Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 70
April 8, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #SelfCare #Quotes For April 8th 2019
We need to replace your vicious stress cycle with a vicious cycle of self care.
~Dr. Sara Gottfried
Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.
~Anna Taylor
Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.
~Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
Taking care of yourself doesn't mean me first, it means me too.
~L.R. Knost
When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
~Jean Shinoda Bolen
Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire.
~Amy Ippoliti
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
~Anne Lamott
April 5, 2019
#FurkidFriday: Mollie The #Chinchilla Is Doing Well By Herself
Hi everyone. This is Mollie the chinchilla.
I don't really have much to say, to be honest. I mean, nothing exciting has happened to me lately. But I thought I'd check in, and let you know I'm doing OK. You know... Just in case you were wondering.
Actually, I'm doing a lot better in this cage all by myself than the human caretakers expected me to do.
They thought I'd be all miserable, but I'm happily playing, enjoying sand baths, eating well, and that kind of thing. I've even started coming to the front of the cage to greet the Mummy human when she brings me my nibbles, and letting her pet me for a few moments. Not for long though, because I need to get to the nibbles, after all. But she seems to like it, and I have to admit I kind of like it too. That bit of attention at nibbles time is enough for me though. I'm happy to play my myself the rest of the time. Well, when I'm not napping, or watching NCIS, CSI, or whatever else is on TV for me to watch.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
I don't really have much to say, to be honest. I mean, nothing exciting has happened to me lately. But I thought I'd check in, and let you know I'm doing OK. You know... Just in case you were wondering.
Actually, I'm doing a lot better in this cage all by myself than the human caretakers expected me to do.
They thought I'd be all miserable, but I'm happily playing, enjoying sand baths, eating well, and that kind of thing. I've even started coming to the front of the cage to greet the Mummy human when she brings me my nibbles, and letting her pet me for a few moments. Not for long though, because I need to get to the nibbles, after all. But she seems to like it, and I have to admit I kind of like it too. That bit of attention at nibbles time is enough for me though. I'm happy to play my myself the rest of the time. Well, when I'm not napping, or watching NCIS, CSI, or whatever else is on TV for me to watch.
Squeak soon,
Mollie
April 4, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - April 4th 2019 #Reviews (Includes Challenge Updates)
It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to the series, and a fantastic book in general. I'm absolutely loving this series, and can't wait to read the next book. I've already mentioned in reviews for the previous books in the series how great the worldbuilding and characters are. Add to that a nicely paced and exciting plot, with plenty of action, some emotional scenes, and some twists and turns, and you have the recipe for an awesome read.
As for what I've been watching:
Yeah... I've got nothing. I've caught snatches of things on TV, but that's about it. I was going to watch a couple of DVDs on Sunday, but it was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam felt talkative, so I spent most of Sunday talking to her instead.
***~~~***
Since we're quarter of the way through the year - yes, already - I thought I'd take a moment to update you on how I'm doing with my reading and watching challenges for 2019. So, this is how things stand at the moment:
I've so far read 22 books towards my goal of 104 books.I've completed 8 letters for the title version of the A-Z challenge, and 10 for the author version of the A-Z challenge.I've so far watched 4 DVDs towards my goal of 52 DVDs.
As you can no doubt tell, though I'm doing well on the alphabet challenges, I'm a few books behind on my reading goal, and several DVDs behind on my watching goal. I should have read about 26 books and 13 DVDs by now. It's fine though. It's only early April, so I have plenty of time to catch up.
If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.
Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.
Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.
OK...
Here's what I read this week:
Turn Coat by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to the series, and a fantastic book in general. I'm absolutely loving this series, and can't wait to read the next book. I've already mentioned in reviews for the previous books in the series how great the worldbuilding and characters are. Add to that a nicely paced and exciting plot, with plenty of action, some emotional scenes, and some twists and turns, and you have the recipe for an awesome read.
As for what I've been watching:
Yeah... I've got nothing. I've caught snatches of things on TV, but that's about it. I was going to watch a couple of DVDs on Sunday, but it was Mothers' Day here in the UK, and my Mam felt talkative, so I spent most of Sunday talking to her instead.
***~~~***
Since we're quarter of the way through the year - yes, already - I thought I'd take a moment to update you on how I'm doing with my reading and watching challenges for 2019. So, this is how things stand at the moment:
I've so far read 22 books towards my goal of 104 books.I've completed 8 letters for the title version of the A-Z challenge, and 10 for the author version of the A-Z challenge.I've so far watched 4 DVDs towards my goal of 52 DVDs.
As you can no doubt tell, though I'm doing well on the alphabet challenges, I'm a few books behind on my reading goal, and several DVDs behind on my watching goal. I should have read about 26 books and 13 DVDs by now. It's fine though. It's only early April, so I have plenty of time to catch up.
April 3, 2019
#WriterWednesday - April 3rd 2019
I managed to get some more of my adventure story written during the past week, as well as doing some more roleplaying write-ups for Kelly's roleplaying game. I don't mind doing the write-ups for him, even though it takes away from the time I can spend on my own writing projects. Partially because I like that he asks me; I like the fact he thinks enough of my writing to consider me a good choice for helping with the write-ups for his games. But mostly because we work on them together in the ideas phase, and I enjoy doing something together that involves the interests we share. In this case roleplaying (though roleplaying isn't the only interest we share, of course). It's Star Wars too, so there's that as well, since Star Wars is awesome! Harry Potter is better - in my opinion anyhow, though I think he'd say it's the other way around - but Star Wars is definitely a favourite in our houshold for both of us, regardless of which way around we'd list Harry Potter and Star Wars on our favourites list.
Hey, did you know writing is a habit, which is why a lot of people fail at it? It's also why a lot of people say you should write every day, or try to. How many hours a day you should spend writing varies. Even whether or not you should write every day depends; writing every day may not work for you. But writing regularly will, if you make it work. Of course, sometimes life really does cause problems with that. I've been there a lot myself, especially in the past year. But mostly you can make it a habit you stick to. If you want to, that is. You just have to figure out what will work best for you with everything else you want and need to fit in to your schedule, make an appointment with your writing, and stick to it. Even if your muse doesn't show up, and you end up writing rubbish. Of course, if it's time to take a 'break' from writing, that's fine. But when the break is over, and you'd planned to get back to writing, make sure you actually do everything in your power to do so.
On a similar note, check out these reasons to go out to write, and consider whether that might be the way to help you keep your own writing appointment with yourself.
OK, let's assume you've got your writing schedule figured out. Or, at least, you're getting writing done somehow, whether at home or somewhere else. Except you're not enjoying it. So, what does it mean when writing stops being fun? Maybe just that you haven't found the right project, and need to find the one that brings the magic back in to writing for you. Speaking of which, here's some help with nudging that magic along.
Regardless of who's in your story, here are some tips to creating a rivalry, because it can sometimes be a useful - and entertaining - addition to your story. Maybe not. But you never know. You now have some tips for writing a rivalry in to your story if you think one belongs there anyhow.
Next, here are some tips for more effective writing, which you may find useful, whether you're a new writer, or someone who has been writing for many years.
By the way, if you're struggling to find an idea, chances are it's because you don't 'find' inspiration. It finds you. There are things you can do to help find potential ideas, but the one that works best is being on the look out for new ideas all the time, and making a note of them when they show up. So, where do your ideas come from?
No matter where your idea came from, if you've finished your book, and are planning to write some posts to promote it - either for your own blog, or for the blogs of others who might have invited you to guest post - and you're stuck for topics, check out this list of ideas for guest posts which are related to your new release.
Oh, and don't forget that your book's description is one of the things that's going to potentially hook a new reader. So, to help you make sure yours is awesome, here's how to write a good book description.
Hey, did you know writing is a habit, which is why a lot of people fail at it? It's also why a lot of people say you should write every day, or try to. How many hours a day you should spend writing varies. Even whether or not you should write every day depends; writing every day may not work for you. But writing regularly will, if you make it work. Of course, sometimes life really does cause problems with that. I've been there a lot myself, especially in the past year. But mostly you can make it a habit you stick to. If you want to, that is. You just have to figure out what will work best for you with everything else you want and need to fit in to your schedule, make an appointment with your writing, and stick to it. Even if your muse doesn't show up, and you end up writing rubbish. Of course, if it's time to take a 'break' from writing, that's fine. But when the break is over, and you'd planned to get back to writing, make sure you actually do everything in your power to do so.
On a similar note, check out these reasons to go out to write, and consider whether that might be the way to help you keep your own writing appointment with yourself.
OK, let's assume you've got your writing schedule figured out. Or, at least, you're getting writing done somehow, whether at home or somewhere else. Except you're not enjoying it. So, what does it mean when writing stops being fun? Maybe just that you haven't found the right project, and need to find the one that brings the magic back in to writing for you. Speaking of which, here's some help with nudging that magic along.
Regardless of who's in your story, here are some tips to creating a rivalry, because it can sometimes be a useful - and entertaining - addition to your story. Maybe not. But you never know. You now have some tips for writing a rivalry in to your story if you think one belongs there anyhow.
Next, here are some tips for more effective writing, which you may find useful, whether you're a new writer, or someone who has been writing for many years.
By the way, if you're struggling to find an idea, chances are it's because you don't 'find' inspiration. It finds you. There are things you can do to help find potential ideas, but the one that works best is being on the look out for new ideas all the time, and making a note of them when they show up. So, where do your ideas come from?
No matter where your idea came from, if you've finished your book, and are planning to write some posts to promote it - either for your own blog, or for the blogs of others who might have invited you to guest post - and you're stuck for topics, check out this list of ideas for guest posts which are related to your new release.
Oh, and don't forget that your book's description is one of the things that's going to potentially hook a new reader. So, to help you make sure yours is awesome, here's how to write a good book description.
April 2, 2019
#Puppy Birthdays, #Mindfulness Rituals, Kettles, And Medical Mutterings
Last Tuesday was Lilie's 2nd birthday. How did she get to be two already? It seems like it couldn't have been that long since we brought that little eight week old puppy home. But now she's officially not a puppy any more. Of course, I'll probably still call her one, especially since turning two has done nothing to dampen her enthusiasm for getting as much fun out of life as possible. We're still chuckling at her excitement when Kelly tipped a box of balls out in front of her. She didn't know which to play with first, and still keeps bringing different balls randomly, with the sturdy rubber ones that we gave her one of early being favourites (she's got seven of those, in a variety of colours... Even a purple one).
Anyway, I found this list of mini rituals for your daily spiritual practice recently. They're officially aimed at those following one of the Pagan paths, but could potentially be options for anyone wanting to be more mindful in their daily life, so I thought I'd share them here, for the benifit of anyone who may be interested in checking them out.
In other news: I killed the kettle. It was an accident. I forgot there was water in the bowl in the sink, and went to fill the kettle, plunging it in to water, and soaking the parts you're not meant to get wet. We tried to dry it out, but every time we plug it in, it fizzles and knocks the power off for the whole apartment. So... Erm... I guess we need a new kettle again. In the meantime, we're having to heat water for my cups of tea in a pot instead.
For those who might be wondering: yes, the workmen have been around. We're still waiting for the work in our apartment to be done, but we've seen them doing jobs elsewhere in the building. I wish they'd come do the stuff in our place, but at least we know they genuinely are busy doing stuff in the other apartments in the building, since we can hear them, and have seen them when they've been doing the outside and hallway jobs.
Oh, and... No. The council did not come and pick up the bins with the used needles in. We put them down in the hallway last Wednesday night, like we were supposed to so they'd be there for the following day, and I made sure to be up to listen for the buzzer before there was any chance they'd be coming. Nothing. Either they didn't come at all, or they showed up, didn't see the bins out there, and left, despite the fact they were meant to buzz to get in to the building to get them, since I refuse to leave them out on the street, and made them make a note on the pick-up arrangements that they were to buzz to get in to the building. I won't be responsible for some random person getting hold of them, as I said when I mentioned this before. The normal rubbish pick-up happened, but nobody tried to get in to pick up the medical stuff, nor did they attempt to contact me either before or after they were meant to have been here to pick the little bins of needles up. I know the buzzer was working too, since I had no trouble letting the postman and parcel delivery guys in. Well, the speaker part is still a bit iffy from us to the outside, but the rest of it works, so I'd have known it was them, and been able to let them in the building, even if they hadn't heard me. Either way, we brought them back upstairs after they didn't show that day, which means the little bins are currently back to sitting on the kitchen counter again. *sigh*
Anyway, it's been almost eight weeks since I had my surgery, and I'm finally not in pain any more. Well, I get some mild pain when I do some things, but mostly I don't hurt any more. I've had a bit of a cold this past week or so though. Not a bad one. Just enough to have me sneezing and coughing a lot, and feeling a bit tired and run down. At least sneezing and coughing is no longer as painful as it was whenever I did it a few weeks ago, which is a good sign, since it means I must be healing well.
I was going to share photos of all the happy post I got during the past week, but we haven't had time to sort the photos, so I guess I won't be posting those today. I'll post about it all next week instead.
Anyway, I found this list of mini rituals for your daily spiritual practice recently. They're officially aimed at those following one of the Pagan paths, but could potentially be options for anyone wanting to be more mindful in their daily life, so I thought I'd share them here, for the benifit of anyone who may be interested in checking them out.
In other news: I killed the kettle. It was an accident. I forgot there was water in the bowl in the sink, and went to fill the kettle, plunging it in to water, and soaking the parts you're not meant to get wet. We tried to dry it out, but every time we plug it in, it fizzles and knocks the power off for the whole apartment. So... Erm... I guess we need a new kettle again. In the meantime, we're having to heat water for my cups of tea in a pot instead.
For those who might be wondering: yes, the workmen have been around. We're still waiting for the work in our apartment to be done, but we've seen them doing jobs elsewhere in the building. I wish they'd come do the stuff in our place, but at least we know they genuinely are busy doing stuff in the other apartments in the building, since we can hear them, and have seen them when they've been doing the outside and hallway jobs.
Oh, and... No. The council did not come and pick up the bins with the used needles in. We put them down in the hallway last Wednesday night, like we were supposed to so they'd be there for the following day, and I made sure to be up to listen for the buzzer before there was any chance they'd be coming. Nothing. Either they didn't come at all, or they showed up, didn't see the bins out there, and left, despite the fact they were meant to buzz to get in to the building to get them, since I refuse to leave them out on the street, and made them make a note on the pick-up arrangements that they were to buzz to get in to the building. I won't be responsible for some random person getting hold of them, as I said when I mentioned this before. The normal rubbish pick-up happened, but nobody tried to get in to pick up the medical stuff, nor did they attempt to contact me either before or after they were meant to have been here to pick the little bins of needles up. I know the buzzer was working too, since I had no trouble letting the postman and parcel delivery guys in. Well, the speaker part is still a bit iffy from us to the outside, but the rest of it works, so I'd have known it was them, and been able to let them in the building, even if they hadn't heard me. Either way, we brought them back upstairs after they didn't show that day, which means the little bins are currently back to sitting on the kitchen counter again. *sigh*
Anyway, it's been almost eight weeks since I had my surgery, and I'm finally not in pain any more. Well, I get some mild pain when I do some things, but mostly I don't hurt any more. I've had a bit of a cold this past week or so though. Not a bad one. Just enough to have me sneezing and coughing a lot, and feeling a bit tired and run down. At least sneezing and coughing is no longer as painful as it was whenever I did it a few weeks ago, which is a good sign, since it means I must be healing well.
I was going to share photos of all the happy post I got during the past week, but we haven't had time to sort the photos, so I guess I won't be posting those today. I'll post about it all next week instead.
April 1, 2019
#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Hygge #Quotes For April 1st 2019
"Just living isn't enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
~Hans Christian Anderson
He who knows contentment is rich.
~Lao Tzu
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
~Annie Dillard
...to hold twilight or watch it darken, describes the pleasure we take in pausing to observe as day slips into night. To stand at our window, wrapped in the half-dark and watch the day disappear... is a moment of hygge.
~Louisa Thomsen Brits
We do not remember days, we remember moments.
~Cesare Pavese
The most unfortunate thing that happens to a person who fears failure is that he limits himself by becoming afraid to try anything new.
~Leo Buscaglia
The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.
~J.M. Barrie
March 29, 2019
#FurkidFriday: Lilie The #Westie Plays Dress-Up, Gets Groomed, And Celebrates Turning 2
Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.
I've had lots going on over the past couple of weeks. In fact, all of March has been great fun for me!
First, Mummy and Daddy said it was time for my ball to be retired. I'm still not completely sure what that means, but it seems to mean that the old ball disappears and I get a new one, since that's what happened. I'm fine with that. I loved my old ball... Even though it somehow had a bit missing from it, which had nothing to do with me, of course. But I made the switch easily enough, and now I love my new ball. It bounces good, and goes a long way when the humans kick or throw it, which is great. It's meant to have been part of my birthday present, but I got it early, because of the old one getting retired. Anyway, here are a couple of photos of me standing by it, telling Daddy to put the flashy thing down, and play ball with me:
Then, a couple of days after I got the new ball, I played dress-up with Mummy. Well, she didn't dress up, but she made me a cape out of one of my blankets so I could be Super Dog. I loved the game, but didn't much like it when Daddy made me stay still while he pointed the flashy thing at me. Since he did though, I'll share the photo with you:
Those things happened a couple of weeks ago. But last week Daddy took me to the doggy groomer. Mummy didn't come, because she's still a bit broken (though she's not very broken any more, and plays better now). Anyway, I got bathed, plus had my fur and nails cut. So here I am looking all beautiful:
If that wasn't enough fun to pack in to one month, I also had one of those birthday things a couple of days ago (on Tuesday, which was March 26th). I knew I had one coming up, because Mummy said I was only getting the ball a little early. Anyway, guess what I got for my birthday? More balls! You can never have too many balls, after all. Apparently Mummy and Daddy agree, since they got me a selection of different balls for my birthday. I got rubber balls, tennis balls, and even squeaky balls. I love balls! Here's a few photos of me with most of my new balls:
It was a ballapalooza!
Daddy called it something like that anyhow, and it seems like the right word.
Anyway, Daddy just tipped the box of balls out on to the floor for me. It was so exciting! I didn't know which ball to play with first! I ended up playing with them all a bit, and eventually picked one to play fetch with Mummy with. Although, I changed my mind after a bit, and we played fetch with more than one ball. Well, I had to try them out, didn't I?
It was an awesome birthday!
Actually it's been a fantastic month in general. Although, I have to admit, I did need several naps to get through it all. It was all so exhausting. I'm having trouble staying awake where I'm so tired...
I just have to tell you about one more thing though.
My Nana sent me a princess outfit. A bandanna that says, "Princess Paws," on it, and a clip on bow. So yesterday - which was when it arrived - I played dress up with Mummy again, only this time I was Princess Lilie. Or, "Lilie Princess Paws," as Daddy called me. Here are a couple of photos Daddy took of me in my princess outfit:
Lots of licks,
Lilie
I've had lots going on over the past couple of weeks. In fact, all of March has been great fun for me!
First, Mummy and Daddy said it was time for my ball to be retired. I'm still not completely sure what that means, but it seems to mean that the old ball disappears and I get a new one, since that's what happened. I'm fine with that. I loved my old ball... Even though it somehow had a bit missing from it, which had nothing to do with me, of course. But I made the switch easily enough, and now I love my new ball. It bounces good, and goes a long way when the humans kick or throw it, which is great. It's meant to have been part of my birthday present, but I got it early, because of the old one getting retired. Anyway, here are a couple of photos of me standing by it, telling Daddy to put the flashy thing down, and play ball with me:
Then, a couple of days after I got the new ball, I played dress-up with Mummy. Well, she didn't dress up, but she made me a cape out of one of my blankets so I could be Super Dog. I loved the game, but didn't much like it when Daddy made me stay still while he pointed the flashy thing at me. Since he did though, I'll share the photo with you:
Those things happened a couple of weeks ago. But last week Daddy took me to the doggy groomer. Mummy didn't come, because she's still a bit broken (though she's not very broken any more, and plays better now). Anyway, I got bathed, plus had my fur and nails cut. So here I am looking all beautiful:
If that wasn't enough fun to pack in to one month, I also had one of those birthday things a couple of days ago (on Tuesday, which was March 26th). I knew I had one coming up, because Mummy said I was only getting the ball a little early. Anyway, guess what I got for my birthday? More balls! You can never have too many balls, after all. Apparently Mummy and Daddy agree, since they got me a selection of different balls for my birthday. I got rubber balls, tennis balls, and even squeaky balls. I love balls! Here's a few photos of me with most of my new balls:
It was a ballapalooza!
Daddy called it something like that anyhow, and it seems like the right word.
Anyway, Daddy just tipped the box of balls out on to the floor for me. It was so exciting! I didn't know which ball to play with first! I ended up playing with them all a bit, and eventually picked one to play fetch with Mummy with. Although, I changed my mind after a bit, and we played fetch with more than one ball. Well, I had to try them out, didn't I?
It was an awesome birthday!
Actually it's been a fantastic month in general. Although, I have to admit, I did need several naps to get through it all. It was all so exhausting. I'm having trouble staying awake where I'm so tired...
I just have to tell you about one more thing though.
My Nana sent me a princess outfit. A bandanna that says, "Princess Paws," on it, and a clip on bow. So yesterday - which was when it arrived - I played dress up with Mummy again, only this time I was Princess Lilie. Or, "Lilie Princess Paws," as Daddy called me. Here are a couple of photos Daddy took of me in my princess outfit:
Lots of licks,
Lilie
March 28, 2019
#AmReading + #AmWatching - March 28th 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:
Valentine Pontifex by Robert Silverberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fantastic read from this author. I know there are some who feel this third installment in the series isn't as good as the first two, but I find I disagree with them. This was an excellent read in its own right, and a fantastic continuation of the series, with a satisfying ending.
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an action-packed addition to this series, which will have you on the edge of your seat - especially if you've been reading from the first book, so got to know, and care about, many of the characters. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's more the, "I must read the next book," kind, so I wasn't too irritated by it, even though I generally hate cliffhanger endings.
As for what I've been watching:
I watched a couple of WWII documentaries. I have no idea what they were called. They just happened to be on TV when I was in the living room, and I ended up watching them. They were interesting, if a bit sad. So, in other words, typical for that kind of thing; I generally find them interesting, while at the same time feeling sad that the events happened at all, and that we - as in human beings as a whole - apparently didn't learn from them.
Anyway, I didn't watch anything else this week, so that's it for this week's review post.
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:
Valentine Pontifex by Robert SilverbergMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fantastic read from this author. I know there are some who feel this third installment in the series isn't as good as the first two, but I find I disagree with them. This was an excellent read in its own right, and a fantastic continuation of the series, with a satisfying ending.
Small Favor by Jim ButcherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an action-packed addition to this series, which will have you on the edge of your seat - especially if you've been reading from the first book, so got to know, and care about, many of the characters. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's more the, "I must read the next book," kind, so I wasn't too irritated by it, even though I generally hate cliffhanger endings.
As for what I've been watching:
I watched a couple of WWII documentaries. I have no idea what they were called. They just happened to be on TV when I was in the living room, and I ended up watching them. They were interesting, if a bit sad. So, in other words, typical for that kind of thing; I generally find them interesting, while at the same time feeling sad that the events happened at all, and that we - as in human beings as a whole - apparently didn't learn from them.
Anyway, I didn't watch anything else this week, so that's it for this week's review post.
March 27, 2019
#WriterWednesday - March 27th 2019
Are you a writer? Do you have a dog, cat, or other animal living with you? Then have them come over and become one of our "Friends of Furkid Friday" on this blog! Simply follow Lilie's instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page to get a spot. There's only one spot a month, and - as it stands at the time of this post being written - the first available one is for August 2019. The furkids and I look forward to hearing from you!
In other news: I've now chosen a new narrator for my Magical Chapters Trilogy. The new narrator is Emma Thorpe (clicking on her name there will take you to her ACX profile).
Speaking of names, here's a great post containing some
On the subject of characters, here's something to consider when writing new versions of old characters. Something you may not need to worry about, unless you're writing a prequel, but I figured I'd share the advice anyhow, just in case it is useful to you.
Let's continue to talk about characters for a moment, and consider the possibility of using horoscopes for characterization - a pretty good idea, in my opinion.
Still on the subject of your characters, here's a post that discusses the challenge of writing exes that don't hate each other, which you might want to read if that's something that applies in whatever you're writing.
Next, here are a few tips for creating a complex villain, which may be useful to you, regardless of the genre you write in, or the relationships between your other characters.
By the way, if you're struggling to decide on a title for your story or book, you may like to check out this post on how to find the perfect title. Hopefully it will help you come up with a fantastic one. It should at least get you thinking of potential ones anyhow, which is half the battle.
Of course, the first thing you need to do is actually get the writing done. If productivity is the reason you haven't done so yet, you may want to ensure you're getting time in your sacred writing bubble, and check out these quick ways to be awesomely efficient, as well as this post on how - and why - one writer trained herself to write 25,000 words in one week. After all, though you may not have time to write that many words in a week, you do have time to write - you just aren't making it a priority. Work always comes before willpower, you know. Just remember to look after your mental health as well as your physical health, and be aware of writer burnout, and that your writing goals don't have to be as large as those of some writers.
Regardless of what your writing goals and schedule look like, if it's doubt about your work holding you back, bear in mind that it's perfectly normal to feel that way. Sometimes I still think my writing is trash - and that statement applies to both me and the author of that post. Yes, even with more than 50 published titles, I still get nervous every time I publish a new book, despite some of my already available titles having great reviews. Yes, you have to make sure the post, story, or whatever, is actually ready before you publish it. But sooner or later, there comes a point where you have to let go and press that "publish" button. Sure, some people might not like it. But it's impossible to please everyone anyhow, so don't let your fear hold you back. In fact, here's why you need to be confident about your writing, regardless of what others might think of it, or how good or bad you think the reviews might end up being.
Oh, and... If you do get some bad reviews - or, I should say "when" since that's something we all have to deal with sooner or later - take this advice on how to deal with those reviews.
Speaking of reviews: if you're going to contact an author to ask for a copy of their book to review, at least personalize the message. I had three messages just the other day that I just deleted because they were clearly generic messages. I'm not in the habit of handing out free review copies to random people who get in touch asking for them, unless I've put up an invitation for them to do so somewhere recently. However, those times I have done so have been after personalized polite requests made by people who bothered to use my name and book's title. So, reviewers, if you want to get in touch with an author about review copies, at least take the time to use their name, and specify the book title (nice to do in general, but especially important when the author has a lot of books out). The same works in reverse for authors seeking reviews for their books too. A personalized message is much more likely to get results. Just saying.
In other news: I've now chosen a new narrator for my Magical Chapters Trilogy. The new narrator is Emma Thorpe (clicking on her name there will take you to her ACX profile).
Speaking of names, here's a great post containing some
On the subject of characters, here's something to consider when writing new versions of old characters. Something you may not need to worry about, unless you're writing a prequel, but I figured I'd share the advice anyhow, just in case it is useful to you.
Let's continue to talk about characters for a moment, and consider the possibility of using horoscopes for characterization - a pretty good idea, in my opinion.
Still on the subject of your characters, here's a post that discusses the challenge of writing exes that don't hate each other, which you might want to read if that's something that applies in whatever you're writing.
Next, here are a few tips for creating a complex villain, which may be useful to you, regardless of the genre you write in, or the relationships between your other characters.
By the way, if you're struggling to decide on a title for your story or book, you may like to check out this post on how to find the perfect title. Hopefully it will help you come up with a fantastic one. It should at least get you thinking of potential ones anyhow, which is half the battle.
Of course, the first thing you need to do is actually get the writing done. If productivity is the reason you haven't done so yet, you may want to ensure you're getting time in your sacred writing bubble, and check out these quick ways to be awesomely efficient, as well as this post on how - and why - one writer trained herself to write 25,000 words in one week. After all, though you may not have time to write that many words in a week, you do have time to write - you just aren't making it a priority. Work always comes before willpower, you know. Just remember to look after your mental health as well as your physical health, and be aware of writer burnout, and that your writing goals don't have to be as large as those of some writers.
Regardless of what your writing goals and schedule look like, if it's doubt about your work holding you back, bear in mind that it's perfectly normal to feel that way. Sometimes I still think my writing is trash - and that statement applies to both me and the author of that post. Yes, even with more than 50 published titles, I still get nervous every time I publish a new book, despite some of my already available titles having great reviews. Yes, you have to make sure the post, story, or whatever, is actually ready before you publish it. But sooner or later, there comes a point where you have to let go and press that "publish" button. Sure, some people might not like it. But it's impossible to please everyone anyhow, so don't let your fear hold you back. In fact, here's why you need to be confident about your writing, regardless of what others might think of it, or how good or bad you think the reviews might end up being.
Oh, and... If you do get some bad reviews - or, I should say "when" since that's something we all have to deal with sooner or later - take this advice on how to deal with those reviews.
Speaking of reviews: if you're going to contact an author to ask for a copy of their book to review, at least personalize the message. I had three messages just the other day that I just deleted because they were clearly generic messages. I'm not in the habit of handing out free review copies to random people who get in touch asking for them, unless I've put up an invitation for them to do so somewhere recently. However, those times I have done so have been after personalized polite requests made by people who bothered to use my name and book's title. So, reviewers, if you want to get in touch with an author about review copies, at least take the time to use their name, and specify the book title (nice to do in general, but especially important when the author has a lot of books out). The same works in reverse for authors seeking reviews for their books too. A personalized message is much more likely to get results. Just saying.
March 26, 2019
#Crafting, Phone Upgrades, #Baking, Medical Mutterings, And Workmen
For those who like to know: my March Makerly box contained a sewing kit to make a March hare wall hanging. I know I can tell you now, since I saw them announce it on Twitter last Wednesday. Anyway, I love how it said in the papers that tell you what you're making that it was a, "Completely cruelty free and vegan friendly trophy." I love that they thought about that.
Speaking of craft kits: no. I haven't finished the owl yet. I should have, but I haven't been working on it. It's kind of hard to finish something if you aren't working on it at all, as I'm sure you can appreciate. I'll get back to it soon.
In other news, the new modem for the internet arrived Tuesday some time, but we didn't set it up until the Wednesday. Although Tuesday was officially the day the system should have allowed the switch, it can be the evening before it does sometimes (in fact, officially it can be any time up until midnight of that night) so waiting until the following day gave us more chance we could guarantee they were ready, and reduced the chances we'd have to temporarily swap them back to continue going online. So, I'm not sure what time on Tuesday the system made the switch, but we had our new internet from last Wednesday, and everything went smoothly with switching it over. We unplugged the old one, plugged in the new one, and were good to go. That's what's meant to happen, so I'm glad it did. It does seem a bit faster, so that's nice. We also haven't lost connection, even during those potentially rocky first days when you sometimes - in fact, quite often - can while it adjusts and settles, which is even nicer. We're going to send the old modem back to them for recycling. They even gave us a baggy to put it in to send it back to them.
My new mobile phone arrived on Friday, like it was meant to. As I think I mentioned last week, it's a silver iPhone 6S. I need to get it a case though, since it won't fit in the one for my old phone. Anyway, it's just as well it came when it did, since my old one (the iPhone 4S) was playing up, and when I asked Kelly to help me do something with it, he said the screen was totally blank. Honestly, we're not entirely sure how it was even still talking, but we do know it's only the fact I was using Voice Over (the screen reader iPhones come with) that was enabling me to even still be using the phone at that point. So... Yeah... I cut that one pretty close, and would have been cutting it even closer still if I had to be able to see the screen to use it. I couldn't get texts for the first day I had my new phone though. Nothing wrong with the phone. We had them send out a new sim card, since the different models sometimes take different sims, and we weren't sure if my old phone's sim would work in the new one. The result being that I had to wait for the new sim to activate itself. They said it could take up to 24 hours, but is usually quicker. It wasn't quicker. It was longer. Partially my fault... I forgot to actually activate it at first. But all I could do was wait (at least, after I'd actually activated the new sim) since it would have had to be more than those 24 hours after I'd actually done the activation before they'd have looked in to it. While I waited, I got the settings all adjusted how I wanted them, grabbed my apps off the app store (since I had internet, because I could use the home internet, but didn't have service from the mobile provider) and that kind of thing. So at least the phone was good to go when it finally activated itself on Sunday afternoon. It would have been Saturday, had it not been Saturday morning before I realized I'd forgotten to go on their website to actually activate the new sim. Erm... Oops!
Anyway, speaking of Saturday: I did some more baking on Saturday. I made some brownies, which I knew Kelly really wanted me to make. He loves when I make brownies. But I also made a simple cinnamon cake, just because I felt like making one. I had Kelly take photos for those who might want to see them. They won't win prizes for presentation... Especially the brownies... But they tasted good, which is what matters most. Anyway, here they are:
(The brownies are in the first photo, and the cinnamon cake is in the second photo - both uncut).
In other news...
I'm feeling much better. I get the odd twinge of pain sometimes. But I'm not even taking Ibuprofen any more. Not even at night. I've got some on hand, just in case I need some - especially now I'm starting to do more, since it's past the six week point, so I'm allowed to - but I'm hopeful I won't need it any time soon. Doesn't hurt to have some available in case it's needed anyhow though. I almost needed some on Friday. Kelly helped me have a shower. Not easy, since we didn't want to push it with me stretching yet, and we also still don't have the shower curtain up, so he had to make sure to be careful how he directed the spray (as it is the floor got a bit of a wash too). But I haven't been able to risk climbing over the side of the bath for either a shower or a bath since before my surgery, and it was so totally worth it to feel properly clean for the first time in so many weeks!
Oh, speaking of medical stuff... We're finally making some progress with getting the council to come pick up those used needles. They have the paperwork this time, so are willing to approve a pick-up. I did have a bit of an argument with them over it though, because they wanted us to just leave the little plastic bins on the doorstep, and I refuse to do that. If they can be left in such an unsecure location, why do we need the paperwork to approve them being picked up? It's stupid! I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they changed hands securely, not leave them out there for potentially hours (they can come for them any time between 7:00am and 8:00pm, which means they could potentially be out there for more than 13 hours, assuming nobody comes and helps themselves to them in the meantime). I told them I'd be willing to leave them in our downstairs hallway, and be available from 7:00am to let them in the building to come in for them. But I'm not leaving them on the doorstep where anyone can help themselves to them. They reluctantly agreed, and are meant to be coming for them on Thursday. I don't see why they're so reluctant. Like I said, if it's so important to have proper paperwork to approve them being picked up, I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they change hands in a secure manner. I know I do. Anyway, let's hope they come pick them up on Thursday. Kelly will put them downstairs Wednesday night, so we just have to let them in the building, and in theory they don't have to come all the way upstairs, or wait while one of us goes down. But at least we'll know who's coming in to the building, so nobody can just run off with the stuff secretly.
Speaking of letting people in the building: the speaker for the buzzer thingy is still not reliable. Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it doesn't. The button works, so we can let people in. We can also always hear them speaking. But they don't hear us all the time. The repair guys say they'll come replace our handset, since that's probably where the issue is. They haven't had a chance yet though. They've been back out on the roof, continuing to fix that.
The weather has been a lot nicer during the past week - we even had the windows open a couple of times - and the workmen have been out there every day. They seem to be trying to do a thorough job, so it's taking a while. Let's hope they really are doing as thorough a job as they appear - and claim - to be. Let's also hope they do as thorough a job as they promise to with checking for and repairing other issues in the building once they're done with the roof. It would be nice to have it all fixed.
Speaking of craft kits: no. I haven't finished the owl yet. I should have, but I haven't been working on it. It's kind of hard to finish something if you aren't working on it at all, as I'm sure you can appreciate. I'll get back to it soon.
In other news, the new modem for the internet arrived Tuesday some time, but we didn't set it up until the Wednesday. Although Tuesday was officially the day the system should have allowed the switch, it can be the evening before it does sometimes (in fact, officially it can be any time up until midnight of that night) so waiting until the following day gave us more chance we could guarantee they were ready, and reduced the chances we'd have to temporarily swap them back to continue going online. So, I'm not sure what time on Tuesday the system made the switch, but we had our new internet from last Wednesday, and everything went smoothly with switching it over. We unplugged the old one, plugged in the new one, and were good to go. That's what's meant to happen, so I'm glad it did. It does seem a bit faster, so that's nice. We also haven't lost connection, even during those potentially rocky first days when you sometimes - in fact, quite often - can while it adjusts and settles, which is even nicer. We're going to send the old modem back to them for recycling. They even gave us a baggy to put it in to send it back to them.
My new mobile phone arrived on Friday, like it was meant to. As I think I mentioned last week, it's a silver iPhone 6S. I need to get it a case though, since it won't fit in the one for my old phone. Anyway, it's just as well it came when it did, since my old one (the iPhone 4S) was playing up, and when I asked Kelly to help me do something with it, he said the screen was totally blank. Honestly, we're not entirely sure how it was even still talking, but we do know it's only the fact I was using Voice Over (the screen reader iPhones come with) that was enabling me to even still be using the phone at that point. So... Yeah... I cut that one pretty close, and would have been cutting it even closer still if I had to be able to see the screen to use it. I couldn't get texts for the first day I had my new phone though. Nothing wrong with the phone. We had them send out a new sim card, since the different models sometimes take different sims, and we weren't sure if my old phone's sim would work in the new one. The result being that I had to wait for the new sim to activate itself. They said it could take up to 24 hours, but is usually quicker. It wasn't quicker. It was longer. Partially my fault... I forgot to actually activate it at first. But all I could do was wait (at least, after I'd actually activated the new sim) since it would have had to be more than those 24 hours after I'd actually done the activation before they'd have looked in to it. While I waited, I got the settings all adjusted how I wanted them, grabbed my apps off the app store (since I had internet, because I could use the home internet, but didn't have service from the mobile provider) and that kind of thing. So at least the phone was good to go when it finally activated itself on Sunday afternoon. It would have been Saturday, had it not been Saturday morning before I realized I'd forgotten to go on their website to actually activate the new sim. Erm... Oops!
Anyway, speaking of Saturday: I did some more baking on Saturday. I made some brownies, which I knew Kelly really wanted me to make. He loves when I make brownies. But I also made a simple cinnamon cake, just because I felt like making one. I had Kelly take photos for those who might want to see them. They won't win prizes for presentation... Especially the brownies... But they tasted good, which is what matters most. Anyway, here they are:
(The brownies are in the first photo, and the cinnamon cake is in the second photo - both uncut).
In other news...
I'm feeling much better. I get the odd twinge of pain sometimes. But I'm not even taking Ibuprofen any more. Not even at night. I've got some on hand, just in case I need some - especially now I'm starting to do more, since it's past the six week point, so I'm allowed to - but I'm hopeful I won't need it any time soon. Doesn't hurt to have some available in case it's needed anyhow though. I almost needed some on Friday. Kelly helped me have a shower. Not easy, since we didn't want to push it with me stretching yet, and we also still don't have the shower curtain up, so he had to make sure to be careful how he directed the spray (as it is the floor got a bit of a wash too). But I haven't been able to risk climbing over the side of the bath for either a shower or a bath since before my surgery, and it was so totally worth it to feel properly clean for the first time in so many weeks!
Oh, speaking of medical stuff... We're finally making some progress with getting the council to come pick up those used needles. They have the paperwork this time, so are willing to approve a pick-up. I did have a bit of an argument with them over it though, because they wanted us to just leave the little plastic bins on the doorstep, and I refuse to do that. If they can be left in such an unsecure location, why do we need the paperwork to approve them being picked up? It's stupid! I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they changed hands securely, not leave them out there for potentially hours (they can come for them any time between 7:00am and 8:00pm, which means they could potentially be out there for more than 13 hours, assuming nobody comes and helps themselves to them in the meantime). I told them I'd be willing to leave them in our downstairs hallway, and be available from 7:00am to let them in the building to come in for them. But I'm not leaving them on the doorstep where anyone can help themselves to them. They reluctantly agreed, and are meant to be coming for them on Thursday. I don't see why they're so reluctant. Like I said, if it's so important to have proper paperwork to approve them being picked up, I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they change hands in a secure manner. I know I do. Anyway, let's hope they come pick them up on Thursday. Kelly will put them downstairs Wednesday night, so we just have to let them in the building, and in theory they don't have to come all the way upstairs, or wait while one of us goes down. But at least we'll know who's coming in to the building, so nobody can just run off with the stuff secretly.
Speaking of letting people in the building: the speaker for the buzzer thingy is still not reliable. Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it doesn't. The button works, so we can let people in. We can also always hear them speaking. But they don't hear us all the time. The repair guys say they'll come replace our handset, since that's probably where the issue is. They haven't had a chance yet though. They've been back out on the roof, continuing to fix that.
The weather has been a lot nicer during the past week - we even had the windows open a couple of times - and the workmen have been out there every day. They seem to be trying to do a thorough job, so it's taking a while. Let's hope they really are doing as thorough a job as they appear - and claim - to be. Let's also hope they do as thorough a job as they promise to with checking for and repairing other issues in the building once they're done with the roof. It would be nice to have it all fixed.
Zigler News
Author and book news for children's author and poet, Victoria Zigler, as well as general news from the life of the Zigler family; furry and otherwise!
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