Laurel A. Rockefeller's Blog

Shopping at the Nittany Mall. Excerpt from chapter two “Enter Anyu Wen” in Princess Anyu Returns

Nittany Mall. Penn State football. 1980s fashion all make appearances in this opening scene to chapter two, “Enter Anyu Wen” from Princess Anyu Returns. There’s even a bit of SCA history and geography as Easter eggs for medieval reenactors in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Excerpt from chapter two: “Enter Anyu Wen.”

Anyu plunged herself into the department store entrance.  Immediately around her racks of clothing swarmed in ordered chaos.  As alien as she found the strang...

Review: Comfy Clam shell perches pass the test for best mineral block

Cockatiels are very picky birds. Whether it’s food, perches, treats, or out of cage play spaces, finding what your bird likes can be both expensive and exhausting. Once you find something your particular bird likes, you stick with it — until it gets discontinued and you have no choice but to find something else.

This is definitely the case when it comes to my birds and mineral blocks. Since 2020 I have tried almost everything to replace my birds’ discontinued food dish style mineral blocks....

Reunions and Revelations. Excerpt from chapter six “Journey to Back to the Palace” in Princess Anyu Returns

Recently returned to planet Beinan, Anyu finds the Ten-Arian monastery in ruins after yen-ars of civil war. But not all is as lost as the state of the monastery grounds suggests as heroes and presumed dead friends reunite.

Reunions and Revelations. Excerpt from chapter six: Journey Back to the Palace

“By all that is holy, what happened?” cried Princess Anyu as her eyes glimpsed the ruins of the Ten-Arian monastery.  Originally a city-sized campus of thirty two buildings built over...

Estratto da Le Terre Avvelenate: La città di Nan-li è avvelenata.

“The Le Terre Avvelenate” è cronologicamente il secondo libro della serie di fantascienza sociale “Nobili di Beinan” ed è un prequel della trilogia principale, fornendo in particolare il contesto di “Fantasmi del Passato”. In questa serie di scene all’inizio del racconto, la guaritrice Cara esplora una foresta vicino alla città principale di Nan-li, raccogliendo campioni di acqua, terreno e vegetazione lungo il percorso. Dopo aver sottoposto i campioni ad analisi dettagliate, Cara e la sua ...

Excerto de O Território Envenenado: A cidade de Nan-li está envenenada.

“Território Envenenado” è cronologicamente il secondo libro della serie di fantascienza sociale “Peers of Beinan” ed è un prequel della trilogia principale, fornendo in particolare il contesto di “Fantasmi del Passato”. In questa serie di scene all’inizio del racconto, la guaritrice Cara esplora una foresta vicino alla città principale di Nan-li, raccogliendo campioni di acqua, terreno e vegetazione lungo il percorso. Dopo aver sottoposto i campioni ad analisi dettagliate, Cara e la sua coll...

Bed Bugs 2.0: Lessons Learned from July infestation

It happened! Despite my precautions with a metal bed frame and mattress encasement, bed bugs paid me an expensive visit in July 2025. Here’s what I learned:

Bed bugs don’t feast on cockatiels. They prefer humans.Bed bugs prefer to live in your mattress and bed foundation, but can live elsewhere.Any fabric that touches your bed must be washed/dried on high heat over 140F. This includes pillows, pillow cases, sheets, and blankets.When using a powered dryer, dry on highest sett...

Os delegados chegam. Excerto de “Adeus A672E92 Quintus”

O planeta natal original dos beinarianos, A672D92 Quintus, está em perigo, pois o seu sol começa a expandir-se para uma nova e deve ser abandonado. Só há um problema: a sociedade beinariana está tão dividida que não há navios para a evacuação.

Faça uma viagem pelas estrelas enquanto a busca pela paz transforma a sociedade beinariana e transforma dois líderes improváveis ​​em lendas.

Encontre este livro na Apple, Amazon, Everand, e num revendedor perto de si.

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Review: Wild Harvest Crunch Bars fails to appeal to cockatiels

I love my cockatiels. If you know nothing else about me, it’s my life long dedication to my birds. With Clara’s first gotcha day on September 1st, 2025 you know I had to find her a treat to enjoy to celebrate.

Enter the newest treat choice from Wild Harvest (formerly Hartz), now available at Walmart: health benefits crunch bars. I decided to try these out because at $2.97 per package, I thought they would be a good value, especially since the treat sticks I usually buy cost more than twic...

Arrivano i delegati. Estratto da “Addio A672E92 Quinto”

Il pianeta natale originario dei Beinariani, A672D92 Quintus, è in pericolo poiché il suo sole inizia a espandersi in una nova e deve essere abbandonato. C’è solo un problema: la società Beinariana è profondamente divisa, così divisa che non ci sono navi per l’evacuazione.

Intraprendi un viaggio tra le stelle mentre la ricerca della pace trasforma la società Beinariana e rende due improbabili leader leggendari.

Trova questo libro su Apple, Amazon, Everand, e presso un rivenditore vicin...

Caffeine Cravings: coffee, tea, and soda

For most of us it’s a daily morning ritual. Get up, make coffee, and drink at least one cup before we done almost anything else — though bowel movements and showering might come before we finish that cup of coffee. In the USA and likely elsewhere we are a culture of caffeine addicts with numerous jokes about coffee popular almost everywhere you go. Jokes aside, caffeine addiction is real and can kill people with heart failure, high blood pressure, and other cardiac health challenges. It th...