L.Y. Levand's Blog, page 46
September 1, 2012
September 01st, 2012
Troy's mother paid for the last item on her shopping list, and turned to Troy, whose tail was dragging in the dust.
"Let's eat lunch at the cafe, and then you can go explore," she said with a smile.
"Hooray!" Troy yelled, his tail perking up. He scurried off, and Beenie had to trot behind him to keep up. Troy's mother followed at a more sedate pace, while Troy led Beenie to an outside cafe. The toadstool and mushroom tables were shaded by ferns, and waited on by a single, elderly chipmunk. Troy plunked himself down at a table.
Beenie sat down next to him, looking around. There were others in the cafe; a field-mouse and her children were chattering at a nearby table while they ate muffins from a tray, and several large butterflies were sipping nectar from a shallow bowl at the table farthest away. Another chipmunk was behind a counter of river stones, cooking on rocks that had been heating in the sun all morning.
Troy picked up his menu, and Beenie did the same.
"What would you like, Beenie?" Troy's mother asked, settling herself at the table.
"Let's eat lunch at the cafe, and then you can go explore," she said with a smile.
"Hooray!" Troy yelled, his tail perking up. He scurried off, and Beenie had to trot behind him to keep up. Troy's mother followed at a more sedate pace, while Troy led Beenie to an outside cafe. The toadstool and mushroom tables were shaded by ferns, and waited on by a single, elderly chipmunk. Troy plunked himself down at a table.
Beenie sat down next to him, looking around. There were others in the cafe; a field-mouse and her children were chattering at a nearby table while they ate muffins from a tray, and several large butterflies were sipping nectar from a shallow bowl at the table farthest away. Another chipmunk was behind a counter of river stones, cooking on rocks that had been heating in the sun all morning.
Troy picked up his menu, and Beenie did the same.
"What would you like, Beenie?" Troy's mother asked, settling herself at the table.
August 31, 2012
August 31st, 2012
If you have allergies, you probably hate them. The runny nose, the sneezing, the itchy eyes.
I didn't used to have allergies, but it's infinitely preferable to admitting that I'm sick. Allergies, you see, don't catch when you touch people. Sickness does. So, if you have allergies you can still go places and do things. You might not feel like it, and you might feel worse afterward, but at least you don't have to worry about giving your misery to an innocent bystander.
I've had a runny nose for weeks. It's allergies, I tell you.
I didn't used to have allergies, but it's infinitely preferable to admitting that I'm sick. Allergies, you see, don't catch when you touch people. Sickness does. So, if you have allergies you can still go places and do things. You might not feel like it, and you might feel worse afterward, but at least you don't have to worry about giving your misery to an innocent bystander.
I've had a runny nose for weeks. It's allergies, I tell you.
August 30, 2012
August 30th, 2012
Kym discovered recently that writing with words ending in 'ly' is an acquired habit.
We started reading the Harry Potter books a few weeks ago. Imagine her triumph when she saw three 'ly' words in the same sentence. Sweet! Not only could she blame that habit on someone (J. K. Rowling) but it gave her an excuse to use more of them herself! Our abiding love of those partiular descriptive words must have come from reading Harry Potter.
Did J. K. Rowling ever get in trouble for using so many? Because Kym has. Which is, of course, why she was so thrilled to find a rich and famous person who got rich and famous despite having the same habit.
We started reading the Harry Potter books a few weeks ago. Imagine her triumph when she saw three 'ly' words in the same sentence. Sweet! Not only could she blame that habit on someone (J. K. Rowling) but it gave her an excuse to use more of them herself! Our abiding love of those partiular descriptive words must have come from reading Harry Potter.
Did J. K. Rowling ever get in trouble for using so many? Because Kym has. Which is, of course, why she was so thrilled to find a rich and famous person who got rich and famous despite having the same habit.
August 29, 2012
August 29th, 2012
My little brother has been saving up his money to buy a used Wii for months.
He finally got it about a week ago, along with Wii fit.
Now, I'm not entirely sure what Wii fit does to help get you in shape. It's still a game. But you can't exactly sit your duff on the couch, so I guess it's an improvement. But then, I'm not a gamer. Now, if my brother had bought a different game, I can see him getting so involved that he breaks a sweat and keeps going. A Zelda game, for instance, would hold him enthralled for hours at a time - an amount of time he would typically have spent either on his computer, or playing one of his many handheld games - sitting.
So, thank you, Wii, for getting my brother off his chair.
What kind of fitness contribution do you think Wii makes?
He finally got it about a week ago, along with Wii fit.
Now, I'm not entirely sure what Wii fit does to help get you in shape. It's still a game. But you can't exactly sit your duff on the couch, so I guess it's an improvement. But then, I'm not a gamer. Now, if my brother had bought a different game, I can see him getting so involved that he breaks a sweat and keeps going. A Zelda game, for instance, would hold him enthralled for hours at a time - an amount of time he would typically have spent either on his computer, or playing one of his many handheld games - sitting.
So, thank you, Wii, for getting my brother off his chair.
What kind of fitness contribution do you think Wii makes?
August 28, 2012
August 28th, 2012
I went out to check on the garden one day. Not unusual, not unusual in the slightest. What WAS unusual was the deer standing on the hillside - dangerously close to the garden.
I bent down to pick up a rock - and the deer took off running. But not before that rock landed square on its rump. It vanished into the ravine, but my inner amazon wasn't done yet. I heard it crashing through the underbrush, even though I couldn't see it, so, feeling like a warrior, I picked up another rock. I lobbed it into the ravine, where it crashed, rolled, and generally sounded like a herd of elephants blundering around. I heard the deer take off again.
I felt satisfied when I went back in the house. Rather like a returning conqueror, actually.
I bent down to pick up a rock - and the deer took off running. But not before that rock landed square on its rump. It vanished into the ravine, but my inner amazon wasn't done yet. I heard it crashing through the underbrush, even though I couldn't see it, so, feeling like a warrior, I picked up another rock. I lobbed it into the ravine, where it crashed, rolled, and generally sounded like a herd of elephants blundering around. I heard the deer take off again.
I felt satisfied when I went back in the house. Rather like a returning conqueror, actually.
August 27, 2012
August 27th, 2012
Have you ever gotten fresh peaches?
They're absolutely delicious. They're nature's candy. Juicy, sweet; they don't need sugar. You peel them, cut them up, and eat them.
Try replacing your sugary desserts with a piece of fruit, like a peach. You might be surprised at how it tastes. But, if you find you're not quite ready to give up all those sweets, try something like strawberry shortcake - with more strawberry, less shortcake, of course!
If you have a recipe you'd like to share, you can post it in the comments, or email it to me. I might even feature it in a future Monday/Wednesday post!
They're absolutely delicious. They're nature's candy. Juicy, sweet; they don't need sugar. You peel them, cut them up, and eat them.
Try replacing your sugary desserts with a piece of fruit, like a peach. You might be surprised at how it tastes. But, if you find you're not quite ready to give up all those sweets, try something like strawberry shortcake - with more strawberry, less shortcake, of course!
If you have a recipe you'd like to share, you can post it in the comments, or email it to me. I might even feature it in a future Monday/Wednesday post!
August 26, 2012
August 26th, 2012
Turn the other cheek.
What does this mean?
Does it mean lie down and take everything our enemies dish out, without complaint? I don't think so. If that's what it meant, then Jesus and the apostles would not have spoken in their own defense.
Personally, I believe that the phrase is referring to vengeance, and a law that states 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' There is a difference between defense and revenge. I think this statement means not to seek revenge, rather than to play doormat.
What do you think this means?
What does this mean?
Does it mean lie down and take everything our enemies dish out, without complaint? I don't think so. If that's what it meant, then Jesus and the apostles would not have spoken in their own defense.
Personally, I believe that the phrase is referring to vengeance, and a law that states 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' There is a difference between defense and revenge. I think this statement means not to seek revenge, rather than to play doormat.
What do you think this means?
August 25, 2012
August 25th, 2012
Beenie, Troy, and Troy's mother dashed out of the tree together. The sun was bright, and shining through the leaves. Beenie could hear birds singing as they scampered down the path.
As they went farther and farther away from Troy's home, Beenie heard a buzzing sound. The more they walked, the louder it got, until she realized it was voices. Then they stepped around a hedge of blackberry bushes, and they were in the market.
It was a clear opening, lined with stands of things like moss-filled cushions, tiny berry tarts, and fresh produce. There was even a frog offering rides across the stream if he was presented with flies. Beenie stared around, her eyes opened wide.
"What should we do first?" Troy asked, his nose, tail, and whiskers twitching with excitement.
"First," his mother said firmly "we're going to get our groceries. Then we can have a look around."
Troy's whiskers drooped. "We'll be grocery shopping for ages," he said. "She always has to find the best of everything. All the good stuff will be-"
"I can hear you, Troy," his mother said. Troy stopped talking at once, and whipped his tail around so he could hide behind it.
"Now, are we finished talking? The more you complain the longer it takes, you know."
Beenie grinned and followed a rather sheepish Troy and his mother toward the nearest fruit stand.
As they went farther and farther away from Troy's home, Beenie heard a buzzing sound. The more they walked, the louder it got, until she realized it was voices. Then they stepped around a hedge of blackberry bushes, and they were in the market.
It was a clear opening, lined with stands of things like moss-filled cushions, tiny berry tarts, and fresh produce. There was even a frog offering rides across the stream if he was presented with flies. Beenie stared around, her eyes opened wide.
"What should we do first?" Troy asked, his nose, tail, and whiskers twitching with excitement.
"First," his mother said firmly "we're going to get our groceries. Then we can have a look around."
Troy's whiskers drooped. "We'll be grocery shopping for ages," he said. "She always has to find the best of everything. All the good stuff will be-"
"I can hear you, Troy," his mother said. Troy stopped talking at once, and whipped his tail around so he could hide behind it.
"Now, are we finished talking? The more you complain the longer it takes, you know."
Beenie grinned and followed a rather sheepish Troy and his mother toward the nearest fruit stand.
August 24, 2012
August 24th, 2012
I went searching for my concept art for my new book project last week. They were packed up in a box, and stored in an old car that's not being used.
So I went out to dig through the boxes out there to find them. I grabbed my keys, unlocked the front passenger's side door, and reached back to unlock the back. I opened the door, and realized, somewhat later than I would have liked, that there was a great number of wasps buzzing around. I looked down and saw a nest swarming with wasps on the inside of the car. I locked the door and slammed it shut, leaping backward like some klutzy garden gnome.
Then, to my horror, I saw another nest on the inside of the front passenger door! I'd opened the door and been within two feet of an active wasps' nest the size of my fist. I locked that door, slammed it, and made a mad dash away from the car.
But I wanted those drawings. So I went to the driver's side. Oh, happy happy joy joy. Guess what? There were nests there, too.
The wasps are holding my drawings hostage.
So I went out to dig through the boxes out there to find them. I grabbed my keys, unlocked the front passenger's side door, and reached back to unlock the back. I opened the door, and realized, somewhat later than I would have liked, that there was a great number of wasps buzzing around. I looked down and saw a nest swarming with wasps on the inside of the car. I locked the door and slammed it shut, leaping backward like some klutzy garden gnome.
Then, to my horror, I saw another nest on the inside of the front passenger door! I'd opened the door and been within two feet of an active wasps' nest the size of my fist. I locked that door, slammed it, and made a mad dash away from the car.
But I wanted those drawings. So I went to the driver's side. Oh, happy happy joy joy. Guess what? There were nests there, too.
The wasps are holding my drawings hostage.
August 23, 2012
August 23rd, 2012
Kym almost lost her temper last week.
See, there's a new instructor at the martial arts school where we take/teach classes. We had a question, a fairly simple one, about how to implement a new curriculum.
We have quite a bit of respect for this guy when it comes to martial arts. Being concise and simple? Not so much. It took about forty-five minutes to get an answer. But that's not what made Kym mad. What made her mad was that every time she tried to say something, she either had to speak so fast she could barely be understood, or she was interrupted and not allowed to finish.
There was one brief instant where she wondered what would happen if she threw her water cup at his head. Thankfully, it was just that one brief moment and we didn't get in trouble for actually doing it. I would have felt bad afterward - but she would have been too busy feeling pleased at his expression, and admiring the nice red patterns the cup made. Any apology would have been halfhearted, obviously.
See, there's a new instructor at the martial arts school where we take/teach classes. We had a question, a fairly simple one, about how to implement a new curriculum.
We have quite a bit of respect for this guy when it comes to martial arts. Being concise and simple? Not so much. It took about forty-five minutes to get an answer. But that's not what made Kym mad. What made her mad was that every time she tried to say something, she either had to speak so fast she could barely be understood, or she was interrupted and not allowed to finish.
There was one brief instant where she wondered what would happen if she threw her water cup at his head. Thankfully, it was just that one brief moment and we didn't get in trouble for actually doing it. I would have felt bad afterward - but she would have been too busy feeling pleased at his expression, and admiring the nice red patterns the cup made. Any apology would have been halfhearted, obviously.
