’s shrieking in my ears. Driving me to absolute distraction. I had it yesterday too. Today, I noticed it only when I thought of it, which kinda tells me that it’s likely all in my head.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s in my ears so obviously it’s all in my head.

But getting this post written was stressing me out, so it’s back … I understand, though, that the antacid meds the doctor gave me for heartburn could have caused it in the first place. Crazy, eh? So if you’re taking a new medication and you suddenly start to get tinnitus? Check out the side effects of the medication.

And that’s my PSA for the day.

No walk for us today. It’s been hot again and will be for the foreseeable future, and I didn’t wake up until 10am this morning. I must have needed the sleep. Surprisingly, I’m exhausted now. And it’s only 1:24am.

I must need more exercise.

Yep, I’m afraid I’m done for the night. Hope you’re having a good one.

 

 

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

This tired post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/08/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-22-2020/


by 50 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 22/2020

Is it really Friday? Whether or not it is, I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. It’s only 9:23am and I’ve already been for a walk AND learned the difference between an idiom and a colloquialism. Go me! Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “brush.” Use it as a noun, a verb, or an idiom. Have fun!

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 21 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, August 20th, 2020

My day today so far–9:24pm

Thursday has become shopping day for me. I got up bright and early, determined to get to the store before 8am, only to find they’re only open at 7 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays now. Luckily I only had five minutes to wait.

The big decision came when I got to the ice cream section. My chocolate-peanut butter Haagen Dasz in the freezer at home almost gone, I could get another one to replace it or go for something else.

…

What to do?

…

I got green tea flavour instead. The good thing about going grocery shopping before breakfast is I can’t stand the thought of chocolate until after I’ve had my first cup of coffee.

I may have to have coffee before I go shopping next Thursday…

In other news, I went out for a walk alone tonight and it felt weird.

I’ve been alone so infrequently in the past five months, I actually missed having Alex with me. I felt guilty for not having him with me. (He refused to come, as hard as I tried to talk him into it.)

But the point is, I’ve never felt weird being alone before. Walking around my own neighbourhood with my phone in my hand gave me a sense of unease.

I, who have wandered the streets of Tokyo, a half a world away from everyone I know, with no cell phone and no way to be found and felt completely at ease doing so.

It’s strange what five short months can do to a person.

Photos: A completely flat yard of gravel and the man who’s making it appear as waves of water. Also, a statue of Buddha, a bell, and a plaque explaining where it came from–Switzerland, to be exact. There’s a better description of the place in a link below.

The man spoke not a word of English, but I told him as best I could that his work was beautiful. I hope he understood me. He gave me a pamphlet, all in Japanese, and explained that I should have it translated so I could learn about the place. Honsen-ji Temple, Shinigawa. It is, indeed, fascinating.

Well, this post went off the beaten path, didn’t it?

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 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.

 


by 59 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Dreamin’

Just a dog, dreamin’ of chasin’ a squirrel.


Photo: Winston, my beagle/Basset hound cross, sitting with his paws up on the back of the couch, staring dreamily out the window.

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 19 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? Monday, August 17th, 2020

My day today so far–8:25pm

I spent all day yesterday thinking it was Wednesday for some strange reason. So that makes today “Thurmonday” I guess? I had to laugh this morning, though. I woke Alex up at 9am (one of my little pleasures in life after having been woken up by him almost daily since he was born), and the first thing he asked, in a panic, was “What day is it?” Not that it really matters, since every day is the same anyway, but seeing myself in my son is always fun.

It was threatening to rain this morning so we didn’t get out for our walk. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous for the next couple of days, though, so hopefully we’ll get out for longer walks that aren’t at the butt-crack of dawn.

I’ve had the munchies all day today. Do you get those days? It doesn’t help that I picked up a container of chocolate and peanut butter Haagen Dasz on Thursday. It was the only one on the shelf that looked appetizing so I bought it even though I’ve never tried it before. It’s Haagen Dasz–how bad can it be?

HA!

It. Is. The. Most. Addictive. Substance. On. The. Planet.

One of the small containers of Haagen Dasz usually lasts me a week. I eat, like, six small spoonfuls a day. This stuff? I’m considering putting a padlock on the freezer door and putting the key upstairs so I at least have to walk up and down the stairs twice every time I go back for more.

I have to make it last ’til shopping day Thursday.

It’s Wednesday today, right? 😉

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 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.