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 |   Getting to know me. |
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One of the goals I set for myself this year was to create a blog. There are a lot of reasons I wanted to do this. 1. I think a blog will encourage me to write more often. 2. I want people to get to know me better, and hopefully I'll know more about you from your comments. The grammar won't be perfect, but a blog is a more relaxed type of writing, I think. I want to share my, and Sir Trevor's, adventures and lots of other things too! |
| DAY 1611 April 14, 2017 Imagine crushing egg shells under your shoes. All the crackling and crunching sounds like voices, what are they saying? Could this be like reading tea leaves? Is some wisdom or a look in the future being communicated to you? What egg superstitions do you know about? An unusual crackling noise is coming from somewhere, it sounds like disgruntled, high-pitched voices are intermingled with the crackling. “Hey, get off us you big bully!” I look down at my feet, but all I see is some broken egg shells. Egg shells don't speak, do they? I shift my weight to the other foot moving slightly and crushing more shells. Crackle, crunch, “ You great lummox, you're going to destroy us all.” Who are you? Why are you so angry? “Well, we were carefully blown out eggs, beautifully painted with many colours and decorated with glitter and beads. Now we're just a big heap of shiny dust. We were to be part of the Easter decorations, but you've ruined it all. The Easter Bunny will be furious!”    I'm sorry, maybe I can salvage the situation. I could sweep you up and sprinkle you along the tablecloth, you will reflect in all the glassware and make a lovely background for the Easter baskets. You will get first prize for the most imaginative Easter display this year! Many tiny voices chattered at once and it was agreed the idea just might work. Once all the crushed shells were in place and the baskets and decorations scattered along the table, I stood back and admired my work. The Easter Bunny gazed at the table with a buck-toothed smile and put a big First Place ribbon in the centre basket. There could be some wisdom in this story and I know for certain I will be careful not to step on egg shells in the future. Superstition: Hmm, I've heard if you crack open an egg with two yolks, you or someone you know will become pregnant with twins.  Today is my Third WDC Anniversary! What an exciting three years it's been, I've learned so much and made so many friends in this community. Thank you all for the goodies you've sent my way today, you've made this anniversary special. River  |
 Thank you Whata SpoonStealer   for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1610 April 13, 2017 Deep thoughts... answer a few questions about the world which may or may not be true ( maybe it would be fun if they were true): Why is there no ice at the bottom of the ocean? Why don't clouds rain fire over the desert? How deep do you think the deepest human bones have gotten into the earth? It's your blog have fun. Deep Thoughts: Ice:  : Everbody knows there is a thick layer of ice at the bottom of the ocean! Frozen coral reefs reflect in the mirror like surface of the ice, adding to the beauty of the underwater paradise. Some of the most hearty and bizarre sea creatures live in the reefs. These creatures play hockey, skate, and practice jumps and dance moves while others cheer them on. Beautiful mermaids swim above the crowd offering goodies from their trays. Each year the best skaters compete in the Under Water Olympics and Hockey Playoffs.Clouds:  Clouds don't rain fire because they are full very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals and as the hot desert air is absorbed it turns to steam. Steaming Clouds are often seen passing over the desert hissing and changing form as they float along. Sometimes they rain sand, lizards, and armadillos. These desert storms are said to be a spectacular sight.Bones:  There are many factors to consider when determining how deep human bones have sunk into the earth. We must consider bone density. Strong, healthy bones are harder and tend to sink faster while those of people with osteoporosis. In osteoporosis, bones become brittle, weak, and easily damaged. These bones may sink deeper than Strong bones. But they disintegrate quickly and turn to powder so we don't know for sure how deep they have gone into the ground My best Guesstimate would be 3,000 km. Another little medical update:  Every morning my home is invaded by nurses. They don't even bother to knock anymore. Today, one nurse arrived to do blood tests, quickly followed by another to change my dressing. The nurses are concerned about how much liquid is leaking from the wound. I think it is pretty normal when you consider how much saline solution and sterile water they are pumping in there to wash out the wound. I mean its got to go somewhere and considering the law of gravity, I would think the only place it could go is into the dressing, right? Anyway, they called my family doctor who told them maybe that is a good thing and to continue the present treatment.  Going by what my body is telling me, I think there is quite an improvement! I can sit for longer periods of time, the pain has lessened, and I'm feeling much better. I 'm listening to my body. When it tells me to rest, I do. Crediting Reviews: I have been crediting reviews for NAG this week and noticed that there are fewer than usual. Please, consider reviewing some Newbies. They need positive feedback and your help and advice. Be gentle with them, we don't want to scare them away.These are my reflections and deep thoughts for today. Until next time, River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1609: April 12, 2017 Prompt: April 12 is Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Grilled cheese sandwiches have been around since Roman times. There are dozens of different recipes for a Grilled Cheese sandwich. How do you make your grilled cheese? If you don't eat grilled cheese then how do you make your favorite sandwich? A grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup are comfort foods I remember fondly from my childhood and still crave when I'm feeling stressed.  My sandwich grill conked out several years ago so I use a frying pan. I use plain, white, lightly buttered bread and place a slice of cheese on one piece then spread it with mayo to give it a bit of zip. The trick is in the cooking. The sandwich needs to be cooked slowly to give the cheese a chance to melt and blend with the mayo. When both sides are golden brown, it's perfect.   Quills: I was amazed when this blog was nominated for a Quill Award. Now we, me and the blog, have won Honourable Mention! Wow. It gives me a good feeling to know people are reading this and actually enjoying it. Thank you to my faithful fans, those who nominated the blog, voted, and of course, the judges!Reviewing Classroom: I have been absent from The Reviewing Classroom and pretty much everywhere else on WdC for a while.Plagued with another infection, I was carted off to the hospital. I won't go into the gory details, let's just say it wasn't a pleasant experience. It's funny how we take small things for granted, like the art of sitting down. Nope, can't do that. Things seemed to be going well and I was hoping to get back to work today, but guess what? More infection, so it may be another week or two before I'm officially back full-time.  Thank you to sybarrios, Warped Sanity  , and paddy1 for keeping the forum, the challenge and the updates running smoothly.That's all my ranting and raving for today. Until next time, River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! February 26, 2017 No Prompt Hi, Peeps. Every morning I check my messages and always find one with the subject line. Update Your Blog, so here I am, finally.  February has flown by and it's time to wrap things up for the month. Things have been hectic at The Reviewing Classroom. I was amazed to be made Champion of the forum and was a bit overwhelmed at first, but I'm settling in now. My goal is to keep The Reviewing Classroom active, fun, And a happy place to be. Here is some big news! I've been nominated twice in the Quills. Once for Best Flash Fiction for my story
I'm proud to display this logo.   Contacts and Recognition pay off. As most of you know, I belong to a local writer's group and published several times in a local magazine. It seems these two things have gained me recognition. Last week, I was contacted and asked to plot and write a murder mystery for a fundraiser for a senior residence. The Murder Mystery Dinner will be held in the fall or early next spring. It seems I'm well-known for introducing a dead body into a lot of my stories.  I'm excited about this project. Okay, enough bragging for one day. Check out the Read a Newbie Page and send them some positive, encouraging reviews! Reviewing is an important part of WDC. Until next time, River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! Day 1547 February 9, 2017 Prompt If you were creating a list of top tens for movies or books what would you choose and why? Is there an ongoing theme? I would choose the list below because I read these books last year and they sparked my creativity. I learned a lot about characterization from the characters in this series especially, Sookie Stackhouse. The author, Charlaine Harris, has a magic touch creating characters that are believable yet unique and stay true to their personalities from book to book. The ongoing theme is based on vampires, fairies, and other supernatural beings living among humans. Ms. Harris showed me how to combine mystery, horror, and comedy in a way that keeps readers wanting more. I will keep this series in my personal library for future reference because I'm strange like that. 1. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) by Charlaine Harris 2. Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2) by Charlaine Harris 3. Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #3) by Charlaine Harris 4. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4) by Charlaine Harris 5. Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse, #5) by Charlaine Harris 6. Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #6) by Charlaine Harris 7. All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #7) by Charlaine Harris 8. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse, #8) by Charlaine Harris 9. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, #9) by Charlaine Harris 2. 10.Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, #10) by Charlaine Harris Until next time, River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1540 February 2, 2017 Prompt: AKA Groundhog Day here in the States. Now I;m sure some of you remember Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day when everything happens over and over again like in a time warp....it just keeps happening. Let's pretend we're stuck in one moment in time and it repeats over and over. What would you want to repeat over and over? And what would you dread more than anything if it did repeat. It's also Groundhog Day in Canada! It is snowing heavily, I don't think any self-respecting groundhog would venture out of his burrow today. I know he wouldn't see his shadow if he did. No shadow indicates spring is on the way.  Time Warp. If I had to choose a moment in time I'd like to repeat over and over it would be when my newborn grandson was placed in my arms for the first time. I felt an overpowering sense of love as I looked down at him. An instant bond was formed between us that still exists today. It was a beautiful moment. What would I dread most? When I was twelve years old I was grabbed by a pedophile. His intent was to rape me, beat me to death with a tire iron, and dump my body in the woods. I managed to escape, but I can still see his pig-like eyes staring at me. No, I wouldn't want to be stuck in that time warp. That's all for this time, folks. Have a good Thursday! River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1507: December 31, 2016 Prompt: What is better than gold? Love, family, friends and good health are far better than gold! These are things that no amount of money can buy. We do need money to survive, but once our basic needs are met, food, shelter, etc. there is no need to pile up money in the corners of our homes. I feel sad for the millionaires that have everything money can buy yet know nothing of love, family, and friends. As 2016 comes to an end, it's time to reflect on what happened both good and bad. Something I realized this year: TV, from children's shows, sitcoms, and commercials are slowly brainwashing us to give up our values and beliefs; to conform and assimilate to the norm. Assimilate has the word similar within it and in fact, means "to become like something else." I want to think for myself not become a sheep following the flock. At the same time, national newscasts and social media dull our senses and make us passive. We look at horrendous images of war, school shootings, etc and shrug our shoulders. The daily repetition of news about things we can't act upon wears us down until we adopt a worldview that is pessimistic, desensitized, and fatalistic. These are my major resolutions for 2017 1. Watch less TV and avoid social media.  I will be continuing with WDC, of course.2. I'm seeing a physiotherapist, she has given me a sheet of exercises - mostly stretching and range of motion for now. I'm sticking with the program and hoping for some improvement. So that is an important resolution to keep for 2016. While all around me people are trying to lose weight, I'm fighting to put some on! 3. Resolution # 3 will involve better nutrition.   Well, maybe not cupcakes...4, They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. It takes much longer to break one! Yes, #4 will involve breaking habits! 5. Most of all, concentrating on health, maintaining and improving relationships, and thinking positive thoughts are on my list. Resolutions are funny things, they don't just happen, you have to work hard to keep them! Wishing all my WDC friends and family a Happy New Year! River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1477 December 1, 2016 There are 30 more days in this year. Wow, time flies when you are having fun! Speaking of fun, what goals have you accomplished this year and what are you scrambling to get done? Are you a goal setter? Have you thought about next year's goals yet? When I joined WdC as a Newbie I received a lot of help and support from this community. My biggest goal for 2016 involved paying it forward and giving this year's Newbies all the help and support I can and I believe I've accomplished that. I'm a member of "Invalid Item"  I'm a Review Coach at "Invalid Item" , a Showcase Supporter at NAG Showcase, a member of The NAG Booster Club where I do Level 3 Boosts with NAG Newbies to help them develop their reviewing style, and I do 15 reviews each month for The Newbie Welcome Wagon.Am I a goal setter? Not really. I have a weekly To Do List, though. I haven't thought about next year's goals yet. That will happen at the end of this month. River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! DAY 1465: November 19, 2016 Prompt: "I don't believe in astrology. I'm a Sagittarius and we're skeptical." Sir Arthur C. Clark Use this quote to inspire a story, poem, etc. This quote made me laugh. I'm a Gemini and I don't really believe in astrology either, but sometimes read my horoscope if I stumble across it. Friday's Horoscope told me this: The day will have a normal beginning but the healthy effects of your routine meditation exercises will be quite evidently visible today! You may be able to connect with your spiritual self towards the end of the day! Just do not consume much of the medicines as your liver may get affected.ﾠ ﾠ The odd thing here is that I saw my rheumatologist Wednesday and he advised me to cut back on one of my pain meds because it could be having a bad effect on my liver. As far as the rest of it goes, my day did have a normal beginning and I do meditate. There was no big connection with my spiritual self, though/The thing about horoscopes is they're generalized so bound to hit on something relative to everybody. GEMINI TRAITS Strengths: Gentle, affectionate, curious, adaptable, ability to learn quickly and exchange ideas Weaknesses: Nervous, inconsistent, indecisive Gemini likes: Music, books, magazines, chats with nearly anyone, short trips around the town Gemini dislikes: Being alone, being confined, repetition and routine Expressive and quick-witted, Gemini represents two different sides of personality and you will never be sure with whom you will face. Gemini can be sociable,communicative and ready for fun, while on the other hand, it can be very serious, thoughtful, restless and even indecisive. As an air sign, Gemini is concerned with all aspects of the mind. This zodiac sign is ruled by Mercury, which is a planet that represents communication, writing and teaching others. They get fascinated by almost everything in the world and they have a feeling as if there is not enough time to experience everything they want to see. This makes them excellent artists, writers, and journalists. Gemini sign means that sometimes people born under this sign have a feeling that their other half is missing, so they are forever seeking for new friends, mentors, and colleagues. Gemini is versatile, inquisitive, fun loving, and wants to experience everything out there, so their company is never boring. Well, I can't dispute these traits, maybe there is something to it after all. Saturday will be busy, I have an all day Scrapbooking Crop. I may not get on WdC until late in the day, if then. My health has improved enough that I can get out and enjoy the activities I'm involved with, finally. I was happy to get back to my Writer's Group Tuesday. Getting together with other writers to talk about our current writing projects, do writing exercises, and critique each other's work gets the creative juices flowing. I'm still being careful not to over do and listen to my body. Oh my, look at this little guy. He is a regular visitor to my patio, one of a pair named Fast and Furious.  My Wildlife Patio Station began by feeding the birds but soon expanded to include, deer, squirrels, a skunk, and just about every type of bird known to mankind. It seems they are all heavily addicted to sunflower seeds. Even though other treats are put out, bread crumbs, a block of suet for woodpeckers, and apples and carrots for the deer they all go for the sunflower seeds first. They are a joy to watch. This Trinket is still available if you missed it in my last entry!   Sir Trevor isn't that fat. The image makes his face appear wider. He is not impressed! Sir Trevor is following his diet and losing weight so he finds this image offensive and insulting. Wishing you all a good weekend and remember to Keep Smiling! River |
| Thank you Whata SpoonStealer for the beautiful purple awardicon that graces my blog cover! Sunday, November 13th. No Prompt It's beginning to look like I've become a Sunday Blogger, possibly because this is the only time I have to sit down and write undisturbed. Sunday is usually a lazy day for me. It hit me this morning that Tuesday is the first meeting of our local Writer's Group and I haven't written anything for that yet. This project is going to be complicated because I've run out of printer ink. I will have no choice, I'll have to try to write a short story on my tablet.  It's quiet around WdC this month with NaNo going on. I'm participating in "The Challenge" Our challenges this month are dedicated to encouraging everyone participating in Nano. I'm behind as usual, but at least I'm working on it.Aside from that, I've done some reviews, mostly for The Newbie Welcome Wagon. And, I lurk around "Invalid Item" waiting for some reviews to come in.Speaking of reviews, I'd like to thank everyone who has sent me reviews because I'm in The Captain's Showcase for November. "Invalid Item" I hope my fellow Showcase members; Warped Sanity , Whata SpoonStealer , and Dragon is hiding  are receiving lots of goodies, too.Now, I'm heading off for a nap. Here's a little gift for you before I go. Keep Smiling, River |
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