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Friday, December 27, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-December 27, 2013


It's Friday, which means it's time once again to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

My husband has vacation until after New Year's, so that's throwing off my whole schedule, hence why I'm posting so late today.  Still, the quality family time is nice, so I'm not complaining!

Overall, we had a great Christmas.  We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws, Christmas morning at home with our super excited kids, and the rest of Christmas Day with my dad.  There were lots of great gifts, good food, and interesting times all around.  That's something worth celebrating.

Also, something amazing happened.  I'm sure at least a few of you heard about the meteor spotted in Iowa and a few surrounding states on Thursday.  Well, guess what.  We saw it!  We were driving north on our way home from shopping when something bright caught my eye.  This meteor was one of the best I've ever seen, and it glowed a bright green.  Seeing it streak through the sky, and then break up right before my eyes, was so cool!  I wish I'd had a camera handy, but those things happen so quickly you don't have time to react.  All you can do is sit back and enjoy the splendor.

So, overall, it's been a pretty great week.  What would you like to celebrate?



Monday, December 23, 2013

Express Yourself: Books Unread


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is hosted by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The prompt for this week is: List the book(s) you wanted to read this year but never got around to.

So many books, so little time.  I managed to read quite a few wonderful books this year, so I'm happy about that.  Still, there are so many books out there, you're bound to struggle with reading all of them that capture your attention.

Here are a few of the books that I didn't get around to this year.  Perhaps I'll squeeze them in for 2014!  (Note: There's a mixture of fiction and science listed here, because I tend to read a healthy mixture of both.  I'm just a fan of science.)

S by J.J. Abrams
"A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown."

Redshirts by John Scalzi
"Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" alongside the starship’s famous senior officers.
"Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to realize that 1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces, 2) the ship’s senior officers always survive these confrontations, and 3) sadly, at least one low-ranking crew member is invariably killed. Unsurprisingly, the savvier crew members belowdecks avoid Away Missions at all costs. 

"Then Andrew stumbles on information that transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives."

The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins
"With unparalleled wit, clarity, and intelligence, Richard Dawkins, one of the world's most renowned evolutionary biologists, has introduced countless readers to the wonders of science in works such as The Selfish Gene. Now, in The Ancestor's Tale, Dawkins offers a masterwork: an exhilarating reverse tour through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life four billion years ago. Throughout the journey Dawkins spins entertaining, insightful stories and sheds light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection, and extinction. The Ancestor's Tale is at once an essential education in evolutionary theory and a riveting read."

Five Billion Years of Solitude by Lee Billings
"For 4.6 billion years our living planet has been alone in a vast and silent universe. But soon, Earth’s isolation could come to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting other stars. Some of these exoplanets may be mirror images of our own world. And more are being found all the time.

"Yet as the pace of discovery quickens, an answer to the universe’s greatest riddle still remains just out of reach: Is the great silence and emptiness of the cosmos a sign that we and our world are somehow singular, special, and profoundly alone, or does it just mean that we’re looking for life in all the wrong places? As star-gazing scientists come closer to learning the truth, their insights are proving ever more crucial to understanding life’s intricate mysteries and possibilities right here on Earth."

Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio
"Charles Darwin, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein were all brilliant scientists. Each made groundbreaking contributions to his field—but each also stumbled badly. Darwin’s theory of natural selection shouldn’t have worked, according to the prevailing beliefs of his time. Not until Gregor Mendel’s work was known would there be a mechanism to explain natural selection. How could Darwin be both wrong and right? Lord Kelvin, Britain’s leading scientific intellect at the time, gravely miscalculated the age of the earth. Linus Pauling, the world’s premier chemist (who would win the Nobel Prize in chemistry) constructed an erroneous model for DNA in his haste to beat the competition to publication. Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle dismissed the idea of a “Big Bang” origin to the universe (ironically, the caustic name he gave to this event endured long after his erroneous objections were disproven). And Albert Einstein, whose name is synonymous with genius, speculated incorrectly about the forces that hold the universe in equilibrium—and that speculation opened the door to brilliant conceptual leaps. These five scientists expanded our knowledge of life on earth, the evolution of the earth itself, and the evolution of the universe, despite and because of their errors. As Mario Livio luminously explains, the scientific process advances through error. Mistakes are essential to progress. "

What books did you not get around to reading this year?


Friday, December 20, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-December 20, 2013


It's Friday!  That means it's also time to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

As I head into the weekend, I have a cold, but I'm definitely grateful that it's nothing more than that.  A cold is something I can cope with.  The fact that a cold is the worst health concern I have right now is something worth celebrating, because so many people aren't that fortunate.

Earlier this week, I successfully made biscuits without either shortening or baking powder.  I used butter in place of the shortening, and a combination of baking soda and vinegar replaced the baking powder.  The end result was actually really good.

I also got some good writing done this week.  My fellow writers can surely appreciate how celebration worthy that is!

What would you like to celebrate?


Thursday, December 19, 2013

FSF: Those Infernal Silver Bells


It's time once again for Five Sentence Fiction.  The word for this week is SILVER.

I wanted to do something fun this time around.  Here's the result.  I hope you enjoy it!

Those Infernal Silver Bells

This time of year is difficult for people like me, though I hardly think anyone takes that into consideration when selecting their holiday adornments.  And no, this has nothing to do with religion, because while I am not religious myself, I take no issue with people expressing their beliefs.

Source
I must concede that yes, silver bells are pretty (there’s an entire song about them for crying out loud), but every time I see them hanging from a door or a hat, my muscles go so rigid with fright that people might assume I’d been literally frozen by the cold.

Lycanthropes have feelings too, and while most of those bells are in fact made of cheap plastic with only the thinnest layer of coating that’s probably never been anywhere near a piece of real silver, one can hardly blame me for being jumpy.  Still, my medical condition is my own burden to bear, so if I see you in the street with those infernal silver bells sewn into your ugly Christmas sweater, I won’t bite your head off (unless of course there happens to be a full moon, in which case I apologize in advance).

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

FSF: Alone in the Deep


Here is my latest piece of Five Sentence Fiction.  The prompt for this week was ALONE.

Alone in the Deep

Image courtesy of
scottchan/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The sound of my own labored breathing is the only accompaniment to my frantic thoughts.  My mind keeps cycling through the same disturbing mantra, threatening to drive me to madness before I can reach my own end: “They’re all dead, and it’s my fault.”

The black depths of space mirror my state of mind perfectly as I think about how I brought this upon us all, and that if I had listened to the captain when she argued that it wasn’t safe to bring a stranger on board her ship, none of this would have happened.

I meant well, striving as always to help others, but that brings me no comfort now as my own death draws near.  As the low oxygen warning flares to life, the alarm mingles with my ragged breaths, and it will continue to fill my spacesuit until it is the only sound that remains.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Express Yourself: Dishes to Share


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is brought to you by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: When you attend a get-together, what are you likely to bring as a dish to share?

One thing I can never get enough of is chili cheese dip.  It turns ordinary tortilla chips into something amazing.  I usually make it by first preparing an ordinary batch of chili.  I use chili beans, ground beef, green peppers, onions, and chopped tomatoes.  I also sometimes use corn (though my husband doesn't like it that way).  As for seasoning, I use a secret weapon.  My dad discovered an amazing chili powder for sale at a local Indian restaurant.  That stuff sure packs a punch.  Once the chili is made, all you need to do is melt some Velveeta into it. Voila.  At the end, I have something so good I might accidentally overstuff myself on it before I notice any of the other dishes.

Another thing I like to make is homemade cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies are always a safe bet, but I also like to make peanut butter and oatmeal raisin cookies.

I might also bring deviled eggs.  I've experimented with some different ways of making them, and I've come up with some pretty good garlic deviled eggs, onion deviled eggs, and bacon deviled eggs.

Dang.  Now I'm hungry.

What dishes do you like to share?


Friday, December 13, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-December 13, 2013


It's Friday once again, which means it's time to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit.

This post is coming a little late today.  My son Jude was sick today, and sick kids throw a wrench into the works as far as plans go.

This week I would like to celebrate the fact that I just announced a blogfest to celebrate my upcoming blogging anniversary.  Click HERE to learn more about the event and to sign up if you should feel inclined to do so.

Today is Friday the 13th, which is cause for celebration in our house.  As I've mentioned in the past, my husband and I met on a Friday the 13th, so it's like our own little sporadic romantic holiday. We're weird that way, but it's fun.

And seriously, how is Christmas less than two weeks away already?  I'm looking forward to that, because nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids on Christmas morning!

What would you like to celebrate?


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Announcing the Endings Blogfest

My second blogging anniversary is fast approaching.  It's crazy to think that it's been nearly two years since the day I sat down and said to myself, "Hey, why don't I start a blog?"

Last year I hosted The Beginnings Blogfest to celebrate my blogging anniversary.  This year, I wanted to do something along the same lines, but a little bit different.  Instead of focusing on beginnings, I wanted to focus on endings.

My blogging journey is nowhere near and end, nor is my writing journey.  Yet there are always endings in life.  Even as life goes on, some chapters come to a close.  Sometimes we change jobs, or we move.  With that in mind, I came up with The Endings Blogfest.


The Rules

The rules for this blogfest are simple enough.  

Sign up!

Display the badge on your blog!

Sometime during the day of January 9th, post about some kind of ending.  [Note: If you want to participate but can't post on that day, just let me know what day you plan to post in the comments.  I'm pretty flexible!]  Please include the badge in your post as well.

What kind of endings can you post about?  Any kind you can think of!  For example:
-You can talk about the ending of a book, movie, or TV series that impacted you in a significant way (whether good or bad).  
-If you're a writer, you can talk about how you deal with endings in your stories.  Do you know how a story will end when you sit down to write it?  What kind of endings do you prefer (happy, sad, open-ended, etc.)?
-If you'd prefer to deal with real life, you can talk about a graduation, the ending of a relationship, or anything else that you feel deals with a significant ending of some kind.
-Or, if you'd prefer, you could write some flash fiction or poetry about endings.

You can also include the linky list in your post with the following code: <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=82d3d4a8-6481-4937-bca3-b1b655056d09" ></script>

Basically, if you know me, you know I'm pretty relaxed about what people choose to post for my blogfests.  I don't want to hamper your creativity too much!  Just sign up and have fun with it!

Also, if you have a Twitter account, you can help me out by tweeting about this blogfest with the hashtag #EndingsBlogfest.  I'd really appreciate it!

If you have any questions, just ask!



Express Yourself: Things I Look Forward To


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is hosted by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: List something(s) you always look forward to this time of year.

I absolutely love drinking hot chocolate and hot cider this time of year.  It's a good way to warm up after a trek through the snow.  I also love eating some of my favorite winter foods, such as homemade chili and vegetable soup.

Another thing I look forward to is Christmas morning when I get to watch my kids open their gifts.  Their absolute excitement is contagious, and it makes me feel like a kid again.

I enjoy spending time with family and friends.  It can be stressful at times, but in the end, it's worth it.

And last, I look forward to New Years Eve.  I grew up with a family tradition of playing board games and eating snacks on New Years Eve.  Then at midnight, we'd watch the ball drop.  In my opinion, this is one of the best traditions ever! It's also neat to think of the promise of a new year.  It's a good time to reflect on what we want to pursue or change to make our lives more fulfilling.

Plus, champagne.  Or wine.  There is always some kind of alcohol consumed after the ball drops, and that's part of the fun.

What do you look forward to this time of year?


Saturday, December 7, 2013

Express Yourself: Holiday Films


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is hosted by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: What holiday film(s) do you plan on viewing this season?


National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation-I have to see this every year. It's a classic.



The Nightmare Before Christmas-A must for the kids.



Die Hard-Some people might question this choice, but it takes place on Christmas.  That means it counts.  It's also a movie my husband will gladly watch.

What holiday films do you plan to watch?


Friday, December 6, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-December 6, 2013


It's Friday!  That means it's also time to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

First of all, I reached 300 followers this week!  Thanks to all of you who take the time to read my blog.  You keep me going in my writing journey, even when I get frustrated by the occasional roadblock.

I had a good Saturday.  I spent the day with my dad while my wonderful husband watched the kids all day.  We went out to eat at an Indian restaurant, went to some cool small businesses to do a little shopping, and had some coffee. I also, as a result of our shopping, know what my Christmas gift from my dad is going to be, but that's okay, because it's awesome!  I still have to wait until Christmas to open it though.  Oh well.

My family is, in general, happy and healthy, so that's something else worth celebrating.

What would you like to celebrate?


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Insecure Writer's Support Group: December 2013


Wow.  Is it really the first Wednesday of the month already?  Time sure is slippery that way.

Anyway, it's time once again for the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Our esteemed leader is none other than Alex J. Cavanaugh.  His minions for this month are Julie Flanders, Heather Gardner, Kim Van Sickler, and Elsie is Writing.

Also, feel free to swing by the IWSG website!

A quick note: The IWSG posting for January 2014 will be on January 8th.  Yes, that's the second Wednesday of next month, but since the first Wednesday is New Years Day, we may all be too busy recovering from our celebrations to post and visit one another.  Besides, ninjas need days off too.  Being stealthy isn't as easy as it appears.

Anyway, my insecurity this month has to do with goals.  Specifically, with such a busy month in which I will be celebrating Christmas and New Years (and shopping for these festive occasions), how should I set goals for myself?  If I set a daily goal, I may feel bad when I have a day where I simply can't get any writing done.  And let's face it, December is a month where that's bound to happen.  A weekly goal may be more doable.  Or perhaps a goal for the month as a whole will work best.  Then again, I may not feel motivated enough if I have a whole month to get it done, and by the time Christmas rolls around, I'll be kicking myself for not being more demanding of myself.

Or perhaps I shouldn't worry about it at all.  Maybe I should do what I can with my writing and not be too hard on myself this month.  After all, there's already going to be plenty of holiday stress as it is.

What do you think?  What are your writing  goals for this month?  How are they impacted by this busy time of year?  Do I sound crazy in my insecure ramblings?


Friday, November 29, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-November 29, 2013


It's time to once again Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

All in all, I had a good week.  On Sunday, we met up with my in-laws at Pizza Hut for dinner, and afterwards my husband and I got to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  We both thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and it was nice to have a couple of hours without the kids tugging at our sleeves.

On Wednesday, I put up the Christmas tree.  My boys tried to help, though they merely succeeded in getting in the way.  Needless to say, they were ecstatic about putting the tree up, and Jude promptly began to ask where the presents were.  Afterwards, the kids located a leftover roll of wrapping paper from last year and started wrapping their toys just so they could have something to unwrap.  They made a massive mess in the process, but the entire activity was too cute for me not to allow it.

We spent Thanksgiving with my dad and had a great meal.  I ate WAY too much! And even as I write this, I find my mind wandering to the leftovers that got sent home with us.  I don't have the willpower to ignore the yummy food!  Help!

What would you like to celebrate?

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

FSF: Picking Up the Pieces


So, this is the final chapter of my "Unchained" saga.  I'll continue to do Five Sentence Fiction, of course, but there are other stories to tell.

The word for this week is PIECES.

The entire story, from start to finish, can be found on this PAGE.

Enjoy!

Unchained
Chapter 54: Picking Up the Pieces

Ylana spent the next few weeks reconnecting with old family members, many of whom despised her for her sudden, unannounced departure.  When she’d left, she’d been engaged, and her whole life had been planned out, a series of predetermined milestones that she had, at one time in her life, never thought to question.
Image courtesy of
Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luckily, Nara had agreed to stay for a while, doing what she could to help her friend figure things out, though she did so with a hint of sadness in her eyes, and it was a sadness that Ylana could understand far too well.

So Nara announced that she would be leaving the following day, Ylana confidently asked, “Would you mind if I came with you?”

As it turns out, picking up the pieces of a former life is often all but impossible, but when Ylana saw Nara’s face break into a glowing smile, she knew that she didn’t need to rebuild her old life, because her current life suited her just fine.

Express Yourself: Who Do You Look Up To?


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is made possible by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: Who is someone you look up to?

We all need those people who inspire us to be or do better.  We need those people who support us and stick with us through the good and the bad.  In my everyday life, that's my family, and I will be thankful for them as I celebrate Thanksgiving.

Still, I wanted to take the time in this post to highlight another group of people I look up to.  The friends I've made in the blogging community are a wonderful source of support and inspiration.  I look up to so many of you who, like me, are writers looking for avenues of expression.  Fellow writers who are seeking publication, or are newly published, or who bravely self-publish their work.  It takes a lot of courage to share your stories with the world, and watching as you continue to do this on a daily basis keeps me going as well.  As long as you continue to pursue your dreams, I know with certainty that I can also pursue mine.

Thanks to all of you for being awesome!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-November 22, 2013


It's Friday, and I'm here to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

I'm posting a tad late today.  It's hubby's payday, which means I had errands to run and bills to pay.  I don't think anyone enjoys paying bills, including me, but I'd like to celebrate the fact that it's done.  Sure, they'll come due again soon enough, but for now, I no longer have to worry about them.

My 2nd blogging anniversary is coming up in January, and I'm currently dreaming up blogfest ideas to celebrate.  So I'll take this opportunity to celebrate that, because I think concocting and hosting blogfests is quite fun.

Cold weather and snow have arrived where I live, but while it snowed last night, it could have been far worse.  This is the time of year where I'm actually somewhat uncaring that we don't have a driveway.  Most of the year I find it ridiculous that we don't have a driveway, but during the winter, it means we have one less thing to shovel.  That part isn't so bad.  Hey, celebrating the small things can mean finding the bright side in things that are otherwise annoying, right?

What would you like to celebrate?


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Stephen Fry Discusses the Language of Nazi Germany

I just saw this short video about language and how it can be used to coerce people into committing horrible atrocities.  It's true that language is a powerful force, and while we should be free to speak, we should also remain aware of the power of the words we use.  The old saying that "words will never hurt me" is simply not true.

Also, I think Stephen Fry is a brilliant human being.  I just had to say that.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A Cosmic Wordle

I know I've gone on and on about how amazing I think Carl Sagan was and how his words still resonate today.  Some people may grow weary of my fangirling, but I will continue to live in amazement of the poetry of his words, and the way they throw into sharp relief the scale of the universe and the fragility of our world.

Below is a Wordle I created using a quote of his as he referred to our world as a pale blue dot.  The entire quote I used follows.


“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Express Yourself: Contents of My Purse


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is brought to you by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: What do you carry around in your purse or wallet? Pictures would be nice.

I'm not one to carry a whole lot in my purse like some people I know, though I do tend to hoard papers far longer than I should.

Below is a picture of my purse.  I've had it for a few years now.  I'm not one to spend money on a new purse, though I should probably make the investment once in awhile.


Below is a picture of what is currently to be found in my purse.


-Wallet
-Pouch for odds and ends
-A handful of pencils
-Lead for pencils
-Carmex
-Pouch of pop rocks
-A necklace
-A bracelet
-Tylenol
-Pouches of sunscreen

I also usually have a small notebook and my flash drive, but those items were not in my purse when I sat down to do this.

Exciting, huh?

What do you carry in your purse or wallet?




Friday, November 15, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things-November 15, 2013


The calendar tells me that it's Friday, so let's Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

I know I've been a tad neglectful of my blog this week.  I could try to make excuses for that, and while I've certainly been keeping myself preoccupied, I can't say I absolutely couldn't have posted more.  My motivation was simply elsewhere.  I'm sure you all know how that goes.

I'd like to celebrate that this Tuesday, my friend Chelsea gave birth to a healthy baby boy.  His name is Felix, and he's absolutely adorable!  It's cool that he was born on 11-12-13.  It's also interesting that he was born at 2:12pm.  Had he been born 3 minutes later, he would have come into the world on 11-12-13 at 14:15 (yes, I'm using military time here because that would have been cool).  Chelsea says that while it would have been neat to have him come that 3 minutes later, the little guy simply had other plans.  Babies come when they come and there's no fighting it.

On the flipside, as new life comes into the world, it is also lost.  I wanted to take this opportunity to offer warm thoughts to Nick Wilford and his family.  They suffered the devastating loss of Andrew, whom many in the blogging community found to be an inspiration.  While we mourn a great loss, we also celebrate the life of a wonderful human being, short though it may have been.  In honor of Andrew and all he added to the world while he was here, red balloons took to the sky all over the world.  And one of them took flight in the small town of Radcliffe, IA.


What would you like to celebrate?


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Express Yourself: Top 5 TV Shows


The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is made possible by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

The question for this week is: What are the top 5 shows you currently watch?

The following are the shows that I currently record so I can watch them with my husband.

I love that each season is a different story altogether, and this season is particularly engrossing for me.

The zombies are that ever-present threat that keeps coming for you while everything else falls apart.  This show looks at all the repercussions of an apocalyptic scenario.  This includes deadly illnesses, lack of supplies, and the monstrous people who will happily kill you for their own purposes.

You don't know who you can trust in this world.  Since the power went out, dynamics have changed, and politics can be downright brutal.

The lives of heroes are not glamorous here, and there's more to everyone's past than they're willing to tell. This keeps the surprises coming.

As the series draws to a close, we get closer to the meeting that the entire series has been based upon.  We know who the mother is, so it's only a matter of time. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris is one of my favorite actors ever, so that helps.

Those are the shows that are currently on.  I'm also looking forward to more Falling Skies and Game of Thrones.  I have awhile to wait yet, but at least I have plenty to entertain me in the meantime.

What shows do you currently watch?


Friday, November 8, 2013

The Second Annual Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest



Today is the second annual Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest!  Hosted by Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish, this blogfest gives us a chance to celebrate the important bloggers in our lives.  

The bloggers we really miss…and the ones we would really miss! 

Do you have a couple blogger buddies who aren’t posting as often? Those who’ve pulled back and seem absent from the blogging world? Do you have blogger buddies you are grateful they are still around and would miss if they vanished? Now is your chance to show your appreciation and spotlight them!

On November 8, list one to three bloggers you really miss and one to three bloggers you would miss if they stopped blogging. Then go leave a comment on those blogs.

Our blogger friends are special – time to let them know! 

There are a couple of blogger buddies I've missed seeing around the blogosphere.  Saz101 and Growing Up YA used to host the Blogspiration Meme, which was a fun way of sharing something inspirational with our blogging friends.  I enjoyed those weekly posts, because it pushed me to pick something interesting, cool, or just plain fun.  Earlier this year, they retired the meme.  Since then, they've been largely absent from blogging, and I do understand that they have other things going on in life that keep them busy.  Still, they were a lot of fun.

As for bloggers I would miss were they to suddenly vanish, there are too many to list here.  Each blogger has a unique voice and something interesting to share. Still, I must choose.

Side note: If Alex J. Cavanaugh were ever to disappear from the blogging world entirely, I fear it would fall to pieces.  I sometimes wonder if his ninja skills are the force that binds us all together.  So I won't even entertain the idea of him ever leaving us.  It's simply too horrifying!

Anyway, here are three bloggers I would definitely miss if they stopped blogging.

Bev over at The Beveled Edge.  Her writing skills are seriously epic.  If you haven't read any of her work, you're missing out!

Mina Lobo over at Some Dark Romantic is not only a wonderful writer and a supportive blogging pal, but she also hosts the best blogfests around!  She's seriously awesomesauce!

Kyra Lennon over at Write Here, Write Now is also an amazing writer.  She also hosts cool blogging events.  And she recently wrote an incredibly interesting post titled "Dominance, Alpha Males and Sex in Fiction."  Enough said.

Are there any bloggers that you miss, or would miss?