Life in progress

Category Archives: Blogging


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The Escapist Coloring Club Prompt – October 1, 2018

Welcome to The Escapist Coloring Club prompt!  If you’d like to join the club, all you have to do is post pictures of your own colouring, your kids’ colouring, or that of anyone you know and have permission to share. This is a month-long prompt, which means you have all of October to link back here.

Well, I failed again to get my colouring project finished this month. It was a fun one. After all the green leaves from August’s colouring page on my calendar, I decided to go a bit crazy with the colours. I wish I’d been able to finish it.

Here’s what it looked like before I started.

And here’s bits of the finished product.

 

And here’s the entire thing, almost perfectly half-done.

My plan to get back into a routine went a little astray, but I have high hopes for October.

I look forward to seeing all of your wonderful projects in the coming month!

Please find the “rules” below.

1. This prompt is designed for relaxation. As such, I encourage you to take your time to link your own post here, BUT, when you comment, please click the “Notify me of new comments via email” button. That way you’ll receive a notification when someone else links their project and you won’t miss anything. As with all the prompts, the more you visit others, the more your community of like-minded people grows.

2. Ping back! It’s important so that I and other people can come and read your post. To execute a pingback, just copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into the body of your post. 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.

3. There will be a prompt on the first of every month. I will try to post the prompt here on my blog at 9:30am -5 GMT. The prompt will simply be photos of my own colouring project. If you would like to host this prompt on your blog on another week during the month, either once, occasionally, or on a regular basis, please e-mail me at hilllindagmaru at gmail dot com and we’ll get you set up. All I ask is that you have an active blog and that you regularly reply to comments and visit other blogs.

4. Feel free to use The Escapist Coloring Club badge in your post.

5. Have fun!


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#SoCS – Dominated

How do you function when your mind is dominated by stress and anxiety?

How to cope when your mind is awhirl with worry?

Meh. It’s par for the course these days. Sometimes I feel like I’m being kept afloat by all that’s constantly to-do in my life. Does anyone have it easier than I do? I doubt it. Same shit, different set of circumstances.

We all have something that dominates us, I believe. Whether it comes in the form of another human being, a situation that we can’t get out of, piles of work or worry and stress …

But there can be momentary escape. For some it only comes with sleep, with alcohol, with a favorite pastime …

Problem is nothing stands still. Not even the earth.

This very late post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the participants’ posts linked in the comment section, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-29-18/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 29/18

It’s Friday once again, and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Been a hectic morning around here with Alex off school and broken laptops galore. Nothing’s ever easy, is it? Or at least sometimes it feels that way. Anyhoo, here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “dom.” Use it as a word, or find a word that starts or ends 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 pretty, new 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!!

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.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 19 Comments

Here we go again

It’s 9:40 pm and this is the first time I’ve been able to really get on the Internet today. I’ve been working all day, which is good! Unfortunately, this is what it’s going to be like for the next three weeks or so, so guess what?

I’m going to have to put off my month of prompts again. 😦

Before you start throwing tomatoes at me, let me ask you something:

What do you think of March? I considered February, but that will be right on the back of Just Jot it January. March, on the other hand, is going to bring us into A-Z April with some momentum.

Okay, you can throw the tomatoes now.


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One-Liner Wednesday – Clippity-clop

Now I know where the squirrel–the one who walks across my roof when I’m trying to sleep in–got his hobnail boots from.

(Pictured: a poured-concrete sidewalk slab with squirrel footprints in the cement.)

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!


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#SoCS – De-floured

My mother never baked, which is likely why I never caught on to it. My mother’s best friend’s mother-in-law, who lived with us for a while, used to bake. She had me “help” her when I was a child, but I was never that much into it. All I wanted to do was read and play by myself. And write books and stories.

I took a home ec class in high school. Half of it was sewing, which was what my mother did best. She made all of our clothes (c’mon, shudder with me), but that wasn’t something I enjoyed doing either. So maybe my mother had no influence on my lack of baking either? I dunno. I enjoyed knitting more than anything.

Anyway, the second half of my home ec class was cooking. I successfully made a banana bread in that Grade 9 class. I was so proud of it. I brought some home for my mother and myself and my boyfriend at the time ate it. I never forgave him for that.

Fast forward to being married (not to the banana-bread thief) and enthusiastic about making a home. I was 19 years old. Yes, I got married young the first time. I decided to make banana bread again. I was soooo careful. I put it in the oven and checked it when it was supposed to be done. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, 45 minutes later. Then an hour. Nope. Hour and ten? Nope. I finally threw it in the garbage at more than twice the amount of time it should have taken to cook.

That was the last thing I ever tried to bake, apart from pre-packaged muffins and cookies.

The take away from this story? The day I was de-floured was the last day I baked anything worth eating.

And if that makes no sense, it must mean I need a glass of wine.

a flower

This wacky, absolutely bananas post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other participants’ posts in the comment section and join in yourself. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-22-18/

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/


by 49 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 22/18

Hey there! It’s Friday, which means I’m here to welcome you to the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. It’s been a morning. Coffee is good.

Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “flower/flour.” Use one, use both, it’s totally up to you. 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 pretty, new 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!!

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.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 42 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Go ahead, think the worst

I have no window coverings in my kitchen: there’s a window above the sink that looks straight into my back neighbour’s kitchen. Occasionally I’ll stand at the sink, fill a wine glass with water, and guzzle it right there. If I think my neighbours are watching, I drink two.

Perception is everything.

 

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!


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The Escapist Coloring Club – Sept. 2018 mid-month reminder

Hey there! Just a little reminder that if you want to join in before the October 1st prompt, you should get your colouring project linked soon. I’ll turn off the comments in this post and redirect you to the September 1st prompt to link your entries there.

Here’s what I’m working on this month: hopefully I’ll finish it before the deadline!

Thank you to our members who have posted so far! Here they are:

The before: Willow at Willowdot21

And Willow’s after picture

Anita at anitashope

and Paula at lightmotifs

Please visit them to see their wonderful colouring projects. And join us! It’s fun and relaxing.

You can find the original post here: https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/01/the-escapist-coloring-club-prompt-september-1-2018/

Thank you. 🙂

 


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#SoCS – Post

Now that I think of it, it’s kinda strange that we call these things we write on the Internet “posts.”

Is that like sending out Internet mail to all people who care to follow what you say, like letters without using e-mail? Or is it more like we’re sticking our fenceposts in the ground of the web and saying, Here! Don’t go any farther until you read this! Because if you do, I’ll add a horizontal board and fence you in …

Okay, that went a bit sideways on me.

Removing a blog post is far easier than digging up a fencepost, but at least when you do the latter, you know it’s definitely gone. With posts on the Internet, you can never tell. Someone takes a screenshot and bang! You’re stuck with it for life and beyond. Bang? Should that be click? Ugh, I don’t know. Stupid “no editing” rule. Who thought that up, anyway?

See? Even if I delete the rule now, someone’ll have the original to throw back at me.

Whoever said “nothing is permanent” never heard of the world wide web, obviously. Haha.

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link and find all the other participant’s posts in the comment section! https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-15-18/