Life in progress

Category Archives: Life


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#SoCS – Belonging

I think it’s going to be a long month. I signed up for NaNo Camp but I haven’t written a word yet. I haven’t even opened the story that I want to finish off for the NaNo project. I’m kind of at that paralised stage at the moment, where there’s so much to do I don’t know where to start so instead I play a mindless casual game in order to escape the pressure. And so I got this image in my head that I wrote about on my fiction blog about half an hour ago as my SoCS post over there for today. It’s fiction, but only in the sense that I’m not quite at that stage yet. I might be, before August gets here. You’ll find the link to that post in the comments below the link for this one – it’s not a long piece.

I sometimes wonder where I belong, you see. I belong to my family and to myself, to the extent that I have my own interests to pursue. I signed up for the editing course I’ve been talking about forever. It’s online at Simon Fraser University in BC, Canada. If I can earn the certificate I will have the opportunity to get into Editors Canada, the highest qualification in the land. From there I may start working toward my English degree. But that’s a long way off. I need the editing courses to freelance and earn the money I’ll need to get my BA.

At times I feel as though I belong to the world of literature. I thrive there. At times I feel like I’m biding my time, waiting to get there. But my responsibilities will always be at home, to my kids.  Now I have to decide what Chris, my middle son will do with the rest of his life. He’s ambitious but autistic and largely unable to secure a position anywhere for himself. He, too, would like to go back to school, to college, but he’s never been without one-on-one help. It’s scary for me to contemplate.

So many decisions, so little time. So much to do, and not long enough to do it. And yet, July will take forever to be over. What a paradox.

SoCS badge 2015

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is fun! Click the link to see how you, too, can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2016/07/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-216/


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One-Liner Wednesday – Don’t blink

monarch

Take not life for granted, for it passes us by far too swiftly.

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Anyone who would like to participate, 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 ping back, 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.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a ping back 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 nearlywes.com

#1linerWeds badge by nearlywes.com


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#SoCS – Classes

I’d be a full-time student if I could. Most of what is holding me back is time. I’d hate to spend all that money (which would have to come in the form of government grants, but still) and then find out I haven’t got enough hours in the day to complete a course. So I wait until the perfect time. HA! Yeah, that’s going to come along.

What I do think I’ll be able to manage though, is a course from the college where I graduated from my writing program. One of the classes they offered but I didn’t take because it didn’t fit with what I was doing at the time, was for writing memoirs. I could really use that for my story about Alex and parenting a Deaf child, when I get the chance to gather all that up. Yeah, time again.

Speaking of time, how pathetic is it that I almost didn’t get my post for my own prompt written before midnight? I was so afraid I’d not get my fiction one done, that I wrote it before this. It’s also a SoCS post – I’m actually quite proud of it. Often when I write stream of consciousness fiction it ends up sucking. But I don’t think today’s did. I hope you’ll check it out. The link to it is over there —-> on the right-hand sidebar. At least right now it’s there. Next week it probably won’t be there, so you’ll have to look for it with the rest of the links in the comments of this post. Where you can join in too! It’s fun!!!

I wonder if I’d be as enthusiastic about taking classes if I had to go back to the same set-up as we had in public school. Tiny little desks, teachers who demanded respect and sent you out into the hall if they didn’t get it… lousy cafeteria food, and hall monitors. Now the only monitor I have to deal with is the one I’m looking at when I type.

I skipped school a lot. Writing this, I can see why.

SoCS badge 2015


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Stepping Back

CAM01623

I’m tired. Not just from lack of sleep (though there is that) but because of the news. I’ve never paid much attention to what goes on in the USA except for the past few months. It is, of course, due to the Great Orange Threat. I find myself obsessed not only with what it spews but the reactions to what it spews as well, until I find myself mired in so much rhetoric that it leaves me distracted, miserable, and unable to create. A death knoll for someone like me.

My enabler is Facebook, that bottomless pit of drive-thru opinions and baseless regurgitation we all know and despise. So I’ve decided to walk away from it for a while. My posts from WordPress will continue to automatically post to my author page, but I won’t be around to comment. I’m giving it a week, if I’m strong enough. I’ll try to finish as many of the Scrabble games that I have going tonight, and that’ll be it. I’m pulling the plug.

It will be an experiment. To see how much more I get done; to spend the time I would have wasted scanning my newsfeed to write, edit, read books, read blogs, play with my family, exercise, and spend time in the place where I took the picture above. As I sat there this morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much we take for granted. That there will always be places like this. There won’t, unless we start doing something about changing our attitudes and caring about everyone and everything. Without exception.

I need to step back from the rhetoric and find out how I can make a difference, no matter how small. Do you know the definition of the word “rhetoric”? It is the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing ~ Google. I find it necessary to stop listening to all the voices telling me how to go about doing what’s best for me. And especially, I have to stop watching what I have no power to control. I realize I must decide what is best for me, for my family, for the city I live in, for my country, and for my planet all by myself. Only then can I act. Facebook, for me, has become a means to pointless, futile worry. We’ll see what a week teaches me. Will it kill me? I’ll get back to you on it.


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#SoCS – Limbo

I was always good at doing the limbo when I was younger. Now I probably suck at it. In fact, I’m afraid to even try it. I have to wonder if it somehow prepared me for the more…what’s the word… existential form of limbo I face now. The constant feeling I’ve had for many years that there’s something more out there for me. Riches, lifestyle, fame… I can admit to craving those things maybe 20 years ago. (make that 30) But then again I didn’t have kids to worry about 30 years ago. I could do with the first two now – riches and a better lifestyle – but fame is something I can do without. I like being invisible.

The feeling of limbo has changed. Morphed in some way. Back thirty years ago I had no idea how I might achieve such things. Now I at least have writing… not likely to gain me all these things, but the minute possibility is there. And hey, who could have imagined I’d have even this many people interested in what I have to say? Me, the wallflower at parties – the one of the couple who used to stand back and listen to what everyone else was chatting about, and only speaking when spoken to.

The limbo is wrapped up now in waiting to be published. I’m very very close with the smaller project. The bigger one needs more work, but I’m still determined to get it out there before the year is up. I promised my muse I would, after all.

NOTE: Don’t forget to check the comments in this week’s prompt to be sure your link is there!! Not all of the pingbacks are working.

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find out how you can join in too! https://lindaghill.com/2016/06/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-1116/

SoCS badge 2015


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Is it as sexist if a woman does it?

Saturday afternoon found yours truly enjoying a beer on the patio of one of Kingston’s livelier establishments. At this particular place, since it is Irish, the waiting staff wear kilts. Both the girls and the guys.

My table was adjacent to a table where three middle-aged women were sitting. Between us, a waiter stood talking to some customers. His back was to the other table. I watched as one of the women extended her arm and wiggled her fingers below the hem of the waiter’s kilt, as though she was going to reach up under it and tickle… something. I didn’t know whether to smile or be appalled. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.

So let’s see… what is your reaction? Take the poll:

I could probably have come up with some more answers, but I’m interested to see what you have to say. Let’s discuss.

Edit for clarification: The woman didn’t come in contact with the waiter, and he didn’t notice she did it.


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#ThursdayDoors – Doors that tell a story

It was 2009 and I’d already decided to buy my house. During the inspection, the real estate agent and I were poking around in all the nooks and crannies when we discovered that the inside of one of the closet doors had been used, for decades, as a place to record the growth of the children who grew up here. Click on the pictures for a closer look.

It’s fun to find history displayed in public places. It’s even better when you come across it in your own home.

Thursday Doors is brought to you by Norm Frampton at Norm 2.0. You can find the origin of this amazing prompt here: https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/thursday-doors-june-2-2016/


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One-Liner Wednesday – Burn!

There’s a story behind this one: It started with my best friend, John, writing on my fridge with magnets, “live laugh love.” Later, my eldest son changed it to “give tough love.”

So I spelled out the obvious.

egads
Clean your room or else!

“Egads!” was already there. It fits.

____________________________________________________________________________

Anyone who would like to participate, 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 ping back, 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.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a ping back 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 new, very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by nearlywes.com

#1linerWeds badge by nearlywes.com


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#tuesdayuseitinasentence – Phlegm and Forgiveness

She spat out her apology like phlegm, only to feel her unrepentant anger build to new and distasteful heights.

Writing this sentence has brought to mind how I feel about the questionable wisdom that by forgiving someone of a wrong done to us, we are freeing ourselves rather than the other person. I suppose it depends on whether or not we can believe we are truly forgiving.

The other popular adage is “forgive and forget.” Sometimes forgetting is much easier on the soul than forgiving. But does it teach us anything?

Tuesday Use It In A Sentence is brought to you by MLW at Word Adventures. Click here to join in today!


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#SoCS – Under Pressure

I’ve been battling a headache all day. It’s right behind my right eye, so I’m typing this with my eyes closed. I’m tempted to not fix any mistakes…

I think my headache is due to the barometric pressure. I’ve suffered with barometer headaches for years. I find unless I take an anti-inflammatory when I first feel it coming on, it won’t go away. Stress doesn’t help either.

I went to the mall today to find the dvd “Alice in Wonderland” – the Johnny Depp one – for Alex. Went into seven different stores and couldn’t find it. I’m blaming the new movie on the fact that everyone was sold out. I was impressed at how much of a comeback vinyl is making in the record stores. I have to wonder if the quality is the same as it used to be though. If it’s taken from a digital recording and put on an album, it isn’t going to have the same depth as it did from the master. I need to find out how they’re making vinyl recordings these days.

Anyway, I came home and found the DVD for $8 Canadian on Amazon, so I ordered it. So weird. And did you hear the news about Johnny yesterday? His new wife has a restraining order and is claiming he abused her physically. I was appalled at how many people on Twitter yesterday had already convicted him and thrown away the key without hearing a single word on his side of the story. I’m not saying he didn’t do it – he may just admit to it when he does come out and speak. What gets me though is all the armchair justice and vitriol from people who either never liked him in the first place, or are obviously jealous of his status in the world. I say that because many of the comments were “people will continue to buy his movies anyway.” What has that even got to do with it? He’s not the only person who stands to make royalties on them. Ugh, society and social media really get on my nerves sometimes.

I think my headache is gone. Thanks, Johnny.

SoCS badge 2015This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the link to join in today! https://lindaghill.com/2016/05/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-2816/