Life in progress

Category Archives: Life


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One-Liner Wednesday – #writerslife

The definition of what it is to be a writer:

Needing to pee in the morning and running to the bathroom thinking “the pressure is intense,” and then wondering if you can write an entire novel about a woman who needs to pee all the time.

Nothing is without potential.

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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at https://dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/


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#SoCS – Playing with Matches

It has occurred to me that many board games, both electronic and oldies but goodies like finding the same two cards, actually encourage playing with matches.

Think about it.

Honestly, I had no idea how many words start with “ma” until I sat down to write this post. I was like, how do I choose?

So I enjoyed writing my NaNo novel so much that I’ve decided to write a sequel to it. I started it today. I’m hoping to get it finished, slowly but surely this time, by the end of January. If all goes well, I’ll be able to come up with a third book to make it a trilogy. My eventual goal is to publish at least three books per year. I know I have them in me. And I think I’ve found the trick to finding the time to write them. Every day at breakfast. Writing less than 900 words a day–that’s half an hour per day–I can write six novels per year.

Finding time to edit them, on the other hand, is a bit more of a challenge at this point.

What I really need is more exercise. I have to try to get out and walk. Fortunately, Christmas is coming. Lots of walking to be done at the mall.

I bought another colouring calendar. I’m a glutton for punishment.

Okay, it’s one in the morning. I’m a day late again for my own prompt. Not only that, but I just realized I didn’t even get my own bonus points.

I have management issues. Obviously.

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

This totally random post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Sunday Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other posts in the comments, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/11/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-1-18/


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#SoCS – The Digest Version

What ever happened to those hardback digest versions of books, compiled by Reader’s Digest? You know, the ones with the dark brown covers. My mother had a bunch of them when I was little. I remember trying to read a story out of one of them when I was a kid … maybe 10 years old? I think it was Moby Dick or Treasure Island or one of the old classics. I got bored with it. And I also recall wondering if I was going to read the story, why not actually read the story rather than a glorified synopsis of one?

Maybe that’s why they stopped making them …?

Or do they still? I haven’t seen one of the Digest books in years, unless they were in a used book store.

Speaking of books (and not to make this a sales post … I don’t want everything on my blog to be a sales post, but lately it seems to be all I do. More on that in a minute …) did you know Amazon has a coupon for $5 off, if you spend more than $20 on two paperbacks, until tomorrow? The coupon code is NOVBOOK18. I would be grateful if you bought one of mine, but it’s good for whatever you choose.

Which now brings me to what I’m loath to digest, and that’s that I can’t keep this up. I’ve spent more time writing and trying to sell my books than I used to, and the evidence is here on my blog. Or, I should say, the evidence is the lack of my presence here. Something has to give, and when it comes down to it, I have to follow the money. I need to spend more time doing things that will earn me money, or I’m not going to have the Internet to be here at all. Or food. I could give up food.

But it’s tough, you know? I feel like y’all are family here. And I don’t want to let you down. Nor do I want to give up the pleasure I get from contributing to this community I’ve built around me.

I won’t give up SoCS as long as I have a computer to host it on. Nor One-Liner Wednesday. But I may need help … no, scratch that … if I’m going to do Just Jot It January 2019, I’m GOING to need help. But I’m not sure how to do that anymore either, since WordPress has changed the guest blogging rules.

Suggestions are welcome.

I do know that I’ll be working a full time job (editing) in January, so my time will be very limited. I may drop the coloring club not because I don’t have time to post, but because I never have time to color. If anyone wants to take that one over, let me know via email at bacamjoly@gmail.com.

So that didn’t end up being a very uplifting post, did it?

Maybe next week …

I hope everyone has finished digesting their Thanksgiving dinner by now. For us in the rest of the world, it’s business as usual.

And no, I didn’t mean THAT kind of business.

Or maybe I did.

Damn not being able to edit!

heehee

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

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the following link to find all the other participating blogs in the comments, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/11/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-24-18/


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One-Liner Wednesday – It’s Time

You know it’s time to take the air conditioner out of the kitchen window when you walk in and the oven is giving the fridge tips on how to keep the food warm.

IMG_20181120_203209

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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at https://dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/


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#SoCS – Crunchy roll

You might be wondering to yourself, what is it with that woman? She posts prompts and half the time, she can’t even make it on time to her own party. (That woman would, of course, be me.) Not that I think you think of me much. I probably think of me, much more than you think of me, in fact.  My commas are all over the place tonight. Oops.

But I think what’s really wrong with me, other than my recent comma disability (it’s late, that’s my excuse), is that I have too many roles. Let’s see …

I’m a mother.

And a father, kinda, because it’s a one-parent household.

I’m an author.

I’m an editor.

I’m a housekeeper.

I’m a picker.

And a grinner.

I’m a lover.

And I’m a sinner.

… wait. Those last four might have been an earworm.

What it comes down to is I’ve got too much to do on the weekends. Silly of me, I suppose, to think I could keep this blogging stuff up indefinitely, what with everything else. The more I take on, the more I fail, it seems. (Ignore the commas.)

So, I try to roll with it all. But it’s a crunchy kind of roll, with far too many bumps along the way to make it even seem like a smooth roll.

It’s more of a rutted roll. Slimy in spots …

Okay, now I want sushi. I tried to get away from it, but the craving is there.

A nice crunchy roll would go down so nice as a midnight snack.

Oh, and I’ve also got a head cold.

I’m blaming this post on that.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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

This rather late, rather munchy (no, I’m not a midnight toker!) post, is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other fabulous posts and join in. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/11/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-17-18/


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One-Liner Wednesday – Share The Road!

These signs that say “Share the Road (with bicycles)” recently went up in the middle of some of the streets in my neighbourhood.

What they should say is “Share the Road with Bicycles except where these stupid signs are because there’s no way you’ll both fit on the road unless you’re willing to drive your car on the wrong side of the street, which isn’t a good idea at all, so go ahead and run the cyclist over.”

 

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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at https://dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/


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#SoCS – Meanwhile …

I’m hiding out in the kitchen while Alex is on the computer in the living room. I’m not a mean mom, but he does like to keep me busy doing things when I’d rather be doing other things.

He likes to keep busy. I keep stressing to him that it’s okay to be lazy once in a while (because that’s when I get work of my own done), but I keep being undermined by one of his teachers (don’t know which one, or maybe it’s all of them) who keep telling him being lazy is a bad thing. Problem with Alex is it’s all or nothing. He doesn’t understand nuance and perspective.

Take the Grinch, for instance. Alex is convinced that he’s a mean one, full stop. So we probably won’t be going to that movie. He wants to see “The Nutcracker” today. And he wants to go to the mall, not only to buy birthday presents for his brother, but to spend his own birthday money too.

Meanwhile, Mom’s got a novel to write.

I was caught up on my NaNoWriMo word count as of yesterday, so that’s a bit of a relief.

Finishing up the first draft of Book 3 of “The Great Dagmaru” is proving to be tough. Not because I don’t know what to do with it, but because it’s so angsty. It’s going to be a tearjerker right to the end.

So when I went to start my NaNo project, I rebelled. It’s a romantic comedy. I had to get myself out of the mindset of dark.

I sincerely wish I could decide on a subgenre and stick with it. I may have to publish one under a pseudonym in order to keep my “brand” intact.

Having a brand and being a human being at the same time is difficult.

How boring would I be if I was only dark or light?

Yin and yang would be waaaay out of balance.

Not good for the psyche.

Well that went totally off the rails, didn’t it? Time for the mall…

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

This post which was meant to be about something else entirely is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to see all the other posts (in the comments) and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/11/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-10-18/


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One-Liner Wednesday – An Autumn Goodbye

It’s windy today. Time to say goodbye to the leaves.

This one was from my walk the other day–not my house.

 

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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/


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#SoCS – Ghost

The closest book to me when I sat down to write this was my own. Since I’m not ready to start quoting myself in any shape or form, I decided to go with the next-closest book–my trusty old thesaurus. Yes, I know Stephen King says don’t use one when you’re writing, but in my defense, I only use it when I have a word on the tip of my tongue that I know what it means but I can’t quite spit it out onto the screen.

Which is a good thing, because my screen would be DISGUSTING! So my thesaurus is there to save my laptop, plain and simple.

You’re welcome for the visual.

Bite me, Stephen King.

…

No, don’t.

ANYwhoo, where was I?

Oh yeah. The word I pointed to.

Ghost.

That’s actually the main word, but the actual word I pointed to under the word “ghost” was either “phantasm” or “semblance.” I’m not sure which one it was: I either have fat fingers or the print is small. Let’s go with that last one.

On the surface, these two words seem to have nothing to do with one another. I’ve always loved the word “phantasm.” It sounds to me like an extra-exciting way to say “ghost.” Maybe it’s the “ph” sound … that, for me, has always made for an interesting way to spell things.

Fun fact: when I was a teenager, I wanted to call my firstborn child “Phred.”

Anyway, the word “phantasm” should be in the news more at the moment, what with that woman who claims to be engaged to a ghost …

Yeah …

So! “Semblance.” Anyone? Let’s look it up in Merriam-Webster.

semblance

noun

sem·​blance | \ˈsem-blən(t)s  \

Definition of semblance 

1a: outward and often specious appearance or show : FORM

//wrapped in a semblance of composure— Harry Hervey

b: MODICUM

//has been struggling to get some semblance of justice for his people— Bayard Rustin

2: ASPECT, COUNTENANCE

3a: a phantasmal form : APPARITION

b: IMAGE, LIKENESS

4: actual or apparent resemblance

//her story bears some semblance to the truth

Who knew? I certainly didn’t before this morning. I love the word “apparition,” too.

Here’s a song by Canadian, Matthew Good.

Okay, wanna hear something really weird?

Of course you do.

I took the time to listen to the song (because I love it) and while the screen was black I could see the reflection of the screen in my glasses with the black rectangle in the reflection, making it seem like I was

stuck in my own machine!!

Freaky!

Watch the video … it’ll make sense.

And that’s my phantasm for the day.

Thank you. I’m here all week. Try the veal.

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

This post that I’m slightly self-conscious (ha!) over now is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. (I MADE IT ON TIME! GO ME!) If you’d like to join in the fun and read all the other posts, go to the following link and find all the particulars. https://lindaghill.com/2018/11/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-3-18/

 


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One-Liner Wednesday – Murder for Dummies?

Me, peering over my friend’s shoulder in the library, as she was looking at a book: Hmmm … Murder In the Family. Is that a how-to guide?

(She laughed. It’s good to have friends who share your sick sense of humour. And yes, Alex was driving me slightly batty at that very moment.)

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!