Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Bookinton’s Finish The Sory Challenge 2

01 May 2019 11 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Fiction, Finish The Story

I was appproached by fellow blogger Tanmay Jain, of Bookinton Blog to ask whether I would participate in a writing challenge with a difference this month. The Finish The Story Challenge 2. 2 because he ran one similar last year and wanted to extend the challenge to a few more bloggers. It is an opportunity to streach creativity, and share others stories too!

Intrigued, as ever…. I decided to step up, and this is what we are doing.

There are 5 bloggers, myself included, who have submitted a prompt.

Each of us will answer the prompt with a 250 word flash fiction piece on set days.

Let me introduce you to the others who are taking part.

1)Tanmay Jain

Tanmay Jain is a blogger, book reviewer, writer and bibliophile from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He has been reading books since he was a child and hasn’t stopped since. He started his first blog in 2016 and since that, after many unsuccessful attempts at managing a successful blog, he landed on his current and most successful blog, Scion of Society. Tanmay dabbles mostly in fiction writing but sometimes wanders off to poetry, book reviewing and writing tips. He is an editor for his school magazine, X-rays. He’s a teenage writer, aspiring author, and a budding blogger.

Blog – Bookinton

Blog Link – www.bookinton.wordpress.com

Twitter ID – www.twitter.com/Tanmay_and_Jain

Facebook ID – www.facebook.com/TheBookintonBlog

Prompt – There was something extraordinarily ordinary about murder than people just didn’t get!

2)Nideesh Samant

A weaver or short stories, mostly dark ones…

https://thedarknetizen.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/darthnid

Prompt – A standard corporate boardroom meeting is und1erway, but the boss has hidden motives…

3)Sascha Darlington

Tech writer, creative writer and book blogger from Washington, DC

Blog – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored

Blog – https://saschadarlington.me
Twitter ID – www.twitter.com/darling_sascha

Prompt – A non-risk-taking writer has writer’s block, so they decide to do something they’ve never done before to inspire them.

4)Suchita Agarwal

A writer and content creator, Suchita Agarwal believes words are where the magic is. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and WordPress. She goes by talesofsuchita.

Blog – Tales of Suchita

Blog Link – https://talesofsuchita.wordpress.com/

Twitter ID – https://twitter.com/talesOfsuchita

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/talesofsuchita/

Prompt – The last thing I remember

And then there is me… who has a HUGE amount written in her bio, and SM Links too, but then you know me… I cannot actually stop talking/writing, and you know I waffle… but if you wanted to read/connect… here you are!

5)Ritu Bhathal

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970’s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.

From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is mostly credited to her mother.

The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her own writing, from fiction to poetry.

Winning little writing competitions at school and locally gave her the encouragement to continue writing.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.

A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing!

Ritu also writes a blog, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.

Ritu is happily married, and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the furbaby Sonu Singh.

Having published an anthology of poetry, Poetic RITUals, she is currently working on some short stories, and a novel, to be published in the near future.

Blog – But I Smile Anyway

Blog Link – www.butismileanyway.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/PhantomGiggler

Facebook ID – https://www.facebook.com/butismileanyway/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/phantom_giggler/

Told you mine was long!

And here’s my prompt for the rest of the guys!

Prompt – I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus. I did. Well, not Santa, but some fat bearded dude, who wasn’t my dad…

Soooo … there you have it… for now!

The prompts are going to be answered as of 11th May, and the works are kicking off with my take of Sascha Darlington’s prompt… no pressure!!!

Hope you enjoy reading my efforts, and if you feel the urge, feel free to use the prompts and link back so I can read yours too!

Chai And A Chat #29 #ChaiAndAChat

22 Apr 2019 46 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories

Hey there Peeps! Time for our weekly catch up! Gotta tell you, it’s another fun filled, but quieter (thankfully) one!

If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you – I managed to drive an automatic all the way back home, safely, and only stalled once, as we came off the motorway when I wanted to use the clutch, and durr… there isn’t one! But at least we are back in one piece, kinda…
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I have seen more than my fair share of the hospital in the last week. We had to get straight to A & E after dropping the children to their grandparents, but that leg of Hubby Dearest’s needed checking, and after 7 hours on Monday, where we got a triage check by a nurse, and an xray, his back was starting to give in. We had to leave. We were getting set for another long stint on the Tuesday when the Orthopaedic Dr called us at 9pm on the Monday to say that yes, he had definitely ruptured his achilles tendon, yes he would definitely need plaster and no, given all we had to wait for today, we would need to come in the next day, but with an appointment for the fracture clinic. So Tuesday was a two hour visit there where we left with a newly plastered foot, and I had consumed my third Costa Chai Latte in 24 hours!

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If we were sipping chai together I’d say that there were still a few days of holiday left, where I needed to occupy the kids and keep them quiet as now their daddy would be working from home indefinitely… not an easy task for an overactive teen, but we managed. Lil Princess enjoyed her time trying on her clothes and taking countless selfies, and I started accompanying Lil Man to the Gurdwara sports park for a walk and a read in the evening or afternoon, so he could get rid of some energy.

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If we were sipping chai together I’d say that have spent an untold amount of time reading over the last couple of weeks and I have even managed to hit my Goodreads Reading Challenge Target, and it’s only April! Expect a doozy of an April Review roundup!

I met my goal of reading 50 books for the Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge! https://t.co/x8GxUOIswd via @goodreads #Reader #Goodreads
— Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 #ChickPeaCurryLit (@RituBhathal) April 20, 2019

If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you we’ll be back to school tomorrow. I may just be going back for a break, what with all that happened at home, and this ‘nursing’ lark!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d mention that it will be a little easier on me, childcare wise as the in-laws are back!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say I am probably already looking forward to the weekend, even though I will have only had 4 days back to school!

Have a wonderful week, Peeps! Let me know how your week went!

#SoCS April 20/19 – Ribs

20 Apr 2019 37 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Gender, Linda G Hill, poem, Rib, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s #SoCS prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “rib.” Use it as a word, or find a word with “rib”in it. As always, use any way you’d like. Enjoy!

I started thinking about this… and what came to mind was Adam and Eve.

So, apparently Eve, aka Woman, was created from one of Adam’s ribs… thereby making her a suitable helper for Man…

But if you dig deeper there are quotes in the bible that suggest that it was not just his rib, but possibly more than a bone, maybe a side of Adam, that was used to create Eve.

So, not a suitable helper as such but really an equal companion that would conmplete Man

Woman was created to be “beside” man, not beneath or above him. In salvation, man is no more “worthy” and woman is no less a citizen of God’s kingdom. “There is neither . . . male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”
Wikipedia

I like that thought. It has been in my mind since I wrote a flash yesterday about gender at birth, and the so called importance of a male baby within our Indian communities, and others out there.

Why? Why is that dangly genitalia so important?

It’s us women you need to actually create men nowadays. God isn’t doing his Garden of Eden magic nowadays.

Our Sikh first Guru, Guru Nanak says:

“We are born of woman, we are conceived in the womb of woman, we are engaged and married to woman. We make friendship with woman and the lineage continued because of woman. When one woman dies, we take another one, we are bound with the world through woman. Why should we talk ill of her, who gives birth to kings? The woman is born from woman; there is none without her. Only the One True Lord is without woman”
Guru Nanak

Sure, a male was meant to continue the family name, ensuring that the bloodline carried forth for more generations, but doesn’t a daughters offspring do the same, bloodline wise, anyway?

Male or female, hair shorne or tied with ribbons, breasts or dangly bits, we are equal. We were made to be equal, whether Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish… any religion.

Ain’t that the truth?

Boys and girls
Girls and boys
Essentially the same
Though given different toys

Male and female
Female and male
Yet still inequalities
A very old tale

Him and her
Her and him
Together complete
Not made on a whim

A partnership
On equal ground
As God intended
Though not what's found

Differences only
To strengthen and support
Not useless foetuses
That some choose to abort

Man and woman
Woman and man
We should stand together
That was God's plan

Ritu 2019

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS April 20/19

The Four Stages – #Poetry #Inspired

09 Apr 2019 44 Comments

by Ritu in Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Etheree Quartet, inspiration, Poetry, reading, Writer, Writers Block

After a wonderful review of my poetry book, Poetic RITUals, Lucy Mitchell, of BlondeWriteMore blog fame (she is too funny, you must follow her!) she mentioned to me that she had been searching for inspiring pietry aimed at writers and creative types… words that may inspire and help nudge you through the tough writerly moments we go through…

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ISn’t that just wonderful? ❤

Now, I can’t magic up a whole book but it got me thinking, and I penned a little Etheree quartet, dedicated to my fave Blonde, Lucy, and all the writers out there!

The Four Stages

 Write
 Right now
 Momentum
 The need to type
 I feel them coming
 Ideas multiply
 Fingers fly across the keys
 Story seeds blossom into trees
 A book the world will all want to read
 Thousands of words reaching a crescendo
  
 Blank
 It’s gone
 I’ve lost it
 My story thread
 No ideas flow
 Inspiration has run dry
 All my dreams come crashing down
 I’ll never be a best seller
 Should I delete the whole sorry lot?
 No one will ever want to read this stuff
  
 Read
 Inspired
 Just maybe
 I can do this
 My book could happen
 Someone might just like it
 Plot twists thicken in my mind
 Endings start to come together
 Put the book down; get the keyboard out
 It’s time to make my book dream come to life
  
 Write
 Again
 Typing fast
 Renewed vigour
 Finish is in sight
 I almost can’t keep up
 Words tumble onto my screen
 Loose ends seem to come together
 Tying up the story completely
 Breathe… and finally type those words… ‘The End’ 
  
  Ritu 2019

There is my inspiration for this verse… Lovely Lucy, alongside my dear friend, His Geoffleship!

Chai And A Chat #27 #ChaiAndAChat

08 Apr 2019 52 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #ChaiAndAChat, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat

Hey there Peeps! Time for our weekly catch up!

If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you – “Week six– In-Law-less – smashed it, and now I’m on break there are no more worries… until next year!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that Monday should have been the start of a fantastic Easter week at school… and it was, but we walked around with a fog – well the staff, anyway. We were given the news first thing on Monday morning that a former pupil had passed away suddenly, on the weekend. She was 13. Many of us had taught her, or her siblings. Her mother is active within our school community. It was horrific to even contemplate. 13. That is no age. I cried several times this week. She was a beautiful soul, and my heart goes out to her family at this extremely tough time… Her younger sister was in towards the end of the week, showing such strength. All I kept thinking was how would I ever manage through a situation like that… losing your child… and not knowing yet, what had happened…
If we were sipping chai together I’d say that we did continue the week, as we were meant too. Hard to actually say, but the world still keeps turning… So we taught the children about the Easter story. We discussed resurrection and new life. We sang silly songs. We made Easter cards and chocolate Easter nests for the children to take home and though it was fun, my mind stayed with that family who weren’t thinking of celebrations at this time…
If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that we had to put on an even happier face on Thursday, as it was the School Easter disco. I usually stay for both, the Key Stage 1 one, as that is the age group I teach, and the Key Stage 2 one, as that is where my is, so did the same and ended up having a great time with the wonderful children, followed by housework at home, that meant that I had been rather active that day!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2RtavFXjP/

If we were sipping chai together I’d say the end of the week brought the end of this term, and boy do I need the break! We had an Easter Treasure Hunt (rather than a chocolate egg hunt – that is not Healthy Schools friendly!) for the nursery (x2 as we have two sessions!) which went really well, and the children disappeared with their parents happy that the Easter Bunny had seen how well they had looked for things, and sent them home with an Easter Egg… I couldn’t send them with nothing, could I? The rest of the time in the day was devoted to getting classrooms ready, and creating a display for the reception classes… and a cheeky pop into the pub together with my colleagues at the end, for a well desereved diet Coke ( I had to go shopping after).

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If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you I have been playing nurse to Lil Princess and her injuries this week too. She took a tumble (more like a shove from an over eager classmate, on their way out to lunch ) on Monday and ended up with a gouge on her left knee and really deep scratches down her shin, a grazed right knee and deeps cuts on her left palm and finger… and she’s a leftie so that wasn’t great, poor baby…
If we were sipping chai together I’d let you know the weekend was not a walking marathon as I had visitors. My best friend stayed with us for a night with her beautiful nearly two year old daughter and we had such fun together! My sister-in-law’s sister was also over, at the in-laws house with her family so my kids were in their element, with all the fresh company! It’s hard being a mum to a little one, and easy for us with older ones to forget, so after a nigt of helicopter baby sharing the bed with me and my bestie, she woke up at 6.30am and decided it was time to get up properly. My friend was exhausted, and had a long journey ahead of her so I took my little babe downstairs to give her a lie in. As I type this, I am exhausted from just one night of interrupted sleep… did I really do this regularly???

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If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that the in-laws are back this week so I know we will be in for a treat, having them back, finally!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d mention that two days after they arrive, we will be off on our own mini holiday which I am so looking forward to!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say I am planning on reading LOADS this holiday! One book is already done!

Have a wonderful week, Peeps! Let me know how your week went!