#2985 pdin 4 - a prompt

For the past year or so, I have been using writing prompts in my journal. I'll write about whatever I want, then I will respond to the prompt for that particular day. It adds a little extra fun to my regular journaling by making me think about something that maybe wouldn't occur to me to write about. 

Sometimes coming up with a topic to write about every day can be challenging, so why not respond to a prompt when I don't have much to say?

Here is the list of prompts I am using this month:

Today is Nov 4, and the prompt is: Your preferred method of communication.

My preferred method of communication is writing. At work, I like it when people send me an email with their requests and information because then it gives me something tangible to refer back to when I need clarification. It is also more helpful to me to have an email that I can drag to a task list so I can make sure the thing gets done. In my personal life, I like to get a text. I really like to get mail; it is so wonderful to get a nice handwritten card in the mail! It's true that in written communication you can't always get "tone," but I think that's more on the writer.

A recent trend that I don't like in written communication is using AI to write for you. I don't like it at all! It's weird to read something from a person and you know they don't speak like they write - but it's because they are not writing it. It's just sad to me that folks feel like they need to lean on ChatGPT or something to communicate. Use your words. Use your words.

See you tomorrow!

#2289 December reflections 2019: quiet

Today's prompt in the photo challenge I'm playing on Instagram is "quiet". I had a few thoughts on this one, and all of them involved being outdoors.

I thought of Red Butte Garden, of course. Many times when I am there in the evenings doing bloom recording it is quiet, but that's not what came to mind first. It was a walk I took there in January. There were few people walking around, I don't remember hearing any birds chirping, and the pond was frozen over, so I couldn't even hear the waterfalls. There are some tall cyrpus trees that get wrapped up for the winter, I guess to protect them. The trees are very tall, and when they are wrapped up, they seem so quiet and cozy to me.

Another pic I thought about for this prompt was pretty much any trail through the woods. Lizzie and I went for a nature walk when she was here in June. The trail was up above North Salt Lake. Most of the trail was exposed and you could look out over the lake, but then we dropped into a green forest that was unexpected: cool and pretty and still.

I didn't choose either of these photos to post on IG, though, because the first thought I had about quiet was time I spent outside at Island Park this summer over the Labor Day weekend when we went to John and Amanda's wedding. The area where the wedding was held was surrounded by trees and even though the wedding area was full of joyful people, the forest around the area was calm and quiet. I captured the sun setting through the trees and felt calm and peaceful in that moment.

I hope you all had a great weekend! More words tomorrow!

#2113 untoward

Untoward definition from Dictionary.com: unfavorable or unfortunate

Untoward is the prompt today. I didn't even know what the word meant. It sounds kind of old fashioned. All day I have been thinking about this word and how to use it in a sentence and if I could incorporate it into my vocabulary and use it in a conversation. I'm not sure if I have the skill!

If I used it incorrectly it would be sort of untoward.
People might look at me in an untoward manner if I started using this strange little word frequently.

Merriam-Webster.com defines untoward as "difficult to guide, manage or work with".

T may be a bit of an untoward employee in MT's opinion. 
I'm fortunate that I don't work with many untoward people.

A second definition is "marked by trouble or unhappiness".

I know a person whose very life is currently untoward. (This is true, by the way.)

This word is strange to me. I don't think I'm down with it.

The results of the Utah football game were untoward this afternoon. 


Goodness. I didn't think those 10 minutes were ever going to end!

getwords.com

#2112 MSG: moms, sisters and grandmas

Tonight my mother in-law Linda, her sister Jennie and Jennie's daughter Jocy came down from Pocatello and spent the evening with me. They are now at the airport getting ready to board a red-eye flight to Miami and then drive to Key Largo to spend a week at a time-share condo. Lucky ladies!

All three ladies are moms. Two of them are sisters and all three are grandmas.

Today's prompt is MSG. I know that typically that stands for monosodium glutamate or Madison Square Garden, but it's my daily prompt and I'll do with it what I like. Hence, moms, sisters and grandmas.

~~~

MT and Kevin are in Escalante. They might have got a little later start than they wanted because they ended up getting a motel room tonight. They'll start the hike tomorrow. It's a twelve mile loop so they should be fine doing six miles tomorrow and six miles on Sunday. Maybe they'll do more than six miles tomorrow. What do I know? I wouldn't mind walking six miles but I don't want to do it carrying a big ol' backpack. There's a whole bunch of things about backpacking that I would not enjoy. I'm glad that MT has his brother along. They will have a good time.

I'm kind of excited to have the whole bed to myself. I'm going to change the sheets so they are all clean and fresh just for me and then I'm going to sleep in tomorrow morning!

~~~

Most
Sweet
Good-night

Many

Silly 

Goats

#2111 maybe it's not a thing anymore

There used to be a thing called National Blog Posting Month (NABLPOMO for short). It was a challenge to bloggers to write every day in November. There was a site that offered prompts to help out on days when you just stare at the white space on the screen and can't think of one dang thing to say. I googled NABLOPMO just now and I couldn't find anything current about it, so maybe it's not a thing anymore. People still have blogs, right? Maybe now they are just more focused and not as random as mine is. Whatever. I still like to write here and send my random thoughts out on the interwebs.

So I'll challenge myself to write every day this month. If past efforts are any indication, there will certainly be some days that are not so fantastic, but I'll be here all month, trying to entertain myself and the seven of you.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of prompts. In that spirit, I googled November 2018 writing prompts and found this cute site with this fun list. To make my daily writing even more fun and challenging for myself, I think I will use this list to write.

~~~

COUNTDOWN

It seems like every day is a countdown to something new. I wake up in the morning and I think about what I'm going to do that day and I look ahead to the weekend, or the next holiday or something big that is on my mind. In November, there are lots of things I'm counting down to: MT's backpacking trip (this weekend), a dentist appointment, Thanksgiving, my sister's birthday, football games, changing the clock back an hour, all the books I want to read. It's like by counting down the days I'm looking forward to what's coming. Sometimes in the morning I will think, "And this weekend I will..." then I pull myself back and say, "Gotta get through today first, Sandy. Make it count."

Mostly when I think of the word countdown I think about Christmas. I love the Advent calendars that give you a little piece of chocolate as you count down the days until Christmas. When I was a little kid I looked forward to Christmas more than I do now. When you're a "grown up" it seems like Christmas kind of takes on a different meaning and there is more stuff to do to prepare for it.

Last Christmas was bittersweet because it was our last Christmas with my dad. This Christmas my mom and my sister will be here in Utah at my house and I am looking forward to having them here. Before Christmas, though, the three of us are going to Savannah, GA. I'm definitely looking forward to that!

See what I mean? I get ahead of myself!

MT's brother Kevin is here tonight. They have been planning a backpacking trip for a couple of months. They were supposed to go in September, then the day before they were going to go, MT fell off that ladder and the trip had to be postponed. They are leaving tomorrow to go out into the desert of southern Utah, around the Escalante area. It's gonna be cold at night, but they are really looking forward to it. I'm glad that they will get in some good bro time.

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Okay, I kind of stayed on the topic of my prompt. I set a timer for 10 minutes and just started writing. It was fun. I think the main point is just to write. Well, we'll see how this goes. :)

See ya tomorrow!

tenor.com