It’s the start of a New Year but I feel like a tired old blogger whose muse packed up and left for someone younger and fresher: WordPress has deserted me. 2011 is over, so no more daft prompts; no weekly photo challenge. They did offer one of those 365-day challenges where you post a photo or write about the same thing every day for a whole year but, as I post a joke a day, I don’t feel the need to participate.
So what do I write about? I’ve done interesting dates to death. I think you’ve had enough of my life-threatening cold. Christmas will be packed away today. I’m too much in love with Edward, Bella and Jake to write sensibly about Twilight. The CoWAbunger was fun for a while but you readers aren’t wild about it, and neither am I. Today I’ve written about how I’ve nothing to write about, but I think you’d soon get bored with that.
My particular brand of humour works best when an outside source sparks a random train of thought, which is how I accidentally hit on a possible new meme: the birthday post. Belle of the Carnival started it when she commented on a date post that she wouldn’t mind her birth date being written up; several others followed suit, yesterday’s Deb post being the first chronologically. I have two others scheduled for later in the year.
So how about it? If you want me to dedicate a post to your birthday, leave a comment below with some interesting details, or email via thelaughinghousewife@googlemail.com
That takes care of ten posts, I estimate; but then what?
Suggestions on a virtual postcard, please.
The Laughing Housewife 
You could write some of my posts!! I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, especially after my non-writing headache situation.
Other than that I’ll put my thinking cap on!!
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Don’t put your cap on if it hurts your head.
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Only you could make posting about nothing entertaining!
No prompts? I love those! There are books of writing exercises that do the same thing, even online.
A birthday meme sounds fun! What do I do? Whatever you do, Tilly…count me in!
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Just tell me an interesting fact or two about yourself, and your birthday date.
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Give us some short stories, do the poetry prompts, take funny photos keep a diary, write descriptive prose. Anything. But keep ’em coming.
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My short stories are grim or weird; poems go on the (rather neglected) poetry blog; photos are blurred; descriptive prose bores me.
You’re not trying hard enough, Viv!
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😀 Thanks xx
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What’s wrong with grim or weird?
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Nothing, in the right place; this blog ain’t it.
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Best things discovered in 2011:
1. Blogging
2. Tilly!
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Flatterer! No Maltesers for you!
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oooo what a lovely idea… my birthday is November 23 when I shall be 73..but that is a long way ahead…
do you realise that today is 2 ..1..2012 all the same numbers,,can’t you do something with that
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I did realise but I was bored with interesting dates by the end of last year so I was glad to stop 🙂
Look out for something on Nov 23rd this year!
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I just need a fact or two from you.
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You have to work in Patrecia’s donkeys. I don’t know too many people with donkeys. Also her trip with Neville in the van that sits rusting in the yard. I think they settled where the engine burned out. Dianne
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Having just returned from the Carribbean isle of Grand Turk and Caicos, I can report that donkeys abound there. They were all standimng around in mother-child pairs, sort of like Madonna and Child pairings. This was a big surprise, as my brother’s and my families were definitely not looking for wild asses on our Carribbean cruise.
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“Standimng” should be “standing.” I am still suffering from hitting-two-keys-at-one-time disease, brought on by jet lag on the grand flight from Grand Turk. I still don’t know what that iland’s name means. Grand Turk and Caicos?
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A project for you?
Welcome!
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I can do something with this with a little story. Americans make the date go month-day-year not day-month-year as they do it wherever Miss Whiplash hails from. therefore, my birthday would be rendered in America as 6/8/1936. I was once in a pub on August 6 (6/8 in Ireland–you can see where this is going) in Cork, Ireland and the subject got onto driver’s licences, don’t ask me how. It so happens that Hawaii has a very beautiful driver’s license with a rainbow. Consequently, I showed my license to the Irish people I was with and one of them shouts out, “Hey, today is August 6 and it is this man’s birthday, let’s buy him
Guinness Stout! Everybody was so happy to have an excuse for another drink that the party got merrier and merrier. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that my birthday is really June 8 (6/8 in America) and not August 6.
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You were doing them a kindness, I’m sure 😉
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I know. Writing about the same thing for 365 days does NOT appeal to me. I could write about my everyday life for 365 days and that would drive people people away.
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Open a book, select right or left, choose the tenth line and there you have a topic!
It was Elly gave me that idea.
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That is a good idea.
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I know, I am missing the WordPress Prompter man. I definitely do not have an idea for the 356 project, I don’t do pictures, I do comment on Huffington Post and post it to my blog, I suppose that is something. There was something special about having the whole group of us responding to the same prompt and seeing how many different viewpoints came out of one silly prompt. Alas, it is over.I don’t care what you write about I’ll always be a fan!
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Makes me wonder what we did before WP told us what to do 🙂
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I feel the same. I’m so lost.
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Ideas for posts….what you think about when you wake up at 3:00. It always seems so profound. Gratitude. Are you grateful for anything? You are relatively young, do you have any plans past age 50? Housework. How do you keep your house dusted or do you? I thought the cowabunga was cute and have been looking for cows ever since. Now when I see a cow, I think of you. Dianne
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Plans past age 50?
Making 51 would be nice 🙂
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How about something on the South American religious sect that worships the left hind leg of the salamander. That’s been under-reported for too long now.Only you could do it justice.
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hahaha! what a fun post! Lol.
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Speechless. Again.
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I’ve noticed a similar trend in many blogs . . . a great cheer for completing 2011 posts . . . and a great gulp at the idea of keeping it up for another year. 😯
Look deep . . . the answers lie within. _/!\_
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And there is so much to look in… 🙂
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What did you mean by saying WordPress has deserted you? I found your blog through Gigi-Hawaii’s blog. I agree with Early Bird and Tilly Bud–weird is good. It originally meany wayward or off the beaten path of boring predictability.
Here’s an interesting point, to me at least and probably to very few others. My name is Henry and my frequently used nickname in America is Hank. However, I have never ever heard of a Britisher named Henry being called Hank. It’s always Harry that is used. You may be the right person to answer this profound question for me. As a professor, I once had a Dutch student named Henk, pronounced Hank, just like my name. So, since some of the earliest settlers in America were Dutch, I have a theory that Hank descends from the Dutch not the English. My birth date is June 8, 1936. Sorry to have ruined your day! 🙂
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“Meany” should be “meant.”
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Wait a minute, I just figure out that Tilly Bud is you, the host of this blog. How weird!
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I get that a lot 😉
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I am so afraid of identity theft that I won’t post my birthdate, though some bloggers already know my age. I don’t know why you have trouble finding ideas for posts, Tilly. Maybe, if you just post one per day, you wouldn’t feel so stressed out…
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I’ve been down to one a day for about six weeks now, excluding jokes. I feel like I’m doing half a job 😦
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Don’t force it. Wait and an idea will spark. I know the harder I try with writing witty brilliant pieces, the less successful I am. 😉
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A good idea. Thanks 🙂
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Tilly I reckon you’re just feeling flat after Christmas and New year and having a horrible cold. There are 111 million writing prompts on the internet (just checked with google) but your take on anything at is hilarious. Just relax!
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111million? Now THAT’s what I call a challenge!
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What about the River of Stones to take you through January?
http://www.writingourwayhome.com/2012/01/river-of-stones-post-your-1st-jan-small.html
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A good suggestion, but too serious. I’m looking for fun.
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Fairy Nuff.
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Tilly, Tilly, Tilly – you are not sounding like yourself. I blame a lack of vitamin D. Get some oily fish or go outside and breathe some fresh air. You’ve been cooped up for too long. The winter solstice is behind us – step into the light.
Contradictorarily….. My suggestion for you (which I am wanting to do myself) is for you to do a blog-alonga to some classic comedy or cheesy movies. I did a blog-alonga “The Sound of Music” and although few people lasted the distance, I found it very therapeutic. Next on my agenda is “Dirty Dancing”…
You could blog-alonga twilight, cos I’m certainly never gunna watch it. I lasted 50 pages of the first book and gave up.
Chin up Tilly. The year is young. Plenty of ideas will present themselves I am sure 🙂
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A blogalonga? What’s that? I’m intrigued.
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Stick the DVD on, then type everything you think as you watch. I got House series 7 for Christmas and my blogalong for episode 1 would have started, “Ew, he’s all dusty. If they’re going to… well… I think he should have a bath first…”
Which is why it works better with a classic your readership have seen.
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I’m really surprised that the wordpress thing isn’t continuing – there were some great themes there.
I’m joining in with a 366 photo project – you could just pinch the word list ( list is on the photo section of my blog at thegirlbehind.com ) from that and use it as a daily prompt, but I’m not sure how that would work out as they’re just 366 individual words.
Other possibles (ones that I go to quite often for ideas)
http://writeonedge.com/ – prompts come up Tuesdays and Fridays (American timings). Tuesdays is memoir, Fridays is creative writing. Lovely people, all very encouraging. I normally make myself weep writing the memoir one.
Mama Kat puts up a weekly prompt list. Like this one – http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2011/12/writing-prompts-12-26/ (I get these prompts sent via email as can’t really work out how to follow the actual site).
Kate Takes 5 – http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/ – puts up a weekly ‘Listography’, which is five things (photos of the year / guilty pleasures / favourite gadgets etc). I suspect you’d have quite a lot of fun with that one!
Sticky Fingers does a weekly photo prompt – http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.com/
Studio thirty plus has a weekly prompt – http://www.studiothirtyplus.com/ (never really sure how popular this one is).
And if you’re a brave sort and have a webcam, there are weekly prompts on http://www.vlogtalkmeme.com/
I’ve gone on a bit there, but hope that helps.
My birthday’s 7th September. I tend to ramble and waste too much time entertaining myself with other peoples’ creativity and not enough time doing the thing that I was meant to be doing in the first place.
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Thanks Louise; this is really useful.
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Hi Tilly and a Happy New Year ! We are doing a blogcalendar so if you would like to do an entry at some point – http://moocblogcalendar.wordpress.com – all funny entries greatly appreciated 🙂 Its been great to find your blog over the last year.
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Thanks Nicola; I’ll check it out.
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My Birthday is 11th Feb, Tilly ( so not long to wait!) … Hmmm now for some interesting details.. I am passionate about fighting injustice ( I’m a social worker working with over 65’s – and getting near that myself!) I’ve completely lost my sense of smell ( those 2 aren’t connected!!) I’m never happier than when I have a camera in my hand, write poetry sometimes, like men and mint chocolate ( those 2 aren’t connected either ! )
Will that do?
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It will! Thanks 🙂
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So many opportunities…maybe housekeeping and cooking tips, advice to the lovelorn, another Miss Manners, perhaps…Whatever you come up with, I have no doubt we’ll come by and read it 🙂
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Aw shucks! You’re making me blush 🙂
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Well, my birthday is almost here Tilly – 19th January, and it’s also my 46th wedding anniversary!
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You might find something interesting about me in my ‘About’ page!
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Well I think that the birthday posts are great and don’t worry I’m sure that with time the ideas will come slowly but surely! 🙂
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I’m sure you’ll find plenty to write about Tilly! Go for it and follow your instincts… 🙂
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Don’t worry, you’ve just got the blues. (And my birthday is on the 8th, just a few more sleeps!)
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Ah, now, you might be interested in the Oxford National Dictionary of Biography’s Life of the Day: the most fabulous service. I get an e mail each day about someone whose life once began on that day. Some amazing stories, and you know what a sucker I am for stories…..if you fancy it, E mail ODNBLIFEOFTHEDAY-L@WEBBER.UK.HUB.OUP.COM for more details….
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Done! Thanks x
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I think you need to pay Viv another visit so you can blog about it. I really enjoyed reading about your experience, including the crazy woman on the plane.
There’s a very funny website here about “the people of walmart”, showing the worst America has to offer. Do you have any weird places you could go and share pictures of with us? Or funny signs you see, or obnoxious typos (those are everywhere).
Whatever you choose, I’m sure we’ll be laughing the whole year.
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We have a ‘Modern Guru’ column in one of the weekend papers here – it’s an irreverent take on the agony aunt/manners/etiquette newspaper columns of old, with the columnist, Danny Katz, responding to seemingly serious questions with much merry-making – it has crossed my mind that you would be really good at doing something similar
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Intriguing… 🙂
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