Life in progress

Tag Archives: writing prompt


by 22 Comments

What Day is it Anyway? #SoCS Edition Saturday, March 21st, 2020

Straying from the setup of my usual #WDIIA posts because I don’t want to box myself in while writing stream of consciousness style. We’ll be back to regular programming tomorrow.

Regular programming, eh? That’s taken on a whole new meaning. I realized this morning that I couldn’t remember which day I went to the pharmacy to get my prescription this week because everything is the same. I hadn’t realized until now that I remember things mostly in relation to other things I do. Like, for instance, I might have known it was Thursday because it’s the same day Alex goes to his family swim night at the school.

One day blends into the next.

Oh, hey! I discovered something new today. It might be old news to everyone else, but did you know you can have a Netflix party with your distant friends and family? Here’s the link to the site. I haven’t tried it, obviously, but it’s an interesting concept.

It’s a beautiful day, cold but sunny, so we’ll be going out for walks today. I’m not allowed to visit my mother–they’ve closed the home off to everyone but essential workers and families of people who are dying. The good news, I suppose, is that my mother only seems to remember I exist when she needs cigarettes these days, so as long as I keep her in supply, she won’t miss me. I’m assuming this of course, because she never phones me. I’m hesitant to call her, because she’s going to ask me to come and see her, and won’t remember from one minute to the next that I can’t. At least I know she’s safe, which is the main thing.

This social distancing thing is far from welcome, especially since I resolved a few weeks ago to get out more and people-watch for inspiration. But it’s really not so bad. We’ve settled into a boring yet as stimulating-as-possible routine.

We’re adapting, which is, I suppose, the best thing we can possibly do. Do you find the same yet?

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

This adaptation of #WDIIA and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by both. To join us in the SoCS tradition, click the following link where you’ll find all the instructions and the other participants’ posts in the comments. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/03/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-21-2020/


by 46 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 21/2020

It’s Friday? Yep, it’s Friday, and time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. How’s everyone holding up? I’ll write my #WDIIA post in a bit. Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “welcome.” Use it any way you’d like. 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 beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.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 60 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – A Challenge

“All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

The first half of this quote is becoming all too obvious in the world we live in. But the second half remains a challenge. Think about it. What small things in your life do you now have time to make great?

 

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


by 18 Comments

#SoCS – Wired for sound

I don’t know if it’s old-fashioned thinking or if there’s anything to it any more, but I’ve always been a great believer in physical connection where sound is concerned.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, it won’t surprise you that I love vinyl records. Computer-generated sound can’t compare to the literal depth of a needle riding the grooves of a vinyl disc.

But what about wires as opposed to wireless? Surely the connection, without physical contact, can be interfered with. Having said that, if speaker wires are frayed or dusty or missing, that can cause as much of a problem as any imagined interference in the airwaves.

I lament the day in the future when my old-fashioned stereo breaks and can’t be fixed. Not that I use it these days as much as I wish I could.

Yet, to get back to the wireless thing, I’m sitting here on my wireless internet connection with my wireless house phone (landline) sitting beside me and my wireless cell phone in my pocket. And none of those interfere with one another.

I’m probably just old-fashioned.

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

This wireless post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the following link to find the other posts in the comment section and see how you can join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/03/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-14-2020/


by 43 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 14/2020

Friday’s here and you know what that means: your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt! Well, Alex is off again. For at least three weeks because they’re shutting down the schools. At least we’re all healthy! (Touch wood.) Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wire.” Use “wire” as a noun or a verb or 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 beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.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 63 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Just Sayin’

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
― Charles M. Schulz

Created at Canva.com

Photo: A picture of heart-shaped chocolates and the above quote.

 

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


by 10 Comments

#SoCS – I Figure

I figure I don’t need to feel too guilty today for not posting my SoCS post until Sunday. I spent most of my free time today helping a friend.

I figure I’m going to be tired tomorrow, though. The clock says 1:23am, but we all know it’s really 2:23 with daylight savings time.

I figure it’s a good thing that I got my new phone last week and had to finally come into the 21st century and get data. This way, Alex can video call me when I’m not home, and I won’t need to feel totally terrified of leaving him alone for ten minutes, since he’ll be able to call me.

I figure I got a pretty good deal, too. My provider started a new deal the day I went in, and I got a free tablet with my phone. They share data.

I figure by now you want to know what kind of phone I got: a new Huawei! I love it so far. And it’s a lot like the old one, so the learning curve is mostly app-related, not phone-related.

I figure it’s got a pretty good camera. I took this as the moon was coming up tonight. Can you see the moon? Follow the bottom tip of the flag straight down–it’s in the crook of the branch. This photo is really zoomed in and not blurry, which is why I figure I’ve got a good camera.

I figure I should get out for a walk soon and take more pictures.

I figure I should go to bed now.

Good night, my friends.

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

This figurative 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/2020/03/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-7-2020/


by 46 Comments

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 7/2020

Is it really Friday? Wow. Where has the week gone? One way or another, I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I have a feeling my week went by faster because Alex finally had a full week of school! Might be the first this year. Anyway, here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “figure.” Use the word “figure” any way you’d like. 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 beautiful 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!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.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 47 Comments

One-Liner Wednesday – Oops, I did it again

I found another note to myself on my phone. Care to guess what it means?

Photo: A screenshot off my phone of a note that says “Ozy” and nothing else.

In other news, Alex went back to school on Monday! Yay!!!

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


by 21 Comments

#SoCS – Imperfect

Perfect is for fiction

Impossible to achieve

Is life stranger than fiction?

If it were, we could be perfect.

Oooh boy, am I drifting tonight. I’ve become a lightweight–half a glass of wine and I can’t think straight. I’m the perfect cheap drunk if nothing else.

Alex is finally feeling better and it’s supposed to rain all day on Monday, so as long as they don’t change that to freezing rain–which would be my luck–he’ll be going to school for the first time since Valentine’s Day. And I know that means I should finally get some work done, but I’ll likely procrastinate most of the day.

I do need a new phone. I have an ancient Huawei that has had no space on it since the day I got it about three years ago. I love the thing, but the apps are starting to act up. It’s time to move on. It’s always a bittersweet moment when I get a new phone. I miss the old one, and I hate the idea of having to get used to where everything is on a new one, but it’s exciting at the same time. Do you know what I mean? Is it like that for you, too?

I’ve been with the same carrier for oh … about 25 years? Is that possible? Maybe a bit less, but not much. I’ve thought about changing, but this company owes me for being loyal. Maybe not as much as my bank, who I’ve been with for 40 years, but close.

Sticking with a company isn’t really rare, I don’t think. Or maybe I’m just weird.

I’ve said that a lot lately–maybe I’m just weird. I’m starting to believe it’s true. Or maybe I’ve always believed it’s true.

I feel like Chinese food.

Maybe I’ll have cheese and crackers.

Yeah.

That’ll be perfect.

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

This tipsy post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday! Click the following link and check out all the other posts in the comment section, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/02/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-29-2020/

P.S. I had a dream Saturday morning that I was in Japan with Dan Antion. Our mission was to try out a new speedboat that was the size of a Wii balance board. Both of us, at the same time. When I woke up, we were fighting over who would get to wear the only life jacket. Alex was there, too, but he was a cat. And wouldn’t you know it? I’d forgotten to study Japanese, so I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying … Because, after all, one does not expect to wake up in Japan when one goes to sleep in one’s own bed at night.