Life in progress

Category Archives: Random


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#SoCS – Critical Thinking

I don’t like criticizing people. Okay, maybe I do criticize members of my family and my best friend once in a while (shut up, John), but people I don’t know very well–people who might take my criticism the wrong way–I don’t like to criticize. Why not? Because I don’t want them to think I’m judging them. I like to think of myself as non-judgmental. Really, I don’t judge.

So what did I do? I chose editing as a career. Possibly one of the most critic-heavy jobs one can do. I criticize people’s writing for a living.

Maybe it’s being critical without being judgmental that’s the biggest challenge for me. And I do love a challenge. What I do NOT do is judge people’s writing. I don’t judge people on their ability to write a certain way, or on their lack of knowing the difference between “discrete” and “discreet,” for instance.

Look at it this way:

I can tell you your fly is open without judging you. That might be seen as criticizing your ability to remember to do your fly up, but still, I don’t judge you for it. I assume it was a mistake and that you’re not trying to flash me. My biggest reason for telling you is so you’ll do it up before someone comes along and laughs at you for it, less discreetly than I did.

The difference between that and editing? After all, ideally, I edit before someone indiscreetly points and at you and judges you for not knowing the difference between “discrete” and “discreet.”

The difference is, you don’t have to spend thousands of hours learning how to notice someone’s fly is down. You just have to have a good eye. Or a bad eye. Don’t judge me!!

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

This very late, very non-judgmental post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Sunday Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other critics posts for this week. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/02/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-23-19/


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One-Liner Wednesday – I need to get out more

You know you don’t get out of the house often when your kid comes home from school and frowns, confused, asking you why you got dressed today.

(True story.)

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!


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One-Liner Wednesday – Good or bad?

Nothing saves water better than a water heater that turns off after five minutes when you’re in the shower.

(Motivational poster made for free at canva.com.)


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Just a nice story

Every once in a while, something happens that restores my faith in humanity a bit. At times like these I kind of kick myself for being so cynical in the first place. So yeah, there’s a lesson here somewhere. And it includes believing a little in serendipity, too.

To start at the beginning, I had my best friend, John, and his kids over for dinner on Saturday night. (Salmon on the barbecue with rice, corn, brussels, and a lovely lemon and dill sauce, if you’re wondering.) After dinner, John was chatting on his cell phone to his other son. Then the three of them left.

About half an hour later, John called me from his son’s phone to say he’d lost his mobile and would I look for it. I searched the house, I went outside to look in the snow bank, nothing. He couldn’t find it at his place either. We tried calling it but the automated voice came on to say the “customer you’re calling is unavailable.” John came over with a flashlight to see if I’d missed it. It was nowhere to be found.

He tried again the next morning, thinking maybe he’d find it in the daylight. The only thing he could think of was that he’d dropped it on the sidewalk and someone had come along and picked it up. He was about to leave to go home and get himself some breakfast, but I invited him to stay. I usually work during breakfast, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to eat together since he was already there.

We were just cleaning off the table after our toast when there was a knock at the door. This is where the serendipity comes in, because I never answer my door on a Sunday morning. It’s usually Jehovah’s witnesses, and I don’t like standing with the front door open chatting about religion in my pajamas, especially when the air outside is sub-zero. But John, being far braver than I, opened the door.

To find two ladies who had been walking up the street, knocking on doors, to find the owner of the phone they’d found in the middle of the street the night before. Where it could easily have been run over.

The first thing he did after turning the SIM card back on was put the message on his lock screen: “If found, please call …” and my home number.

Because you never know. Someone kind and considerate might find it again next time. At least I’ve got to believe they will.


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The Blogging Habit

I always find it difficult after a month-long stretch of blogging to stop posting every day. I don’t know if it’s the momentum or just the fact that I love to write, to get my thoughts out there, or if it’s the sense of community that I miss.

Last time I felt this way, I just kind of stuttered to a stop. I had days at the end of last year when my daily views barely made double digits. I’d like to endeavor not to let that happen again this year. Then again, when you don’t get out much, it’s hard to find things to talk about.

I’ve gotta get out more, too.

In the meantime, Bee has a great prompt going on this month called “Love Is In Da Blog,” to celebrate the month of February: the month of love. She’s doing a musical theme this year, and it looks like fun! You can check her post for today, including tomorrow’s prompt, here: https://thebeewritesdownloads.wordpress.com/2019/02/03/love-is-in-da-blog-a-kitsch-love-song-prompt-post-for-february-4th/

In other news, you might have figured by the lack of jumping up and down with glee on my part that neither my book nor my series won the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice Award this year. But that’s okay. The Magician’s Blood came in third out of six entries, and The Great Dagmaru (the series) came in third out of five. It was an honour to be nominated at all out of the hundreds of books the Guild reviews every year. And I’m that much more grateful that The Magician’s Curse won in 2017.

Congratulations to all the 2018 winners! 🙂

And there you have my compulsion to blog satisfied for today.

I have to say, it feels weird not to finish off a post with a badge and a link.

…

Okay, here’s Bee’s again. Don’t forget to visit her! https://thebeewritesdownloads.wordpress.com/2019/02/03/love-is-in-da-blog-a-kitsch-love-song-prompt-post-for-february-4th/


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#SoCS – Affirmative

Yes, I can affirm that today has been a challenging one with the child who is no longer a child but acts like one. I can state that unequivocally.

But is that the way the word “affirm” is really supposed to be used? An affirmation–the word affirmative–means yes. So to state something negative (like saying it’s been a bad day), would be a confirmation, wouldn’t it? Because, like, pros and cons. So is there such a thing as a proffirmation?

Gah! That makes my brain hurt.

Or is it a proclamation? Which would be the opposite of a conclamation. Haha.

I like making up words.

I do like affirming that I CAN do stuff. There are days when that’s easier than others. I can sometimes wake up in the morning and, for no apparent reason, feel like I can do anything.

Then there are days when I just want to throw in the towel because I can’t seem to do anything right.

And I have no idea why either of those things happen.

Except when I get a negative comment or review on my work and then I spend five minutes saying fuck it, I can’t write. What made me think I ever could?

I’m glad it only lasts five minutes. Most of the time.

So yeah, I’m hoping Alex will be able to go to school for a full week next week. I’m sure his behaviours are at least in part due to the fact that he’s getting bored staying home. I think he’s only been to school seven days so far this year.

But with this crazy weather …

Last week it was cold enough the balls off a snowman (the snowballs–get yer mind outta the gutter), and tomorrow we’re supposed to get freezing rain. Monday? Rain.

I may just take Alex to school on skates.

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

This very late, very random, very made-up post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to see how you, too, can join in the fun. And read the other participants’ posts while you’re there! You’ll find all the links in the comments. https://lindaghill.com/2019/02/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-2-19/

 


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Now it’s my mother

My mum has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia. They took her by ambulance last night since I wasn’t able to leave the house to pick her up–not because it was that urgent.

But anyway, funny story.

I just got off the phone with one of the nurses in the emergency department. Apparently my mother is concerned that she doesn’t have her teeth. She must have taken them out before she was transported, so the nurse asked me if I could go get them and bring them in.

My response: That has to be one of the most interesting things I’ve even been asked to do.

And we laughed, and laughed.


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#SoCS & #JusJoJan Jot #5 – Sip

As I sip my morning coffee I wonder if maybe I’m a sap for thinking I could pull off a family supper tonight. Maybe I can find a sop to make it SEP.

Wow, that was a stretch. Bonus points to me! Thanks, Dan.

I had planned a family supper tonight but I don’t have any food yet. I had no idea that “sop” was a synonym for “bribe,” and of course if you clicked my link in the prompt, you’ll know “SEP” is an abbreviation in the urban dictionary for “somebody else’s problem.” Chances of making MY family dinner somebody else’s problem are pretty slim.

My eldest son, having developed an interest in cooking, has been making all our big meals of late, but he worked all night, so I assume he’s sleeping.

Our family supper was supposed to be on New Year’s Day, as it always is, but with Alex just freshly out of the hospital and still coughing, I didn’t want to take the chance that he’d pass something on to my mother who would take it back to her retirement home and thus make me responsible for an outbreak.

I’m terrified of doing this every time I bring her out. Because you never know what germs are lurking. You know, the sorts of germs that you pick up but you don’t know you’ve got until a cold settles in three days later.

It would be handy if we could get sick immediately after picking up a virus, wouldn’t it? It would help prevent the spread. But viruses are sneaky. They work with our bodies’ immune systems–take advantage of it for their own ends.

Okay, this post is going downhill, isn’t it?

Where did I start? Oh yeah. Coffee. Nectar of the gods. Time to pour another cup.

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

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Just Jot it January! Click the link to see how you, too, can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/04/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-5th/


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#SoCS – Tin Can

If I could, I’d put some love in a tin can and seal it tight.

There would be no expiry date on my tin can,

But it would be there for you to open

Any time you need it.

Even if I’m gone.

I have no idea where that came from. I don’t think people in the US call cans–the kind food comes in at the grocery store–tin cans. They’re just cans. Are they even made of tin? I dunno. I do know if they were dented you shouldn’t eat what was inside. An entire group of arctic explorers were poisoned and died because of botulism that came from cans. There was a movie about it.

Would love in a can be spoiled by a dent?

I think it would just give the love a little extra character.

I used to love tinsel as a kid. I still love sparkly things. I haven’t had tinsel on my Christmas tree in years, though. My ex went to the store at the last minute one of the first years we were together and all he could get was this really ugly pink and orange tinsel. It was like the Charlie Brown of tinsels. Only I didn’t have that much sentimental attachment to it. I think it lasted one year before it got tossed.

I need to get tinsel. Maybe I’ll find some after Christmas.

Have a very merry one, my friends. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, enjoy whatever you do celebrate. Love you all. Thank you for reading and for sticking around. 🙂 ❤

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

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other participating entries in the comment section and join in yourself! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/12/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-22-18/


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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/