Life in progress


40 Comments

#JusJoJan 2019 Daily Prompt – Jan. 1st

It’s here! The first prompt for 2019’s Just Jot it January! I hope you’ve woken up to clear heads, free of headaches and ready to start what’s going to be an awesome year. Wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy one!

Your prompt for JusJoJan 2019, January 1st, is whatever you want to write. If you haven’t already posted about your New Year’s resolutions, this would be an excellent time to do it! Have fun!

Here are the rules:

1. Please be sure to link back to THIS POST for January 1st, 2019.

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. 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: The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section.

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

5. 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!

6. 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. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you.

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

8. Have fun!


143 Comments

What is Just Jot it January 2019? – Rules

Welcome to the sixth annual Just Jot it January challenge!

I began JusJoJan in 2014 for the simple reason that I wanted an excuse to push myself to write a post every day of the month. From there it grew to a challenge for many others to start their year off writing, to give us all a boost, and not least of all, to help us find our community here at WordPress. In the past few years we’ve had people join us from other platforms and from their own self-hosted sites. It’s been an amazing run, and one I hope to keep up for years to come.

So, what is Just Jot it January? The rules explain it all:

1. 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!

2. 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. 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: The newest pingbacks will be at the top of the comments section.

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

4. 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!

5. 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. Remember, you don’t have to use the prompts. Please write whatever inspires you.

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

7. Have fun!

I’ll fill in the prompts as I have them, along with a link to the blog of the person who supplied the prompt:

January 1 – Write about 2018, your plans for 2019, or anything you’d like
January 2 – One-Liner Wednesday
January 3 – “Your blog”
January 4 – “Enigmatic” by Virgobeauty
January 5 – SoCS – “sap/sep/sip/sop/sup”
January 6 – “Master” by Sadje
January 7 – “Memento” by Tara
January 8 – “Self” by Ritu
January 9 – One-Liner Wednesday
January 10 – “Sunrise” by Toortsie
January 11 – “Flew/flu/flue” by M. Oniker
January 12 – SoCS – “art”
January 13 – “Undiscovered” by Teresa
January 14 – “Reflection” by Janet
January 15 – “Paris” by Kelli
January 16 – One-Liner Wednesday
January 17 – “Inch” by John Holton
January 18 – “Companionship” by Di
January 19 – SoCS – “television”
January 20 – “Serendipity” by Jill
January 21 – “Echo” by Lady Lee
January 22 – “Curiosity” by Pamela
January 23 – One-Liner Wednesday
January 24 – “Zoomie” by Bee
January 25 – “Balance” by JP
January 26 – SoCS –
January 27 – “Cathartic” by Enthralling Journey
January 28 – “Testify” by Dan
January 29 – “Dirty” by Jim
January 30 – One-Liner Wednesday
January 31 – Your favorite thing/part of last month and/or last year.


32 Comments

#SoCS – Pneumonia

Spent 17 hours at the hospital last night. Came home and slept for 3 hours. Going back. Hopefully not to spend another night in a chair.

The world needs more people who can sign.

Who can communicate with the Deaf when they need it most.

Wish us luck. Alex has pneumonia and I’m truly exhausted in every sense of the word.

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

Sorry for this post. I just wanted to let you know where I am. https://lindaghill.com/2018/12/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-29-18/


72 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 29/18

Who put Friday on the calendar for today? Whomever it was, it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I was going to write a post about Just Jot it January yesterday, but Alex is really sick and I didn’t get half of what I’d hoped to accomplished. Might be spending the day in the hospital emergency waiting room today. I’ll keep you up to date when I know more. Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ask someone else.” Either ask someone for a prompt word or, if you can’t, turn on a TV or a radio and choose a word from the first sentence you hear. 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 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!


36 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – So Sorry!

I totally forgot to schedule One-Liner Wednesday last night! And now I think Alex has whooping cough. Our Christmas was good, though. How was yours?

Alex, Christmas Eve 2018


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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at https://dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/

 


28 Comments

#SoCS – Tin Can

If I could, I’d put some love in a tin can and seal it tight.

There would be no expiry date on my tin can,

But it would be there for you to open

Any time you need it.

Even if I’m gone.

I have no idea where that came from. I don’t think people in the US call cans–the kind food comes in at the grocery store–tin cans. They’re just cans. Are they even made of tin? I dunno. I do know if they were dented you shouldn’t eat what was inside. An entire group of arctic explorers were poisoned and died because of botulism that came from cans. There was a movie about it.

Would love in a can be spoiled by a dent?

I think it would just give the love a little extra character.

I used to love tinsel as a kid. I still love sparkly things. I haven’t had tinsel on my Christmas tree in years, though. My ex went to the store at the last minute one of the first years we were together and all he could get was this really ugly pink and orange tinsel. It was like the Charlie Brown of tinsels. Only I didn’t have that much sentimental attachment to it. I think it lasted one year before it got tossed.

I need to get tinsel. Maybe I’ll find some after Christmas.

Have a very merry one, my friends. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, enjoy whatever you do celebrate. Love you all. Thank you for reading and for sticking around. 🙂 ❤

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

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other participating entries in the comment section and join in yourself! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/12/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-22-18/


60 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 22/18

It’s Friday–the Friday before Christmas! And your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt is here! Battling a bit of a headache this morning, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tin.” Use it as a word or find a word with “tin” in it, and base your post on that word. Bonus points if you start your post with that word. 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 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!


52 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – More appliance humor

Conversation between me and my oldest son …

Me: Are you going to eat supper with me tonight?

Son: No, I’m already unthawing some sausages.

Me: You know “unthawing” means freezing, right?

Son: …

Me: That’s it. From now on it shall be known not as the freezer but as the unthaw-er.

Son: Yeah, yeah.

I have way too much fun at my kids’ expense.


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!

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at https://dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/

 


12 Comments

#SoCS – Hairier than expected

Thought I wasn’t going to show up, didn’t you?

For a day that was supposed to be filled with writing, editing, maybe a little Christmas shopping, and a whole other lot of productive stuff, it kinda wasn’t.

Because I’m kinda looking after Alex again. For the sixth weekend in a row.

His dad was going to pick him up Friday night. He really was going to. But he got stuck on the highway for two hours, waiting for the fire department to put out a truck.

Source: Twitter-OPP EAST

So he turned around and went back home the moment he had the chance.

And I will be seven weeks without a break. Or maybe eight. I dunno. I never know.

So it’s been a hairy day. Doing stuff with Alex that he’d been expecting to do with his dad. Like playing Wii Party.

Yes, we had fun. But I didn’t get much writing done, nor much editing. And I didn’t get to the store.

I really have to start my Christmas shopping soon. Do you ever wish you could leave it all until everything goes on sale after Christmas? Do things go on sale after Christmas in the US? Here we have Boxing Day sales. Boxing Week sales. A hairy time in retail. It’s the Black Friday of Canada. AND, there’s no Christmas music. Bonus.

And no hairy-chinned guy in a red suit, which means Alex isn’t afraid to go to the mall. Now there’s a real bonus. 😉

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

This very very late (almost 2 in the morning) post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other hairy posts and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/12/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-15-18/


34 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 15/18

Yo! Friday’s here! And that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat … Does anyone eat geese any more? Huh. Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “hairy.” Use it any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use it to mean more than one thing. 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 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!