School’s back and as ever I have a mix of excitement and determination as another new year starts! Not that I have been to school for some time, but I envy my son going off to join his lovely bunch of friends with the sense of a fresh start.
This feeling of new beginnings in September has been with me since I was about 12 or 13, but it also marks one of the first goals I set myself when struggling with ‘living’ with stage 4 cancer – I decided I would do everything and anything I could, to see that boy of mine start school at 5. As I mark off another year (and that precious boy turns 16 this term), I am aware that this is perhaps the most significant point on the calendar for me – the time when I most clearly see and appreciate what I have achieved. Perhaps the time too, when I can most acknowledge how important having some concrete goals is.
I’m a qualified performance coach and yet I hate goals! Lots of coaching is around goal setting and for a good while since Locke first came up with it, goal setting has driven the management of performance, particularly in organisations, in a way that has been unquestioned. But more often than not I find them constraining – more like gaol (look carefully you dyslexics) – My needs have to be literally life threatening before I can stick with a great, big, hairy goal – you know, one of those SMART Fuckers Suckers ! Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Timed.
I was relieved to discover a couple of years ago that there’s recognition that I am far from alone and that it may be better to set looser, DUMB goals. (There are many words on the go for this acronym but I couldn’t find the one originally introduced to me.) The gist was that goals should give a bit of direction and motivation without the stifling constraints!
The difficulty many of us have is juggling our conflicting commitments whilst leaving room for some spontaneity, creativity and time to appreciate the little things in life and still be in the present moment rather than distracted by future thinking. At the same time if we don’t commit some of our time to longer term dreams and desires, the rest of life’s bits of crap like mowing the lawn and going to the dentist soon fill the week and we’re ‘starting next week’ again to get fitter / happier / better at whatever.
I knew I was in for a busy summer so I put my hands up and declared a break from my blogligations to more thoroughly enjoy time with my family and friends. Now is the time though to review what I want to achieve and consider how best to get there. (This is a constant WIP for me and I apologise if you’re experiencing a Groundhog Day like my family around me!)
The best I can do is define some aims that remind me what I think the greater part of my life is about – and then check in regularly to make sure they’re still the focus of my main activities.
- To strive to be present in my life and focused on the positive (however mundane).
- To help others using my experiences and skills and to recognise what, when and how this is achieved optimally.
- To recognise my need for novelty and deliberately build in some social satisfiers that keep me learning, enquiring and discovering new things about the world, myself and other people.
- To apply the Pareto Principle to my activities so perfectionism doesn’t rob me of control or satisfaction or time to do the fun stuff in life (A whopping big fail already on this blog post!)
- To include time for my health every day – Ugh! I have to acknowledge and recognise the inevitable time commitment that exercise and cooking healthy home made food (perhaps more often than the average person) requires – But discover a way of feeling good about it, in the moment – answers greatly appreciated, if anyone else has found them!
One of the key activities that meets number two is to finish writing my memoir. I’ve been taking another look at my self and the other often unavoidable ‘stuff’ that fills my week. Sadly, because I love the immediacy of feedback and the constant interaction, I have to face the fact that I spend too much time in the blogosphere. OMG! That’s another unutterable in some circles and I’ve gone and said it out loud!
I’ve had some understanding and supportive feedback about Bite Size Memoir and I’m still mulling on the changes I might make so that we can continue this in a way that works well for regular participants whilst remaining fun rather than onerous to manage. I’m thinking creatively. Administratively I’m also considering Fridays as ‘Blog Admin Day’ when I prepare a post for Monday and review comments and whizz round the multitude of fantastic blogs I like to imbibe for my own wider interest.
Bite Size No-Brainer
So whilst we get back up and running, here’s a bite size prompt that was a no-brainer for me. Thank you to Jeanne Lombardo for the one-word prompt idea – particularly of Watermelon. (I’m lining up my own contribution on that one to share a little later..)
Instructions: Roll a dice to choose one or more of the following and pop your response(s) or link in the comments section of this post. Same rules apply as before, although I won’t compile responses in a separate post and I’m putting a two week deadline (22nd September) on this whilst I deal with a backlog of household admin, an empty freezer and more than 1000 photos taken in Sri Lanka – not to mention producing some writing!
1. Watermelon
2. Ice-cream
3. Socks
4. Disco
5. Ties
6. Gardens
October 5, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I really like what you write about goals/gaols! I have long had ambivalence about them. At last I’ve realised that setting intentions and then letting go of the desire for a specific outcome feels more satisfying.
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September 28, 2014 at 1:43 am
Really enjoyed reading your post Lisa, and hope to return! 🙂
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September 28, 2014 at 12:17 pm
Thank you for popping by Barbara. I see you think and write about a variety of important issues. If you are ever looking for more prompts we’d love to hear more about you and your life through Bite Size Memoir.
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September 25, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I see we have many friends in common. I rolled and got disco, which is my least favorite genre of music (after rap). I decided it was because someone I knew who was really into disco dancing – with her husband – was kidnapped and killed when disco was all the rage, so I have a very negative association. Funny how the mind works.
Anyway, I enjoyed your post, particularly the reminder to enjoy every day. I’m a big carpe diem gal.
Even though I didn’t know you had taken a break, welcome back!
PS Your cat is magnificent.
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September 27, 2014 at 4:28 pm
Hi Noelle – I meet a lot of people through Irene! Thank you for popping through and reading this post. Seizing the day is a life-long battle, but I do get better and better at it. A small consolation for the passing years of practice!
Lisa 🙂
PS: Dick would be delighted to know you think he’s magnificent!
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September 28, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Tell Dick. I’m sending him virtual pets and scratches!
Noelle the sucker for cats
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September 29, 2014 at 11:28 am
I will! He’ll be delighted to score points in the attention seeking stakes against Darth and Dot!
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September 28, 2014 at 3:40 pm
P’S Check out my post on Elijah Moon for a view of my pint – sized companion!
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September 29, 2014 at 11:34 am
Fab! Lots in common. When I run out of ideas I fancy blogging as a cat! There are so many tales to tell from our house of 3! 😸 😸 😸
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September 29, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Dick, Darth and Dot. Great names! I’d love more cats but my husband says that the tons of kitty litter he’s schlepped over the years does not dispose him to any more felines (I will be working on him). Our cats were named Schnitzel, Nemesis (Nemmy), Magnus, Radar, Tar Baby, Ruckus, Lucy, and Ezekiel. I can’t take the credit for some of those names! I’m so happy to have found another true cat lover.
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October 2, 2014 at 2:34 pm
Your cat’s names are awesome! We’re on our second selection, the first named after my Grandparents Fred and Norah, so when this lot came along, Dick and Dot (after Simon’s Grandparents Richard and Dorothy) were almost automatic. Darth of course a little different! Max being age 7 at the time wanted his turn at a name, we went through all sorts of unsuitable ones to go with the alliteration including Daniel after his best friend and Digimon because he was into Pokemon etc at the time. When he alighted on Darth Vader, we just went with it!
As for the idea of cat-litter for 3 of them – I totally understand – we’re fortunate to live in the country and they have a cat flap to go outside and take care of themselves!
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October 2, 2014 at 2:45 pm
I would love a cat flap but my husband says no. So we are at the beck and call of Elijah who makes it a habit to go in and out about four times each morning! What we do for our cats!
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September 21, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Here you go….DISCO! With a video clip too. http://wantonwordflirt.com/2014/09/21/disco/
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September 21, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Finishing on a 4 ! Couldn’t be better with some music thrown in! Thank you Suzanne. So delighted to take a trip down this particular memory lane 😎🎶🎶
Hope you’ve some fun this summer – I like to imagine MIA !
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September 21, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Welcome back Lisa! I have been MIA all summer…or perhaps AWOL? Maybe a bit of both, anyway, like you I think of September as a time of fresh starts and hope to pull something together for the bite-size memoir prompt this week. And as I said before we you requested feedback about bite-size memoir writing prompts – do what serves you best! Take care.
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September 21, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Hurray ! It’s my favourite flirt 🙂
Back tomorrow to with a bite !
Lxx
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September 20, 2014 at 4:48 am
Busy-ness seems to be a world-wide plague. I suffered from it terribly when we lived in Minnesota. When I left my job (and SMART goals gave me a bit of the shudders; I was all about SMART goals) I had time afterwards to reflect on what a workaholic I had become. I felt I had to get busy with other things (as if writing novels and building a platform isn’t busy enough)! So I am engaged in this deconstruction of a busy life. Like writing, it’s a process. I’m trying to devise better systems to make blogging time more efficient and I think an admin day is a great idea. M-W is sort of that for me. I give priority to the flash fiction. But I also feel that it’s worth my time: the connections, inspirations, ideas, discussions, the collaborative dynamic are important elements. In a perfect world, I’d write first thing every morning but I admit that I’m easily distracted. I keep loose goals so I don’t feel like I’m doing gaol-time yet still have a direction. You’re feeling your way through this and you’ll find the best fit. Bite Size Memoir is a great contribution, something the community embraces, relishes. But no one says that you have to do it weekly or bi-weekly. Even monthly would work. Keep it simple. Great goal–keep in the present moment and don’t feel each one up! 🙂 Glad to hear from you in the blogosphere!
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September 21, 2014 at 10:24 am
Hey Charli, Always great to have some confirmation from you that I’m not alone with my thinking. (or my busy-ness – It does seem a common theme in the blogosphere I inhabit!)
I used to be the one at work demanding managers manage using SMART goals. I even wrote a couple of performance management systems based around them – I was so SMART it makes me laugh now. (And likely a PIA to many!) That said, there’s a time and a place for most things. The real trick is realising when you need a change in approach to either re-energise or reform what you’re working on so it progresses in the right direction at the right pace. For us ‘creatives’ that means some breathing space too.
I must diarise my next re-think so I don’t flap around in the mud wondering how I forgot to leave the stream before the water dried up – again! 😀
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September 19, 2014 at 12:08 pm
So here’s my bite. I admit to not even rolling the dice, so strong was the lure of –
Watermelon
I don’t know exactly how old he is but he still has soft wispy golden curls and wears a nighttime babygrow. He must be tired because he is unusually still and calm, leaning back into the cushions on the sofa, the book propped on a cushion on his little lap.
I know he doesn’t ‘read’ the story, but he and I have visited these pages so many times he knows every word of this favourite tale.
The words are almost recognisable, most consonants fully formed even with the necessary comfort of his dummy. He follows the pictures with his finger..
“One ollipop, one piece cherry pie, one shoshidge, one cupcake, and one slice of waller-melon.
Eyes bobbing across the pages, his voice rises and falls, almost in surprise – He looks up at me and laughs.
“That night he had stomachache!”
– Still delighted that a caterpillar can be so hungry!
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September 20, 2014 at 4:08 am
Delightful bite! I still have memories of things my children said in their own words and it makes me smile!
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September 23, 2014 at 12:56 pm
This is a delightful memoir bite Lisa – it brought a few tears to my eyes as I remember so fondly reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my kids. We still have the book stashed away with so many. How wonderful that you remember your little boy’s words as he told the story his way and I love the stomachache line, I can see his little face all smiles as he looks up at you so delighted to tell you the news. I love this ❤ xx
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September 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm
Welcome back to the blogging universe! Thank you for organising the Bite Size Memoir once again. I’m looking forward to taking part.
Sounds like you had an eventful summer, I wonder if we’ll be seeing any of the photos?
September tends to be like January, we tend to weigh up what’s been going on in our lives and reassess goals. Glad you feel satisfied with what has been achieved and have more goals to look forward to fulfilling…
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September 19, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Thank you Luccia – good to see you too. It looks like you’ve had a fabulous summer’s reading! Many books for me to keep on my wish list and great reviews!
I feel torn about blogging about my summer and sharing the photos as I’m on a strict mission now, to curb my tendencies to let my mind and blog participation wander (and wonder) to just about anything and everything that takes my fancy! I’m now trying the discipline of sticking to it’s main purposes around memoir and any of my cancer experiences combined with any skills I might help other with.
But maybe in a few weeks time when I’m more established in a proper and new routine, I’ll indulge myself along with a holiday photo prompt or some other suitably contrived excuse!
Just wondering – in response to Sherri’s suggestion what you would feel about a fortnightly prompt? Is it enough of a routine?
Lxx
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September 19, 2014 at 12:53 pm
You’re right about the tendency to wander when blogging. I think you’re right to focus on what’s important for you. Facebook is probably the best place for holiday pics. I’m relatively new to frequent use of social media, but I’m learning every day.
Yes, I’ve been busy reading and reviewing, and loving it!
A fortnightly prompt sounds good to me. Every week is sometimes exhausting. But I’m easy. Whatever you decide. Thanks for organising 🙂
All the best,
Lucy.
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September 18, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Here we go. Back properly with a little memory of my working life as a lawyer. And a theory about why city gents tolerate wearing ties!
http://geofflepard.com/2014/09/18/a-five-and-a-six/
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September 19, 2014 at 11:56 am
Oh how wonderful – I am starting my response before I get to the piece because I just laughed out loud to the admission of rolling the dice til you got what you wanted!
I didn’t even roll, because the watermelon option I borrowed from Jeanne caused such a rush – the rest were just for you others. Clearly ‘ties’ was either a favourite or the dice weighted..
So, well done “Henry’ triumphing over the ridiculous rules and restrictions no-one else bothers to think about, let alone question. Nice punch to end with !
Lxx
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September 19, 2014 at 12:30 pm
We are all rule subverters at heart!
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September 14, 2014 at 9:05 pm
So here is my BSM…on ties. Thanks for the inspiration today!
http://memoir-crafter.blogspot.com/
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September 17, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Thank you for this Jeanne – It’s a bit of brilliance to use a tie to tell us something about these men and perhaps yourself too! Would love to know how it ends!
Meanwhile – I feel your guilt / loss of inspiration and all manner of other things balancing writing with blogging, but whoa there! Don’t forget you’ve just finished a book for a client, haven’t you!? You must have more ‘write’ than wrong!
However, it seems we are not alone in the battle to feel our activity is balanced if you also read Sherri’s comments here. I’ll be focusing my next blog post around some things I am trying and welcome more ideas to add to the pot when (and only if!) you have chance. 🙂
Lxx
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September 17, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Great to see your comment on my blog and here Lisa! Thank you. (BTW, it was not the end–as in a Romantic novel–but I did marry Tom.) And thanks for the encouraging words. Yes, I finished a book, and though it was not MY book, I feel some satisfaction in that. It was a good practice run in structuring and exploring ways to attack a memoir/life story. And it is good to know that others grapple with the same issues. (I resonated with Sherri’s comment!) Didn’t mention it earlier, but I found it really helpful to hear about your “Blog Admin Day.” I think Charli wrote about delegating time to different tasks a while back. I am going to try this, since I always feel guilty about the time I give over to blogging/reading blogs, while at the same time feeling that I get a lot out of it when I do it more regularly ( I resisted the word “systematically!) Thanks again!
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September 19, 2014 at 11:44 am
New habits to master but I am feeling less stressed and torn this week AND I’ve written some good scenes and passages! I’m going to concentrate on changing and accepting my new habits for several weeks to see how it all goes. Maybe a few of us memoir writers could support each other with a scaled down version of ROW80!!
So, I’m on blog admin day today and I think I have only dipped in twice before today rather than the constant checking for responses behaviour I have previously had. Also today I can work all day on blog pieces and comments etc and not feel guilty that there are other things on my TO DO list! So far so good!
Lxx
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September 14, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Like Tangental I have strayed from reading your posts, and (Charli’s) over the last month. Feeling a complete failure at managing my own goals, writing and otherwise, I have told myself I need to stop getting so distracted with the social media, including other people’s blogs. But then I have felt deprived of the inspiration I always gain from hearing all the kindred voices out there. So, when the “What’s Trending” Twitter notice appeared in my inbox yesterday, and your readers’ tweets chirped their invitations out to me, I knew it was time for a visit. Thanks for the credit for the watermelon prompt….my that was months ago wasn’t it? Since the deadline for this BSM isn’t for another week, think I will treat myself and have a go at it. Leaving on the 18th for a vacation myself, a visit to the Northern Hinterlands (North Dakota) to visit the old family homestead with my two sisters, and drop in on the far-flung prairie kin. Maybe a perfect opportunity for some BSMs! Thanks for persisting Lisa. Thanks for shining your beacon light out there in the blogosphere. Oh, and yes, thanks for the great word: BLOGLIGATIONS! Love it.
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September 14, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Hi Lisa, I join with all the others in welcoming you back. I’m pleased you enjoyed your summer break and have been able to do some prioritizing. I’m impressed at the listing of your goals, and agree with Sherri that it’s important those goals don’t become your gaolers.
I was tickled to see that blogligations was listed in the urban dictionary. I had attributed the invention to your cleverness!!!!
Congratulations on seeing your son through to his sixteenth birthday, and I wish you well for the next sixteen and more!!
I love that you have given the choice of six topics for memoir pieces. It offers lots of scope. I’m not certain that I’ll join in but the two week time frame certainly provides for more opportunities.
I look forward to reading more posts.
Best wishes. 🙂
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September 17, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Thank you Norah. I felt obliged to set the record straight on blogligations! It wouldn’t be decent to allow the illusion I might have invented it, all by myself!
As for the goals – I hope they’re loose enough themes to allow me to interpret them as I need or wish but still keep on some sort of track!
Looking forward to seeing you very soon! Lxx
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September 12, 2014 at 10:08 pm
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! He chortled in his joy.
I’m sooo pleased to *see* you back and even more pleased that your summer and your break went well. For reasons I can’t explain I stopped following your blog and only realised today when your twitter handle appeared in Norah’s tweet about her being absent. So I’m delighted I’ve not missed a prompt and will give the topics my consideration. And I’ve rectified the follow error. 🙂
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September 17, 2014 at 4:30 pm
As delighted am I that you have saved me from my mimsy for I might be a bit of a jubjub and would have missed you terribly!
This ship will creak and groan as she sets a new course but anchors away and I am glad you’re still on board! 😀 Lxx
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September 12, 2014 at 9:20 am
Welcome back Lisa, great to see you here! Do look forward to seeing your holiday snaps, bet it was an amazing time. I am nodding furiously at all you say here about goals (and gaols, ha!) and time constraints and perfectionism and pressure and blogligations. And all the rest. After we got back from our week away in France in late July I found it really hard to get back to blogging and took a nasty slump in my writing as a whole. Each week disappeared into the ether as I became increasingly caught up in the ‘stuff’ of life, unable to get to grips with my writing in a structured way. Finally, I wrote about my fears and self-doubt and that helped. Getting my memoir finished is the major goal as with you but it helps doesn’t it to have those goals without feeling imprisoned by them? Otherwise that creativity goes flying out of the window, we can’t breathe and then the frustrations mount, making us feel even worse at our lack of accomplishment for that day/week/ month….hate those constraints!
But here’s to a new, fresh start. Yes, I too miss those days when my children were school age, I loved this time of year for that back to school excitement and structure in the school year. I’m trying to drum that up for myself but I’ve been blogging less than usual and trying not to cave into the pressure even though like you, I love the interaction, thrive on it, but must get on with my memoir!!!
Ahh Lisa, you have come so far and it’s wonderful to have you onboard again, and now your boy is 16…sending you hugs and will be back with my bite…not thrown the dice yet so who knows? 🙂 xx
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September 17, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Hi Sherri – how nice to see you too 😀 Sorry for a few days delay in replying. I am attempting to break my habit of (almost) constant social media checking! A tricky one as I do love the interaction and sharing of feedback!
I’m almost relieved to hear (because it means I am not alone) that you have been experiencing some of the same issues affecting writing output. Not sure I have solved it yet but changing habits rather than persisting with my old ways ought to route something out! (There’s a post forming here, hopefully ready for Monday.)
Finding the balance will be a constant battle as I feel guilty for not responding the instant someone says something, but if I don’t focus on the book first, I fear it will drift for too long. I have other writing projects I would like to attempt too, but dare not start before one is at least with an editor!
I desperately want Bite Size to survive the rocky road I’m traversing so thank you for faithfully popping by. Keep me up to date with what you think and what works for you as I try and manage it with less time!
Lisa xx
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September 17, 2014 at 5:11 pm
No problem Lisa…and again, I’m nodding in agreement…it is and will be a constant battle with the whole social media thing and getting the balance right. If we ever can, ha! Glad you know you’re not alone in this so we don’t feel so ‘at sea’. I will certainly keep in touch with any thoughts…and here’s one, not sure if it’s already been suggested, but maybe try doing the bits fortnightly? Would that help do you think? I say this and here I am and already hoping I can manage one for this week. My morning went pear shaped due to an incompetent dishwasher engineer and insurance company and me having to issue a formal complaint and then being offered a replacement dishwasher because apparently, these days, an integral dishwasher can only be removed by us, the owner, for fear they may be sued if, God forbid, they damage our flooring…but that’s another story…. Hope your day has been a good one. Catch up soon 🙂 xx
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September 19, 2014 at 11:39 am
Nothing is simple anymore is it? I think that’s where a lot of our time goes!
You’re not the first to suggest a fortnightly prompt and it would indeed slow the pace necessary to maintain and take part. I like the idea from here for those reasons but wonder if it might then get forgotten. A bit of trial and (no dounbt!) error coming up shortly!
I was pleased to write a bloody marvellous scene yesterday, so this standing back thing has been helping. More musings to follow in another post!
Meanwhile my own bite going in below, very shortly.
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September 11, 2014 at 11:30 am
Welcome back. Glad you had a nice break and have come back with new resolution to make things work for you. I have also pulled back. I had a goal (gaol) of a post a day for a year. That done it is time to give myself a couple of days off and if I want to hit the blog world on those days I will visit as I often no longer have the time to do as my commitment mounts up. Rolling the die reminds me of a book I lived by for awhile in my young adulthod. The Dice Man by Luke Rheinhardt. There you created six options from the ridiculous, criminal to mundane super boring. The roll of the die determined which you did and although I was not game enough to make options which I knew I would not do for moral or other grounds it did lead me in directions that I would possibly have not gone otherwise.I have rolled the die and 2 is my fate and off I go to wax lyrical about ice cream.
I’m glad you saw your son go to school and now you have the next milestone to aim for. The time you take with that healthy food and exercise is worth it.
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September 11, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Hi Irene. Nice to see you and also learn about you released from your ‘post-a-day’ challenge. An amazing commitment and achievement – for someone who dislikes goals I think I admire the initial commitment most of all!
I too read The Dice Man years and years ago – it’s an interesting way of pushing boundaries and making impossible decisions, isn’t it?!
Looking forward to hearing tales about ice-cream whilst I stay off the sugar for a while!
Lisa x
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September 21, 2014 at 11:11 am
http://irenewaters19.com/2014/09/21/bite-size-memoir-i-scream-you-scream/
My ice cream bite size memoir.
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September 21, 2014 at 11:49 am
Thank you Irene. I’ve missed you and I’m so delighted to see you here after the summer! As well as grateful for this tasty bite. Some amazing threads and leads through this one.. Lxx
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September 9, 2014 at 11:23 pm
Oh… *jumping up and down* so glad to have you back! I have missed Bite Size Memoir so very much! I am being lazy and don’t want to go find the dice so I read through the list and ties pulled at me hard. I will be writing for it asap. I know there is two weeks but I am feeling the words tugging at me. So, so, so happy to see you on your blog again! I’ve been feeling rather depressed today and this was just what I needed to cheer me up. I believe you are in for some poetry.
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September 10, 2014 at 4:39 am
Here you go Lisa, Ties that Bind. http://morgandragonwillow.com/2014/09/ties-that-bind-bitesizememoir.html So glad you’re back!
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September 11, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Hey Tigger! So pleased to be such a motivator. Your poetic piece is absolutely amazing. Do you see the patterns in everything or just kind of feel them – before you even know it?
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September 11, 2014 at 6:54 pm
Oh how funny, I was Tigger in a past relationship and she was Pooh bear! I have always connected with Tigger whether it was I wanted to be like him or just loved his exuberance and playfulness. As for patterns, I’ve been told I’ m one of those people that sees patterns in everything. In regards to my poetry, after I write the first sentence or two I see/feel the pattern it’s meant to have.
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September 9, 2014 at 10:44 am
Oh, those SMART objectives – so sensible in principle, so hard in practice there anything more complex than tackling the ironing (which I never do). But how smart of you to link goals with jails. Like you, I’ve been responsible for helping others set their smart objectives while being rubbish at it myself, although I do think it’s helpful to define one’s aims and priorities, as you’ve done here.
So welcome back to the blogosphere, we’ve been holding your place well you’ve been away!
I think I’m going to pass on the memoirs for the time being to focus on fiction. It’s as much as I can manage to keep up with the flash fiction challenge and my novel reviews. But it won’t stop me chipping in with reflections on your thoughtful posts.
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September 9, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Thank you Anne. I think we must be true to ourselves and prioritise the elements that serve our living best! Looking forward to popping by your provocative pieces too and keeping in touch 🙂
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September 9, 2014 at 2:26 am
I didn’t like what the dice threw up – watermelon – so I’m picking Gardens. And two weeks is great. 😀 And thanks for that tweet over on the right, followed up all the links to the Docs post about the caffeine – explains a lot. I had no idea caffeine stays in the system that long.
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September 9, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Well, well done for rolling a dice in the first place! And for being honest! Watermelon reminds me of Max reading the Hungry Caterpillar – the association is instant!
As for the caffeine ! had no idea either. I like the kick start it gives me in the morning but I do stay off it after mid-morning as otherwise I don’t sleep so well!
Nice to see you back. Here I am Tuesday afternoon and still no writing and yet I’ve been manically tackling the chores! See you again soon xx
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September 24, 2014 at 7:49 am
I’ve been naughty Lisa, and put you on my list in the “Social Media Tag”. No obligation, I know you are busy. I thought you might like to write a little about your memoir, perhaps.
http://christinejrandall.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/lets-play-social-media-tag/
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September 27, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Received with thanks but Yes Christine, I think you’re very naughty! The corner for you! – Although this is a fun one isn’t it!! 😀
I’m so tempted but also so desperate now to finish my book before the satisfaction in writing it wanes completely. Forgive me but I will have to be strong and beg a “pass” and perhaps come up with a creative way of otherwise answering the interesting questions it poses at a later date.
Much love, Lisa xx
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