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#SoCS – Worm of the Ear that Bit Me

I used to always get rid of earworms by listening to the song that was bugging me. It worked most of the time. It’s kind of like drinking to get over a hangover, which is where the completely nonsensical title of this post came from. Use it at will. It would be nice if one of these silly things I come up with becomes popular. Someone came up with the word “earworm” after all.  I guess the next step to fame for something like that is when the little squiggly red line underneath it disappears because it’s been added to the dictionary.

Is “earworm” in the dictionary? Yes. I just checked. The popular meaning doesn’t have a date mentioned in Merriam-Webster online, but the other meaning–corn earworm–has been around since 1802. Check it out. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corn%20earworm

You learn something new every day.

Getting back to songs. With the number of earworms I get on any given day nowadays, I’d be looking up songs to get over them all day. The worm of the ear that bit me would be a constant occupation … I don’t know why I get so many songs stuck in my head. Maybe it’s my brain’s way of trying to get me to stop thinking of everything all the time, and concentrate on one, as annoying as it may be.

I mean seriously. I can hear a lawn mower while I type this–this is how bad it is–and my mind just went to “Mow, mow, mow your boat,” so now that’s stuck.

But I’ll get over it with another song.

Maybe one I write myself.

You’re welcome.

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

This highly annoying post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other participating blogs in the comments, and join in yourself. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/07/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-8-18/


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 8/18

It’s Friday! And time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. One week of September is done and dusted, and I’m still missing my daily posts. I may use this time to get ready for next month’s daily prompts. Stay tuned for a chance to create one of them yourself! In the meantime, here’s your prompt for tomorrow’s SoCS:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “earworm.” Talk about your latest earworm, or one that habitually haunts you. 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!


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One-Liner Wednesday – Limp Biscuit?

Seriously, Milk Bone?

(Photos depict a Milk Bone dog biscuit bent at about a quarter of the way to the end, giving it a rather interesting appearance.)

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 – ‘Round Here

‘Round here, this lateness thing seems to be getting more the norm than the exception.

I’ve been thinking all day though, about how to start this post. And every time I thought about writing “around” but with the apostrophe instead of the “a,” I thought about how much I actually enjoy writing in an old man’s voice.

I actually wondered if I secretly wish in the back of my mind, somewhere where my consciousness can’t see, that I could be an old man instead of an … old-ish woman.

I don’t feel old. Unless you count all the aches and pains that have become more the norm than the exception. There’s that phrase again.

I like normalcy. I used to wish I had excitement in my life. Now, not so much. I must be an old man at heart.

I do still want to travel. I love going places on my own … Though last time I went to Japan, I thought it might also be nice to take my eldest son next time. I know he’d leave me on my own to explore, and I know he’d be okay doing the same. So it would be kinda like going with someone, but without the responsibility of having to do half of what they do.

Do old men generally like their independence? Hmmm …

Well, I’m dropping off to sleep. Must be bed time.

But tomorrow, I should be 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 posts in the comments, and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-1-18/


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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 17 Comments

We Have a Winner! #SoCS Badge, 2018-2019

The voting is finished and you have chosen our wonderful new badge! As always, the winning design will represent Stream of Consciousness Saturday for the next year.

But first, lets give one last big round of applause for our outgoing 2017-2018 badge.

Thanks so much, Jill!

Now, our runners-up. Drum roll please …

In second place, we have JoAnna, with Ripples.

In a close third (it’s been neck and neck all day), we have Bethany, with Sunset.

In a quick fourth, fifth and sixth, it’s Fandango, with Shining Clouds, Jill, with Mushrooms, and Jim, with Thinking Cap in that order.

And our final two placements were ties. In seventh we have John, with Binary, and Melanie, with Rainbow

and last but certainly not least, came Ritu, with Silhouette, and Ellen, with Mind.

So that means our winner, is

…

…

Pamela, with Leafy Stream!

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

Congratulations, Pamela!! Your badge will be featured for the first time tomorrow in the Friday Reminder post.

And thank you once again to all who entered the contest. Your badges were all amazing!


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Vote Here for the 2018-2019 SoCS Badge

Voting day is finally here, and we have a record TEN designs in the running for our 2018-2019 Stream of Consciousness Saturday Badge! Our new winner will have his or her badge displayed both here and all around the Internet by whomever participates in the weekly SoCS prompt.

Before we get started, I’d like to say thank you one more time to Jill for her wonderful 2017-2018 badge.

I’m pleased Jill’s back in the running with a new one for this year! Thanks, Jill!

So here we go. The links below will take you to the contestant’s sites, to the posts on which their badges are displayed. Please make sure you have a look at all of them before you vote! I’ll give each a descriptive name which you’ll find both with the link and on the poll for easier voting. I’m not going to vote unless there’s a tie, so it’s all up to you!

Here are the badges in the order they entered the contest:

Ritu, with Silhouette

Pamela, with Leafy Stream

Jim, with Thinking Cap

Fandango, with Shining Clouds

Bethany, with Sunset

John, with Binary

Jill, with Mushrooms

JoAnna, with Ripples

Melanie, with Rainbow

Ellen, with Mind

Thanks again to all the contestants! You’re a creative bunch, and all your badges are lovely. It’s going to be a tough decision!

The poll will be open for 24 hours–all of Thursday, August 23rd, -5GMT. Vote once, vote carefully, and be sure to tell your friends!

 

Best of luck, and may the best badge win!