Life in progress

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#JusJoJan the 22nd/23 – It’s writin’ season

The prompt word for January 22nd is “seasonal.” Thanks go to Kaye for the wonderful prompt!

I’m starting to realize, rather belatedly, that my writing is largely seasonal.

I try to do NaNoWriMo every fall, so that’s when I write the bulk of my novels. Also during the spring and summer NaNo camps, though I’ve never attempted 50,000 words during one of those.

Blogging daily has become a January thing.

I used to do it every day, but then a career or two happened, and I seem to run out of either time or steam by the time I get around to doing much else.

Seems whatever I do, though, I can usually do it in my pajamas.

Hibernation season is all year round.

P.S. My neck is a bit better today. 🙂

 ***

This writerly post is brought to you by Just Jot it January and Kaye! Please be sure to check out Kaye’s blog here!

For Just Jot it January, click the following link to see how you, too, can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/22/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-22nd-2023/ It’s fun!


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#SoCS – A fortune

Okay, this is the last time you’re going to hear about this from me–unless I win! Please, if you haven’t already, go and vote for my books in the contest for the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice Award. The Magician’s Soul has been nominated in the category ROMANCE/FANTASY/PARANORMAL/SUSPENSE/TIME TRAVEL/HISTORICAL/MAGICAL/WESTERN/NATIVE AMERICAN/GOTHIC

and the series, The Great Dagmaru, is in the category just below it.

Here’s the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvn1eQbB2t-8PftIfh8ej9CXppQfDq5t0kIhvdLT82B7VAxA/viewform Thank you!!

***

I have a fortune.

Not in money, but in the love of my family.

I know I’m fortunate that despite their ages, all three of my sons still live in my house. Yes, two of them need 24/7 support, but I can’t see myself being near as content as I am if they were living elsewhere. And my eldest who supports me when I need it … I know he’s going to move away eventually, but for now I’m grateful.

Would I be better off with money instead of what I have?

No.

I don’t have many things. My furniture needs to be replaced, and my house needs redecorating.

But who needs stuff when you’ve got love?

 

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

This grateful post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2022/02/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-12-2022/


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#SoCS – Turning the page

I think what I miss most when I’m reading an ebook is the act of physically turning the paper page. There’s a certain anticipation that comes with the extra second it takes, compared to swiping a screen to get to the next screen’s-worth of text.

Is it just me?

And then there’s the fact that a paper page isn’t backlit. Much more restful for the eyes. My eyes have been bugging me all day.

I told my son this morning that getting too much sleep sucks for me now that I’m not used to it. It’s like drinking too much–both sleeping and drinking are lovely at the time, but I inadvertently wake up with a headache. Mine has been kind of in the background all day (because I slept 8 hours, not because I was drinking), and it’s bugging my eyes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if when we typed, the words could show up on a paper page instead? Yeah, I know. That’s been invented and it’s called a typewriter, but what if those words on the page could go out instantaneously to the world like it does on the screen?

What if I could type a page of text and hit the return button and you could read it?

Without waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

Hmm.

Somebody invent that, would you?

 

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

This daft post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2022/02/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-5-2022/


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#SoCS – The Word I Hate the Most

There are a few words that get on my nerves and leave a bad taste in my mouth. No, “bitter” is not one of them. But the one word I really hate? The one I absolutely detest?

It’s the one I can’t remember.

The one that gets stuck on the tip of my tongue and I just can’t spit out.

Like the one I couldn’t remember tonight. It’s the word(s) for the old stripey colored thing you used to get on the TV when there was an emergency or when the station went off for the night. You know. The thing. The … coloured thingy.

(Do you remember what it’s called? I’ll tell you at the end of the post. Because if I had to suffer, so will you. Haha.)

Stephen King said once, or maybe a million times, that writers should never use a thesaurus. I’m sure at the time he said it he never had a word he couldn’t remember, because that’s a good 99% of the only use I have for one.

I’m not looking for a better word. I’m looking for THE word.

You know, the one I’ve forgotten.

Like test pattern. 😉

 

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

This frustrating post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-17-2021/


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#SoCS – Oops!

I almost forgot to post my SoCS. It’s been a month since the last time I did one. And it’s been a hell of a month. Busy? Can you say busy? It’s been busy.

And worrisome. We never did figure out what’s wrong with Alex, though he does seem better. He went for a walk with me today, so that’s a huge improvement. But he still says his stomach hurts. So who knows? Stress?

Stranger things have happened.

Me?

I’ve been paralyzed every time I’ve thought about writing something. It’s not fear, exactly, but it kind of is. Anxiety, maybe? I dunno. Maybe I’m just totally out of practice.

Or I feel like I’ve got nothing to say.

I can write fiction.

Maybe I should write a fictionalized version of myself.

I could be rich.

I could be thirty again.

And skinny.

And totally healthy. Hell, I could write away my tinnitus! That would be awesome.

My fictional self could have silence.

I could even write the pandemic out of the world. Would you like that?

I would.

No “oops” there.

Life would be perfect.

For everyone.

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

This fantastical post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/04/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-24-2021/


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#SoCS – Calculations

By my calculations, the weekend went by in a blink. Maybe not a mathematical calculation, but definitely a scientific one. Why? Because I said so.

Did your parents say that to you as a child? Mine did.

All day today, I’ve thought it was Sunday, but then I thought no, it’s Saturday. So I was wrongly convinced that I was wrongly convinced it was Sunday. And it was! (It’s Monday now, technically.)

Or is it?

…

Yes. It is.

What a weird day.

I saw a squirrel die today. Got run over.

That sucked.

Okay, not today, because today is Monday, and it’s only been Monday for 15 minutes. But Sunday. I saw a squirrel get run over. In front of a church, no less. On a … Sunday. Yes. It was Sunday.

I have a feeling I’m going to have nightmares tonight, and that really sucks.

I had nightmares last night. I was woken up by one of those emergency notifications to let me know there was an armed and dangerous man on the loose and to stay home.

So what did I dream about?

You guessed it.

I need a good night’s sleep.

Because this blinking weekend sucked.

By my calculations, at least.

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

This sucky post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/03/19/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-20-2021/


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#SoCS – What day is it anyway?

A year later, and I’m still asking myself that question almost every morning when I wake up. The only reason I bother wondering? I need to know whether Alex is expected at virtual school. For me, every day is the same. Work. I do it seven days a week, most days from the time I finish breakfast ’til the time I go to bed. Minus time off for walks, interruptions from the kids, and to eat. Oh, and housework. I do that occasionally, too.

Day in, day out.

My consolation? My bright spot in the world. Writing books people enjoy, doing a good job when I edit and making my clients happy, and sending out prompts. Because aside from looking after my kids and making sure they’re as content as they can be, from this tiny room at this small computer it seems I can still make a difference in the world, and that is a truly great thing.

It constantly amazes me the reach we have. And if we choose to use it wisely, we can make a positive change in the world. Even when we’re stuck inside.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the people who have read my blog and participated in my prompts over the past year. I feel like I don’t express my appreciation enough, but I really do appreciate it. Because without you all, I’d be prompting the void. And the void doesn’t answer back. I might even go as far as to say it a-voids it. (Haha! Yes, I’m tired. But I still got it.)

What was I saying?

Oh yes.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. ❤

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

This grateful post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/03/12/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-13-2021/


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#SoCS – I Can’t Believe it’s not Margarine

I grew up on butter, never margarine. My family hated the taste of it. And back when I was a child, it had a terrible flavor, kinda like butter that had gone slightly off. I don’t know how my mother always kept the butter so fresh. She must have used a lot of it, because it was never kept in the fridge. There was nothing quite as frustrating as trying to spread cold butter on fresh bread.

When I was an adult, I gave up on butter, but by then, margarine had improved. When I moved to Quebec (the province), I regularly bought what started out as margarine but they changed the name of it. To “Non-Hydrogenated Soy Spread.” No mention of margarine anywhere on the container. But it tasted like margarine, which, by that time, mostly tasted like butter.

I’m back to “Margarine” now–at least that’s what it says on the container. I miss butter. But we still call the stuff we put on our toast “Non-Hydrogenated Soy Spread” because why not?

It’s funnier. And it’s a mouthful. And who doesn’t want a mouthful when it comes to non-hydrogenated soy spread?

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

This very late, definitely non-hydrogenated post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/03/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-6-2021/


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#SoCS – Misty

As I come to the end of a full year of being sequestered in my home with my three kids, I’m looking back and thinking never has there been a year so slow and yet so very focused. So focused, in fact that there aren’t many moments I think I’m forgetting. It’s the least misty year in my existence.

Because I haven’t done anything. I can remember details like beginning the year going to the grocery store on Fridays, and gradually working all the way back to Thursdays, Wednesdays, Tuesdays, Mondays and now Sundays. I haven’t been inside a store on a Saturday all year.

Imagine remembering that kind of thing in a normal year?

I’ve written stories–books, even. I’ve published two books and one short story. I’ve moved from sitting on the couch to a desk in the spare bedroom. I’ve been to two–count ’em–TWO live concerts in Japan without leaving my house. And I’ve learned that “zoom” isn’t just what cars do as they go by. I’ve walked more than a million steps without leaving my neighbourhood.

And I’ve had the honour of spending more time with my kids than I knew I could without going insane.

How has your year been?

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

This very late, decidedly unmisty post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/02/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-27-2021/


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#SoCS – The Nerve!

What nerve I’ve got, almost two days late responding to my own prompt!

But you know what? It’s like that meme that’s going around. We’ve been at this “stay at home” thing for so long, there’s nothing to talk about. Nothing new, anyway. So I sit here at my computer, waffling over what to write. I actually get nervous. (There’s those nerves again.) And then I wonder, what’s the point?

Just Jot it January was easy for me, because all I had to do was make stuff up. Fiction is so much more interesting than real life these days, isn’t it? In fiction, we can pretend sickness doesn’t exist.

Maybe I should make up a fictional life for myself. Then I could live vicariously through the fictional me. I’ve even got a picture of the fictional me in mind. Aren’t I cute?

Photo: A snowman made out of a pointy snowbank with a single ball of snow on top with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and two twigs for arms sticking out of the snowbank.

Yeah, looks like the fictional me has about as much of a life as the real me.

sigh

Sorry I’m late with my SoCS post. Almost a SoCM post now.

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

This sad post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/02/19/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-20-2021/