From Putting My Feet in the Dirt (https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/), July’s prompts are here: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/07/01/july-2019-writing-prompts/

And today, July 5, the prompt is “Phoenix sand”

I knew I would eventually have a prompt I didn’t have a clue what to do with.  I am not a fiction writer, at least I don’t consider myself as such.  Phoenix sand sounds a bit like fantasy, or Harry Potter fan fiction.  Or maybe it’s the litter box of a cat named Phoenix.  Or perhaps it’s a paint colour.  Paint colours do have some pretty bizarre names.  Like Black Bean Soup, or Waterbury Cream, or Nantucket Grey, which isn’t really grey at all, but green…at least to me.  Phoenix sand sounds like a colour that might work in our upstairs bathroom – I’ll have to check out Benjamin Moore!

Now, here it Nantucket Grey and Waterbury Cream in action!

From Putting My Feet in the Dirt (https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/), July’s prompts are here: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/07/01/july-2019-writing-prompts/

And today, July 4, the prompt is “Dangerous devices”.

Our world is full of dangerous devices.  Cars, trains, airplanes, stoves, cellphones, computers…the list goes on and on.  But there is nothing more dangerous than a remote control that you can’t figure out.  Oh, it looks all tiny and innocent, but don’t let it fool you.  Just try to turn on the many devices connected to it, and then, if you are fortunate enough to do so, try and find the show you want.  Ha!  Might as well just pull out your book now…

From Putting My Feet in the Dirt (https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/), July’s prompts are here: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/07/01/july-2019-writing-prompts/

And today, July 3, the prompt is “Caterwaul echoes”.  It will be a short one today as I am ill – my fifth day of holidays, and I get the flu.  Figures.

Caterwaul echoes through the house, until it’s time to get up.  Then he settles in daring me to rise.

From Putting My Feet in the Dirt (https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/), July’s prompts are here: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/07/01/july-2019-writing-prompts/

And today, July 2, the prompt is “Bound in Silence”.

Well, I was originally going to set the timer for 10 minutes and write randomly about this topic, but I have been bound in silence all day painting our hallway which had been awaiting final prep by Kevin for, well, a long time.  We have seen guests come and go, bound in silence not to mention the rough walls, with tape hanging off them, although I suspect they wondered why on earth it took us this long to get around to painting them.  I was bound in silence not to mention the hallway in which I had already spent hours stripping wallpaper, patching walls (not true lath an plaster, but really layers upon layers of painted over wallpaper), sanding, and priming (oil primer needed in the spots where oil paint refused to stay put under the latex primer.)  But, bound in silence no longer this weekend as Kevin finished patching and sanding the hallway so that I could finally paint – I am on holidays now, and looking for another painting project.  Well, I have one now, taking longer of course than I thought it would.  But a first coat of upper walls done, soon to be joined by a first coat of the lower walls.

Here is the hallway through the years, ending in today, bound in silence no longer.

And here I go.  I have been meaning to try these monthly prompt sets from Putting My Feet in the Dirt (https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/).  And July’s prompts are here: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/07/01/july-2019-writing-prompts/  So, “Settle into your favorite place in the house with a hot drink to warm your waking bones. Once you’ve warmed up a bit; grab your journal, a trusty pen, and a timer. Then, set your timer for ten minutes and begin writing about one of the prompts. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, neatness, or anything like that; just write! Write about anything and everything that comes to your mind, and don’t stop until the ten minutes are up.”

I’ve decided that my challenge will be to bravely complete these 10 minutes in my blog, posting for all to see.  Yikes!

And today, July 1 (can you believe it?), the prompt is “An appetite for affection”.

They have an appetite for affection.  Cuddles in the morning, followed by scratches in the afternoon, all leading to snuggles in bed at night.  Of course, all on their own terms.  Don’t cuddle us too much, or scratch us where we don’t want you to.  As for snuggles at night, well, it really depends on how much we need your body warmth.  And don’t forget, there are naps to take, breakfast and upper to eat, little pieces of paper to play with.  It’s a busy life for a kitten.

Well, I did write for 10 minutes, but I confess I did not play quite by the rules – story of my life.  I put down my idea, but then went back and spent some time rewriting and editing it.   I also think I should work on letting myself expand my ideas and thoughts beyond a paragraph or two.  I am much more used to writing a sentence or two to go with a photograph.   So, of course, I will end with one of the photos that sparked my idea.  Jasper:  an appetite for affection on his own terms.