Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 24

2020 Holiday Decorations - #WinterSolstice + #Christmas

Today I wanted to show you the decorations we put up for the holidays, which my Mam donated after I told her we probably wouldn't be having any up this year because of moving so close to the holidays, and the need to first locate them among all the boxes.  Not wanting me to be without decorations when she knows how much I love the holidays, she donated some of hers, and then we put them up.  In particular her tree - which she already knew I loved (and which you’ll have seen a bit of if you saw yesterday’s post).

Here's the tree:

And here's a shot of the lights in the window, with the tree visible, looking in through our living room window:

A 2020 #Christmas Photoshoot With #Pets - #Westie #Cavapoo #CavaTsu #Tortoise

Hi everyone.  This is Lilie the Westie.

 

Since today is Christmas day, it's a good day to share the Christmas photos Mummy and Nana got of us and themselves.  I'm afraid I don't have any to share of Mollie though, because she refused to join in.  Personally I don't blame her, and joined in myself with great reluctance, as you can see from this first photo where Logan and I are draped in some shiny rope stuff the humans call tinsel.

But eventually Mummy and Nana managed to get a nice photo each of me, Logan, and Izabel, with that Christmas tree thing, which is the strangest tree I've ever seen... Doesn't even smell right.  Here are the photos though.  As you can possibly tell, Logan was most willing to pose for the flashy thing.

 

 

Then all three of us had our photos taken together, with Mummy in the picture.  The plan was to have the tree nicely behind us all, but that didn't work quite as Mummy and Nana hoped it would.  We all stayed still long enough for a photo of all three of us to be taken though, so they should just be grateful for that.  Anyway, here's the photo.

Later, Nana had her photo taken by the tree...

And even Artemis got in on it...

I hope you enjoyed seeing our photos.  I also hope Santa Paws brought you what you asked him for this Christmas.

    

Merry Christmas!

     

Lots of licks,

Lilie

The Naughty Or Nice #Book Tag - #AmReading

Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!
~Neil Gaiman

    

*~*~* 

    

As regular visitors to my blog know, today was meant to be a weekly media shares and reviews post.  However, since I'm not reading or watching much at the moment due to a combination of settling in to the new place and the holidays, today I’m doing the fun Naughty or Nice Book Tag instead.  It's a tag which aims to show whether you’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list or the nice list, depending on how you answer the questions below.  I got it from Cat at The Strawberry Post, who did the tag on her blog recently (click here for Cat's post). As Cat said in her post, if you’d like to do this tag then please go ahead.  It’ll be fun to find out which of us are on the nice list and which on the naughty.

When Lilie And Logan Met Izabel - #Westie #Cavapoo #CavaTsu

 Hi everyone.  This is Lilie the Westie.

    

Mummy says today is meant to be one of her posting days, but me and Logan have so much to tell you that we decided to take over the blog again today anyway.  I'm sure you don't mind.  I mean, I'm sure you'd rather see a post from us than whatever Mummy would have posted anyhow.  After all, who wants to look at a load of links when you can have photos of cute dogs to look at instead? Exactly!

    

~ 

     

So, today's topic: we met Izabel. 

    

For those who don't know, Izabel is a CavaTsu, which is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Shih Tzu.  She's a little over two years old, and owns the human we call Nana, who Mummy calls Mam.  We've never met her before, but since Nana was helping Mummy on the weekend when we left Daddy behind whenever Grandad couldn't, sometimes Nana brought Izi for a visit. 

    

We weren't sure what to think of her at first.  Logan's a bit unsure of meeting new dogs, and I was having trouble getting her to play with me.  As for Izi: she wasn't sure if she wanted to be friends with us or hide from us.  But in the end we all decided to make friends, even if we do still have some things to decide between ourselves, and Nana says spending time with us makes her need big naps. 

    

Logan and Izabel decided they liked each other enough to be on Mummy's lap together though.

 

    

And I decided I'd rather calmly be friends than miss out on a new friend, so joined them in hanging out with Mummy.

 

    

    

Yes, I know you can't see Mummy properly in the photos.  But she is there.  Honest. 

    

So, we've met Izabel, and now you have too. 

    

Lots of licks,

Lilie

Winter Themed #Book Tag - #AmReading

I found this one on this post on The Bookworm blog after doing a search for a Winter themed tag to post today.  It's just a short one, but it's appropriate for today, and I had fun doing it, so that's the main thing.

 

Besides, with holiday things - or preparations for them - potentially going on for you right now (depending what you celebrate, and what your pandemic holiday plans look like) you likely don't want to be spending ages reading a very long post today anyway.  At least, I hope you have something - even if just long distance phonecalls, zoom chats, or whatever - planned with at least some of your loved ones for the holidays, or something nice planned to do by yourself, and that you're enjoying whatever those plans might be, or enjoy them when they happen in the next few days.

 

Anyway, as usual, I'm not tagging anyone.  However, if you'd like to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments section, or on your own blog.  I'd love to read your answers.

 

For now though, here are the questions and my answers.

 

*~*~*

 

 1. Falling Snow: The colors of winter are muted. Choose a book that has whites, light blues, and greys on the cover.

 

I'm not sure if I'm meant to pick one with all of these colours, or even if the one I'm picking does have all three colours on its cover, since I can't exactly check - for obvious reasons.  However, I looked up books with white covers, and among the results was "The Raven Boys" (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater.  That's one worth recommending to you for sure! In fact, I'd recommend the whole series, especially if you're a fan of the kinds of paranormal stories involving tarot, dreams, and ghosts, and happy to read young adult books.
 

2. Crackling Fire: Colder weather makes for the perfect time to sit by a crackling fire in the fireplace. What book is the best to curl up next to a warm fire with?
 

Honestly? Any book.  Curling up near a crackling fire - or anywhere, for that matter - with a book is the most hygge thing I can think of, and any book will do.  So grab your favourite book, or a book from your to-read pile, along with anything else that makes reading a comforting and cosy experience for you, and enjoy!

 

3. Ice Storm: Winter storms can be brutal. What book do you love that takes the characters through a brutal season?
 

"Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver.  Yeah, I know I mention this one a lot, but it takes place in Winter way up North, and the characters are stuck up there with nothing but a radio as a way to contact the rest of the world (bearing in mind, this is set back in the 1930s) with little - and later no - daylight, partially at the mercy of the elements, and with a vengeful spirit who doesn't want them there to deal with.  You can't get much more brutal than that.  Plus, though it scares me half to death every time I read it, I can't get enough of reading it.

 

4. Winter Wishes: Spending more time indoors allows more time to dream and wish. What character is living a life that you dream about?

I could list several.  However, considering the time of year - and my reasons for it - I'm going to pick the Weasley family from the "Harry Potter" books.  Why? Because I'd love for my family to have that closeness, and love that Mrs Weasley manages to make the holidays special for her children even with how little money the family has.  If only all families were like them.

5. Hot Cocoa: There is nothing like a hot cup of cocoa during the winter, as adults we often underestimate it. What book do you think should be the next big thing?
 

There is no one particcular title.  I don't pay much attention to what is or isn't, "The next big thing," and quite frankly couldn't choose anyhow.  If I read it and enjoyed it, I'll naturally want others to check it out.  But that's really all that matters: my enjoyment of it, and that I let any friends or family I think will enjoy it know about it so they can potentially enjoy it too.  The trouble is, there are several books that fall in to this catagory, and which I'd recommend depends on the genre preference of the person I'm making a recommendation to.  All this is just a long-winded way of saying I can't choose, because there are just too many fantastic books to pick from.

 

6. Lip Balm & Lotion: Soothing dry skin is part of the winter for many. What book is full of soothing and comforting words?
 

 Depending on how you look at it, quite a few books could fall in to this catagory.  Quite often though it's not the words themselves, but the comfort of simply knowing you aren't alone in dealing with tough times, or the fact they offer you an escape from reality for a while.  So, once again, I'm not going to name a particular title to answer this question, because there are just too many to choose from.

 

7. Peppermint Mocha: What is your go-to winter food or drink for those reading marathons of winter?

 

To drink: tea or cocoa.  With some kind of plant milk in, of course.  Unless it's herbal tea, because I never put any milk in those, and didn't even before becoming vegan.  If it's the cocoa, I'll possibly also add a little cinnamon.  Maybe even a little bit of a dairy-free cream (coconut cream, or a soya-based squirty cream).  Not marshmallows though, because when I buy vegan marshmallows they never last long enough to make it in to my cocoa, so I end up eating them before they make it in to the mug. *wink*

 

If I'm eating something too, it could be anything, depending on what I fancy, if I have any marshmallows or other treats left, and whether I recently baked cookies or cake.  Although, this time of year sweet mince pies and fruit cake do feel very appropriate, and are often my snacks of choice.

#MondayMotivation - #Hygge And #SelfCare #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 21-12-20

The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.
~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.
Jack Kornfield

Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.
~Buddha

Allow yourself to enjoy each happy moment in your life.
~Steve Maraboli

If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.
~Amit Ray

Take time to do what makes your soul happy.
~Unknown

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
~Jean Shinoda Bolen

Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.
~Susan Ariel Rainbow ennedy

Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.
~Deborah Day

When I’m hungry, I eat what I love. When I’m bored, I do something I love. When I’m lonely, I connect with someone I love. When I feel sad, I remember that I am loved.
~Michelle May

Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it.
~Thaddeus Golas

Logan The #Cavapoo Tells You About His And Lilie The #Westie's Views On Moving To The New House

 Hi everyone.  This is Logan the Cavapoo.

 

And this is me taking a nap with my Westie sister, Lilie, in one of our doggy beds:

That photo was taken on December 1st, and we don't live where it was taken any more, because Mummy and Daddy packed the last of our stuff, and then Grandad (who Mummy calls Dad) came and got us - meaning me, Lilie, Mummy, Mollie, and Artemis - and some of our stuff, packed us up in the back of his car, and took us to a whole new place Mummy says is our new home.

 

For some reason I don't understand, we left Daddy and most of our stuff behind, and it took them a whole three extra days to find where we were.  Bearing in mind, it took us almost forever to get there as it was.  Do you think they got lost? I sure do, and Lilie was starting to think Daddy wasn't coming, and getting real upset about it, because Daddy is her favourite human in the whole wide world, and she missed him so much, even with all the exciting exploring to do in the new place, and Nana and Grandad spending most of the time between when we got here and when Daddy did with us.

Another thing I don't understand is why we were in puppy jail for the ride.  Usually we ride with Mummy or Daddy, but they put us in puppy jail right in the back of the car.  Even stranger, Mummy took ages and ages to come get us out.  Even after we stopped crying she took so long that we fell asleep waiting for her.  We woke up somewhere with strange smells, and we didn't like that place, so we were glad we only stayed there for long enough to have a potty break and such.  But then we got put back in puppy jail, and we had to go through the whole thing all over again, waking up somewhere else with new smells.  This second place was much more to our liking though, so we don't mind that Mummy and Daddy say we're staying here.

We have something called a, "Yard," - which is what Mummy calls our garden - which we get to go in without our harnesses and leads, where we can do potty in any spot we want, and instead of getting cross we get praise - and sometimes even treats.  Here's a photo of us in the yard, taken by Nana (who Mummy calls Mam) on the weekend when we were here with Mummy, but Daddy wasn't here yet:

Mummy says I should explain that both Grandad and Nana were helping her with us, especially since Lilie was being naughty because she wanted her Daddy (Mummy thought that was why, and when Lilie immediately started to behave after Daddy got here, knew she was right).  She says she knows officially she should have isolated for two weeks after getting here, but her being blind made that impossible.  So she's been seeing both Grandad and Nana, because she needed them to help over the weekend, and it seemed pointless to isolate from them after that when they'd have already been exposed if there was any risk from Avirus anyway.  She's also seen Uncle Wayne (her big brother) since Grandad is his official carer, so it's pointless to stay away from him if we're seeing Grandad.  I don't know what she's talking about, but she says you will, andI should explain that, so I did.

Me and Lilie don't mind - Especially Lilie, since she loves making new friends.

 

Well, to be honest, at first I wasn't sure what to make of it.  I kind of like Grandad, I love Nana (who's great for food scraps) and Uncle Wayne is OK.  But Nana and Uncle Wayne are owned by dogs, and it turns out I struggle with meeting new dogs, and get upset if any dog other than Lilie approaches me indoors - even if it's their own home.  Mummy and Nana think it's because Avirus meant I wasn't socialized as well as I should have been... Whatever that's supposed to mean.

Anyway, me and Lilie are settling in to this new place well.  We had to get used to the idea that we live both upstairs and downstairs, and kept heading straight upstairs when we came in from the yard at first.  But now we understand we can be downstairs and upstairs, so we wait to see where Mummy's going first, or run up and down the stairs a few times - just because we can.  A couple of times we chased each other around the whole entire house, which has lots of space for us to do that in without causing too much chaos.  It's exhausting though, so we've also been taking lots of naps, which Mummy says is just fine by her.

Speaking of naps: when we first got here there was a big bed to sleep on at night, but nothing for us in the day, since Mummy wouldn't let us go on the folding chairs Grandad let her borrow, so we had to make her come on the floor with us so we could sleep cuddled up to Mummy on the floor...

At least, until our stuff arrived, when we could claim the armchair for our very own...

Sometimes we share it with Mummy though, like I'm doing in this next photo, even though you can't really tell it's her who's cuddling me, because of what Nana did to the photo to make it focus on how cute I am.

Mummy says she'll tell you about the things humans will want to know to do with the new house after the holidays, but between all the posts from me and Lilie, along with the things she wants to share before the end of the year herself, she's having to use non-posting days as it is.  Like today, for example.

Until then, what I've told you will have to be enough.

 

Take it from me and Lilie though: it's a nice place, and we're happy we came here.  We could have done without all the time in puppy jail to get here, but I guess it was kind of worth it.  We especially love that it comes with one of those garden things - even if Mummy says it's more of a yard than an actual garden, because it's pebbly and not grassy.  We don't care though, because it's ours, and we get to go out in it loads, and even run around out there without our straps on! We've never been allowed to do that outside before; usually outside we have to have our straps on so we stay safe.

Lots of licks,

Logan

2020 #Pet #Christmas Letters: Lilie The #Westie And Logan The #Cavapoo Write To #SantaPaws

Hi everyone.  This is Lilie the Westie. 

     

Mollie shared hers and Artemis' letters to Santa Paws, so I thought I'd share mine and Logan's letters to Santa Paws with you too.  But, since we're running out of days until he comes to visit, I'm doing it on a day we don't usually come on here.  Like Mollie said, bear in mind we wrote these back near the end of November, before we went to the new house (which we'll tell you all about in another post).  But we're sharing them like we wrote them originally. 

    

 Anyway, my friend, Ani, posted mine and Logan's letters on her blog yesterday as part of Ani's Advent 2020 - which you should go read all the posts for after you're done here, since she had loads of other friends sharing stuff as well.  But I'm going to share them here too.  Mine first.

    

*~* 

    

Dear Santa Paws,

 

This has been a hard year for all of us; animals and humans alike.  Mummy says even you probably had a hard year because of avirus and such.  I’m still not sure what all that avirus business is, but I know it’s bad, and I know it makes people act in bad and strange ways because they’re scared.  It all makes me sad; especially thinking about how many more people and animals will be by themselves over the holidays this year because of it.  I hope you and your elves can find ways to make them feel like they’re not so alone, even when they can’t be with the rest of their pack, or flock, or whatever.

 

Also, Santa Paws, can you please make sure to check carefully what address you need to use for our presents this year, because Mummy and Daddy say we have to move again soon, and at the time I’m writing this I don’t know if it will be before or after you come for your Solstice visit.  After all, though I don’t mind if I don’t get so many presents this year, I’d hate to miss any you did plan to give me.  And I have been a very good girl, so I think I deserve presents.  I’m sure you’ll agree, and that I’ll be on the nice list.  Check if you don’t believe me.

 

Speaking of which: can I please have another ball, a new cuddly toy with a squeaker in it, and some tasty treats – because you can never have too many of any of those things, especially balls.  Besides, I haven’t found that perfect ball to replace The Ball since my brother ate it, so the more I have to choose from the better.  You should probably bring my little brother, Logan, the same; otherwise he’ll only want mine.  I’m not sure if he should be on the nice list or not, but he does try to be good... Even if he’s not yet as good at it as he should be.  We all have our weak moments though, and he’s not quite two yet.

 

Oh, and you should probably bring something for Mollie and Artemis too, though I don’t know what they’d want... I know Mollie likes sticks and things to chew on though.

 

Lots of licks,

Lilie the Westie

 

~

 

Dear Santa Paws,

 

I’ve been a very good boy.  I hope you agree, though I worry you won’t, because Lilie doesn’t think so.  I try so hard, but there are so many rules.  Anyway, I’d worry even if she didn’t say that though, because I worry about everything.  Like how avirus made people not want to be our friends for a while, and now I don’t know if I should let them be friends or not.  The whole world is just so scary and confusing! And now we’re moving again, which makes me even more worried.  You will know where to bring our stuff, won’t you, Santa Paws? Mummy and Daddy say you will.  I do hope they’re right!

 

Lilie says if I’m so sure I’ll get presents, I should tell you what I want.  Well, since they’re my favourite things, mostly I want some treats and a new cuddly toy, please.  But Lilie says she wants a ball, so can I also have one of those? I like it best when we have the same.

 

Don’t forget to bring something for Mummy, Daddy, Mollie, and Artemis too.  I don’t know what they might want, but they’re good at sharing if they have snacks I like – just saying.

 

Lots of licks,

Logan the Cavapoo

 

*~* 

    

I hope you enjoyed reading our letters to Santa Paws.  Don't forget to go check out Ani's Advent event.

     

Lots of licks,

Lilie

2020 #Pet #Christmas Letters: Mollie The #Chinchilla And Artemis The #Tortoise Write To #SantaPaws

Hi everyone.  This is Mollie the chinchilla.

     

It’s almost time for Santa Paws to visit, so I thought I’d share mine and Artemis’ letters to him with you.  Bear in mind that we wrote these a couple of weeks ago, so didn't know when we wrote them when we were going to go to this new house place (which one of us will tell you about in another post).  Anyway, here are mine and Artemis' letters.  I’ll post mine first.

     

*~*

     

Dear Santa Paws.

 

Since I’ve been a very good chinchilla – as usual – I hope you’ll make sure to check where you need to bring my presents this year, since the human caretakers say we have to move some time soon, and I’d hate to miss getting my presents from you.

 

Speaking of which: I’d like a tasty nibble of some kind, as well as some new wooden gnawing toys.  Please and thank you.  I especially love raisins and oatmeal, just in case you forgot.

 

Oh, and... You should probably bring something for the others too.  The dogs are always best at leaving me alone if they’ve got something new to play with or chew on, and it would be a shame for Artemis to get left out.

 

Squeak soon,

Mollie the chinchilla

     

*~*

     

Dear Santa Paws.

 

I’m told you’re coming to visit some time soon.  I didn’t know about you last year since I was so newly hatched, so this is my first time writing to you.  I hope I’m doing it right.

 

Anyway, I’ve been a good tortoise.  Mummy says I’m the best tortoise ever.  OK, so there have been those times I got stompy and went on a tortoise rampage, but mostly those times were when the humans messed things up by cleaning my vivarium.  Everything smelled all wrong! Plus, nobody can be good and quiet all day every day.

 

The others tell me they’re telling you what they want from you.  I hope they’ll all get what they’re asking for.  As for me... I don’t know what to ask for; since I have everything I need to be a content tortoise.  I don’t want to be left out though, so if you could bring me some kind of treat that would be great... Please? I like fruit, but Mummy won’t let me have it often.  Something about sugars.  So maybe some of that?

 

Thanks,

Artemis the tortoise

     

*~*

     

I hope you enjoyed reading our letters to Santa Paws.  The little white Lilie dog will share her own, and the Logan dog’s one, soon.  But I got to share mine and Artemis’ first, because I’m oldest.

     

Squeak soon,

Mollie

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 17-12-20

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.
~J.D. Salinger

    

*~* 

    
Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!
    

~*~ 

    
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
    
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
    

~*~ 

     

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?
    

*~*

     

Reading:

I expected to get a lot of reading done during the first few days in the new place, while I had no internet access, and most of our stuff wasn't with me.  So much so that I agreed he had a point when Kelly asked if I was sure six books would be enough for me to download from the cloud to my Kindle for the five days I'd be without internet access, and grabbed another to be safe.  But, as it happened, things didn't go exactly how I imagined, and during the past two weeks I only actually managed to read two books.  Never mind.  Here's what I read anyhow, along with my book reviews. 

    

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander, #8.5)
by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: five out of five stars

This was an excellent story, and a fantastic addition to the series. I loved getting to hear what happened to Roger's Father.
    

~

    

Immortal Angel (Argeneau #31)
by Lynsay Sands
My rating: five out of five stars

This was another excellent addition to this series. Despite how many books are so far in this series, and the fact there are similarities in where the plot is ultimately going, the author does an excellent job of keeping things fresh and exciting.

    

*~*
    

Watching:

I watched a few episodes of "The Simpsons" the evening before I made the journey to Wales, and watched the two new "Mandelorian" episodes this past weekend (since I didn't have internet access to watch episode six of season 2 when it came out the week before).  But other than that I haven't watched anything.
    

*~* 

    

Listening:

I've been listening to a variety of music, since my Dad has an eclectic mix on the tablet he plays music from in the car, all I had besides my Kindle was a radio for the first weekend we were here, and I've been alternating between 80s and Christmas music dsincewe had internet access again.  I'm continuing my Christmas music shares though, and this time it's Bing Crosby And David Bowie singing "Little Drummer Boy" - Kelly's favourite Christmas song.