School’s back is session, autumn’s in the air, and I’m back to blogging. As per usual, here’s your numbered breakdown of how I’m going to make this work:
Terrible Poetry Where would we be without the Terrible Poetry Contest? I’ll be running this once a month, every other month, as per my:
Life is ridiculously packed to the brim while less-important tasks like sleep sit molding at the bottom. We’ll see how this format works. Any encouraging aphorisms and/or life secrets are encouraged.
Thank you. I look forward to reading your works again.
It’s about that time again: when I realize that summer vacation is here and whatever meager seconds I’ve had for blogging have already been claimed.
I’ve been at this WordPress gig for five years, officially so on June 24th. Happy Blogiversary to me and all that. I recall my trepidation at its opening: Would anyone read what I wrote? WHY WON’T ANYONE READ WHAT I WROTE? If I start now, by what point will I have a book contract? How can I finagle rights to the script and choice of actors so they don’t pick Hayden Christensen?!
If you’re a better blog friend than I, you knew this was coming. I have not been around much. I haven’t had time for anything except a paltry effort at feeding the children and ensuring they’ve showered semi-regularly.
I’ll write now and then, visit everybody, wrap up the current A Mused Poetry Contest; then take off around June 27th. I’ll not disappear entirely because I am writing a monthly poetry post over at Carrot Ranch called Anyone Can Poem.
(By the way, you should check it out!)
In other announcements:
We found out we’re having Boy #6.
We’re moving house.
We’ve cured cancer.
Now, you get to decide which two are the truths and which is the lie….
Wouldn’t it be neat if this was how my summer went? Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com
Cancer sucks. Did you know that? Its insidious cells just stole a close relative of ours; leaving behind her young children, older children, and grieving husband.
Since I know this, I’m helping to promote a writing contest in support of someone battling lung cancer: Sue Vincent.
I don’t know Sue very well but do know she does a lot of work, is one of the best writers and poets in blogdom and beyond, and helps many people in many ways. I followed her site awhile ago and have participated in her #writephoto prompts. Whenever she writes her #midnighthaiku, I read it.
Whether you have been inspired by her selfless encouragement and excellent writings or not, this contest will be a chance for you to challenge yourself, win a sweet prize, and help an amazing woman.
Here are the details:
It’s time for Sue to receive something back from the community she’s been a cornerstone of for a decade. Let’s bring the Rodeo into Sue’s house through her computer, and let’s come together with hearts full of joy. Join us for the Sue Vincent Rodeo Classic at the Carrot Ranch – a contest, parade, and celebration all in one! There are many ways to participate. One is to visit the prompt image, “Hidden,” at the Carrot Ranch. The prompt image and entry form will go live on Monday, February 1st, 2021. Enter a flash or a poem by Friday, February 19th, 2021, and you could win either $100 or a copy of one of Sue’s books. The form will allow you to give a small donation for Sue and her family, and a link can be found on the contest page. The winning entries will be announced at the Carrot Ranch on March 22nd, 2021.
If you’re not ready to rodeo, there’s always the “Parade.” Re-blog one of Sue’s posts from any of her sites (Daily Echo or France and Vincent) with a comment about why you found it special. Follow her blogs. Read one of her books, then leave reviews where you can. Several people are already gearing up for the parade – so feel free to check out other people’s blogs for suggestions.
Also, go ahead and reblog, tweet, Facebook, or somehow otherwise share the contest! 99 word literary art is a fantastic way to celebrate a blogging hero and very deserving person.
Saddle up, everyone! It’s time for a Carrot Ranch Rodeo like none ever held before. The Sue Vincent Rodeo Classic begins on Monday, February 1st, and it’ll be a TUFF prompt to fit within 99 words.
I apologize for the number of times you will see this announcement since a fair number of people love her.
Look at that: only two days in, and I’m already boring you. But, wait -it’s important.
I will be adding book reviews to the blog. I definitely want to read and review ones by people I know, so drop me a line if you’d like me to read, review, and interview.
I will be starting the new and improved terrible poetry contest tomorrow Saturday!!! Problem is, I can’t think of a catchy-enough name. “Funny Poetry” and “Humorous Poetry” strike me as too ho-hum for an event that will be anything but! Drop me another line with a name idea for our new contest.
I will be answering people’s prompts and doing a few of my own. I can’t participate every week/day/hour, but can pop in once a month or so. Drop me a third line with whatever prompt you do and when.
I will now be leaving to pick up children from school. Drop me a line about how your Coronalife is going.
I’ve been having a great holiday, only worrying about considering the possibility of thinking I ought to plan on pondering the idea of envisioning a speculative schedule involving writing on the blog(s).
I promised this was a boring update, so here are the specifics:
WordPress’ editor still sucks.
I sold my arm and part of a leg for a new cell phone and can therefore read (and comment on!) people’s posts again. The new phone ought to streamline that process going forward, instead of gunking it up to a hopeless quagmire like it did in the past.
I’m changing the Weekly Hilarity Contest to poetry again, but intend to definitely bend toward humor and not to the sarcasm and ridicule of terrible poeming.
My #1 priority will be me and my family. Number two will, invariably, be dishes and laundry -okay, really, ’twill be catching blog posts written by my favorite people (you!). After those, I will post some of my own works (see #5, just below).
My blogging schedule will be liposuctioned to something manageable and …less personal. Maybe.
I will write and publish a book. I will write under a modified name, since I’ve never liked my obviously-born-in-a-certain-decade-or-near-there identifier.
If there is any time left after that, I’ll sleep well, eat right, and exercise. I will also cure pandemics.
I will totally look like this person, all year. (Photo by Moose Photos on Pexels.com)
Thus begins my summer sabbatical. Ironically, ’tis also my third Blogiversary.
I’m visiting a few blogging friends before the tech-free boat departs, then I’m sailing away till September. I’m very excited. I have my notebook, my unruly crew of five boys, and some reading to keep me company.
Last year, my life situation looked a little different. Well, because of COVID-19, it coincidentally looked much the same. I’d not been feeling well last Aprilish. After suddenly craving a specific Mexican food item on a Sunday evening, I thought, Oh no; it can’t be THAT. Several insistent phone calls the next day led to a positive pregnancy test reading and ultrasound.
…and to a subsequent order of bedrest once an intrauterine blood clot kept whining.
All last summer; I balanced being pregnant, running two blogs, occasionally writing for another, reading others’ posts, and trying to keep my living dependents -well- alive. It. was. awful.
“Next summer,” I vowed from the bathroom floor, “I’m taking a break like _[insert several bloggers’ names here]_!”
Long story long, that’s what I’m gonna do. Take a break, I mean.
I’ll finish up “Going Postal” and a few writing prompts and awards I promised I would respond to. Then, I’m unplugging for a while. I need the free babysitting of public school and the better-sleeping of an older baby to add ‘blogging’ to the top of my tippy pile of demands.
After a week or two, I’ll not see you again till September. Thanks for the understanding and support, and best of luck with your own summers/winters.
I have never looked like this in my life, but you can picture my being like this if it makes you feel better.
I did it! Well -the doctors did. Yesterday, around 13:44, the obstetrics surgical team extracted my fifth boy.
He weighed 6 lbs 4 oz (rounded up) and measured 19 inches long.
I’m not allowed to go into labor, so we scheduled the operation at 37 weeks. All in all, this has been the best C-Section recovery I’ve had. I can only attribute that to the skill of the team, the healthiness of my body, and to the many prayers I know people offered on our behalf.
Because of privacy reasons, I dislike posting pictures online. Since I know he’ll change rapidly and you’re all DYING to see, however, here are two I took this morning:
“Hello. The world is bright and cold. I’m not certain I like it yet.”
A pen, for comparison.
We haven’t agreed on a name yet, but I keep that information private as well. 🙂
Chel Owens 