Saturday, 20 August 2022

14 Reasons to Love a Woman Who Reads

 1. She's intelligent.

The more books she reads, the more she knows about the world. Plus, she gives her mind a good workout on a daily basis which helps keep her sharp. Constant reading is also known to improve vocabulary and writing skills.
2. She's curious.
She is curious about the world and the people and things in it. Women who read will usually have a collection of books on different topics and are eager to learn new things.
3. She serves as a great trivia partner.
As she collects books, she will also collect facts, many of them completely random. A lady full of information is a great trivia partner so make sure to bring her to your favorite bar on their trivia night.
4. She's low-maintenance.
She is used to snuggling up in bed with a cup of tea and a good book, so she knows how to just chill out and relax.
5. She's an expert conversationalist.
While many women who read are considered reserved, this doesn’t mean that they don’t have great conversations. Since she knows so much from reading books and magazines, she will probably have plenty of topics to talk about and can find ways to relate to what you are saying. And as she is used to keeping quiet and taking in information, she will probably be a great listener too.
6. She's more intimate.
Reading in itself is an intimate act. A woman who reads books knows how to give her full attention to what’s in front of her and push away all of the distractions. This skill can carry over to your more intimate moments where she is bound to give you all of her attention and love.
7. She has a great imagination.
It takes a lot of imagination to make a story come alive. As she reads, she is constantly imagining characters, colors, and scenarios. A woman with a strong imagination tends to be a lot more fun and good at coming up with ideas for dates.
8. She's well-spoken.
Since reading improves vocabulary and helps readers understand the flow of sentences better, reading ladies will be well spoken. She will surely impress your parents and your friends with how intelligent she sounds in everyday conversation.
9. She's incredibly ambitious.
It takes a bit of ambition to pick up a book and follow through with reading it. She pushes herself to keep reading even when the book gets difficult or has over 200 pages. She wants to learn and grow, usually in more than one aspect of her life.
10. She's okay with being alone.
She loves being alone with a good book and doesn’t like to be bothered once she is in the reading zone. A woman that can be alone makes a great partner because she won’t be clingy or become co-dependent on you.
11. She's a critical thinker.
It’s shown that people who read have stronger analytical skills. So, she will be a great person to talk to about tough decisions and life plans.
12. She can be entertained easily.
It won’t take much to entertain her. Women who read can easily spend hours just sitting under a tree with a good book. You won’t have to take her on expensive dates and luxury trips in order to impress her.
13. She's an amazing listener.
She is used to focusing on her stories, which doesn’t require any talking at all. This will make her a good listener since she takes in information and processes it without responding while she reads her books.
14. She will inspire you to read.
If you aren’t a reader, you will probably be inspired to pick up a book if you are dating her. She will look so happy and inspired while reading that it will make you want to do the same.

H P Lovecraft

 Dena Bain Taylor

Happy birthday to H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), American author of fantastic and macabre short novels and stories, and one of the 20th-century masters of the Gothic tale of terror. 👇
"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind."
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
"Pleasure to me is wonder—the unexplored, the unexpected, the thing that is hidden and the changeless thing that lurks behind superficial mutability."
"Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane."
"That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die."
***

I Wish I Knew

 

She spoke to the teachers
they told her to sit
to wait for her turn
and to speak with respect
She spoke to her parents
they told her to try
to never give up
to work hard and strive
She spoke to her friends
they told her to change
to act more like them
to stop being strange
She spoke to her self
she wondered what’s wrong?
why don’t I fit in?
why cant I belong?
And finally when
her exhaustion was high
she wandered bereft
out into the night.
She spoke to the moon
and the stars let her see
you’re already enough
why can’t you just be?
You sparkle with life
you’re so full to the brim
why worry about
the need to fit in?
You’re made of pure sunlight
with so much to share
don’t walk down the same road
you're not going there…
Donna Ashworth
From ‘I wish I knew’: https://amzn.to/3JVMJlZ
Art by Josie Wren #josiewrenart







WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS STUNG BY A BEE OR WASP

 Most of the time, if your dog is stung by a bee or wasp, the worst they will end up with is a swollen face or paw and some localised pain and irritation. Though your dog might appear distressed when they’ve been stung, this pain should go away after a short period of time.

In some cases, however, your dog may be allergic to the poison that is injected by the bee or wasp sting. If not treated this could result in a severe reaction or even death. If your dog is stung somewhere like the throat or mouth, or stung several times in one go, contact your vet as soon as possible for advice. Your vet will most likely ask you to bring your dog in straight away.

SIGNS THAT YOUR DOG HAS BEEN STUNG BY A BEE OR WASP

  • Biting or giving attention to the place they have been stung
  • Whining
  • Swelling in a specific area
  • Holding up the affected area e.g. their paw
  • Pawing at the affected area e.g. their face, mouth or throat

SIGNS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION WHEN YOUR DOG IS STUNG BY A BEE OR WASP

  • Vomiting
  • Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
  • Weakness or collapsing
  • Pale gums
  • Diarrhoea
  • Excessive swelling around the sting and spreading away from it

If your dog is displaying any of these signs, you should contact your vet immediately and make arrangements to take your dog in for emergency treatment.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG HAS BEEN STUNG

Quickly remove the sting using a credit card or something similar to scrape it out. Be careful to scrape from below the venom sac and don’t squeeze or pull the sting out as this can release more venom and prolong the irritation.

Once you’ve done this, run a clean tea towel or cloth under the cold tap and hold it against where your dog was stung to reduce the swelling. Ice is good to quickly soothe the site of the sting but be careful not to shock your dog with the sudden temperature change and sensation.

Your dog is likely to be agitated and irritated by the sting, so as much as possible try to calm them down and keep them cool. It’s important that you try to remain calm too.

Keep an eye out for any signs of an allergic reaction that might develop within the first few hours.

Some people recommend over the counter antihistamines when your dog has been stung, but certain ingredients in different brands can be fatal to animals. If you choose to do this, you should always check with your vet to make sure you are giving the right drug, and in the right quantity for your dog’s size and weight.


https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-advice/what-do-if-your-dog-stung-bee-or-wasp?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_paid&utm_campaign=petadvice&utm_term=sting&utm_content=dog_advice&fbclid=IwAR2hK23_Vu3q8ZbfGmXUTnTiCSLgvHjKMnBCDCS50Lj-ToqH0UAR-enB5TQ



Sarah Brown's Red Dragon Pie



Red Dragon Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

110g aduki beans, steeped in boiling water for an hour then cooked until soft. (Or a 400g can aduki beans, drained)

50g cooked rice

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

225g carrots, diced

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp mixed herbs

Half a pint of vegetable stock or the reserved liquid from the cooked aduki beans

Salt and pepper

450g potatoes, peeled and chopped

25g butter/vegan spread

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked beans and rice. Mix the soy sauce, tomato puree and herbs with the stock, then pour over the beans and vegetables. Season to taste, adding a little more liquid if necessary. Transfer to a greased 1.5 litre casserole dish.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until cooked and mash with the butter. Season well and top your bean mixture. Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes until the top has browned.


https://www.shoestringcottage.com/sarah-browns-red-dragon-pie/




Dogs

 "The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."

~ George Graham Vest
"I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source."
~ Doris Day
Have a happy Saturday!
Photo credit: Thank you Carmelo Mangiameli - Fly the Gladiator's di Casa Sineri... Tyson 💕






Friday, 19 August 2022

Stray Souls

I shall
Gather up
All the lost souls
That wander this earth
All the ones that are alone
All the ones that are broken
All the ones that never really fitted in
I shall gather them all up
And together we shall find our home
A little poem written by Athey Thompson
Taken from A Little Book Of Poetry
By Athey Thompson
This picture is of Camberley Kate, who was well known in Camberley as the lady who would wander the streets with her “stray dogs” cart and gather up all the waifs and strays. It is said that during her life she rescued and gave a loving home to over 600 homeless dogs.
Today, I’m honouring this inspirational lady who devoted her life to saving dogs. And what a legacy she did leave behind, as she said “To the animals, we must be kind

Kate Ward in Camberley, England in 1962