Life in progress

Category Archives: Stream of Consciousness Saturday


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS and #JusJoJan Jan. 14/17

It’s Friday, and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt.  This prompt will also be the one for tomorrow’s Just Jot It January post, so link back here even if you don’t write in Stream of Consciousness style. Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Just Jot It January is: A word that starts with “P.” Find a word that begins with the letter “p,” and make it the theme of your post. Bonus points for starting and ending your post with a “p” word. 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 or JusJoJan 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.

You can also use the Just Jot It January badge! Here it is:

jjj-2017

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 34 Comments

#SoCS, Just Jot It Jan 7 – Coat

I’ve been craving cheese lately. I just want to spread a lovely coat of cheese over everything I eat. And I have no idea why. Maybe I’m lacking calcium, or vitamin D, since I haven’t had much chance to get out of the house lately. I miss my paper route for that reason and that reason only. It was a pain in the neck when I had to do it in the snow and I didn’t have a babysitter, but it did force me to get out of the house and walk around the block every day. And hey, who wouldn’t want to get paid for walking around the block every day?

Instead, I’ve swapped that occupation for one of trying to get my work published. I was truly amazed at how much work it takes to advertise a book. I haven’t been doing all that well, apparently, since I’ve only sold 3 in the last month. I have had some great reviews though, which I should make a habit of posting here to remind people I have a book for sale and to keep the reminders somewhat fresh. Anyway, as you can probably guess I was making more money on my paper route than I am as an author. So far.

I’m coming up to the point where I’ll soon need advance-reader copy (ARC) reviews. I’d like to have a few posted when my next book comes out, so people can see what they’re getting on launch day. OH, and I had a bit of a bite from a local radio station. The story of The Great Dagmaru takes place in the real city of Kingston, Ontario. I mentioned this on Facebook to the rock station I actually mention in the book, and they told me to let them know when the novel comes out. Maybe I’ll get a plug from them. 🙂

I have no idea what this all has to do with coats, other than cheese … I promise my novels aren’t cheesy. That’s the one thing I don’t put cheese on. Or in. Hey, is that lasagna?

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This post was brought to you by both Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Just Jot It January. Click the link to read more posts and to see how you can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-and-jusjojan-jan-717/

 


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS and #JusJoJan Jan. 7/17

Thank God It’s Friday today! … *ahem* I mean, it’s Friday, and I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. It’s been a really long week. That’s my excuse for being SO late with this post, and I’m sticking to it. But Just Jot It January has been going fabulously, hasn’t it? This prompt will also be the one for tomorrow’s JusJoJan post, so link back here even if you don’t write in Stream of Consciousness style. Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Just Jot It January is: “coat.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

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 or JusJoJan 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.

You can also use the Just Jot It January badge! Here it is:

jjj-2017

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 20 Comments

#SoCS – First to last

2016. My first thought out of all the things to say about it has, for months, been about how shitty it’s been. Yet personally, I’ve had a lot of things to be grateful for.

I released my first book, making me officially an author. And I had a short story accepted in an anthology, making me an accepted author.

I began taking editing courses and so far I’m doing exceptionally well.

I managed to tick off four of the nine things on my 2016 bucket list. Admittedly, one of them was teach the dog sign language, but that’s something, right?

I made a couple of new friends online.

I kept all the friends I have.

And most of all, I lived. And so did everyone in my immediate family.  (Pray I’m not jinxing anything – there are still 8 hours to go.)

I’m also very grateful for this blog and this community. I’ve lived years without the feeling of connection and they were lonely years indeed. Since I came here to WordPress I’ve felt nothing but accepted, appreciated, and part of a larger entity than ever before. Thank you, my friends.

Thank you to everyone who has commented, liked, and read my posts this year, and thanks to all who have participated in my prompts. I can’t imagine life without you.

Cheers to 2017!

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The Stream of Consciousness Saturday rules and all the other posts can be found here: https://lindaghill.com/2016/12/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-3116/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 31/16

Friday’s here and that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Well, it’s finally over. The year that has lasted three years (or so it seems) is coming to an end. Here’s to a better, brighter, and most of all, healthy 2017! Here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “first/last.” Use one or both words, or find words that mean the same. Bonus points if you start your post with “first/beginning/start” etc. and end with “last/end” etc. 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!!

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 19 Comments

#SoCS – Baked

This is the only time of year I buy cookies, as a rule. I lurve me a good shortbread. I tried baking it once and it came out well. That was a very long time ago. I think I may have been in high school. My last major attempt at baking was a banana bread in 1984. It was supposed to take a very long time to cook, I remember that. I also remember taking it out of the oven after twice the amount of time it was supposed to be done in the middle, and it still wasn’t. Since then, I usually stick to Pillsbury. Or premixed muffins, or peanut butter cookies which take nothing at all to make. Practically.

I do enjoy cooking meals, as long as I’m left alone to do it with my music turned up and a glass of wine or six. However if I’m rushed or distracted, I’m a bear in the kitchen. Just let me sit down with the jar of peanut butter in the middle of the floor kind of bear.  I don’t eat peanut butter out of the jar often any more. I used to do it as a kid all the time. OH, and give me a container of whipped cream and watch me go. … or, I mean, that was before. Honest.

Gone are the days when I used to get baked myself on New Year’s Eve. It’s been a few years since I haven’t had the kids to look after, and this year will be no different. But I have my bottle of Baileys’ to sip, and I have my wine to guzzle… I mean, sip, so I’m good.

Cheers, all, to a Merry Christmas, a happy holiday for those of you who don’t have to work, and the time in between when you do. I hope your celebrations, whatever they are, bring you joy.

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If you’d like to join in and/or read more Stream of Consciousness Saturday posts, please click here: https://lindaghill.com/2016/12/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-2316/

P.S. I just realized I had a brain fart yesterday and posted the date wrong. It should read Dec. 24/16. I’ll change it in the title but not in the link, so all will not be lost.


by 39 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 24/16

It’s Friday today, and I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’m a bit late this week (again) but I have a good reason; I’ve done all my Christmas shopping! And it’s not even Christmas Eve yet!!! Amazing what you can pack into a week when you really try.  Anyway, here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “cook.” Find a word that means “cook,” (or use “cook” itself) and use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

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!!

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 21 Comments

#SoCS – Doesn’t Matter

Have you ever done something embarrassing and hope nobody caught on? Of course, it happens to everyone, right? Even when I do something like that and I think nobody saw (things like writing a comment and then erasing it, or a post and then editing it, or even tripping over nothing on the street or walking into a post) I’m still embarrassed. I wonder if that’s because I’ll never be sure whether or not I got caught. So is that moot, or not? Is it moot point because no one saw it? Or is it not moot because I remain in a state of embarrassment for the sake of that ‘maybe’ or just because I’m ashamed of myself.

There is one instance I can’t get over. It involves singing too loud, and I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I beat myself up over it every time I think about it. One thing it has taught me is to be more aware of my surroundings next time.  It seems to me there’s nothing more able to teach a lesson than embarrassment. It’s not something easily forgotten.

I’m not alone here, right? Oh, how embarrassing if I am.

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This post of embarrassment is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click on the following link to join in and find all the other fantastic posts written for the prompt! https://lindaghill.com/2016/12/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-1716/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 17/16

It’s the second-last Friday before Christmas, and it’s also time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I should probably start my shopping soon. I think this is the latest I’ve ever left it. Hope everyone else is doing better than I am! Here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “moot.” Use it as the theme of your post or just use the word in a stream of consciousness post about something else. 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!!

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 26 Comments

#SoCS – I Can’t Bare It

I know, I know. The right phrase is “I can’t bear it.” But it can be amusing at times what comes out of the mistaken spelling. “Bare with me,” is another. Quite inappropriate. But I try not to laugh. I’m not one to criticize people’s grammar, and it actually annoys me when people feel the need to correct every single mistake, especially when there are so many in a sentence that it’s obvious the person is, at the very least, trying their best to say something when they’re not used to writing. Or English is their second language. I’d be delighted not to have to look up the correct spelling every time I try to write in French or Japanese.

Because I just got off the phone with my dear friend James Justin from Microsoft (he’s been calling me all week, but I asked him specifically to call me this Monday coming. I think he’s starting to get annoyed that his little scam keeps getting put off). He told me today that we were going to see what’s behind my licensing issue this time. Before it was why my computer keeps freezing. I wonder what it’ll be by Monday. Anyhoo, I’m now trying to figure out if there’s any way I can get the police involved, since he’s supposed to call at 10am Monday precisely. Most times he’s called it has come up on my phone as a “Private Number,” but Tuesday, I think it was, he didn’t hide the ID. The number was 516-795-2411. I think James Justin might get fired over that oversight. Anyway, I’m going to look into it. Apparently, according to the Google search I did, the number is from New York.

It’s the time of year when I’m starting to think about whether or not to host Just Jot it January again. I had so much fun with it last year, especially with the prompts I had from all of you. I’m not sure if I’ll have enough time to keep up with it this year though. I’ve thought about getting co-hosts this year. Anyone interested? I think I know how it could work, but I’d have to nail down the details.

I’ve barely followed the prompt this week…

OH! I did want to mention the anthology I’m in is coming out this week. December 15th. I think it’s going to be a great book. I’m part of the publisher’s group on Facebook, and it seems to me I’m one of the least educated and least published of all the authors. There are university professors, lawyers, teachers… and little old me. Don’t forget to look for the After the Happily Ever After anthology!

And hey, if you’re interested in my fiction, buy my book too! 😀 Thanks!

All Good Stories

This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link and join in today!

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 10/16


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