Life in progress

Author Archives: Linda G. Hill


by 48 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – A backhanded compliment?

I wonder sometimes if Chinese food likes me as much as I like it …
The craziest thing? I got this same message almost exactly five years ago to the day. Figure out those odds, Mr. Holton! 😉  Click.


Photo: My fortune cookie message tonight: “Enjoy you own company. If you don’t, who will?”

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 8 Comments

#SoCS – Motion

The motion of the ocean…

Why isn’t ocean spelled “otion”? Ah, the English language. It makes no sense.

When I was little, maybe 5? 6? years old, I asked all the adults around me (and I actually remember this) why you didn’t write a number like thirty-four out as 304. Because that’s how you say it, right? 30 4. Thirty four. None of the adults understood what I was saying. They just told me you couldn’t do it. Nope. No way.

(Adults had no imagination when I was a kid.)

But NOW …

There’s a house in my neighbourhood. It’s an old house, but it was sold, and the new owners painted the red brick white and snazzed it up. (I liked it better the old way, but there you go. It’s not my house.) Anyhoo, when they screwed the numbers back on the front of the house, they put up these HUGE things in sleek silver.

The number on the house?

30four.

And it pisses me off.

Why?

What happened to that innocent little kid with an imagination?

NOTHING.

BUT!

The only way you can know if the actual address on this house is 34 or 304 is to look at its neighbour. (It’s 32.)

So.

Someone who has my brilliant imagination took it to a ridiculous(!) extreme and stuck it on a building.

UGH!

Just thinking about it makes me mad.

So back to motion…

(So I can stop thinking about that poor old house.)

What’s the saying? Things in motion tend to stay in motion, or something like that.

That’s my brain. Thank goodness. These days at least.

The tinnitus hasn’t stopped, not for a second. It SCREAMS at me in the morning when I wake up and every single time I think of it during the day. But when I stop thinking about it? I don’t notice it.

So if I can concentrate on something … really concentrate on something … I get relief.

Brains in motion.

Hmmm…

Running away from zombies.

And that’s where I get stuck for the night.

 

 

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

This not really serious post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/09/18/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-19-2020/


by 55 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 19/2020

Today is … Friday! Yeah, it’s Friday! Thank goodness for the calendar on my laptop. Anyway, I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Life has been crazy busy again this week. How are you? Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-tion.” Find a word that ends with “tion.” Bonus points if you start your post with it. 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 60 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – PIN codes

 

They advise us not to use our phone numbers for our PINs, but what happens when the phone company gives you a number that’s already your PIN?

Happened to my mother. What are the odds?

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 3 Comments

Win 50+ books and an eReader!

This is pretty cool stuff. I’ve teamed up with 50+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Paranormal & Sci-Fi Romances to two lucky winners!

Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader?

đŸ”„You can win my novel, The Magician’s Curse, plus books from fifty other awesome authors.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here đŸ”„ bit.ly/SciFi-PNR-Sept2020

Good luck and enjoy!


by 9 Comments

#SoCS – Collars up

After what I believe might have been the hottest summer since I’ve lived in this part of Ontario–on record? maybe not–it’s cooled down enough that I have to pull my collar up if I go out at night. It’s winter-coat time if you spend too much time out there.

Crazy weather.

But (touch wood) at least we’re not on fire. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow here. I’ll blow as much as I can southwestward.

On my mind of late has been the fact that things are open. More things than I’ve gone to in the past six months. Six months today, and I’ve only been to the grocery store for as many weeks as that is … 26 times? I’m tempted to go to the mall just to get my Christmas shopping done before everything is closed down again. I dread shopping online, but you know what I dread even more? Going out in public.

The virus has put a not-entirely-unwelcome collar around my neck and kept me chained to my home.

But my shoes have holes and I can’t buy shoes without trying them on because my size varies with brand. And no, I can’t just buy the same ones I already have because they came from Payless … Yeah, that’s how long it’s been since I bought shoes.

And Alex needs new clothes but he’s grown, so I really need to look at them to see if they’ll fit. Unless I can find actual measurements online.

Nope, I’m going to have to brave the retail, I’m afraid. Damn the torpedoes. Mask up and have off.

Yeah. I’m going shopping. Wish me luck.

 

 

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

This post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/09/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-12-2020/


by 47 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 12/2020

Hey! Friday’s here! And so is your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. The leaves are late to change here in my part of Ontario. Are they red where you are? Or is the sky…? Thinking of all those who are affected by wildfires. My heart goes out to you. Stay safe! Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “collar.” Use it as a verb, a noun, or metaphorically. Bonus points for using it in all three ways! 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 48 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Comparing Dogs to Cats

Photo: A dog panting, almost smiling, and a cat looking grumpy. Caption reads: “If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”― Mark Twain

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 14 Comments

#SoCS – Sharpening my resolve

I’m having to sharpen my resolve to stay off Facebook and all the other time-wasters that take up my days if I let them. I have a busy couple of months ahead of me, and I can’t afford to dally anywhere.

I’m happy that my break time today consisted not of online pursuits but of walking around the block with Alex. It was a gorgeous day–not too hot, not too cold, and not humid at all–so it was a great day to get some exercise.

I wish I had somewhere to put a treadmill, so we could exercise when we’re unable to go outside. The cooler days remind me that we’ll be under feet of snow soon. At least I won’t have to worry about snow days… School is online until January at least anyway. The only reason not to go to school will be a power outage.

Imagine that.

Walking uphill both ways to get to the computer. In a snow storm.

Kids have got it tough these days, I tell ya.

 

 

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

This rambling post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/09/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-5-2020/


by 55 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 5/2020

Today is Friday, or so I’m told, so I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. The weather is finally cooling down, and we’re looking forward to a few days of perfect weather. Time for longer walks! Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sharp.” Use it in any or all of its definitions. 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!