Life in progress

Monthly Archives: February 2025


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 1, 2025

It’s the last Friday of February, and I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. On one hand, I’m ready for winter to be over. On the other hand, I don’t have to deal with mosquitoes and tornadoes… Let’s keep winter! Here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mouse.” Use it any way you’d like. 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 particular 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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A lovely day

It was a lovely day to walk to our local polling station to vote in Ontario’s provincial election.

Photo: My son Chris walking ahead of me on a snowy sidewalk with houses on the right and trees on the left. Alex waited with me while I took the picture.


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One-Liner Wednesday – Useless superpowers

I discovered last week that I have a superpower; I can pace at a rate of exactly sixty steps per minute without looking at the clock for twenty seconds or so.

Do you have a useless superpower?

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, 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

Available now! All proceeds go to researching breast cancer. Click the image!


by 38 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 22, 2025

Oh my gosh, it’s Friday already! And I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’m not doing very well with the whole posting every day thing, but I’m still trying! You just can’t tell … because I’m not posting every day. Next week, though. For sure! Maybe. Here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “in person.” Use it any way you’d like. 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 particular 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 29 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry

I just love it when Alex gets hold of my phone and enters holidays into my calendar as events. Like this past Monday morning at 7:30, my phone pinging and cheerfully letting me know “It’s Family Day – you don’t have to wake up early!” 🙄

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, 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

Available now! Click the image.


by 7 Comments

Weekended Update

Not to be confused with SNL’s more famous “Weekend Update” sketch.

In book publishing news …

I’m almost finished the edit of Book One of my new vampire series, now entitled “Of Crimson Descent.” Because it’s a reverse harem/why choose romance (one heroine, multiple heroes), I’m planning to release it under the pen name L.G. Hill, just to keep it separate from my other titles. I’m still trying to figure out what I need to do for the new pen name. New social media accounts, maybe? A new website? It’s not as though I’m keeping it a secret or anything, so I’m not sure. That will be something to think about this week.

Anyhoo, I plan to start my proofread a week from tomorrow, to give me time to work on getting Book Two ready for my editor next weekend. And my cover artist is doing an AMAZING job with the mock-ups of the covers. More to come soon.

In weather news …

Snow. And more snow.

Maybe more than we’ve had since I moved here. I was used to it when I lived in the Ottawa area, so it’s kinda nice to see, at least from the other side of the window.

In other story news …

You can now read my short, steamy romantic comedy “Fired Up” in the Just Add Love anthology for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Or you can buy it for $3.99. All proceeds go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I haven’t read the other fifteen stories in the collection yet, but the reviews look great. Check it out!

And that’s it for this Weekended Update. I may keep this as a regular Sunday thing for everyone one to link to. Keep an eye out!


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#SoCS – Yes

Do I love being paid to be a stickler for details when I’m hired to edit a story?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

Thank you for asking.

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

This stream of consciousness post you didn’t actually ask for was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! It’s fun!


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 15, 2025

Friday has arrived and so have I with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Success! I’ve been opening my manuscript before I go online this week and things are looking up! Woohoo! Here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “stickler.” Use it any way you’d like. 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 particular 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 32 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – I don’t learn

Every Tuesday after I write my One-Liner Wednesday post, I tell myself I’ll have a whole seven days to come up with something to write for this challenge next week, but every Tuesday afternoon, I sit at my desk and ask myself, “What the heck am I going to write for One-Liner Wednesday?”

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, 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

Available now! Click the image.


by 16 Comments

The curse of the treadmill

No, I don’t mean the treadmill that life feels like sometimes.

I’m talking about my literal treadmill.

You know what I miss?

The fact that it’s so easy to look out the window or glance at the weather online and say nah, the weather isn’t delightful enough for me. I think I’ll just stay in and walk today.

I used to take a lot more pictures. I used to be forced to go outside and get my exercise, even when it wasn’t that nice out.

I used to have a daily paper route!

I had no choice but to go out every day. Rain, shine, sleet, hail, snow, ice, fog, wind, cold, hot … didn’t matter.

Am I going to go back to delivering the paper?

Nuh, uh. No way.

But … pictures!

Could I take pictures when I’m on my treadmill?

Sure I could.

But the neighbours might complain that there’s a weird woman shooting pictures of them out the front window as they walk past my house.

Maybe I just need spring to hurry up and get here.

Some pictures of spring 2013 when I had my paper route.