Life in progress

Category Archives: Blogs


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Prompts

Aside from starting Just Jot It January 2018 in a couple of weeks, I’m thinking about creating a new prompt. Yes, I know what you’re thinking–but, Linda, you can barely keep up with the ones you have! But this one’s a bit different.

The new prompt will be simple: a picture with a small explanation. I’m going to call it the The Escapist Coloring Club Prompt, and I’ll only host it on the first Monday of every month. My hope is to find volunteers to host it on their own blog every other Monday of the month.

The Escapist Coloring Club will prompt people to take pictures of the things they are coloring and share them. Whether it’s your own adult coloring project or something that your kids have done that you’re particularly proud of, it will be a chance both to showcase your work and to connect with other bloggers who share your passion for creating beautiful works of art.

So why am I looking to add to my workload? I’m not, really. In fact, I’m attempting to do the exact opposite. I need to escape from all the work I do on a daily basis, and this prompt will, I hope, encourage me to take time for myself. Even if I don’t finish what I’ve started, I will take a picture of my current project and share it, as I have a few times with my coloring calendar over the past year.

So, what do you say? Will you participate? And even better, do you think you’d like to host? I do believe we can create a lovely, nurturing community out of this: adults and parents of all descriptions.

If you’re interested in hosting, I can teach you everything you need to know about the process, and I will reblog every prompt post to help get as much exposure for you, your artwork, and your blog as is possible. Just email me at linda@lindaghill.com and we’ll get the ball rolling in the coming weeks. Let me know if you’re in it just to try it out, or if you’d like to host on a monthly basis.

I look forward to hearing from you!

My colouring project from May, 2017


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#SoCS – Optimism

Normally, I’m a very positive human being. I like to find the bright side in everything, if there’s a bright side to find. Most of the time when I find something good out of something very very bad, I keep my mouth shut, because whatever it is I’ve found would seem insensitive. I remember once making the mistake of saying to someone whose car had been damaged in an accident that at least the guy in the body shop made some money … You can see by this how far I stretch.

But, in contrast, sometimes my imagination takes me to worst-case scenarios where even I can’t find something good. And that’s actually where my stories come from.

Imagine, for instance, something terrible happening (no one dies!) that affects everyone. All the banks close just before Christmas, for example. No one can do their shopping, and only those with cash can buy groceries. No good can possibly come of this, except, maybe for a villain!

I often write dark stories, and the strangest thing about it is that they’re driven by my optimism. I’ve wondered for years where my odd tendency for writing horror comes from. I think I just figured it out.

Thanks, Stream of Consciousness Saturday Sunday. 😛

Oh, and speaking of SoCS, I did write something on my fiction blog last night, for the first time in ages. Click here to read it.

This very very late post is brought to you by SoCS. Click the link to find all the other amazing entries! https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-16-17/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec.16/17

It’s Friday again and time now for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’m seriously considering writing the prompt post ahead of time and scheduling for Friday mornings, rather than doing it when I get around to it. Because this is getting ridiculous, isn’t it? Good thing I don’t put off my Christmas shopping like I put off posting this prompt. … oh, wait … *runs to the store* Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “contrast.” Use the word “contrast,” or talk about contrasting things. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at 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 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!!

 

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. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on 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 simply a single word to get your 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 everyone’s! 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 right 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 41 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Spoiling it All

I had “something stupid” written on the fridge but I needed an “s” for another word, so I ended up with this:

Now I have a song stuck in my head …

“And then I go and spoil it all
by saying something tepid like I like yoooou.”

___________________________________________________________________________

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 very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by Dan Antion


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#SoCS – Liquid Love

Ah, the end of a busy day. I’m sitting here with a glass of liquid love–the first bottle of wine I’ve opened in a long time. It’s red. Cabernet Franc, my favourite.

I started writing this post at 11:55pm, so it’s going to be a Stream of Consciousness Sunday for me. I come by it honestly, though. I’ve only been kid-free for an hour, and it’s been an hour of me-time.  So what have I been doing all day? Let me tell you.

I took Alex to see the movie Wonder, and it was, indeed, wonderful. It’s the first time he’s ever sat through a movie without asking to go home part-way through. He related to it–he related to the main character, Auggie. To Auggie’s many hospitalizations, and to his being set apart from kids who should, by rights, be his peers. Although Alex has his Deaf friends and teachers at school who treat him like just another kid, I suppose he’s the polar opposite of Auggie, being treated well outside of school. To the kids in our neighbourhood, Alex is the outcast. If this makes no sense, I apologize. See the movie. Know this is real life, for us.

Anyway, Alex thoroughly enjoyed the movie and so did I. After we came home, and after our ritual (yes, ritual, because my autistic son, Chris, wouldn’t go a weekend without it) McDonald’s feast, we put up our Christmas tree. I have to say I’m loving the new lights we have this year. I can change the colour to suit my mood. As we put the tree up–Alex, his eldest brother and his fiancé, and I–we discussed the difference in the classic white being the calm, sane side of our family (HA!) versus the coloured chaos, which is more the norm in our house.

The lights are more off-white–more warm than this. I’ll try to post a more accurate picture on Instagram.

 

I’m out of liquid love in my glass. One more, methinks, and then off to bed. In the morning it will be another liquid love, less of the liquor kind and more to do with caffeine. Mmmm…

Cheers.

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click on the link to find all the other amazing posts in the comments, and join in next week! https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-9-17/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 9/17

Hello, hello, it’s Friday again and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Sorry I’m running late today. I really have no excuse other than that I’ve been distracted by just about everything. Ever have those days? Anyway, here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “liqu.” Find a word that starts with “liqu” or has “liqu” in it, and base your post on that word. Have fun!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at 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 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!!

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. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on 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 simply a single word to get your 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 everyone’s! 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 right 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 47 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – A Best Friend’s Advice

Scene (true story): I’m sitting in the pantry, which is little more than a cupboard, to escape the bright sunlight streaming through the kitchen window. I’ve pulled the kitchen table, with my laptop on it, in with me. My best friend, John, walks into the kitchen.

Me: Yes, I know, I’m in the closet.

Him: You can come out. It’s the twenty-first century.

___________________________________________________________________________

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 very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by Dan Antion


by 12 Comments

#SoCS – Style

I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a style that one could cramp. As a teenager, I went by the general style of “get away with anything I can,” yet nothing in particular sticks out much. I didn’t smoke or do drugs, and by the time I started drinking, my mother had stopped. So the water in the booze to keep the level up went unnoticed. I think it might have ended up being so watered down that even I didn’t bother with it.

My style now amounts to being alone as much as possible so I can work. Oooh, I’m such a party animal in my old age. 😛 In fact nothing cramps my style any more as much as actual cramps do. And believe me, my walk has style for the first few minutes in the morning.

Now, just don’t get between me and my coffee. Or I’ll cramp your style.

*waves and limps off into the sunset*

This crampy post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click to see all the other posts linked in the comments, and to join in too! https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-2-17/


by 34 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 2/17

It’s Friday and time now for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I can’t believe it’s December already! Where does the time go? It feels like summer was just here, doesn’t it? Or maybe it’s just me. Anyway, here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cramp.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at 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 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!!

 

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. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on 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 simply a single word to get your 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 everyone’s! 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 right 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 41 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Heretofore

Bread shall heretofore be referred to only as “raw toast.” That is all.

__________________________________________________________________________

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 very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by Dan Antion