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

December 6: Flash Fiction Challenge #CarrotRanch – Graffiti

07 Dec 2018 24 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Flash Fiction, Graffiti

Charli’s prompt this week:

December 6, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about graffiti. It can be an artist, art or the medium itself. Get out your can of spray paint and go where the prompt leads you.


Pure Art

Stepping back, he looked up to admire his work.
He inhaled the spray paint, fresh on the wall.
A huge mural filled with colour. 
It had taken him the best part of six hours, what with dodging 
oncoming traffic.
His tag proudly displayed at the bottom.
Sure, the wall wasn’t his property, and there was a slight chance that 
if he got caught, he’d end up at the police station again…
He pulled his hat down firmly and wrapped his scarf over his mouth, 
rendering himself unrecognisable.
Some might call it graffiti, but to him, it was pure art.

December 6: Flash Fiction Challenge

#Blogmas2018 Ritu’s Blog Tips #7

07 Dec 2018 30 Comments

by Ritu in Blogmas 2018, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Blogmas, Blogmas 2018, Schedule

Day 7!

Plan and schedule!

We are not supermen/women… It is not easy to blog daily/weekly/monthly with all the rest of our responsibilities (for most, of us, anyway!)

It is important to have some semblance of routine on your blog. Your regular readers will come to expect certain things from you.

If you know you are going to be busy, use the scheduling tools that are out there. I am on WordPress and I often schedule posts that I have been able to write across a few days, as a lot readers find it a bit much to have several posts from the same blogger on one day.

Create some sort of timetable for what you may be posting, and when. Then try to stick to it.

And sharing is also important.

Set up your sharing options on your blog ( I know WordPress have this fuction). Link your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. pages to your blog and your posts will automatically share there for you, as you publish them.

All these different Social Media sites offer you a fresh audience – use them !

One Liner Wednesday – #1LinerWeds

05 Dec 2018 40 Comments

by Ritu in #1linerweds, #onelinerwednesday, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #1linerweds, #onelinerwednesday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, one liner challenge, One Liner Wednesday

“Maybe the driver (pilot) was drunk!”
Lil Princess

A little explanation…

Driving to school yesterday morning, Lil Princess and I saw something rather strange in the sky…

After having viewed Venus next to a beautiful crescent moon, we viewed this…

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A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

The scary thing was this was an airplane mark going down the sky, rather wonky, and it was still going down… I even checked the news for any airplane issues in Kent, but nothing… still, it looks freaky, doesn’t it?

For Linda’s #1LinerWeds.

Chai & A Chat #9 #ChaiAndAChat

03 Dec 2018 36 Comments

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

It’s that time of week again! Chai time!

If we were sipping chai together I’d say that, for the most part, we are a healthier bunch! So, the sniffles are still there, and my foot still hurts, but we’re cool!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that moderation, my first experience, was actually really interesting. It is fascinating to see how everyone in our Academy, at the different schools, teaches and assesses the kids. We had our discussions, and I look forward to the next time, when we look at progress made, and what happens next… This is a part of teaching I haven’t experienced yet!
If we were sipping chai together, I’d say that I have found a way to make Lil Man remember things he needs to sort out at school, off his own back… Threaten to not let him go to a party! It’s been two weeks that I have been asking him to go an pick up some books from the Spanish teacher for his revision and print out a paper he needs for a science assessment… Surprisingly (not) he forgot EVERY DAY, then when I mentioned ‘no party’ on Wednesday evening, he suddenly managed to come home the next day with everything done!
If we were sipping chai together, you’d remember that cricket fever is still running high in our household, and Lil Man had his second trial for the District team…
If we were sipping chai together, I’d say that I am getting rather scared of how fast our children are growing up… He has teenage parties to attend, and has a voice that is squeaking, and trying to break, and she, at ten, is now reaching hormonal highs, if you know what I mean… My babies are no longer babies! Stop the clock, I wanna get off!!
If we were sipping chai together, I’d tell you about the wonderful evening I had with my Tootie Frootie mums, complete with Secret Santa gifts! We met for drinks, before heading off to Rico Sabor, a great paella restaurant, serving a Christmas menu with a Spanish twist. There was music, great food, wonderful company and I discovered a love for Virgin Mojitos! We ate, danced and took umpteed silly photos too!

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A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I was exhausted, after a late night (2am and I don’t see much of each other) and I slept in untoll 10am!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that the rest of the weekend was a lovely festive family snuggle time, complete with getting the Christmas tree up!

If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that Sonu Singh is expecially happy. He climbed into boxes as the tree was taken out, he tasted the branches several times and knows he has his favourite spot set for the next few weeks… behind the tree. He even got mega excited at his own advent calendar!

If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that I am now nervous about my first formal observation of the year. It is always tough being watched. I know I am a good teacher. I know what I believe in. But you always know that the day something is going to go to pot will be the day someone is watching you!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you we have a team building event at one of the Panic Rooms here. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I mean they are puzzle rooms you enter as a team, and you have an hour to solve a mystery. We did this once before so it’s exciting to be going again!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that I am excited for the Jingle Bell Ball! Can’t wait to tell you about it next week! Yes, there are a few acts I don’t have a clue about, but I hope to be able to recognise the songs, and embarrass my daughter with some silly dancing!

Have a great week all! Let me know how your’s has been!

#Blogmas2018 Ritu’s Blog Tips #3

03 Dec 2018 31 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tips, Blogger, Blogging, Blogmas, Blogmas 2018, Gravatar

Day 3 of blog tips for Blogmas!

My muse, my tea my workstation!

Make sure your Gravatar information is up to date.

Gravatar? What’s that?

It’s the information attached to the little photo icon that pops up next to any comments you make. If a reader hovers over it, they can find out your blog address, and if they click on it, there is a whole load of information that comes up, from your websites to profiles all over Social Media, so others can connect with you.

It’s important.

If someone fancies checking out your site, and the information is incomplete or incorrect, you could end up losing a prospective reader, or even follower… and you don’t want that!