Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 56

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For October 21st 2019

If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
~H. G. Wells

Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination
~Christina Scalise

Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.
~Unknown

Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.
~John O'Donohue

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.
~Bill Cosby

Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.
~Robert Frost

My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.
~Charles Dickens

Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Dot

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

I've got another friend for you to meet today. Her name is Dot. So, let's meet her, shall we?

Hi Dot. Nice name... Short and simple. So, Dot, how did you get your name?

My name is Dot because I have a large dot on my back. I was called Dottie when mom and dad adopted me, but mom didn’t like it so she shortened it to Dot.

That makes sense. What species and breed are you?

I am a Bodeguero, a Spanish breed. I’m part Jack Russell and part Fox Terrier. We were bred initially to keep the vermin out of the bodegas (wine cellars). Now we just chase cats.

You sound like an interesting dog. Mummy says she bets you're adorable. So, can you please describe your appearance. I know you also 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, like my Mummy.

I’m adorable, at least that’s what mom says. I have short white hair, with a few black dots. My face is white, black and brown, my eyes are chocolate brown and I have brown velvety floppy ears. I have long legs and have the shape of a whippet but not quite as skinny. I can run very fast and jump over walls and fences like a gazelle.

Ah! You are as cute as Mummy thought you must be. For those who can see it, here's a photo of Dot with her Mom:


By the way, Dot, that's some impressive running and jumping. OK, since that photo includes your Mom, this is a good time to think about this, so... Let's talk about others in your life. What sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

I live in Spain in a garden apartment with a large patio. So there is lots of room to run and play ball. I even have a palm tree in my yard where I can hide my ball and toys behind. I have an outside bed and an inside bed. I share my home with my human mom and dad. Sometimes my doggy friends come over for a play date.

Oh, that sounds lovely! Especially the play date thing... That sounds like so much fun! Hey, on the subject of fun things to do, what’s your favourite thing to do?

My favourite thing to do is playing in the park with my BFF, Patch. He is a Bodeguero as well, except he is a boy dog and is younger and a bit smaller than me. We always have so much fun chasing each other, digging holes and sitting in them and rolling around in the grass or dirt. We often get kind of dirty.

Speaking as an Earth dog breed, I have to say that definitely sounds like fun! So, what about when you aren't out on play dates? Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

Every time mom goes away to do a book promotion, she comes back with a new toy for me. That one is always my favourite until she brings me another one. Once she brought me a Santa Claus from Canada and I loved him to death. There is only a few pieces of him left.

Ah, yes... Toys do have a habit of falling to pieces, don't they? Not sure how that happens... *ahem*... Anyway, since we're talking about your favourite things, what’s your favourite food?

Food! Did you mention food? I love food. My favourite is chicken. Mom is a vegetarian but she makes chicken for me and dad. I also love ice cream and when the ice cream truck comes by our house, dad buys me my own cone of soft ice cream. It is so yummy! Excuse me now as I have to go and check out my bowl.

Dot? Hey, come back! We're not done. You can check your bowl after we've finished.

Are you back? Yes? Good! Anyway, that's nice of her. My Mummy's the same. Well, she was vegetarian, but now she's vegan, which mostly seems to mean she doesn't eat ice cream or cheese any more either. Still gives us all those things though, which is great... I'd hate to not have those things. I'm glad your humans make sure you get to have chicken, even though you have a vegetarian in the house. That's really great of your Mom! So, Dot, on the subject of the things they do for us, tell me: what’s the one thing your humans do that you love most?

My human mom and dad take me to the beach where I can run and play with other dogs. I love that as well as riding in the back seat of the car when they go out for a drive.

Both great things to do. Of course, they don't always do things we enjoy, do they? So, what’s the one thing your humans do that you hate most?

They give me baths and I hate that. I know, I get smelly and dirty sometimes, especially if I roll in stuff. But I just hate having a bath.

Most dogs do. I don't mind it personally. Or, I wouldn't if they didn't insist on using that smelly stuff. Anyway, Dot, I happen to know your human is a writer and blogger. Has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?

Yes, mom has written about me on her blog. Sometimes she lets me write my own post like when we went to France together in the car. Here are a couple of posts.

https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/dot-goes-to-france/
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/dot-update/

Thanks for sharing those with us. I hope everyone reading this goes to check them out... After they're done reading the rest of our interview, of course. By the way, Dot, what do you do while your human writes?

I usually sleep on her bed while she writes. When I think she has been at the computer too long, I come into her office and look at her with my big eyes and wag my tale. Then she says, “OK, let me finish this sentence and we’ll go for a walk.” It works every time.

That's fantastic! It sounds like you've trained her really well. I still need to work on Mummy's training some. I hope she gets to be as well trained as yours soon. Alright... I know you want to go see what might be in your food bowl - I hope there's something nice, by the way - so we should finish this up. Before you go though, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

I’m a rescue dog. I was found on the side of a scary busy road when I was four months old. I lived with a nice lady, her husband and two Boxer dogs for a while until mom and dad came and got me and took me to my forever home on the Costa Blanca three years ago. I think am one lucky puppy but they say they are lucky to have me. I´m almost 4 years old now.

Sorry you had that kind of start in life. It sounds awful... I'd hate to be all alone on the side of a busy scary road like that! It's sad someone would do that to you. I'm glad you have a great forever home now, and your story has a happy ending. Anyway, it was great getting to know you. Thanks for coming over for a visit.

***~~~***

Author bio:
Darlene Foster, a long time dreamer and tale spinner, created the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old Canadian girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene, an avid traveller herself, divides her time between Canada’s west coast and the Spanish Costa Blanca with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes that dreams do come true.

Links
Website: http://www.darlenefoster.ca/
Blog: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermegawoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Foster/e/B003XGQPHA/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster

Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action

Amanda is in Holland to see the tulips with her best friend, Leah; as well as travelling the canals of Amsterdam, visiting Anne Frank House, checking out windmills and a wooden shoe factory, and taking pictures of the flowers of Keukenhof Gardens. She is keen to find out what happened to her great uncle who never returned from WWII and was declared missing in action. What she doesn't expect to find and fall in love with is Joey, an abandoned puppy. While trying to find a home for him, she meets Jan, a Dutch boy who offers to help, a suspicious gardener, a strange woman on a bicycle, and an overprotective goose named Gerald. Follow Amanda around the charming country of Holland, filled with colourful tulips, windmills, and more bicycles than she could have imagined. Once again, intrepid traveller Amanda encounters danger and intrigue as she tries to solve more than one mystery in a foreign country.

Buy it from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, and other Amazon sites.

***~~~***

I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend, Dot, and learning more about her and her human Mom, Darlene. Make them feel special by leaving a comment, sharing this post, or both. I'm sure they'll be very happy if you do.

Don't forget, we're always looking for more friends, so... If you're a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, or any other non-human animal, you live with a human who calls themselves a writer - yes, blogging counts - and you'd like to be featured as a friend of Furkid Friday, follow the instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page. You can also use that page to check out the posts for friends we've previously featured.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching - October 17th 2019 #Reviews

Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
~Mason Cooley

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:

Compete by Vera Nazarian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was an excellent read. It was better than the first book in the series was, and every time I had to put it down was tough, especially during the second half of it. I mean, at first, I was just as annoyed by the main character's inability to use her brains for even the most simple of social interactions as I had been in book one. But she got better at thinking before speaking or acting, which I was pleased to see. Not to mention, this book has some excellent scenes scattered throughout it that made it an even more gripping read than the first had been, which you get more and more of as the book progresses. Oh, and that ending... WOW! Just WOW! Seriously, I'm torn between being glad I didn't have book three ready to go, because it was already late when I finished this one, and I know I'd have wanted to start it if I had it, and being disappointed I didn't have book three ready to go, because a large part of me didn't care that it was late, and just wanted to be reading the next book already.

The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a great read, with plenty of action, and a few sprinklings of humour. Someone I know wrote in their review that this second book was better than the first in the series, but not quite good enough to be worthy of a five star rating. I'm inclined to agree with that opinion. If you enjoyed book one, you'll really enjoy book two. But it's only great, and not excellent.

As for what I've been watching:

Yeah... I've got nothing. I didn't watch anything during the past week. I caught parts of the odd show that was on TV when I happened to be in the living room, but mostly I was either listening to music - mainly country tunes - or reading.

#WriterWednesday: #Quotes About #Writing

Before you can write anything, you have to notice something.
~John Irving

Nothing that happens to a writer – however happy, however tragic – is ever wasted
~P.D. James

The only writer to whom you should compare yourself is the writer you were yesterday
~T Pynchon

When asked, 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.'
~Stephen King

All you can do is try to write as well as you can.
~Harold Pinter

You need that conviction that you are brilliant, this is the greatest idea that anybody has ever had, and that by writing it you will set the world on fire.
~NEIL GAIMAN

There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come.
~Victor Hugo

Of Cookers, Concerts, Alexa, And More

We have a working cooker!

I repeat: we have a working cooker!

Yes, you read that right. The hob part of the cooker has FINALLY been replaced!

The guy came to sort it on October 4th. That's two months after the cooker stopped working. Yeah, you read that right: two months! It took them two months to get us a properly functioning cooker again! *shakes head in disbelief*

OK, so we'd had the oven working for almost all that time, and the electrician repair guy does have a load of other jobs he's been asked to do for their dozens of properties, but still... It shouldn't have taken that long. At least it's done now, I suppose. Let's just focus on that fact.

I was starting to think I'd be telling you we still had the pieces of the cooker in our living room, since he was meant to send someone over on the Monday to pick up the parts of the cooker - yes, we still had the oven part after all this time - and take them to where they can be properly disposed of. Nobody came on the Monday, but someone did show up without any warning on Thursday. I was a little irritated that they just showed up without checking we'd be available. But at least the pieces of cooker are no longer cluttering up our living room.

Shame the skylight still isn't fixed... *sigh*

The other repair guy has been downstairs doing some work in that property, but we haven't seen anyone else. Heard plenty from the guy doing the jobs downstairs though, which has had Lilie and Logan agitated and barking a lot during the past week, since things have been quiet down there for so long, and now there's a lot of bumps and bangs going on down there. I don't actually know what they're doing beyond, "Repair work," since we didn't ask. Don't mind what they're doing really. It's only noisy down there during the day, nobody's hastling us, it wouldn't bother us at all if it wasn't for how it agitates Lilie and Logan, and it's nice someone's getting their repair work done, even if it's a shame it's not us getting ours all done. So I'm not complaining about it. Though I do admit to groaning out loud when I realized he was there again yesterday, and will very likely be down there doing work again all this week.

But my only actual complaints are that it took so long for the cooker to be sorted, and the skylight still isn't fixed, despite the closeness of Winter, and rough weather already showing up regularly. We have had some nice weather days, but we've had more damp and drizzly days than anything, and several with storms. Though only mild storms so far this month. Some of the winds have been fairly strong and rather chilly though. We could really do with that skylight fixed, like yesterday. Wish us luck in trying to get them to sort that next.

Anyway, as I'm sure you can imagine, it's great being able to cook what I want now, instead of having to plan my meals based on what can be made with the oven, slow cooker, or microwave. Makes cooking things like tofu and jackfruit easier for a start. So at least that's one good thing.

I've got other good things to mention too: I had a birthday present that managed to be both early and late at the same time, plus an early Christmas present as well. Yeah, I know we haven't even had Halloween yet, and some of you aren't ready to hear the "C" word already. But never mind.

"How does something manage to be both early and late at the same time?" I hear you ask.

Well, it's quite simple. You see, my birthday isn't until next month, but I already have the gift, which makes it early. Except, it can't be used until next year. December 1st 2020, to be exact, which makes it a late birthday present.

So, what is it?

There's a bit of a clue in the post title. Yes... It's concert tickets.

Tickets to see Jason Donovan at the White Rock theatre in Hastings, to be exact.

I don't go to concerts much... I've been to about three in my life. Steps, LeAnn Rimes, and Boyzone. Oh, and I went to Party In The Park once. But I've been a fan of Jason Donovan since I was a child, and when I heard he was coming to Hastings, I told Kelly and my Mam that I really wanted to go see him. I mean, it's practically just up the road from me that he'll be performing... How could I miss out on that opportunity?

Kelly was going to buy the ticket for me as an early Christmas present, but my Mam offered to buy it for me for my birthday instead. I accepted the offer, and she's the one who'll be coming with me, which is great, because she's a fan of his too, and it leaves Kelly free to stay home with Lilie and Logan. He'll be puppy-sitting for Mam as well.

The theatre does a free companion ticket to people like me who have a disability requiring them to have someone with them for them to be able to attend. All I had to do was take - or have someone take - a certain document to them to get the free companion ticket. This was easy to do, especially with us living close by, so Kelly took it to them the day after I reserved our tickets, and paid for them while he was there. I was impressed with the fact it was such an easy and smoothe process, as well as the fact the person Kelly dealt with had paid enough attention to our phone conversation that she remembered having spoken to me the day before. I know getting companion tickets can be a headache sometime, so I'm really pleased this wasn't the case for me. Now let's hope the in person experience on the evening of the concert is as pleasant.

Anyway, that's how it's both an early and late birthday present. I already have the tickets, but the show isn't until next year.

As for the early Christmas present: that was from Mam too., It's Alexa, AKA the Amazon Echo Dot.

Since I have Amazon Prime, I was telling Mam I'd like to get one, so I can listen to music in the mornings while sorting stuff in the kitchen, or playing with the dogs. Or I can use her to listen to a book. Mainly I've been listening to music with her though. She's already figured out I'm a country music fan, and will pick country music nine times out of ten if I just tell her to play music without specifying a genre, band, or song title. *wink*

Oh, and speaking of birthdays and things like that...

Our remaining chinchilla, Mollie, turned four on the weekend. Her 4th birthday was Saturday (October 12th). I'll let her tell you herself what she got for her birthday soon. For now though, I just wanted to say... Happy birthday, Miss Mollie!

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For October 14th 2019

When you need something to believe in start with YOURSELF.
~Unknown

Ultimately, everything is completely up to you. Quit looking for the answers outside of yourself. The invitation to something better is not arriving from any source outside of yourself — ever.
~Bryant McGill

We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.
~May Sarton

True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience."
~Oprah Winfrey

Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.
~Rita Schiano

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.
~Maya Angelou

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
~C. S. Lewis

#FurkidFriday: Late September 2019 Lilie The #Westie And Logan The #Cavapoo #Photos And #Video

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.



Mummy has been playing with that flashy thing again. So I'm going to share the photos it made of me and my Cavapoo brother, Logan. Almost all of them were taken during the second half of last month, except two of them, which were taken at the start of October. Oh, and Mummy says sorry about any mess, but we apparently, "Cause chaos," when we play - so Mummy says - and it's tricky to not get the results of it in the photos. She's also sorry about the peeling wallpaper you can see in some of the photos. Personally, I think she's making a fuss about nothing... We like our toys within easy reach, and it's not our fault about the peeling wallpaper. But whatever. I promised I'd tell you that for her, so I did. Anyway, on to the photos!



First, here we are in the bedroom on the big bed:


Next, here we are on the beach on one of the not raining days we had:


Now here are some random pictures of us during playtime at home:


Logan was really playful that day, and really got in to his game of tuggy with Mummy...


Mummy did a video a couple of weeks ago too, which she did while me and Logan were playing chase, so here it is:






These next two are the ones taken at the start of October. Daddy took these two. Mummy was giving us the toys Nana sent us when she sent Mummy lots of stuff. She sent us a couple of blankets too, but Mummy didn't get photos of those. Anyway, here's me and Logan getting our toys from Nana off Mummy:


See the little doggy that sort of looks like my brother Logan... The one sitting on Mummy's desk? I know you should be able to see it in the first of those two photos, if not both, because I heard Nana telling Mummy so when Mummy showed her the photos. That was one of the things in the box, which Nana sent to Mummy. She got it for her because of how much it looks like Logan. Me and Logan wanted it, but Mummy wouldn't share. We don't think that's very fair of her, since we're always happy to share our toys.

Anyway, after all that playing, it's time for a nap...


As Logan is saying in this photo: "Do you mind? I'm sleeping!"


I do hope you enjoyed the photos and video though. But, of course you did... We're super cute! Especially me!

See you next week.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching - October 10th 2019 #Reviews

Wherever I am, if I've got a book with me, I have a place I can go and be happy
~J. K. Rowling

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:

Qualify by Vera Nazarian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the most part I loved this book. The plot concept was interesting, and the combination of history and science combining to show us glimpses of the society and technology was fantastic. So, why only four stars? For one thing, the semi-finals were almost too detailed, while the finals seemed to hardly be mentioned, so it would have been nice if those had been a bit more balanced out. Mostly though, my issue is with the main character, who manages to be clever enough to get everyone out of tricky situations, even under circumstances where supposedly none of the others can do anything other than cry and panic at their circumstances, but not smart enough to know when to keep her mouth shut, and when to obey orders and stop pushing her luck, which was a bit annoying, though admittedly not as annoying as her whining and crying when failing to spot the signs she should keep her mouth shut and head down got her in hot water, so to speak. So, a great read, but an annoying main character. Still, I'm eager enough to know what happens next that I'm looking forward to seeing how the series progresses, and eager to continue reading it.

As for what I've been watching:

I only watched one DVD during the past week, which was a movie I hadn't seen before, so here's my review:

Big Miracle (2012 movie):
This was a really good movie, but hard to watch in places for someone as sensative as I am about animals, especially knowing it's based on a true story. So, beautiful, but emotional. I give this movie five out of five stars.

#WriterWednesday - October 9th 2019 (Includes Mention Of Another Author's #eBook #Sale!)

Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet
~Unknown

Despite the quote above, since it's Wednesday, I have some links for you, and if you're a writer, you'll probably want to check at least some of them out. Although, if you're doing so to avoid writing, you should probably go do that now, and come back to read this post later. Just a thought.

Before I share the writerly links though, I have something else I want to post about. You see, I was interviewed as part of the 2019 Bad Moon Rising event on Teri Polen's blog. She's featuring authors all month, so you might want to go check out all the Bad Moon Rising posts. If you just want to read my interview though, my interview is here; my interview went up on Sunday October 6th 2019.

OK, so now let's debunk some author myths, shall we? The ones on that list that bug me most are the 1st, 3rd, and 6th... Just in case you wondered.

Speaking of things that are annoying for me: if you have a blog, please try to make it accessable to everyone. Have you done so already? Is your blog accessable to blind people? I sure hope so!

Anyway, November is creeping up fast, which means it's almost time for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Will you be participating this year? If yes, here's how you can prepare to crush NaNoWriMo.

Whether for NaNoWriMo or not, if you're struggling to get your writing time in, check out these tips for how to manage your time better as a writer.

Is it a good idea to write when you don't feel like writing? Sometimes, yes. But not always. As with almost all writing "rules" (or "tips" if you prefer) there are always exceptions, and the advice may not always apply to your situation. However, most of the time it is a good idea to just write anyway. It might not be any good. But you don't know until you write it. Plus, it's better to have a terrible first draft you can improve on later, rather than not writing and having nothing to work with. With that in mind, here's how to write when you don't feel like writing, some words of encouragement for when you don't feel like writing but know you should anyhow, and a reminder to write now, fill in the blanks later.

You can say you want to write a book but if you don't sit down at 9:15 PM wanting to do everything except write, and get some writing done anyway, you'll never have written a book.
~Meg Dowell

Writers: know the difference between prioritizing and procrastinating, because it matters.

OK, so you're writing, but your setting needs some work. No problem. Just take a look at these tips for how to bring your book's setting to life.

No matter what details are in your setting, don't forget the importance of follow-through in fiction. That goes for anything in your story, as the post I just linked to explains.

You should also remember that a writer never stops playing pretend. So go play; let your imagination free!

Before you do though, you might want to stick around and check out these last couple of links, because I have one with something to think about when it comes to your online interactions, and think you should definitely bear it in mind, whether your book is written or not; don't give your potential readers a reason to say, "No," before they even hear what you're book's about.

On the subject of selling books, I have one final link to share today. This last link I have for you isn't a bit of writing advice though. No. This one is for the readers out there, and is about the sale mentioned in the title. So, if you're a fan of vampire fantasy, and love taking advantage of book bargains, grab Charles Yallowitz’s War of Nytefall Series at $0.99. I've read all three, and can honestly say they're enjoyable reads, if you're a fan of the genre, and willing to accept the idea of vampires that aren't exactly like the traditional Dracula type vampire. Go on, give it a go!

A Sort Of Stolen Sunshine Blogger Award (Cat Said I Could)

So... Cat got another of the Sunshine Blogger awards (you can find her post about it here). She didn't actually nominate me for it, but when I mentioned already knowing how I'd answer some of the questions, she told me to feel free to snag it anyway. Since it takes so little to convince me to do these things, that was enough to convince me. So, thanks, Cat, and here we go...

These are the official rules:
Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.Answer the 11 Questions sent by the person who nominated you.Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
But, since I wasn't officially nominated, I'm going to break the rules. For one thing, I didn't grab the logo... It's on Cat's blog if you want to check it out. For another thing, I'm not going to be nominating anyone. If you want to play, go for it. Finally, I'm not creating any new questions. Since I'm not nominating anyone, my way of dealing with the questions is to tell you to answer Cat's questions if you want to play along. Besides, she came up with great questions. Yes, I'm cheating. But since I'm doing it when not officially nominated, I've decided I'm allowed to, so there!

Anyway, here are the questions, along with my answers:

1. Now that it’s nearly autumn/fall, what’s your favourite thing about this season?

I could mention the obvious thing here, and say my favourite thing about it is the cooler temperatures. It would be a valid answer, since I don't cope well with hot weather, as those who know me well could tell you. But one other thing happens: the seaside tourist season ends. It means less crowding on the beaches, more relaxed seaside walks, and fewer people throwing parties that last until 3:00am because they either forget or don't care that people actually live nearby who might want to sleep. It's Autumn and Spring I most love living so close to the ocean, when it's still warm enough to be out without being bundled in a coat, but tourist season is over, so it's at least mostly just locals you might meet when you go to the beach, and sometimes you even get the stretch of beach you're on to yourself.

2. What music styles/genres do you like listening to?

My favourite is country, but I also enjoy light rock/pop (mainly bands and singers from the 90s and before) and am a fan of oldies and classical music too. Jazz is nice as well. Basically, I'll listen to just about any music, except rap, because I hate it, and heavy metal, because it hurts my head.

3. What types/genres of blogs/bloggers do you like reading?

I read and enjoy all sorts of blogs. There are blogs I follow where the person just shares the day to day happenings of their lives, lifestyle blogs, blogs I follow that share writing advice, book review blogs, recipe blogs, and blogs that do two or more of those things. I like them all for different reasons.

4. What are your favourite book genres?

My favourites are fantasy and fairy tales, closely followed by science-fiction of various types. I'm also a big fan of mysteries, especially cosy mysteries. I'll read most things though, and for any age group.

5. This is a weird one: If you could create a dream animal with dream parts, personality or quirks what would it be (made up of different animals/something unique)?

Since lions are my favourite animal, it would have to involve a lion. A lion as loyal and trainable as a dog. I'd give it floppy spaniel puppy ears though, not the usual lion ears, because I love floppy puppy ears!

Or, if we're going with a fantasy creature, maybe I'll just make it a flying lion - not a gryphon, just literally a lion with wings - that's as loyal as a dog. Yes, I still want the floppy spaniel puppy ears for the fantasy version. It would be as big as lions apparently once were, so think Shire Horse sort of sizing, which means big enough that I could ride it, and it could easily take my weight. Plus, it would be able to turn invisible - and make anything it's carrying invisible too - so we could fly without drawing attention to ourselves. Oh, and it has to be able to cope in cold temperatures too, so we could fly to somewhere with snow, and have a great snowy adventure.

You realize I was just making that up as I wrote it, right? I like the sound of that creature though. Of course, now I'm going to have to write a story with the flying lion in it... *adds details of the flying lion to my story ideas document*

6. What do you like to snack on when blogging (or do you not eat anything?)?

I used to snack while blogging a lot, but mostly I don't eat anything while blogging these days, since not having snacks to hand encourages me to get up and do stuff away from the computer regularly. But sometimes I might have some nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or sweets of some kind. I've always got at least one drink to hand though, even if no snacks.

7. What’s your favourite food at the moment? (I say ‘at the moment’ because I’m always changing my mind