Life in progress

Tag Archives: inspiration


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The Escapist Coloring Club Prompt – September 1, 2018

Welcome to The Escapist Coloring Club prompt!  If you’d like to join the club, all you have to do is post pictures of your own colouring, your kids’ colouring, or that of anyone you know and have permission to share. This is a month-long prompt, which means you have all of September to link back here.

It turns out I didn’t do so well in August with the whole escaping thing. I wasn’t able to get my calendar page finished in time. Even with a little help from Alex. I’ll show you some closeups of both our work.

Here’s what it looked like before I started.

And here’s bits of the finished product.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And here’s the entire thing in its incomplete glory.

Can you find the six caterpillars?

Now that Alex is going back to school next week, we should be back to our regular schedule in September, including the mid-month reminder that I didn’t manage to post during the summer.

I look forward to seeing all of your wonderful projects in the coming month!

Please find the “rules” below.

1. This prompt is designed for relaxation. As such, I encourage you to take your time to link your own post here, BUT, when you comment, please click the “Notify me of new comments via email” button. That way you’ll receive a notification when someone else links their project and you won’t miss anything. As with all the prompts, the more you visit others, the more your community of like-minded people grows.

2. Ping back! It’s important so that I and other people can come and read your post. To execute a pingback, just copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into the body of your post. 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.

3. There will be a prompt on the first of every month. I will try to post the prompt here on my blog at 9:30am -5 GMT. The prompt will simply be photos of my own colouring project. If you would like to host this prompt on your blog on another week during the month, either once, occasionally, or on a regular basis, please e-mail me at hilllindagmaru at gmail dot com and we’ll get you set up. All I ask is that you have an active blog and that you regularly reply to comments and visit other blogs.

4. Feel free to use The Escapist Coloring Club badge in your post.

5. Have fun!


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 1/18

Friday is here, and that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. So hard to believe summer is over already! Where does the time go? Incredible. Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “round.” Use it as a word by itself or find a word that contains it. Bonus points if you start and/or finish your post with it. 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, new 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!


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One-Liner Wednesday – Settings

There’s something uniquely beautiful about having a place that inspires you enough to set an entire book in it.

The Hochelaga Inn, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

The Magician’s Curse ~ The Great Dagmaru, Book One

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!


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#SoCS – Noticed?

You might have noticed that I am, once again, late for my own party. Two weeks (has it been two, or three?) in a row I’ve posted a Stream of Consciousness Sunday.  Today’s excuse is all about editing. There’s a new anthology coming out in October that I’ll also (as well as copyediting it) have a story in. Paranormal romance … so exciting!

(By the way, anyone studying this post for grammar mistakes–the rules include NO EDITING for SoCS posts. Don’t judge me by this post.)

This is the raw me. The unedited me. Have you noticed how … conversational Stream of Consciousness Saturday posts seem? That’s what I love about them. It’s that not-being-able-to-take-it-back-once-it’s-out-of-your-mouth thing. (Spellcheck really didn’t like that.) Where was I? Oh yeah.

Wine. Wine is good. I’m having a glass now after a full day of work. I can’t edit and drink, which is doing wonders for my weight sobriety. Not that I have a problem with staying sober. But wine is good, isn’t it?

Speaking of sobriety, I found a bag of potatoes today that was slowly but surely becoming vodka in my cupboard. Only it smelled more like fish. Not a good scent for potatoes, I thought, so they’re in the garbage now. *hic*

Speaking of gross things, my next sip of wine tasted like dish soap. I don’t know if it was the fact that the wine had had a chance to dilute whatever wasn’t washed out of the glass the last time it was washed, but I had to get rid of the rest of it.

So I opened a new bottle. *hic*

Where was I?

Oh yeah. There’s no way I’m going to get my colouring project done for the month of August. So I’m going to be late for that party too. I’ll still post the prompt, but with an unfinished page. I suck.

But wine is good.

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

This *hic* post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday Sunday Saturday. Join in, won’t you? *hic* https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-25-18/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 25/18

Happy Friday! It’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’ve had a busy week, what with organizing our new SoCS badge. Today’s its first day! Yay! Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “notice.” Use it 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, new 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 55 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – When you read it wrong every time

Whenever I see the words “Power Outage,” I wonder how anyone could get so angry over electricity.

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 new badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!


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Update on the 2018-2019 SoCS Badge Contest

Normally about now I’d be reminding everyone to hurry up and get their entries in for the Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge contest before the deadline. But there’s no need! Ten bloggers were so quick this year, I had to cut off the contest early.

If you’d like to go and have a look at all the lovely badges, here’s the link to the post: you’ll find the individual links in the comment section. I cleaned it up a bit so there’s only one of each.

I’ll write a post with links to them all on Thursday, along with a poll so everyone can vote on their favourite.

Thanks to all the contestants for your awesome badges! Best of luck to all!


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#SoCS – Logical English

I’m a huge fan of logic. It might be my star sign (Aquarius) or it might be just good ol’ learnin’, but logic makes more sense to me than stuff like intuition.

Though I do trust my intuition a lot. But not when there’s logic to be had.

Then there are some things I’ve just learned to accept. There’s really no fighting things like the English language, and its refusal to conjugate, for instance, “specific” into “specifical” when “magic” is “magical” and, well, “logic” is “logical.”

So, I’ve had to memorize these illogical instances, as we do. Or we don’t if we never get good at spelling. I think one of the worst things invented is spellcheck. It, like modern checkout machines at cash registers has made us lazy. I’VE become a bit lazy. Imagine that! Illogical, if you ask me.

What’s most logical on my mind currently is getting this post posted. I keep losing my Internet connection, and I want to send it off before I go to bed. Maybe even while it’s still Saturday!

Hope everyone had a good one. 🙂

A fond farewell to our SoCS badge! I’ll miss that little stream. ❤

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click on the link to find all the other awesome posts in the comment section, and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-18-18/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 18/18

It’s Friday! And time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. It’s the last week for our lovely SoCS badge by Jill. Thanks, Jill! I’ve loved using your badge for the past year.

Don’t forget, the contest is open now for the new badge. Get your entry in early! Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-ic or -ical.” Find a word that uses the suffix “-ic” or “-ical.” Bonus points if you use both. 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 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. 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!


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It’s Time for the 5th Annual SoCS Badge Contest – Contest Closed!

It never gets easier, retiring a badge. It’s a decision I deal with every year. But alas, it’s that time once again.

Our lovely 2017-2018 Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge by Jill, aka J-Dub, has served us well. I’ll be sad to see it go. This weekend will see its final sharing.

But perhaps she’ll enter the contest again! Either way, thank you for your year’s worth of beauty to grace our SoCS posts, Jill!

And now the excitement begins. I’ll be taking entries for the next seven days (today included) for 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 August 23rd, 2018, along with a poll that will close the next day, on Friday the 24th. 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, August 22nd, 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.