Life in progress

Tag Archives: family


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#SoCS – Dressed

I got dressed today! That’s a big deal some days since I don’t have to go out to work. Today I took Alex to see Maleficent 2. We both enjoyed it a lot! Alex was literally sitting on the edge of his seat through the battle scenes, and at times I closed my eyes because the cinematography made me feel sick, but it was well worth it. And the costumes! If they don’t win an Oscar, I’ll be surprised.

Speaking of costumes, Halloween. I’m going to let Alex go out trick or treating one last time this year, and that’s it. He’s nineteen years old. And although he’s still very much a kid, I’m tired of the whole thing. I’ve been dressing kids up for the last twenty-five years. Or at least this will be the 25th. Costumes are so expensive! At least when you don’t have any talent for making them.

There’s a Halloween thing going on tomorrow at the local mall–it’s iffy whether we’ll go. Alex is terrified of people in masks (which creates another issue for trick or treating that I’m getting tired of). We’ve already missed one Halloween party this year because of that particular fear of his. He wouldn’t even go to school if they were allowed to wear masks on Thursday. I’d hoped he’d get over it as he got older, but no.

The push and pull is real. Much like the push and pull of trying to get last year’s costume on. Ha ha.

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

This post (and our lovely new badge!) is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link and see how you can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/25/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-26-19/


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#SoCS – Oh, really?

Oh yes. I’m really sorry about the mess I made of the SoCS badge contest by not realizing the comments were turned off. I haven’t had a chance to look at any of the entries, but there are sure to be some amazing ones there. Because of the screw up, I might end up accepting more than ten … I’ll see tomorrow. I hope.

Because if tomorrow is anything like today, I’ll have my hands completely full with Alex. What a horror story that was. He’ll be nineteen years old on Wednesday, and at this point, I’m starting to doubt the behavior issues will ever stop.

The good news is the swelling in my neck seems to have subsided a bit.

Oh. You know what else? I’m getting really sick of complaining all the time. So, you want some good news?

I managed to get out tonight to see the Downton Abbey movie and it was amazing. I think the thing I really enjoyed the most was just revisiting the characters. It could have gone on for four hours and I wouldn’t have complained a bit.

And now it’s quarter to two in the morning and I think it’s time for bed. I really have to put an end to these late nights. Half the time, I look at the clock and realize how much the time has gotten past me.

As Homer Simpson would say …

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

This unfinished post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to see all the other posts in the comment section and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/18/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-19-19/


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#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/


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One-Liner Wednesday – My dog, the scarf

When there’s no room on the loveseat, Winston jumps up on the back of it and lies across my shoulders. I swear he thinks he’s a bird.

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!

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com


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#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/


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#SoCS – When the Universe Cooperates

Ain’t it great when everything goes as planned?

When everything in the universe seems to cooperate, to get you what you want?

I managed to get out for the evening tonight with my best friend, John. We went to a bar down at the waterfront and listened to live music.

This was our view. Yes, it’s just the moon shining on the water. The picture sucks, but the moon was spectacular.

 

It’s been a long time since we hung out, outside of one of our houses, without being surrounded by kids. I’d forgotten what it’s like to be an adult. I think we caregivers need that sort of break once in a while.

Time to remember we’re us, that we’re individuals in our own right and not just someone else’s support.

Because it’s easy to get lost in that. The things we define ourselves as are what we become.

Mother, daughter, writer, editor, housekeeper, chauffeur, administrator, business owner …

I’m rarely not wearing a hat. And in that moment of wearing that hat, it’s all I am.

When was the last time you were not what you do?

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

This introspective post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other posts in the comment section and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/08/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-17-19/


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#SoCS – Astronomically Aware

I am astronomically aware.

I am aware that there is a moon and stars.

And planets.

I am aware of the odds (astronomically slim) that caused me to be alive right now.

To have been born into this world, at this time in history.

Although I might think the same thing had I been born in another time …

We don’t know. We just don’t know.

I am aware that I have, up until now, lived a pretty blessed life.

I have what I need.

But that, of course, also comes down to mindset.

I mean, I could say I need a private jet.

I could even believe it if I tried hard enough.

But that would only lead to me feeling like I don’t live a blessed life.

And that would suck.

Astronomically.

I am astronomically aware that there are an astronomical number of things I am unaware of.

Get your mind around that one.

… or not.

It even gives me a headache.

And I wrote it.

Problem is, I believe it.

So it’ll probably keep me up all night.

I am astronomically aware of how lucky I am.

To have the ones I love close by.

To have the means to communicate with the entire world from the comfort of my living room.

To have had all the opportunities I’ve had throughout my life, and the wisdom (for the most part) to know what to do with them.

I am astronomically aware …

that I should be going to bed now.

Good night, dreamers.

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

This deeply astronomical post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other astronomical posts in the comment section, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/08/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-3-19/


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#SoCS – Cleaner

What a friggin’ day. I spent most of it working–worked at home in my usual spot on the couch, worked at the library, worked upstairs in my room where it’s boiling hot, worked back on the couch …

I meant to clean up a bit, but it didn’t happen. My son did do some laundry for me though, so I have freshly cleaned-and-dried-outside-on-the-line sheets on my bed. The place is slightly clean-er.

There’s nothing that gets my kitchen floor cleaner than dropping a glass and breaking it. I did that last night, and boy, was my floor sparkling this morning! … Come to think of it, that might mean I didn’t get all the glass …

Just kidding. Alex walks around in bare feet, and then there’s the animals. The floor is clean.

The point is I do do more cleaning when I absolutely have to. Half the time I do laundry when someone is out of underwear. Or the dishes when there’s something there’s none left of. Forks. I should have sixteen forks, but do you think I can find more than five at one time? NO! Forks have become my Tupperware lids. My other sock.

I suppose I should be grateful: if I had more forks, the dishes would pile up more.

I hate cleaning.

I really do.

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

This dirty post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link and find out how you can join in! And while you’re there, find all the other clean and dirty posts in the comments. https://lindaghill.com/2019/07/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-27-19/


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#SoCS – The So-Called Simple Stuff

When I came up with this prompt–“instructions”–I was thinking about blowing my nose. It’s something I’ve known how to do for a very long time, but it’s one of the most difficult things to teach a kid.

Then I got to thinking about what we teach our kids when they’re young. Coming up with instructions for things we do without thinking takes a lot of thought, doesn’t it?

And even worse, asking them to do something without remembering that we have to teach them how first, and then feeling bad when we have to say, “No, no, no. That’s not how you do it.” Especially when the “it” involves something breakable.

Like the poor kid’s spirit. 😦

Personally, I love following instructions.

Knitting patterns are exciting!

Learning how to run a new program on the computer too, as long as the instructor doesn’t assume I know certain terms and things that are inherent in the basics, that I might have missed.

Kinda puts me right down there with the kid who just dropped a plate or something.

Okay, now I’m sad.

Here’s a picture I took of Winston tonight, to cheer us all up.

His itches aren’t completely gone, but he’s not scratching as much, which leads me to believe they were just leftover bites. Yay!

I do appreciate everyone’s suggestions, though. They gave me a brand new appreciation for the lengths people go to for their fur babies.

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 awesome posts linked in the comment section, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/07/12/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-13-19/


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#SoCS – Ah…choo!

I think the dog has allergies. No, he’s not sneezing, but he is scratching.

He had an appointment at the vet a couple of days ago–hundreds of dollars’ worth of fun. He was due for his shots anyway, so I figured since he was scratching, I’d get something for fleas and ticks. No evidence of them before or since, but that was the logical place to start.

Yesterday, I put the stuff on the back of his neck to kill whatever he might have picked up.

Today, he seems to be itchier than ever.

Question is, what could he be allergic to that is new? What plants are in my garden this year that weren’t last year? Worst case scenario: it’s not a plant at all.

I haven’t looked up the facts, so I don’t really know if they can affect dogs, but there’s a new tick in these parts that, if you’re bitten, can make you allergic to meat.

What do you feed a dog that’s allergic to meat?

Sure, he loves cheese. But I can’t imagine what an entire meal of it would do to his insides.

Do I not let him down from the table until he’s eaten his veggies?

We all know what grass does to dogs, but what about broccoli?

So I’m hoping the itching will stop–that the skin problems are just bites that haven’t healed yet.

Updates to come.

EDIT: So you don’t feel bad for Winston: the Lone Star tick–the one responsible for meat allergies–can bite dogs, but the poison it carries only affects humans.

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

This post that didn’t use the prompt except in the title was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other awesome posts in the comment section and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/07/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-6-19/