Life in progress

Category Archives: Stream of Consciousness Saturday


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 19/19

Friday’s here, and so is your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. It’s our last week with Pamela’s lovely, leafy SoCS badge. Thank you, Pamela, where ever you are! On that note, we haven’t had a single entry for the SoCS badge contest yet. Let’s go, bloggers! Exciting stuff! Here’s a link to the contest post: https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/17/enter-the-6th-annual-socs-badge-contest/ Enter today!

EDIT: So sorry! I copied last year’s announcement but I closed the comments when the contest was over, so that must have carried over too.
I’ve opened the comments now–please drop a link in. SO sorry for the inconvenience! I thought it was weird that I didn’t get a single comment!

And here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “oh.” Use it as a word or find a word that starts with “oh.” Bonus points if you start and end with “oh.” Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our pretty SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

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

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 23 Comments

Enter the 6th Annual SoCS Badge Contest!

It’s that time of year again: time to retire our pretty 2018-2019 Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge. We’ve loved Pamela’s badge every week for the last fourteen months. This weekend’s SoCS prompt will end its wonderful reign. Thank you so much, Pamela! Unfortunately, I get a warning when I try to go to her website, so if you’re reading this, Pamela, I hope you can sort us out!

 

SoCS badge by Pamela

 

On to the contest! Break out your crayons, boys and girls, because I’ll be taking entries for the next seven days (today included) for our 2019-2020 Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge designs.

Here are the contest guidelines: please read them carefully before entering.

1. The design can be anything you want it to be, but it must include either “Stream of Consciousness Saturday” or “SoCS” and your name and/or the name of your website.

2. Any pictures (art or photo) must be your own.

3. All entries will be posted here on my blog on Thursday October 24th, 2019 along with a poll that will close the next day, on Friday the 25th. I would ask that each of the entrants make a blog post on their own website with their artwork so I can post links for voters to check them out, and that they link their post back HERE in the comment section no later than Wednesday, October 23rd, midnight EDT (GMT -5 hours). No entry posted after that time will qualify. All links included here within the specified timeframe will be added to the voting list.

4. The winner’s badge will be available for anyone who participates in Stream of Consciousness Saturday to post permanently on their website as a widget and/or to embed in each weekly SoCS post.

5. One entry per person. The contest is open to anyone with an active blog, WordPress or otherwise. I reserve the right to disqualify any blogger from the contest who regularly posts material that may be offensive to others, i.e. porn, highly political posts, or blogs that only exist to sell something.

6. Poll results will not be available while the poll is open. If there is a tie, I will choose the winner myself.

7. Entries are restricted to the first ten linked below (just in case we’re bombarded), so get yours in early.

8. If I’ve missed anything, or if you have any questions, please ask in the comment section below.

9. Have fun and best of luck!

Note: The posting of the winning badge with a SoCS post/on a participant’s website will not be a requirement. It’s purely for entertainment/recognition purposes.


by 16 Comments

#SoCS – Grounded

My prompt has me thinking about all the ways my kids keep me grounded.

When my mind takes off on flights of fancy, into fictional realms,

my kids bring me back.

When I think perhaps I’m meant to be rich–maybe even famous,

my kids cost me money and remind me I’m just Mom.

When I want to go out …

I realize I’m actually grounded, unable to leave the house.

Now if only they’d send me to my room.

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

This short and sweet post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link and find out how to join in. It’s fun!  https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-12-19/


by 44 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 12/19

Hi! It’s Friday, and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’m planning to (finally) get the new SoCS badge contest up and running soon, so start thinking about your entry. Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ground.” Use it as a noun or a verb in any tense (i.e. grind). Have fun!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our pretty SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

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

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 35 Comments

#SoCS – Fantastico

I just learned a new word: fantastico. According to The Free Dictionary, it means a very bizarre person. Merriam-Webster has it as an ridiculously fantastic individual. But “fantastic” isn’t very wonderful in all the definitions of it.

In any other company, I suppose I would have come across as a bit of a fantastico (Free Dictionary definition) last weekend. Since I was in the company of authors, I was likely just looked upon as introverted. I barely talked to anyone because I was so damned sick. I went out of my way, in fact, to keep out of everyone’s way so I didn’t infect them. I still made it to almost all 12 of the lectures and masterclasses, though. Some I was nodding off during, mostly because I wasn’t sleeping at night for the coughing.

So I have a few regrets, none of which I had any control over. But I still feel bad.

I regret not being able to enjoy myself fully.

I regret not being able to mingle and make friends.

I regret not writing and/or editing more: I was in the ABSOLUTELY perfect location for the book I’m working on, but I couldn’t take advantage of it.

And I regret not participating in SoCS last week. I had the perfect response, because man, could I have used an appointment with an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist). 😛 Saturday night I missed one of the events I had a ticket for: I coughed so much, I made my throat bleed.

I’m still not over it. It’s a nasty one. With really bad timing.

I did get a few pictures, though.

It’s funny. This is the second time I’ve had a reservation at this particular hotel. The first time, in 2016 I think, I got sick before I got there and had to cancel. Maybe the hotel is just unlucky for me. :/

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 posts in the comments, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-5-19/


by 45 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 5/19

It’s the first Friday of October! And it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’d like to take this opportunity to say thanks to Dan Antion for looking after the prompt for me last week. He did a wonderful job! Take a bow, Dan!!

Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-tast-.” Find a word that contains “tast” and use it in your post. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our pretty SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

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

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 53 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 28/19

It’s Friday! Time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Linda is attending a Writers’ Festival in Kingston (Ontario), but the prompt must go on. This is Dan from No Facilities, filling in for Linda. Contrary to my usual style, let’s cut the chit-chat and get down to business. Here’s your SoCS prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ent” “ten” “net.” Use one, use two or use all three (bonus points for using two, double-bonus points for using all three). As Linda would say, use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

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

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 11 Comments

#SoCS – All the wrap

Hey! I know what you’re thinking–Linda made it to her own party (SoCS) on time for once! No? Okay, just humor me. That’s what you’re thinking, okay?

I’m writing early because I’m off to a concert tonight. No, it’s not rap. Going to see The Glorious Sons in their hometown of Kingston. I’m not sure how late I’ll be home, and I may be exhausted, so here I am. Wrapping my post up in a neat little package.

I do like wrapping things up. The feeling of completeness that comes with wrapping things–the neatness of it–is satisfying. I can’t stand wrapping presents, though. Don’t tell my family.

Especially at Christmas, because I always leave it to the last minute, at which point it feels like a bit of a waste of time. But if I wrapped the gifts and put them under the tree early, the dog would eat them. He loves eating paper. And the last thing I want to see is gift-wrapped poop sitting in the snow in my back yard.

On the other hand… wouldn’t it look better?

K, off I go. Peace, my friends.

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

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to follow along! https://lindaghill.com/2019/09/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-21-19/


by 50 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 21/19

It’s Friday! Time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Busy, busy days these days. It’s beginning to look like the SoCS badge contest will have to wait until October now, unfortunately. In the meantime, here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wrap/rap.” Use one, use both (for bonus points), use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our pretty SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

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

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


by 20 Comments

#SoCS – The Hand-Me-Down

It’s a blue robe.

A hand-me-down from a friend of my mother’s–a friend my mother no longer remembers.

They weren’t friends for long. Perhaps a few years.

The robe was too big for the friend, and my mother didn’t want it.

So here it is.

It’s a fluffy robe. Comfortable and warm on cold winter mornings when I get up in the dark of five o’clock to feed Alex. My fluffy slippers are pink. In them, with the robe, I’m sure I must look like a tired, less-than-sweet ball of candy floss.

It’s all pastel, this outfit.

Or would that be an infit, considering I’d never be caught dead outside in it?

And infit.

Yeah.

So, it’s 3:14am and I’m still up and I shouldn’t be. I should be shrugging on my blue hand-me-down candy-floss robe and crawling off to beddiebyes.

Yeah.

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

This comfy post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other posts in the comments, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/09/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-14-19/