Hello bloggy world. Guess what? I got a new toy! It's a drawing tablet so I can illustrate my point!
Homophones are words that sound the same but mean two different things.
Your is a word that indicates ownership.
Any time I see this sign I have to laugh. It could really benefit from some punctuation after slow. Otherwise we might misinterpret the meaning.
Our internet died again. It was dead for 4 days. It was dead for so long it started to rot. And believe me. It stank. But Century Link has risen from the dead. I guess that means we have zombie internet. But since we missed it so much, we don't mind.
That said, I thought I'd post the query I'm working on for my MS. For anyone who has ever written a query, you'll agree that zombies and queries go hand in hand. :) It is still a work in progress so feel free to leave comments.
Mysty’s only wish for her sixteenth birthday is to date high school basketball star Eric Gallante; instead, she turns him into a frogman. Eric is left with green skin, a need to keep damp, and an amazing slam dunk. It is up to Mysty, who always thought magic was illusion, to find a way to undo her spell, despite having no idea what she did. Eric’s amphibious problem worsens when she is near, so she can’t kiss the spell away.
Mysty learns the Perilous family secret at her birthday celebration: she comes from a long line of villains from the Enchanted Forest. The forbidden woods behind her house hold a secret entrance where fairy tale creatures can come and go.
The people of the Enchanted Forest have not forgotten the Perilous family. It’s only a matter of time before they lure Mysty into the woods and her frog spell is exactly what they needed to stir up an angry mob against her. She has to find someone with a pure heart – who Eric hopefully won’t like too much – to break the spell before the mob captures her. Happily ever after is not for evil sorceresses.
SO YOU DON’T WANT TO BE AN EVIL SORCERESS is a 77,000 word YA fantasy where old school fairy tales clash with high school drama.
In case you haven't heard, this is banned books week. An entire week dedicated to reading books that other people find offensive. Here are five reasons why books shouldn't be banned.
1 - I'm entitled to my own opinion. I don't find things offensive that other people find offensive. I was surprised to see A Wrinkle In Time on the banned book list because it could undermine religious beliefs. I bought that book for my son when he was ten. Guess what? He still believes in God. It cracks me up when I see Harry Potter on the list for similar reasons. This type of banning is an insult to the intelligence of people everywhere.
2 - The big picture. Huckleberry Finn has been banned because of racial slurs. Huck often referred to Jim as (the "N" word). Well of course he did. That's what they used back then. But anyone who has read the book would know that Jim is also the most honest and intelligent character in the book. It is an anti racial book.
3 - Forbidden fruit. Want to make a kid want to read a book? Tell them they shouldn't read it. Duh.
4 - My job is to teach my kids how to choose, not to choose for them. I hope they make the right choice in the books they choose to read, but ultimately, it's their choice. I only have 18 (or fewer) years in which to teach them. After that, they're on their own. The Giver is a book about a society that makes choices for everyone. Guess what? It was banned. Hmmmm
5- If you're offended, put it down. It's okay to stop reading if you don't like it. I put books down. My kids put books down. We are smart enough to know when we don't want to read about certain topics or if the number of swear words bothers us.
So that's why I don't think books should be banned.
Update: I've noticed I'm still getting hits on this old post. No doubt from other people who sprained both ankles and need some advice. So I'm adding some tips here so you don't have to read my drug induced spew. I'm a little scared to read it myself.
-For the first few days, if the sprains are bad enough, you'll have to stay off both feet. I used our office chair to roll around since we don't have a wheelchair. I did some rather undignified crawling too.
-You can use crutches once you can put some weight on your feet. Move the crutches independently of each other so one crutch helps take weight off one leg.
-Once you can move your foot with minimal pain, take the brace off and write the alphabet in the air with your toes. You have to do this without the brace.
-Get a resistance band. Hook it around your foot. Point and flex your foot for as many reps as you can do without pain. Then move your foot back and forth while holding the band at an angle.
-Stand on your toes. This hurts but I noticed how much faster I started healing after I did it.
-Stand on one foot. Your balance won't be what it used to be. Stand next to something so you won't fall over. (again.)
-Stand with your feet pointed to the wall and lean into the wall until you can feel a stretch up the back of your legs. (Runners stretch) Do one leg at a time and then both together. Hold each stretch for about 30 sec.
- Once you can stand on one foot comfortably, you can use your stairs or a chair for more runners stretches. Put your foot up and lean toward the foot.
I think what helped me the most was removing the braces and doing the stretches. It's been 3 months and my left ankle is mostly healed. My right is still a little sore and really hurts by the end of the day. I still have trouble going down stairs. I've heard it can take up to a year to fully heal so I'm trying to be patient. Good luck!
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Last week I stepped outside, hit the welcome mat wrong with my left foot and sprained both ankles on the way down. For those who need a visual, I came up with one.
