If We Were Having Coffee & Writing

And so, if we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve yet again reclaimed my corner of the home office.  Cozy with my Tiffany lamp, my butterfly print, and um, a giant filing cabinet. For real, though.

I meant to write yesterday, but we had to go pick up Neil’s new old man glasses. For real. Varifocals.

He recently went for an eye test, and they explained his declining vision by saying, ‘That’s OK. It happens when you get old.’ I skipped my writing session yesterday so I could go prop him up. He was nervous you see. Sweaty palms and everything. Not only were these glasses stronger, they also, wait for it, didn’t have brown frames.

These new glasses are blue. Which means he has to live with a bit of color in his life and on his face. Do you know how long I’ve been trying to add a little color to his life and glasses and wardrobe? Nine years next month.

And so, I had to see the blue frames. On his face. Isla and I waited at a play area while he went to pick them up. Sugar for her, coffee for me.

He looked like um, the old Neil. With blue frames. Pretty sweet. Although when I suggested they might be ‘too heavy for your face’ he had no clue what I was talking about.

So, I let it go. You must pick your battles in a relationship.

Like for instance, today I’m writing in the office. That really wasn’t a battle. Today.

Today, I just moved my laptop from one room to the other. Neil followed after me with coffee, and Isla shut the door, shouting, ‘LET’S GIVE MUMMY SOME SPACE.’

And before I continue with today’s writing, I thought I’d take a look back.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that these were my Top Ten Blog Posts in August:

10. 10 Things I’ve Learned in 7 Years of Blogging – There must be something in this. Because I hit eight years and everything.

9. Book Tour: The Caseroom – Now, this was a book reviewish post on a book I didn’t really like. In defence of bad book reviews, when you give one, you are only one person. I am only one person. Just because I don’t like a book, doesn’t mean you won’t. I would never tell people not to read books. So read. Whatever you want.

8. A Day in My Life As A Disabled Mother – This one funnily enough, outlines a day in my life as a disabled mother. Or just a mother. No one is ever ‘just a mother’, but y’know.

7. A Day In Dundee: Nostalgia & Penguins – A family road trip. With added penguins. Fun for everyone.

6. Never Panic Buy A House – This is the one where I dropped a truth-bomb and mentioned there’d be some changes around here. Or somewhere else.

5. My Writing Process: There’s An Octopus on My Ceiling – About my writing process, and I do have one. Maybe.

4. Please Don’t Tell Me To Enjoy My Kid – Because I already do.

Like for instance, this was a recent exchange:

Me: I love you, Isla. Isla: I didn’t know that. You’ve never said.

See, she knows. We’re good.

3. If We Were Having Coffee In Edinburgh – More coffee talk on a road trip.

2. Blogging Resources for Real People – This one got an update today, and I’ll be sharing even more this week.

And my tip-top post in the month of August, was:

1. 8 Years of Gin & Lemonade: It’s Not About The Gin. There’s a lot in that one, too.  Including yet another family road trip in video form.

So, August was for real life, road trips, and blogging tips.  More of that.

And today, I wanted to tell you about an idea I had for writing prompt shenanigans.

I’d like to start offering a weekly writing prompt that you can use if you wish.

I will set the prompt on Sundays and you will have until the following Sunday to write to it, and post what you’ve written, if you wish.

If the prompt does inspire a post, I will share your link in a roundup post for the week, and then introduce the next prompt.

And so:

1. Prompt
2. Write/Post (anytime from go to the next Saturday)
3. Post will be included on a Sunday post here, which will also introduce the next prompt.

If you do participate all I ask is that you link back to the weekly post here that sets out the prompt.

For this week, it’s this one.

I will also be sharing weekly writing tips that I’ve found on the internet, that pertains to the prompt on a given week.

Week One: The prompt is a sepia-toned fall memory.

Doesn’t matter what year you’re in. Could be now, could be then.

Fun resources:

The Nostalgia Diaries

StoryADay – I’m also participating in September’s Story A Day Challenge.

I’ll be writing more, but not necessarily posting ever day.

If you choose to use a sepia-toned fall memory, have fun and don’t forget to link up! Read what other writers did with the prompt here. Another roundup and this week’s writing prompt is over here, and it’s open til Wednesday this week!