Socs | But I Smile Anyway...

#SoCS October 1, 2021 – inspire/aspire/expire – Oh And Half A Million People Have Viewed my Blog!

02 Oct 2021 56 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Aspire, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Expire, Inspire, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s (or, actually, Dan’s) prompt for SoCS this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “inspire/aspire/expire.” Use them in any form you like. Use one, use two or use them all if you want. If you use two, you get bonus points! If you use all three, Cheryl will put your next drink on David’s tab. Enjoy!

I aspire to inspire as many of my pupils and readers as I can, before I expire!

There.

Got em all out in one sentence! Surely there should be another bonus point for that…? Or, maybe a visit to Dan, Cheryl and David!

Anywho, about that sentence. It’s filled with truth.

Ever since I can remember, that has been my hope and dream. To teach, to inspire children to love learning, and books. To know that words hold may meanings. And, the same hope is there with the words I write, on here, my blog, as well as in my poems and stories.

Yesterday, I received a notification that my blog had hit 500K views. That is Half A Million clicks to my little baby blog.

I was gobsmacked, humbled, but a tad excited.

View this post on Instagram

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

It did make me wonder, though. What makes people come to visit my blog… or what makes readers keep coming back?

I am so grateful to everyone who does come on over to my little space, and I do hope that a little smile is spread whenever you read.

I hope Spidey inspires someone, along the way. I hope my book reviews point you towards a next read. I hope my Chai and Chats are a little glimmer of the real life of a mum, wife, teacher and aspiring author… I hope your interest in my blog never expires.

I hope you have fun. 😃

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS October 1, 2021

#SoCS Aug. 21, 2021 – Ode

21 Aug 2021 29 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, cricket, Ode, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s treat for us this week for #SoCS:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ode.” Find a one- or two-syllable word that rhymes with “ode,” or use the word “ode.” Have fun!

Rather than faff around, I shall just write an ode, shall I?

On a topic rather dear to my heart, at this precise moment!

An Ode To Cricket

There once was a time when cricket
Was something that bored me to tears
Who'd have guessed it would become more appealling
As I advanced in my years?

In my teens, a game lasting a day
Seemed an incredible waste of my time
I'd rather be out shopping, or reading
More important things to do in my prime

Yet now, you will find me transfixed
Either at the ground or on screen
As I cheer on my bro from the sofa
Or the sideline, as I watch my teen

Each bowl balled, keeps me transfixed
Each run scored makes me cheer
When they get a wicket I'm grinning
If they get out, I sneer

I'm learning the lingo real fast
5 for 8 off 5 *
Tapping scores into my WhatsApp
To keep family updated, live

Oh, Cricket, you've wormed your way in
Look, how far you've come
I'm not a cricket widow
I'm quite proudly, a cricket sister and mum!

Ritu 2021

And there you have it, a little (SoCS) ode to cricket.

Today, I wasn’t watching the match from the sidelines, but my brother is playing for Finland, in a proper international T20I tournament, and I watched both matches live on YouTube, and they won both against Sweden, so, Yay! to the Finnish Bears! Another two matches tomorrow.

And Lil Man? Well, he was playing for the Mens 4th team, and with the win they secured today, their team has topped their league for this season!

I’m an extremely proud Sister and Mother, right now!

The season is still not over, yet, for my son. Maybe three weeks to go, but, however tiring it has been for me to ferry him to and fro, over the last few months, it’s worth it, to see him progress.

*5 for 8 off 5 – that was Lil Man’s best bowling score this season, and, unless anything changes over the next couple of weeks, it has him at the top of the bowling performances leader board across the club! It means he bowled five overs, and got five wickets, giving away only eight runs. Pretty good for my little Lefty Spin bowler!

#SoCS August 7, 2021 – Wee

07 Aug 2021 30 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday, Wee

Hello Peeps! It’s been a long while, but I thought i’d get back on the SoCS horse, so to speak, since I am on summer break!

Linda’s prompt this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness SaYour Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wee.” Use the word “wee” or find a word that contains it and use it in your post. Have fun!

Oh, Linda, what a great word ‘wee‘ is, all in itself! I don’t really need to look for another, to be honest!

As a teacher, there will always be the toilet stories, and with me as an Early Years teacher, there are plenty.

We’ve dealt with little accidents, where a mis-aim has dampened clothes, to full on flooding (I mean, seriously where do these children hold in so much wee? They are tiny, so should their bladders be, yet when they go, oh, my, it’s like a waterfall!)

There’s the sneaky ones, where they are too shy to ask, and they calmly get up and go, leaving a telltale puddle on a seat, or worse, a wet patch on the carpet! I’ve even seen children so engrossed in their play that they don’t even notice the stream tricking down their legs, until they are saturated, and then, embarrased…

But, you kinda understand. They are little, they are still learning about control. By a few months into the new school year, most children are more aware of the expectation of toilet etiquette in school…

And, joy, in September, I’ll be presented with a new cohort, with not a clue, and so the prospect of more wee incidents… Great!

#SoCS Dec. 12/2020 – Mini/Maxi

12 Dec 2020 37 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mini/maxi.” Use “mini” (the smallest of something) or “maxi” (the largest) or both in your post. Have fun!

When I was just a girl, 
A Mini was my dream
A little car to pootle about in
I'd polish it to a gleam

I also wanted to wear one
Not the car, the miniskirt
But I was always worried
I'd get accosted by a pervert!

These days I prefer a larger car
To cart the family everywhere
And I don't do the car wash
That's the kids' nightmare!

And as for those miniskirts, 
I've not the legs, no more 
So a maxi works just fine
A skirt down to the floor!

Ritu 2020

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 12/2020

#SoCS June 6/2020 – Fan

06 Jun 2020 17 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, fan, Linda G Hill, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “fan.” Use it by itself or find a word that starts or ends with it. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Fantastic prompt word form our Linda, don’t you think?

Hmmm, gotta say, I love a fan. You know the folding ones that you can spread out and use in the heat. Because, God knows, I am not great with heat. Yup, this is the girl who slowly melts as the temperatures go up.

Make up and I are not fans of each other in the heat. either. I always remember the makeup artist on my wedding day. She tried her hardest to convince me that I needed A-grade cement filler style foundation, because of all the lights and cameras that would be on me.

(She’s not wrong. An Indian wedding is nothing short of a Bollywood film in the making, when it comes to the filming, and the guests like the couple’s fans. Equipment may be smaller and more advanced now, but then, nearly twenty years ago, there were cameera men with huge cameras hoisted upon shoulders, or on tripods, big lights set up, and photographers too. The amount of times people would get angry as the film-maker was more intent on getting the ‘take’ right, rather than actuall allowing a wedding to take place smoothly! Thank goodness there is more discretion, nowadays!)

Anyway, back to my story. I knew that, despite the wedding being in November, the heat of the lamps, and all those guests in one place, would result in whatever face I had painted on, sliding down my own face, and coming to rest somewhere around my neck. So I refused, buying my own lightweight base, thank you very much!

All’s well that ends well. The makeup stayed on pretty solidly, my skin could still breathe and I only lost one of my false eyelashes, at 9pm that night, after crying so much at the departing scene of the ~~movie~~ wedding.

Fan-bloody-tastic!