Photo / Writing Prompt for Aug. 29 and 30th

Fireworks over lake George

Aug.39: Theme: Listening

Not only the sights of the fireworks but the sounds just before they explode always impress me. The loud whistle as it rises and then the loud bang of the explosion as the flashing lights fill the sky is an awesome display of colour, flash and sound.

Aug. 30: Theme: Smile

As soon as I saw the theme for today, I was reminded of a collage I created a while ago of smiles. Each one tells a story and is so different from the others. Seeing it just makes me smile. Try creating your won – to provide a smile when you need it.

The idea for this challenge for August came from these challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

Photo/Writing Challenge – Aug. 27 & 28

My recipe box 

Aug. 27  theme: Favourite recipe

Many of the recipes in my recipe box are ones my mother gave me. I still cook and bake many of her favourites. She was an awesome baker – especially of pies. Two of the recipes I pulled out are my favourites of hers as well:

Butterscotch oat Squares – which she would bake most lunch hours When I walked home from school. After I ate my lunch, there would be still-warm squares. I gobbled them up. Still do!

Matrimonial Squares (or date squares): Love these still. My mom’s were always so moist and delicious.

Another recipe I make a lot of is banana bread. It is so moist and I can add nuts, chocolate chips or cranberries. This I got from my sister-in-law and altered slightly. It is my go to for company. I usually always have a loaf in the freezer.

Aug. 28: Theme: In my bag

I thought of sharing my purse, but too much stuff in it! But this bag goes with me always when I go on the bus or travel by car. It always has a book I am reading currently, a notebook for writing down ideas or scenes of a story and usually a bottle of water. I like to always be prepared in case I have to wait some where.

There’s still time to check out the challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

Photo/Writing Challenge Aug. 26

entrance to small park by the Grand River

Today’s prompt is Door

I love finding doors of odd colours and shapes and sizes, especially old ones. The doorway above invites imagining what was there before and who used it.

Here are a few doors:

from a pioneer village

old barn door

church door

door knocker

Couldn’t resist ending with this unique door knocker.

There’s still time to check out the challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

SOL Tuesday and Writing/Photo Prompt Aug. 25

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday,  the weekly writing challenge, hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”

My break from blogging was necessary although it was longer than I thought it would be. I am glad to be back, especially to SOL.

I started my return with a new challenge “August Break” from Susannah Conway a few days ago. The challenge is to share a photo in response to the prompt posted each day. A second challenge from Carol Munro offers a writing challenge with that prompt.

On my blog I am sharing a photo and a response to the photo/prompt. I am also using the writing prompt in a journal.

I have had several months of a writing drought – yes there have been a few stabs at writing and recording story ideas. The routine of writing has been gone for a while. I am hoping this challenge will help me return to daily writing.Routines can be so easily interrupted and then such a challenge to reinstate.

When my husband was hospitalized in early April, I could not predict his long recovery nor my lack of desire to write or create art. But he has just returned to work on his old shift (7-4) and I am hopeful that my new found desire to write and create will continue.

A new writing challenge begins today as well. “Find Your Story” challengeis Jennifer Blanchard’s brainchild and will help develop a basic plan for NaNoWriMo, in seven days of daily prompts.

Photo Prompt for Aug. 25: Green

I love the colour green – in all its shades, especially in summer when there is an explosion of green. So much lush vegetation – grass, leaves, plants. I love taking photos of trees (although the array of colours in fall is amazing). flowers, and plants. Here are a few:

  

There’s still time to check out the challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

Photo/Writing Prompt August 24

Near Whistler BC

The prompt for today is “In the Distance”

As soon as I read that, I knew it had to be a photo of the mountains in British Columbia. When we visited there several years ago, the mountains and ocean seemed to be everywhere. I took shot after shot of mountains

and water.

So much awesome scenery. We stayed in Vancouver, but traveled up to Whistler, home of the 2010 Olympics, to Vancouver Island as well.

I would return there to visit, live in BC at the drop of a hat – but my family is here and the distance is too great. We will return though – so much still left to see.

There’s still time to check out the challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

Writing – Photo Prompt Aug. 23

Mexico – Neuvo Vallarta

Today’s prompt is Water.

For me, water in all forms has always had a strong pull, whether it be

a small pond

or river

Avon River in Stratford, ON

a lake

or an ocean

B.C. coast

If I can vacation near water I am happy. I love to swim, stroll along a beach or just sit and soak in the atmosphere. Many times during my life I have lived near water – the Peel River during my first 3 years of teaching, the Rideau Canal during university and now the Grand River, to name just a few.

I love seeing the changes in water as well – peaceful or churning, blue to black. Such power there.

There’s still time to check out the challenges:

photo challenge from Susannah Conway

and

the writing challenge from Carol Munro.

Photo/Writing Prompt fo Aug. 22

Photo Prompt: Curves

During our visit to Lake George, we finally took a dinner cruise on the lake. What a fun few hours. First we enjoyed a buffet dinner, with live music playing in the background. Then we made our way to the front of the ship to watch as we travelled around the lake. The wind was strong, the night a bit cool but what a view.The only thing that would have made it better would have been to watch the fireworks held on Thursdays, from the ship.

Summer Break Over

I’ve taken a much needed summer break from blogging. I needed time to relax, to spend time with my hubby, to just slow down. I’m glad that I did, but I did miss creating and writing. I’m ready now to return to routines and blogging.

I have a love affair with journals – both for art and writing. I recently bought 2 new lovely journals – which I did not need but have been coveting for a while.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And then I came across Carol Munro’s Photo/Writing Challenge and prompts for this month and I knew theese new journals would be perfect for this challenge.

Finally, I had the urge to get writing. I need the push – to get back to the daily routine of writing. I have had a long drought. Yes, thee have been ideas written down, some revisions being done but none of the urgency to write a new story. I want that back.

So I will take part in the photo “August Break” set out by Susannah Conway and the writing challenge prompt by Carol and see where it leads me. To inspired writing I hope.

I’ll start with today’s prompt -“Real Life” and cycle back to the beginning to finish some time in September. Should be fun.

Prompt 21: Real Life

This photo is of my place at our dining room table. I have a desk and an art table, but this is where I write, read the newspaper and generally pile papers and books to work on.I usually have several projects and books on the go, so I like to have materials ready when I need them.

I’m not proud of the clutter, but this is real life – where I study, read, write and when all this is pushed over, eat! When special dinners happen, usually once a month, it is all cleared away, to wait on our bed until guest are gone. I resolve every time that I will clear it away once and for all but it usually works its way back. It does work for me though.