Our promptfor Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “golly gee.” Use “golly gee” or another interjection that displays the same sentiment in your post. Enjoy! Thanks, Linda!
Golly gee whiz! Gee willikers! Wiskers on a fish! Fish who can talk! Dr. Seuss knew all about them. So many things we have yet to see. After all, “the universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” That’s one of my favorite quotes, but I don’t know who said it, right this minute.
Expressions of amazement like, golly gee, remind me of my dad and the 1960s. Sometimes he’d say, “Holy Mackerel!” or “Holy Mackerel Andy!” Maybe it was in response to one of his children getting an A on a test. Maybe it was when he caught a big fish. Maybe when he saw something amazing on TV, in living color no less, like a giant horse or a flying saucer. No, something bigger, something fantastic! I can’t think of what that would be right now. But the TV is on now (Friday night) and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is coming on, so we go back to Dr. Seuss.
I like the animated version of The Grinch better than the one with actors. I guess there’s a nostalgia in the sweet singing of the Whos down in Whoville. A lot happened in those 30 minutes. My favorite line is the one about,
Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.
Something like that.
Those old expressions of amazement are lots of fun, they’re the cat’s meow, a real humdinger, like that Dr. Seuss guy.
The first song I thought of when I read the prompt was “Betcha By Golly Wow, by the Stylistics. It doesn’t get much smoother than this. 1972. Golly, that was a year to remember! My high school sweetheart left me standing there for the long and winding road so we could both grow up and grow up some more, till the time was right for another Betcha by Golly Wow.
Thanks to our Stream of Consciousness Saturday host Linda Hill for this fun prompt! For rules and more streams, visit Linda’s post here.
Today’s prompt is “tin.” There’s bonus points, but I’m not going to worry about that.
My tinnitus gives me the joy of hearing the drone of jingle bells all the time. I don’t notice it until I think about it which is not very often or when there is silence. Never silence because of the ringing. But I’m really used to it, so it doesn’t bother me much except right now because I’m thinking about it. It’s like a thousand tiny jingle bells ringing in unison. Or like a high pitched buzz. But enough of that. I will let it fade into the background where it belongs as I go back to the prompt: tin.
Songs come to mind easily. There’s “One Tin Soldier” which I’ve written about here before. It was the first movie David and I saw together during out high school romance. (That’s in my book. 😉 ) I learned to play the song on my guitar. Oh! The theme song to what? The movie Billy Jack is now something of a cult classic. Anyway, here it is again. I must’ve seen that movie twenty times over the years. It came back as a rerun when I worked at the movie theater which was my first job besides babysitting. Okay. Here’s the song:
Then there’s the song by America that goes, “Oz never did give nothin’ to the Tin man that he didn’t, didn’t already have…” America’s “Tin Man,” is a lot more soothing. I love their sound. Enjoy! Lot’s of soft oooooooh oooh ooohs to go with my jingle bells droning in the background. Not a bad mix.
I still don’t know what the “tropic of Sir Galahad” means. I looked it up just now for a couple minutes and it’s still not clear. Guess what. I don’t care. It’s still cool. The tin man always did have a heart. That’s more important. We all have a heart. Sometimes we hide it or harden it. But sometimes it grows like the Grinch when he heard the Whos singing without any presents it all. Christmas comes anyway. Every year. Sing! Sing like Buddy!
Speaking of the movie Elf, this scene always makes me smile and tear up in a good way.
Merry Christmas to all!
and/or
Happy Holidays!
Holy Days.
Happy Days.
No more videos in this stream of consciousness.
…
To learn more about Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit our host, Linda Hill at
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is…. “musical.”
The first thing that popped into my head was the musical, The Sound of Music. I learned to sing listening to that vinyl record album. Funny that I don’t have a copy of it now. But I hope to watch it on Christmas or around Christmas time. Seems it comes on one Sunday night around Christmas time.
I think know we’ll be in the house that was my parents’ for Christmas and who knows for how long since we have to get the regular house re-wired. Yesterday, my husband informed me that the electricians want everything out of the Wilmington house. Everything? I kept asking that, being overwhelmed to the point of almost tears. I keep telling myself I’m thankful to have the house that was my parents’ to stay in. Many people don’t even have a house. I don’t want to whine. But I share this to also share my coping strategies. One step at a time. If I think about moving everything – knickknacks, art supplies, papers, books, and random objects saved for some art project some day….. that’s too overwhelming. But David and I talked about our strategy, and I can just take it one step at a time. We’ll move some things here and rent a storage space. Can you believe the PODS people wanted $400! No way! I’m thankful David has a truck. Plus, I have been saying I want to de-clutter the Wilmington house. Be careful what you say you want. Now there’s going to be some big de-cluttering going on. It’s my life. But not really. There’s Christmas.
I don’t want that big old tree anymore. It can be recycled. I don’t think we’ll have a tree this year, but I want music. The sound of music. Christmas songs. I’ll sing them at church and to myself if I want. I was just singing “The Sound of Music” right before I started writing this. And candles. I LOVE candlelight, especially at Christmas. So I’m going to make some candle arrangements with an advent wreath and all sorts of other candles and watch a Christmas movie. It’s a Wonderful Life, maybe. That is enough.
Maybe I’ll even become a minimalist. I’m already there as far as buying presents. Everybody gets one of my mom’s angels or my dad’s ties this year. We never really have been much into buying Christmas presents. I think it was yesterday afternoon, just an hour or two after I heard we were going to have to move “everything” (well, I’m not moving the stuff in the closets. That’s ridiculous) that I heard John Lennon’s “Imagine” come on the radio. “Imagine no possessions,” rang out loud and clear. I’m still going to have plenty of possessions, but imagining no possessions kinda puts things in perspective. It goes back to the old, Christmas is not something you buy in a store. Christmas perhaps means a little bit more. Or a lot more. For me, it means singing Christmas songs and lighting candles and celebrating Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
“Every who down in whoville, the tall and the small, was singing, without any presents at all.”
For more Stream of Consciousness posts and more information, visit Linda’s blog:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
“It is as if nature pauses to take a moment of silence, softly wishing for peace on earth.”
This quote comes from a Hallmark Christmas card I got yesterday. It’s one of the most beautiful cards I’ve ever seen. (Thanks, Linda and Jeff.) I looked up the quote, and all I found was “unknown” and Hallmark Christmas cards. Well, somebody did a good job on it.
Tomorrow, I’ll be driving to 6 hours to pick up my grand daughter and heading back with her Friday for her first overnight visit at grandma’s house! Prayers for our safe travels will be much appreciated. I probably won’t post for a few days, but look forward to checking in at WP when I can.
Please enjoy these Christmas photos I’ve taken over the years. The first two are storefront windows.
My husband made this balloon ornament.
See the deer on the hill? Maybe they’re reindeer!
Palm trees decked out at Brookgreen Gardens
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
And Happy Holidays,too!
For more information on One-Liner Wednesday, visit Linda Hill at:
I love twinkly lights and everything about Christmas except the over-commercialization that makes people spend more money than they can afford. That’s ridiculous! 🙂 I love the yuley pictures and the humor and the love of Joey’s post. As a Christian, I too find it “hard to love people who tell (anyone) you’re gonna burn in Hell for eternity…” I’ll do my best to love them anyway because its the right thing go do. But I might have to love some of them from a distance.
The reason for my season is basic astronomy, although your reason may be equally valid and special, who am I to say?
It’s Yule now. Have a blessed one. Light your candles and burn your wood and fire up your stove for somethin yummy. Love and light, love and light, love and light…
It’s not reactionary or revolutionary, it’s just a good day to honor light and warmth because it’s the shortest day of the year.
It’s also the time of year when people like to search their hearts and share their religious fervor by blasting everyone with “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!” which is exactly the sorta thing that sends me into red flag mode, but I’m not at war with Christmas so I don’t summon Odin to horse-trample those people, I simply nod and smile, because that’s the safe thing to do when you’re dealing with people who send you into…
The two Christmas Caroling adventures I joined in this season were light on planning, almost impromptu. A few members of my church choir decided to go to the homes of people who can’t make it to church very often. Some of houses we stopped at had no lights on. Maybe they were out or had gone to bed. We wanted to make it a surprise, but maybe we should have called, or started earlier in the evening or afternoon.
But some people were home. A few days ago, I got a sweet thank you note in the regular mail from the couple we sang carols to. They’re an elderly couple who have been members of our church for a long time. Mrs. N wrote how touched they were that we came a caroling to their home. She said her husband was talking about it when he woke up the next morning, saying how much he enjoyed it. Their grandchildren, who were there that night making Christmas crafts, enjoyed it too.
The neighborhood caroling plans were made on line with a couple neighbors I had not met in person. It was a joy to meet these three other women, two of whom said they couldn’t sing, but they really could. We started at 4:30, walking through the neighborhood with the plan to stop at homes of people we knew or brightly decorated homes. A few of the people we wanted to sing to were not home. A couple neighbors said, “no thanks, not right now,” to our offer. It’s understandable that they were busy, and we hadn’t called ahead.
But one elderly woman was so pleased we had come to sing for her, she invited us in and kept us there for a while. She told us about her family and her faith graciously enjoying the visit. One couple on my block said they’d been out shopping earlier and were frustrated by the traffic. They said we made their day.
It’s like my job as a substance abuse counselor. Some of my clients think coming to see me is an inconvenience. Some are in denial and angry. But there are those who keep me going. Like the one who left a small hand-made cross key chain for me and the note that thanked me for helping him “get through some of the darkest times.”
The lesson I want to remember is that when things don’t go as well as we had hoped, and even when we think our efforts are are in vain, we can make a difference. Even if we help one person smile, or feel a little better – even if it’s we who feel better – our efforts are worthwhile.
I love this beautiful post on advent by Trini Lind who writes: “Christmas is something that happens on the inside,…the birth of Heaven on earth and in our hearts…. “
The Grinch had an epiphany when he couldn’t stop Christmas from coming by stealing the presents. He realized there must be more to Christmas when her heard the Whos down in Whoville singing without any presents at all. As the Dr. Seuss story goes, his heart grew three sizes that day!
When I’ve listened to people talk about “getting through the holidays” or that they will be glad when the holidays are over, I’m just a bit saddened. It’s understandable to want the holidays to be over if you are grieving the loss of a loved on, and if that’s the case, my heart goes out to you wishing you peace and healing. My wish for all of us is that we could move beyond the frenzy of shopping for things we buy from a store (though don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about my new camera) and beyond all the special events and obligations that can be tiring while at the same time joyful.
I admire the traditions of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa with multiple days of celebration based on worthwhile principles. Perhaps we can celebrate these holy days of the season of Christmas: the days leading to the season of Epiphany. The 12th day of Christmas comes on the Eve of Epiphany. In the church calendar, The Feast of Epiphany corresponds with the discovery of Jesus by the three wise men. It’s when we celebrate the revelation of God as a human being in Jesus Christ.
Let us allow the joy and love of these holy days to fill our hearts with peace. Perhaps the best is yet to come!
Anything is Possible! 