Life in progress

Tag Archives: blogging challenge


by 19 Comments

#SoCS – Unpacking a Thought

There are many ways to go about unpacking a thought or a problem. Some people find walking or exercising helps to clear the mind and open it up to new ideas. I get so many solutions in the shower for my problems when I come across them in my fiction writing, that by rights, I should be the cleanest person in Canada.

But often, when it comes to other issues I need to solve, writing is the best way to unpack what I’m trying to get at. The root can often be found by just spelling out the problem.

Sometimes a list can help, showing me from one step to the next how I can get from A (the problem) to Z (the most positive outcome).

Other times just this: stream of consciousness. You have to wonder what lives inside of our brains that just needs a little nudge to get out. Even memories of what worked before that we’ve long forgotten. They’re there, just buried by all the stress of what we NEED to remember on a daily basis, rather than the things that seem less important. Until they become important.

I have a feeling I’m going to look at this post later and cringe, so I might not reread it at all.

A glass or two of wine will do that.

Speaking of memories … I have no idea why, but I thought tonight of the first time I ever heard Enya. Her song Exile was in the movie L.A. Story. Such a beautiful song. Have a listen.

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

This reflective post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to see how you, too, can join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/02/07/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-8-2020/

 

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


by 28 Comments

We did it! Just Jot it January 2020 edition

January is finished! Did you jot every day?

Whether or not you did, you deserve a pat on the back if you participated in Just Jot it January at least once. In celebration, I’d like to offer you two things:

A chance to write a reflection post on your JusJoJan journey of 2020 and post a link below … Yes! This is a bonus prompt for you! 😀

A badge to put on that post, and to keep if you’d like to add it to your blog. Here it is.

Just Jot it January isn’t just a reason to write, it’s an opportunity to find other like-minded bloggers to add to your online community. Don’t forget to keep in touch with one another!

It’s been a great run, though I’m a bit disappointed in myself for not getting around to visit your blogs more often. Unfortunately, I reached my limit just trying to participate this year. *makes a mental note not to take on as much next year*

I will endeavor to do my very best to come around and visit all your links today. If you don’t write your reflection post until tomorrow, no worry! I’ll still come and visit.

Thank you all for participating, and a special thank you to our guest prompters! I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful blogging community without you.

Love you all!


by 15 Comments

#JusJoJan 31/20 – Chaos

Parenting. Yep, I’m back to talking about that. Alex had a day off school today, and he was all set to go out with his respite worker for a fun day of bowling and the library. He’d been looking forward to it all week.

So what happened when it was time to get dressed to go?

The same thing that happens every time.

He didn’t want to go. I asked Alex a dozen times, and no. He wanted to stay home.

I knew it was a temporary decision. I knew he really wanted to go. But I’ve had enough of fighting to get him out the door every time he actually wants to go.

So I texted the respite worker and told her not to come.

And what happened as soon as I texted the respite worker?

He wanted to go.

So I put my foot down and said no. He’d made his decision. He no longer had a choice.

I’ve done this before, but I’ve let it slide since. It’s time to put an end to it.

The chaos of Alex’s decision making is driving me nuts. It prevents me from being able to work when he’s home, and if I need to go anywhere–really need to go, like I had to today to get groceries–I can’t go. I’m stuck at home with a 19-year-old who’s acting like a baby for no reason except that he enjoys pushing my buttons.

My buttons will no longer be pushed.

Because if I don’t do anything about this now, then when he finishes school for good in a year and a half, I’m going to end up being nothing but a babysitter for my adult son for the rest of my life. And the fact is, I need to work. I can’t keep us in the manner to which we’ve grown accustomed without it.

So this is less a matter of whining and more a public statement that I’ll change my ways. And Alex’s.

Wish us luck.

 

This proclamatory post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s the last day! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/31/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-31st-2020/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

Get your free copy of The Magician’s Sire: A Paranormal Romance → Click here


by 34 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 31st, 2020

It’s the last day of Just Jot it January 2020! Where has the month gone? Our final prompt comes from Robbie Ann who has nothing on her blog, so I won’t link to it. Thanks anyway, Robbie Ann!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 31st, 2020, is “chaos.” Use the word “chaos” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 31st, 2020.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). 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.

4. 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.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. 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!

7. 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.

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

9. Have fun!


by 7 Comments

#JusJoJan 28/20 – Never Finished

I’ll start one more time with a warm thank you to our guest prompter. Lauren provided us with our prompt word of the day, “finished.” Thank you, Lauren! You can find Lauren’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow, if you’re not already!

It seems there are more things in my life that will never be finished than there are that I’ll be able to finish.

Dishes? There will always be more.

Same with laundry, sweeping up dog hair, shoveling snow …

Okay, the snow will melt. But will it be back in December?

Yes. It probably will.

But it’s those things we never finish that keep us going.

Where would we be without dishes?

Hungry.

Or cleaning up a really messy kitchen table.

Without laundry?

Naked.

Or smelly.

Without dog hair?

Dogless, of course.

Without snow?

…

Enjoying going outside.

I have no idea where I was going with this post.

 

 

This aimless, unfinished post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/30/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-30th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


by 30 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 30th, 2020

Welcome to your 30th prompt for Just Jot it January 2020! Today’s prompt comes to us compliments of Lauren. Thank you, Lauren! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 30th, 2020, is “finished.” Use the word “finished” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 30th, 2020.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). 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.

4. 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.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. 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!

7. 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.

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

9. Have fun!


by 22 Comments

#JusJoJan 28/20 – TV Time

Thanks very much to Barbara! She provided us with our prompt word of the day, “television.” You can find Barbara’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow, if you’re not already!

Okay, you’re going to think this is weird.

You might even laugh.

But get this …

You ready?

No, I’m not going to say I don’t have a TV–I do. And it’s on during Alex’s every waking moment.

The strange thing?

…

You sure you’re ready?

…

Are you sitting down?

Because you should be sitting down.

Okay. Here we go.

…

You know, after all this build up it’s probably going to be a big let down.

But in for a penny

in for a pound.

Right?

Okay. Here it is.

My big confession.

…

Watching TV is …

…

…

on my to-do list.

That’s it.

Because I really want to do it, and there are so many things I want to watch, but I just don’t have time.

And NOT watching TV, I think, is detrimental.

To my creativity.

I spend so much time on the Internet, or alone, or in my head …

And the only face-to-face human contact I have, sometimes for weeks on end …

is with my kids.

I forget, sometimes, how regular people–adult people, who aren’t family and aren’t disembodied voices that I read on my screen–interact with each other.

I’m forgetting how to relationship.

(Yeah, I just turned relationship into a verb.

Sue me.)

And that sucks, because I write relationship books.

Which is what romance novels are, after all.

So, yeah. I need to get around to watching TV.

Just one of the thousand things on my to-do list.

 

This histrionical post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/28/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-28th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


by 40 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 28th, 2020

Hey there! I’m here with your 28th prompt for Just Jot it January 2020. Today’s prompt comes to us courtesy of Barbara. Thank you so much, Barbara! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 28th, 2020, is “television.” Use the word “television” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 28th, 2020.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). 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.

4. 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.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. 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!

7. 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.

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

9. Have fun!


by 11 Comments

#JusJoJan 27/20 – Razzle Dazzle

To start, I’d like to say thank you very much to Debbie for our dazzling prompt word today! You can find Debbie’s Just Jot it January post here.  Go visit her and say hi, and give her a follow!

Is it just me? Or is it a fact that the older you get, the harder it is to get dazzled by anything? I wonder if it’s cynicism–the belief that whatever dazzles now can’t last.

It’s experience, right?

If we can get old, anything can.

Still, if you know me, then you’ll know there’s at least one thing that doesn’t stop dazzling me, no matter how old it gets. A band that’s been together for 33 years. A band I’ve traveled half-way around the world to see. Japanese rock group, Buck-Tick.

And guess what?

They recorded a whole concert on their “Go on the Razzle Dazzle” tour.

Here’s one of my favorite songs from that tour, with English subtitles, no less.

Tell me you’re not dazzled by this! I dare you!

 

This totally dazzling post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/27/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-27th-2020/

“…so engrossed in reading it almost missed getting off at my station on journey to work…” ~ Angela, Amazon reviewer

On sale until January 31st! Get it for 99 cents now!  → Click here


by 26 Comments

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 27th, 2020

Monday’s here and so is your 27th Just Jot it January 2020 prompt. Today’s prompt comes to us compliments of Debbie. Thank you so much, Debbie! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 27th, 2020, is “dazzle.” Use the word “dazzle” any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list, you can find it HERE.

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 27th, 2020.

2. 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!

3. I’ll post prompts at 2am my time (GMT -5). 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.

4. 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.

5. Tag your post JusJoJan and/or #JusJoJan.

6. 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!

7. 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.

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

9. Have fun!