I have added another tool to my indoor plant garden that has been very helpful. I have a small home and limited space for the amount of plants and seed-starting that I would love to grow. I need a few tools that work very well rather than large or mediocre systems. My newest addition, a gooseneck, table lamp style grow light is good-looking, adjustable to fit in a variety of spaces, and my pepper starts are growing great with it.
In 2023, I wrote a review about LED light bulbs that were very helpful for starting and growing plants in my window garden. They are effective. I use an open shelf for the plants and hang the bulbs from the top racks. I can choose the strength and color of the bulbs to suit the plants and I can adjust the height by loosening or tightening the cords. Imagine a pendant light that hangs from the ceiling and you can choose the height above your work space. These bulbs and cords are very effective but not very pretty to look at.
I have added another light to aid my plants inside. It is the gooseneck, table lamp style. I like that I can set it on a flat surface then move the four light arms, in any direction, to light a specific plant. I ordered the four light, SYEIORAOM brand light. They also have a 6-light version. And there many different brands to choose from; including versions that have a shelf clamp rather than a table lamp base.
LED grow light with full spectrum, Red White light
72 LED light beads
Telescopic pole; adjusts height
flexible goose neck that can bend and adjust 360 degrees
59" long power cord with a convenient on/off toggle switch
attractive modern style
This table-top lamp is more attractive than my hanging bulbs. It would be attractive on someone's desk at work, in a dorm room, or on a countertop herb garden. I have used this for 3 solid months and I have a planter of pepper plants are that healthy, and happy soaking up the light.
Previous Reviews:
Single Bulb LED Lights: I wrote about the hanging grow bulbs. I continue to use them due to their effectiveness. You can see that reviewhere.
Hydroponics for Small Spaces: I also wrote about my recent first experience with a small hydroponics system. I am sorry that I waited so long to try this growing system in my small space. I had fresh salad greens during cold months and now I'm using it to start seeds that will be transplanted outside. You can read my reviews of that hydroponics system here:
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Today is another flash fiction story about Gracie, who is eight years old. Long before those 82 years of life experience kicked in.
This flash fiction is about the early signs of who Gracie would become, and the first quiet stirrings of the peace she would one day find within herself—peace that would stay with her all the way to that rocking chair at 82.
______________________________
Gracie Always Knew - A Doll's Lesson
Gracie
held her favorite doll, its painted smile forever unchanged.
She
studied it closely, realizing that while she had learned to run
faster, dream bigger, and feel deeper, the doll had stayed exactly
the same. Time moved through her like the changing seasons—shaping her in quiet, steady ways—while the doll stayed exactly the same.
That's when she understood:
time only changes the living.
She gave the doll a pretend
life, imagining it full of thoughts and adventures. But sometimes,
late at night, another thought crept in—what if someone imagined me into being, giving me my lines, feelings, and story?
Church was as much a part
of her life as brushing her teeth or saying goodnight. And with
church came God, expected, unquestioned, and ever-present.
But the older
she got, the more she wondered: Where
is God? Why is God? Her questions had grown more detailed now, shaped by the things she
was starting to notice about the world and about herself. Those questions were
still too big to hold, but she carried them anyway.
She thought often about who
she was becoming.
There was one thing she wanted to be more than
anything—kind. Really kind. The type of kind that came from the
inside, not just because someone was watching. At eight years old, she failed at that many times. But it remained ever-present in her spirit.
Most of the time, she
was kind. But not always. Sometimes, she snapped at her little brother and was mean to her little brother!
Sometimes, envy crept in like a thief. She felt that and knew jealousy was not something to cling to. Still, deep down, she understood those moments didn't define her. They
were passing clouds, not her sky.
Something inside her—some
glowing ember she couldn't name—kept telling her that kindness
mattered more than almost anything else. It was what made people
beautiful. Not their clothes, or their hair, or even their words.
She felt kindness was like sunlight through a window—gentle, warm, and easy to miss if you weren't paying attention, but everything felt better there.
However, the world didn't
always agree.
Gracie had started to
notice contradictions.
Adults talked about love, forgiveness, and
doing what was right. They sang about it in church, prayed about it
at dinner, and nodded solemnly as Church leaders spoke.
But then the same
people would gossip, lose their tempers, or ignore someone who needed
help. It confused her. How
could they forget so quickly?
She wanted to believe
people meant well—that they were just trying, like she was. But part
of her couldn't shake the feeling that some were only
pretending—that they wore kindness like a costume and took it off
when it no longer served them.
And then, with a quiet
sigh, she admitted it—Sometimes,
I do that too.
The realization didn't
crush her, but settled into her chest with weight. Maybe being
good wasn't about getting it right every time. Perhaps it was about
not giving up when you got it wrong.
Gracie didn't like the idea of perfection—something about it always felt impossible, like a game no one could win. And yet, she couldn't help but chase it.
Even at eight, she felt the pressure to be the one who got it right, who made things better, who didn't let anyone down. Somewhere along the way, without meaning to, she'd written herself a silent set of rules: Be better. Fix it. Don't disappoint.
She didn't know it then, but that quiet urge to rescue and make things right would shape much of her life—until years later, when she finally began to see its weight and learn a different way of being.
You see, Gracie was, by nature, a
rescuer. But she didn't know that
yet.
For now, at eight years old, she knew only this: being a doll would be so much easier. Dolls didn't have to
ask questions, feel pain, or wrestle with what was right. Dolls
didn't worry about being enough.
It was the first time she
realized how heavy it could be to be real—and maybe the first clue
that she was beginning to understand more than most eight-year-olds.
That's when Gracie wrote her first poem, at 8 years old. She called it "Thanksgiving."
_____________________
Am I Gracie?
You can safely presume that I'm Gracie, and yes, that first poem called Thanksgiving is included in my published poetry book below. I penned it when I was in grade 3; it is childlike and reflects the idealistic mind of an 8-year-old.
_____________________
I hope you've enjoyed the story of Gracie's life lesson at eight years old. 🕮
If you're into a longer story, I've penned this short story, The Gift of Knowing (can you sense a theme here?).
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Karin Slaughter’s latest Will Trent thriller is filled with twists, turns, shocks and surprises. The story includes one very toxic family who run a lodge in the gorgeous northern Georgia mountains, 8 suspicious guests, and one killer. But since everyone appears to be guilty of something, who killed Mercy McAlpine?
Will Trent works as an investigator for the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Throughout the series, he first met, then began dating, Sara Linton, an ER doctor in Atlanta. Sara eventually takes the position of Medical Examiner for the GBI.
Now in Book #12, we find that Will & Sara have married. They choose the McAlpine Lodge in the Georgia mountains as the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon.
This family-owned off-the-grid mountaintop property appears to be the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until…. A bone-chilling scream disturbs the night.
Who killed Mercy McAlpine?
Will finds the manager of the Lodge, Mercy McAlpine, dead. A vicious storm is raging and the one access road to the property becomes washed out. Therefore, it becomes obvious that the murderer has to be someone on the mountain.
As Will and Sara begin to investigate both the very strange McAlpine family, as well as the other guests, they realize that everyone is lying. They are lying about their past and to their family and to themselves. Normal rules do not seem to apply at McAlpine Lodge.
Trapped on the mountain at the resort, Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step while they untangle a decades-old web of secrets and discover what happened to Mercy. The killer could strike again at any time, so the couple’s romantic honeymoon trip now becomes a race against the clock as they realize they have to return to their regular police duties to solve a murder!
Summary
In addition to 12 books in the Will Trent series of police procedurals, with continuing characters Will Trent and Sara Linton, along with Will’s partner Faith Mitchell and their no-nonsense boss Amanda, Will Trent is now a television series. The TV series is in its third season and can be viewed Tuesday nights on ABC or streamed on HULU.
*This is Why We Lied Book Review written by Wednesday Elf
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Last week, I published my review of the
first book in the Chronicle of Misadventures series
by Martha Keyes. This week, I will be reviewing the second book in the
series, "Secrets of a Duke" which is
based on a true story.
I must admit, if the author had not shared that the book is based on a true
story, I would have thought the plot far-fetched. Knowing that it actually
happened, makes me like the character, William Yorke, even more.
We meet William Yorke in the first book. He is the oldest brother of
4 and has already inherited his father's estate and holdings. The
novels are set in England during the 1800's where the first born son
inherits everything instead of dividing property and assets between
siblings. That way, the family name maintains the wealth, a higher
status in society and the original estate is not subdivided or transferred
outside of the patriarch's ancestral bloodline. If a man only has
daughters, his property is entailed to the closest male heir, which could
easily be a distant relative he may not even know personally. Ideally,
a Duke would raise his son to follow in his footsteps, teach him how to run
the estate, prepare his son to succeed him in parliament, and choose an
equally trained wife.
An entailment to a distant male relative is the basis of the plot of this
book. The Duke of Rockwood knew the Yorke family, but was not fond of
them. Therefore, the two families did not interact with each other,
which left William unprepared to be the Duke's successor.
At the end of the first book, "Reputation at Risk", we find out that William Yorke has unexpectedly become the Duke of
Rockwood. No one could have anticipated that the previous duke and his sons
would all die together in a tragic accident. Therefore, William is far from
prepared to step into the dukedom and assume the Duke's
responsibilities. William hires a friend from his Oxford days to advise him
and serve as his man of business. Since their time at Oxford, Edmund
had become a barrister (lawyer) and worked as the steward to an earl.
As a trusted friend, he was the perfect man to help William navigate the
world of the titled nobility. William did not wish to dishonor his
family by making avoidable missteps. There would be many watching and
waiting for the opportunity to criticize his actions.
After attending the funeral and completing additional business, William and
Edmund embark on their journey from London to his newly inherited
estate. When they stop at an inn for the night, William is surprised
to see a woman serving as the ostler and holding the horses while they step
out of the carriage. He is even more surprised when that same woman
knocks on his room door a bit later. He had not realized he had
dropped his signet ring in the entry of the inn. Thankfully, she found
it and returned it to him. He was amazed by her integrity, but when
she spoke, he was even more astonished by her refined manner of
speech.
The next day he observes that same maid being pulled to the market
square. Her cheek was cut, her hands were tied and a horse's halter
was around her neck. William was aghast! When he asked a passing
boy what was happening, he was informed that the men were selling her.
He simply could not stand by and let her be sold like livestock to the
highest bidder in the crowd, but that was exactly what was going to
happen. Even though Edmund advised him against it, William determined
to be the highest bidder. He would buy her freedom.
Clara couldn't believe what was happening. The embarrassment of being
sold, plus having the Duke observe the auction, was shameful. She had
no idea how to respond when he actually bought her. She was panic
stricken when she realized he planned to simply leave her there and
requested a job on his estate.
Once again, against Edmund's advice, William decided to help her and
hire her as a housemaid.
_____________
That is only the beginning of how William Yorke, the Duke of Rockwood, and
a lowly housemaid became friends, confidants, and allies in working toward
another loved ones freedom.
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I was becoming more and more intrigued to create prints from a carving. I had watched numerous videos on YouTube to learn about the techniques and methods that people used. I was hooked, and ordered my Speedball Linoleum Cutter.
I had some dense foam on hand that was used in some basic picture frames. It seemed that they were soon going to have a new purpose. My Speedball cutting tool arrived and I looked forward to cutting out my first print. Nope! Didn't work. The foam was a bit too dense. I had grown up with the adage of 'make do with what you got.' Well sometimes that works, and sometimes not. It was time to get something that I saw people have success with.
I placed another order for the Speedball print making blocks, called Speedy Carve. I figured since my first try didn't work, I wasn't going to go with a less expensive brand. I definitely wanted it to work. I ordered the Speedball Carving block.
The time came. I was going to make a real print. Something I actually dreamed about printing, and not just some little things to give it a try. I drew a picture of my cat, Tori, from a photo. She is gorgeous, no matter if I didn't draw every change in fur color!
The method I used was to first trace around my Speedy Carve block, so that I would have the appropriate dimension for my upcoming drawing.
With photo on my phone off to the side, I commenced to drawing, and shaded in the areas that I wanted to print, on my paper. The areas that you don't want to print, are the ones that get carved away.
I darkened my drawing with my pencil, and then laid it on the carving block, face side down. I used the smooth round side of a marker to rub over the back of my paper, to transfer the drawing to the block.
Cool, the image was easily transferred. As per tips from the videos that I watched, I went over my drawing on the block with a pen, as the pencil marks can easily get smeared away.
Then the carving began. I started with the smaller V shaped carving tool to carve right around the edges that I wanted to make my prints from. I used a larger V shape carving tool to carve out the larger areas. I even laid the large V carving tool on its side to cover more area. That worked pretty good.
Overall, the Speedball carving tool works really well, and glides smoothly along the surface of the Speedy Carve block. Per instructions from videos that I watched, I held the carving tool at an angle and with light pressure, pushed the tool along, away from my body, and my other hand.
I found that it helps to have good eyesight, good lighting, steady hands, and being able to see all the lines and areas that you want left intact. With a bit of a slip, part of what you want to print can easily go away. The black in one of the cat's eyes, was mistakenly made smaller, more like a slit when a cat is looking at a light. So guess what, the cat now has black slits instead of the wider eyed look. Oh well. She's still gorgeous!
I have since cut away the areas around the cat, and glued the carved block to a piece of wood. It gives me a solid piece to hold, and isn't wobbly or flexible.
I also found that I get a cleaner print when I press the carved block down into brayered paint that is smoothed out, rather than using the brayer to apply the paint directly to the carved block.
Hope you found some helpful tips here. If you want to try making prints yourself, I do recommend the Speedball Carving Took, along with the Speedball Speedy Carve.
Thank you for visiting and for your comments. My plan now is to fine tune my print making of this cute cat, and then design some products with the prints in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle. Let me know if you have a cat color request and or product type that is available on Zazzle. I will be glad to oblige.
Cheryl Paton
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
