Life in progress


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JusJoJan 18/26 – Organ

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “organ,” is brought to us by Kaye. Check out her blog here!

Okay, so here’s something I haven’t thought about in ages.

When I was a kid, I had a Magnus mini chord organ that I absolutely loved, though I think I only learned to play about four songs on it.

I’ve always been in love with the idea of being able to play music.

But it’s an aptitude I’ve never mastered.

Anyway, I Googled small organs to try to find the one I had, but none were immediately identifiable enough to point and say “it was that one.”

The depressing part was the fact that all the ones that might have been the same as mine on Ebay are described as vintage.

Nothing like the “v” word to make you feel old.

This wordy reminiscence is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Kaye for today’s prompt!


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JusJoJan 16/26 – Philosophy

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “philosophy,” is brought to us by Sadje. Check out her blog here!

I’ve strayed away from it, but at one time, I closely followed the teachings of the Tao Te Ching.

The philosophy of Taoism makes a lot of sense to me.

Chapter 11

Thirty spokes share one central hub; it is the empty space within that makes the carriage useful.
Clay is molded to form a vessel; it is the empty space within that makes the vessel useful.

Doors and windows are cut out to make a room; it is the empty space within that makes the room useful.

Therefore, while substance (Being) offers the benefit, emptiness (Non-being) offers the utility.

As a way to apply this to life, think about living in the present; emptying the mind of thoughts of the past and worries of the future allows a person to fully concentrate on what they’re doing, making their actions more controlled and therefore more useful to the moment.

Something worth thinking about.

This philosophical post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Sadje for today’s word of the day!


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JusJoJan 13/26 – Symbiotic

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “symbiotic,” is brought to us by Sally. Check out her blog here!

After the past couple of days, I’m too tired to fully comprehend the meaning of “symbiotic.”

Can I have a symbiotic relationship with my bed?

Please?

This short jot is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Sally for today’s word of the day!


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One-Liner Wednesday & #JusJoJan26 the 14th – Decisions, decisions

I could write an entire book about “decision fatigue,” but I can’t decide if that’s the book I want to write next.


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.

Here are the simple JusJoJan Rules:

1. Just Jot It January starts January 1st, but it’s never too late to join in! Here, we run on the honour system; the “jot it” part of JusJoJan means that anything you jot down, anywhere (it doesn’t have to be a post, it can even be a grocery list), counts as a “jot.” If it makes it to your blog that day, great! If it waits a week to get from a sticky note to your screen, no problem!

2. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). The prompt will be the word in quotation marks in the title of my 2am post. You don’t have to follow the prompt every day, but that will be where you leave your link for others to see. You’ll get a prompt for every day except Wednesday, when the prompt is simply my One-Liner Wednesday and on Saturday, when your prompt will be the Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS, which will appear at about 9:30am Friday. Each prompt post will include the rules.

2 a) 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!

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

3. Please ping back or link to the daily prompt. To ping back, just copy the URL from the daily prompt post, and paste it anywhere in your post. Check to make sure your link shows up where you want it to, and go back occasionally to see other bloggers’ entries – the more you visit others, the more they’ll visit you! Note: A) The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section. B) Ping backs only work if you’re blogging on WordPress. Everyone else must paste a link manually.

4. Tag your post JusJoJan26 and/or #JusJoJan26.

5. Write anything! Any length will do! It can even be a photo or a drawing – you’re going to title it, right? There’s your jot!

6. The prompts will appear every day that’s neither a Wednesday nor a Saturday–Saturday’s JusJoJan prompt will be Stream of Consciousness Saturday. You’ll find the list of prompts below as they come in, which means I’ll be updating this post. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you. NOTE: If your post is NSFW, do not ping back. Please leave your link in the comments with a warning.

7. If you’d like to, use the JusJoJan badge so that others can find your post more easily.

8. Have fun!


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JusJoJan 13/26 – Rubbish

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “rubbish,” is brought to us by Di. Check out her blog here!

I have to pay to put out my garbage in this town. I’ve never had to do that before.

As a result, I accumulate things more than I might if I could just stick five bags of garbage at the curb like I used to be able to.

I have stuff that came with me when I moved seventeen years ago that I’ve never bothered taking out of boxes. Do I need that stuff? No. Can I afford to get rid of it? No again.

So much rubbish. 🙄

It’s not hoarding if you want to get rid of it, right?

This frustrated post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Di for the prompt!


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JusJoJan 12/26 – Chewy

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “chewy,” is brought to us by Liz. Check out her blog here!

I love salmon. I mean I really love salmon. It’s probably my favorite food.

But I hate when I cook it too long and it gets a bit chewy. It needs to be cooked just right.

Unless it’s not cooked at all. Because there’s nothing like salmon sashimi—a slice of salmon and nothing else.

It melts in your mouth.

I can’t wait for my birthday. My mouth is watering already.

This yummy post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Liz for the prompt!


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JusJoJan 11/26 – Opinion

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “opinion,” is brought to us by John. Check out his blog here!

I have very strong opinions on a few topics, but I rarely post about them on social media.

Particularly the topics I have strong negative opinions on.

And it bothers me that I rarely post about them—I wish I could be more vocal. I feel guilty, often, for not doing more than making the occasional comment on the post of someone who shares my opinion.

Why do I lack the courage to voice my outrage?

I’ve seen what happens.

The responses that state without reason that the original poster is wrong. The name calling and the bullying.

I don’t have the energy for that.

So I sit quietly and seethe.

And wonder how many blame me for not coming out and standing up for them. For not adding my voice to their cause.

It’s a very loud world we live in as we sit silently at our keyboards and doomscroll.

And if I let myself, I hate that I’m not contributing to the noise.

This introspective post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to John for the prompt!


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JusJoJan26 & #SoCS 10/26 – Don’t get me started

This post is part of Just Jot it January and my weekly prompt, Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt and see how you can join in here.

It used to be, way back when I rode horses every week, people knew better than to start talking to me about them.

Luckily, I had a job as a trail guide, so if given the opportunity, I could talk the ears off whomever I was riding with.

Me and Shadow, circa … I’m going to say 1985

When I moved away from my job, and Shadow eventually went to the great glue factory in the sky, I stopped riding altogether.

It became increasingly unlikely that anyone would ask me about riding or horses, so for a while, I had nothing to “go on about.”

Then I got an editing job with a story that included a ranch with horses.

I got my mojo back.

And probably over-explained a lot.

But it was a nice opportunity to get me started for a while.

This reminiscing post is part of Just Jot it January and SoCS! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

 


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JusJoJan 9/26 – Celebrate

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “celebrate,” is brought to us by Wendy. Check out her blog here!

It’s January—I may have mentioned that a time or two on my blog—which means it’s the month I celebrate my birthday.

And by celebrate, I mean I usually don’t.

Years ago, Alex would insist I buy myself a birthday cake so he could eat a sliver of it, but I don’t remember when the last time was.

My eldest son buys me dinner every year and has it delivered, then I sit at the kitchen table with a book and eat alone, like I do every other day of the year that’s not Christmas, New Year, Easter, or Thanksgiving.

It all seems a bit sad on the surface.

But do it enough years in a row, and it becomes tradition.

More of a tradition than a celebration.

I mean, seriously, who over the age of 21 wants to get older anyway, am I right?

This post really sounds like I’m whining, but I’m not.

#amhappy

This not really sad post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Wendy for the prompt!


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JusJoJan 8/26 – Stumble

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “stumble,” is brought to us by Lou. Check out his blog here!

It used to be that I could walk on a treadmill and not hold onto the hand rails.

We’re talking many many years ago, though.

Now, if I let go, I wander from side to side.

I don’t stumble—I’ve never been seriously afraid I would … unless I wander off too far sideways and step off the track, of course.

And I don’t have to hold on tight. Just setting a finger down steadies me.

Which makes me wonder if it’s psychological.

Or maybe it’s just age.

Or maybe I need to get my ears checked.

This wandering post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Lou for the prompt!