Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 88

More Medical Mutterings AKA Yesterday's Hospital Trip

So... The dizziness continues to be an issue, and I spent a lot of yesterday (Wednesday August 15th) at the hospital.

I think I spend too much time there... The receptionist at the A and E check-in desk recognized me.

Anyway, they did a chest x-ray, because they like doing that when I come in complaining of dizziness for some reason. Good news is, that was clear again. So my heart and lungs are still as healthy as they can be for an asthmatic. They sometimes do EKGs and other things too, but didn't bother with those this time. Not that I'm complaining.

Here's the bad news though: my iron level is low again.

Not surprised? Me either. What I am surprised about though is what happened next.

A bit of explanation for those who don't know how it works with figuring out the iron level AKA HB (Haemoglobin( level:

There are two ways of doing it. One has a decimal point, the other doesn't. So, for context, on one of them it will list normal levels as between 12.0 and 14.0, while on the other it will list them as between 120 and 140.

Get too much above the maximum range, and you're heading in to the opposite thing to the anemia I have, often resulting in a trip to a hospital or clinic for them to take blood from you. Shame this blood is then useless to give to others. Anyway, head too far below the numbers, and you're dealing with the kind of anemia I have, and your trip to a hospital or clinic will result in you needing iron supplements, and sometimes a blood transfusion.

If you're a woman on your period, or someone who has suffered a small amount of blood loss, your HB level dropping a little is acceptable. But they don't usually like it to drop too much, and will give you iron supplements if it does, or if it shows no sign of putting itself back in the normal range (like with mine, because of how much I bleed).

Last time my levels were checked, they were 11.0 or 110. Considering I was - and still am - on 400mg of iron a day, and the normal dose is 200mg, it's a worrying level, but not surprising due to all the bleeding. I mean, my HB levels being like that with bleeding but no iron supplements would be acceptable. But the levels being like that with all the iron supplements I'm taking is not a good thing, and shows just how bad the bleeding gets.

Here's the thing though: those numbers were worrying, and my HB level has dropped a lot, but they still sent me home.

My HB level is now at 7.9 or 79. Plus, my blood pressure and heart rate have risin a little since last Friday's appointment. This should have resulted in me being admitted in to hospital, and either spending an uncomfortable night having a blood transfusion, or being scheduled for one first thing this morning, all the while having my heart rate and blood pressure checked regularly (it was every couple of hours last time).

But it didn't.

The doctor I saw when I went to A and E yesterday decided that, since it was less than a week since I had my most recent shot, we should give it some time to see if it's going to work properly this time - even though the first one didn't - and if my HB levels will start to rise without medical intervension. So he wants me to get my doctor to arrange for me to have my blood checked again next week (and my blood pressure and heart rate too, while I'm there) so we can see if there's any change. The results of that visit will determine what - if anything - is done this time.

I have never known them to not want to do a blood transfusion when my HB level has been lower than 9.1 or 91. Considering how much it's dropped, and how I'm feeling, I fully expected to be admitted for a transfusion. So did the nurses. But the doctor's decission is the one we have to go with, and he sent me home.

Anyway, if my HB level is lower next week, I'll almost certainly be having a blood transfusion. If it stays the same, I'm not sure what they'll do, but a blood transfusion is highly likely. If it shows signs of rising, they'll just leave things alone, and make sure to check it again a couple of weeks later to make sure it's continuing to do so.

If nothing else, at least there's a record in my notes that I was having issues, and tried to get it sorted out. So, at least I can point that out to the gynecologist if I need to later.

#WriterWednesday - August 15th 2018

The files for the paperback version of "Where's Noodles?" are currently in review, and I approved the final version of the audio version of "Zeena And The Phoenix" (the fourth and final "Zeena Dragon Fae" book) last night, after Ella Lynch sent it to me in the early evening. So, both of those should soon be available, which is great!

Ella's done an awesome job narrating my Zeena books, so I'm excited about being able to share them with you. As soon as this final book is available to buy, I'll do a proper announcement post with links and things.

Speaking of the availability of books: fellow poet, Kevin Morris, has a new release coming out. In fact, “The Writer’s Pen and Other Poems”, by K Morris, is now available for preorder in the Amazon Kindle store. If you enjoy poetry, you should check it out. No, I'm not just saying that because I know the author.

Anyway, speaking of poetry... Are you also a poet? Or, perhaps, simply a fan of poetry? Either way, you may find this short introduction to the Haiku interesting.

On the other hand, perhaps you write stories? Though, of course, you can do both... I do. Either way, if you do write stories, are you working on worldbuilding? If the answer is yes, don't forget to think about transport in your world, whether the form of transport is feet, magic, horses, donkeys,trains, planes, or spaceships. People and animals need to be fed, and only have so much endurance. vehicles need to be maintained, and need fuel. So bear those things in mind.

Regardless of the kinds of creatures and modes of transport in your story, here are some details about the basic plot of an "overcoming the monster" story, in case you're thinking of writing one of those, or just want to know what elements make up one of those kinds of stories. WARNING: the post I just linked to contains spoilers for "Rocky IV" - just in case that matters to you.

No matter what you write, if you're ready to edit, here are some useful tips on formatting dialogue - in case you could use some. I would like to point out one thing though: the placement of punctuation outside quotation marks is actually not always incorrect. This is one of those rules where it varies depending on whether you're using British or American grammar rules. That's why the rules for editing is that the grammar rules are right "most" of the time. If in doubt, look it up. If you're going to break a grammar rule, you should at least know you're doing it. Either way, don't forget those dialogue tags.

Speaking of not following all writing rules to the letter: remember that it's important you don't edit away your voice, and bear in mind this tip to know about editing dialogue.

Most importantly: remember that writing perfection is not your objective. Yes, editing is important. But nobody's perfect, and striving for perfection will only leave you with a manuscript you never consider finished, because it doesn't meet your expectations.

Oh, and here's what to do when you think you've run out of things to write about. The ideas are in there somewhere... You just have to let them out! So, just write, and worry about how good it is afterwards. Alternatively, check out this post on how to deal with writers' Block.

Always remember: it's OK to take a break from writing if you need to. In fact, here are three reasons to take a break from writing.

Also, here's why you shouldn't 'go all in' when starting a new writing project.

However you get there, and no matter how many writing breaks you take, when you're finally done writing - and editing - your book, you'll want to publish it. If you're thinking of self-publishing - or if you already self-publish - you may be interested in hearing about these new Amazon KDP updates and features.

By the way, speaking of publishing on Amazon: my books are on Amazon as paperbacks and audio books, published via CreateSpace and Audible respectively. But not as eBooks. However, plenty of other people do have theirs available on there as eBooks - like Kevin, as mentioned above, for example - and you might be one of those people for all I know. So, just in case you are, and you haven't heard about Amazon's new "buy for others" feature, here's a great post that explains about gifting eBooks on Amazon. It's a great option for those wanting to give away review copies of their books for Kindle users.

As I said though, my books aren't available as eBooks on Amazon at this time. However, you can get mobi versions of all my books via Smashwords, which is Kindle friendly. My books are available in other eBook formats from there too.

Of Computer Chatter And Medical Mutterings

A couple of months ago, when I thought - or hoped, to be more accurate - that I'd be having my surgery quickly, I scheduled all my Monday posts for the next couple of months. Then it turned out I was around so needn't have bothered. Not only that, but my attempts to lose some weight have had me going out more, so I've had several things worth posting about lately. Not to mention the various quiz things I've done, a couple of guest posts I've put up, etc. The result being that my worries about not having anything to share with you have turned in to me needing to use a whole lot of Tuesdays, as well as a couple of Thursdays, especially since I've been keeping topics seporated for the most part. I can't help finding it amusing.

In other mildly amusing technology related news: I found out why I wasn't getting my YouTube notifications. Turns out you have to enable them for the individual channels, not just say you want to get them on your main settings page. I'd assumed they were enabled, since I was ticking that box on my main settings page, and they were all enabled before. Apparently not though. When I went in to poke about in the settings - because it was bugging me - I discovered most of them were turned off completely in the "manage channel notifications" section, and those that weren't were set to only send me notifications some of the time. So I set them all to send me all notifications, and - funnily enough - have been getting my notifications ever since. At least, I've been getting a lot of notifications. I suppose it's possible I haven't been notified about everything. But I'm missing an awful lot less than I was for sure, so YAY! Now I just have to hope they keep showing up, since I haven't exactly had the best luck with notifications for things showing up in the past.

Anyhow, in other computer/internet related news: Facebook has decided not to let third party apps - like Wordpress and Twitter, for example - post directly to personal profiles any more. So my Twitter posts no longer automatically go on Facebook too (something Twitter, rather amusingly, only informed me about a couple of days ago... More than a week after I'd realized this was the case). Now I have to post everything twice (three times if I also want it to appear on my author page, because my Twitter posts aren't showing up there either, even though they're apparently still supposed to be, or four times if I also want it to go on Google+). I'm not complaining about it... It's no big deal. Having the stuff auto-post for me saved me a few moments, and I guess the little moments here and there do all add up. But never mind. I'm really just mentioning it so you know how things work now, just in case you were relying on posts from third party apps to post directly to Facebook for you, and haven't heard the news.

***~~~***

This past Friday (August 10th) was my appointment to get my second shot.

If you don't want to read about periods, skip this paragraph. You have been warned! Anyway, either the shots aren't working at all, or they're not working properly. I'm not sure which it is, since either they're helping my bleeding not to be so heavy, or it's a coincidence that the bleeding is currently light for me. It could be either. All I know for sure is that I'm still bleeding, even though I officially shouldn't be. If this was meant to be a long-term solution, I'd want to make them do something that works better. After all, though the bleeding is lighter, I'm still bleeding constantly, which isn't any fun, as the women reading this will know, and any men braving this paragraph can probably guess. I told them hormonal treatments don't work properly for me, and am not surprised I'm still dealing with the bleeding. But, there you go. Anyhow, since this is only a short-term thing, with each day bringing me closer to my surgery date regardless, I'm just taking what I can get, and hoping whatever is making the bleeding stay light keeps doing so long enough for them to get me in for the hysterectomy, whether it's my own body or the shot doing it. Hey, at least the lighter bleeding is helping enough that I'm not dizzy constantly, but only get dizzy spells, which is a bit of an improvement anyhow. Like I said, I'll just take what I can get... For now.

Anyway, I had them weigh me again while I was at the surgery for my shot.

I'd really done all I could in the four weeks between shots to get as much weight off as possible. I went out for walks of various lengths a minimum of twice a week, made sure to get up and move around regularly while at home, was careful with what I ate, and all that. So I was hoping to have at least doubled my weight loss from the previous time. Even taking off the same amount would have been OK, I suppose. But I was hoping for a whole kilo of weight loss (which would be just over 2lbs). I mean, that's not too much to hope for with how hard I was trying. Just half a pound a week.

But the scales still said the samething.

I lost nothing. Nada. Zilch. I tried. I really did. But I didn't lose a thing.

I honestly don't know what more I can do.

As it is I'm pushing myself so much my blood pressure and heart rate are higher than they should be again, and I was given a warning by the nurse to take better care of myself, and to stop avoiding going to the hospital when the dizziness is bad (which she was able to figure out I'd been doing just by taking one look at me). She's concerned my iron level has dropped again, which is highly possible, especially since the shots aren't doing their job properly. Mind you, it's also possible it's stress - physical and emotional - that's causing the issues. Either way, she wants me to stop pushing myself so hard, and to go get checked out next time it happens.

The gynecologist wants me to do more. The nurse thinks I'm doing too much.

I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I really don't know what I'm supposed to do.

Either way, my next shot is scheduled for September 7th at 11:50am. Just in case you want to know.

Anyway, one last thing today: Kelly FINALLY has his appointment to get the lump thing on his head drained. He's going in to get it done this coming Monday (August 20th). They originally told him it would be done within six weeks, but it actually took about twice that time for them to call him, and a further couple of weeks for them to actually fit him in. Not that this came as a huge shock to us, since it always takes ages for stuff to get done, especially when it's not an emergency situation. We're glad it's finally getting done now though. Partially because he wants it done out of the way, and partially because we were starting to get worried they'd drag it out so long we'd end up with them asking him to come in for it the same day he's supposed to be coming in with me to sign my paperwork for the surgery - whenever that will be.

#MondayMotivation And #Inspiration - August 13th 2018

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
~14th Dalai Lama

Suffer what there is to suffer. Enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life
~Nichiren

Develop An ‘Attitude Of Gratitude’. Say Thank You To Everyone You Meet For Everything They Do For You.
~Brian Tracy

Do we really need much more than this?  To honor the dawn.  To visit a garden.  To talk to a friend.  To contemplate a cloud.  To cherish a meal.  To bow our heads before the mystery of the day.  Are these not enough?
~Kent Nerburn

You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream.
~C.S. Lewis

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
~Buddha

Let's Talk #Books - #AmReading

Patty shared this post from her friend Abbie recently, and - since it looked like fun, and was different to the book quiz from Jeanie, which I did back in February - I decided to play along.

If you decide to join in, let me know in the comments section of this post, so I can check out your answers, since I love these kinds of things, and always enjoy seeing what others have to say.

OK, here are the questions, along with my answers to them:

Q1. How many books is too many in a series?

A. The right number of books for a series is the number it takes to tell the story. In other words, a series - like an individual story - should be as long as it needs to be in order to be told. If that means the series has two books in it, that's fine by me. If that means it has 20 books in it, that's also fine by me.

Q2. Which do you prefer, character-driven or plot-driven books?

A. Either. I don't really have a preference. Both things are important, and whether a book should be character or plot driven depends on the story, the way the author tells it, and several other factors.

Q3. How do you feel about cliffhangers?

A. At the end of a chapter, they're fine. But I hate them at the end of a book. I don't care if it's a series or not. I don't like cliffhangers at the end of any book. I understand why some authors use them, and that you can't tie up all the loose ends at the ends of books in a series all the time. But there's a difference between leaving things open enough to make the reader want to read more of the series - like J K Rowling does with the Harry Potter books - and ending on a cliffhanger. The first I'm fine with. The second irritates me.

Q4. Do you prefer books in hard cover or paperback?

A. Because of being blind, I can't read either, so I'd rather neither. However, I have no format preference in those formats I can read, and didn't care if my books were paperback or hardcover when I could see to read print books. The only time I care about format is if I start getting a series in a particular format, since I do like to have the set in the same format.

Q5. What’s your favorite book?

A. I've got several favourite books, which often change, depending on my mood. Although "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett is always at the top of my list, closely followed by "Matilda" by Roald Dahl.

Q6. Do you like love triangles?

A. It depends how they're handled. As a general rule though, not really. Mostly my issue is that they're used too often.

Q7. What book are you currently reading?

A. This will have changed by the time this post goes live, but... At the time I'm writing this post, I'm reading "Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey" by Dion Leonard.

Q8. Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction?

A. I'll read - and generally enjoy - either, as long as the non-fiction books are on a topic that interests me, and the fiction ones are in a genre I enjoy. Since I have a rather wide variety of interests, and read most genres, this means I'll read almost anything at least once. I do tend to read more fiction than non-fiction though.

Q9. What’s the oldest book you’ve read?

A. I have no idea.

Q10. What’s your favorite classic book?

A. If I had to answer that right now, I'd say it's probably "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Although, there are some other classics I love, and my answer might be different tomorrow.

Q11. What is your favorite genre?

A. My favourite genre is fantasy. I also enjoy a good Science-fiction book, or a good cosy mystery. I read other genres too, but those are the ones I'm most likely to be found reading. Those and children's stories that come under the fairy tales or animal stories catagories.

Q12. Who’s your favorite author?

A. Favourite authors is hard for me, because there are several authors I love, and which I'll name as my favourite depends on my mood. Many of them have been ones I've loved since childhood, but some are new. Authors I love include - but are not limited to - Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton, Hans Christian Anderson, Jill Murphy, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Monica Dickens, Bonnie Bryant, J K Rowling, Terri Brooks, Terry Pratchett, David Estes, Eva Ibotson, Charles Dickens, R L Stine, Kim Harrison, and Michelle Paver.

Q13. How many books do you own?

A. A LOT! If you cound all formats, I probably have about 2000 books. I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many books.

Q14. Do you use bookmarks or dog ears?

A. When I read books on my Kindle, it's usually pretty good at continuing to read from where I left off, so I don't need to use anything. When I read braille books, and when I used to be able to read print books, I use(ed) a bookmark. It actually seriously irritates me when someone folds the pages instead of using a bookmark, and I'd never do so myself. I also don't lend my books to people because of people doing things like that.

Q15. Is there a book you can always reread?

A. There are several. If it's one I love, I can happily read it over and over again. You won't believe how many times I've read the Harry Potter books, for example. Actually, don't ask me how many times, because I lost count. You get the point though, I'm sure. Basically, the only thing that stops me constantly reading favourites over and over again is my desire to read all the other books I've not read yet, and even then I sometimes find time to re-read an old favourite.

Q16. Do you have a preference for first or third person point of view?

A. I don't have a preference. They can both make for great reading experiences. They can also both make for awful ones. It's all in how well the author does at writing the book in the chosen point of view.

Q17. In what position do you read?

A. Sometimes on an armchair, sofa, or bed, in whatever position feels comfortable at the time. Other times on my feet, with the Kindle reading to me while I do housework.

Q18. Can you read with music?

A. If I'm reading a braille book, yes. But since reading with my Kindle, or listening to an audio book - either on CD or via my Kindle - requires me to be able to hear what's being said, I can't listen to anything else while I'm reading.

Q19. Do you prefer audio or text books?

A. I own more text versions of books - as in eBooks - but I prefer audio books when possible, because it's much nicer having a human voice read to you than the computerized one that's part of using text to speach. The main reason I have more eBooks is that I read so much, so it's more cost effective to get eBooks a lot of the time, especially since I picked up several as freebies, or discounted eBook deals.

Q20. Do you like to shop in a bookstore or online?

A. I don't really like shopping, so I prefer shopping for anything online when I can. Plus, since a lot of my books are downloadable content, I kind of have to do most of it online anyhow.

Q21. Do you prefer stand-alone books or books in a series?

A. I don't really care. They both have their good points, and they both have their bad points.

Q22. What book do you recommend to everybody?

A. I can't really pick a spacific title to recommend to everybody, because my friends have different tastes, so a book I'd recommend to one likely won't appeal to another.

Q23. What’s a book you’ll not read again?

A. There are a few books I'll never read again. Basically, anything I gave three stars or less to when reviewing it falls under that catagory.

Q24. Do you prefer a male or female main character?

A. I don't really see that it matters. Whatever the author thinks works best for the story is fine with me. I have no preference when it comes to gender, race, age, or whatever.

Q25. Do you prefer single or multiple points of view?

A. That depends how it's handled. If the author has made it easy to be clear who the point of view character is, multiple points of view is fine. In other words, I like both, as long as it's done correctly.

#FurkidFriday: Joshua The #Degu's 3 Favourite Ways To Spend His Time

Hi everyone. This is Joshua the degu.

Since I don't have much to say, I thought I'd share my three favourite ways to spend my time with you. So, here they are:

Playing. I especially love running on my wheel, and playing with empty cardboard tubes.Having a sand bath.Eating nibbles. My favourites are cereals like Shreddies, Cheerios, and oatmeal.
Squeak soon,
Joshua

#WriterWednesday - August 8th 2018

The eBook version of "Where's Noodles?" is now available, having been officially released on August 3rd 2018. You can buy it fromSmashwords in all formats they offer. Alternatively, check out Lilie's post from this past Friday for more details, as well as other purchase links. Paperback and audio book versions are planned for the near future.

By the way, thank you to Kevin for his spotlight post for the book, and to Sally for featuring the book in a recent cafe and bookstore post. Also, thanks to everyone who shared their posts and mine to help spread the word. Lilie and I really appreciate it.

Another thing I appreciate is Janice having me over to her blog for an author interview yesterday. If you want to check it out, you can read my interview here.

Now, on to this week's writing links!

If you're a writer too, here are some simple ways to stay inspired as a writer, in case you're struggling to find inspiration to write right now. Also, here's a reminder for if you find yourself asking the question, "Why does it take so long to write a book?"

No matter what you end up writing, don't forget to keep the pressure on, and don't make things too easy for your characters to achieve their goals.

By the way, if you're wondering how to tell if writing is your 'thing', read the post I just linked to, and remember to do it because you want to - sometimes that's actually the best reason todo something, no matter what others say!

Assuming you do want to write, you might want to publish what you write. I mean, you might not, but I'm going to assume you do. So, do you plan to self-publish, or will you go the traditional publishing route? If your plan is to self-publish, you might want to take a look at this timeline you should probably follow to publish your book in time for the holidays.

On a somewhat related note: regardless of how you publish, you'll need to at least do some of the marketing. Do you find marketing boring? Whether you answered yes or no, are you looking for a creative way to market your books? How about using awareness days to promote your book... Doesn't that sound like a creative marketing idea? I mean, you're likely already using big holidays like Christmas, Halloween, etc, whenever you can. So, why not use the smaller ones like awareness and appreciation days too?

Social media is a good place to take advantage of the potential marketing opportunities of various holidays - especially if you remember to use hashtags in your posts - so it could be helpful to be on at least one social media platform if you're an author. Remember not to let all your social media posts be about your book though. The whole point of social media is to be social - hence the word "social" in the name -so check out this advice on building social media relationships, and let your fans and followers see the person behind the book.

Regardless of the social media sites you may or may not be on, or even whether you're a writer or not, here's an important post to read, especially if you're as bad as I am at remembering why working harder isn't always smarter.

Of Trips To The #Beach, Sights And Sounds Of The #Ocean, #Summer Weather, The #Storm That Stopped Us Photographing The #BloodMoon, And #Mars

(The photo above is an ocean view, taken while we were sat on the beach on July 25th 2018).

Other than the photo above, I also have a short video for you today, for the benifit of anyone who enjoys the sights and sounds of the ocean. It was taken a few weeks ago - on July 16th 2018 - while we were enjoying some time on the beach during one of the many sunny - and hot - days we had during this Summer.










By the way, the sort of grating noise you can hear is Lilie playing with, and digging in, the stones on the beach. She loves playing with the pebbles, and does so every time we're hanging out on the beach. I think it's just the fact they move... She'll play with just about anything if it moves near her. Sometimes I think she's part cat.

She's entertaining when we go paddle in the ocean too. She wants to play with it, because she loves playing with water (even baths are fine by her, until shampoo gets involved) - plus, it's moving - so starts trying to play with it. Then a wave will come towards her, and the fact the water is chasing her will make her nervous enough that she starts thinking about turning tail to run. But she never gets far, and never can resist going right back again after taking only a few steps. Well, bounds more like, since Lilie genrally hops and bounces about rather than actually walking. She's usually too full of energy to do something as calm as walk.

Anyway, we've had a lot of trips to the beach this Summer, because the breeze coming off the ocean, along with paddling in the cool water, makes the incredibly hot weather a tiny bit easier to deal with, and with how hot it's been throughout most of this Summer, every little helps.

There have been times though when we've considered going out - to the beach, or elsewhere - but decided against it because it's just WAY too hot - like those days when it got up to 28 degrees C (88 F) - because I'll brave temperatures up to a point, but have my limits, and also had to think of Lilie. There have also been times when we've braved temperatures just within the heat range we're prepared to risk, only to cut the trip short because it was just too hot to stay out there for long. There have also been a couple of days when it was just too wet to go sit on the beach, though very few of those have happened this Summer. I can count the number of days it's rained in the past six weeks or so on one hand, even with the most recent storm lasting three nights.

Going to the beach is a good way for me to get some exercise, and Lilie to get a decent walk at the same time, since I enjoy trips to the beach, so I'd happily hang out on the beach even more than we have been if the weather would co-operate, and Lilie's always happy to go for walks wherever we want to take her (seriously... This dog even thinks vet trips are fun outings).

Weather permitting, I've been making a point to go out at least a couple of times a week. Sometimes having picnics on the beach, sometimes having lunch at one of the cafes along the seafront, sometimes taking that route to get to local events we want to check out - well, we did that twice anyhow - and sometimes just going for a bit of a walk before heading home.

Anyway, I had hoped to also have a nice photo of the Blood Moon over the ocean for you. Unfortunately, the night of what I'm told was, "The longest Lunar Eclipse so far in the 21st century," is also the night a much needed storm arrived in our area. A storm that was actually meant to arrive the previous night.

I was torn between being pleased the storm had arrived - since I like storms, and we'd had only one day where it wasn't hot and dry for several weeks at that point - and being disappointed that it had arrived when it did. After all, if it had stayed away for one more night, we might have managed to get a photo of the Blood Moon.

Still, I was glad for the storm, because it took the edge off the heat, which I was extremely relieved about, because I wasn't coping too well with the hot temperatures we were having at that point. Plus, I was getting worried about the chinchillas, since Mollie and Maizie deal with hot weather even worse than I do (which is saying something). None of us had any issues beyond being cranky and uncomfortable during the hot weather though, which is a good thing. Joshua and Lilie were even able to still find enough energy to play during those hot days. I don't know how they did it!

Before anyone comments on the fact other places have had it hotter... Yeah, I know they have. But that doesn't make any difference to my ability to tolerate the heat, nor the ability of the chinchillas to do so. It would have been OK if we had air conditioning. We don't. Just fans. On really hot days, fans are not enough to stop us being uncomfortably hot. Just saying.

Anyway, the storm stuck around for that entire weekend, and temperatures were cooler for several days afterwards. Mostly around 20 degrees C (72 F) - give or take a couple of degrees either way. Cool enough to be comfortable for me, but warm enough to still be considered warm Summer days over here. It got hot again this past Friday though. It got to 27 degrees C (86 F) for sure, but felt warmer. Thankfully it waited until we were home from that day's lunch on the beach before it did that. I wouldn't have liked to have Lilie out on the beach with it that hot. Actually, I wouldn't want to brave the beach in that heat myself, to be honest.

Anyway, I did think about sorting some photos or something during the storm, so you could have ocean photos from nice weather and bad weather. But it never got beyond thinking about it. Mostly I was just busy enjoying it. As I said, I like storms. Maybe next time? I'm sure there will be plenty of next times, especially once we get in to late Autumn.

Also, Mars is quite close to Earth right now. Or was, since I can't remember off hand how long it was for,so can't be sure it still will be by the time this goes live. Either way, we checked when I know for sure it was last week, but it wasn't clear enough to even be sure that was what we were seeing, let alone be worth taking a photo of. One of the space/astronomy things I follow - I forget which one - said it was the closest it has been for ages, and won't be as close again until something like 2035. I guess you could only see it well if you had a telescope though, which we don't. Never mind.

Let's make up for it with a couple more beach photos, this time from yesterday (August 6th). Here you go...

#Music Monday: Taylor Swift - Blank Space

Here's "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift. Enjoy!

Tori's July 2018 #Book #Reviews - #AmReading

It's time to take a look at what I read in July.

As with the previous posts like this one, 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.

Don't forget: the format I've reviewed may not be the format I read. Also, please remember that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, so you should always check if a book is suitable for the intended reader, especially when children are involved. Sometimes reading the book's description on its Goodreads page will be enough for this, but other times you may need to check elsewhere to figure out the genre and/or recommended reading level.

OK... On to the reviews!

Soul Thieves by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The story concept is unusual, and explored in an interesting way, which works well for it in my opinion.

Brainwaves by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An interesting concept, a great cast of characters, and some wonderful descriptions. In short, an all around enjoyable read.

Adventurer by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an excellent edition to the Star Minds universe, as well as being a well-written and enjoyable read in its own right.

Pilot by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another enjoyable addition to the Star Minds universe. It was great to get to read Shanell's story, and see her side of things while also having more of the story as a whole filled in.

Ask an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space by Tim Peake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a fascinating read, which is both educational and entertaining. A must read for those with a fascination for all things space related.

The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a fascinating book, which will appeal to lovers of both science and astronomy. While I won't pretend to have a thorough understanding of everything explained in this book, I did understand enough of it not to be lost and confused. It's well-written, and the ideas expressed in the book are interesting and thought-provoking.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this was a beautiful and touching story, and loved the way the author described the loss of sight, and the adjustment afterwards. There were a few times when the author seemed to buy in to the myths of the capabilities of a blind person - in particular the super amazing hearing we're supposed to have, which he claims means blind people can hear things a couple of miles away - but for the most part he showed a great understanding of how things really are for a blind person, and it was nice to see a blind character with some indipendence. The only reason I don't give this book the full five stars is that the swapping between characters and timelines meant it took me a while to get in to the book (it's done in a clear way, and for good reason, but still takes a bit to get used to). Oh, and... Just to warn you: the book contains spoilers for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, so if you haven't read that yet, but plan to at some point, you should probably read that first.

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Tales: 10th Doctor Audio Originals by Peter Anghelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent collection of entertaining stories, which Doctor Who fans - especially fans of this particular Doctor - will love. I'd already read three of them in the past, but was happy to revisit those stories, while enjoying a few new to me tales.

Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It was a bit of a slow starter. Also, there were a few places where the characters' reactions didn't feel entirely genuine, and some points where I think the book would have benifited from a bit more editing. Other than that, this was a really great read.

Accidental Ashes by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series. Although, there were some places where the behaviour of the characters - especially the main character's Mother - wasn't believable, which stopped me loving it as much as I otherwise would have.

Broken Beasts by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Though I'm enjoying the series for the most part, this is my least favourite of the books in it so far. It starts right after the previous book left off, but seems to take forever for much to happen. Then it ends abruptly right after things start getting exciting.

Demon Down by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one was a great addition to the series. Some of the reactions and behaviour of a couple of the characters - in particular the main character's Mother - doesn't sit well with me, because it doesn't feel right for either the situation or their character. But, other than that, this was a great read.

Forgotten Fires by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a great read, and I think it's my favourite of the series so far.

Gone Ghost by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was fantastic! The character development and plot were both excellent, and the book both started and ended in a satisfying way. I enjoyed this one even more than I enjoyed book five, which - until I read this one - was my favourite of the series.

Minor Magic by Sara C. Roethle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a great ending to the series. Although, I felt like the contents of the last two chapters could have just been summarized as part of the epilogue, rather than having them separate. Still, an enjoyable read.

Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey by Dion Leonard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautiful story. The parts about the race are inspiring, and the parts about Gobi herself will touch the heart of any dog lover. Also, the story of how so many people were so willing to open their hearts - and often also wallets - to help bring Gobi home is an excellent reminder that there's still hope for the human race, which is wonderful in itself.

Smoky the Brave: How a Feisty Yorkshire Terrier Mascot Became a Comrade-in-Arms during World War II by Damien Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A heart-warming and fascinating read, which will touch the heart of any dog lover, and capture the interest of anyone eager to learn about the roles dogs played during the war.

Hypatia of Alexandria by Laurel A. Rockefeller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is fascinating, and obviously well researched.

The Watcher: A Jack the Ripper Story by A.L. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dark and slightly disturbing, but worth the read if you like that kind of thing.