Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 94

#Music Monday: Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe

Tomorrow is our 15th wedding anniversary.

A few weeks ago, I asked Kelly why he'd put up with me for so long, and informed him that he could do better.

His response was to say, "I've got you."

He then attempted to sing part of "I Got You Babe" to me. It was clear from his attempt that my hubby's no singer, but I still thought it was sweet.

With that in mind, and considering the fact tomorrow's our anniversary, I can't think of a better topic for today's post than that very song, sung by the talented duo, Sonny and Cher. So... Enjoy!

Guest Post: 10 Tips How to Make Your #Child's #Education More Interesting

10 Tips How to Make Your Child's Education More InterestingBy Emily Watts



By nature kids are very playful and free-spirited beings. They fancy many things, including colors, animals and everything that catches their attention. As parents, we always desire the best for our children. Thus, some of our greatest sense of fulfillment comes from providing them with the best, and education is not an exception. Watching our kids learning new things every day and getting worthy grades puts a smile on the face of every parent. [image error] But sometimes, we may find out that our kids are not catching up with their school tasks. Or they are finding them boring, and just go with the motions without enjoying the process, due to their age or other factors. What to do in this case and how you can help? Here are a few tips that will aid us in spicing up studying process for them:


1.       Little rewardsA little pat on the back for having pristine grades can be a huge source of inspiration to some kids. Usually they work harder when they realize that their efforts will be rewarded. Applaud their efforts and encourage them to do better can make your child become a solid person.2.       MusicIf your daughter, for instance, has a hard time learning by heart her multiplication tables or current affairs info, you can facilitate this process by creating a song together. Children get easily captivated by the music and could learn the required information while singing it. Such way is especially helpful for toddlers, pre-schoolers and most kids before they turn twelve. A good number of education-themed songs have helped children learning various subjects. It’s worth the try.3.       VideosThere are educational websites for students that offer tons of videos covering subjects found in the school’s program for your kids. For subjects with tons of new words like the Sciences, History and others. Videos can be a good option. 4.       GamesJust like music and videos, there are also games specifically designed to help kids with learning the basics of the certain subjects. Children love playing and having fun. Some of these games can be found on various educational websites. It’s like searching for the term assignment help Melbourne; “educational games” might be the exact thing your child needs to assimilate better. [image error] 5.       ExcursionsExcursions are very vital tools in child education. It helps when the child gets a glimpse of what he is taught within class walls. Of course, you cannot take your child to a laboratory; but you can visit a museum together and see some things described in history books. Or you could take them to a science-themed amusement park with fun rides describing planets or body system. Either way, it’s a win-win for everyone – education coupled with a good time out.6.       StorybooksNo, not the school ones. Get your children interesting novels written based on a particular subject e.g. Chemistry, Biology, Physics. Depending on the age, there are a good number of children’s novels that can help them understand different subjects while challenging their imaginations.7.       Other things aside from the booksAnyone could get bored with excessive reading or studying. This is why parents get advised to search out the other things that interest their children. Things like soccer, ballet classes, martial arts, etc. Children who take part in their favorite activities tend to be more relaxed, as well as have a sense of satisfaction. This puts them in a perfect spot for assimilating their school tasks. 8.       Nutrition9.       Talking with the teacherWhile at school, each teacher’s duty is to observe kid’s behavior. Talking with your child’s instructor clarify the challenges he/she might be facing while studying. This gives you both the chance to agree on strategies that can improve performance, and can easily be applied both at home and in school.10.   Get involvedAs guardians, we can make sure our kids eat and exercise good – but to the kids it might not make so much impact until we get involved. Have your child told you about his day, show interest in helping out with homework? Even if it takes time to help your child with homework, the effort will be worth it. Children flourish when they have a solid backup. Thus, is there a better backup they  can get than their parents?

#FurkidFriday: Maizie The #Chinchilla Checks In

Hi everyone. This is Maizie the chinchilla.

To be honest, I don't really have much to say. Mostly all I've been doing is hanging out watching NCIS, and a few other shows that keep ending up on between episodes of NCIS. Personally, I'd be happy with NCIS 24 hours a day, but the human caretakers say I have to put up with waiting until the TV puts it on. I wish they'd give me that thing they call a "TV remote" so I could pick my shows myself. Maybe then I could find NCIS all the time?

Anyway, I just wanted to check in, let you know I'm doing OK, and that kind of thing. So I'll let this do for today.

Squeak soon,
Maizie

#KidLit #Book - Vinnie The Vegetarian Zombie Now In #Audio! #Zombies #Vegetarian

When Vinnie the zombie smashes his way in to the fruit and vegetable shop where six year old Annie is waiting in hiding for her Mother to come back for her, Annie isn’t sure what to do. But Vinnie isn’t like other zombies. A vegetarian in life, it looks like Vinnie may also be one in death, and it may not be Annie who’s in danger after all.

Previously only available as an eBook or paperback, "Vinnie The Vegetarian Zombie" is now also available as an audiobook, read for you by Jenny Bacon.

Regardless of the format you'd prefer, here are the main places where you can buy the book:

Audible, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Chapters-Indigo, iBooks, iTunes, Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, and The Book Depository.

The book also has a page on Goodreads.

Random Ramblings - May 14th 2018 (FD)

There's not much to say beyond what I wrote in yesterday's post, but here's a post to say it anyhow.

I've taken advantage of a bit of time I had when I didn't feel like I was going to pass out to schedule several posts to go up on Sundays and Mondays over the next couple of months, just in case I'm not around to sort them, or not feeling well enough, or whatever. Well, my book review and movie review posts are sort of work in progress type things, but they'll go up with whatever reviews are in them at the time they're due to go live. I've scheduled some Friday posts too, though those are hard to do, since they're supposed to be pet related updates. Wednesdays are harder still, because those posts are generally links I've collected throughout the week, apart from when I've used those posts for book announcements. So I'm sorry if I end up missing posting on a Wednesday or Friday at any point.

I did this because I didn't want you to have to miss out on posts if - or when - I end up back inhospital. When I'm around to do update posts, I can reschedule something to clear a slot. In the meantime, I feel better knowing you'll have things to read during my promised regular posting slots, even if I'm dealing with doctors on those days.

Like I said though, sorry if I miss a slot. Also, sorry if I get behind on anything else too. I'm doing my best.

***~~~***

The weather's been all over the place in this past month.

Some days it's been rainy, with temperatures only a few degrees above freezing, while other days it's been warm and sunny.

One time it even got up to about 27 degrees C (88 F). But that was only once. Mostly it's been 20 degrees C (72 F) or lower. In fact, until this past week, the most common temperatures had been between 12 degrees C (56 F) and 16 degrees C (64 F). We started seeing temperatures of 19 degrees C (70 F) and higher more often during this past week though. This time last week, for example, it was 21 degrees C (74 F) and got hotter as the day wore on. I think it got up to 25 degrees C (82 F) for a while at one point... Not for long though, thankfully.

Not too hot as a rule, but warmer than I like sometimes, and much warmer than it was just a couple of months ago. I wonder if we'll get a really hot Summer, like we did last year? I kind of hope not. Sunny weather is fine, but I don't like when it gets too hot. If things continue as they've been going though, we'll be dealing with those hot temperatures for sure. I hope I'm not in hospital when we do... It's always much too hot for my liking in hospitals as it is.

Anyway, in the meantime, some of the rainy days have come with strong winds too, so we've had a few mild storms. No big ones though. At least, not unless I slept through them, and didn't hear about them afterwards, which is possible with how much I've been sleeping lately, and how poorly I've been doing at keeping up with what's going on outside my own home.

***~~~***

I've now finished reading the five "Game Of Thrones" books that are out. As I've said in my reviews - the last of which will be in my May reviews post - I think they're better than the TV series. Much easier to follow, which helps in itself.

I did have one issue I didn't mention in my reviews though: the author is much too free with his use of a certain four lettered "C" word for my liking.

Actually, it bothers me that authors swear so much in books these days in general. But that particular word is my least favourite word, and it really bothers me how often it was used. It bothers me even more than how often the four lettered "F" word was used. I'd rather the "F" word than the "C" word any time.

I didn't mention it in my reviews though, because I know this is just my issue, and those who follow my reviews on Goodreads are probably sick of me complaining about the over-use of curse words in books. I felt the need to mention it somewhere though, and this post on my blog seems as good a place as any.

I'm still going to finish the series when - or if - the books for it get finished and published though.

***~~~***

I wanted to try Thai food. No reason other than that I haven't done so to my knowledge, and there are a couple of Thai places near here that deliver. So, we placed an order via one of them recently.

I ordered some jasmine rice with Pad Khing Tao Hoo (stir fried tofu with mushrooms, onions, ginger & spring onions).

I ordered that partially because it sounded good, and partially because it was a vegetarian dish that was mild on spices, and I didn't want anything too spicy. I like some spice, but have learned through ordering Chinese and Indian food to be cautious of the hotter foods... They're not usually for me. That's part of why it's taken me so long to try Thai food.

I really enjoyed it, though perhaps not as much as I usually enjoy Chinese or Indian food. Still, it was good, and I'd eat it again. Plus, I feel good being able to honestly say I've tried some kind of Thai food. I think I was right to be cautious on the spices though, so don't plan to try the hotter stuff they do.

Medical Mutterings - May 2018 Edition (PTMI & LBE)

WARNING: this post carries a PTMI (possibly too much information) warning. This especially applies to male readers, and those who are squeemish about blood. Feel free to read on, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Firstly, here's an update on everyone else:

My Mam's leg was healing well, but then it got infected again. She'd gotten to the stage where she could be without bandages, but now she's back to bandages and strong antibiotics again. At least she gets to stay home though. They've told her this could keep happening, and that even when it calms down, she'll probably always need a walking aid of some kind (such as a frame, crutches, etc). Even if she gets to the point where she can hobble around the house without using any kind of walking aid, she'll need one when she goes out. This isn't the best news, but it's better than the potentially losing her leg they were talking about not long ago. Now we're crossing our fingers that the new antibiotics clear up the infection again quickly, and she doesn't get another infection any time soon.

Kelly's lump is going to be drained, which is what he was hoping for. He's waiting for an appointment, which should come in the next few weeks. The procedure itself should only take about half an hour, so he'll just be spending a few hours with the doctors while they cut it open, drain it, make sure it's not going to bleed too much, and then stitch his head back up. He'll be allowed back home after that, to return about a week later for his stitches to come out. All being well, that will be the end of it for him for doctor visits for a while.

Also, my Grandma's doing OK, but had a "funny turn" that meant a doctor visiting her at home to give her a lecture about doing too much, since that was what likely caused it. When she remembers she's almost 80 (she'll be 80 in June) and doesn't try and do too much, she's doing OK though.

As for me...

So far, there's hope for my new asthma nurse, who I saw on April 25th.

First of all, she was annoyed to learn that my inhalers ever got taken away, especially when she learned the reason the doctor had given for doing so. She's assured me she wouldn't ever advise that - especially given my medical history - though she would like to have me needing to have them less often. Like maybe once or twice a day, instead of the four times a day I've been needing them. Obviously, those numbers aren't including asthma attacks, but refer to the preventative doses, if that makes sense. Cutting down I don't mind, since I'd still have them on hand in case of asthma attacks, and be having regular doses of the steroid medication they contain. So I'm fine with that plan.

She also realised that - due to the dizziness from the anemia and bleeding - I'm not taking deep enough breaths to get the full dose in, which is part of why I need the inhalers so frequently, get out of breath so easily, and am struggling to get asthma attacks under control as easily as I used to be able to. When she asked me about it, I explained about the anemia, and how I can't get it under control because of the bleeding, and told her how it makes the dizziness worse to take really deep breaths, so she's given me a spacer thing to help with that.

For those who don't know: a spacer is a plastic thing that goes between the inhaler and your mouth. As long as you keep it in your mouth, the steroids squirted from the inhaler stay inside it, so you can take it in over a few shallower breaths, rather than not getting it all because you didn't take a big enough breath. I even have one of the newer ones, which makes a noise if your breaths are coming too quick to give you a good chance of getting all the medication.

I have to go back to see her on June 6th to see how I'm getting on with that. Personally, I think it might be helping. I've had no asthma attacks since I started using the new inhaler and the spacer thing anyhow, which I know is a good thing.

Anyway, I was weighed while I was at the medical centre, and was delighted to learn that I'm lighter than I thought I was. Still heavier than I should really be, but that's still a good thing, since I was basing my weight on the last time I was weighed. I was also pleased that she didn't lecture me on my weight, and thought the idea of blaming my weight for my asthma was ridiculous, especially considering I've had asthma since childhood.

Like I said: so far, there's hope for my new asthma nurse. Now I just have to hope I get to keep her.

Unfortunately, things aren't going quite so smoothly with sorting out the issues that are aggrivating my anemia. Although, there is some potential progress in that area, even if the road I'm travelling is rather more bumpy, if you know what I mean.

I ended up making another trip in to A and E in the early hours of April 28th. I went because of what happened with the bleeding.

For those who don't know: my bleeding has been bad since I first started my periods, but I used to have breaks in between. Even then it was an issue, so I've been seeing doctors about it since I was still in primary school, and having to take time off school during my heavier days. But these days it's worse, because I'm always bleeding. As in, have a non-stop period. Sometimes it's heavy, sometimes it's light. The point is, there's always blood.

Lately, my bleeding's been really bad. Even worse than it used to be, I mean. Bad enough that I'm getting circulation issues that are causing me to lose feeling in my feet. At first it only happened when I sat in certain positions for too long, but now it happens at random times. It happened as I was getting out of the bath a couple of times, for example. I also keep getting so dizzy that some days I can't even sit up for long because of it. After I nearly fell because of the, "Can't feel my feet," issue a few times, I decided I should make a trip back to A and E, which is what I did in the early hours of the morning of April 28th.

Of course, the moment I got there, the bleeding slackened off. That keeps happening, so they keep missing out on seeing the bleeding at its worse. It's really frustrating. Still, it was heavy enough that when they went to try and send me home with pills again without doing anything more (since my iron level was high enough that I didn't need a blood transfusion during that visit, even if it was only just) showing them what light bleeding for me is like was enough to get them to accept it might be an idea to do more. They still weren't as helpful as I'd have liked, but it was progress.

Despite the fact they agreed to do more in the long-term, they still sent me home with some of the pills I've had a hundred times before, and the pills still did nothing, as I'd expected would be the case. But they also gave me an appointment for an emergency scan, which I had on May 2nd, and while I was there for that they got a better demonstration of my bleeding. It still wasn't my heaviest bleeding, but it was enough to have the nurses needing to mop up a lot of blood, and show them I wasn't kidding when I said what I call light bleeding and what they do are two different things.

Anyway, I didn't expect the scan to show anything, because I've had several scans over the years, and my scans are usually clear. So I was expecting to have to fight to get them to do anything. But this time it looks like I'm having issues with polyps and possible fibroids, so they want me seen by a new gynecologist as soon as possible.

Fair play to them, they tried to actually make me an appointment while I was there, but the clinic refused to let them without my doctor referring me. So I had to call my doctor and ask for an emergency referral. They wrote to him too, because they wanted to make sure he knew it was an emergency case. I was pleased about that, since it helps my case.

Kelly's seen our new doctor, and says he's a nice guy who listens to you. I ended up talking to one of the other doctors from the surgery instead of my own new doctor though, because I couldn't get to talk to my own. They'd told me the first day I called that I could if I called first thing in the morning, but when I did they said he was already booked up. Bearing in mind, I called as soon as they opened. I was a bit annoyed about that... Why tell me I can get to talk to him if I can't? But at least I could get to speak to a doctor, I suppose. Plus, the doctor actually listened to me when I explained the situation, which makes a nice change. Looks like my surgery got some better doctors.

If you're wondering: the reason I didn't make an appointment for a future day instead is that our doctor is booked up for the next couple of weeks apart from potential call slots if you call early enough in the morning. Plus, I wanted to just do a phonecall, since the bleeding makes going out a lot of hastle and stress for me. Made worse by the fact I'm blind, and have to rely on others to take me places, make sure I'm not covered in blood, etc. So, I decided to just accept a call from one of the other doctors, since it would get things done more quickly, and there wasn't really a valid reason why I couldn't talk to one of them instead. So, since I'd be dealing with another doctor anyhow, it was easier for me to just accept a call from one, which is what I did on May 4th.

I've told them I've had enough and want a hysterectomy.

I said it to the doctors and nurses when I was at the hospital (both on April 28th, and on May 2nd) and I said it again to the doctor on the phone too.

I've told them this before, but I'm now five years older, and have the issues with polyps and fibroids to add to the hormonal issues I was already dealing with. Their arguments before were about the risks of surgery (especially on someone overweight and asthmatic) and me still being young enough to have children. But those arguments no longer carry as much weight now that I'm almost in to my mid 30s, my scan is no longer clear, and my quality of life is starting to suffer enough that I'm at risk if left as I am. I also pointed out that I'm essentially needing constant babysitting because I can't see to be sure I've cleaned up all the blood. Not to mention, I'm in constant pain from stomach cramps, and the dehydration caused by the amount of blood loss can't be good for my kidneys (which are already not as good as they should be). So I'm hoping I'll have better luck this time around. I feel like I was having better luck with the doctor this time, so I'm crossing my fingers the same holds true when I see the gynecologist.

Considering I once longed for children, it probably seems strange for me to be pushing for something like this. But we tried for children, and failed to get any. The hormonal issues made the chances I'd have any so slim I'd resigned myself to not having any a little over five years ago, and the presence of polyps and fibroids decreases the already low chances even more. So, as far as I'm concerned, the ship has sailed on that particular potential future. Now the main thing is to make the bleeding go away, try and get my anemia under control before something really bad happens - which will be easier without the bleeding - and give myself a chance at improving my quality of life while I'm still young enough to appreciate and enjoy it.

Anyway, the doctor said he would organize my referral letter. In fact, it should have been sorted last week. I'm just waiting for my appointment, which should be happening some time between now and the end of the month, but I don't know when it will be at the time I'm writing this post. I should hear when it is any day now though. Once I know for sure what's going to happen, I'll let you know. As I said, I'm crossing my fingers for a result that will finally let me see an end to this issue, even if it means a guaranteed end to the chances of me being a Mother.

#FurkidFriday: Mollie The #Chinchilla Decides The Daddy Human's Not So Bad

Hi everyone. This is Mollie the chinchilla.

I've decided the Daddy human might not be so bad after all.

I mean, he does feed us when the Mummy human keeps doing those disappearing acts she's been doing. Him doing it isn't the same as the Mummy human doing it, but he does OK.

I still prefer the Mummy human, but I've decided I like the Daddy human too.

I even let him pick me up and give me some cuddle time the other day. He liked that. I kinda did too.

Squeak soon,
Mollie

#WriterWednesday - May 9th 2018

If you're a writer, I hope your writing projects are going well.

There's not much progress with my own writing projects. Audio book production is still moving along nicely, but my hopes for catching up with writing in May have so far come to nothing, and I'm not sure how successful I'll be at getting in my writing time over the next few months. I won't go in to details in this post, but I'm sure you'll understand when you read the post I have scheduled to go up this coming Sunday. In the meantime, since I don't have anything much to say, on to those links...

Firstly, are there birds in your book? If so, you might want to go check out the post I just linked to. Actually, you might want to if you just like birds too.

Whether your book contains birds or not, here's a post you might like to read if you want to know more about the basic plot of a comedy. Useful to know regardless, but especially useful if you're actually writing a comedy.

Regardless of your book's plot though, remember that getting published is not a race to the finish line. No matter what you write, or which method of publication you plan to look in to, there's no rush. It will happen when it's time. Oh, and here are some self-publishing myths that need to die... If you're thinking self-publishing is not for you, read the post before you decide for sure, because not everything you hear about it is true.

Right. I'll end today's post with a piece about how writing helps us make sense of the things we otherwise can't - something many writers will understand - and another that talks about the right way to write.

#Music Monday: Rocket Girl - Doc Walker

I first heard Doc Walker's "Rocket Girl" in the days when I was listening to - and later doing - streams. That's a sort of online radio, for the benifit of anyone who doesn't know. I fell in love with the song from the first time I heard it, and since it mentions Alberta, I thought this month would be an appropriate month to share it in. Why? Because Kelly's birthday and our wedding anniversary are both celebrated this month, and both his birth and our marriage took place in Alberta, Canada. Like I said, it's appropriate. So, here it is... Enjoy!

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

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

You'd think this would be one of those months where I have loads of reviews for you, since I took my Kindle with me to hospital, along with the set of headphones I call my "travel headphones" so I could listen to my books without disturbing other patients. When I realized I'd be staying in, I thought the same. I mean, I could read between doctors and nurses wanting to do things to me, and wouldn't have anything else to do, right? Yeah... That was wrong. I actually had a lot less reading time in hospital than you might think, since nurses kept wanting to do things like check my blood pressure, take or give me blood, etc, every time I tried to read. At least, that's how it felt. I know I wasn't far off with that at first, since I was being checked or seeing a doctor every hour for the first couple of days. I might have had a lot of reading time while waiting to get test results and discharge papers during the last 24 hours or so of my time in hospital, but Emma and I were keeping each other company and watching things on her phone, so I didn't end up reading much during that part of the hospital stay either. Then, when I got home, I was in pain and trying to avoid getting too far behind on things as best as I could on my phone, before needing to catch up properly when I could sit at the computer without crying. On top of that, the books I was reading were quite long. So this will be a short review post this month. In fact, I think this explanation is longer than the reviews part of the post. Haha!

Anyway, 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!

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A pretty good read. I'm definitely enjoying these books more than I did the TV series, that's for sure!

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There are parts of this book I didn't enjoy as much as other parts, but I know those were due to personal Preferences, rather than A reflection on the author. Besides, there were parts I loved, which made up for it somewhat.

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A good addition to the series, though not my favourite of the books so far, and I wish we'd heard more from certain characters I care about the fates of.