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Tag Archives: SoCS


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#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.


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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!


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#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!


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“Easy to read, difficult to put down”…

“The Wrong Stuff” is available for purchase, now both in paperback and ebook! Get it now!

dalecooper57's avatarDiary of an Internet Nobody.(Archive)

So, The Wrong Stuff has been out for a couple of weeks and I’m doing everything I can to promote it, including an upcoming interview on the local radio book club hour and a piece in the local paper.
I have also joined some Facebook author groups and I’m in the process of plugging away at a few of those each day.

The book now has its second five star review on Amazon, including my favourite quote so far, which I’ve pinched for the title of this post; “Easy to read, difficult to put down…” which is, if I do say so myself, pretty accurate.

I’m still waiting to hear when the Kindle edition comes out, but here once again are the Amazon links for the beautifully designed and glossily covered paperback;

IF YOU ARE A UK READER, THIS LINK’S FOR YOU

IF YOU HAIL FROM ELSEWHERE, USE THIS ONE.

View original post 72 more words


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

It’s Friday today, and this is your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Life is crazy, isn’t it? Between being glued to the news and doing everything I can to avoid it, I’ve finally started reading “Game of Thrones.” It’s very compelling! Hard to put down, which sucks, because I do most of my reading before bed. Ah well. Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “bear/bare.” Use one, use both, use ’em any way you please. 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 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!!

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 50 Comments

#SoCS – ‘Tis the season

Shopping. I hate it. So it’s no wonder this is my least favourite time of year. And it’s prolonged by the fact that my kids were born in September, October and November, my best friend in January and my mother in February.

Don’t get me wrong – I love the giving part. I just can’t stand having to decide what everyone else might want. And then there’s that other dreaded question – what would I like for Christmas or my birthday? (Which is in January, the day before my best friend’s.) Um… let’s see… a car? A new house? Just pay off my bills? Oh, okay. Socks will do. (No, seriously. I always need socks. Maybe I subconsciously named this whole prompt “SoCS” in order to give people hints on what to buy me for Christmas.)

I always leave my Christmas shopping to the last minute. My excuse is I don’t want to buy something and then the recipient gets it in the interim, and then I’ll have to take it back. AND come up with another idea. So I wait until everything I can think of has been bought by everyone who got their shopping done early and then I wander around aimlessly until, finally, I buy everyone a mug. Or socks. (Maybe in hopes that I’ll get them back? I don’t know…) The dog is NOT going to like his present this year if I can’t find anything better than socks. But I will take pictures before he eats them if that’s what he ends up with.

Alex wants to put the tree up this weekend. There’s another thing I dread. Untangling the lights and finding out which ones work, because I never manage to throw out the ones that don’t the year before. Hanging up all the old (some broken) ornaments from when the kids were small. Seriously, I’d like to throw a lot of them out and just keep the good ones. But the kids like them, so we end up with a tree that looks like the floor of a toddler’s room after they’ve trashed it. If the kids ever move out, I’ll buy all new decorations. Or decorate my tree with socks.

Ha! Who am I kidding. I’ll keep the lot of them and sob over them… even the broken ones.

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This socky post was brought to you by SoCS, or Stream of Consciousness Saturday if you like. You can join in the fun, or just read more posts when you click here: https://lindaghill.com/2016/12/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-316/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 3/16

Friday’s here! Already! So it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. The Christmas decorations are starting to go up around the neighbourhood, and everything is beginning to look lovely. Now all we need is the snow. And now I’m going to wash my mouth out with soap. But first, here’s this week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “sh.” Find a word that begins with the letters “sh” and base your post on it. Bonus points if you start your post with those letters. 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 20 Comments

#SoCS – Not Pretty

I can count on both hands once the number of times I’ve been called “pretty” in my life. I just don’t have the face and the style for “pretty,” and I’m okay with that. I don’t like a lot of “pretty” things. My taste has always been tuned more to simplicity. My hairstyle and lack of makeup speak volumes.

I think being pretty smart makes up for a lot of what I lack in looks. I’d rather have intelligence than beauty anyway. Yes, it would be nice to open doors with just a smile, to quote the Eagles, but being able to reach out and open them myself has value.

I like to write pretty things. It’s like I live vicariously through my fiction. And I do. I have for some time now, especially the romance. Then again, there’s a certain romance to be had just sitting here on my laptop with a cat on one side and a dog on the other. I hope the dog doesn’t wake up and notice the cat is licking his bone. Oh, now he’s chewing it. I think he’s having an identity crisis. Dog’s eyes are open… and now they’re closed. I guess he doesn’t care.

Where was I before I started my play-by-play? Oh yeah, “pretty.” I’m supposed to take Alex to his teacher’s house today for a tea party. Alex has informed me that he wants me to dress up and look pretty. I told him I’ll try.

I hope this pretty horrid headache I’ve been battling all day so far goes away. Tylenol didn’t work – just took some Advil. Wish me luck.

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This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to read other posts and see how you can join in. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2016/11/25/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-2616/