Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

New Prompt Ideas and Getting Out Of The Doldrums

30 Day Blogging Challenge

PROMPT July 28th
All month, you’ve been replying to prompts straight from the Challenge War Chest, filled with prompts from previous 30DBC competitors. Today, write three of your own prompts and then reply to one of them in your entry.

I knew this day was coming...
1. Discuss a book that had an impact on your life somehow.
2. What do you currently do to pick yourself out of the doldrums?
3. Are you going on any vacations or adventures this summer?

What do I currently do to pick myself up out of the doldrums? I take mini- adventures. Today, I headed out to Indigo. It was my first time there since the beginning of March. I wandered around for a good long while. It wasn't busy. I wore my mask. I used hand sanitizer and washed my hands well, when I did use the bathroom. I bought three things... I restricted myself to only 3 things. Two of the things were notebooks - one is to keep track of my writing and reading goals; the other is either going to be a bullet journal and / or a place where I can keep track of all the contests I have entered. I also want to keep track of the short stories I have written and also track their edits and submission journey. I enter at least 52 contests a year on Writing.com (part of the I Write in 2020 Challenge - of which I am one week ahead of schedule). I would like to start venturing out further - submitting to magazines and anthologies. I also have hopes of one day completing my novel and getting it published)... but I am getting of track.

After my wonderful adventure at Indigo, I headed over to Cambridge - a 20 to 30 minute drive east of my home base. I had decided yesterday, I wanted to go to spend some time at a new coffee shop - Blackwing Coffee. I only had 45 minutes because many coffee shops are limiting their hours until only 2 or 3 pm. The plan is to go earlier tomorrow or go Thursday when they are open until 4 pm.

I also learned that the building Blackwing Coffee is in is open later and they have bathrooms that are accessible later than the coffee shop's closing hours. I know that sounds weird, but my day trips need to coincide with available washroom facilities or else I need to be home in two hours. That is my limit. If the drive is 30 minutes both ways that does not leave a lot of time to explore.

After the coffee shop closed I walked into downtown Galt (Cambridge is made up of 3 small towns). Galt runs along the Grand River and I climbed down to the water's edge to touch the water - very nice! I checked a few other shops - all of which had early hours, but I did find one more coffee shop that was open until 3 pm so I bought an iced almond chai latte.

The beautiful walk got me back to my car by 3:30 and I was home just before 4 pm.

After 2 days of listening to the heavy machinery at our neighbour's place - they are rebuilding a wall - I got a chance to get away and hear much more peaceful sounds. Well, the weird guy yelling about pigeons on the bridge was a little wierd.... but hey, it was interesting.

Now, I am just relaxing on the front stoop doing a little writing.

It's been a good day. and my step count is a healthy 16,000.