Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Tag: Bloganuary

• Writing Prompts at Your Fingertips

  Posted at 9:58 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 22, 2022

  

  Bloganuary

  Well, in January 2023, Bloganuary begins again. I’m not sure if I’ll participate this year because I have enough writing to keep me busy. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, and doing it again would force my procrastinating mind to not procrastinate (maybe) at least for thirty-one days. I enjoyed reading the other participants posts too.

  If you followed my blog posts all of last year, then you know in January I participated in Bloganuary. My post at this link explains it. Or in the search bar, type in Bloganuary and you’ll see my month of posts in 2022. Oh, wait. Oops, I didn’t post throughout the entire month of January because I started late.

  Check it out and let me know if you will participate.

  ---

  Weekly Prompt

  You may not know, but WordPress has a weekly prompt. I wanted to participate in the weekly prompt in 2022 but never remembered to look. It’s posted on Facebook. This week’s prompt is Travel. Use Word Prompt with a hashtag to tag your post and on social media. You will need to scroll through the posts to find the prompts or click to view photos. They aren’t hard to find because a photo accompanies the prompt post. They will post other information there too, so it isn’t only prompts. Notice you can share other media besides writing. Here’s what they say:

  WordPrompts are designed to help inspire your creativity. We’d love to see what new recipes, photos, blog posts, or stories this week’s word inspires…

  WordPress on Facebook

  FYI Update about the above Weekly Prompt. It looks like the Facebook page has replaced the daily prompt with Bloganuary. Maybe they’ll bring the weekly prompt back in February.

  Daily Prompt

  Recently, I noticed Daily word prompts in the back-end of my blog where we find announcements and news. For example, today’s daily prompt is: “What was the last thing you did for play or fun?” When did daily prompts begin, anyway?

  ---

  On another topic, WordPress sent out a post about writing and posting newsletters. If you’ve read about it, have you considered checking it out? I asked a couple questions in the comment section and received a reply. I might look into it after the new year. It sounds like it’s a regular blog post with newsletter themes. Subscribers from other platforms can be imported.

  DISCLAIMER: I’m mentioning it a lot here, but I’m not affiliated with WordPress or Automattic in any way other than having this dot com website/blog. I wrote this post because if I’m interested in word prompts, maybe you are too. A simple search for writing or word prompts can be found in many other places as well.

  Thanks for reading. Stay warm, healthy, and happy! Peace and Love.

  Happy Holiday Wishes!

  We have a blizzard headed this way. Oh my!

  

  As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessèd world.

  ~Terri Guillemets via The Quote Garden

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 11 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Romance, Word Prompts

• Day 31 Bloganuary The End

  Posted at 6:23 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 31, 2022

  

  Oh, I love writing “The End” sometimes, but it’s bittersweet today. Time has flown by since I signed up for WordPress Bloganuary on January 15th and published my first post on January 16th. I’m glad I participated, even for only half of the month. For those of you who read the post I wrote after signing up, I’m proud to say that, yes, I did post my blog links on the #daily-prompt page for all to see.

  I found it easy to fall into the routine of posting over fifteen days. With that said, since today is the end of the month, I’ll miss reading posts by other participants while I’m drinking coffee each morning. This brings us to the last January Bloganuary prompt:

  How do you feel when you look at the stars?

  Looking at the night sky has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Memories of sitting and watching the stars… Wait. “Watching the stars” sounds weird, but that’s exactly what we do, isn’t it? But yes, I have many memories of sitting outside at night taking in every bit of the sky.

  Being at peace and feeling small in a big world is how I feel when looking at a star-studded sky, but I also feel lucky to know what a sky filled with stars looks like. If I ever lose my eyesight, I hope I can hold the sight in my memories.

  I’m almost certain at least one of my characters in each book makes a comment on the night sky. I’ve always pointed out stars and planets to my boys. Now they both use star apps on their phones.

  

  Living in an apartment complex like I do, it isn’t dark enough to see many stars. I feel like I’m missing out. It’s been a habit for years to look for the Big and Little Dippers and Polaris. I’ve never been able to find the many other constellations within our viewing range. I’ve found satellites, though.

  I guess this is where I’ll end this post and say farewell to Bloganuary and to the other participants. I don’t know if this is the first Bloganuary, but I’ll likely participate next year, too, if it comes to pass.

  Stay well. Be safe. See ya! ~MJ

  Featured Image credit: Sindre Strøm @ Pexels

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 3 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Big Dipper, Bloganuary, Little Dipper, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Night sky, Polaris, Starry skies

• Day 29 Bloganuary: Simple Acts

  Posted at 6:21 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 29, 2022

  

  This is Day 29 for Bloganuary. I can’t believe there are only two days left both in January and Bloganuary. Today’s prompt is:

  How are you changing the world?

  Let’s face it… On a planet of billions, little old me trying to change this big old world is beyond my limitations. If I can change someone’s day, human (or animal), with an act of kindness or a smile behind my face mask, I’ll be happy to lift their spirit the best way I know how.

  How about this? In a grocery store, if someone stops their shopping cart to let me pass in front of them, I’ll say, “Thank you! I’m smiling behind my mask.” I see their eyes brighten and can tell they’re smiling, too. That’s a simple act, but kindness is remembered.

  When I have to throw away the drink carrier plastic we find on a four, six, or eight pack of bottles, I cut it into pieces so it doesn’t become a problem for wildlife like in this video. Recycling would, of course, be better if I lived closer to a recycling facility.

  In addition, I like to think that after all the years I taught children life skills and how to read, I had a part in giving them tools to contribute to changing their little part of the world, too, but who knows if one day they’ll want to take on a larger piece of the world.

  Shopping at smile.amazon.com helps to support a charity you care about. At this point, my charity is Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. In the past, it was Make a Wish Foundation and will be again one day.

  I didn’t expect to write this much, but here it is. Today’s prompt wasn’t easy for me to answer until I broke it down into simple things that can be done to change the world, even if only through one small act at a time.

  Have a wonderful night. ~MJ

  Featured Image Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 28 Bloganuary: Gravelly Voices

  Posted at 6:33 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 28, 2022

  

  What is on your music playlist right now?

  What is on all of my playlists? Country is my preferred genre. If I had music on now, it’d be Clay Walker since he heads my Pandora playlist. The reason I chose him is because I like to hear voices similar to his. I added an “s” to playlist because I have different playlists for different reasons and moods. Don’t a lot of us listen to a variety of music? For part of last month, I listened to Christmas music.

  Gravelly, crackling voices like Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, and Gary Allan send a shiver down my spine in a good way. Others on the list are George Strait, Brett Young, Luke Bryan, *Jimmy Wayne, and last but not least Alan Jackson, my all-time favorite male country singer.

  You’ll find Carly Pearce, Miranda, Mickey Guyton, Maren Morris plus a lot of female country singers from my past, like Patty Loveless, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire, to name a few.

  One of my favorites by Dierks Bentley called “Five.”

  For quiet moods I like Pavarotti, Vittorio Grigolo, and Andrea Andrea Bocelli.

  Bob Seger will always be a favorite, as will Adele, Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross, Enya, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and more. These days I listen to music more in my car than at home. It used to be I could listen while writing, but now I prefer no music unless it’s at a low volume in the background.

  This prompt makes me want to turn on my music and relax. Maybe this weekend. How about you? Are you listening to music right now?

  Have a nice weekend! Thanks for dropping in. ~MJ

  *Remember Jimmy Wayne from Dancing with the Stars?

  Featured Image courtesy of Pexels

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged Bloganuary, BloganuaryDay28, country music, Country Music Playlists, daily-prompt, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 27 Bloganuary: Alone Time

  Posted at 8:14 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 27, 2022

  

  Hello. Welcome. This is the 27th prompt for Bloganuary. The month sure is moving along at a good click. FYI: If you’re asking what the heck is #Bloganuary, click here to learn more.

  Let’s get on to today’s Prompt.

  Where do you go when you need solitude?

  Solitude distracts me from the norm. For me, it’s walks in a park, near a lake, or uptown. Many people walk in my town. On some days, it’s rare to find an empty place there, but people watching and overhearing a bit of their conversations are part of my solitude, if that makes sense.

  

  I live in a four season climate with harsh winters, so walking year round is often too cold. When possible, I walk to get away and breathe in fresh air. Since I’m alone a lot of the time, anyway, I don’t always need to be outside of my home to find solitude. If I stay inside, I read a book or watch TV. That escape acts as a distraction from what is my norm and gives me peace of mind. It might be hard to believe, but getting lost in writing is a form of solitude to me, too, because it takes me away to whatever setting I’m writing and gives me an escape the same way reading does.

  How do you find solitude or peace of mind?

  This link takes you to other bloggers’ posts who are using today’s prompt. Thanks for popping in today. ~MJ

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #BloganuaryDay27, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 26 Bloganuary: Gratitude

  Posted at 11:29 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 26, 2022

  

  We’re on Day 26 of Bloganuary #daily-prompts. Wow. I praise those of you who have posted every day or even most of the days this month. I didn’t begin until the sixteenth.

  Note to new visitors: It isn’t often I post daily on my blog. This is something I’m trying out for the month of January 2022. WordPress created Bloganuary and gives us daily prompts to write about. It’s a way to get in the habit of posting. Get all the information you need HERE. You still have until the end of the month to write your own Bloganuary posts.

  The prompt for today asks what is a favorite thing about myself. I’d rather ask others what their favorite thing is about me. Of course, I won’t! Instead, today I’m using a previous prompt. Earlier, I noticed the introductory #Bloganuary message said we can use the prompts or write anything we want. Well, great, because today I’m backtracking again to a prompt I missed:

  What are 5 things you’re grateful for today?

  I got up on January 1st this year and grabbed a stack of sticky notes (before coffee). I wrote a title:

  

  In the beginning, I added to my notes in the morning, but throughout the day, I came up with other reasons to be grateful. Now I write it down when a new reason comes to mind. For example when the sunshine melted snow off my car. This meant I didn’t have to go outside to do it myself. Brrr. ☃❄☃

  I chose these five to share with you today.

  

  

  

  

  

  I figured in this case I’d show instead of tell. Thanks for visiting. It’s Wednesday. Soon, I’ll get back to posting Wordless Wednesday posts. ~MJ

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 2 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #BloganuaryDay26, #daily-prompt, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 25 Bloganuary: Strength

  Posted at 4:33 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 25, 2022

  

  Howdy, folks. Here we go with today’s Bloganuary prompt:

  Write about something that makes you feel strong

  I could sum this up with one word, but I’ll add a few more:

  INDEPENDENCE

  That’s right.

  Independence gives me inner strength and makes me feel strong. Without the inner strength that led me to this point in my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I’m grateful to God for His part in my survival.

  I hope you don’t mind seeing two posts in your inbox today. Inspiration caused the first one.

  Thank you for reading.

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 24 Bloganuary: Dreaming Dreams

  Posted at 5:47 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 24, 2022

  

  Our Bloganuary prompt for today is:

  Write about a dream you remember.

  This prompt can be taken a few different ways. To actually dream while you’re sleeping, a daydream, or a dream come true. Hmm. What does Merriam-Webster say?

  Some memories of dreams while sleeping escape me when I wake. If it’s a dream about a writing idea, and I wake right up, I write it down.

  Common dreams have me running away from or toward something and stumbling and falling. Or the falling off a cliff kind of falling. Fearful dreams because I’m running to get help or trying to call an emergency number. I rarely reach the phone or get the help needed for whatever my subconscious mind thinks I need. Sometimes someone is preventing me from running. You’d think I write horror with such dreams!

  

  Other dreams are with the similar fearful energies where I need help for myself or someone else, but my voice freezes. This happened again two nights ago. I can’t remember the dream, but I had to sound threatening. Other people were in the dream and near me, but I don’t know who, why, or what they were doing, but it wasn’t good…

  Over and over I tried to yell, but my words barely came out and when they did, they couldn’t be understood because of my fear. I remember trying, trying, trying to get sensible words out, and finally, I yelled, “GO! GET OUT” as loud as I could… In reality.

  I woke myself up!

  I know others have dreams of running or falling, too. Please tell me I’m not the only one who screams out in the night. I have heard one of my boys yell out in his sleep before.

  So, there’s my Day 24 response to a dream or dreams I “sort of” remember. Have a good one, folks!

  Pleasant dreams.

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 5 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, dreams, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, memory

• Day 23 Bloganuary: Advice To My Teen Self

  Posted at 12:36 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 23, 2022

  

  The true prompt for today is or should have been: “Interview a Fictional Character.” I wasn’t feeling it, so I backtracked to January 1st. It was the first quote for Bloganuary 2022 before I signed up.

  What advice would you give to your teenage self?

  My mom and I had a rocky relationship during my teen years. As I grew older, I realized our dysfunctional family wasn’t like other families. Mom did what she could to keep me and my brothers safe. What I mean is, my mom was an abused woman and did anything to avoid a confrontation. To this day, I’m sorry that I gave her a difficult time during my teen years, especially when I was fourteen. Eighth grade was one of the worst school years of my life, and I contributed to making my mom’s life miserable that year, too.

  I’d tell myself as a teen to be kinder to my mother. Her life wasn’t her own, and she did the best she could with what she had.

  Regardless, whenever abuse came into the picture, and my older brother wasn’t there to step in, I took his place and did what my young self could do to protect her. As I got older, we became close and our relationship strengthened even more when I became a mom. My mom became a wonderful grandmother to her grandkids.

  ---

  Whew, I didn’t expect to write all this personal stuff, but it’s here now. Maybe someone else will pop in one day to read it and give advice to their teenage self.

  Is there any advice you’d like to give to your teenage self?

  Thanks for reading today, folks. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. ~MJ

  Featured Image Image by Rebecca Scholz from Pixabay

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 3 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Day 23 #daily-prompt, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

• Day 22 Bloganuary: Sharing a Quote

  Posted at 1:31 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 22, 2022

  

  Prompt of the day for Bloganuary: What is your favorite quote and why?

  Day 22. Today’s quote is one of my favorites by Robert Brault. Why did I use this quote? Sometimes we have to appear strong even when we aren’t. What about the times we’re vulnerable? Don’t we all need a safe place to fall when we need others to be strong for us, even if it’s with nothing more than a hug? I love hugs. I think Robert explains it perfectly in his quote.

  Robert Brault hasn’t written a quote I haven’t liked. Not that I’ve seen every quote he’s written. A visit to his blog today left me with bittersweet feelings. He’s calling it quits. See below the quote.

  

  He says:

  After 13 years of blogging and tweeting (and as I push into my mid-80’s), I’ve decided it’s time (and probably past time) to call it a day.

  Robert Brault

  I’ll miss his posts and news. As well as quotes on his blog, he also has books available on Amazon in multiple countries.

  Wow, I’ve dropped two posts in your inboxes today. It’s not a record. Haha. Thanks for reading!

  Featured Image credit: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, amazon, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Robert Brault, Robert Brault Quote

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