Thursday, April 18, 2013

Pi

From the messy countertop of the Lazy Housewife...

Pets! This might be my favorite letter of the month. Pets are so wonderful. Some people don't like or want pets and see them as too much responsibility or just a general nuisance. But if you've never had one, you really don't know what you're missing! Here is what a pet can do for you:

** Find a pet to suit your needs - most of these traits come from dogs, but there are various other animals that provide close to the same benefits. There is surely a pet out there for you.
** Unconditional love - no matter what happens, they won't fault you for it and they will always forgive you and be there for you
** Attention - they give it to you, undivided, whenever you want and they're always happy to see you
** Warmth - most furry pets like to cuddle and it's a great feeling on a cold night
** Smiles and laughs - animals will get into trouble and do silly things all the time, they don't mind doing the tricks because they live to make you happy! (and get treats) Just watch America's Funniest Home Videos!
** Extension of life - people with pets live longer than those without...
** Protection! - having a dog lowers your house insurance for theft prevention!
** Listening Ears - pets are a willing, captive audience and they don't talk back or give their opinion or make you feel bad. Usually by just listening, they can help you talk out your problem to find a solution!

And 2 Bonus P TIPs
  • PMS management, taking care of your cycle: (guys can skip this section)
    • wk 1 - on it. need more sleep and less caffeine and screen
    • wk 2 - peak of least annoyance! tackle tough jobs on to do list. and enjoy the friskiness!
    • wk 3 - drink milk, more milk pre PMS can lessen symptoms during
    • wk 4 - PMS again, already? Avoid salt, drink water, your body is bloated enough this week
  •  Plants promote health! and not just by providing oxygen. Here are some Positive Plants (info from Prevention, 1/13)
    • Gerbera Daisy - my favorite! reduces levels of dry cleaning chemicals which can compromise immune system
    • 'Janet Craig' - lowers levels of a toxic chemical released from hot shower steam (called TCE)
    • English Ivy - removes formaldehyde, which is used in some dishwashing liquids and disinfectants AND some cabinets and tables!
    • Peace Lily - a powerful detoxifier
    • Boston Fern - also effective for removing formaldehyde and toxins present in some fabric softeners, carpet cleaners, and paint
    • Golden Pothos - removes ozone from auto emissions (not THE ozone)
Apparently our modern conveniences and inventions are killing us - I need to bring more nature into my house!


Editing Tips

Passive - don't be. engage! entertain! punch! pounce! proliferate! ponder! Not is/was/were which are define passive.
POV - no head hopping. Stay in one POV per scene and indicate a change in POV by extra spacing or asterisks or chapters. As the narrator, to keep a tighter POV, make sure you only reveal what the current POV knows and not what others think.
Plurals and Possessives -

  • singular or plural not ending in s, add 's; 
  • singular ends in s, add 's (unless next word starts with s)
  • singular proper noun ends in s, only add '
  • plural ends in s, only add '

commonly confused "P" words:
passed (v. past tense of pass) / past (no longer current, over)
peak (the pointed summit, the point of greatest value or intensity) / peek (look quickly) / pique (n. vexation or resentment; v. to provoke or arouse)
penned (enclosed by a fence, or wrote) / pent (confined, repressed)
populace (the general public) / populous (containing many people)
principal (main or first; leader of a school) / principle (basic rule or doctrine)
prone (lying face down) / supine (lying face up)

26 comments:

Unknown said...

The PMS part - funny! I use to joke and say that if you want me to do something for you and be in a good moon you have to catch me in one of the 3 days when I'm not in a pre-PMS, PMS or post-PMS time. :)

Pots are lovely, I like my friends' pets but I'm not ready for one yet - I don't want to put that poor creature through hell in order to have unconditional love.

Always a pleasure reading your blog!

M.J. Fifield said...

Oh, I have a Peace Lily. I have no idea it was a powerful detoxifer. Maybe I should get more.

And I am a pet person. Dogs and cats and occasionally other kinds.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

We always had dogs growing up. Nothing beats the devotion of a dog.
We'd bring more plants into our house but that would be sentencing them to death as we tend to kill everything.

Yolanda Renée said...

Love pets -- my Patches, Boston terrier is my baby girl!

Thank you for the plants section too!

My hubby is having problems with his skin, and I think it due to dry cleaning chemicals on the clothes they cleaned after the fire. Need to get a few daisy's!

Also, my blog is available for your promotion. Let me know. yolandarenee(at)hotmail(dot)com

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I never really considered myself a pet person - I liked animals fine, but not to own. And then we got the tortoises, and I just love those little hard-shelled muses! :)

I like plants and flowers but they need to be hardy to survive in my house. :)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I've wondered about the possessive rule. They have changed I was in school...oh my...I'm getting to be that old!

Now I must go hug my dogs and buy some plants!

Jackie said...

Love your PMS tips. :)
I love Gerbera daisies, too. (P.S. I get to work with them almost daily. :D)

Dana said...

I'm definitely a pet person. Your PMS tips are great! :)

I used to have a Peace Lily, but I killed it. :( Time for another—maybe. ;)

Julie Flanders said...

Yay for pets! Is that pic your dog? So cute!

The PMS tips made me laugh. :D

Rena said...

Yay for plants and pets, although I have a problem with mine: my pets collude to murder my plants. My cats knock them down, and then my dogs dig into the soil. Erg!

But hey, gotta love them.

Anonymous said...

Pets are great. I love my dogs, but I can't seem to get plants to grow to save my life.

Carrie-Anne said...

I'm that odd woman who's really never had PMS. However, for a long time, I suffered from debilitating cramps the first day of my period. Naproxen sodium does wonders. Now that I've discontinued the Pill (like there were ever a chance I could get pregnant by my dysfunctional ex anyway) and have natural periods again, I'm back to relying on naproxen and a heating pad to take care of any cramps.

Unknown said...

Ha! Love the PMS example. Pets are the best, aren't they?

My blog: morgankatz505.blogspot.com

Leslie said...

I love your P ideas! I'm definitely a pet person - cats, that is. If I didn't have my hubby and kids around to keep me in check, I absolutely would be the typical "cat lady" with a dozen furry felines in my home. But for now, the two I have definitely add happiness to my life and even keep me company when I write.

Sherry Ellis said...

Yay for pets! I have twenty eight of them. Does this mean I'll live forever? (Most of them are fish, in case you're wondering!)

VikLit said...

Yay for pets. I have wee fish and I do love them ;)

Unknown said...

I shouldn't have pets. But I love rules. And grammar. So I might love you too! Oh, a friend sent me to say hello. WMM

Ermie said...

Pets are great! I prefer cats to dogs, mostly because they can be a bit crazy and moody, but no matter how much you encourage them to go outside, they always seem to come home. :-)

Sheena-kay Graham said...

While I do believe is keeping POV straightforward books like Paranorman have quick change of POV in the chapters but it doesn't confuse the story/reader. I think you just really need to know what you're doing if you want to use multiple POV. But yes, one POV is the best way to keep a story on course.

Pets are great and I didn't know about pre-pms and milk. Thanks for the tip.

Carol Kilgore said...

Maybe I'll try a small plant. If it's small enough, my black thumb may not recognize it as a real living plant.

Christine Rains said...

Once we can afford to fence in our big backyard, we'll be getting a dog. I think it's just what our little family needs. And those are great plant tips. I never knew that they provided such specific help like that.

Unknown said...

I love and adore my silly pet, even though he is also a pest! Silly dog-dog, I just kiss his nose and love him anyway.

Mark Means said...

I read the PMS section..just in case :)

Great tips, as always!

Rob-bear said...

We have had a number of dogs. I had to part with mine when we moved from house to apartment. She is the one element that I still miss! Pets are wonderful.

Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting

Heather M. Gardner said...

I have four spoiled cats who own me. :)

And... since I have four cats I don't own any plants at all.

Because they eat them.

Heather

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tara .. I love pets and have had them .. being single and being out a lot makes it challenging - they do love company. I'll get one again once I'm re-settled ...

P for pets make you exercise well if you have the woof variety and not the independent look after myself variety -that I love too!!

I'd have more plants if I had a garden .. but the great outdoors I love ..

Cheers Hilary

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