Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “(un)pack.” Use “pack” or its opposite in your post. Have fun!
My in-laws family sure know how to pack things into a small time frame!
Seriously, it’s all about the birthdays in this family, during the month of February!
It feels like, with the addition of Valentine’s day, not a week goes by without something that needs celebrating!
So, on the 3rd we had my bro-in-law’s birthday, then today itself, we have Hubby Dearest celebrating his special day, as well as his mum, aka my mum-in-law! He actually appeared on her 21st birthday! That’s a present that packs a punch, eh!
Forward on to the 20th, and it is our very own Lil Princess turning 12, and she made her entrance into this world on my father-in-law’s birthday! So, yes, it’s his on the same day!
Then add in Valentines, and it is a pretty packed (and expensive!) month!
Not content with all these births, I only went and added one to the mix… tomorrow is the official birth of my first novel, Marriage Unarranged! If you want to check it out, click here!
Wish me luck, Peeps!
Oh, and my cover is a part of Cover Wars, this week. If you fancy voting, click below!
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “choices.” Base your post on the subject of making small, uneventful choices. Enjoy!
Ham or Cheese?
Oh help me please!
I don't know which to choose.
The pink shirt
And new blue jeans
But, boots or high-heeled shoes?
Chocolate bar
Or pack of ten
Which one makes more sense?
Wash today
Or blowdry tomorrow
Can't think - I'm on the fence!
Ritu 2020
It’s Thursday, and we’re back to our regular daily prompts, this one for the 23rd day of Just Jot it January 2020. Janet gave us our prompt word for today. Thanks so much, Janet! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there!
Your prompt for JusJoJan January 23rd, 2020, is “drive.” Use the word “drive” any way you’d like. Have fun!
The first thing that came to mind when I read this prompt this morning, was my journey to learning how to drive.
As a child, my mother would drive us to and from school, and to do the shopping, but any other drives, long or short, were always undertaken by Pops.
Mum was always nervous to go further than the few local places she was familiar.
I couldn’t wait for that time when I would turn seventeen, and could legally get behind a wheel! I’d zoom around everywhere.
Well, that’s what I thought…
Seventeen came, and I was gifted driving lessons by my parents. It was extemely nerve wracking but I managed to move that huge car around the roads. Heck, I was driving!
Then came the test.
And guess who failed, because of a Coke can?
Me, that’s who!
I was reversing around a corner, and I spotted a can on the road, via my rearview mirror. Desperately trying hard not to drive over it, I manouvered away, and found myself in the middle of the road, rather than neatly by the side.
Yup, fail.
Second attempt – it was a few silly mistakes that caused me to fail.
Third attempt – you know, I just wasn’t ready…
Time came for me to leave home, and go to University. I wasn’t going to need a car here. Being so close to London meant the public transport was pretty good, and who wanted to pay exhorbitant parking prices?
Once I finally qualified, and decided to come back home, I realised that it was now or never. I had, by then, met Hubby Dearest, and we were engaged.
If I was getting married and moving to Kent, I needed to know how to drive, or face five hours in a coach, or three on a train, with various stops, to be able to visit my parents.
My mum encouraged me. “You can do it, Ritu, it only took me five attempts.”
Five? I was nearing that already with three fail certificates under my belt!
I had just over a year before the big day.
A new instructor was found, someone who taught my brother too (Younger, and yes, he passed before me on the FIRST time!)
And so, the lessons began. He was great, Ken, the driving instructor. He pulled no punches either.
It got to a few months before the wedding.
Ken: “I don’t think you’re ready yet…”
Me: “Why don’t I book my test for as late as possible, before the wedding? I have to try…”
Ken: “Er, okay…”
No, you’re thinking right. He wasn’t convinced!
Anyhow, I worked my butt off and three weeks before the wedding, I nervously sat at the Test Centre, waiting my turn.
The Examiner entered. Ken’s face dropped. But he said nothing, bar, “Just do your best.”
The test started. Vision test passed. And I pulled out of the Test Centre park. It all went well.
Until I shifted my gear from fourth to third, instead of fifth, on a dual carriage way.
Examiner: “Er, I think you might need to check your gears.”
Damn! Failed. I knew it.
We started to chat, and I began to relax because I knew I’d failed. Then, I did it again!
Another polite reminder from the Examiner.
We started to chat about general things, and the fact that I was getting married came up. I said that it would mean the world to have a licence, as I was moving so far away.
He asked where I was moving, and when I mentioned the location, in Kent, he told me that he used to live there. Small world!
Then he started asking about the wedding – knowing Sikh weddings are big affairs, and that generally, there is a great free bar at the party!
Before I knew it, he told me to pull up, and I realised we were outside the Test Centre again. Ken stood there, nervously looking out for us.
Examiner: “Now, I need to give you your feedback and results. I need you to look at me, and please, don’t smile.”
Me: “Er, okay.” (Does this guy even know who I am? Ritu, who is known for her smiles!)
Examiner: “Right, well, I am pleased to say that you have passed. I know you were nervous, but just take care with your gear changes. Otherwise, you did great!”
Me: [fighting the urge to smile] “Really? I passed? No!”
Examiner: “Yes, you have. Look at Ken’s face. I think he is sure we have bad news to give to him. It’s okay, he’s an old friend of mine. I love winding him up. Now, you have a wonderful wedding, and you can send the invitation to the wedding here!”
With a wink, he left me sitting in the car. Then turned to Ken with a stern look.
Ken rushed over. I handed him the paperwork.
Ken: ” You passed? I don’t believe it! No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that he’s the toughest examiner here. When I saw him, I was convinced it wasn’t going to go our way. In fact, he failed one of my pupils who was the best driver I had ever taught, and I have been teaching for a long time. Still, well done. I’m proud of you. Surprised, but proud.”
And with that, I was finally unleased, legally, on the roads!
I got a pretty awesome wedding present – the ability to get home whenever I wanted. And I even had a second hand car ready for me to take!
That was another bit of fun… the first time I drove on a motorway, was the three hour journey to take the car to my new home!
And there you have it, my journey to learning to drive!
Linda is doing her #JusJoJan thing, like she does every year, and though I haven’t taken part as such, this year, because of, well, stuff, I did offer a prompt word for a day, and that day happens to be today, so I thought I should really pop a post on!
Hello again! It’s time for the 14th daily prompt for Just Jot it January 2020. Today’s prompt was generously donated to us by Ritu. Thanks, Ritu! Make sure you visit her blog to read her post and say hi. And follow her while you’re there!
Hello Ritu! Popping in to say ‘hi!’ and I might just follow you too! 🤪
Your prompt for JusJoJan January 14th, 2020, is “publish.” Use the word “publish” any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Ho hum. Well, I wonder why the word publish is on my mind so much at the moment?
Could it be because in less than four weeks, I am finally going to be an official novel author?
You know this has been a LOOOOOOONG time coming if you have been with me since the beginning of this blog.
The blog is five years old, but the story that I finally managed to get ready to publish was already in its teen years at that time, and now, at the grand old age of nearly twenty, it is finally going to be out there.
It was always a dream to have a book published, though I didn’t know the ins and outs of how that would happen, until I started blogging. Encouragement from my Blogily, all my readers, pushed me to finally finish that manuscript, and to polish it to a state I never thought I could achieve.
But I did managed to sneak in a poetry book in the middle, somehow.
I found it much easier to publish that. After all, aside from spellings, and formatting, the editing wasn’t as arduous.
Well, that’s what I think, anyway. Because I believe poetry conveys the words from a poet’s heart, and no one should tamper with those.
And now, here I am, writing blog tour posts that will be published in the lead up to Pub Day (no, not a day celebrating English drinking establishments, but Publication Day!) on 9th February, 2020.
Right, off I go to write more words!
But if you are interested, here’s the info about my book baby, and a preorder link!
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wrap/rap.” Use one, use both (for bonus points), use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Do you know how to wrap?
(No, I’m not talking about rap – the music form, though I have tried my hand at it!)
I think wrapping presents is one of the hardest things to do!
Usually, mine will be pretty neat, but I end up using too much paper because I cut too much for the object that is going to be wrapped… Then whoever is opening said present feels like they are playing pass the parcel, unwrapping layers and layers, until they get to the gift at the end!
I’d never get a job in one of those shops where you have to offer to gift wrap items bought… I’d constantly be getting my knuckles rapped for wasting too much paper!
