Things that make New Year's Eve fun

What with today being the last day before 2012, I thought I'd list out some things that might make a good New Year's Eve.

1. Alcohol (I threw a party one year, and I've never seen my fridge so full of alcohol - it's never been like that again, either)
2. Auld Lang Syne (can't see the New Year in without that traditional song)
3. Food (whether at a party enjoying nibbles, or having a snack at home to make sure you stay awake until midnight, food is always good :)).
4. Winnie the Pooh stories (bear with me on this - when my sister and I were little,  and my parents went out to a New Year's Eve party, we'd end up at my grandparents. Their neighbour always came in to see the New Year in with them, and my sister insisted on telling her a Winnie the Pooh story… every year! It became as much of a traditional for a while as wishing everyone a Happy New Year!)
5. Someone to kiss at midnight (not necessary, but can be nice - even if it's the cat. Actually, thinking about it, maybe the cat is a better choice.)

Do you have anything to add to this list? I'm sure there must be lots more.

Whatever you're doing tonight, hope the New Year brings you lots of good things.

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Favourite memories of Christmas

As Christmas is only a week away, I got to thinking about Christmasses of the past, and found I had lots of fun memories. Here are some of them:

1. All my grandparents and aunts arriving Christmas morning, ready to stay with us until the day after Boxing Day. I loved having my family around.
2. Going to bed at night to a plain house, and coming down the following morning to decorations and a tree in the living room. It was a present all in itself :).
3. Playing cards with my family in the evening, and my sister (somehow in charge of my Nan's cards) speaking for Nan: "She's sticking."
4. Watching my grandparents fall asleep, one by one, in the lounge after a very filling dinner.
5. My nephew telling me quite early last year's Christmas morning that: "Father Christmas has come."

What about you? Do you have any favourite memories? Things that make you laugh, or feel warm and fuzzy inside?

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Gods and Goddesses in Norse Mythology

In celebration of Coral Moore's book, "Broods of Fenrir", and the fact that I recently finished Ali Cross's book, "Become", here are a few gods from Norse mythology. (In case you're wondering about my choice, Norse mythology features in both books :).)

1. Odin - Chief god, and the most powerful in Asgard. The world was created by Odin and his two brothers. You can tell him in pictures, because he only has one eye (he traded the other for infinite wisdom - think I'd rather have the eye and a steep learning curve ;)).
2. Frigg - Wife of Odin and queen of Asgard. Goddess of marriage and fertility. Her name means "beloved one".
3. Thor - Thunder god, the god of storms. Son of Odin and Fjorgyn (Earth). Strongest of all the gods, and known to be ill-tempered. He owns a hammer, called Mjolnir, which can hit any target, and always returns to him.
4. Freyja (also known as Freya) - Goddess of love, lust, beauty, sorcery, and death (busy girl!). Daughter of the sea god, Njord, and twin sister of Freyr.
5. Loki - Trickster god. He was not an Aesir, but Odin took him in and made him his blood brother. Hence, why he lives on Asgard. Not to be trusted. Full of mischief, and heads towards evil as time goes on.

So, there you have it, and here endeth today's lesson in world mythology ;). What myths do you like reading about?

A few UK cities

I'm not really one for cities. To me, they usually look like a haven for concrete. However, I've found a few across the UK that are the exception, and here are some of them.

1. Edinburgh (beautiful architecture, rich history, and close to stunning countryside)
2. Cambridge (a mixture of modern and historic, urban and rural, it's hard to believe Cambridge is missing anything)
3. Oxford (another example of the seamless blending of history and modernism)
4. Bath (stunning Georgian architecture and golden stone, gorgeous views, and a real sense of history - that would be Bath in the picture :))
5. London (despite being the capital, it manages to have havens of peace in the many parks, a river in the Thames, a theatreland unrivalled in the rest of the UK, and lots of amazing buildings dating back hundreds of years)

What about you? What cities do you like? And would you prefer to be a rural- or urban-ite?

A few things to be thankful for

In the spirit of my friends across the pond aptly-named holiday, Thanksgiving (which I think is a great idea, and we should adopt in the UK, even if we don't have the history that goes with it), I decided to consider what I'm most thankful for, and list them out here:

1. My dad (there have been rocky times, but he's always supported me, been there for me, and he even reads my stories - sometimes several times. I don't know what I'd do without him.)
2. My sister and her family (she and my nephews make me laugh, and my brother-in-law is great for talking computers with)
3. My best friend (I've known her since I was ten, and she's always there for me to talk to if I need her. She's believed in my writing from the very beginning, and has always encouraged me in it.)
4. My job (I'm very thankful I'm employed doing something I enjoy)
5. My writing (it lets me visit some amazing worlds, meet interesting characters, and takes me out of myself for a while)

So, that's me, even if it's a little late. Did you do anything nice for Thanksgiving?

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Bad things that happened to good TV shows

It seems I either get into shows just as something happens to change them, or I start a show that doesn't get to fulfill its potential. Here are a few of those.

1. Blood Ties - got cancelled and I loved this series. Plus it ended in a very unfinished sort of fashion.
2. Charmed - Prue dying. Even though the writers had a great premise for introducing Paige, and I don't know what happened between the actresses, I still really missed Prue.
3. Charmed - Cole. I used to tune in each week just to watch Phoebe and Cole; I thought they were so sweet. They were my absolute favourite couple. Then, it all went to Hell. Literally. And she ended up with someone else? Bah!
4. Kindred: The Embraced - another cancelled show, and after hardly any episodes. It seemed to have great potential, but didn't get the chance to develop it.
5. Lois and Clark: New Adventures of Superman - the wedding that wasn't. I'm not too sure what happened here. There were rumours of the network wanting it drawn out, but it resulted in a lot of angry fans, a severe drop in viewers, and some crappy storylines (clones and frogs, anyone?).

Did you think these were bad things? Or did they help the shows? Any others you'd like to add?

Nursery Rhymes

Someone asked me a while ago to name five nursery rhymes I could still remember, and name them in a minute. I was surprised how difficult it was, as I thought these sort of things stayed with you (maybe I have too much stuff in my head already, and it's pushing the old stuff out ;)). Also, I'd read a few to my nephew not that long ago. Anyway, here are the five I could remember quickly.

1. Lavender's Blue
2. Bar Bar Black Sheep
3. Sing a Song of Sixpence
4. Hey Diddle Diddle
5. It's Raining, It's Pouring

Can you name any more? How many can you get through in a minute?

Lovely things about Autumn (or Fall :) )

This is a little tough, as whenever I reach Autumn I know the nights are drawing in and it's going to get colder, so it's not my favourite season, but there are still great things about it.

1. The colours (those leaves - all red, orange, and yellow - so beautiful.)
2. The clocks go back. (an extra hour in bed, which I'm all for.)
3. Halloween (celebrated a bit more in this country this year - I saw a great front garden, decked out as a cemetery!)
4. Bonfire night (fantastic firework displays around the warm flickering flames of bonfires)
5. My birthday *grin*.

What about you? What makes Autumn a great season for you?

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Halloween fun

As Halloween is on Monday, I thought it a good time to list a few fun things to do :).

1. Trick or Treating (Gee, I bet no one thought of that one ;). Generally, better to do with kids in tow. You might get a few strange looks otherwise.)
2. Scary movie night (And I don't mean the Scary Movie collection, but some movies that can make you jump - great when having a sleepover.)
3. Ghost Walk (Lots of places have them, particularly if there's a long history, and walking through a dark cemetery at midnight, even with other people, is pretty spooky.)
4. Atmosphere (I might be out of touch with its modern incarnation, but this game, that involved a video playing on the TV as the game progressed on the board was great for some frights when the character would flash back onto the screen accompanied by a sudden thunder clap.)
5. Themed costume party or dance (Great fun dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller along with a guy in a Scream mask, a vampire, and a couple of zombies :))

Whatever you're doing, I hope you all have a fun (but safe) night.

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Some classic first lines

Sometimes a book is so well known, even the first line, without any context, is recognised. Can you recognise these?

1. There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.
2. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a  good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
3. There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.
4. Marley was dead, to begin with.
5. All children, except one, grow up.

---

How well did you do? Here are the answers:

1. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C. S. Lewis)
4. A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
5. Peter Pan (J. M. Barrie)

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Pirate party games

My newly four-year-old nephew is having a pirate-themed birthday party today, and my incredibly organised sister has worked out some special pirate party games. I thought I'd place them here in case anyone else finds them useful.

1. Pieces of Eight (find a picture of a pirate, cut it into eight pieces, write a number on the back of each piece to show they belong to the same puzzle, and then hide them around the house or garden. The children have to find their number and piece together the puzzle.)
2. Musical Islands (a variation on musical chairs - the children sit on cushions)
3. Pin the Patch on the Pirate (a variation on pin the tail on the donkey)
4. Pass the Booty (a variation on pass the parcel)
5. Treasure Hunt (what would a pirate party be without the ability to hunt for treasure?)

Does anyone else have some fun games to add? Or anyone use some of these to great success?

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eReaders

I admit I haven't really taken to these just yet. I'm being swayed by the Kindle, but it's still out of my price range, so I'm not about to get one. However, I thought I'd do a little list of those available at the moment.

1. Kindle (Amazon's offering, and available in both the US and UK)
2. Nook (Barne and Noble's reader, and I've heard good things. Only available in the US though)
3. Sony (I see a lot of these in shops, particularly Waterstones)
4. Elonex (Unfortunately, I don't think this stands a chance against the others, particularly as its features are far outweighed by those of the Nook and Kindle)
5. Waterstones (Yep, they're releasing their own according to this article. As they mention the Nook as their inspiration, I'm hopeful.)

Have you moved onto an eReader yet? Which is your favourite and why? Any I've missed (probably several) that you think deserve a mention?

Nonsense words

When I was growing up, my dad could always make me laugh (still can, in fact), and one of the ways was these nonsense words. Between him and my mum deliberately mixing up syllables and mispronouncing words, it's a wonder I ever learnt to speak proper. But they always made me smile. In the hope these give you a bit of a laugh, I've laid them out for your delectation. Enjoy!

1. Gatport Airwick (Gatwick Airport, a UK airport)
2. Presactly (when either "precise" or "exactly" on their own just won't do)
3. Flutterby (Butterfly)
4. Skissors (hard 'k' as opposed to soft 'c')
5. Electrickery

Anyone else play this game? Or have any other words to add?

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Things that help me write

1. A pen (always useful to have some form of writing implement)
2. A notepad (or a computer of some kind, but notepads are trusty standards and don't require power for me to write)
3. A large chunk of undisturbed time (I write best when I have time to get into the story)
4. A coffee (I also write best when I've made a cup of filter coffee to start me off  ;))
5. A fair amount of energy (I fall asleep over the notepad if I'm tired, or end up writing nonsense, and having to rewrite it later to get it to make sense - neither of which make for a good story)

What about you? What makes for a good "butt-in-seat" session when writing (stories, blogs, essays, anything else you might be writing)?

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Classic animated films

Yes, I admit it *holds up hand* - I'm a long-time fan of the Disney classic animated films. I've loved them since I was a child, and still enjoy the stories, music, and characters held within the spectacular artwork. The animated films in latter years? Hmm, not so much. Perhaps I just prefer the hand drawings to the computer's influence. Anyway, here are a few of my favourites.

1. Beauty and the Beast (1991 - For me, this has everything - great characters, humour courtesy of the enchanted objects and the Beast's initial attempt at porridge, amazing songs, and the lovely underlying message about beauty being in the eye of the beholder.)
2. The Little Mermaid (1989 - Hands up who loves Sebastian? I adore that crab! This film really felt to me like a Disney return to form when it was originally released.)
3. Snow White (1937 - Talk about an amazing debut! An animated film that could make the audience cry; who'd have thought?)
4. Sleeping Beauty (1959 - I know this isn't as well regarded as some, but I liked that the prince actually had a character (look at Cinderella's prince), and that he and Rose didn't know who the other was when they met in the forest.)
5. The Lion King (1994 - Timon and Pumbaa, stunning visuals, and Tim Rice's and Elton John's song "Circle of Life" - what's not to like?)

Does anyone else have any favourite animated films? Or prefer the computer generated films over the classic hand-drawn ones? Anyone else have "Beauty and the Beast" in their list of top 10 films ever?

Things I hate to see in stories

1. The new cute / hot boy in school - This device is everywhere these days; I'm over it already.
2. Love triangles - Maybe it raises tension, but I get a bit miffed to think the heroine (or hero) proclaims undying love for someone, and then thinks perhaps the other guy (or girl) would be a better choice. Seems flaky to me.
3. Adverb ardour - yes, they can be useful, but does the author really need three in a sentence, one after the other?
4. A prologue or beginning snippet that tricks me into thinking the book will move quickly, only to find I have to get to chapter 17 before anything happens - I know it's a way to sell books initially, but it's also a way to make sure I never buy a book by the author again.
5. Characters who, after being silly and not bothering to think things out for themselves, get proclaimed "special" - Why? Why are they special? They didn't do anything to earn it.

Well, that's my pet moan for the day. What do you guys see in stories that make you want to hurl the book across the room (or the eReader for that matter, but then it might break - hmm, not such a good idea…)?

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Quotes from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

I used to love this series! For me, it lost something in the latter series', but the team of writers' way with words never failed to produce new and shiny jewels. Here are a few that always make me laugh:

1. So he is a good vampire! I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being someone who's killing and maiming every night, and 1 being someone who's...not. (Willow)
2. I laugh in the face of danger. Then, I hide until it goes away. (Xander)
3. Demons after money? Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore. (Giles)
4. Gee, can you vague that up for me? (Buffy)
5. Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass. (Cordelia)

How about you? Was this a show you enjoyed or you passed on? Any gems you want to share?