It was almost worth going to the dentist, just for the greeting I got from Lilie when I came home.
I think she was relieved I had only gone somewhere for a short time, and hadn't ended up in hospital for days again or something. At least, if the fact she ended up in my arms without me having to do anything other than catch her is anything to go by.
That's one of the things I love about dogs: they're always so happy to see you.
So...
The good news is, despite me being even more over-due for a check-up from the dentist than I thought I was, the only teeth that were issues were the two I knew were problems: the one I'd lost the filling on, and the one they'd broken during surgery. Even the dentist was pleased, since she said she'd expected worse when she saw how long ago it was I'd last been seen. Though she did also lecture me a little on not leaving it so long between appointments (which she stopped doing when I told her about the hospital stuff) and tell me she expects to see me again in six months, in that, "and you better show up," kind of tone.
The bad news is, though they can replace the filling on the one tooth, the one that broke from surgery has to go, because it's too badly broken to be saved. Oh, and I have to go to the hospital to have it done, because I don't take to the numbing shots very well, so they want to actually sedate me for it.
Our dentist did try doing the filling with just the numbing shots. I had to go back on Friday for her to do that, since they hadn't allowed enough time to try during Wednesday's appointment. But after my 20 minute appointment turned in to a 40 minute one, during which time I'd had a couple of their strongest shots, and was still feeling pain when the dentist tried working on it, she decided to just give my teeth a good cleaning - the kind of clean only a dentist can achieve - and then pack in some of that temporary filling stuff to stop the teeth bothering me, and decided she should have them do the proper filling when they have me sedated for the other tooth to be pulled.
Kelly says it's because she was worried I'd bite her. Jeez... You bite one dentist, one time...
I know Kelly was teasing. Although, I wouldn't blame her for being worried about being bitten or slapped, since I have gotten close to doing both a few times when it's turned out I'm not as numbed as we thought I was. Really it's that she could tell I was in pain though. At least, I'm pretty sure that's the real reason. Though, as I said, I wouldn't blame her if Kelly's right. Either way, I'm waiting for an appointment to go see the dentist at the hospital, so I can be sedated enough that they can sort those two teeth. In theory, that should come some time in the next week or two. At least, the dentist said, "Two or three weeks," when I was there last week, and I'm hoping she's right. I'm pretty sure the appointment came in pretty quickly when I had to go to the hospital to get my wisdom teeth pulled before, so I'm hopeful.
Anyway, my friend, Lorna, took me to my appointment last Wednesday. She would have taken me to the one on Friday too, but had to be somewhere else that day. It doesn't matter. It was nice of her to help on Wednesday.
Having Lorna take me meant a bit of a long walk through town, since Lorna parked in Morrisons' car park, which is almost at the opposite end of the main high street to where my dentist is, but the best option for parking in town. I don't really mind though, and managed the walk easily, despite it being a distance I'd have struggled with a few months ago. I was even able to pop in to Morrisons with her when we walked back up there after my appointment, so she could pick something up that she wanted, without feeling drained or dizzy. Lorna says I stayed pink-ish and healthy-looking the whole time too, which is good... Before the surgery, a walk like that would have drained any potential colour from me, and had me feeling weak and dizzy, even on my good days. To be doing so much better, even so soon after surgery, is just awesome! I mean, it's only this week we hit the 12 weeks mark (this coming Thursday it will be 12 weeks since my surgery).
In other news:
A cold front moved in, and the weather's not been as warm and sunny as it was. Still Spring-like, but more the cold and drizzly days you'd associate with early Spring, if you know what I mean. I hear there's a lot of that going around, since I've seen several other bloggers saying something similar. Some of them even suddenly got more snow, which I'm jealous of, and they aren't too happy about. Kelly says I wouldn't be so jealous of all their snow if I'd had that much myself. He's probably right.
Anyway, it got kind of stormy last Wednesday. It wasn't a nasty storm. Just a bit of rain, and enough wind you noticed it even with the windows closed. I wonder if that's why the pigeon decided to come hang out in our attic? Either way, he seems to have found his way back out again - I really hope he has, since I'd hate to think he got stuck up there; we can't hear or see him any more, so we're pretty sure he got back out OK - and gave us an excuse to offer a reminder to the landlords that the skylight still isn't fixed, despite the guys having been around doing work now for more than a month.
The landlords say they'll remind the guys to come do it, but nobody's come to do it yet. I really wish they'd actually get to all the jobs that need doing, not do one, promise to come back to do another, and fail to show up.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For April 29th 2019
In the dark, alone, sound becomes important. The friendly hoot of an owl. The soft breathing of cows from the other side of the hedge. Even the wind has its special night voice, moving things around like a scene shifter on a darkened stage.
~C.R. Milne
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
~Henry Ford
Try to be like the turtle - at ease in your own shell.
~Bill Copeland
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean
Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.
~Roald Dahl
The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace.
~Colton
Everything has beauty, but not everyone can see it.
~Confucius
Friday, April 26, 2019
#FurkidFriday: A Very Hoppy #Degu And #Chinchilla #Easter
Hi everyone. This is Joshua the degu.
The Easter Bunny came to visit on the weekend.
I tell you, that rabbit is as sneaky as Santa Paws. We never see him. But he leaves us good nibbles, which is nice of him.
This year he actually found some special pet friendly dandelion eggs, which he left three of: one each for me and my chinchilla sister, Mollie, and a third for us to share. The Mummy human says it's because of the human we call Nana that he left that extra one for us to share. I'm not sure how that works, but there you go. That's what she says.
The Mummy human says it's very important that I reassure everyone reading this that the eggs are most definitely not made of chocolate, nor do they include any chocolate in the ingredients, despite what they look like. She says it's important you know this, because she doesn't want you thinking she gave us chocolate, when chocolate is poisonous to most animals.
Anyway, here are a couple of photos of me checking my egg out:
And here's one of Mollie, who was a bit more cautious about approaching and trying out her own egg:
Easter is almost as fun as Christmas!
Hope you had a hoppy Easter too!
Squeak soon,
Joshua
The Easter Bunny came to visit on the weekend.
I tell you, that rabbit is as sneaky as Santa Paws. We never see him. But he leaves us good nibbles, which is nice of him.
This year he actually found some special pet friendly dandelion eggs, which he left three of: one each for me and my chinchilla sister, Mollie, and a third for us to share. The Mummy human says it's because of the human we call Nana that he left that extra one for us to share. I'm not sure how that works, but there you go. That's what she says.
The Mummy human says it's very important that I reassure everyone reading this that the eggs are most definitely not made of chocolate, nor do they include any chocolate in the ingredients, despite what they look like. She says it's important you know this, because she doesn't want you thinking she gave us chocolate, when chocolate is poisonous to most animals.
Anyway, here are a couple of photos of me checking my egg out:
And here's one of Mollie, who was a bit more cautious about approaching and trying out her own egg:
Easter is almost as fun as Christmas!
Hope you had a hoppy Easter too!
Squeak soon,
Joshua
Thursday, April 25, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - April 25th 2019 #Reviews
It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazing and action-packed! This is a fantastic read in it's own right, and an awesome addition to the series. While you don't "need" to have read the previous books in the series first, since you could still easily follow what's going on without doing so, I highly recommend that you do read those first.
Skin Game by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another amazing read, and fantastic addition to the series. The plot is as action-packed as previous books, as well as being peppered with emotional scenes. And that ending was just lovely.
As for what I've been watching:
I didn't watch any movies or TV shows during the past week. I was going to try and finish NCIS season 8, and maybe watch one of the movies in my to-watch pile too. But I ended up not watching any at all. I did watch an episode of "Critical Roll" though, which is a roleplaying game I watch happening on YouTube (there's more to it than that, but that's the simplified version, for those who don't remember me mentioning it before). I'm incredibly behind on it. They're somewhere around episode 60 of campaigne 2, and I just finished watching episode 11 of campaigne 2. Oh well... So it goes.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Cold Days by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazing and action-packed! This is a fantastic read in it's own right, and an awesome addition to the series. While you don't "need" to have read the previous books in the series first, since you could still easily follow what's going on without doing so, I highly recommend that you do read those first.
Skin Game by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another amazing read, and fantastic addition to the series. The plot is as action-packed as previous books, as well as being peppered with emotional scenes. And that ending was just lovely.
As for what I've been watching:
I didn't watch any movies or TV shows during the past week. I was going to try and finish NCIS season 8, and maybe watch one of the movies in my to-watch pile too. But I ended up not watching any at all. I did watch an episode of "Critical Roll" though, which is a roleplaying game I watch happening on YouTube (there's more to it than that, but that's the simplified version, for those who don't remember me mentioning it before). I'm incredibly behind on it. They're somewhere around episode 60 of campaigne 2, and I just finished watching episode 11 of campaigne 2. Oh well... So it goes.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
#WriterWednesday - April 24th 2019 + 2 #Free #EBooks
There was an Easter party on Sally's blog over the weekend. She had asked her guests to come wearing hats. So I sent over a photo of Kero wearing one. You can see it in the first party post, which went up on Saturday. You should check out the party posts - the second post too - even if you don't want to see the photo, since loads of great authors and bloggers are mentioned, both in those posts and in the comments sections. So hop on over and take a look.
Anyway, in case you don't know, April is NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). I was going to take advantage of it and do a poem a day during April. I'd have had enough poems to publish the poetry collection I'm slowly working on if I had. Only I ended up not doing so. Now April is almost over, and I actually haven't written a single poem this month. There's still time for me to potentially write a couple of poems, and perhaps I will. But I definitely won't be finishing April with 30 new poems to show for it. Never mind.
I have done some more work on my adventure story over the past couple of weeks though. Not as much as I'd planned to do this month, since I'd actually hoped to finish the first draft of it before the month was out. There's still time, I suppose, since April isn't over for another week. No matter if I manage it or not though, there's some progress, and any progress is great progress, so it's all good. Plus, it's because I've chosen to do other things instead, so I can't really complain when it's my fault for not making writing enough of a priority, and using my time for other things instead. I would still like to try and finish the first draft before April is out though, and start making my writing more of a priority now that I'm doing better healthwise. Well, more of a priority than some things anyhow, since there are things that will never take priority over my writing. Spending time with my furkids, for example.
On a similar note, here's a post that discusses why you haven't been able to make more time for writing - and how to fix that. Just bear in mind that successful writers don't spend all their time behind a screen, which is why not making your writing the top priority is sometimes a good thing.
Anyway, if you're faced with a blank page, and struggling to start, just remember it all begins with a word, and see where that one word takes you. Also, the 'sitting down and doing it' part of writing might be tough sometimes, but do it anyway.
So, do you need to name a place in your story? If you do, check out this post on the stumbling art of naming places for some ideas on how to go about it.
Also, here are some crazy creatures you might want to think about as possible additions to your fantasy stories. They'd especially be fantastic additions to a historical fantasy, since they're real or imagined creatures from medieval times. Or, perhaps, they might help inspire creatures completely from your imagination. Made up imaginary creatures are great additions to stories too. After all, that's where some of the legends come from. Not all, since some are based on real creatures. But some.
On the other hand, here are some mundane elements you should probably cut from your story. At least, if you're not using them intentionally as plot devices, which you might be in the case of some of the things on the list.
Next, here's how not to get ahead of yourself when you're writing.
Last, but certainly not least: April 22nd was the anniversary of when I published my first book. I first published one of my books - "Mr. Pumpkin-Head And Other Poems" - on April 22nd 2012. Seven years ago. Also, May 3rd is my bloggerversary; I started my blog on May 3rd 2006, so I'm about to celebrate my 13th bloggerversary. So, to celebrate both events, the eBook versions of two of my most recently published books - "Puppy Poems And Rodent Rhymes" and "Where's Noodles?" - are both completely free via Smashwords with coupon code BJ97F, until May 10th 2019. This offer is exclusive to Smashwords. Oh, and... Yes. It is the same coupon code for both books. So, grab your copy of "Puppy Poems And Rodent Rhymes" here, and grab your copy of "Where's Noodles?" here!
Anyway, in case you don't know, April is NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). I was going to take advantage of it and do a poem a day during April. I'd have had enough poems to publish the poetry collection I'm slowly working on if I had. Only I ended up not doing so. Now April is almost over, and I actually haven't written a single poem this month. There's still time for me to potentially write a couple of poems, and perhaps I will. But I definitely won't be finishing April with 30 new poems to show for it. Never mind.
I have done some more work on my adventure story over the past couple of weeks though. Not as much as I'd planned to do this month, since I'd actually hoped to finish the first draft of it before the month was out. There's still time, I suppose, since April isn't over for another week. No matter if I manage it or not though, there's some progress, and any progress is great progress, so it's all good. Plus, it's because I've chosen to do other things instead, so I can't really complain when it's my fault for not making writing enough of a priority, and using my time for other things instead. I would still like to try and finish the first draft before April is out though, and start making my writing more of a priority now that I'm doing better healthwise. Well, more of a priority than some things anyhow, since there are things that will never take priority over my writing. Spending time with my furkids, for example.
On a similar note, here's a post that discusses why you haven't been able to make more time for writing - and how to fix that. Just bear in mind that successful writers don't spend all their time behind a screen, which is why not making your writing the top priority is sometimes a good thing.
Anyway, if you're faced with a blank page, and struggling to start, just remember it all begins with a word, and see where that one word takes you. Also, the 'sitting down and doing it' part of writing might be tough sometimes, but do it anyway.
So, do you need to name a place in your story? If you do, check out this post on the stumbling art of naming places for some ideas on how to go about it.
Also, here are some crazy creatures you might want to think about as possible additions to your fantasy stories. They'd especially be fantastic additions to a historical fantasy, since they're real or imagined creatures from medieval times. Or, perhaps, they might help inspire creatures completely from your imagination. Made up imaginary creatures are great additions to stories too. After all, that's where some of the legends come from. Not all, since some are based on real creatures. But some.
On the other hand, here are some mundane elements you should probably cut from your story. At least, if you're not using them intentionally as plot devices, which you might be in the case of some of the things on the list.
Next, here's how not to get ahead of yourself when you're writing.
Last, but certainly not least: April 22nd was the anniversary of when I published my first book. I first published one of my books - "Mr. Pumpkin-Head And Other Poems" - on April 22nd 2012. Seven years ago. Also, May 3rd is my bloggerversary; I started my blog on May 3rd 2006, so I'm about to celebrate my 13th bloggerversary. So, to celebrate both events, the eBook versions of two of my most recently published books - "Puppy Poems And Rodent Rhymes" and "Where's Noodles?" - are both completely free via Smashwords with coupon code BJ97F, until May 10th 2019. This offer is exclusive to Smashwords. Oh, and... Yes. It is the same coupon code for both books. So, grab your copy of "Puppy Poems And Rodent Rhymes" here, and grab your copy of "Where's Noodles?" here!
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Walks, #Crafting, #Easter, And Weather
Last Wednesday, I went for my first real outing since having surgery. Kelly and Lilie have been going out regularly, of course. But the only time I've gone further than our doorstep since February has been when I went to the hospital a couple of weeks ago. We figured it was about time to change that. I think Lilie was as glad to have me come along as I was to be out. It was nice weather for it too: sunny and dry, but not too warm.
We don't want to push me too hard too fast, so I've only been out twice in the past week. The second time was Easter Sunday evening, when we spent some time down on the seafront, which is when the photos at the top of this post were taken.
By the way, April's Makerly box arrived on Wednesday morning. This month's craft kit is for Moroccan basket weaving. Just thought I'd mention that, for the benifit of anyone who might like to know. I've done paper weaving before, but not basket weaving. I imagine there are similarities to the process. I'll find out when I come to do the kit, I suppose. Oh, and... No. I haven't finished any more craft projects this week, in case you were wondering about that. I've made a bit of progress on the second owl sewing kit I'm working on, but that's about it. Ollie the owl is now maybe half stitched... If that. I'd planned to work on him more, but didn't. Got distracted with other things, mainly games of fetch with Lilie.
I didn't do any baking this week. After all, as I'm sure you know - unless you've been living under a rock, or in one of the few areas on the planet where it's actually possible to disconnect completely from things, and have lost track of time and dates - this past weekend was Easter weekend, and I figured we didn't need to be eating cakes as well as chocolate. Of course we had chocolate. We don't do anything for Easter, except buy each other Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies. Although, I'm not sure if that actually counts, since we'd buy those regardless, or something else sweet if Easter eggs didn't exist. No offense to those it means more to, but to us it's just an excuse to eat chocolate. So, there were chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies involved in the weekend. I had a white chocolate lamb too. Here are my bunny and lamb. Yes, it's me holding them...
All three of the furkids got stuff for Easter too, of course. Well, we couldn't have them feeling all left out, could we? But I'll let them tell you about that themselves over the next couple of Fridays.
Anyway, the day I went for my first walk in months wasn't the only nice day we've had weatherwise lately. The weather's been mostly lovely. There have been some foggy or hazy mornings and evenings, and there's still a bit of a nip in the air some nights after the sun goes down. Proper Spring weather. They predicted a heatwave over the weekend, and weren't far wrong. It didn't get quite as high as predicted in our area. I know it did in some parts of the UK though, since there was something in the news about complaints of 24 degrees C and above weather melting Easter eggs. But it did get pretty close to what they'd predicted here. On Good Friday, for example, it was 21 degrees C here. It stayed around that temperature all weekend. During the day anyhow. At night it was more like 10 degrees C. Not a heatwave by some standards, but quite warm compared to the temperatures we'd been having, and for the time of year. I think the ocean breeze helped stop it getting quite as hot here. It was hot enough from my point of view though, since I'm more of a cooler temperatures kind of person. It's OK though. My Easter chocolate is in the fridge, so it won't be melting any time soon. *wink*
Monday, April 22, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For April 22nd 2019
What is the advantage of size, of distance? Is the distant view of a bank of primroses more beautiful than a single primrose held in the hand? I don't think so. To the eye a beautiful view is no more than a pattern of light and shade and colour.
~C.R. Milne
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.
~Marcus Aurelius
Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.
~Buddha
When the waves close over me, I dive down to fish for pearls.
~Masha Kaleko
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.
~Vivian Greene
Just living is NOT enough. One must have Sunshine, Freedom, and a little flower.
~Hans Christian Andersen
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.
~John Lennon
Friday, April 19, 2019
Friends Of #FurkidFriday: French Fry
Hi everyone. This is Mollie the chinchilla.
This internet thing is amazing. Not only can you talk to people and animals from all over the world, but you can also find out about people and animals who lived a long time ago. That’s just what we’re doing today. After all, if someone takes the time to get in touch across time and space, wanting to be my friend, I don’t see why I shouldn’t get to know them, especially after I lost my best pal, Maizie, at the start of the year, which means I could use a few new friends. So, let’s see who we have here, shall we?
Hello, new friend. What’s your name?
I don’t blame you for being troubled by that. I’ll add it to the ever-growing list of strange things humans do. Trust me, there are a lot of things on that list. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, French Fry. By the way, what species and breed are you?
Got it. Definitely not a chipmunk. By the way, please could you describe your appearance? I know you’ve got some photos to share with us, but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photos.
I can imagine. I’ve never lived in a forest myself, but I know the world outside my cage can be scary at times, and that’s with the human caretakers around to keep an eye out for dangerous predators. Speaking of homes, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?
Oh, that sounds wonderful! What’s your favourite thing to do?
Yes, it does sound fun. I’ve never seen anything like that, but it sounds like it could be a very fun toy. Speaking of toys, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?
That sounds nice. Yes, I like when the humans change things around in the cage too. It helps keep the cage from being too boring, and gives us something to do other than eat when we’re in the cage. Speaking of which, what’s your favourite food?
Hey, better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, let’s talk about your human for a moment. So, what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?
Oh, I know about that thing. Yes... They call it a TV. I love watching TV. I can see ours from in my cage... It’s great!
On a less positive note, since humans don’t always do the things we like, what’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?
Yes. Sometimes they forget we’re so small, don’t they? I’m glad you found a good place to hide that day.
By the way, I hear your human is a writer. Has he written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think he will in the future?
That’s a very interesting story. I hope whoever is reading our interview here goes to read it afterwards. For now though, I’m curious, what do you do while your human writes?
Sounds nice and cosy. OK, before I let you go, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
Got it. Hear that people? Just bear that in mind when you go read that story.
It was great meeting you too, French Fry. Thanks for stopping by.
***~~~***
Author bio, links, etc:
Gary Arthur Wilson is a Technical Account Manager for Oracle Corp. He has been a story creator and teller for as long as he can recall and is still writing stories today. He was born and raised in Petaluma, California (~60 minutes north of San Francisco) which is also where all of his earlier “Dime of Time” story adventures took place.
On graduating from Petaluma High School, he pursued a technical career in electronics engineering which took him into computer manufacturing. He completed his undergraduate degree at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington where he majored in education. He authored and taught computer science courses for many Silicon Valley companies as well as the University of California, Berkeley Extension.
While he still works for Oracle, he is also still authoring new stories.
You can find his full story collection at his story blog website: https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com
***~~~***
I hope you enjoyed meeting my new friend, French Fry, and learning about him and his human, Gary.
If you’d like to be a friend of Furkid Friday too, send an eMail to keroberous2004@gmail.com with the subject “Friends Of Furkid Friday” – like it says on the “Friends Of Furkid Friday” page. You can also meet friends we've had over in the past via that page, since there's a list of previous "Friends Of Furkid Friday" posts on it.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
This internet thing is amazing. Not only can you talk to people and animals from all over the world, but you can also find out about people and animals who lived a long time ago. That’s just what we’re doing today. After all, if someone takes the time to get in touch across time and space, wanting to be my friend, I don’t see why I shouldn’t get to know them, especially after I lost my best pal, Maizie, at the start of the year, which means I could use a few new friends. So, let’s see who we have here, shall we?
Hello, new friend. What’s your name?
Hi, Mollie. My name is French Fry. Back in the forest, we didn’t use names like this, but here with my human family and their friends – it’s what they call me. It took some getting used to, but now I love it here so I’m not even thinking of going back. I was troubled some when I realized that my name is also a kind of human food and I don’t know what my best human friend was thinking when he gave it to me.
I don’t blame you for being troubled by that. I’ll add it to the ever-growing list of strange things humans do. Trust me, there are a lot of things on that list. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, French Fry. By the way, what species and breed are you?
Most humans first guess that I’m a common chipmunk, but they’re wrong. My full breed is Golden Mantled Squirrel, but it’s easy to mistake us for chipmunks, especially when we’re younger because, until we’re fully grown, we look almost exactly like a chipmunk and fully grown, like me, we look just like a really big chipmunk. Humans who know about us, just call us Golden Mantels. It’s not as cute as “chipmunk” but it’s just another human name of sorts.
And, we really don’t want to be grouped with chipmunks because chipmunks are nuts. They are spastic, always moving like nervous psychos, never sitting still. We rarely socialize with them. We can run as fast, but we stop often to enjoy the world and each other. They don’t. They almost never stop running around.
Got it. Definitely not a chipmunk. By the way, please could you describe your appearance? I know you’ve got some photos to share with us, but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photos.
If you’ve ever seen a chipmunk, that’s what we look like. We’re just bigger and some think we’re a bit furrier. Here’s a couple of photos.
Depending on the time of year, I have either caramel brown fur for summer, or greyish brown fur in the fall, with two stripes of black-white-black on either sides of my back. My tail is not quite as long as the rest of me and it is light grey-brown with black specks. My head and ears are brown, but my eyes are jet black with small white fur rings around them. All the humans I’ve met think I’m adorable and they all want to hold and cuddle me. Life could be worse and it was worse back in the forest.
I can imagine. I’ve never lived in a forest myself, but I know the world outside my cage can be scary at times, and that’s with the human caretakers around to keep an eye out for dangerous predators. Speaking of homes, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?
In the forest, we live mostly in underground burrows, but after coming to live with my human family, they gave the three of us a large cage with fresh food and water and a large plastic jar half full of rag strips that we use to make comfy places to sleep. It is so much better than those dirt burrows. We have branches to climb on and there is a heavy blanket the humans cover our cage with to protect us from weather and large animals that would certainly hurt or kill us. Our human family have three kids and there are one of us for each of them, but the others never really got used to their human. My human is my best friend and I get to leave the cage almost every day to play with him.
Oh, that sounds wonderful! What’s your favourite thing to do?
You’re going to find this funny but my human family has a long board with white and black square stones all in a line and when I jumped on them, a wonderful sound came out. There’s nothing like it in the forest and my friends back in the cage never believe me when I try to tell them about it. I love to run and jump back and forth from stone to stone and make fun noises. Every stone has a different sound. My human family laughs and plays with the stones with me. It is loads of fun.
Yes, it does sound fun. I’ve never seen anything like that, but it sounds like it could be a very fun toy. Speaking of toys, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?
Hmm, other than the board of stones, I don’t think so. In the forest, we spent most of our time trying to find and save food, but my human family always gives us all the food we can eat, right in the cage, so sometimes the cage was kind of boring. We had small things to play with, but we mostly play with each other, chasing each other around the cage, like we did in the forest after finding food. Our humans change or rearrange the branches in the cage sometimes. What I really love to do is to spend time with my best human friend and his friends. I never have to worry about big animals when I’m with him so I sit on his shoulder near his neck and watch the world or play with his other human friends.
That sounds nice. Yes, I like when the humans change things around in the cage too. It helps keep the cage from being too boring, and gives us something to do other than eat when we’re in the cage. Speaking of which, what’s your favourite food?
Ah – that’s easy. We love fresh vegetables and fruit and nuts. Our humans always give us more than we can eat, but we like to hide some in the cage anyway. Force of habit I guess.
Hey, better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, let’s talk about your human for a moment. So, what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?
Oh, you’ll like this. Our human’s home has a strange window that looks out on the strangest things. There’s always something different going on outside. We can always hear what the people outside are saying and see what they are doing. Our human family watch all kinds of people and even animals doing all kinds of things, even large animals that scared me at first, but the people and animals outside the window never come inside, so I often curl up on my best human friend’s shoulder and watch out the window with him. There’s a lot of strange things outside that window and I don’t understand most of it, but my human family likes to watch it with me. Sometimes they have nuts or other treats while watching and they always share with me. We never got to do anything like this in the forest or be this safe.
Oh, I know about that thing. Yes... They call it a TV. I love watching TV. I can see ours from in my cage... It’s great!
On a less positive note, since humans don’t always do the things we like, what’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?
Only sometimes, he forgets that other larger animals hate animals my size and I have to jump or hide somehow. In the cage we’re always safe - even from the giant dogs who live with our human family. There are cats who sometimes sit outside our cage hoping for a chance to catch us, but they can’t reach us. We stay hidden when they’re around because it’s impossible for us to relax around any kind of cat. There are also a few hawks and owls around, but after they found they couldn’t get past the cage, they gave up.
But my human friend once took me to an animal doctor – another neat thing we don’t have in the forest. I like the doctor – but as we sat waiting our turn one day, I was on my friend’s shoulder and not in a cage when the biggest dog I’d ever seen came in and he saw me immediately. I had to jump and run quickly because the dog tried to catch me. I quickly found a strange burrow beneath the couch we were sitting on where the dog could not fit and hid there until everyone and that dog left. When I did come out the room was dark. I explored and found one room where there were other animals, but they were all in cages and didn’t see or smell me. In the morning, I found the doctor and his helper doing something with a dead dog. I knew the dog was dead because he was cut wide open. It was very strange because I couldn’t figure out why they would be fussing with a dead dog, but I felt safe because that dog wasn’t going to hurt me. Afterwards, my human family came back and we talked with the doctor and then they took me back home with them. Anyway, my human is a great friend, but sometimes he forgets what it’s like to be my size around other animals.
Yes. Sometimes they forget we’re so small, don’t they? I’m glad you found a good place to hide that day.
By the way, I hear your human is a writer. Has he written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think he will in the future?
Yes, yes, he did write a story of how I came to live with him and his family. He told how he sat with me quietly until I felt safe enough for us to be friends and how I learned to trust his family. You have to read it because he really messed up with our first winter came around and he didn’t know that we sleep through winter. I won’t tell you here what he did, but looking back now, it was pretty funny. He gave me the blue words below and said you would know what to do with them.
https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/a-pet-from-the-wild/
I hope you do read it because we have lots of fun together and I love my life with him and his family. He really is the best friend I’ve ever had.
That’s a very interesting story. I hope whoever is reading our interview here goes to read it afterwards. For now though, I’m curious, what do you do while your human writes?
Most often, I’m on his shoulder. He has a shirt with a hood that piles up around his neck and I love to curl up in the hood where I’m warm and safe and there are no crazy chipmunks running around like maniacs.
Sounds nice and cosy. OK, before I let you go, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
If your friends read his story, tell them that I am not an “owl coal haul lick”.
I don’t know what that is, but it has something to do with the drink my best human friend gave me when he didn’t know about us sleeping through the winter, then after the story, there was some confusion about it and my best human friend tells people that he’s sorry for what happened and he was only joking about it in the story. I never saw the owl and only tasted the sweet hot water twice because he figured out why I was so sleepy right afterwards and never gave it to me again.
Got it. Hear that people? Just bear that in mind when you go read that story.
It was great meeting you Mollie.
It was great meeting you too, French Fry. Thanks for stopping by.
***~~~***
Author bio, links, etc:
On graduating from Petaluma High School, he pursued a technical career in electronics engineering which took him into computer manufacturing. He completed his undergraduate degree at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington where he majored in education. He authored and taught computer science courses for many Silicon Valley companies as well as the University of California, Berkeley Extension.
While he still works for Oracle, he is also still authoring new stories.
You can find his full story collection at his story blog website: https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com
***~~~***
I hope you enjoyed meeting my new friend, French Fry, and learning about him and his human, Gary.
If you’d like to be a friend of Furkid Friday too, send an eMail to keroberous2004@gmail.com with the subject “Friends Of Furkid Friday” – like it says on the “Friends Of Furkid Friday” page. You can also meet friends we've had over in the past via that page, since there's a list of previous "Friends Of Furkid Friday" posts on it.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
Thursday, April 18, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - April 18th 2019 #Reviews
It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an awesome read! It literally picks up where the previous book left off, and then takes you on quite the rollercoaster ride of emotions, while holding your attention with an action-packed and entertaining plot. It's an excellent book in its own right, and an amazing addition to the series.
As for what I've been watching:
I didn't watch as much during the past week as I did the week before. No movies at all. At least, not enough of any to count (just the odd scene caught while in and out of the living room). But I did watch one DVD. I watched another disk of "NCIS" season 8, which means I'm now two thirds of the way through season 8.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Ghost Story by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an awesome read! It literally picks up where the previous book left off, and then takes you on quite the rollercoaster ride of emotions, while holding your attention with an action-packed and entertaining plot. It's an excellent book in its own right, and an amazing addition to the series.
As for what I've been watching:
I didn't watch as much during the past week as I did the week before. No movies at all. At least, not enough of any to count (just the odd scene caught while in and out of the living room). But I did watch one DVD. I watched another disk of "NCIS" season 8, which means I'm now two thirds of the way through season 8.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
#WriterWednesday - April 17th 2019
This past Saturday (April 13th 2019) I was featured on Robbie's blog. Not only did she have me over for an interview, but she also included a wonderful review for "Catching Snowflakes And Other Poems" (one of my poetry books) which she read prior to the interview. If you haven't already seen it, click here to see my interview, and check out Robbie's review of my poetry book,.
In other news: apparently new research has discovered a formula for creativity. Just be careful not to cross the fine line between giving your muse time to work and procrastinating. I mean, you don't have to give up things you enjoy to be successful, no matter what anyone says. You just have to make sure your writing time happens too.
Also, here's what to do when creativity fails, as well as how to lure your muse - just in case you need to know. Oh, and here are some ideas for ways to practice writing too.
Of course, when it comes to getting that writing time in, interruptions are inevitable, but don't let them bog you down. Work around them when possible. For example, write when the dog naps, or give her a treat ball or puzzle toy if that plan isn't working out. It's how I get my writing done, as well as the tasks on the computer: I get on here while Lilie naps, and distract her with a treat ball, or puzzle toy, if she wakes too soon, and I need to finish something. It's not fool-proof, but it works most of the time.
Anyway, are there vampires in your story? Are some of them - or even just one of them - your hero(es)? Then check out these excellent tips for using vampires as heroes, and these tips for crafting emotionally meaty monsters.
No matter who's in your story, here's a post to get you thinking about that hero's journey monomyth thingie.
By the way, this is every type of feedback and criticism writers will face (and how to deal with them).
Remember: your stories grow with you. At least, as long as you mind your 'comfort food'.
Next, here's how to make your writing come alive. It wouldn't hurt to try these 12 simple changes that will make you a better writer almost instantly either. Just saying.
Also, if you need to feel better about your writing, or yourself, consider trying one of these writing 'self care' strategies that aren't traditional self care. On a similar note, check out this healthy writer post series, which contains great tips for self care.
Finally, here's a post that might help you get more writing done in less time. It's all about getting in to a flow state. So, what is a 'flow state' and how will it help you write more, faster? Check out the post to find out.
In other news: apparently new research has discovered a formula for creativity. Just be careful not to cross the fine line between giving your muse time to work and procrastinating. I mean, you don't have to give up things you enjoy to be successful, no matter what anyone says. You just have to make sure your writing time happens too.
Also, here's what to do when creativity fails, as well as how to lure your muse - just in case you need to know. Oh, and here are some ideas for ways to practice writing too.
Of course, when it comes to getting that writing time in, interruptions are inevitable, but don't let them bog you down. Work around them when possible. For example, write when the dog naps, or give her a treat ball or puzzle toy if that plan isn't working out. It's how I get my writing done, as well as the tasks on the computer: I get on here while Lilie naps, and distract her with a treat ball, or puzzle toy, if she wakes too soon, and I need to finish something. It's not fool-proof, but it works most of the time.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
~Arthur Ashe
Anyway, are there vampires in your story? Are some of them - or even just one of them - your hero(es)? Then check out these excellent tips for using vampires as heroes, and these tips for crafting emotionally meaty monsters.
No matter who's in your story, here's a post to get you thinking about that hero's journey monomyth thingie.
By the way, this is every type of feedback and criticism writers will face (and how to deal with them).
Remember: your stories grow with you. At least, as long as you mind your 'comfort food'.
Next, here's how to make your writing come alive. It wouldn't hurt to try these 12 simple changes that will make you a better writer almost instantly either. Just saying.
Also, if you need to feel better about your writing, or yourself, consider trying one of these writing 'self care' strategies that aren't traditional self care. On a similar note, check out this healthy writer post series, which contains great tips for self care.
Stress, anxiety and depression are caused when we are living to please others.
~Paulo Coelho
Finally, here's a post that might help you get more writing done in less time. It's all about getting in to a flow state. So, what is a 'flow state' and how will it help you write more, faster? Check out the post to find out.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
#Crafting And #Baking Again, More Medical Mutterings, And Weather Reports
Kelly still does Warhammer - though he hasn't played in a while... He'll have quite the army when he does play again though - which means he still gets figures for it. He recently decided to catch up some on putting them together, and painting them, which he's gotten rather behind on. I was busy with other things while he was putting them together, but joined him while he was doing some of the painting, bringing some craft kits of my own to work on.
I didn't join him every time, but the times I did, we played with and walked Lilie first, and then settled her with one of her treat balls (she has a variety of different types, to keep things interesting for her). Then we put a DVD on (we watched some NCIS, since I still need to finish catching up with that, and it's something we both like) and settled ourselves at the table to watch it while we worked on our various projects. Mollie was sleeping at the time, while Joshua was happily playing on his wheel, and with NCIS on both of them would have been happy anyhow. So all three of the furkids were perfectly content to leave us to it. It was very pleasant and cosy.
I had a unicorn I wanted to paint. Well, actually, I kind of think it's an allacorn (I think I spelled that right) since it's got wings as well as the horn. But the kit calls it a unicorn, so I will too. Either way, I thought I'd work on that one, since Kelly was painting, and since I needed him around to help with colours and things, so it was an ideal time. So, I'm painting it as best I can, and then Kelly will go over it to tidy it up a bit for me afterwards. It's not quite finished, but I'll get Kelly to sort a photo for you when it is.
In the meantime, I've been working on a couple of other little projects while the various colours of the unicorn are drying. So I figured I'd share photos of those with you, since they're finished.
I finally finished the little owl sewing kit...
Yes, his eyes are a different colour. It's because I didn't realize the buttons for his eyes mattered which way around they were stitched, and had atatched both eyes before Kelly saw and said something... I decided to just leave it. Oh, and the purple bit is because he has a little pocket on his tummy. It's not big enough to hold much, but then he's not a very big owl, so I wouldn't expect it to be a very big pocket.
I also made this little wind chime...
I've been meaning to put together that particular kit for a very long time... I've had the wind chime kit for several years, and don't even remember where or when I got it. Actually, I forgot I had it for a while. I found it when I was sorting my craft stuff out a couple of months ago, so put it with the kits I haven't yet done from my subscription boxes (which I'd just started to get when I found the wind chime kit). While the unicorn's paint was drying seemed a good time to work on it. Plus, now I feel good for finally getting around to doing it.
Anyway, I also made this heart shaped dream catcher...
I know it's not done in the traditional way... I kind of just put it together how I felt it should be done, not caring if it wasn't quite how they're normally done, since I figured something like that should be a bit more personalized.
I started a new kit a couple of days ago too. I'm doing my other owl sewing kit. It's a different kit, so at least my owls will be a bit different. "Ollie the owl" - as the kit itself calls him - doesn't have that pocket on his tummy for a start. Either way, I'm stitching another owl, and he's maybe about a third done. Of course, I'll post his photo when I've finished him. Or, more accurately, as soon as I get to it afterwards, since it does often take us several days to get around to sorting photos, so sometimes they get posted a week or so later than they otherwise might have, as regulars on here may have noticed. Hey, we get to them... Eventually. We just don't tend to rush. Not unless we need to, because it's time sensative, or it's something I'm desperate to post about. Don't take it personally though, because we're the same way with most things.
Anyhow, as well as crafting, I've also been baking.
I made a spice cake, made with the same sort of spice combination you'd use for pumpkin pie, or pumpkin spice cake, just because I've got a lot of "pumpkin spice" mixed up, and it seemed like a good idea. Plus, I made more brownies for Kelly, because he's a big fan of my brownies. I did eat a couple myself, but I'm not a fan... Brownies are as close as I ever get to chocolate cake though. But I made myself a spinach and mushroom quiche, a mini lemon tart (done to use the scraps from the pastry from the quiche) and - since it's something I love that Kelly doesn't - this coconut cake with lime butter icing:
I made most of them over a week ago, so they're long since gone. We enjoyed them though. I made the spice cake last week, but that's gone now too, since we were enjoying that over the weekend. They were a lovely addition to our crafting and DVD watching time. At least, I think so, and Kelly sure seemed to be enjoying his brownies, and his share of the spice cake.
In other news...
My post-op appointment, which I thought was on April 9th, was actually supposed to have been on April 8th. Since I went to the hospital on the 9th, I missed my appointment, and they just discharged me. They did ask when I was at the hospital if I had any concerns that meant I needed to be seen urgently, but since I seem to be recovering just fine, and wasn't about to say otherwise just to be seen (especially since I'd have had to waste my day in A and E to get seen, and had apparently wasted part of it already as it was) the hospital couldn't - or wouldn't - really do anything. If I want to be seen by a gynecologist properly, I have to go talk to my doctor for a referral, or have a big enough issue that I end up going in to A and E. Since they would have just been poking at my scar and asking if I felt OK, and then would have discharged me anyhow, and it will take several months for me to get to see a gynecologist if I ask my doctor to refer me again, I'm not going to bother. No point going through all that fuss just for someone to poke at my scar in six months or so (possibly even close to a year) and then tell me to go home. If something comes up, I can always call the doctor when it does. That or go to A and E, depending on how bad the issue is. It will get resolved quicker that way anyhow. In theory I shouldn't need to do either though. I'm no longer in pain, and the scar has knitted itself together nicely by the look of it. I'm even getting in and out of the bath by myself easily, playing with Lilie properly, and was fine with the stairs. So, while I officially shouldn't have been fully discharged without a physical examination, I'm not going to fight them on it. I don't see the point. Like I said, if something crops up, I'll get myself seen. Otherwise... *shrugs*
Oh, and... Yes. I took the bins of needles with me when I went to the hospital, like I planned to. No. I didn't bring them home. I almost ended up doing so, but the woman from the help desk helped me out. Well, women, plural, actually. They were great! They contacted various departments in the hospital, and eventually managed to get SAU to agree they should take them as part of their duty of care to me, since it was them spacifically who had discharged me with the shots (a fact they couldn't dispute, since one of the bins actually had a label on it identifying it as being property of that particular ward). Apparently, had they had purple lids instead of yellow ones, I wouldn't have had to go through all that fuss. I did offer to paint the lids purple, but it seems that wouldn't help. No pleasing some people! Either way, despite them having yellow lids, the little plastic bins of needles are finally gone! YAY!
Still on the medical front: I do have one issue, but it's not something the hospital would have dealt with usually anyhow. They cracked one of my teeth during surgery. I didn't think it was bad, and didn't notice it at first... Too distracted with the pain in my stomach, and the allergies to the pain meds, I suppose. Either way, when I did realize, I figured I'd get the post-op stuff out of the way - thus giving myself time to heal enough to sit up for as long as needed for it to be dealt with - and then see about calling the dentist. I'm past due a check-up anyhow, since being in and out of hospital so much in the past year has made going in for check-ups difficult to say the least. I guess the tooth was worse than I thought though, because it broke the other day. Needless to say, that was enough to prompt me to hurry up with that call to the dentist. I've got an appointment for April 24th at 12:45pm.
Luckily, my cold never came to much, and seems to have gone already.
Anyway, the weather's been all over the place. One day warm and sunny, so we have the windows open. The next cold and stormy, so the windows end up closed, and we're reaching for extra blankets. We've had temperatures ranging from about 2 degrees C to around 16 degrees C, and an interesting mixture of conditions, including rain, sun, and hail. A couple of days we even had fog and haze. At one point they promised snow too, though I wasn't surprised when that never showed up. It is April, after all, and we almost never get snow this time of year (if we're going to get it, it generally comes between the start of November and the end of March). I'm not saying it would be impossible for us to get snow between April and October. Just unusual enough that I never bothered getting my hopes up. Of course, Lilie and I would have enjoyed it if it had snowed though. Since it didn't, we enjoyed some puddles from the rain instead. Lilie loves puddles. She's quite the water dog at times. As for me... Well, I'm just a big kid, so of course I love splashing in puddles! *wink*
I didn't join him every time, but the times I did, we played with and walked Lilie first, and then settled her with one of her treat balls (she has a variety of different types, to keep things interesting for her). Then we put a DVD on (we watched some NCIS, since I still need to finish catching up with that, and it's something we both like) and settled ourselves at the table to watch it while we worked on our various projects. Mollie was sleeping at the time, while Joshua was happily playing on his wheel, and with NCIS on both of them would have been happy anyhow. So all three of the furkids were perfectly content to leave us to it. It was very pleasant and cosy.
I had a unicorn I wanted to paint. Well, actually, I kind of think it's an allacorn (I think I spelled that right) since it's got wings as well as the horn. But the kit calls it a unicorn, so I will too. Either way, I thought I'd work on that one, since Kelly was painting, and since I needed him around to help with colours and things, so it was an ideal time. So, I'm painting it as best I can, and then Kelly will go over it to tidy it up a bit for me afterwards. It's not quite finished, but I'll get Kelly to sort a photo for you when it is.
In the meantime, I've been working on a couple of other little projects while the various colours of the unicorn are drying. So I figured I'd share photos of those with you, since they're finished.
I finally finished the little owl sewing kit...
Yes, his eyes are a different colour. It's because I didn't realize the buttons for his eyes mattered which way around they were stitched, and had atatched both eyes before Kelly saw and said something... I decided to just leave it. Oh, and the purple bit is because he has a little pocket on his tummy. It's not big enough to hold much, but then he's not a very big owl, so I wouldn't expect it to be a very big pocket.
I also made this little wind chime...
I've been meaning to put together that particular kit for a very long time... I've had the wind chime kit for several years, and don't even remember where or when I got it. Actually, I forgot I had it for a while. I found it when I was sorting my craft stuff out a couple of months ago, so put it with the kits I haven't yet done from my subscription boxes (which I'd just started to get when I found the wind chime kit). While the unicorn's paint was drying seemed a good time to work on it. Plus, now I feel good for finally getting around to doing it.
Anyway, I also made this heart shaped dream catcher...
I know it's not done in the traditional way... I kind of just put it together how I felt it should be done, not caring if it wasn't quite how they're normally done, since I figured something like that should be a bit more personalized.
I started a new kit a couple of days ago too. I'm doing my other owl sewing kit. It's a different kit, so at least my owls will be a bit different. "Ollie the owl" - as the kit itself calls him - doesn't have that pocket on his tummy for a start. Either way, I'm stitching another owl, and he's maybe about a third done. Of course, I'll post his photo when I've finished him. Or, more accurately, as soon as I get to it afterwards, since it does often take us several days to get around to sorting photos, so sometimes they get posted a week or so later than they otherwise might have, as regulars on here may have noticed. Hey, we get to them... Eventually. We just don't tend to rush. Not unless we need to, because it's time sensative, or it's something I'm desperate to post about. Don't take it personally though, because we're the same way with most things.
Anyhow, as well as crafting, I've also been baking.
I made a spice cake, made with the same sort of spice combination you'd use for pumpkin pie, or pumpkin spice cake, just because I've got a lot of "pumpkin spice" mixed up, and it seemed like a good idea. Plus, I made more brownies for Kelly, because he's a big fan of my brownies. I did eat a couple myself, but I'm not a fan... Brownies are as close as I ever get to chocolate cake though. But I made myself a spinach and mushroom quiche, a mini lemon tart (done to use the scraps from the pastry from the quiche) and - since it's something I love that Kelly doesn't - this coconut cake with lime butter icing:
I made most of them over a week ago, so they're long since gone. We enjoyed them though. I made the spice cake last week, but that's gone now too, since we were enjoying that over the weekend. They were a lovely addition to our crafting and DVD watching time. At least, I think so, and Kelly sure seemed to be enjoying his brownies, and his share of the spice cake.
In other news...
My post-op appointment, which I thought was on April 9th, was actually supposed to have been on April 8th. Since I went to the hospital on the 9th, I missed my appointment, and they just discharged me. They did ask when I was at the hospital if I had any concerns that meant I needed to be seen urgently, but since I seem to be recovering just fine, and wasn't about to say otherwise just to be seen (especially since I'd have had to waste my day in A and E to get seen, and had apparently wasted part of it already as it was) the hospital couldn't - or wouldn't - really do anything. If I want to be seen by a gynecologist properly, I have to go talk to my doctor for a referral, or have a big enough issue that I end up going in to A and E. Since they would have just been poking at my scar and asking if I felt OK, and then would have discharged me anyhow, and it will take several months for me to get to see a gynecologist if I ask my doctor to refer me again, I'm not going to bother. No point going through all that fuss just for someone to poke at my scar in six months or so (possibly even close to a year) and then tell me to go home. If something comes up, I can always call the doctor when it does. That or go to A and E, depending on how bad the issue is. It will get resolved quicker that way anyhow. In theory I shouldn't need to do either though. I'm no longer in pain, and the scar has knitted itself together nicely by the look of it. I'm even getting in and out of the bath by myself easily, playing with Lilie properly, and was fine with the stairs. So, while I officially shouldn't have been fully discharged without a physical examination, I'm not going to fight them on it. I don't see the point. Like I said, if something crops up, I'll get myself seen. Otherwise... *shrugs*
Oh, and... Yes. I took the bins of needles with me when I went to the hospital, like I planned to. No. I didn't bring them home. I almost ended up doing so, but the woman from the help desk helped me out. Well, women, plural, actually. They were great! They contacted various departments in the hospital, and eventually managed to get SAU to agree they should take them as part of their duty of care to me, since it was them spacifically who had discharged me with the shots (a fact they couldn't dispute, since one of the bins actually had a label on it identifying it as being property of that particular ward). Apparently, had they had purple lids instead of yellow ones, I wouldn't have had to go through all that fuss. I did offer to paint the lids purple, but it seems that wouldn't help. No pleasing some people! Either way, despite them having yellow lids, the little plastic bins of needles are finally gone! YAY!
Still on the medical front: I do have one issue, but it's not something the hospital would have dealt with usually anyhow. They cracked one of my teeth during surgery. I didn't think it was bad, and didn't notice it at first... Too distracted with the pain in my stomach, and the allergies to the pain meds, I suppose. Either way, when I did realize, I figured I'd get the post-op stuff out of the way - thus giving myself time to heal enough to sit up for as long as needed for it to be dealt with - and then see about calling the dentist. I'm past due a check-up anyhow, since being in and out of hospital so much in the past year has made going in for check-ups difficult to say the least. I guess the tooth was worse than I thought though, because it broke the other day. Needless to say, that was enough to prompt me to hurry up with that call to the dentist. I've got an appointment for April 24th at 12:45pm.
Luckily, my cold never came to much, and seems to have gone already.
Anyway, the weather's been all over the place. One day warm and sunny, so we have the windows open. The next cold and stormy, so the windows end up closed, and we're reaching for extra blankets. We've had temperatures ranging from about 2 degrees C to around 16 degrees C, and an interesting mixture of conditions, including rain, sun, and hail. A couple of days we even had fog and haze. At one point they promised snow too, though I wasn't surprised when that never showed up. It is April, after all, and we almost never get snow this time of year (if we're going to get it, it generally comes between the start of November and the end of March). I'm not saying it would be impossible for us to get snow between April and October. Just unusual enough that I never bothered getting my hopes up. Of course, Lilie and I would have enjoyed it if it had snowed though. Since it didn't, we enjoyed some puddles from the rain instead. Lilie loves puddles. She's quite the water dog at times. As for me... Well, I'm just a big kid, so of course I love splashing in puddles! *wink*
Monday, April 15, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For April 15th 2019
We are like trees whose roots divide and spread outwards. Our neighbours are the same. Their roots too spread out and interlace with ours. Like trees in a wood, our trunks are quite separate but beneath the soil an inextricably tangled network.
~C.R. Milne
Who is it that can make muddy water clear? No one. But left to stand, it will gradually clear of itself.
~Loa Tzu
Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
Dreams are like stars. You may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.
~Liam James
At some point in life, the world's beauty becomes enough.
~Toni Morrison
The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see.
~Barry Neil Kaufman
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
~Albert Einstein
Friday, April 12, 2019
#FurkidFriday: "She's Not Broken Any More."
Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.
She's not broken any more!
Mummy, I mean. Just in case you aren't sure who I'm talking about.
She's playing ball properly and everything.
It's great, especially since I've got all those new balls to try out.
Speaking of which, I better get back to it...
I just thought you'd like to know.
Lots of licks,
Lilie
She's not broken any more!
Mummy, I mean. Just in case you aren't sure who I'm talking about.
She's playing ball properly and everything.
It's great, especially since I've got all those new balls to try out.
Speaking of which, I better get back to it...
I just thought you'd like to know.
Lots of licks,
Lilie
Thursday, April 11, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - April 11th 2019 #Reviews
It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Changes by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the most part I loved this book as much as I have the others in the series. In fact, in some ways I loved it more,, because I've become so invested in the characters by this point, and the stakes are certainly high in this one. So, why only four stars? The cliffhanger ending. I've let some cliffhangers slide with this author, but this one... WOW! Leaving the ending like that is just mean! I'm glad I had the next book already, because it would have driven me nuts otherwise. As it was I had to stay up a while longer to start the next book. I know that's the whole point of cliffhangers, but I hate when authors do it.
As for what I've been watching:
I actually watched some of my DVDs during the past week. Yeah, I know. I'll give you a moment to pick yourself back up off the floor. All set? Are you back on your chair now? No serious injuries from falling down from the shock of what I just said? Great! *wink*
Anyway, I watched the first three disks of season eight of NCIS. Yeah, I know, I'm incredibly behind on episodes of that. I'm incredibly behind on pretty much everything I want to wach though, so never mind. Honestly, the only thing longer than my to-watch list is my to-read list. Haha! At least I'm now a few disks - half a season, in fact - closer to catching up with NCIS. Hey, it's progress, and any progress is good progress, right?
I also watched some movies on Sky Cinema Disney the other day, while I was doing stuff within earshot of the TV for a long time, but didn't want to fuss with a DVD, so thought I'd check out what was on TV I could watch. They were all ones I've seen several times before though. I watched "Bolt" and "Pocahantas" from start to finish, and "The Lion King" from about ten minutes in to the movie until the end (because that's how far through it was when I went to see what was on the channel). All three are movies I love, so I was happy to watch them again, despite having seen all three several times already.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Changes by Jim ButcherMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the most part I loved this book as much as I have the others in the series. In fact, in some ways I loved it more,, because I've become so invested in the characters by this point, and the stakes are certainly high in this one. So, why only four stars? The cliffhanger ending. I've let some cliffhangers slide with this author, but this one... WOW! Leaving the ending like that is just mean! I'm glad I had the next book already, because it would have driven me nuts otherwise. As it was I had to stay up a while longer to start the next book. I know that's the whole point of cliffhangers, but I hate when authors do it.
As for what I've been watching:
I actually watched some of my DVDs during the past week. Yeah, I know. I'll give you a moment to pick yourself back up off the floor. All set? Are you back on your chair now? No serious injuries from falling down from the shock of what I just said? Great! *wink*
Anyway, I watched the first three disks of season eight of NCIS. Yeah, I know, I'm incredibly behind on episodes of that. I'm incredibly behind on pretty much everything I want to wach though, so never mind. Honestly, the only thing longer than my to-watch list is my to-read list. Haha! At least I'm now a few disks - half a season, in fact - closer to catching up with NCIS. Hey, it's progress, and any progress is good progress, right?
I also watched some movies on Sky Cinema Disney the other day, while I was doing stuff within earshot of the TV for a long time, but didn't want to fuss with a DVD, so thought I'd check out what was on TV I could watch. They were all ones I've seen several times before though. I watched "Bolt" and "Pocahantas" from start to finish, and "The Lion King" from about ten minutes in to the movie until the end (because that's how far through it was when I went to see what was on the channel). All three are movies I love, so I was happy to watch them again, despite having seen all three several times already.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Not-So-Cute #Rabbits, And The Other Animals Of Nytefall - A Guest Post By @cyallowitz
Thank you to Victoria for offering a space on her blog to help promote my newest release, War of Nytefall: Rivalry. This is the third volume of my vampire series, which takes place in the world of Windemere where my previous series, Legends of Windemere, was set. So, there is a lot of magic and monsters in this world to join the civil war between the old-world vampires and the more dangerous Dawn Fangs. Let’s meet the . . . Oh . . . Yeah, I might have a problem here.
In my last series, I had Fizzle the drite who was a purple dragon with dragonfly wings. He was very popular and was perfect for gaining attention to the books. He was happy, loved apples, talked like a child, and had enough power to protect his friends. Fizzle worked for that series because it was an epic adventure with a sense of bright humor. War of Nytefall has an entire cast of vampires, so cute animals are kind of rare. Now, if you will bear/bare/beer with me and cast the ‘cute’ part aside, I do have a few critters that you can meet.
Lost’s Bunny
This may take a little explanation. Lost is a vampire who was born instead of turned, so she’s very special. She’s also a powerful psionic and her pet/weapon is this bunny. Originally, this was my sister’s character in ‘Vampire: The Masquerade’ RPG and she just did whatever popped into her head at the time. Having promised to keep the character as close to what she was, I couldn’t forget the rabbit. It flies around and moves really fast, which is really because of her telekinesis. Many times, it’s shot through an enemy because they’re too busy watching the vampire dancing around in front of them. The poor thing doubles as a purse too with gems, coins, and other random objects inside of it.
It’s really hard to put this creature on the list even though it has the most amount of page time among the ‘animals’. The reason is because it isn’t alive. As a baby, Lost was approached by this rabbit and it tried to bite her. She snapped its neck and they’ve been friends ever since with her subconsciously animating the bunny. The two of them talk with people only hearing her side of the conversation and she feeds it tomatoes. I describe it fairly often as looking decrepit and strange, which is the main reason I said that we weren’t going to find any cute animals here.
Bob’s Horses
Bob is one of the vampire heroes who has an obsession with horses. He loves them and will bring them up in conversation every chance he gets. In fact, his special power is that he can create horses from corpses. He can actually do it to any animal, but he sticks to horses for the most part. In an emergency, Bob will use another riding beast while complaining about them or getting himself to believe that they are close enough to horses to count. One of my favorite scenes is him using a cobbled together pronghorn antelope and having to do repairs as he rides along.
Here’s the thing with Bob and his horses: They aren’t normal. That might seem like an understatement, but I’m sure everyone is thinking skeletal and zombie horses right now. It isn’t that simple. He literally builds them and can keep a stable of 12-16 before he has to junk one to make room for another. Bob can make them for speed, strength, agility, gliding, metal skin, stone skin, breathing acid, and the list is as long as his imagination. Whatever parts and ingredients he can get his hands on, he can put into or onto one of his creations. For example, he could take a normal stallion and add griffin wings to it for a makeshift Pegasus. So, I can’t really list all of his horses because I’d be here all day. There are always some new ones that show up in every book too.
Clyde’s Eusu
I almost forgot about this guy because he’s in the background. Clyde is the leader of the Dawn Fangs and the protagonist of the entire series. After being transformed by the Great Cataclysm into a vampire who is immune to sunlight and displays incredible physical abilities, he becomes a target of the old-world vampires. They really fear him because his blood can transform them into Dawn Fangs, which many go through with for the increase in power. Personality-wise, Clyde is aggressive and struggling to maintain his humanity, so I gave him a pet. It wasn’t on purpose either. It just kind of happened because I had this animal hanging around where he had one of his big battles in War of Nytefall: Loyalty. It was eating so many vampires and some of his blood that I couldn’t imagine it being anything other than an immortal pet.
So, what is an Eusu? Imagine a large alligator that is really aggressive and the top of whatever food chain it decides to join. At least in regards to non-magical animals. Of course, there has to be something unique for me to call it something other than an alligator. It’s got a four-jawed mouth that opens into a wide ‘X’ and slams down on its prey with enough force to usually snap its neck or sever a limb. This was a beast I came up with on the fly when I wanted Timoran Wrath to have a big fight in Legends of Windemere: The Compass Key. He’s a barbarian and I wanted a really nasty predator. The Eusu just came to me and it’s been one of my favorite creatures to use ever since. It’s surprisingly simple in design and makes a great pet for someone like Clyde who is rather predatory himself. It typically hangs around the moat that is near his fortress or wanders out to prowl the island in search of food. Given that it’s been vampirized to some extent, this Eusu is much stronger and durable than others. Makes me wonder if I should do more with it.
So, there are the animals found within War of Nytefall: Rivalry (UK readers can find the book here). Hope you enjoyed it enough to give the book a look on Amazon. See you in the comments.
***~~~***
About the Author:
Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
#Unicorn Slippers, #HarryPotter Boxes, And #MothersDay Gifts
The last few days of March contained a lot of fun post, as well as some tasty goodies for me.
In the parcel that contained Lilie's princess paws outfit from my Mam, there was a pair of unicorn slippers for me.....
(Yes, they're on my feet in the photo)
Mam also sent me this Mother and Daughter plaque:
Plus, my Harry Potter box arrived. For those who like to know, March's box contained the following:
A t-shirt with a toad, some chicken feathers, and moons on it...
(Illustrating how you get a basalisk, I assume, especially given the theme of this month's box... I'm basing this on my knowledge of how that's meant to work, which comes from what they say in the books and movies).
A chocolate frogs poster...
Some sweets, which were some actual edible chocolate frogs, and some sherbert lemons...
(Yes, they did taste good, in case you were wondering).
Some "divination" Earl Grey tea, complete with a tea strainer...
(I do have one of those strainer things, though this one's slightly smaller than mine... Not that it matters. Doesn't hurt to have a spare though, and since this is the third tea they've sent out, I'm glad they thought to include one at some point for those who don't have one, since a lot of people probably didn't before they sent this one out).
An ornamental mandrake...
(the first photo shows it in its pot, the second shows it out of the pot, so you can see it more clearly).
And a Ravenclaw print...
There was also something with details on it about how I can order a personalized Hogwarts letter, plus a scratch card that I'm waiting to find out what I won from, since we had to contact them to tell them what was on my card, and haven't had the reply yet. At least, we haven't had it at the time I'm writing this, though we might have by the time it goes live.
If that wasn't enough, the last Sunday in March was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam got me a little something from Lilie. It's a little wooden heart with a message on it. Here's a photo:
Kelly also got me some mini flapjack bites, and caramel crispy bites, which were the rest of my Mothers' Day present from Lilie. I didn't bother to get photos of those, though I did enjoy eating them. *wink*
Like I said, lots of fun post, and tasty goodies!
In the parcel that contained Lilie's princess paws outfit from my Mam, there was a pair of unicorn slippers for me.....
(Yes, they're on my feet in the photo)
Mam also sent me this Mother and Daughter plaque:
Plus, my Harry Potter box arrived. For those who like to know, March's box contained the following:
A t-shirt with a toad, some chicken feathers, and moons on it...
(Illustrating how you get a basalisk, I assume, especially given the theme of this month's box... I'm basing this on my knowledge of how that's meant to work, which comes from what they say in the books and movies).
A chocolate frogs poster...
Some sweets, which were some actual edible chocolate frogs, and some sherbert lemons...
(Yes, they did taste good, in case you were wondering).
Some "divination" Earl Grey tea, complete with a tea strainer...
(I do have one of those strainer things, though this one's slightly smaller than mine... Not that it matters. Doesn't hurt to have a spare though, and since this is the third tea they've sent out, I'm glad they thought to include one at some point for those who don't have one, since a lot of people probably didn't before they sent this one out).
An ornamental mandrake...
(the first photo shows it in its pot, the second shows it out of the pot, so you can see it more clearly).
And a Ravenclaw print...
There was also something with details on it about how I can order a personalized Hogwarts letter, plus a scratch card that I'm waiting to find out what I won from, since we had to contact them to tell them what was on my card, and haven't had the reply yet. At least, we haven't had it at the time I'm writing this, though we might have by the time it goes live.
If that wasn't enough, the last Sunday in March was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam got me a little something from Lilie. It's a little wooden heart with a message on it. Here's a photo:
Kelly also got me some mini flapjack bites, and caramel crispy bites, which were the rest of my Mothers' Day present from Lilie. I didn't bother to get photos of those, though I did enjoy eating them. *wink*
Like I said, lots of fun post, and tasty goodies!
Monday, April 08, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #SelfCare #Quotes For April 8th 2019
We need to replace your vicious stress cycle with a vicious cycle of self care.
~Dr. Sara Gottfried
Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.
~Anna Taylor
Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.
~Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
Taking care of yourself doesn't mean me first, it means me too.
~L.R. Knost
When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
~Jean Shinoda Bolen
Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire.
~Amy Ippoliti
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
~Anne Lamott
Friday, April 05, 2019
#FurkidFriday: Mollie The #Chinchilla Is Doing Well By Herself
Hi everyone. This is Mollie the chinchilla.
I don't really have much to say, to be honest. I mean, nothing exciting has happened to me lately. But I thought I'd check in, and let you know I'm doing OK. You know... Just in case you were wondering.
Actually, I'm doing a lot better in this cage all by myself than the human caretakers expected me to do.
They thought I'd be all miserable, but I'm happily playing, enjoying sand baths, eating well, and that kind of thing. I've even started coming to the front of the cage to greet the Mummy human when she brings me my nibbles, and letting her pet me for a few moments. Not for long though, because I need to get to the nibbles, after all. But she seems to like it, and I have to admit I kind of like it too. That bit of attention at nibbles time is enough for me though. I'm happy to play my myself the rest of the time. Well, when I'm not napping, or watching NCIS, CSI, or whatever else is on TV for me to watch.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
I don't really have much to say, to be honest. I mean, nothing exciting has happened to me lately. But I thought I'd check in, and let you know I'm doing OK. You know... Just in case you were wondering.
Actually, I'm doing a lot better in this cage all by myself than the human caretakers expected me to do.
They thought I'd be all miserable, but I'm happily playing, enjoying sand baths, eating well, and that kind of thing. I've even started coming to the front of the cage to greet the Mummy human when she brings me my nibbles, and letting her pet me for a few moments. Not for long though, because I need to get to the nibbles, after all. But she seems to like it, and I have to admit I kind of like it too. That bit of attention at nibbles time is enough for me though. I'm happy to play my myself the rest of the time. Well, when I'm not napping, or watching NCIS, CSI, or whatever else is on TV for me to watch.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
Thursday, April 04, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - April 4th 2019 #Reviews (Includes Challenge Updates)
It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to the series, and a fantastic book in general. I'm absolutely loving this series, and can't wait to read the next book. I've already mentioned in reviews for the previous books in the series how great the worldbuilding and characters are. Add to that a nicely paced and exciting plot, with plenty of action, some emotional scenes, and some twists and turns, and you have the recipe for an awesome read.
As for what I've been watching:
Yeah... I've got nothing. I've caught snatches of things on TV, but that's about it. I was going to watch a couple of DVDs on Sunday, but it was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam felt talkative, so I spent most of Sunday talking to her instead.
***~~~***
Since we're quarter of the way through the year - yes, already - I thought I'd take a moment to update you on how I'm doing with my reading and watching challenges for 2019. So, this is how things stand at the moment:
As you can no doubt tell, though I'm doing well on the alphabet challenges, I'm a few books behind on my reading goal, and several DVDs behind on my watching goal. I should have read about 26 books and 13 DVDs by now. It's fine though. It's only early April, so I have plenty of time to catch up.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Turn Coat by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to the series, and a fantastic book in general. I'm absolutely loving this series, and can't wait to read the next book. I've already mentioned in reviews for the previous books in the series how great the worldbuilding and characters are. Add to that a nicely paced and exciting plot, with plenty of action, some emotional scenes, and some twists and turns, and you have the recipe for an awesome read.
As for what I've been watching:
Yeah... I've got nothing. I've caught snatches of things on TV, but that's about it. I was going to watch a couple of DVDs on Sunday, but it was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam felt talkative, so I spent most of Sunday talking to her instead.
***~~~***
Since we're quarter of the way through the year - yes, already - I thought I'd take a moment to update you on how I'm doing with my reading and watching challenges for 2019. So, this is how things stand at the moment:
- I've so far read 22 books towards my goal of 104 books.
- I've completed 8 letters for the title version of the A-Z challenge, and 10 for the author version of the A-Z challenge.
- I've so far watched 4 DVDs towards my goal of 52 DVDs.
As you can no doubt tell, though I'm doing well on the alphabet challenges, I'm a few books behind on my reading goal, and several DVDs behind on my watching goal. I should have read about 26 books and 13 DVDs by now. It's fine though. It's only early April, so I have plenty of time to catch up.
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
#WriterWednesday - April 3rd 2019
I managed to get some more of my adventure story written during the past week, as well as doing some more roleplaying write-ups for Kelly's roleplaying game. I don't mind doing the write-ups for him, even though it takes away from the time I can spend on my own writing projects. Partially because I like that he asks me; I like the fact he thinks enough of my writing to consider me a good choice for helping with the write-ups for his games. But mostly because we work on them together in the ideas phase, and I enjoy doing something together that involves the interests we share. In this case roleplaying (though roleplaying isn't the only interest we share, of course). It's Star Wars too, so there's that as well, since Star Wars is awesome! Harry Potter is better - in my opinion anyhow, though I think he'd say it's the other way around - but Star Wars is definitely a favourite in our houshold for both of us, regardless of which way around we'd list Harry Potter and Star Wars on our favourites list.
Hey, did you know writing is a habit, which is why a lot of people fail at it? It's also why a lot of people say you should write every day, or try to. How many hours a day you should spend writing varies. Even whether or not you should write every day depends; writing every day may not work for you. But writing regularly will, if you make it work. Of course, sometimes life really does cause problems with that. I've been there a lot myself, especially in the past year. But mostly you can make it a habit you stick to. If you want to, that is. You just have to figure out what will work best for you with everything else you want and need to fit in to your schedule, make an appointment with your writing, and stick to it. Even if your muse doesn't show up, and you end up writing rubbish. Of course, if it's time to take a 'break' from writing, that's fine. But when the break is over, and you'd planned to get back to writing, make sure you actually do everything in your power to do so.
On a similar note, check out these reasons to go out to write, and consider whether that might be the way to help you keep your own writing appointment with yourself.
OK, let's assume you've got your writing schedule figured out. Or, at least, you're getting writing done somehow, whether at home or somewhere else. Except you're not enjoying it. So, what does it mean when writing stops being fun? Maybe just that you haven't found the right project, and need to find the one that brings the magic back in to writing for you. Speaking of which, here's some help with nudging that magic along.
Regardless of who's in your story, here are some tips to creating a rivalry, because it can sometimes be a useful - and entertaining - addition to your story. Maybe not. But you never know. You now have some tips for writing a rivalry in to your story if you think one belongs there anyhow.
Next, here are some tips for more effective writing, which you may find useful, whether you're a new writer, or someone who has been writing for many years.
By the way, if you're struggling to find an idea, chances are it's because you don't 'find' inspiration. It finds you. There are things you can do to help find potential ideas, but the one that works best is being on the look out for new ideas all the time, and making a note of them when they show up. So, where do your ideas come from?
No matter where your idea came from, if you've finished your book, and are planning to write some posts to promote it - either for your own blog, or for the blogs of others who might have invited you to guest post - and you're stuck for topics, check out this list of ideas for guest posts which are related to your new release.
Oh, and don't forget that your book's description is one of the things that's going to potentially hook a new reader. So, to help you make sure yours is awesome, here's how to write a good book description.
Hey, did you know writing is a habit, which is why a lot of people fail at it? It's also why a lot of people say you should write every day, or try to. How many hours a day you should spend writing varies. Even whether or not you should write every day depends; writing every day may not work for you. But writing regularly will, if you make it work. Of course, sometimes life really does cause problems with that. I've been there a lot myself, especially in the past year. But mostly you can make it a habit you stick to. If you want to, that is. You just have to figure out what will work best for you with everything else you want and need to fit in to your schedule, make an appointment with your writing, and stick to it. Even if your muse doesn't show up, and you end up writing rubbish. Of course, if it's time to take a 'break' from writing, that's fine. But when the break is over, and you'd planned to get back to writing, make sure you actually do everything in your power to do so.
On a similar note, check out these reasons to go out to write, and consider whether that might be the way to help you keep your own writing appointment with yourself.
OK, let's assume you've got your writing schedule figured out. Or, at least, you're getting writing done somehow, whether at home or somewhere else. Except you're not enjoying it. So, what does it mean when writing stops being fun? Maybe just that you haven't found the right project, and need to find the one that brings the magic back in to writing for you. Speaking of which, here's some help with nudging that magic along.
Regardless of who's in your story, here are some tips to creating a rivalry, because it can sometimes be a useful - and entertaining - addition to your story. Maybe not. But you never know. You now have some tips for writing a rivalry in to your story if you think one belongs there anyhow.
Next, here are some tips for more effective writing, which you may find useful, whether you're a new writer, or someone who has been writing for many years.
By the way, if you're struggling to find an idea, chances are it's because you don't 'find' inspiration. It finds you. There are things you can do to help find potential ideas, but the one that works best is being on the look out for new ideas all the time, and making a note of them when they show up. So, where do your ideas come from?
No matter where your idea came from, if you've finished your book, and are planning to write some posts to promote it - either for your own blog, or for the blogs of others who might have invited you to guest post - and you're stuck for topics, check out this list of ideas for guest posts which are related to your new release.
Oh, and don't forget that your book's description is one of the things that's going to potentially hook a new reader. So, to help you make sure yours is awesome, here's how to write a good book description.
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
#Puppy Birthdays, #Mindfulness Rituals, Kettles, And Medical Mutterings
Last Tuesday was Lilie's 2nd birthday. How did she get to be two already? It seems like it couldn't have been that long since we brought that little eight week old puppy home. But now she's officially not a puppy any more. Of course, I'll probably still call her one, especially since turning two has done nothing to dampen her enthusiasm for getting as much fun out of life as possible. We're still chuckling at her excitement when Kelly tipped a box of balls out in front of her. She didn't know which to play with first, and still keeps bringing different balls randomly, with the sturdy rubber ones that we gave her one of early being favourites (she's got seven of those, in a variety of colours... Even a purple one).
Anyway, I found this list of mini rituals for your daily spiritual practice recently. They're officially aimed at those following one of the Pagan paths, but could potentially be options for anyone wanting to be more mindful in their daily life, so I thought I'd share them here, for the benifit of anyone who may be interested in checking them out.
In other news: I killed the kettle. It was an accident. I forgot there was water in the bowl in the sink, and went to fill the kettle, plunging it in to water, and soaking the parts you're not meant to get wet. We tried to dry it out, but every time we plug it in, it fizzles and knocks the power off for the whole apartment. So... Erm... I guess we need a new kettle again. In the meantime, we're having to heat water for my cups of tea in a pot instead.
For those who might be wondering: yes, the workmen have been around. We're still waiting for the work in our apartment to be done, but we've seen them doing jobs elsewhere in the building. I wish they'd come do the stuff in our place, but at least we know they genuinely are busy doing stuff in the other apartments in the building, since we can hear them, and have seen them when they've been doing the outside and hallway jobs.
Oh, and... No. The council did not come and pick up the bins with the used needles in. We put them down in the hallway last Wednesday night, like we were supposed to so they'd be there for the following day, and I made sure to be up to listen for the buzzer before there was any chance they'd be coming. Nothing. Either they didn't come at all, or they showed up, didn't see the bins out there, and left, despite the fact they were meant to buzz to get in to the building to get them, since I refuse to leave them out on the street, and made them make a note on the pick-up arrangements that they were to buzz to get in to the building. I won't be responsible for some random person getting hold of them, as I said when I mentioned this before. The normal rubbish pick-up happened, but nobody tried to get in to pick up the medical stuff, nor did they attempt to contact me either before or after they were meant to have been here to pick the little bins of needles up. I know the buzzer was working too, since I had no trouble letting the postman and parcel delivery guys in. Well, the speaker part is still a bit iffy from us to the outside, but the rest of it works, so I'd have known it was them, and been able to let them in the building, even if they hadn't heard me. Either way, we brought them back upstairs after they didn't show that day, which means the little bins are currently back to sitting on the kitchen counter again. *sigh*
Anyway, it's been almost eight weeks since I had my surgery, and I'm finally not in pain any more. Well, I get some mild pain when I do some things, but mostly I don't hurt any more. I've had a bit of a cold this past week or so though. Not a bad one. Just enough to have me sneezing and coughing a lot, and feeling a bit tired and run down. At least sneezing and coughing is no longer as painful as it was whenever I did it a few weeks ago, which is a good sign, since it means I must be healing well.
I was going to share photos of all the happy post I got during the past week, but we haven't had time to sort the photos, so I guess I won't be posting those today. I'll post about it all next week instead.
Anyway, I found this list of mini rituals for your daily spiritual practice recently. They're officially aimed at those following one of the Pagan paths, but could potentially be options for anyone wanting to be more mindful in their daily life, so I thought I'd share them here, for the benifit of anyone who may be interested in checking them out.
In other news: I killed the kettle. It was an accident. I forgot there was water in the bowl in the sink, and went to fill the kettle, plunging it in to water, and soaking the parts you're not meant to get wet. We tried to dry it out, but every time we plug it in, it fizzles and knocks the power off for the whole apartment. So... Erm... I guess we need a new kettle again. In the meantime, we're having to heat water for my cups of tea in a pot instead.
For those who might be wondering: yes, the workmen have been around. We're still waiting for the work in our apartment to be done, but we've seen them doing jobs elsewhere in the building. I wish they'd come do the stuff in our place, but at least we know they genuinely are busy doing stuff in the other apartments in the building, since we can hear them, and have seen them when they've been doing the outside and hallway jobs.
Oh, and... No. The council did not come and pick up the bins with the used needles in. We put them down in the hallway last Wednesday night, like we were supposed to so they'd be there for the following day, and I made sure to be up to listen for the buzzer before there was any chance they'd be coming. Nothing. Either they didn't come at all, or they showed up, didn't see the bins out there, and left, despite the fact they were meant to buzz to get in to the building to get them, since I refuse to leave them out on the street, and made them make a note on the pick-up arrangements that they were to buzz to get in to the building. I won't be responsible for some random person getting hold of them, as I said when I mentioned this before. The normal rubbish pick-up happened, but nobody tried to get in to pick up the medical stuff, nor did they attempt to contact me either before or after they were meant to have been here to pick the little bins of needles up. I know the buzzer was working too, since I had no trouble letting the postman and parcel delivery guys in. Well, the speaker part is still a bit iffy from us to the outside, but the rest of it works, so I'd have known it was them, and been able to let them in the building, even if they hadn't heard me. Either way, we brought them back upstairs after they didn't show that day, which means the little bins are currently back to sitting on the kitchen counter again. *sigh*
Anyway, it's been almost eight weeks since I had my surgery, and I'm finally not in pain any more. Well, I get some mild pain when I do some things, but mostly I don't hurt any more. I've had a bit of a cold this past week or so though. Not a bad one. Just enough to have me sneezing and coughing a lot, and feeling a bit tired and run down. At least sneezing and coughing is no longer as painful as it was whenever I did it a few weeks ago, which is a good sign, since it means I must be healing well.
I was going to share photos of all the happy post I got during the past week, but we haven't had time to sort the photos, so I guess I won't be posting those today. I'll post about it all next week instead.
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