Tag: these are a few of my favourite things

Heavy Metal Literature

Heavy Metal Literature

Some time ago an article circulated on Twitter about a university professor basing a course on the music of Iron Maiden. I instantly shared it with my husband, who is both a huge Iron Maiden fan and an English teacher. Ten years ago, if someone handed me a similar article, I would have rolled my …

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Words that Stay

Words that Stay

Words have always been an important part of my life. First as a reader, then as a writer. There are many different forms of expression, but for me, words have always held the most power. Putting the right combination of words in the right order has the potential to touch someone, to make them laugh …

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More Kitchen Fun

More Kitchen Fun

A few weeks back I made a list of my favorite slow-cooker recipes cobbled together from various social media and blogs I read. My slow-cooker is convenient, but I don’t use it every night. So in the spirit of fairness, here are some non-slow-cooker favorites we’ve added to our meal rotation of late. Funeral Sandwiches …

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Slow-Cooker Delights

Slow-Cooker Delights

Awhile back I mentioned I live by my slow cooker. There’s something appealing about throwing a bunch of ingredients in there in the morning and having a meal when we get hungry in the evening. What I love most is modifying recipes to taste and still ending up with an excellent dinner with minimal effort. …

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Three by Three

Three by Three

Awhile back I wrote about my favorite books. I was careful to choose books which stood alone. Books in a series tend to have different qualities. And while they can stand tall on their own, most are stronger if taken in context, with the series treated as a whole. I’ve always intended to write about …

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Sounds of the Soul

Sounds of the Soul

I’ve always needed noise in the background. There are rare occasions when I prefer silence, if I can get it, but I’ve always found music best way to block out the buzz of life. Not only does music sharpen my focus, it inspires me. Random song lyrics trigger character or plot ideas. Epic background music …

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Lasers, Phasers and Blasters, oh my!

Lasers, Phasers and Blasters, oh my!

I recently wrote about my favorite magical doodads, which are a staple of fantasy fiction. My other favorite genre is science-fiction. I don’t need magic. If it gets me far enough away, or has interesting enough mechanics, sci-fi keeps me just as entertained. And hey, science! Bonus! Much like the fantasy genre, what you tend …

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Moonbeams in a Jar

Moonbeams in a Jar

One of the greatest things about fantasy settings are the magic thingamabobs floating around making the world interesting. One of the best moments in a video game is discovering an item with a magical effect. It’s even better in D&D, where magical items are often more difficult to find, despite the impressive list you can …

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Gotta Raise ‘Em Right

Gotta Raise ‘Em Right

People often say ‘they don’t make them like they used to.’ They usually say it in reference to anything from houses to cars to headphones. I usually say it in regards to cartoons. In the west, we have this idea that cartoons are for kids (that’s the topic of a whole other blog post). Now …

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Jack Will Hate Them All

Jack Will Hate Them All

Most of the favorites I’ve mentioned so far have to do with books. It’s true, I started this exercise to help me hone in on the things I really love in the craftsmanship of other’s work to help improve my own. But there’s a whole world of other story expressions out there and studying TV …

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