Could it be that spring is actually coming?
That the snow may finally be going away?
That the branches full of leaves that died…
…may live to see another day?
I hope so.
Tag Archives: writing
The Great A – Z April Challenge Theme Reveal!
I’m doin’ it! And my theme will be…
….
…..
(that’s a drumroll)
……
RANDOM!
In my effort to decide on a theme, I picked up my thesaurus and started leafing through it. Still not being able to decide, I decided to decide on the second-last entry word in the left hand column of the left hand page of whichever page I open the book to on that day, regardless of what the word is (keeping in alphabetical order of course), thus challenging myself beyond the challenge of writing twenty-six entries during the month of April.
Don’t be surprised if your SoCS prompts correspond with the letter of the day… *checks to see if “X” falls on a Saturday* … no it does not. Hooray for you!
If you’re announcing your theme today for the A – Z Challenge, please leave a link in the comments. Anyone reading this, check out the other participants. It’s a wonderful time of the year to connect!
April’s almost here – who’s up for a challenge?
I suppose I have to decide soon whether or not to take on the challenge of A-Z April this year. Last year I did it twice – here on this blog I talked all about writing and on my fiction blog I wrote a serial A-Z story. That was a lot of fun, mostly because I had no idea what was going to happen from one day to the next.
This year – I haven’t a clue what I’d do, even if I do do it. Who knows – it might just come out like a steaming pile of do-do.
Have you decided to take the challenge this year? If so, what’s your planned topic/theme?
Here’s the link to the event for anyone who’s interested: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
SoCS – At a Loss
I’m at a loss this week. I don’t know what to write. But hey, that’s why I leave the prompts so open – it’s easy to stay on topic when the topic is loose. I’ve complied with the terms of the prompt already. Four times.
I’m stuck in my novel, you see. It’s why I haven’t posted much in the last few days – concentration at this point is fierce. But that’s what I needed. Alex is with his dad for March break, so I only have the other two kids at home. For the most part they take care of themselves.
So what can I write about for SoCS this week? My eyes haven’t been given me any problems lately, thank goodness. (Touch wood.) (I really did touch wood.) And aye is such a strange word, isn’t it? I thought about adding “ai” to the prompt, which in Japanese is the root of the word “love.”
Love makes the world go ’round…
This post is part of SoCS: https://lindaghill.com/2015/03/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-2115/ Join in today!
Badge by: Doobster at Mindful Digressions
The Friday Reminder and Prompt for SoCS March 21/15
It’s time for your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and it just so happens that it’s also the northern hemisphere’s first official day of spring! Spring reminds me of going on trips and that reminds me of the childhood game, “I spy.” Such a chaser-away of boredom, wasn’t it? The game, however, isn’t the SoCS prompt – here’s what it is:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “I/eye/aye.” Use one, use ’em all – just make it yours. And 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 the 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!!
Badge by: Doobster @ Mindful Digressions
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,” or “Begin with the word ‘The’.”
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.
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. Have fun!
A Quick Update before I Resist the Web
As is my usual MO, I’m trying to make the best of the bad situation that is not being able to do anything but hang about the house, by editing my novel. WordPress though, as you probably know, is the bane of any procrastinator’s existence. So. A quick update on my foot and then I’m outta here.
I went to see my family doctor this morning fully expecting an amputation somewhere around mid-shin. Not one but TWO doctors had a gander and they agreed. No infection. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I was when they dejectedly put away their bone saw.
The diagnosis? The blister has turned into a blood blister, which is basically a glorified bruise deep under the skin. It does have to be treated however, to prevent an ulcer from forming.
The treatment? Soak it daily in salt water and pumice the dead skin off the surface and let it heal on its own. And if I have to wear shoes, a moleskin bandage must be applied.
So that’s it! My foot lives to see another day! Thank you so much to all who gave me such wonderful suggestions yesterday – it’s clear that some of you should be doctors yourselves. Especially the ones who aren’t overzealous with the amputation bit – yes, I’m looking at you, Glazed.
I’ll get caught up on all my comments and read all of today’s one-liners tomorrow. Now, I’m off to perform some magic with The Great Dagmaru.
Poof!
Just call me Achilles
I’ve avoided whining about it for eight days but I’ve had enough. I don’t know exactly how a rant at this point is going to help, but here we go anyway.
I have a blister. OOOOhhhh, you say. Poor baby has a booboo. But this isn’t just a blister. It’s a boil sent from the universe to counteract every wonderful moment I had walking around Japan. It’s the bane of my existence. It’s the antithesis of joy come to smite me for being relatively healthy all my life. It’s the Blister From Hell!
Today will be my seventh day inside these four walls. Apart from going outside in the snow in -10 degree weather in bare feet and flip-flops last Friday to get Alex off the school bus, I’ve been completely housebound. Unable to wear shoes.
And for what? A spot on the side of my heel the size of a toonie (if you’re not Canadian, look it up) that’s gone from angry red to white and is now ringed in a lovely shade of mulberry with a gray poupon-coloured centre. (I’ll spare you a photo – you may never eat mustard again.) After eight days (EIGHT FRIGGIN’ DAYS) it still hurts to stand on my left foot.
What have I tried in order to relieve it? I’ve soaked it, I’ve popped it with mixed results, (the first time I tried I discovered it was a series of tiny blisters beneath the winter-thickened dry skin of my heels – I gave up after half a dozen attempts) I’ve tried grinning and bearing it, I’ve tried bandaging it, unbandaging it, putting cream on it, leaving it to dry… the result? I still can’t bear the idea of trying to get a shoe on. And I need groceries, damnit! I need fresh air! I need people–crowds–to inspire me to write something other than a whiny-rant/plea-for-escape!!
People, you are my last hope. Tell me what to do. To hell with sensitivity–I need results!
Beyond Description
Adventure lies before you;
the clouds are at your feet
and the moon rises below.
How to describe
unnatural travel
when the world is your oyster?
Tokyo, Japan – Part 3
Remember waaay back in December when I went to Japan? Yeah, I’m finally almost finished writing about it and sharing my pictures. Queen of Procrastination… it’s me.
On my last full day in Tokyo I had plans to meet a friend for dinner. They’d been forecasting rain–100-120mm of it–and that scared me a little. That’s more than we get in an average month here in Ontario. In fact if they forecast more than 30mm in a day we start filling up sand bags and check our canoes for leaks. So it was, on the 16th of December, that I headed out with my umbrella, silently bemoaning the fact that I hadn’t brought water wings or a pool noodle to Japan with me.
I stopped first at a Doutor coffee shop in my local train station for some breakfast. Here’s what I wrote in my notebook:
Kokusaitenjijo Station, ODaiba
Tuna sandwich for breakfast… but the coffee’s good! Actually, so’s the sandwich.
I went everywhere yesterday. First to Shibuya, then Akihabara, then to Shinjuku to meet Kellie. Today I’ve decided to go to Asakusa. It’s raining a little – more to come. I hope, regardless, to go shopping a bit more.
Noted: the trains don’t have whistles. Everyone just obeys the signs.
And.. I’m listening to the theme from Sesame Street on the overhead radio. No shit. It’s hard not to laugh out loud.
Oh thank God that’s over.
“We’ve Only Just Begun…” not the Carpenters.
At least it’s not Earth Wind and Fire belting out Christmas carols.
Coffee’s finished. Time to go.
So with that I boarded a train and went back to Shibuya to meet with Susie, who I missed, then on to Asakusa.
It’s a quaint little district of Tokyo most famous for its Sensou-ji Temple. I walked around for a while in the pouring rain and took some pictures.
From there I went shopping. In Asakusa there are narrow streets, some covered, some not, with vendors down both sides. I wish I’d taken pictures. I managed to finish my Christmas shopping there but I still had some time left before I had to meet my friend, so I went into a Starbucks for a coffee and a drip-dry.
4:50pm – finally made it to Starbucks – looking out the window at the rain coming down. It’s very close to freezing out there – probably about 4 or 5 degrees. I’m in Asakusa waiting to go to Ueno Station to meet Shigeyoshi at 6. I can’t believe this is my last evening here. Did I get what I came for? The 5:36 certainly. The experience – the knowledge that I can still travel alone and be happy and content to do so is invaluable.
Do I want to come back? Definitely. This is such a fascinating country. Yes. But next time I’ll be more prepared. I’ll come back with a plan when I’m rich from the sale of my novel…
Off to meet Shigeyoshi.
…with whom I had a wonderful dinner. We ate in a Japanese restaurant right in the Station and he was kind enough to be patient with me as he watched me struggle with my chopsticks. I ordered a plate with shrimp and something else… when I asked him what the something else was he looked up the translation on his phone – which meant nothing to me. So he went looking for a picture – and showed me one of a sea urchin. I must say it was delicious!
I regret not taking any pictures at our dinner, but you can get to know him yourself by visiting his blog here: https://sotacf.wordpress.com/ which is where I first got to know him myself. His interest is in cars, but he also has some gorgeous pictures of his travels around Japan on his blog. Please do go and say hi – I owe him for waiting so patiently for me to get to this post!
One more post to go before the reports of my adventures come to a close…
The Friday Reminder and Prompt for SoCS March 14/15
Hey! Welcome to your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday! It’s been a while since we last did a fun, nonsensical prompt, so I figured why not let go a bit? We’re almost out of the dead of winter here in North America; time to kick up our heels!
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “pat/pet/pit/pot/put.” Use any, use all or have fun with words that contain them!
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 the 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!!
Badge by: Doobster @ Mindful Digressions
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,” or “Begin with the word ‘The’.”
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.
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. Have fun!
lindaghill.com 