Showing posts with label Simon Doyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simon Doyle. Show all posts

Nov 2, 2022

Your Dog Knows When You're Stressed

 


“Oh, for God’s sake. What does he want now?”

Her tone had Bert growling low in his throat. “Pillow.” Her code word for stand down had the dog relaxing again but watching her for any distress.


The Witness



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Natalia King from Austin, Texas, United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons




A recent study found that dogs can determine when humans are stressed by smelling their sweat and breath.


Martha Stewart



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She gave him a little shove.

He gave her a little nudge.

And behind him the dog growled low in his throat.

“Stop!” Fiona ordered sharply, and the dog froze. “Newman, friend. Friend. He thought you were hurting me. No, don’t back off. Simon,” she said to the dogs. “We’re playing. Simon’s a friend. Put your arms around me.”


The Search



Jan 31, 2020

Hair, I do





She’d done something to her hair, he noticed. 
Some kind of braiding deal at the sides that
merged into one at the back.
Where the hell did she find time to do that stuff ?


The Search






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Jun 17, 2019

How to Train a Puppy






Entertained, Pandora crouched down and was rewarded when the puppy
 sprang onto her lap and licked her face.
"Where’d  you come from?" Laughing, and defending herself as best she could, 
Pandora found the card attached to the red bow around the puppy’s neck. It read:

My name is Bruno. I’m a mean, ugly dog looking for a lady to defend.

"Bruno, huh?" Laughing again, Pandora stroked his 
unfortunately long ears. "How mean are

you?" she asked as he contented himself with licking her chin.


A WIll  and a Way






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By ManuelFD - Own work fuente propia, CC BY 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11368669





The First 8 Things You Need to Do



Take a break from those cute puppy cuddles to make sure your new pooch learns these essential life skills.












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“You should try crate-training him.”
“I got a crate. He ate the crate. Or enough of it to get out. 
I think he must be able to flatten himself like
a snake. I can’t get any work done. I think 
maybe he’s brain-damaged, or just psychotic.”
“What he is, is a baby who needs a lot of playtime, 
love, patience and discipline,” she corrected


The Search





Feb 27, 2019

Creative Ways to Use Barn Wood





“What the hell do you want it for?”
“You never know.”
“You sure don’t,” Gary agreed.


The Search




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Been there done that with barn wood? Not so fast! 

Check out these incredibly unique and stylish ideas that are still on trend.



Jan 10, 2019

Bring the Spa Home







“It’s good to be home. You know, one of the things I have in those shopping bags
 is this incredible honey almond scrub they use at the spa. 
After dinner, and after I give the dogs some more play and attention, 
we could take a shower. I’ll exfoliate you.”
“Is that code?”
She laughed. “You’ll have to find out.”



The Search







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Those minutes spent soaking in a bath or luxuriating under the shower can transform your hair, skin, and mood. Maximize the benefit of every drop.







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She began to rub it over his back in slow, steady circles. 
“The texture, the flesh-to-flesh contact, the aroma—all add to the experience. 
Your skin wakes up and feels more—Uh-uh,” she said again, when he reached back. 
“I do the touching till we’re done. Hands on the wall, Doyle.”
“Did you get naked in the shower at the spa for this?”
“No. I’m adjusting it for home use. You smell wonderful already, 
and mmmm, smooth.”



The Search










Dec 25, 2018

Three Men Are Watching Every Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie and It's Our New Favorite Thing





“I planned to watch a movie with dinner.”
“I like movies.”
“I was going to watch Steel Magnolias.”
He let out a long, long sigh. “I probably deserve that.”


The Witness



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Checklist app? Check. 
Tea? Check. 
Non-stop Christmas music? Check! 
You’ve got almost everything you need to make the most of this year’s killer lineup of Hallmark Channel holiday movies.

The only other thing your movie-watching marathon is missing is a podcast hosted by three ordinary men. (Yes, really.)

Brandon Gray, Daniel Pandolph, and Daniel Thompson are the voices behind Deck the Hallmark, the hit podcast. Together, they watch and then review all 37 of Hallmark’s original holiday movies.

“Just 3 dudes…watching Hallmark. What could go wrong?” the iTunes description reads.








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“I guess you leave him there and go home and watch ESPN.”
He studied the drums. “Some people would complain it’s sexist to assume I watch ESPN. Maybe I’m a fan of Lifetime.”
She gave up.


The Search



Nov 29, 2018

Why do we use 'baby talk' with puppies?





“Oh, it’s a little puppy! She’s like a little toy.”
“He. This is Earl Grey. I hope you don’t mind, but I didn’t want to leave him home alone.”
“Oh, oh, he’s precious. Just precious.”
“Would you like to hold him?”
“I’d love it.” Miranda gathered the dog in her hands, immediately lapsed into lisping baby talk.
Lila just slanted a look toward Ash, and smiled. “Is there anywhere I could take him for a little walk outside?”
“Oh, of course! I’ll show you. Want to go for a walkie?” Miranda cooed, rubbing noses with Earl Grey, then giggling when he lapped his tiny tongue on her face.


The Collector





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By maxintosh / Max Talbot-Minkin - 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/maxtm/311263959/, CC BY 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5724965






You can't help it. You see that sweet little face and immediately begin to blabber in a sing-song voice, "Hello, sweetie pie! Who's a good boy?!"
We tend to talk to puppies as we do to babies, speaking slowly in a high-pitched voice. An international team of researchers recently looked at the science behind what they call "dog-directed speech" to find out why we do it and if our canine friends truly respond to it.





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She cradled the pup, who immediately bathed her face as if they were reunited lovers. She caught the
faintest whiff of leather on his warm puppy breath.
“Aren’t you cute? Are you a pretty boy?”
“He’s a monster.” Simon snarled it. “An escape artist who doesn’t sleep. If I take my eye off him for two minutes, he eats something or breaks something or finds the most inappropriate place to relieve himself. I haven’t had a minute’s peace in three weeks.”
“Um-hmm.” She snuggled the pup.


The Search




Oct 26, 2018

How To Make The Best Minestrone Soup






She smiled, spooned up soup. “To Syl.”
“Okay.” He sampled. “Wait.” Sampled again. “This is really good. Like dinner-in-Tuscany good.”
“She’d love to hear that. Mostly, I think Sylvia’s developed too close an attachment to tofu and strange grains of rice. 
But when she does minestrone, she’s a genius.”


The Search





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My Grandma’s easy minestrone soup recipe is one of the healthiest vegetable-loaded soups you’ll make, and it tastes far better than any of those Olive Garden copycat recipes thanks to the secret ingredient in the savory broth.














Jun 22, 2018

Domino's Is Fixing Potholes



By http://www.dominos.uk.com/media_centre/pictures.aspx - 
http://www.dominos.uk.com/media_centre/pictures.aspx, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19488333




Because They're Ruining Pizza



"Paving for pizza" is a good advertising gimmick, and the sign of a sad state of infrastructural affairs.






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“I didn’t grow up in the city. My family’s in construction.”
“Okay, but doesn’t that mean planting buildings?”
His lips quirked. “You could say. But my dad’s policy was to buy a tree or a shrub for any new house he built. So I plugged in a few.”
“That’s nice. Your dad’s policy, that’s nice.”
“Yeah. Nice gesture, and good business.”


The Search











May 8, 2018

Plant a Beautiful, Thriving Window Box Garden






I know maybe you don’t actually want window boxes,
but you have to admit they’d look good, and they’d perk up the front of the house.”


The Search





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Improve your chance of success with these tips for choosing, combining and caring for plants in window boxes








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Needed hot colors in the flowers, he decided. 
And if she tried to do some wussy pastels, she’d have
to try again.
Strong, hot colors—nonnegotiable. What was the point in planting flowers 
if they didn’t make a
statement?


The Search





Apr 17, 2018

Easy Outdoor Chairs You Can Build






“No. You could use a new rocker for your porch. The one you have is ugly.”
“It’s not ugly. It’s serviceable. And it needs repainting.”
“The left arm is warped.”
She opened her mouth to deny it, then realized she wasn’t sure either way.


The Search





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By Moritz Poll - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63525929





These amazing outdoor chair projects may look difficult to build, but they're actually really easy—even for a beginner! We've got the step-by-step plans for each project, so all you need to do is decide which one will look best in your backyard; then get started!









Apr 4, 2018

Planting a Tree this Spring?







“I don’t know much about planting trees.” 
She swiped the back of the work glove over her brow.
“In fact, this is my first. Do you?”

The Search






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By USFS Region 5 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfsregion5/3598029211, 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39320123






DON'T MAKE THESE MISTAKES WHEN PLANTING A TREE






Reap rewards from your investment of time and money by planting a tree correctly. Avoid these costly mistakes—all of which will impede, if not kill, a tree.










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Together they dumped in topsoil and peat, mixed it.
“Shouldn’t we cover it more?” she asked when Simon stopped.
“No, just to the height of the root-ball.” He lifted a bucket. “You want to deep-water, and do that about once a week unless we get a good rain.”
It had been fun, she thought, planting a tree with him in the cool morning air. “Once a week, check.”
“I didn’t get mulch. Figured it was going in the woods and I could just use pine needles. You’ll want to mulch it.”
“Okay.” She stepped back. “I’ve got a dogwood tree. Thank you, Simon.”


The Search






Feb 18, 2018

Power Naps






She chose the corner of the sofa and thought she might rest her eyes until she heard Sam coming back. 
Johanna stifled a yawn, shut her eyes and was asleep in seconds.
She awoke the same way, instantly. 
Somehow she'd snuggled down and had pulled an afghan up to her chin. 
Sitting up, Johanna dragged her hands through her hair just before she spotted Sam sitting across from her drinking coffee.
"I'm sorry." She cleared the huskiness out of her voice. "I must have dozed off."
She'd slept like a rock for half an hour. He'd tucked her up himself.



The Name of the Game 




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By Stougard (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or 
CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons






How Long Should Naps Be? 

Science Says 30 Minutes Is The Sweet Spot








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She started to stretch, then her gaze landed on the bedside clock.
“What! Is that clock right?”
 “I don’t know. Who cares?”
“But . . . Did I fall asleep? For an hour ? That’s like a nap.”
“Fee, that is a nap.”
“But I never take naps.”
“Welcome to my world.”


The Search





Jan 13, 2018

brownies






“With brownies.”
“I like brownies.”
“Who doesn’t?” 


The Search





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These amazing brownies have the most surprising secret ingredient 
(hint: it'll make you happy)






Oct 5, 2017

Little Things

“I think you should come out to dinner with me. I’ve a place in mind you’ll like, very much.”
“Out to dinner? And what sort of place would this be?”
“A very fancy place. Romantic and elegant, and where the food is a god.”


Blood Magick



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By Simon_sees from Australia - Glasses, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24470471




20 Little Things That Make Women In Relationships Smile From Ear To Ear






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“I need a hug. A really long, hard hug. Crack my ribs, will you, Simon?”
He put his arms around her, gave her what she needed short of snapping bones. Then he kissed the top of her head, her temples, her mouth.

“Better, better.” She sighed it out.


The Search

Sep 26, 2016

OxytoGod





“See, this is the part, on my scale of normal, where we tell each other how amazing we were. You especially tell me.”


“Because a man’s ego is often correlated with his sexual prowess.”
“That’s one way of putting it. Things like you saw God or the earth moved are clichés for a reason.”
“The earth is in constant motion, so it’s not a good compliment. A better one would be the earth stopped moving, even though that would be
impossible, and a disaster if it were possible.”
“I’ll still take it as a compliment.”




The Witness




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By No machine-readable author provided. Pufacz assumed (based on copyright claims). - 
No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=369795






Having sex increases spirituality and 'makes people more likely to believe in God'



Middle-aged men report greater levels of spirituality after exposure to the hormone oxytocin



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She heard music. Angels singing? she thought, dizzy. 
It seemed odd for angels to sing after table sex.


She managed to swallow on a throat wildly dry.
“Music,” she murmured.
“My phone. In my pants. Don’t care.”
“Oh. Not angels.”
“No. Def Leppard.”




The Search

Jul 7, 2016

qualities that make a person attractive regardless of their physical appearance




She thought for a moment, then spoke in a lazy Shore accent. "Old Mrs. Wilcox died—would've been eighty-nine come September. Came home from the market and had a stroke right there in the kitchen while she was putting away her canned goods. Too bad she didn't make things up with her sister before it was too late. They haven't spoke word one to each other in twelve years."
"That's good." Amused, Cam propped his chin on his hand. More than looks and brains, he thought.
There was warmth and humor in there, too. Once you tickled it out of her.
Seth was toast.


Chesapeake Blue


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By Quinn Dombrowski - Interlocking, CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35723047




Some of us might believe that only beautiful people are attractive. But actually, we find people attractive based on other factors aside from physical appearance. In fact, the charm and attractiveness of a person are not always determined by their physical appearance. The main thing here is the magic of the attractiveness.
Bright Side put together a list of ten ‘magical’ qualities that the opposite sex finds attractive.




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Interesting-looking woman, though, he decided as he poked around a little. The hair that wasn’t really red, wasn’t really blond, the eyes of absolutely clear and perfect blue. Her nose tilted up a little on the end and sported a dusting of freckles, and a slight overbite made her bottom lip seem particularly full.
Long neck, he thought as he poured the coffee, lanky build with no rack to speak of.
Not beautiful. Not pretty or cute. But . . . interesting, and the few times she’d smiled? Almost
arresting. Almost.


The Search