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Six-word memoir

Last week, I was tagged by for this meme by Cake, at Whistling Leaf Blower. Violin_2

The six word memoir rules are:

– write your own six word memoir.
– post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
– link to the person that tagged you in your post.
– tag five more blogs with links.

This has been a challenging meme for me. Several six-word memoirs have come to mind . How could there not be, when I’ve lived for fifty years?

Colour and music brought me joy.

I will not tag anyone else to play along with this meme . If you would like to participate, please do so! It isn’t easy to condense one’s life into six words. As soon as I publish this, I’m sure I will want to change it.

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28 responses to “Six-word memoir”

  1. gardenauthor Avatar
    gardenauthor

    Kate – A brief, but fitting, memoir. First time visiting your new blog… very nice, indeed!
    I read that Lytton has moved on, and is now chasing rabbits. Lucy’s efforts are still concentrated on squirrels, as we have no bunnies. Although, we did hear a chipmunk this morning… Deb
    Hi Deb, Thank you! Lytton can take off like a flash after a rabbit. He’ll never catch one, but hope springs eternal! He’s as apt to chase after cats now too.

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  2. m Avatar
    m

    Kate, I like your six words but I agree with you…how can anyone describe their 50 years in just 6 words? I was tagged twice to play but finding 6 words is too hard. I pass :o)
    LOL
    Hi Mary, It was a tough one, but after giving it some thought, I figured this probably said it all.

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  3. kris Avatar
    kris

    I’ve been tagged to do this too – so far I haven’t managed to come up with anything. I like yours though – very fitting, I think.
    I’m visiting blogs – and looked at your name, but clicked on the blog below yours on my list. Up pop photos of spring blooms – tons of green plants poking through the ground. WOW – what a difference a few days makes!! Oh – different part of the country. Had me going for awhile though!! 🙂
    Hi Kris, I wish that would have been true … I would love to see some spring blooms. No such luck for another while.
    I spent a few days trying to come up with something … it wasn’t easy!

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  4. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Oh dear, I was tagged for this and then forgot to do it! I thought of several and had a terrible time deciding which one to use.
    Hi Amy, It is hard to do … I’ll have to check in and see if you came up with something!

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  5. Frances Avatar
    Frances

    You did a great job with the meme. I was tagged also and was sick, but that is not within my capabilites even when well. I would love to see a video of you playing your violin, does such a thing exist? And if not, will it ever? ;->
    Frances
    Hi Frances, It took me a long time to figure out what I’d say. I thought of it a bit like – what would I want to say if it was the last thing I said for people to remember me by. I will post a video at some point. It would be fun to that with the people I play with!

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  6. Katarina Avatar
    Katarina

    Congratulations on your new blog! It’s nice, I like it a lot!
    /Katarina (Roses and stuff)
    Hi Katarina, I’m glad you like my blog. Thank you!

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  7. gfid Avatar
    gfid

    this is lovely, kate…. lovely words, and lovely photo. it’s timeless – could almost be taken inside a stone cottage in the Hebrides (or however you spell that)
    Hi Granny, Thank you! I love that photo of my fiddle and my old creaky rocking chair. And you spelled it right!!

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  8. Shady Gardener Avatar
    Shady Gardener

    How to do this, indeed! I gave it a momentary pause, however. 😉
    You created a nice combination of photo and 6 words.
    Hi Shady Gardener, Thank you – I am glad I did this meme. It made me thing! I tried getting to your blog earlier today – will try again and hope my browser doesn’t freeze up on me!

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  9. kerri Avatar
    kerri

    I love your cozy picture, Kate. It’s difficult indeed to fit a memoir into 6 words, but you did well.
    I’m glad the blog switch over went so smoothly. The blue and white looks clean and bright (I’m an accidental poet!:)
    If your weather is anything like ours then it’s dreary and wet, but on a happier note, we had a yard full of robins this morning. They were having a worm party! That’s the first time we’ve seen them in our yard this spring. A cause for celebration…I’ll go and make a pot of tea!
    Hi Kerri, Seeing robins for the first time in spring is a great cause for celebration. I haven’t seen any yet… probably won’t for a bit. Thanks – I am enjoying this clean look!

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  10. Linda O'Neill Avatar
    Linda O’Neill

    Well you did a good job, Kate! I love what you wrote and the photo goes perfectly with it.
    Hi Linda – Thank you – I am happy with my home. Today I thought of something else I would have written, but I think this one is pretty enduring!

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  11. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    You are so good to do this. I really loathe these memes. I have done two, no more thank you.
    Your photo and words are apt.
    Hi Cheryl, Some memes are fun to do, but too many of them is a bit tiresome. I enjoyed doing this one and my dog one very much. Thank you!

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  12. San Avatar
    San

    A perfect, pared-down-to-essentials memoir, Kate! And a lovely image to pair with it. Great work.
    I love the looks of your new location. I will change the address in my blogroll.
    Hi San, Thank you. This was hard to do but a good exercise.

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  13. Esther Montgomery Avatar
    Esther Montgomery

    Hello
    I’m glad you like
    ESTHER IN THE GARDEN
    It’s good to read a six word summary of someone’s life that is neither sad nor solemn.
    Esther Montgomery
    Hi Esther, most of my earlier attempts were solemn, but then the sun was shining and I figured I’ve had a good life!

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  14. Esther Montgomery Avatar
    Esther Montgomery

    P.S. . . . I’ve just been trying – and failing – to find your plot on Blotanical.
    Esther
    Hi Esther, I’m no longer registered there, although I check out new blogs there.

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  15. nikkipolani Avatar
    nikkipolani

    Ugh. I don’t think I could do it! I was sure I’d left a comment on your previous entry upon coming to Typepad, saying how glad I was for you and that I hated having problems commenting on blogger. Well, lo and behold, my comment here seemed to have disappeared! Could be pilot error as well. In any case, so glad you’re in a more comfortable setting. And I LOVE your six-word-memoir. Perfect!
    Hi Anne, Your last comment is still there – I checked and responded to it! I am much happier here. I enjoyed doing this memoir!

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  16. Selma Avatar
    Selma

    I didn’t realise until now that you play the violin and it suits you so well. I can just imagine you playing something achingly beautiful while standing in your garden. Your 6-word memoir is perfect. It says so much!
    Hi Selma, I love playing my violin. I actually know some Australian fiddle music … quite similar to Canadian tunes! This memoir has really made me think … it was a good thing to do last week!

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  17. Tammy Avatar
    Tammy

    6 words…yikes! You did a great job, it’s very Kate! XXOO

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  18. cake Avatar
    cake

    i like how you said you tried to think of how you might want to be remembered. when i came up with mine, i thought to myself “yep, the story of my life” and that is how i knew it was the right 6 words. but who knows, on a different day, i might have gone a completely different direction.
    thanks for doing it, i really like yours.

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  19. Alyssa Avatar
    Alyssa

    Kate – I think you did a terrific job. As well as I can know you over the internet, those 6 words seem to sum up how I envision you. Hope that makes sense. The photo is lovely.

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  20. Yolanda Elizabet Avatar
    Yolanda Elizabet

    What a difficult task Kate, six words isn’t much but I think you did it very well. Perhaps that pic summed it up even better, you know that a pic can say more than a thousand words and this one speaks volumes!
    Like your new blog, are you happy with it too? Is it better than blogger?

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  21. Aiyana Avatar
    Aiyana

    You came up with a great memoir. Have you changed your mind yet? Without contemplating it too much, I’d probably use the unoriginal “Too soon old, too late smart”.
    Aiyana

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  22. Annie in Austin Avatar
    Annie in Austin

    “Colour and music brought me joy” is lovely. I guess you used ‘brought’ rather than ‘brings’ to keep it in memoir mode? I prefer the present tense myself – always trying to keep my options open!
    There is no way I could play this game, Kate – six words would only allow me one per decade.
    I thought my comment had disappeared too, until I realized that Typepad doesn’t keep the comments in one string but divides them up into pages, so you have to hit the ‘next’ button to see the later additions. I never noticed this at any other Typepad blog, but then no one else gets so many comments!
    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  23. Diane M. Schuller Avatar
    Diane M. Schuller

    Kate, ever since I first came across this idea of a 6 word memoir, it has intrigued me like crazy. Now that I see you’ve tackled it, I should give it a try too … the reason I haven’t is because I know how difficult it can be to sum up a life so far in only 6 little ol’ words. Well done!
    Diane
    It is an intriguing idea – as Aiyana mentions in a later comment, there is a book on six-word memoirs. I’m curious to see what it is like.

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  24. Aiyana Avatar
    Aiyana

    Hi Kate,
    This idea intrigued me enough that I did some research. There is a book, “Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure” by by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser that came out on Feb.8. I just ordered it. I think it will be fun reading!
    Aiyana

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  25. teeni Avatar
    teeni

    I need to catch up over here. I LOVE what you chose as a six word memoir! That must not have been easy but I love what you ended up with! And I’m still getting to know you! What’s all this about fiddling? I’d love to hear that. Maybe you could do a podcast sometime? 🙂 Purely for my selfish listening pleasure, you know.
    Hi Teeni, Thank you! I think this week I would have something slightly different … but similar! One of these days I’ll post a sound clip playing my favourite jig!

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  26. wendy Avatar
    wendy

    Funny how we criss-cross our way and bump into others on our wandering paths through this existence we call humanity. I came across your blog by checking in on an old favorite, the girl in the cafe. Then, after thoroughly enjoying your blog, that sent me reading the inside samples of 6-word memoirs. Fave of the book is “catholic school backfired, Sin is in!” and im not even catholic! loved yours too by the way! 🙂 Thanks for writing, sharing is wonderful, this blog is a wonderful surprise.

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  27. Clare Avatar
    Clare

    Sweet photo and beautiful words, Kate! Great
    soul and depth in those 6 words. And the rocking chair with the fiddle and all the books looks so cozy.
    🙂

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  28. Carmen Avatar
    Carmen

    i love it!!! Color yay!!! music!!! super yay!!! LOL
    very well!!!

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