I was hoping by now I'd have the next phase of my story completed, and be able to tell you I'm done with the rewrites. Except extremely hot weather happened. I struggle when it gets much past 20 degrees C, and it hit 30 degrees C. So... Yeah... I took naps instead of working on the stuff I had been when Lilie and Logan were napping, because I couldn't focus anyhow. Then, when it finally cooled down some, I had a huge stack of eMails waiting for my attention, which is what I've been focussing on during the past couple of days. So, though I did make a little progress with my rewrites over the two weeks since I last did one of these kind of writer Wednesday posts, it's not as much as I'd hoped. Still, any progress is good progress. At least I did talk to one of the cover artists I use, and made plans for when he'll be working on the cover. That counts as progress too, right? Now I just need to finish the story...
Anyway, since I had a lot of eMails to go through, I ended up with quite a lot of links to share. So, let's see what I've got for you today, shall we?
First of all, did you know, your favourite book might determine the kinds of stories you're destined to write? Yes, really. At the very least, they'll help you figure out the elements of a story that will capture and hold your interest the best, which is a step in the right direction.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't look elsewhere for inspiration. After all, "write what you know" is bad writing advice if you take it literally.
On a similar note: here's a word about research, you might want to bear in mind.
Wherever your inspiration and information comes from, this is why a writer should never hold back, and why you shouldn't let fear of people reading your work and seeing you as you really are stop you writing what you want/need to.
Your words will find a way, even if it's not the way you planned, and regardless of when you're at your most creative.
Yes. You will finish that thing. So don't let doubt stop you. Just write one word, and then another word, and then another, and pretty soon you'll have a finished story to show for it.
OK, so maybe you feel like you need a writing break? Fine. Just bear in mind this reason some writers don't like taking breaks from writing, and be careful with shiny new ideas.
So... What if you stop writing and never start again? Well, how you feel about that is up to you. However, if you're considering quitting writing - which I hope you aren't, but it's totally up to you, like I said - please, please, please, don't quit writing because someone says you should. If it's what you really want to do. Fine. But don't let others bully you in to quitting, especially if writing is something that brings you pleasure. If you want to keep writing, protect your writing dream. But whether you write or not should be your choice. Don't let anyone take that choice away from you. I mean, why do people even do that anyway? why do some readers give writers such harsh feedback? And why do people think writing is something that's a waste of time, so push people to quit doing it? Whatever their reasons, don't let them get to you!
I'm going to assume you're going to keep writing. Whatever it takes, right? Just be careful of burnout, and remember that burnout doesn't always feel the way it's 'supposed' to feel, so make sure to practice regular self care. there's so little time, so use yours wisely, and make memories you'll be glad to look back on.
Next, here's a post for those times when you're feeling motivated to write, but too exhausted to create, which is something I've dealt with a lot - especially last year. Only you know if you should just write anyway, if you just need a nap, or if you have other things in your life you need to focus on more than your writing right now. Just bear in mind that putting your writing on hold does not make you weak!
If you still need them, here are some tips for balancing writing with life.
While you're figuring out how to do that, here's a post on how to use a paragraph, another on using similes and metaphors, and one discussing the use of the words that and which, because we could all do with brushing up on basic writing rules sometimes.
Next, here's how to add a time jump to your story, in case you need some tips on doing that.
Also, in case either of these apply for your story, here are some tips to writing factions in fiction, and tips to writing single father characters.
No matter who - or what - is in your story, you might want to check out these tips on avoiding first chapter blunders.
Also, this is why every story needs a sprinkling of fear, and how to make sure there's fear in yours.
Finally, don't forget: today is the last day of the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale. So don't forget to go to my Smashwords author page to find my books, and grab them at 25% off, in whichever format works best for your prefered method of reading eBooks, including mobi for Kindle, and a html format that works with web browsers.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Random Ramblings - July 30th 2019 Edition
I haven't actually done a proper Tuesday post in a couple of weeks, because I wanted to do that tag I found, and put up the A-Z challenge post too. So this is going to be a post to catch you up on the random goings on from the past few weeks, not necessarily in order.
This post is a relatively long one, so you might want to grab a drink, and maybe a snack too... If you don't already have those things on hand, that is. I'll wait. Just come back and continue reading from this point when you're ready. *wink*
***~~~***
I saw that quote on Twitter a couple of weeks ago. At the time, I had a puppy curled up against each foot, and the first thing I thought when I read that was, "Yeah... And I've got two of them, so that's twice as much happiness."
We won't talk about the times I can see why people say having dogs is like having toddlers, and I understand why some parents - especially those with two or more children - are always so glad when bed time comes. *wink*
We also won't talk about the nights when they really don't want to settle, and I find myself still awake at 2:00am trying everything in an attempt to get them to sleep, which naturally happens most on days when I need to be up early for some reason.
No. Those times don't happen a lot. But, as I said on Facebook recently, if you ever doubt the saying that having dogs is like having toddlers, you should try having mine for a while, especially during the last half an hour or so before bed time. Tired puppies and tired toddlers are both handfuls. I know it's true of toddlers from my times babysitting, and I'm sure you can guess how I know it's true of puppies. I don't mind though. Not really. I love my pups just the way they are. Even if there are times when I'm glad for the arrival of nap time, or when the only clear thought in my exhausted head is, "Please go to sleep, because then I can."
***~~~***
We took Logan to Oscars for his first ever outing. We wanted to show him to them, and thought combining his outing with lunch out would give him a positive association for his first walk, since he's extremely food motivated. I'm glad we did, because he definitely needed a positive association... Poor thing was so scared that he just sat down and cried every time I put him on the ground at first, and it took most of the time we were out to get him to even consider actually walking. We've taken him there since, as well as for other walks, and he's improving. He's still a bit unsure of how this walkies thing works, but he's getting there. At least he'll now walk some when he's put down on the ground, rather than just sitting on the spot I put him on and crying, and only whines a little from time to time (and that's mostly when he starts getting tired). He's even climbed a few of our stairs, though he's only tried going up so far, and hasn't attempted to get himself down them yet (he just waits at the top crying until I come rescue him). He sure tires quickly though... Quicker than Lilie and Kero did at his age... But I think it's the difference in the breed, since Westie's are a hardier breed. It's fine though. When I know he's getting tired, I just keep him in my arms, and he happily watches the world go by, and enjoys the feel of the ocean breeze in his fur.
Anyway, they loved getting to meet Logan at Oscars, as I knew they would. They adore Lilie too. We always have people wanting to come say hi to Lilie whenever we're out and about - which is just fine by her - and now we have two dogs everyone wants to greet. At one point I had someone come over and start petting them, and the person suddenly thought about the fact she hadn't asked if I minded her doing so, and said, "I'm sorry madam, but they're just so cute!" We get a lot of that.
***~~~***
We missed checking out Hastings Pirate Day this year. It was by choice though, and wasn't because of the weather.
We've had a lot of hot weather. This time last week, for example, it was in the high 20s... It got up to 28 degrees C last Tuesday late afternoon, and didn't cool down much that night. It was even hotter on Thursday, and actually reached temperatures above 30 degrees C (I'm told it got up to 34 degrees C here, though thankfully was sleeping during that part of the day). Bearing in mind, those temperatures are the temperatures outside, and our place usually runs a couple of degrees hotter. But, anyway, though we've had some hot days - too many of them, if you ask me - we've also had cooler days, and days somewhere in the middle. We've had some Summer rain showers, and storms of various strengths too.
The Sunday of Hastings Pirate Day was one of the days where it was warm and dry, but not hot. So it would have been a perfect day to be out there enjoying the pirate day events, both from our point of view, and the dogs'. I'm sure those who did go were glad the weather was so perfect.
But Hastings Pirate Day happened two days after Logan's first walk, and we thought it would be too much for him, given how quickly he gets tired, and how confusing the lead concept seems to be to him. Not to mention, the fact just a few people along the seafront on a Friday afternoon was enough to have him frightened, so the huge crowds we get for the pirate day events would be too much so soon. I mean, Hastings currently holds the world record for the most people dressed as pirates in one place, and the numbers listed for the record only include registered pirates, and not the people who come to the area for the events but don't dress up and register themselves. We stay on the edge of the crowds when possible, but even that can be a bit overwhealming at times. Logan is definitely not ready for that. So we skipped it for his sake this year. He should be able to face the crowds better by next year, so hopefully we can all go to at least some of the pirate events next year. It would be too much for even Lilie to do all of it, so we wouldn't even try. Actually, we never tried to go to more than part of the events, even when we were without dogs... There's too much going on to do it all without exhausting yourself. I do hope we can go to part of it next year though, like we've done most years since we moved down here.
We did all go out for a while that day, of course. But not to the pirate events. We just went to enjoy the part of the beach near home for a little while, and then headed back home. We waited until early evening though, so there weren't so many people out and about. We aren't right by where this year's pirate themed events were happening, but we're close enough that there were a lot of people out there during the afternoon. So we waited for the crowds to thin a little before taking the dogs out there.
***~~~***
I worry about the furkids when it get's really hot. Especially Mollie and the dogs, since Joshua handles heat better than the others. Mollie in particular suffers badly on hot days. I did what I could though, and everyone made it through.
One of the things we did was to try setting up some wet towels for the dogs to nap on. It was an idea Kelly had seen on social media, and we thought it was a good one,, so figured we'd try it out. Lilie agreed it was a great idea, and did nap with part of herself on her towel. Logan, however, was having none of it. He's not a fan of getting wet, and didn't think the cooling benifits were a good enough reason to get wet. So he found himself a different napping spot out of the sun... At least he was in a shady spot.
***~~~***
At the end of last week we had an awesome storm, which I think would be classed as a tropical storm. It's what I'm calling it anyhow. It showed up around dinner time on Thursday, and was still going on - though not so violently - through most of Friday and Saturday. There was a lot of rain, and a fair amount of thunder and lightning. Unfortunately, it didn't cool things down much. At least, not until Saturday evening, and even then it was only enough to put temperatures in the comfortable to me range (like 18 degrees C). That's why I think it would be considered a tropical storm: the heat and humidity.
Anyway, I was worried about how Logan would react to it, but either the heat had him too tired to care as much as usual, or Lilie and I are doing a great job of convincing him storms aren't scary. I'm not sure which. Either way, he got a bit agitated initially, but didn't require more than being able to stay close to me and Lilie throughout the night, which was easy enough to arrange, especially from my point of view. He wasn't even bothered about it any more by the time we were dealing with the milder storms of Friday and Saturday... Probably figured he was safe enough, since he survived Thursday night. It likely helped that they were more rain than anything, though there was some thunder and lightning thrown in across those two days (most of the thunder and lightning was Thursday night and early hours of Friday morning though).
***~~~***
Here are a couple of photos of Logan at 14 weeks old:
He's growing up so fast!
Sorry, I don't have new photos of Lilie today. We just snapped those of Logan to show how he's growing.
Logan is now almost 15 and a half weeks old. Can you believe it?
He has another vet appointment this Thursday (August 1st 2019). Hopefully the source of his getting upset last time was frustration at Lilie being on the ground and him not, and he won't get so upset this time, especially now he's starting to accept the lead, and not cry so much when he's down on the ground.
***~~~***
I had asthma clinic on July 18th. I was up for my yearly review, so they wouldn't give me new inhalers if I didn't see the asthma nurse. So I went to see her. It's good for me to be checked from time to time anyhow, and I should have been having yearly reviews all along, so I don't mind. In fact, I was glad to see they were doing what they were meant to... Finally.
My appointment went smoothly. I knew it would. My asthma's been behaving itself since last year, when I got my inhalers back, and they gave me the spacer thingy to help me control my breathing properly when taking them. So, as far as I was concerned, this was merely a necessary formality, and a "just in case" checkup. It did feel good having the asthma nurse tell me she was pleased with how I was doing though, and compliment me on how well I pay attention to what's going on with my body. I didn't tell her I sometimes ignore what my body is telling me. I was too busy enjoying her compliments. Hey, it's not often I get approval from doctors and nurses, after all.
Anyway, I had them weigh me while I was there. My Mam said it looked in the photos taken when we took Logan for his first walk like I might have lost some weight. I had my doubts. I mean, I feel fitter and everything, and did wonder if maybe I'd lost a little. But I've never really had much luck in losing weight, so wasn't counting on it. I figured my asthma clinic appointment was a good time to get a weight update though, especially since I hadn't been weighed in more than six months. Plus, I was curious. So I asked them to weigh me. Turns out I've lost 3 kilos (that's about 6.6 lbs).
***~~~***
For those who like to know: my Makerly box for July contained a cross stitch kit for a bird. I forget which kind of bird it was, though it was something tropical, since that was the theme of the kit.
***~~~***
I wanted to do some baking last week, but it was WAY too hot. So I decided to try something I could do in the microwave.
I made a flapjack, which consisted of oats, coconut milk, maple syrrup, and raisins, so was not just vegetarian friendly, but also vegan friendly. I just threw them all in a bowl, cooked them up in the microwave, and then put most of the mixture in a cake tin to cool. Several hours later - when it was cool enough to do so - I put it in the fridge. After it had set, I removed it from the tin, and put it on a plate. It won't win prizes for anything, least of all presentation, but here's a photo anyhow:
I cut it in to slices - like you would a cake - after the photo was taken.
It was pretty good. Stickier than it should have been (I think I used too much coconut milk) but pretty good, like I said. Especially considering I was just experimenting, and didn't measure quantities or anything. Not to mention the fact it was a microwaved flapjack, rather than one done in the oven. I'd kept some aside for breakfast though - hence only putting most of the mixture in the cake tin - and ate it still slightly warm, and that way was delicious. So, awesome as a breakfast option, but could use some work to make it a good flapjack.
I had better success with the vegan friendly apple-berry cake and banana-peanut cookies I made on Sunday, after the rain had cooled things down here a little, so I could actually do the baking I wanted to do. I think they turned out pretty well. Here are photos, for anyone who wants to see them:
The cake and cookies were both very tasty, if I do say so myself. Since there was nothing in them they couldn't have, I offered Lilie and Logan a bit of each, and they seemed to approve too. I wasn't surprised with Logan, since he eats just about anything, but I took it as a compliment from Lilie, since she's a picky eater.
Brownies were baked on the weekend too. But those were for Kelly, and I didn't take photos.
No. The pups didn't get any of those, because they're chocolate, and dogs aren't allowed chocolate. Just mentioning that, for anyone who might have been concerned. They were disappointed - especially Logan - but soon got over it when they saw I was willing to share my snacks.
***~~~***
My Mam got me a new smoothie maker.
I kept meaning to get one, but not getting around to it. Anyway, she got me one, so now I don't need to. It arrived on Sunday, because she ordered it on Saturday and has Amazon Prime.
I tried it out yesterday (Monday) morning. I made a smoothie involving coconut water, a banana, some raspberries, some blueberries, and a bit of spinach. That last for extra vitamins. It was really tasty, and since the berries and spinach were frozen, lovely and cool.
As an added bonus, I actually drank a decent amount of liquid yesterday morning, because of having the smoothie, which is something I need to work on, since I generally don't drink enough.
***~~~***
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook - or both - you might already know this, but I've made a big lifestyle choice recently.
After more than a decade of being vegetarian, I've decided to take the next step, and have switched to a vegan diet.
Yeah, that's why I was doing the vegan friendly stuff when I was baking. I wanted to make snacks, rather than buying them. It's cheaper, and makes knowing exactly what's in my food easier. I'm not saying I won't buy the ready-made vegan friendly snacks sometimes. I just want to mostly make my own.
There are a few reasons for my decision to become vegan, including the ethical and environmental ones you'll hear from many people making such a switch. After all, animal product free doesn't always mean cruelty free, and a vegan diet reduces your carbon footprint. But I have other reasons too, like the fact I'm lactos intollerent, so really should have switched out my dairy products to either lactos free or plant based alternatives ages ago, and since cheese was the thing making me reluctant to make the switch to veganism, if I'm going to switch my cheese anyhow, there's nothing holding me back any more. I mean, I used to think the upset stomach I got from eating it was worth it. I no longer feel that way. Especially after I finally won the battle for a hysterectomy. I wanted that for a chance at a better future. How can I celebrate that when I'm also letting my body suffer needlessly just for something that will be gone in a few minutes? I don't want anyone to suffer for what I eat, and that includes myself.
No. This is not a spur of the moment decision. It's something I've been thinking about for some time. But I didn't mention to anyone that I was considering it, because I didn't want the comments and opinions of others influencing my decision.
Anyway, I usually post about things on my blog first, but this time I posted on Twitter and Facebook first, because my posting slots were filled until today, and I wanted to ask a few vegan friends I have for tips and recipes at once. I was completely blown away by the response. Everyone I tagged on Facebook, plus some I hadn't, was immediately there with tips, recipes, and resources. As for my Twitter post... Well, I've quite literally never had that many people interact with one of my posts. I had people I didn't know coming from all over the place with tips, websites and YouTube channels I could check out, etc. People were liking and retweeting my tweet like crazy too... I've never had that many likes on a post, ever. It was just amazing, and I'm incredibly grateful to all those people for all the support, tips, etc.
Of course, I know there might be vegans reading this who either didn't see my tweet or Facebook post, or aren't even on those social media platforms. If either of those is the case for you, feel free to share tips, recipes, and resources in the comments. I'm especially looking for ideas for quick and easy meals with minimum cooking, for busy or hot days. Thank you in advance.
This post is a relatively long one, so you might want to grab a drink, and maybe a snack too... If you don't already have those things on hand, that is. I'll wait. Just come back and continue reading from this point when you're ready. *wink*
***~~~***
Happiness is a warm puppy.
~Charles M. Schulz
I saw that quote on Twitter a couple of weeks ago. At the time, I had a puppy curled up against each foot, and the first thing I thought when I read that was, "Yeah... And I've got two of them, so that's twice as much happiness."
We won't talk about the times I can see why people say having dogs is like having toddlers, and I understand why some parents - especially those with two or more children - are always so glad when bed time comes. *wink*
We also won't talk about the nights when they really don't want to settle, and I find myself still awake at 2:00am trying everything in an attempt to get them to sleep, which naturally happens most on days when I need to be up early for some reason.
No. Those times don't happen a lot. But, as I said on Facebook recently, if you ever doubt the saying that having dogs is like having toddlers, you should try having mine for a while, especially during the last half an hour or so before bed time. Tired puppies and tired toddlers are both handfuls. I know it's true of toddlers from my times babysitting, and I'm sure you can guess how I know it's true of puppies. I don't mind though. Not really. I love my pups just the way they are. Even if there are times when I'm glad for the arrival of nap time, or when the only clear thought in my exhausted head is, "Please go to sleep, because then I can."
***~~~***
We took Logan to Oscars for his first ever outing. We wanted to show him to them, and thought combining his outing with lunch out would give him a positive association for his first walk, since he's extremely food motivated. I'm glad we did, because he definitely needed a positive association... Poor thing was so scared that he just sat down and cried every time I put him on the ground at first, and it took most of the time we were out to get him to even consider actually walking. We've taken him there since, as well as for other walks, and he's improving. He's still a bit unsure of how this walkies thing works, but he's getting there. At least he'll now walk some when he's put down on the ground, rather than just sitting on the spot I put him on and crying, and only whines a little from time to time (and that's mostly when he starts getting tired). He's even climbed a few of our stairs, though he's only tried going up so far, and hasn't attempted to get himself down them yet (he just waits at the top crying until I come rescue him). He sure tires quickly though... Quicker than Lilie and Kero did at his age... But I think it's the difference in the breed, since Westie's are a hardier breed. It's fine though. When I know he's getting tired, I just keep him in my arms, and he happily watches the world go by, and enjoys the feel of the ocean breeze in his fur.
Anyway, they loved getting to meet Logan at Oscars, as I knew they would. They adore Lilie too. We always have people wanting to come say hi to Lilie whenever we're out and about - which is just fine by her - and now we have two dogs everyone wants to greet. At one point I had someone come over and start petting them, and the person suddenly thought about the fact she hadn't asked if I minded her doing so, and said, "I'm sorry madam, but they're just so cute!" We get a lot of that.
***~~~***
We missed checking out Hastings Pirate Day this year. It was by choice though, and wasn't because of the weather.
We've had a lot of hot weather. This time last week, for example, it was in the high 20s... It got up to 28 degrees C last Tuesday late afternoon, and didn't cool down much that night. It was even hotter on Thursday, and actually reached temperatures above 30 degrees C (I'm told it got up to 34 degrees C here, though thankfully was sleeping during that part of the day). Bearing in mind, those temperatures are the temperatures outside, and our place usually runs a couple of degrees hotter. But, anyway, though we've had some hot days - too many of them, if you ask me - we've also had cooler days, and days somewhere in the middle. We've had some Summer rain showers, and storms of various strengths too.
The Sunday of Hastings Pirate Day was one of the days where it was warm and dry, but not hot. So it would have been a perfect day to be out there enjoying the pirate day events, both from our point of view, and the dogs'. I'm sure those who did go were glad the weather was so perfect.
But Hastings Pirate Day happened two days after Logan's first walk, and we thought it would be too much for him, given how quickly he gets tired, and how confusing the lead concept seems to be to him. Not to mention, the fact just a few people along the seafront on a Friday afternoon was enough to have him frightened, so the huge crowds we get for the pirate day events would be too much so soon. I mean, Hastings currently holds the world record for the most people dressed as pirates in one place, and the numbers listed for the record only include registered pirates, and not the people who come to the area for the events but don't dress up and register themselves. We stay on the edge of the crowds when possible, but even that can be a bit overwhealming at times. Logan is definitely not ready for that. So we skipped it for his sake this year. He should be able to face the crowds better by next year, so hopefully we can all go to at least some of the pirate events next year. It would be too much for even Lilie to do all of it, so we wouldn't even try. Actually, we never tried to go to more than part of the events, even when we were without dogs... There's too much going on to do it all without exhausting yourself. I do hope we can go to part of it next year though, like we've done most years since we moved down here.
We did all go out for a while that day, of course. But not to the pirate events. We just went to enjoy the part of the beach near home for a little while, and then headed back home. We waited until early evening though, so there weren't so many people out and about. We aren't right by where this year's pirate themed events were happening, but we're close enough that there were a lot of people out there during the afternoon. So we waited for the crowds to thin a little before taking the dogs out there.
***~~~***
I worry about the furkids when it get's really hot. Especially Mollie and the dogs, since Joshua handles heat better than the others. Mollie in particular suffers badly on hot days. I did what I could though, and everyone made it through.
One of the things we did was to try setting up some wet towels for the dogs to nap on. It was an idea Kelly had seen on social media, and we thought it was a good one,, so figured we'd try it out. Lilie agreed it was a great idea, and did nap with part of herself on her towel. Logan, however, was having none of it. He's not a fan of getting wet, and didn't think the cooling benifits were a good enough reason to get wet. So he found himself a different napping spot out of the sun... At least he was in a shady spot.
***~~~***
At the end of last week we had an awesome storm, which I think would be classed as a tropical storm. It's what I'm calling it anyhow. It showed up around dinner time on Thursday, and was still going on - though not so violently - through most of Friday and Saturday. There was a lot of rain, and a fair amount of thunder and lightning. Unfortunately, it didn't cool things down much. At least, not until Saturday evening, and even then it was only enough to put temperatures in the comfortable to me range (like 18 degrees C). That's why I think it would be considered a tropical storm: the heat and humidity.
Anyway, I was worried about how Logan would react to it, but either the heat had him too tired to care as much as usual, or Lilie and I are doing a great job of convincing him storms aren't scary. I'm not sure which. Either way, he got a bit agitated initially, but didn't require more than being able to stay close to me and Lilie throughout the night, which was easy enough to arrange, especially from my point of view. He wasn't even bothered about it any more by the time we were dealing with the milder storms of Friday and Saturday... Probably figured he was safe enough, since he survived Thursday night. It likely helped that they were more rain than anything, though there was some thunder and lightning thrown in across those two days (most of the thunder and lightning was Thursday night and early hours of Friday morning though).
***~~~***
Here are a couple of photos of Logan at 14 weeks old:
He's growing up so fast!
Sorry, I don't have new photos of Lilie today. We just snapped those of Logan to show how he's growing.
Logan is now almost 15 and a half weeks old. Can you believe it?
He has another vet appointment this Thursday (August 1st 2019). Hopefully the source of his getting upset last time was frustration at Lilie being on the ground and him not, and he won't get so upset this time, especially now he's starting to accept the lead, and not cry so much when he's down on the ground.
***~~~***
I had asthma clinic on July 18th. I was up for my yearly review, so they wouldn't give me new inhalers if I didn't see the asthma nurse. So I went to see her. It's good for me to be checked from time to time anyhow, and I should have been having yearly reviews all along, so I don't mind. In fact, I was glad to see they were doing what they were meant to... Finally.
My appointment went smoothly. I knew it would. My asthma's been behaving itself since last year, when I got my inhalers back, and they gave me the spacer thingy to help me control my breathing properly when taking them. So, as far as I was concerned, this was merely a necessary formality, and a "just in case" checkup. It did feel good having the asthma nurse tell me she was pleased with how I was doing though, and compliment me on how well I pay attention to what's going on with my body. I didn't tell her I sometimes ignore what my body is telling me. I was too busy enjoying her compliments. Hey, it's not often I get approval from doctors and nurses, after all.
Anyway, I had them weigh me while I was there. My Mam said it looked in the photos taken when we took Logan for his first walk like I might have lost some weight. I had my doubts. I mean, I feel fitter and everything, and did wonder if maybe I'd lost a little. But I've never really had much luck in losing weight, so wasn't counting on it. I figured my asthma clinic appointment was a good time to get a weight update though, especially since I hadn't been weighed in more than six months. Plus, I was curious. So I asked them to weigh me. Turns out I've lost 3 kilos (that's about 6.6 lbs).
***~~~***
For those who like to know: my Makerly box for July contained a cross stitch kit for a bird. I forget which kind of bird it was, though it was something tropical, since that was the theme of the kit.
***~~~***
I wanted to do some baking last week, but it was WAY too hot. So I decided to try something I could do in the microwave.
I made a flapjack, which consisted of oats, coconut milk, maple syrrup, and raisins, so was not just vegetarian friendly, but also vegan friendly. I just threw them all in a bowl, cooked them up in the microwave, and then put most of the mixture in a cake tin to cool. Several hours later - when it was cool enough to do so - I put it in the fridge. After it had set, I removed it from the tin, and put it on a plate. It won't win prizes for anything, least of all presentation, but here's a photo anyhow:
I cut it in to slices - like you would a cake - after the photo was taken.
It was pretty good. Stickier than it should have been (I think I used too much coconut milk) but pretty good, like I said. Especially considering I was just experimenting, and didn't measure quantities or anything. Not to mention the fact it was a microwaved flapjack, rather than one done in the oven. I'd kept some aside for breakfast though - hence only putting most of the mixture in the cake tin - and ate it still slightly warm, and that way was delicious. So, awesome as a breakfast option, but could use some work to make it a good flapjack.
I had better success with the vegan friendly apple-berry cake and banana-peanut cookies I made on Sunday, after the rain had cooled things down here a little, so I could actually do the baking I wanted to do. I think they turned out pretty well. Here are photos, for anyone who wants to see them:
The cake and cookies were both very tasty, if I do say so myself. Since there was nothing in them they couldn't have, I offered Lilie and Logan a bit of each, and they seemed to approve too. I wasn't surprised with Logan, since he eats just about anything, but I took it as a compliment from Lilie, since she's a picky eater.
Brownies were baked on the weekend too. But those were for Kelly, and I didn't take photos.
No. The pups didn't get any of those, because they're chocolate, and dogs aren't allowed chocolate. Just mentioning that, for anyone who might have been concerned. They were disappointed - especially Logan - but soon got over it when they saw I was willing to share my snacks.
***~~~***
My Mam got me a new smoothie maker.
I kept meaning to get one, but not getting around to it. Anyway, she got me one, so now I don't need to. It arrived on Sunday, because she ordered it on Saturday and has Amazon Prime.
I tried it out yesterday (Monday) morning. I made a smoothie involving coconut water, a banana, some raspberries, some blueberries, and a bit of spinach. That last for extra vitamins. It was really tasty, and since the berries and spinach were frozen, lovely and cool.
As an added bonus, I actually drank a decent amount of liquid yesterday morning, because of having the smoothie, which is something I need to work on, since I generally don't drink enough.
***~~~***
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook - or both - you might already know this, but I've made a big lifestyle choice recently.
After more than a decade of being vegetarian, I've decided to take the next step, and have switched to a vegan diet.
Yeah, that's why I was doing the vegan friendly stuff when I was baking. I wanted to make snacks, rather than buying them. It's cheaper, and makes knowing exactly what's in my food easier. I'm not saying I won't buy the ready-made vegan friendly snacks sometimes. I just want to mostly make my own.
There are a few reasons for my decision to become vegan, including the ethical and environmental ones you'll hear from many people making such a switch. After all, animal product free doesn't always mean cruelty free, and a vegan diet reduces your carbon footprint. But I have other reasons too, like the fact I'm lactos intollerent, so really should have switched out my dairy products to either lactos free or plant based alternatives ages ago, and since cheese was the thing making me reluctant to make the switch to veganism, if I'm going to switch my cheese anyhow, there's nothing holding me back any more. I mean, I used to think the upset stomach I got from eating it was worth it. I no longer feel that way. Especially after I finally won the battle for a hysterectomy. I wanted that for a chance at a better future. How can I celebrate that when I'm also letting my body suffer needlessly just for something that will be gone in a few minutes? I don't want anyone to suffer for what I eat, and that includes myself.
No. This is not a spur of the moment decision. It's something I've been thinking about for some time. But I didn't mention to anyone that I was considering it, because I didn't want the comments and opinions of others influencing my decision.
Anyway, I usually post about things on my blog first, but this time I posted on Twitter and Facebook first, because my posting slots were filled until today, and I wanted to ask a few vegan friends I have for tips and recipes at once. I was completely blown away by the response. Everyone I tagged on Facebook, plus some I hadn't, was immediately there with tips, recipes, and resources. As for my Twitter post... Well, I've quite literally never had that many people interact with one of my posts. I had people I didn't know coming from all over the place with tips, websites and YouTube channels I could check out, etc. People were liking and retweeting my tweet like crazy too... I've never had that many likes on a post, ever. It was just amazing, and I'm incredibly grateful to all those people for all the support, tips, etc.
Of course, I know there might be vegans reading this who either didn't see my tweet or Facebook post, or aren't even on those social media platforms. If either of those is the case for you, feel free to share tips, recipes, and resources in the comments. I'm especially looking for ideas for quick and easy meals with minimum cooking, for busy or hot days. Thank you in advance.
Monday, July 29, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For July 29th 2019
It is our choices ... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
~J.K. Rowling
A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.
~Roald Dahl
Peace comes from within.
~Buddha
Often what may appear as a detour in life is actually the most direct and empowering path to your destination.
~James Arthur Ray
Success is a journey not a destination.
~Arthur Ashe
You only live once. You don't want your tombstone to read: "Played it safe."
~Rosario Dawson
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
~Pablo Picasso
Friday, July 26, 2019
Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Toby And Austin
Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.
I have two new friends for you to meet today. Their names are Toby and Austin.
It's really nice to meet you, Toby and Austin, and to have you come over for a visit to the blog. For the benifit of those who don't know you, what species and breed are you?
Nice! Describe your appearance. I know you’ve sent a photo – which I’ll share in a moment - but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can't see the photo.
You’re not much bigger than I am, and sound like great looking dogs. In fact, here’s that photo of you, for the benefit of those who can and want to see it:
Anyway, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?
Mummy says she comes from near there, and my new little brother, Logan, comes from Wales too, though Mummy says where he’s from is a few hours away from where you live. Anyway, I hope you like living there with Hugh and John.
Speaking of things you like, what's your favourite thing to do?
I love walkies on the beach! Ours isn’t the sandy kind though, and I’ve never played in sand. The little stones on it are fun to play with though, and I'll gladly join Austin for some paddling time. Hey, speaking of playing, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?
Removing jackets off tennis balls is fun! I do that too. By the way, since we’re talking about favourite things, what's your favourite food?
Good choices! Still on the subject of favourite things, what's the one thing your humans do that you love most?
That’s really good of them. Humans often hate getting wet in rain, so it’s good they do that for you. Thinking about them probably not enjoying getting wet makes me think of the less fun things in life, which leads me to my next question: what's the one thing your humans do that you hate most?
I hate when play time is over too.
Mummy says at least one of your humans 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?
WOW! Sounds exciting!
Hey, speaking of Hugh’s writing: what do you do while he writes?
Depending on the dream, that could be either a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, Hugh should be using his own dreams for story ideas, and let you keep yours private.
OK, it’s about time to end this. Before I do though, is there anything else you'd like people to know about you?
Got it. You hear that people? If you’re looking for a new pet, consider the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. If Toby and Austin are anything to go by, they’re fantastic dogs!
***~~~***
Author bio, links, etc:
Blog: Hugh’s Views and News
Twitter: @HughRoberts05
Flipboard: @HughWRoberts
Mix.com
Amazon
Goodreads
More Glimpses
Universal Link for buying Glimpses
Universal Link for buying More Glimpses
***~~~***
I hope you enjoyed meeting Toby and Austin, and learning about them and their humans, Hugh and John.
If you're a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, fish, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, or other animal, and you live with a writer - yes, blogs count - and you'd like to be featured as a friend of Furkid Friday, just follow the instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page. You might also want to check out the friends we've featured in the past, which you'll find listed at the bottom of the page I just mentioned.
Lots of licks,
Lilie
I have two new friends for you to meet today. Their names are Toby and Austin.
It's really nice to meet you, Toby and Austin, and to have you come over for a visit to the blog. For the benifit of those who don't know you, what species and breed are you?
We are dogs, and our breed is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
Nice! Describe your appearance. I know you’ve sent a photo – which I’ll share in a moment - but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can't see the photo.
We're a long, low dog with upright ears and a fox brush tail. The old American Kennel Club standard called our breed an "Alsatian on short legs". Our tail is long (unlike the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, whose tail may be long or naturally bobbed.
We are double coated and come in a variety of colours including any shade of red, sable, or brindle, as well as black, with or without tan, brindle or blue merle, with or without tan or brindle points. We have white fur on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle, underneath, the tip of our tails and as a blaze on the head. An average Cardigan Corgi is around 10 to 13 inches (250 to 330 mm) tall at the withers and weighs from 30 to 38 pounds (14 to 17 kg) for the male and 25 to 34 pounds (11 to 15 kg) for the female.
You’re not much bigger than I am, and sound like great looking dogs. In fact, here’s that photo of you, for the benefit of those who can and want to see it:
Anyway, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?
We live in a house on Swansea Bay, in south-west Wales, in the United Kingdom. We share the house with our two owners, Hugh and John.
Mummy says she comes from near there, and my new little brother, Logan, comes from Wales too, though Mummy says where he’s from is a few hours away from where you live. Anyway, I hope you like living there with Hugh and John.
Speaking of things you like, what's your favourite thing to do?
We love going for walks along the beach, which is only a five-minute walk away. While on the beach we like to chase a ball, roll around in the sand, and Austin also likes to paddle in the sea. Ever since falling through thin ice, Toby does not like going into water. When we are at home, we like to sleep a lot or doze in front of the television when our owners are watching it.
I love walkies on the beach! Ours isn’t the sandy kind though, and I’ve never played in sand. The little stones on it are fun to play with though, and I'll gladly join Austin for some paddling time. Hey, speaking of playing, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?
That's a tough question because we often dig out toys from the bottom of our toy basket which we may not have played with for many months. However, more often than not, a tennis ball will always be played with. We get through quite a lot of them because they get lost, or Austin enjoys removing the jacket off the ball.
Removing jackets off tennis balls is fun! I do that too. By the way, since we’re talking about favourite things, what's your favourite food?
Just about anything! We enjoy our food, but especially chicken, beef, lamb or fish. We also enjoy our dog biscuits and get treated to the odd bit of toast in the mornings. If there is any sign of cheese, we’ll be there in a flash regardless of what we’re doing.
Good choices! Still on the subject of favourite things, what's the one thing your humans do that you love most?
They look after us so well, but we especially love the fact that they take us out for walks three times a day regardless of what the weather is doing. Our coats are waterproof, but the boys always end up getting soaking wet.
That’s really good of them. Humans often hate getting wet in rain, so it’s good they do that for you. Thinking about them probably not enjoying getting wet makes me think of the less fun things in life, which leads me to my next question: what's the one thing your humans do that you hate most?
For Toby, it's having his coat brushed. Where is the fun in that? For Austin, it's watching John and Hugh put all the toys back in our toy basket, because that means playtime is over.
I hate when play time is over too.
Mummy says at least one of your humans 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?
We've both featured on Hugh's blog, although not so much lately because we much rather play than write. Toby has written a few blog posts about some of his walks (before Austin came along), and we've both featured in various photography challenges which Hugh sometimes participates in.
Hugh also included us in one of his recent short stories in his new book, More Glimpses, where he placed us in the middle of a murder mystery. For us, solving some murders which have taken place in a real-life, sleepy, English village was great fun, even if just a tad scary.
WOW! Sounds exciting!
Hey, speaking of Hugh’s writing: what do you do while he writes?
Sleep. We love to sleep, and often get woken by Hugh when we're dreaming. He always asks what we were dreaming about, but we’re not telling him! If we did that, our dreams would likely end up in one of his stories.
Depending on the dream, that could be either a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, Hugh should be using his own dreams for story ideas, and let you keep yours private.
OK, it’s about time to end this. Before I do though, is there anything else you'd like people to know about you?
If anyone reading this is thinking about getting a dog, please consider our breed. Until a few years ago, our breed was on the vulnerable breeds list in the UK. We're family loving dogs who are loyal to their owners and bring lots of love into any families who chose us as their family pet. We promise to look after and protect you.
Got it. You hear that people? If you’re looking for a new pet, consider the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. If Toby and Austin are anything to go by, they’re fantastic dogs!
***~~~***
Author bio, links, etc:
Hugh W. Roberts lives in Swansea, South Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Hugh gets his inspiration for writing from various avenues including writing prompts, photos, eavesdropping and while out walking his dogs, Toby and Austin. Although he was born in Wales, he has lived around various parts of the United Kingdom, including London where he lived and worked for 27 years.
Hugh suffers from a mild form of dyslexia but, after discovering blogging, decided not to allow the condition to stop his passion for writing. Since creating his blog 'Hugh's Views & News' in February 2014, he has built up a strong following and now writes every day. Always keen to promote other bloggers, authors and writers, Hugh enjoys the interaction blogging brings and has built up a group of online friends he considers as an 'everyday essential'.
His short stories have become well known for the unexpected twists they contain in taking the reader up a completely different path to one they think they are on. One of the best compliments a reader can give Hugh is "I never saw that ending coming."
Having published his first book of short stories, Glimpses, in December 2016, his second collection of short stories, More Glimpses, was released in March 2019. Hugh is already working on the next volume.
A keen photographer, he also enjoys cycling, walking, reading, watching television, and enjoys relaxing most evenings with a glass of red wine.
Hugh shares his life with John, his civil-partner, and Toby and Austin, their Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
Blog: Hugh’s Views and News
Twitter: @HughRoberts05
Flipboard: @HughWRoberts
Mix.com
Amazon
Goodreads
More Glimpses
Do you believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden? Or know the real truth about what lurks inside every mobile phone? Would you steal items from a blind person, or send your neighbours on a time travelling adventure fraught with danger and menace in order to save the human race from a bug? How about staying in a sleepy village where many murders have taken place, or coming to the aid of royalty while out shopping? These are just some of the subjects covered in the second collection of short stories and flash fiction from author and writer, Hugh W. Roberts.
'More Glimpses' allows the reader to take a peek into the lives of normal, everyday people whose lives are all on a path full of twists, turns and unexpected endings. However, it's not only about the humans; nothing escapes the extraordinary journeys Hugh has planned for you.
If you are a lover of shows such as 'Black Mirror' or 'The Twilight Zone' then you're in for another exciting trip in this second collection from Hugh. Come and meet the characters who had no idea their lives were about to be turned upside-down.
Enjoy the ride!
Universal Link for buying Glimpses
Universal Link for buying More Glimpses
***~~~***
I hope you enjoyed meeting Toby and Austin, and learning about them and their humans, Hugh and John.
If you're a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, fish, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, or other animal, and you live with a writer - yes, blogs count - and you'd like to be featured as a friend of Furkid Friday, just follow the instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page. You might also want to check out the friends we've featured in the past, which you'll find listed at the bottom of the page I just mentioned.
Lots of licks,
Lilie
Thursday, July 25, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - July 25th 2019 #Reviews
There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away…
~Emily Dickinson
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:
Deliverance by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an excellent and action-packed read. There are some great characters in this series, and it's great to see their relationships evolving. The bond between X and his dog, Miles, is one of my favourite parts about this book... I love that his dog means so much to him that he puts the dog's survival above even his own.
Wolves by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an excellent continuation of the series, which had me up past my bed time to finish it. It's probably a good thing I didn't have the next book ready to go, or I might have ended up staying up even later than I already had to start reading it. Like the rest of the series, it's action-packed, and will hold your attention from start to finish. Plus, the worldbuilding and character development is wonderful.
As for what I've been watching:
There was a show about the moon landing on one of the Discovery channels over the weekend. I couldn't watch it when it was actually on, because it was on Saturday evening, around the time we take Lilie and Logan for their evening walk, and then I take them in to the bedroom so Joshua and Mollie can get some peace. But we made use of the record feature we rarely bother to use on the Sky box, and I watched it on Sunday instead. I don't remember exactly what it was called, but it was one of the many things done to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Anyway, it was interesting. Although, not as good as one I saw a few years ago, since this one only seemed to be the highlights of the various Apollo missions, where as the one I saw before was more detailed, and gave a better look at the scientific aspect of things, rather than just focussing on the, "Hey, look what we did... We went to the moon," aspect, if you know what I mean. I'm the kind of person who likes the science stuff, and I'd have liked to see more of it. Still, there was only so much they could show when trying to mention everything leading up to the moon landing in one episode of something, so I can't say I was surprised it seemed more like just a recap of the highlights.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
#WriterWednesday: #Quotes About Creativity And #Writing
Sometimes the ideas just come to me. Other times I have to sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It’s a mysterious process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. I like a mystery, as you may have noticed.
~J.K. Rowling
Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself.
~Mark Twain
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
~Einstein
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakens.
~Carl Jung
And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust in the magic of beginnings.
~Meister Eckhart
Being a writer is a very peculiar sort of job: It’s always you versus a blank sheet of paper (or a blank screen) and quite often the blank piece of paper wins.
~Neil Gaiman
It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.
~Ernest Hemingway
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
2019 A-Z Author Reading Challenge - #AmReading
I signed up for the 2019 A-Z author reading challenge on one of the groups I'm a member of over on Goodreads.
For those not familiar with this type of challenge, here are the rules:
I've finished it, so here are the authors I read books by for this version of the A-Z challenge:
The title of the book I read by the author is in brackets after their name.
A ~ Angela Pepper (Wardens of Wisteria)
B ~ C.S. Boyack (Voyage of the Lanternfish)
C ~ Robbie Cheadle (Silly Willy goes to Cape Town)
D ~ Diane Setterfield (Once Upon a River)
E ~ Edward Lear (A Book of Nonsense)
F ~ Amanda Flower (Assaulted Caramel)
G ~ Philippa Gregory (Wideacre)
H ~ Hugh W. Roberts (More Glimpses)
I ~ Isla Wynter (Once Upon a Unicorn)
J ~ Jim Butcher (White Night)
K ~ Katrina Cope (Divided Paths)
L ~ Lynsay Sands (Vampires Like It Hot)
M ~ Mercedes Lackey (The Fairy Godmother)
N ~ Lyle Nicholson (Polar Bear Dawn)
O ~ Oliver J Tooley (Women of the Wise Oak)
P ~ Rachel Poli (Sunday Morning)
Q ~ Hank Quense (Falstaff's Big Gamble)
R ~ Robert Silverberg (Majipoor Chronicles)
S ~ Steven Allan Pease (Secret of the Cannon Room)
T ~ Teri Polen (The Gemini Connection)
U ~ Ursula K. Le Guin (A Wizard of Earthsea)
V ~ Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)
W ~ Willow Rose (A Gypsy Song)
X ~ Amber Fox (The Calling)
Y ~ Charles E. Yallowitz (Loyalty)
Z ~ Cory Zwick (The Human Experiment)
For those not familiar with this type of challenge, here are the rules:
For this challenge, you will be using the Author's name of the book for your alphabet! You can use either their first or last name. Their name must start with that letter.
Examples:
P Patrick Ness
N Patrick Ness
The exceptions are Q,X, and V. There just aren't that many writers' names that start with those letters, so those letters can be anywhere in an authors name (including initials, middle name, etc.)
If the author writes under a pseudonym, you can use either that or their real name.
You can sign up anytime, and you can backdate books if you know when you finished it, as long as it was done in the year 2019.
ANY BOOK IS ACCEPTABLE, including graphic novels, novellas, etc.
I've finished it, so here are the authors I read books by for this version of the A-Z challenge:
The title of the book I read by the author is in brackets after their name.
A ~ Angela Pepper (Wardens of Wisteria)
B ~ C.S. Boyack (Voyage of the Lanternfish)
C ~ Robbie Cheadle (Silly Willy goes to Cape Town)
D ~ Diane Setterfield (Once Upon a River)
E ~ Edward Lear (A Book of Nonsense)
F ~ Amanda Flower (Assaulted Caramel)
G ~ Philippa Gregory (Wideacre)
H ~ Hugh W. Roberts (More Glimpses)
I ~ Isla Wynter (Once Upon a Unicorn)
J ~ Jim Butcher (White Night)
K ~ Katrina Cope (Divided Paths)
L ~ Lynsay Sands (Vampires Like It Hot)
M ~ Mercedes Lackey (The Fairy Godmother)
N ~ Lyle Nicholson (Polar Bear Dawn)
O ~ Oliver J Tooley (Women of the Wise Oak)
P ~ Rachel Poli (Sunday Morning)
Q ~ Hank Quense (Falstaff's Big Gamble)
R ~ Robert Silverberg (Majipoor Chronicles)
S ~ Steven Allan Pease (Secret of the Cannon Room)
T ~ Teri Polen (The Gemini Connection)
U ~ Ursula K. Le Guin (A Wizard of Earthsea)
V ~ Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)
W ~ Willow Rose (A Gypsy Song)
X ~ Amber Fox (The Calling)
Y ~ Charles E. Yallowitz (Loyalty)
Z ~ Cory Zwick (The Human Experiment)
Monday, July 22, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For July 22nd 2019
It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.
~Albus Dumbledore
Nothing happens until the pain of remaining the same outweighs the pain of CHANGE.
~Arthur Burt
One single gift acknowledged in gratefulness has the power to dissolve the ties of our alienation.
~David Steindl-Rast
Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.
~W.B Yeats
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
~Dalai Lama
Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
~Harvey Fierstein
You can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will.
~Stephen King
Friday, July 19, 2019
#FurkidFriday: Logan The #Cavapoo Goes Walkies
Hi everyone. This is Logan the Cavapoo.
Well, I finally learned what walkies is, and - to be totally honest - I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Mummy carried me a bit at first, until we were down all the steps, and then away from what Daddy called, "the big road," which was nice. But when she put me down on the ground I was so scared and confused I just sat down and cried.
So she carried me for a while again, until I stopped being so scared.
By the time I was brave enough that I didn't cry the moment she tried to put me down, we were by some place they say is called "Oscars" where I didn't meet anyone who might have been called Oscar, but I don't mind because it turns out there was food there. I was still not sure how I felt about being down on the ground in such a wide open space, even when Mummy was sitting beside me...
But I didn't mind being up in her arms outside...
It was when I was on my paws on the ground I got upset.
Lilie, on the other hand, was perfectly happy being outside, watching - and sometimes trying to play with - the other people out there besides our humans. See how she's just sat beside Daddy's feet while he's sat at the table?
So brave!
Lilie enjoying it so much eventually helped me see there was nothing to be scared of. Plus, lots of people came to say, "Hi," to us, and petted us while calling us cute, which I loved. There was food too. Like I said, that place where Oscar lives has food. They gave Mummy and Daddy some, and Mummy and Daddy let me and Lilie have a little. I love food!
With some food in my tummy, people making me happy by calling me cute, and Lilie showing me how much fun she was having being outside, I eventually got brave enough to stay on my paws long enough to try this walking on the leash business. At least, for a little while, when Mummy held both mine and Lilie's leads, so I could walk near Lilie...
Like I said, I didn't walk for long though, even with Lilie to walk with. I got scared again, and was really tired too. I mean, it was a lot for a little puppy like me to deal with. So Mummy carried me some more, and Daddy took Lilie's lead back (he was holding Lilie most of the time, so Mummy could focus on me) and they just walked with us.
When we got home, me and Lilie had a nap. I don't know about her, but I really needed one.
I've had several more walkies since that day. I even walked some with Mummy just holding my lead, and Daddy holding Lilie's lead while the two of them walk beside us. I'm still not sure what to think of it though. Sometimes I get really scared, and sometimes I get confused about what I'm meant to do, and other times I get so tired I just want to go home and not have to deal with it any more.
I especially get confused when the lead and harness tug on me when I try to run forward. I keep thinking it means I can't go any further that way, so I turn around to head the other way. But then Mummy says I have to go the way I was going in the first place, and all of a sudden I can again. At least, for a bit, and then I can't again. It's so strange. Sometimes it confuses me so much I get upset. Mummy says I'll get used to it. I hope so.
Lilie says I'll enjoy walkies when I learn how it all works. As for me... I really don't know what to think.
I want to go walkies with Lilie. Especially if Mummy is going to be going with her and Daddy. But the world is so big and scary, and it makes me want to just have Mummy cuddle me and take me home. There are so many noises and smells that I never heard or smelled before, and so many things I never saw before. I half want to check them out, and half want to stay far away from them. I'm just a little puppy, and it really is such a big world.
Lots of licks,
Logan
Well, I finally learned what walkies is, and - to be totally honest - I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Mummy carried me a bit at first, until we were down all the steps, and then away from what Daddy called, "the big road," which was nice. But when she put me down on the ground I was so scared and confused I just sat down and cried.
So she carried me for a while again, until I stopped being so scared.
By the time I was brave enough that I didn't cry the moment she tried to put me down, we were by some place they say is called "Oscars" where I didn't meet anyone who might have been called Oscar, but I don't mind because it turns out there was food there. I was still not sure how I felt about being down on the ground in such a wide open space, even when Mummy was sitting beside me...
But I didn't mind being up in her arms outside...
It was when I was on my paws on the ground I got upset.
Lilie, on the other hand, was perfectly happy being outside, watching - and sometimes trying to play with - the other people out there besides our humans. See how she's just sat beside Daddy's feet while he's sat at the table?
So brave!
Lilie enjoying it so much eventually helped me see there was nothing to be scared of. Plus, lots of people came to say, "Hi," to us, and petted us while calling us cute, which I loved. There was food too. Like I said, that place where Oscar lives has food. They gave Mummy and Daddy some, and Mummy and Daddy let me and Lilie have a little. I love food!
With some food in my tummy, people making me happy by calling me cute, and Lilie showing me how much fun she was having being outside, I eventually got brave enough to stay on my paws long enough to try this walking on the leash business. At least, for a little while, when Mummy held both mine and Lilie's leads, so I could walk near Lilie...
Like I said, I didn't walk for long though, even with Lilie to walk with. I got scared again, and was really tired too. I mean, it was a lot for a little puppy like me to deal with. So Mummy carried me some more, and Daddy took Lilie's lead back (he was holding Lilie most of the time, so Mummy could focus on me) and they just walked with us.
When we got home, me and Lilie had a nap. I don't know about her, but I really needed one.
I've had several more walkies since that day. I even walked some with Mummy just holding my lead, and Daddy holding Lilie's lead while the two of them walk beside us. I'm still not sure what to think of it though. Sometimes I get really scared, and sometimes I get confused about what I'm meant to do, and other times I get so tired I just want to go home and not have to deal with it any more.
I especially get confused when the lead and harness tug on me when I try to run forward. I keep thinking it means I can't go any further that way, so I turn around to head the other way. But then Mummy says I have to go the way I was going in the first place, and all of a sudden I can again. At least, for a bit, and then I can't again. It's so strange. Sometimes it confuses me so much I get upset. Mummy says I'll get used to it. I hope so.
Lilie says I'll enjoy walkies when I learn how it all works. As for me... I really don't know what to think.
I want to go walkies with Lilie. Especially if Mummy is going to be going with her and Daddy. But the world is so big and scary, and it makes me want to just have Mummy cuddle me and take me home. There are so many noises and smells that I never heard or smelled before, and so many things I never saw before. I half want to check them out, and half want to stay far away from them. I'm just a little puppy, and it really is such a big world.
Lots of licks,
Logan
Thursday, July 18, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - July 18th 2019 #Reviews
A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader's soul.
~Stendhal
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:
Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a pretty great read. There were some things left unanswered by the end, which I'm hoping will be answered in later books. Also, I didn't like the way things went for the main character at the very end (can't explain without spoilers, and I never put spoilers in reviews). But other than that I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the series.
Ghosts by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This one was even better than the first book, and was an awesome action-packed read. Many of the questions left unanswered in book one were answered in this one, and the way things were left at the end of book one for the main character of the previous book now makes more sense (even if I still wish they hadn't been left that way). I can't wait to see what will happen next.
As for what I've been watching:
I didn't watch any DVDs, but I watched "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" while playing with Lilie and Logan the other day. I've seen it several times before, but it's a good movie, so I didn't mind watching it again. I also watched a couple of episodes of "Murder She Wrote" while playing with them. Again, it's something I've seen before, but didn't mind watching again.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
#WriterWednesday - July 17th 2019
In case you need some tips for doing so, here's how to write more, and another that goes well with it on managing distractions as a writer.
Can't get that writing in every single day? "Ok, fine. Don't write every day. But you still need a goal." That's the philosophy I'm having to follow right now myself.
I used to write every day, but then I got sick. I thought I'd return to the writing every day thing now I'm better, but with doing more now, plus having two energetic puppies who want my attention, that's just not happening. I mean, I can only set up treat balls and doggy puzzles so many times in one day, and those only buy me a few moments to finish something anyhow. Plus, while using those to occupy them sometimes is fine, I don't want to just keep throwing treat balls at them. They need play time with me too, walks, etc. But both Lilie and Logan take naps, which is a good time for me to do things that need me to focus on them for a reasonable chunk of time, like writing. However, since I also need to sometimes use that time for other things, I can't write every day any more, unfortunately. I'm working on managing the time spent doing the things I need to do while they nap better, so I can figure out how to get a good chunk of writing time in each week, while still doing the other things I want and need to do during puppy nap time. It's a work in progress though; I'm still working on it. I'm not sure if I'll be going back to writing every day, or if I'll be going with an idea I've been considering where I asign a day or two a week to writing, and then allow myself to focus on the other stuff on the other days. I'm trying different options out right now, and will see what ends up working best for me.
If you're struggling to get your writing time in, perhaps you need to do that too? Or you could consider writing in a library, if a quieter place to write is what you really need.
On the other hand, if you need to take a bit of a writing break, here's a post that discusses why you can't take a break from writing for too long, and how long your breaks should be, in case you want someone's opinion on that.
Regardless of how often you write, here's a post about bullet journaling for writers, which might be something you'd like to do.
By the way, do you find yourself struggling to decide what to write about? Why not let your imagination decide for you. You never know... You may just end up "accidentally" writing a book.
Oh, are you trying to make your story unique? Beware of these common pitfalls, and don't try too hard; don't make differences just for the sake of it, because forcing it will only spoil things for your potential readers.
Speaking of your potential readers, here are some ways to ensure readers don't abandon your book.
Also, if your story seems really complicated, or is incredibly long, you might want to declutter that novel. Yes. To help you, here are more ways to stop overwriting your story. Yes. Sometimes you need to cut things from your story. You can keep the good parts that end up on the cutting room floor - so to speak - to use in future stories, promotional material (especially if you plan to do a blog tour; deleted scenes are good for those) or whatever. That is, if they're actually good enough to recycle, of course.
On the other hand, if you could do with adding something to your story, take a look at this egg scene expansion pack, and see if that's what your story needs.
Always remember that you aren't just a storyteller - you are a story collector. So, go forth and collect stories!
Next, whether you're a writer or not, here are some ways to support an indie author.
On a similar note: if you're a writer or blogger looking for a bit of publicity, and you have a pet, feel free to get in touch to become a friend of Furkid Friday on this blog. Details of how can be found here.
Can't get that writing in every single day? "Ok, fine. Don't write every day. But you still need a goal." That's the philosophy I'm having to follow right now myself.
I used to write every day, but then I got sick. I thought I'd return to the writing every day thing now I'm better, but with doing more now, plus having two energetic puppies who want my attention, that's just not happening. I mean, I can only set up treat balls and doggy puzzles so many times in one day, and those only buy me a few moments to finish something anyhow. Plus, while using those to occupy them sometimes is fine, I don't want to just keep throwing treat balls at them. They need play time with me too, walks, etc. But both Lilie and Logan take naps, which is a good time for me to do things that need me to focus on them for a reasonable chunk of time, like writing. However, since I also need to sometimes use that time for other things, I can't write every day any more, unfortunately. I'm working on managing the time spent doing the things I need to do while they nap better, so I can figure out how to get a good chunk of writing time in each week, while still doing the other things I want and need to do during puppy nap time. It's a work in progress though; I'm still working on it. I'm not sure if I'll be going back to writing every day, or if I'll be going with an idea I've been considering where I asign a day or two a week to writing, and then allow myself to focus on the other stuff on the other days. I'm trying different options out right now, and will see what ends up working best for me.
If you're struggling to get your writing time in, perhaps you need to do that too? Or you could consider writing in a library, if a quieter place to write is what you really need.
On the other hand, if you need to take a bit of a writing break, here's a post that discusses why you can't take a break from writing for too long, and how long your breaks should be, in case you want someone's opinion on that.
Regardless of how often you write, here's a post about bullet journaling for writers, which might be something you'd like to do.
By the way, do you find yourself struggling to decide what to write about? Why not let your imagination decide for you. You never know... You may just end up "accidentally" writing a book.
Oh, are you trying to make your story unique? Beware of these common pitfalls, and don't try too hard; don't make differences just for the sake of it, because forcing it will only spoil things for your potential readers.
Speaking of your potential readers, here are some ways to ensure readers don't abandon your book.
Also, if your story seems really complicated, or is incredibly long, you might want to declutter that novel. Yes. To help you, here are more ways to stop overwriting your story. Yes. Sometimes you need to cut things from your story. You can keep the good parts that end up on the cutting room floor - so to speak - to use in future stories, promotional material (especially if you plan to do a blog tour; deleted scenes are good for those) or whatever. That is, if they're actually good enough to recycle, of course.
On the other hand, if you could do with adding something to your story, take a look at this egg scene expansion pack, and see if that's what your story needs.
Always remember that you aren't just a storyteller - you are a story collector. So, go forth and collect stories!
Next, whether you're a writer or not, here are some ways to support an indie author.
On a similar note: if you're a writer or blogger looking for a bit of publicity, and you have a pet, feel free to get in touch to become a friend of Furkid Friday on this blog. Details of how can be found here.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
#Book Themed Tag: The Ultimate Blog Tag - #AmReading
I saw this over on this post on The Strawberry Post blog, and since I have trouble avoiding doing these things, I naturally had to play, especially since she issued an open invitation to anyone who wanted to do it. How could I resist? The answer is, I couldn't. After all, I haven't done this one before. If you haven't either, and want to, ffeel free to join in. Let me know if you do though, and where I can find your post, since I'd love to read your answers. For now though, here are my answers:
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Nope. I didn't when I was able to see to read print books either.
2. What author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I can't pick just one. Any new to me author's writing style is unique to me, because each author has their own writing style.
3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give three points to defend your answers.
Harry Potter. I mean, I like Twilight, but I love Harry Potter. Why Harry Potter? Because...
4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it (besides books…)?
Um... I suppose I sort of do. I mean, I take a backpack with me whenever I go anywhere. Nine times out of ten it has my Kindle in it. That sort of counts, right? I mean, my book bag for school was a backpack, so... *shrugs*
5. Do you smell your books?
No. But only because there's nothing nice about sniffing braille books, audio books, or eBooks. They just don't have that smell print books have. In fact, sniffing some of those - especially the eBooks - would just mean sniffing my Kindle all the time. Now, when I used to be able to read print books... Well, that was another matter. I did then.
6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I really don't care, as long as they don't stop the text to speach software reading the book to me. I kind of liked the little illustrations when I could see them, though I'd happily read books without them. Now I don't even know if they exist as a rule, since my text to speach software doesn't tell me about them. So I don't care if they're included or not.
7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
There aren't any. If it's not quality writing, I'll figure it out while reading it, so there's no discovering afterwards involved. Not to mention, if the book is good enough to have me loving it while I'm reading it, what people say about it afterwards isn't going to change my mind about it anyhow.
8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
It's only a bit funny, but the story of how we all got hooked on Harry Potter is kind of amusing.
My introduction to the Harry Potter books came around the time the fourth book was being released. I went in to hospital around that time, and my Mam asked what I wanted as a present, since she usually got me something. I usually had a spacific request, but this time I told her, "Something different," which probably wasn't all that helpful. Anyway, she'd seen the Harry Potter books mentioned everywhere, so decided to get me the first one, and hope it was good enough to satisfy my request. It was, and I loved it. But the funny thing was, she started reading it to me before I was fully recovered, so I kept falling asleep (nothing against the book... I was on strong pain meds) and it turned out she was loving the story too. She kept getting frustrated when I'd fall asleep, and ended up getting a second bookmark so she could mark where she was when I fell asleep, but continue reading the book herself afterwards. She brought me the next book when I came home from the hospital, just so she could borrow it after I was done with it. My Dad read it afterwrds (likely wondering what had us both so captivated) and so the family obsession with Harry Potter began.
9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
I have no idea.
10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?
I have no idea about this one either.
11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes, I write too, and I already am an author. I've got several poetry books published, as well as quite a few stories (officially children's stories, though they've been enjoyed by plenty of adults too). You can buy my books in multiple formats from Amazon, Smashwords, and a bunch of other online retailers. In fact, I'd be extremely happy if you did.
12. When did you get into reading?
As soon as I was old enough to learn how to. My Mam would read to me, we'd read together, and later on I started reading by myself. I haven't stopped since, even if the format I read had to change when my sight declined enough so I couldn't read print any more.
13. What is your favourite classic book?
I haven't read as many as I'd have liked to, but "A Little Princess" counts as a classic, right? And it's my absolute favourite book. Also, "A Christmas Carol" and "Black Beauty" - I know those definitely count as classics. Oh, wait... Was I only meant to pick one? Never mind.
14. In school what was your best subject?
Maths for sure. I was good at English too, apart from my issues with spelling, of course. But I was good enough at maths that one of my older brothers used to pay me to do his maths homework for him. I never told him this, but I actually enjoyed doing it enough that I'd have done it for nothing. Shhh... Don't tell him.
15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated… what would you do?
Thank the person, and then either give it away to someone else, or drop it off at a charity shop.
16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?
Harry Potter and The Hunger Games aren't similar to each other. I'm not sure what to do with this one... Do you want one similar to one or the other series? If so, David Estes' "Slip" trilogy is similar to The Hunger Games in some ways, but not as well known. I'm not sure where to start on series that are similar to Harry Potter. I can recommend some, but most of them are well-known, like the Percy Jaxon books, or the Worst Witch books. If you want one similar to both at once, you're out of luck, since - as I said - they aren't similar to each other. If you know of one that's like both at once though, I wouldn't mind hearing about it so I can check it out.
17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't vlog. I do some videos of things - mostly the furkids - that I put on Youtube, but try to keep the camera off myself if possible. I don't ramble when the camera is rolling, because I hate my voice in recordings, so try not to speak too much when it's on. I don't know of any bad habits I do. Although, I'm still working on the skill of aiming the camera right, and it's cost me some potentially good photos and videos while I work on that.
18. What is your favourite word?
Why? I'm not being a pain here... That's the word. I like it because I like to know why things are the way they are, and why they work the way they do. Learning new things can be fun and interesting.
19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I don't know. I've been called all of those at one time or another, so I guess I'm all of the above. It probably depends on who you ask, I suppose.
20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?
Oh, fairies, of course! I like vampires, but fairies win hands down if I have to choose. I love the thought that there are fairies living in gardens all around the world, and love to read stories about them. Vampire stories are great to read, but I sure hope there aren't any of those in gardens around the world, that's for sure!
21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
This one's harder. On the one hand, shapeshifters are cool... It would be really neat to be able to change shape, even if only in to a certain thing. On the other hand, the thought that angels are watching over us is a comforting one. For real life, angels. For books, either, though I read more books with shapeshifters than with angels as a rule.
22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
For real life, spirits, because I'd rather know there are dead people walking around than potentially dangerous werewolves. For books, werewolves, because they can make for some great characters, especially if the author explores the mental and emotional aspects of having the two forms.
23. Zombies or vampires? Why?
For real life, neither, because I'd hate to think either was walking around. Although, if I had to have one or the other, I'd rather zombies in real life, because they're generally easier to kill. For books, it depends on my mood, since they both have their good and bad points.
24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?
Both can be good or get annoying, depending on how they're handled. Though I see too many books using the love triangle one - especially in young adult books - so I'm picking forbidden love.
25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
It really depends on my mood. I'll read, and enjoy, both kinds. Though I do tend to lean more towards the books where the romance isn't the main focus of the story, and only read full on romances from time to time.
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Nope. I didn't when I was able to see to read print books either.
2. What author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I can't pick just one. Any new to me author's writing style is unique to me, because each author has their own writing style.
3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give three points to defend your answers.
Harry Potter. I mean, I like Twilight, but I love Harry Potter. Why Harry Potter? Because...
- Twilight only has vampires and werewolves. Harry Potter also has house elves, dragons, and a whole bunch of other magical creatures.
- I love hearing about the wizarding places in the Harry Potter books, like Hogwarts, Hogsmead, etc. The most exciting place in the Twilight books is the reservation the wolves live on, which sounds nice and all, but it's no Hogwarts.
- There are far more characters I love in the Harry Potter books. I like most of the Twilight characters, but they're no Albus Dumbledore, Dobby, Luna Lovegood, Hagrid, or Hermione Granger.
4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it (besides books…)?
Um... I suppose I sort of do. I mean, I take a backpack with me whenever I go anywhere. Nine times out of ten it has my Kindle in it. That sort of counts, right? I mean, my book bag for school was a backpack, so... *shrugs*
5. Do you smell your books?
No. But only because there's nothing nice about sniffing braille books, audio books, or eBooks. They just don't have that smell print books have. In fact, sniffing some of those - especially the eBooks - would just mean sniffing my Kindle all the time. Now, when I used to be able to read print books... Well, that was another matter. I did then.
6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I really don't care, as long as they don't stop the text to speach software reading the book to me. I kind of liked the little illustrations when I could see them, though I'd happily read books without them. Now I don't even know if they exist as a rule, since my text to speach software doesn't tell me about them. So I don't care if they're included or not.
7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
There aren't any. If it's not quality writing, I'll figure it out while reading it, so there's no discovering afterwards involved. Not to mention, if the book is good enough to have me loving it while I'm reading it, what people say about it afterwards isn't going to change my mind about it anyhow.
8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
It's only a bit funny, but the story of how we all got hooked on Harry Potter is kind of amusing.
My introduction to the Harry Potter books came around the time the fourth book was being released. I went in to hospital around that time, and my Mam asked what I wanted as a present, since she usually got me something. I usually had a spacific request, but this time I told her, "Something different," which probably wasn't all that helpful. Anyway, she'd seen the Harry Potter books mentioned everywhere, so decided to get me the first one, and hope it was good enough to satisfy my request. It was, and I loved it. But the funny thing was, she started reading it to me before I was fully recovered, so I kept falling asleep (nothing against the book... I was on strong pain meds) and it turned out she was loving the story too. She kept getting frustrated when I'd fall asleep, and ended up getting a second bookmark so she could mark where she was when I fell asleep, but continue reading the book herself afterwards. She brought me the next book when I came home from the hospital, just so she could borrow it after I was done with it. My Dad read it afterwrds (likely wondering what had us both so captivated) and so the family obsession with Harry Potter began.
9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
I have no idea.
10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?
I have no idea about this one either.
11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes, I write too, and I already am an author. I've got several poetry books published, as well as quite a few stories (officially children's stories, though they've been enjoyed by plenty of adults too). You can buy my books in multiple formats from Amazon, Smashwords, and a bunch of other online retailers. In fact, I'd be extremely happy if you did.
12. When did you get into reading?
As soon as I was old enough to learn how to. My Mam would read to me, we'd read together, and later on I started reading by myself. I haven't stopped since, even if the format I read had to change when my sight declined enough so I couldn't read print any more.
13. What is your favourite classic book?
I haven't read as many as I'd have liked to, but "A Little Princess" counts as a classic, right? And it's my absolute favourite book. Also, "A Christmas Carol" and "Black Beauty" - I know those definitely count as classics. Oh, wait... Was I only meant to pick one? Never mind.
14. In school what was your best subject?
Maths for sure. I was good at English too, apart from my issues with spelling, of course. But I was good enough at maths that one of my older brothers used to pay me to do his maths homework for him. I never told him this, but I actually enjoyed doing it enough that I'd have done it for nothing. Shhh... Don't tell him.
15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated… what would you do?
Thank the person, and then either give it away to someone else, or drop it off at a charity shop.
16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?
Harry Potter and The Hunger Games aren't similar to each other. I'm not sure what to do with this one... Do you want one similar to one or the other series? If so, David Estes' "Slip" trilogy is similar to The Hunger Games in some ways, but not as well known. I'm not sure where to start on series that are similar to Harry Potter. I can recommend some, but most of them are well-known, like the Percy Jaxon books, or the Worst Witch books. If you want one similar to both at once, you're out of luck, since - as I said - they aren't similar to each other. If you know of one that's like both at once though, I wouldn't mind hearing about it so I can check it out.
17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't vlog. I do some videos of things - mostly the furkids - that I put on Youtube, but try to keep the camera off myself if possible. I don't ramble when the camera is rolling, because I hate my voice in recordings, so try not to speak too much when it's on. I don't know of any bad habits I do. Although, I'm still working on the skill of aiming the camera right, and it's cost me some potentially good photos and videos while I work on that.
18. What is your favourite word?
Why? I'm not being a pain here... That's the word. I like it because I like to know why things are the way they are, and why they work the way they do. Learning new things can be fun and interesting.
19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I don't know. I've been called all of those at one time or another, so I guess I'm all of the above. It probably depends on who you ask, I suppose.
20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?
Oh, fairies, of course! I like vampires, but fairies win hands down if I have to choose. I love the thought that there are fairies living in gardens all around the world, and love to read stories about them. Vampire stories are great to read, but I sure hope there aren't any of those in gardens around the world, that's for sure!
21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
This one's harder. On the one hand, shapeshifters are cool... It would be really neat to be able to change shape, even if only in to a certain thing. On the other hand, the thought that angels are watching over us is a comforting one. For real life, angels. For books, either, though I read more books with shapeshifters than with angels as a rule.
22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
For real life, spirits, because I'd rather know there are dead people walking around than potentially dangerous werewolves. For books, werewolves, because they can make for some great characters, especially if the author explores the mental and emotional aspects of having the two forms.
23. Zombies or vampires? Why?
For real life, neither, because I'd hate to think either was walking around. Although, if I had to have one or the other, I'd rather zombies in real life, because they're generally easier to kill. For books, it depends on my mood, since they both have their good and bad points.
24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?
Both can be good or get annoying, depending on how they're handled. Though I see too many books using the love triangle one - especially in young adult books - so I'm picking forbidden love.
25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
It really depends on my mood. I'll read, and enjoy, both kinds. Though I do tend to lean more towards the books where the romance isn't the main focus of the story, and only read full on romances from time to time.
Monday, July 15, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For July 15th 2019
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.
~James R. Cook
The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose.
~John McEnroe
Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama
Success waits patiently for anyone who has the determination and strength to seize it.
~Booker T. Washington
A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.
~George Moore
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.
~Groucho Marx
Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.
~M. Scott Peck
Friday, July 12, 2019
#FurkidFriday: Logan The #Cavapoo's First Blog Post
Hi everyone. This is Logan the Cavapoo.
My new big sister, Lilie, said I can have a turn on this thing. So, here I am.
I've been here for a little over amonth now. It seems like a nice place to be. I think I might have landed on my paws, so to speak. I kind of miss my Furmama though, and my puppy playschool friends. At least I have my new Westie sister, Lilie, to play with. There are some things in those wire boxes humans call "ccages" too. Sometimes they make squeaky noises, but they don't play with me, or give me food, so I'm not really interested in them.
The humans - I call them Mummy and Daddy, since Lilie does, and they seem to want to be called that - are OK. They give out great toys and food, and play and sleep with us too. Lilie has also been for something called "walkies" lots of times. I don't know what it is, but Mummy and Daddy say I'll learn very soon, and it seems to involve Lilie putting some strap things on, and going somewhere where I can't find her when I look. She also smells of all kinds of different things I don't know what they are when I find her again. It's really strange. I can't wait to find out what it is!
I tried grabbing the end of the long strap one time, thinking maybe I'd get to go too. But Daddy took it away, and said I wasn't meant to hold it, he was. Then I stayed home with Mummy. I love spending time with Mummy, but I do wish I could go too. Lilie always seems so happy about going.
A couple of weeks ago, when Lilie went somewhere with Daddy for a long time, Mummy tried the strap things - which they apparently call a "harness" and "lead" - on me. She said she wanted to see how it fit. To be honest, I didn't know what to think of it. She pointed the flashy thing at me when I was wearing it, so here are the photos it made:
Then, last week, she put it on me again, and we went in something called a "taxi" to a place called "vet" where everyone called me cute, and I guess Lilie must keep going, because we found her and Daddy there. I don't know how they got there, but they rode in the taxi thing with us coming home.
Apart from when I came in the big noisy thing they tell me is called a "van" to come from where my Furmama lives to here, I've never been anywhere in my whole entire life, so I was excited and maybe a bit scared. Mostly excited though, because I love the idea of exploring the world... As long as we make time for food and naps.
Anyway, I thought maybe that was what walkies was. Rides in those taxi and van things, I mean. But Lilie says it isn't, and thought I was funny when I suggested it, so I guess not.
I did see someone who did things like the human at the vet place did before. But that time the human came to where I was. I guess where we went is some kind of vet nest or something. I don't know. I'm just a puppy, and the world is very confusing to me sometimes. Actually, a lot of the time. Lilie says she still gets confused about things the humans do sometimes too, and she's lots older, so that makes me not feel so bad about being confused.
Anyway, Lilie says you'll want to know how the trip to the vet place went, so I'll tell you.
I cried lots when we were sitting on the chairs waiting to go in to the vet's room. Lilie wasn't upset, but I wasn't too happy about it. Maybe I might not have cried so much if I could have gone down on the floor like Lilie. But they said I wasn't allowed yet. I don't know why... I go down on the floor all the time at home. Why wouldn't they let me at the vet?
I was a good boy when the vet person was pulling and poking at me though. I stayed where he put me, letting him do what he needed to, and didn't even cry when he stuck the sharp thing in my neck, which Mummy gave me lots of praise for. I got a treat too, which I was pleased about. I love treats!
Even though I had the sharp thing in my neck before I left where my Furmama is, I have to have it again. Most times puppies only have to have two, but my vet doesn't have the same exact stuff the other vet used, so he says it's best if we do it as if I haven't had shots before, which means I'm having three of them. Mummy said that was fine. I'm not so keen on the idea, but nobody asked me, so I guess I'll have to put up with it. Mummy was a bit worried that would mean I'd have to wait longer before I can go for that walkies thing with the humans and Lilie, but he said I can still start going when I would have been allowed to. That means I should have already had my first walkies by the time you get to read this, unless there are one of those nasty storm things I don't like right when they're about to take me, because Mummy said she doesn't want my first ever walkies to be in scary storm weather. Now that's something I completely agree with. Storms are bad enough when I'm safely indoors in Mummy's arms, thank you very much!
Mummy says she should have had the vet person trim my claws. I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I have to go back to the vet place in three more weeks. I think my appointment is on August 1st at 11:00am. I expect she'll ask about my claws then. Her and Daddy keep complaining they're too long and sharp, and saying I need them trimmed.
In the meantime, I had to have a funny tasting treat, and some wet stuff on my neck. I didn't mind the treat... Like I said, I love treats... But could have done without the wet stuff. I hate getting wet!
By the way, they weighed me when I was at the vet, and I weighed 4.2 kilos. The vet seemed to think it was fine for me to weigh that much, even though it's about 0.4 kilos more than Lilie weighed at my age. Mummy says she thinks that's about 9lbs, for those of you who need it like that. That number isn't exact though, since she's just estimating, so if you want to be accurate, you need to look it up. The scales definitely said 4.2 kilos.
Anyway, Mummy was playing with the flashy thing again, and got more pictures of me playing, so here they are:
Those were from before I had my bath a couple of weeks ago. She told you about my bath at the time, and even shared a video and some photos. I didn't like it. So, I'm going to move on. Anyway, these were from afterwards:
(I'm eating a treat in the first photo).
She got a video too:
Also, here are a couple of photos from when Mummy gave me and Lilie a load of little balls that bounced lots, which she loved because they were balls, and I loved because they were real easy to make move about, and I love to chase things.
Lastly, here's a photo of me and Lilie in Lilie's metal dog bed together:
Lots of licks,
Logan
My new big sister, Lilie, said I can have a turn on this thing. So, here I am.
I've been here for a little over amonth now. It seems like a nice place to be. I think I might have landed on my paws, so to speak. I kind of miss my Furmama though, and my puppy playschool friends. At least I have my new Westie sister, Lilie, to play with. There are some things in those wire boxes humans call "ccages" too. Sometimes they make squeaky noises, but they don't play with me, or give me food, so I'm not really interested in them.
The humans - I call them Mummy and Daddy, since Lilie does, and they seem to want to be called that - are OK. They give out great toys and food, and play and sleep with us too. Lilie has also been for something called "walkies" lots of times. I don't know what it is, but Mummy and Daddy say I'll learn very soon, and it seems to involve Lilie putting some strap things on, and going somewhere where I can't find her when I look. She also smells of all kinds of different things I don't know what they are when I find her again. It's really strange. I can't wait to find out what it is!
I tried grabbing the end of the long strap one time, thinking maybe I'd get to go too. But Daddy took it away, and said I wasn't meant to hold it, he was. Then I stayed home with Mummy. I love spending time with Mummy, but I do wish I could go too. Lilie always seems so happy about going.
A couple of weeks ago, when Lilie went somewhere with Daddy for a long time, Mummy tried the strap things - which they apparently call a "harness" and "lead" - on me. She said she wanted to see how it fit. To be honest, I didn't know what to think of it. She pointed the flashy thing at me when I was wearing it, so here are the photos it made:
Then, last week, she put it on me again, and we went in something called a "taxi" to a place called "vet" where everyone called me cute, and I guess Lilie must keep going, because we found her and Daddy there. I don't know how they got there, but they rode in the taxi thing with us coming home.
Apart from when I came in the big noisy thing they tell me is called a "van" to come from where my Furmama lives to here, I've never been anywhere in my whole entire life, so I was excited and maybe a bit scared. Mostly excited though, because I love the idea of exploring the world... As long as we make time for food and naps.
Anyway, I thought maybe that was what walkies was. Rides in those taxi and van things, I mean. But Lilie says it isn't, and thought I was funny when I suggested it, so I guess not.
I did see someone who did things like the human at the vet place did before. But that time the human came to where I was. I guess where we went is some kind of vet nest or something. I don't know. I'm just a puppy, and the world is very confusing to me sometimes. Actually, a lot of the time. Lilie says she still gets confused about things the humans do sometimes too, and she's lots older, so that makes me not feel so bad about being confused.
Anyway, Lilie says you'll want to know how the trip to the vet place went, so I'll tell you.
I cried lots when we were sitting on the chairs waiting to go in to the vet's room. Lilie wasn't upset, but I wasn't too happy about it. Maybe I might not have cried so much if I could have gone down on the floor like Lilie. But they said I wasn't allowed yet. I don't know why... I go down on the floor all the time at home. Why wouldn't they let me at the vet?
I was a good boy when the vet person was pulling and poking at me though. I stayed where he put me, letting him do what he needed to, and didn't even cry when he stuck the sharp thing in my neck, which Mummy gave me lots of praise for. I got a treat too, which I was pleased about. I love treats!
Even though I had the sharp thing in my neck before I left where my Furmama is, I have to have it again. Most times puppies only have to have two, but my vet doesn't have the same exact stuff the other vet used, so he says it's best if we do it as if I haven't had shots before, which means I'm having three of them. Mummy said that was fine. I'm not so keen on the idea, but nobody asked me, so I guess I'll have to put up with it. Mummy was a bit worried that would mean I'd have to wait longer before I can go for that walkies thing with the humans and Lilie, but he said I can still start going when I would have been allowed to. That means I should have already had my first walkies by the time you get to read this, unless there are one of those nasty storm things I don't like right when they're about to take me, because Mummy said she doesn't want my first ever walkies to be in scary storm weather. Now that's something I completely agree with. Storms are bad enough when I'm safely indoors in Mummy's arms, thank you very much!
Mummy says she should have had the vet person trim my claws. I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I have to go back to the vet place in three more weeks. I think my appointment is on August 1st at 11:00am. I expect she'll ask about my claws then. Her and Daddy keep complaining they're too long and sharp, and saying I need them trimmed.
In the meantime, I had to have a funny tasting treat, and some wet stuff on my neck. I didn't mind the treat... Like I said, I love treats... But could have done without the wet stuff. I hate getting wet!
By the way, they weighed me when I was at the vet, and I weighed 4.2 kilos. The vet seemed to think it was fine for me to weigh that much, even though it's about 0.4 kilos more than Lilie weighed at my age. Mummy says she thinks that's about 9lbs, for those of you who need it like that. That number isn't exact though, since she's just estimating, so if you want to be accurate, you need to look it up. The scales definitely said 4.2 kilos.
Anyway, Mummy was playing with the flashy thing again, and got more pictures of me playing, so here they are:
Those were from before I had my bath a couple of weeks ago. She told you about my bath at the time, and even shared a video and some photos. I didn't like it. So, I'm going to move on. Anyway, these were from afterwards:
(I'm eating a treat in the first photo).
She got a video too:
Also, here are a couple of photos from when Mummy gave me and Lilie a load of little balls that bounced lots, which she loved because they were balls, and I loved because they were real easy to make move about, and I love to chase things.
Lastly, here's a photo of me and Lilie in Lilie's metal dog bed together:
Lots of licks,
Logan
Thursday, July 11, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - July 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:
Instructions For Falling In Love Again by Lucy Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've been a fan of Lucy's blog for some time, and eagerly awaiting the publication of this book. I was not disappointed! Had other commitments - not to mention, the need for sleep - not prevented it, I could have easily devoured this book in one sitting! The story had me hooked from the start, and the characters were well-rounded and fascinating people I was glad to get to hang out with for a while. Add to that the author's fantastic writing, and you have exactly what this is: a truely fantastic read, complete with all the feels you'd expect to find in this kind of book. In other words, a fantastic debut novel, which has me already eagerly anticipating the next book from this author.
A Gypsy Song by Willow Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There were parts of this book that were really good: the fantasy creatures in particular were very creative. I also thought the plot idea was great. Unfortunately, it was spoiled for me by the lack of emotional connection with the main character, the fact the behaviour of her adoptive parents wasn't believable (nobody who wanted a child as badly as they supposedly did would be so quick to push one aside if they'd taken her in, even if they later had some of their own) and the fact it needs some serious editing. I loved the ending though.
Breakfast By The Sea by Jeff Sobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a kind of cute story. However, the main character was a horrible person I couldn't like or connect with. Not to mention, the story could have been improved if our glimpse of her enjoying breakfast by the sea with her dog had shown her obviously devoted to the dog and loving the beach, rather than clearly caring more for her newspaper and routine than either of those things. I mean, she even has to be persuaded to take the dog with her when going door to door to get people to back her in stopping dogs being banned from the beach. Speaking of which, why is the dog loose when she does finally take him? Ever heard of a leash? He should have been on one... Especially given his habit of getting in to mischief. Basically, the main character seems like an irrisponsible and horrible person to me, and it spoiled the story as far as I was concerned.
As for what I've been watching:
Apart from a couple of "Friends" reruns I caught on TV, I didn't watch anything during the past week. I was going to either watch more "Goosebumps" or a movie on Sunday afternoon, but didn't end up doing so, and I used Lilie and Logan's naps on the other days to get other stuff done, so the week went by without me watching anything.
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:
Instructions For Falling In Love Again by Lucy MitchellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've been a fan of Lucy's blog for some time, and eagerly awaiting the publication of this book. I was not disappointed! Had other commitments - not to mention, the need for sleep - not prevented it, I could have easily devoured this book in one sitting! The story had me hooked from the start, and the characters were well-rounded and fascinating people I was glad to get to hang out with for a while. Add to that the author's fantastic writing, and you have exactly what this is: a truely fantastic read, complete with all the feels you'd expect to find in this kind of book. In other words, a fantastic debut novel, which has me already eagerly anticipating the next book from this author.
A Gypsy Song by Willow RoseMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
There were parts of this book that were really good: the fantasy creatures in particular were very creative. I also thought the plot idea was great. Unfortunately, it was spoiled for me by the lack of emotional connection with the main character, the fact the behaviour of her adoptive parents wasn't believable (nobody who wanted a child as badly as they supposedly did would be so quick to push one aside if they'd taken her in, even if they later had some of their own) and the fact it needs some serious editing. I loved the ending though.
Breakfast By The Sea by Jeff SobelMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a kind of cute story. However, the main character was a horrible person I couldn't like or connect with. Not to mention, the story could have been improved if our glimpse of her enjoying breakfast by the sea with her dog had shown her obviously devoted to the dog and loving the beach, rather than clearly caring more for her newspaper and routine than either of those things. I mean, she even has to be persuaded to take the dog with her when going door to door to get people to back her in stopping dogs being banned from the beach. Speaking of which, why is the dog loose when she does finally take him? Ever heard of a leash? He should have been on one... Especially given his habit of getting in to mischief. Basically, the main character seems like an irrisponsible and horrible person to me, and it spoiled the story as far as I was concerned.
As for what I've been watching:
Apart from a couple of "Friends" reruns I caught on TV, I didn't watch anything during the past week. I was going to either watch more "Goosebumps" or a movie on Sunday afternoon, but didn't end up doing so, and I used Lilie and Logan's naps on the other days to get other stuff done, so the week went by without me watching anything.
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