Life in progress

Category Archives: Life


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#SoCS – Logical English

I’m a huge fan of logic. It might be my star sign (Aquarius) or it might be just good ol’ learnin’, but logic makes more sense to me than stuff like intuition.

Though I do trust my intuition a lot. But not when there’s logic to be had.

Then there are some things I’ve just learned to accept. There’s really no fighting things like the English language, and its refusal to conjugate, for instance, “specific” into “specifical” when “magic” is “magical” and, well, “logic” is “logical.”

So, I’ve had to memorize these illogical instances, as we do. Or we don’t if we never get good at spelling. I think one of the worst things invented is spellcheck. It, like modern checkout machines at cash registers has made us lazy. I’VE become a bit lazy. Imagine that! Illogical, if you ask me.

What’s most logical on my mind currently is getting this post posted. I keep losing my Internet connection, and I want to send it off before I go to bed. Maybe even while it’s still Saturday!

Hope everyone had a good one. 🙂

A fond farewell to our SoCS badge! I’ll miss that little stream. ❤

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click on the link to find all the other awesome posts in the comment section, and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-18-18/


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Black Cat Appreciation Day

Did you know it’s Black Cat Appreciation Day today? The things you learn on Twitter.

Here are a few pictures of Casper, my son’s black cat.

Thank you for being in our lives, Casper. ❤


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One-Liner Wednesday – Snail Mail

I got home yesterday to find I have snail mail.

(Pictured: a snail slithering across the lid of my mailbox.)

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 new badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!


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#SoCS – The Burp

I don’t burp. At least not often. When I do, I make a point of telling everyone I know, “I burped! First time this year!” and so on … I don’t think I’ve made it past six. I don’t understand how people can make themselves burp. Just the idea makes me want to throw up. And I really hate doing that.

My son, Alex, does neither burp nor throw up. He has a g-tube–a tube in his stomach through which he feeds by means of a pump and formula–and at six months of age he had a fundoplication. Rather than try to explain it myself, here’s Merriam-Webster’s definition:

Medical Definition of fundoplication

: a surgical procedure in which the upper portion of the stomach is wrapped around the lower end of the esophagus and sutured in place as a treatment for the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus — see nissen fundoplication

It means he’s not physically able to burp, let alone vomit. So if he needs to do either, I attach a large syringe minus the plunger to the end of a tube in his g-tube and I vent him, which is basically opening up his stomach to the air by means of a tube. The air comes out along with whatever else needs to, and he’s good to go. It’s like farting without the smell. I often wish I had a tube in my stomach through which I could release gas at will. Going through the regular channels can get painful.

But poor little baby Alex had reflux like nobody’s business. He threw up everything that went in. We tried drugs that didn’t help. We tried different formulas. I even pumped my own milk for six months while he was in the hospital. He couldn’t keep that down, either. (He finally came out of the hospital at eight months of age.)

So, yeah. Where was I?

Burping. Right. Can’t do it. To me it’s like giving birth to an air bubble.

And I’m leaving you with that thought.

This post with probably too much information is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other bodily functions posts from other bloggers and join in too! https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-11-18/


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Summer Fun

Ah, summertime. At home 24/7 with a kid who’s currently screaming like he’s actually on the set of The Price Is Right and not sitting in front of the TV. So far, since camp finished, we’ve been to a Poutine Feast (the lobster poutine was to DIE for), we’ve been out for walks and to the grocery store. Coming up we have a movie, mini-golf, lunch at the mall, a trip to the library, and of course tonight there’s baseball.

So much fun!

Except life doesn’t stop for me. Call me a party pooper, but my stress level is calling me back to the computer to get stuff done. The book launch for The Magician’s Blood is this Friday (get it on pre-order for $2.99! The price goes up to $4.99 on Friday!), and the paperback cover has colour issues, so I need to get that sorted out. It’ll be a while before that’s ready, so if you’re waiting for the physical copy, sorry. :/ Hopefully next week.

I have stories to write, things to edit for other people … and a kid who just wants to have fun with his mom!!

I feel so guilty for not sharing his enthusiasm. I just keep telling myself to live in the moment. That’s all you can do, right?

Click the pic to get it before the price goes up!

 


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#SoCS – Call

If I could call my dad, he’d be amazed that I was using a wireless phone, because he died in 1978. Or maybe he wouldn’t, if he’s really watching over me.

If I could call my dad, he’d say he wishes he could meet his grandkids. Though two of them are too big to dandle on his knee.

If I could call my dad, I think he’d be proud of me for continuing his love of telling stories.

If I could call my dad, he’d be happy that I kept my sense of humour, even through all the shit I’ve been through.

If I could call my dad, he might or might not think I’m doing enough for my mother. He may just acknowledge that I’ve got enough to do already.

If I could call my dad, I’d be grateful for one last chance to give him the opportunity to make me spit tea through my nose …

If I could call my dad, I’d tell him I’m doing my best.

If I could call my dad, I’d tell him I miss him.

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other posts in the comments, and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-4-18/


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One-Liner Wednesday – Who? Who, who, who, who?

Backstory: the dog escaped the back yard and my son didn’t know because he was sleeping, so before I went out, I put a note on the door to warn him not to let the dog out back. When I got home, I put the gate up on the deck–the only place safe for Winston to go out. I couldn’t resist taking the picture, just so I could write the title of this post.

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 new badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!


by 27 Comments

#SoCS – Tea, no matter what

When, as a child, I questioned the wisdom of drinking hot tea on a hot day, my parents told me that it made you sweat, which is better. Back then we didn’t have an air conditioner in the house. They weren’t really a “thing” in my neighbourhood, at least outside of public buildings. We never had a window unit and didn’t get central air until the late 70s, early 80s.

My parents came from the UK–let’s get that out of the way. They HAD to have their tea. So even when it was 90 degrees outside, we’d be sitting with our cuppa, vying for a spot where there was a bit of a wind to cool off our sweaty skin. All stiff-upper-lip/do-it-because-it-feels-good-when-you-stop behaviour.

But that’s turned out to be a good thing. I can’t stand iced (or cold) coffee, but I’ve been conditioned to bear the heat of summer AND a scorching hot drink. I’ve learned to appreciate that extra layer of perspiration that cools me off when I come in contact with even the slightest of breezes.

Or I drink it in an air conditioned room.

Because who needs a stiff upper lip when you have A/C?

BUT, having said that, I still take my cup of tea upstairs to bed with me every night. I have a fan on my bedside table that blasts me with cool air.

Ingenuity is the boon of all that ails.

 

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other posts in the comments, and the rules to join in too. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-28-18/


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So, about those prompts …

Do you remember a couple of months back I created a poll to see when the best time to do another month’s-worth of prompts might be? And it was decided August would be a good month? Well guess what?

I have the prompts all lined up and ready to go, and I know just how I’m going to organize it, but …

I really don’t think I’m going to have the time nor the energy to pull it off. My new book comes out on the 10th, and about a week after that we’ll be looking for a new SoCS badge. And all that on top of having the child home for three out of four and a half weeks.

So, how does October sound to you instead? Good?

Did you even remember that I was going to post prompts every day in August?

If not, just ignore this post. And you might get a surprise come October 1st. 😉


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One-Liner Wednesday – Thank you

More than one line this week.

Dear You,

Thank you for supporting me. For reading my fiction and my ramblings. And for giving me encouragement when I need it most.

Thank you. Yes, you. The one reading this note.

With love & magic

Linda

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 new badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!