Interesting Facts- Can't get to the medicine cabinet? That's okay, go to your garden!

random picture of beach

Sorry everyone that I didn't post yesterday! I happen to be at a hotel by the beach and everyone is using the same internet connection. So my connection happened to be very, very slow.

Anyways, as most fantasy authors realize, if you're writing a novel where it's based in a century before the 20th century, they probably didn't have the kind of medical equipment or medicine as we do now. So what is one to do if your characters don't have our medicine today or they don't have their own special plants? Well one simple answer is herbs. Yep, its been known for centuries that all different kinds of plants have some kind of medical use.

Aloe vera (ignore the random flower in the back ground)

The aloe vera plant is one common plant that can be used to help burns and grown in your own house. If you've never used this plant but you get one, simply break off one of the leaves and put the sap on the burn area. Of course it isn't as nice as running cold water on it, but if you can't get to any kind of burn cream, this plant is nice.

So today I will share some uses for commonly found plants that your characters may use. Note: Do NOT try to use these yourself without consulting a doctor. I have no evidence if these plants and it's uses will actually work so don't use them yourself.

• Lavender- This pretty purple plant is commonly used in aromatherapy. While in ealierr times it was used for mental health issues, it now can be found to be used for conditions such as restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia. NCCAM- Lavender , Lavender 
• Garlic- This commonly used herb is used as a flavoring for many things such as garlic bread. It has been shown that it can help with issues such as blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart problems. NCCAM- Garlic, Garlic
• Ginger- Can commonly be found with cooking and in cold and flu and anti-nausea medicene as an extract. Some studies have shown that it is useful for motion sickness.
• Flaxseed (oil)- This is commonly used as a laxative and can be used to for hot flashes or breast pain. NCCAM- Flaxseed, Flaxseed
• Saw Palmetto- Probably not a commonly known herb. Anyways, this can be used to help prevent prostate cancer. NCCAM- Saw Palmetto, Saw Palmetto
• Rosemary- This plant which, like Lavender, can be found in some aromatherapy products, and has been used in shampoos to help fight dandruff. Rosemary
• Dandelion- Although pretty, this plant that takes over every yard in my town during the spring and early summer, is actually a weed. Although used in salads, some people are allergic to this plant. In earlier times it was used to help kidney and liver problems although there is no scientific evidence of this plant having any kind of medical use. NCCAM- Dandelion, Dandelion
• Red clover- This pretty flowering plant, can be seen growing in my grandma's yard. In earlier times, red clover was used for whooping cough and asthma, although there is not enough scientific evidence to determine whether or not red clover is health beneficial. Currently, some use it to help with cramps that come with women's periods. NCCAM- Red Clover, Red Clover
• Cinnamon- This spice is commonly used in food and other ediable things. While it is certainly tasteful, it could help with digestive problems. It is also said to help get fight the flu, common cold, and headaches. Cinnamon

There are just a few examples. But once again, don't try any herbs as medicene unless you have talked to your doctor first or you actually know they work. 

Resources/More information

MedlinePlus- Herbal remedies 

Index of Medicinal Herbs

Healing Spices

NCCAM- Herbs at a Glance

(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

MedlinePlus- Herbs

So, do you know of any uses for herbs and spices? Do you have a book where your characters need/could use herbs and spices for something other to make a meal tasty? Do you use real herbs or do you make up your own? 

Sincerely,

Peony

Something Random- Favorite Blogs?

So I was thinking today about blogs. I was going to list all of my favorite blogs, but all those are listed on the blog roll over on the right.

I was also thinking about what I liked to see in a blog. My favorite kind of blogs talk about books, writing, give useful tips, interesting information, and I love seeing pictures. Like some of my favorite blogs post covers they make. Alot of them review books, and some of them give useful information that I can use in books or are writing related. I also enjoy it if a blog recommends music or books too.

I don't mind long posts or short ones. I love seeing posts that use pictures or gifs to get a point across or to tell something. I've never done it, but then I can never find any good pictures or gifs to use. I enjoy vlogs (instead of a writing post, people post videos of themselves or others talking), which is also increasingly coming more and more common. I've been thinking of doing a vlog, but I'm not sure how and mine wouldn't probably be all that good.

Another kind of my favorite blogs, are author blogs. I love following my favorite authors. Not only is it a good way to know what's coming up, but I love hearing their thoughts. Blogs I think are of the best ways an author can connect to their readers, because your readers can follow you and stuff. Sure you can do that with facebook and twitter, but I enjoy blogs more. Blogs are also useful to writers because it's a great way for publishers and agents to see that you can attract readers. It's like a way of showing what you can do before you're even published.

So, what are your favorite blogs? Please share your favorites and remember to post a link so I can check them out. What do you enjoy seeing in a blog or what about the blog makes you follow them? Do you enjoy vlogs and do you think I should try one?

Sincerely,
Peony

Interesting Facts- Incas are More Alike Us than We Realize (part 2)

So Sunday I posted a long post about Aztecs (Read it here), and today I'm forcing you all to learn about Incas now. Unfortantly, I won't have a post about the Mayans because I haven't done enough research on them. But one day I will!

Anyways, the Incas were interesting people. They believed that the original Incas started out as children of gods who came out of this cave. And according to this legend, they then went on to conquer other native peoples. The people who became part of the Inca's empire weren't actually called Incas (just like how the Aztecs called themselves Mexicas). The only person who was called Inca, was the Emperor and the actual noble people. The emperor was actually called the Sapa Inca  or just the Inca. While the other nobles were called that, only they could be called Incas if they were descended from the first Incas.

Like the Mayans and the Aztecs, the Incas had the concept of zero too. In fact, their system of goverment was based off of numbers. You see, every 10 households was governed by a head figure. These leaders of ten, reported then to the heads of fifty households, and then they all reported to heads who governed prefects of 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and then finally, 10,000 households! Those those who governed over households larger than fifty, their postion happened to be hereditary.


Unlike us, the Incas did not have money. Instead everything was bought through time. This was called the Mit'a which means that it was a tax placed on the people. To pay for this tax you had to spend a certain amount of time doing something. For example, you could spend a year in the army, or repairing roads. In exchange, the government provided everything the people needed, kinda like a welfare system.

Every town or city had storage houses where things like rations went to the widowed, orphans, or disabled people every day, and food and stuff went to everyone else during times of strife or during a catastrophe, like if there was a earthquake. And for the army, there was a storage house where things like armor and weapons were held in towns so that where ever the army was, they were well equiped. They also even had runners to bring messages, much like our pony express.

Not only did the government provide this, but for every marriaged couple, the government gave them enough land to support themselves and any extended family memebers they may have. But before they could work on their own land, the general people had to work on the land of the Emperor and the nobles before they could work on their own. The Emperor even began the planting season by breaking the ground with a golden plow, although after that, he never really did anything to grow food.

Common people also owed a certain amount of cloth to the government because cloth was very valuable. Interestingly enough, even though the government provided for them, people who were disabled or had issues could only marry people who had the same problem as them. For example. only blind people could marry other blind people.


One of the most interesting things about the Incas is that they had a special group of women called Chosen Women. An Acllacuna was the school where girls (ten years old) were selected from all over the Inca empire to be trained as Chosen Women. They were selected based on beauty and social rank. Being trained by older Chosen Women, the girls learned things such as dyeing, weaving, singing and dancing, they preformed religious rites, and they had to make clothes for the emperor. After a certain amount of time (usually three years) they were sent to Cuzco to the Festival of the Sun where the Emperor would decide what happened to them.

 If they weren't selected as a concubine they could be married off to a nobleman or "married" to a diety. If a man spent time with a Chosen Woman both partners could be killed and the village from where the Chosen Woman came from destoryed. But if the Emperor spent a night with one, a temple guard would be sent to the Emperor and ask him if he had indeed spent time with a Chosen Woman. If he said yes then all would be forgiven.

An Acllahuasi was the house where Chosen Women stayed. And a Mamaconas was a Chosen Woman who had been selected by the Emperor as either a concubine or a priestess. Chosen women were expected to be publically moral and lead a good example for other women. They were treated as queens and ladies, leading great and fantastic lives which were filled with pleasure and amusement. the people and lords loved them and they were very esteemed and highly regarded. So much were they respected that commoners would never look them in the eyes.

The Incas are famous for their writing system, known as the quipu. The quipu is a system of strings and knots that represent something. These strings could only be read by the person who created them. Because of this, scribes were very powerful people since they could lie about their quipus. And with this great power, the Sapa Inca had investigators who came around to make sure that the quipu makers didn't lie about what they "wrote" about. And because only the person who made a quipu could understand what it said, people today have no idea what the which still exist mean. There is some ideas going around but no one is really sure.

The Incas were great builders. One of their most famous cities is Machu Picchu. Anyways, the Incas buildings were so well put together that they could withstand earthquakes and a knife couldn't even be put between the stones. The stones were uncut and fitted together naturally so that if there was an earthquake, the stones would rumble together and not fall apart. When looking at one building built by the Incas, the researchers discovered that each stone had a small indent or mark so that they would fit together like a puzzle.

Resources:
Aztecs: Reign of Blood and Splendor by Time-Life Books and Dale M. Brown
Incas Lords of Gold and Glory by Time-Life Books and Dale. M. Brown

So, did you learn anything? Do you think the Incas are interesting?

Sincerely,
Peony

In The News- Orange Goo and First Things.

Dear Readers, this is going to be a really short post tonight. I'm sorry about that. For one thing, even though I have two news articles to talk to you about, I'm waaayy too tired to be awake...much less writing a blog post. So if something doesn't read right or something is just plain messed up as you read this...I'm probably really really tired.

Second thing, according to Yahoo! News, a mysterious orange goo washed up on the shore of one Alaska town and freaked everyone out. At first people thought it was some kind of pollution, but upon further inspection, they discovered it to be either small crustacean eggs or embryos. The orange coloring can be explained because of a lipid droplet in the middle. So if you're wondering, yes this is natural! The orange goo is reportedly sticky but powdery when it's dried.

And the best part?

They know the goo are eggs, but they don't know what creature the eggs are. Great right? So for all we know it's either, something weird concerning fish...or eggs from an alien species intent on invading our planet....

Maybe not, but you never know.

On the other piece of news, Keiko Fukuda is now the first woman to ever achieve a tenth degree black belt. Which just so happens to be the highest rank in the martial art, Judo. Fukuda can now proudly say that she is one of the only four living pople to have earned the tenth-degree black belt. Apparently, only sixteen people have ever gotten this far.

And I bet none of them are as old as this bright 98-year-old lady. Anyways, she's been doing Judo since 1935 and is the only student alive to have learned under Judo's founder, Kano Jihuro. Not only is this woman destroying boundries placed on women, but she also gave up normal traditions (things like marrying) to persue her life's dream . And I'd say that this is a pretty good lesson. It may have taken her over sixty years to have earned this honor, but she never gave up. Even when things weren't looking the best.

According to this Yahoo! article:

Fukodo said she approached Judo and her life with the intent to "be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically." Fukuda says this kind of beauty is decidedly not external. "A compassionate soul is inner beauty," she explained to the paper. "I believe this is true beauty...All my life this has been my dream."

Dream realized, the 98-year-old Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues to teach Judo three times a week at a woman's dojo.

The other neat thing, she's still teaching, at 98 years old. So what do I think? I think good for her for pursuing her's life's dream even if it wasn't what others wanted her to do. And for never giving up. Also, and she's still living her dream even when she's old. 

Resources:
98 year old woman becomes the first to earn the highest honor in Judo.

So, do you know of anyone else who has ever achieved something no one else did? And have you ever heard of anything like this mysterious goo? What do you think the eggs are?

Sincerely,
Peony

Blog Update and News (Your Monthly Newsletter) July Issue

Hello! I am going to try out something new. At the end of every month, I'll post some kind of newsletter of the past month and any news pertaining to the blog. Since this is something new I'm trying, I'd love your feedback and any suggestions! At the end of the year I'll post an extra newsletter that has stats and stuff from the whole year.

Blog News:
Welcome New members:
 Welcome to those who joined in the month of July. New faces are always welcomed.

New Blog Design:
Thank you very much to Qui from Fine and Dandy Blog Designs for the fantastic and beautiful blog design!

Guest Bloggers:
Yes! We have two guest bloggers. Jessika posts on Wedenesdays (Interesting Facts) and Sundays (Historical Information). And Paige who posts on Saturdays (Writing Tips and Topics). To see more information about them, click on the About page where you can also contact me, Peony, with comments, suggestions, and other things.

I'm going on a trip!
Okay, this probably isn't news, but yes I'm going on a trip for two weeks. Don't worry, I'll still be posting on my days but just from a different place. I might even post pictures and tell you about the trip.

Posting:
I'm sure that some of you noticed that I added an extra Book Review onto Monday. Note that this is just until the school year starts where I won't have as much freetime to read.

Facebook:
Yes! We finally have a facebook page! If you haven't liked it so far, please do so! Remember that you can post suggestions and other stuff on it if you'd like but just remember to keep it clean and safe. No swearing or anything with offensive stuff. I'll try my best to keep it updated with blog posts from here and news or whatever else.

The Word Count Widgets:
Yes, I've posted two word counts for some of the stories I'm working on. If you'd like to learn more about those stories, just ask me. :) I'll update the widgets every 5,000 words.

Resource Tab
Because it's already getting pretty long and so far I've only added books and websites to it, I was wondering if I should add a category for individual pages? I'm not sure if this new category would be organized at all. So what do you think?

Wanted- Writing Ideas and Prompts
My brain isn't great with coming up good ideas, so if you have any writing prompts or ideas you'd like to share, please do so! Or maybe you have a funny story or something random/cool, that works too. Maybe a picture or video?



Stats...because I think you might find these interesting.
These are arranged by top five or top whatever.

Members: 19
Public: 17
private: 2

Post views: 
J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter's New Adventures. = 65 pageviews
Wikipedia and Other User-Created Content.= 40 pageviews
The History and Usage of Codes.- 35 pageviews
Movie review- Chain Reaction= 29 pageviews
In the News- Random Gossip and Why Teachers are Hypocrites. = 25 pageviews

Page Views:
Post Archive= 42
Resources= 39
About the Authors= 32
Writing tips and reviews= 21

Referring Sites:
Google= 251 (Wow!)
Google (India version?)= 28
Some site with a really long URL= 26
Google (UK version)= 26
Google (CA...I'm not sure on this one)= 18

Search Keywords: (Who's going to go search with these now?)
hopefully to have other time to write= 4
most popular favorite colors 2011= 3
pigpen cipher= 3
potential dangers of plagiarism= 3
"carmen webster buxton" review= 2

Page views based on Countries:
United States= 1,120 (Wowers...actually probably that is a lot of myself clicking on things...)
France= 62
United Kingdom= 59
India= 43
Australia= 30

Page views (Browsers):
Chrome= 685 (44%)
Firefox= 269 (17%)
Internet Explorer= 256 (16%)
Safari= 253 (16%)
Mobile Safari 34 (2%)

Pageviews (Operating System):
Windows= 1,125 (73%)
Linux= 121 (7%)
Iphone= 102 (6%)
Macintosh= 91 (5%)
Ipod= 39 (2%)

Post with the most comments:
In  the News- Random Gossip and Why Teachers are Hypocrites. = 11 comments!


Book Reviews: Top 5 Favorites

1. Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy #1) [by Michelle Zink]
2. Guardian of the Gate (Prophecy #2) [by Michelle Zink]
3. Little Blog on the Prairie [by Cathleen Davitt Bell]
4. Worldshaker [by Richard Harland]
5. Halo [by Alexandra Adornetto]

So, did you like this blog newsletter? Should I add anything or take something out? What about the stats? Did you like those?


Sincerely,
Peony

Writing Tips- Character Sheets

There are plenty of ways to create your characters but as I'm sure we all know, a good character is a well developed one. If anything the author or yourself should know a lot about the protagonist of the story. We should know them inside out and sometimes learning even the little things about them is good. Some of it may not all go into the story, but the more you know about your character, the more real he/she/it will seem.

Character sheets, I've found, are very helpful for developing characters. One book I read recommend you fill one out after you've completed the story, but I find that filling them out as you write is very helpful. Not only is it good for learning more about them, but it's good for keeping facts straight. How many siblings does your character have? What's his eye color? His fears, his wants, his goals, etc.

I've found many examples of character sheets over the years since I've started writing, but one of the most useful I've found is one from Gaia.online (sure it's game site but you can talk to people on it and stuff). I've listed it for you below to use and I've also posted the link to the page where it's found.


Full name of Character:
Reason, meaning or purpose behind the name:
Nickname:
Reason for nickname:
Race:
Occupation/class:
Social class:
Physical Appearance:
Age:
How old they appear:
Eye Color:
Glasses or contacts?
Hair color length and style:
Weight and height:
Type of body (build):
Skin tone and type (i.e., harry, slimy, scaly, oily, fair, burns easily):
Shape of face:
Distinguishing marks (dimples, moles, scars, birthmarks, etc.):
Predominant feature:
Is s/he healthy?
If not, why not? Or why are they healthy?
Do they look healthy? Why/why not?

Favorites:
Char’s favorite color:
Least favorite, why?
Music?
Least favorite music, why?
Food:
Literature:
Expressions:
Expletives (curse):
Mode of transport:
Hobbies:
How do they spend a rainy day?
Personality:
Are they a daredevil or cautious?
Do they act the same alone as when with someone?
Habits:
Drinks:
How much:
Greatest Strength:
Greatest Weakness:
Soft spot:
Is their soft spot obvious, why/why not:
If not, how do they hide it:
Biggest Vulnerability:
Background:
Hometown:
Type of childhood:
First Memory:
Most important child hood event that still effects him/her:
Why?
Education:
Religion:
Finances:
Family:
Mother:
Relationship with her:
Father:
Relationship with him:
Siblings, How many, relationship with each:
Children of siblings:
Other extended family:
Close? Why or why not:
Attitude:
Most at ease when:
Most ill at ease when:
Priorities:
Philosophies:
How they feel about themselves:
Past failure they would be embarrassed to admit:
Why?
If granted one wish what would it be, why?
Traits:
Optimist or pessimist? Why?
Introvert or extrovert? Why?
Drives and motives:
Talents:
Extremely skilled at:
Extremely unskilled at:
Good characteristics:
Character flaws:
Mannerisms:
Peculiarities:
Biggest regret:
Minor regrets:
Biggest accomplishment:
Minor accomplishments:
Darkest secret:
Does anyone know?
How did they find out:
Self-perception:
One word they would use to describe themselves:
One paragraph of how they would describe themselves:
What do they consider their best physical characteristic and why:
The worst one? Why?
Are they realistic assessments?
If not, why not?
How they think others preserve them:
What four things would they most like to change about themselves:
Why?
If they were changed would they be the same person, why/why not:
Would changing of number 1 make them more happy? Why/why not:
Interaction with other people:
How do they relate to others:
How are they perceived by strangers:
Friends:
Wife/husband/lover:
The Hero/Heroin:
How do they view the Hero/Heroine:
First impression of the char:
why?
What happens to change this perception:
What do people like most about this char:
What do they dislike most about them:
Goals:
Immediate:
Long term:
How do they plan to accomplish them:
How will others be effected by this:
Problems/Crisis:
How do they react in a crisis:
How do they face problems:
Kind of problems they usually run into:
How they react to new problems:
How they react to change:
General:
Favorite clothing, why:
Least favorite, why:
Jewelry:
Other accessories:
Drives:
Where do they live:
Where do they want to live:
Spending habits, why:
What do they do too much of, why:
Most prized possession, why:
People they secretly admire, why:
Person they are most influenced by, why:
Most important person in their life before story starts, why:
How do they spend the week just before the story starts:

Gaia Online- Character Sheet

So, have you ever used character sheets? Do you find them useful? What the best one that you've ever used?

Sincerely,

Peony

The History, Usage, and Language of the Hand Fan.

My dad's wall fan 

Note: Jessika is on vacation is week so Peony will be doing today and Wednesday's post.
Fans have always interested me. There are many kinds and have been used in the past all the time. They were known by the ancient Egyptians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Greeks, and Aztecs. Although the orgin of the hand fan is unknown, one of the earliest fans found in ancient times was on pictures and paintings of the Egyptians. The invention of the folding fan is credited to the Japanese. When Cortes went to the Americas, he was given six feather fans. Columbus brought fans back to Europe also from the Americas. 

One of my fans, it was a gift. 

These ancient peoples used fans for not only cooling themselves on hot days, but to scare away insects that might be harmful. Children used them as toys. In later times fans were mainly used as a form of communication (anyone remember The Princess Diaries where Mia's grandmother teaches her how to properly use a fan?). 


In Japan and Korea, fans have been used as weapons. They were not only used to cool off warriors, but could be used as defensive or attack weapons. In Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small Quartet, her Yamani used these kinds of fans. In Japan, Tessenjutsu, is the art of fighting with war fans. There were three types of fans used:

A fan that my mom gave me. 

• Gunsen- Were folding fans that were made of wood or a light metal for the inner spokes and then thin iron or stronger metals were used for the outer spokes which made them light but strong at the same time. 
• Tessen- These folding fans had their outer spokes made out of iron which was designed to look like normal, harmless fans. Some clubs were shaped to look like a closed fan. Warriors could take these weapons to places where weapons were normally not allowed. These type of fans could be used to fend off darts, arrows, as a throwing weapon, or as an aid in swimming. 
• Dansen Uchiwa- These large open fans could be made out of solid iron with a wooden core, or soild wood. These could be used to fend off arrows, a sunshade, or to signal to troops.

According to Wikipedia:

Some wove flexible metal ribbons along the outer most edge for cutting power or preferred feathers that hid finger-sized razor blades which would rake upon striking. Others held variations of poisons or were used to conceal other weapons such as throwing blades which could be released in a spread upon snapping the fan open. Poison fans often hid deadly to stunning concoctions in bladders or channels which would open upon spreading the fan, allowing the user to gently direct a gust of irritants and toxins at their opponent over short distances.

Folklore and hearsay also suggests occasional traveling merchants trading with China possessed fans with small compartments in the vanes of the fan which held small explosive pellets that upon striking a surface would create a bright and dazzling flash of light, similar in concept to modern Chinese novelty fireworks.

My sandalwood fan.

 As I was saying earlier, fans could also be used as a form of communication. Doing some research I found some of the language. This was mainly used by ladies when they wished to speak to their friends or men they were interested in. Because it is a form of communication somewhat lost to modern day culture, sources have varied meanings. 

• To hold it to your right cheek: Yes.
• To hold it to your left cheek: No.
• Drawing it through your hand: I hate you.
• Drawing it across your cheek: I love you.
• To fan slowly: I am married.
• To fan quickly: I am engaged.
• Dropping the fan: We are friends.
• To hold the handle to your lips: Kiss me.
• Opening it with your left hand: Come talk to me. 
• Touhcing the edge of the fan with your fingers: I wish to speak to you.
• Drawing it across your forehead: You have changed.
• To move the fan with your left hand: We are being watched.
• To open and close the fan: You are cruel. 

Resources

My paper fan. 

For more fan language: All Hand Fans: Language of the Fan; Fabulously French: The Secret Language of the Fan; A Cool Breeze- The Language of the Fan

For more history of the fan: All Hand Fans: History; Hand Fans; Asian Ideas: History

So, do you have any fans? Do you use them? 


Sincerely,
Peony

Jewelry, Ooh La La!

Note: Paige is doing a special guest post on Friday because I'm too busy this weekend. Usually I will post only on Saturdays.

So have you ever thought about jewelry's history? Probably not. But the truth is, people have been wearing and creating it for thousands of years.

So I was thinking about that today (history buff), and here are some of the facts that I learned. :) 

• Jewelry (the word itself) is derived from the Latin word jocale, which means plaything
• The first jewelry was made from natural materials such as animal bone, teeth, and shells
• Jewelry was made as a symbol for status and wealth (sound familiar?)
• Around 40,000 BC humans began making their own jewlery to sell in the market
• Metal was not used in jewelry for thousands of years, until humans gained the knowledge to use it

 So there's your jewlery facts! Hopefully this didn't bore you :)

All the information came from http://www.allaboutgemstones.com/jewelry_history_early_man.html

Thanks for reading my crazy thoughts,

Paige <3