Walking In This World – The Flora and Fauna Report
It’s easy to think that our neighborhood is ordinary. After all, we live there and see it every day. We forget that what is ordinary for us, may be exotic for others.
I’ll give you an example. I have a friend who lives in Melbourne, Australia, about as far from me, here in Chicago, Illinois, USA, as it’s possible to get. I was telling her about riding the CTA, which stands for “Chicago Transit Authority” and generally refers to the elevated light-rail commuter trains, though it can also mean buses. She told me about a “roo,” or kangaroo, in her front yard. They couldn’t leave the house until the police came to remove the animal, since she had a baby with her and would become violent if approached.
Now I don’t know about you, but a kangaroo in my front yard would be quite something, must less a mamma with a baby. And the idea that this “cute” animal might hurt me is alien in the extreme – though, if you think about it, those feet and powerful legs probably do pack a wallop.
When I got to thinking about it some more, the world I live in here in Chicago is very different from where I went to high school. I lived on a seven acre horse ranch in the middle of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our ranch backed up to a larger cattle rancher’s place, and behind that, it was all Plumas Sierra National Forest. For miles. And miles. When it was dark there, you could see the stars. In Chicago, it doesn’t get dark. It’s an amber glow from the street lights – in fact, you can tell the boundary between Chicago and neighboring suburbs by the color of the streetlights.
What about you, Dear Reader? What’s unique about where you live, but that just seems ordinary?
Tuesday Tips – Cat Litter Containers
I have a lot of yarn.
No, really.
The problem is, that all that yarn piled into a mountain in the middle of my living room would be a lot of fun, for about five minutes.
Then, The Cats.
So, what to do with it until I’m ready to turn it into something?
Cat litter containers! I might as well get SOME use out of all the shitsand we use at our house. ~grin~
Many of the litter companies sell litter in large plastic three or five gallon-size containers with locking lids. Once you’ve used the litter, wash them out and store your yarn. They also have the advantage of stacking well, which is useful if you have an unused corner behind a door, say.
What about you, Dear Reader? What are your favorite supply storage tips?
Tue Cent Twosday – The Toolbox
“Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.”
– Marva Collins
It’s easy to lament the things we don’t have yet. The media bombards us with images of more successful, more slender, more athletic, more successful people every day. New media come online every day, methods of distracting us from ourselves: even the dollar store as the “dollar store radio network” to talk to you while you hunt for bargains. Is it any wonder we feel bombarded? Or, worse, bad about ourselves because we’re not where we want to be?
I offer a thought for a beleaguered mind: gratitude.
Give thanks for the good that exists in your life, right now. Even if there doesn’t seem like much you could possibly be grateful for, the fact that you are alive and reading this newsletter is enough. Imagine if you were in Baghdad right now, sitting in the bombed-out shell of your temple, trying to pray with the sounds of mortars booming in the distance? What if one hits your neighborhood? The fact that we live in relative peace and calm, pursuing making a living and our hobbies, is a subject we can offer much gratitude for. Sure, not everything is perfect. But much of it is good.
Try numbering a sheet from one to ten, and write down ten things you’re grateful for. See if you can’t go past ten. How do you feel?
Now I propose that we become pilgrims on the path to self. We will do this together, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Our tools are our bright minds and our love for each other. The first item in our toolbox is Gratitude. Learn to say thank you with an open heart. If you need ideas for how, go grab a copy of Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance, one of the best books written in the last two decades. Try her Gratitude Journal. Select a small, pretty book. Each night, just before you go to sleep, write down five things you are grateful for from the day. That’s all. Just five.
Originally posted on my Noonsense blog, 06/22/2010.
Join Me Over At The Romance Studio For Some Oscars Fun and Prizes!
Join me today over at The Romance Studio for some great prizes, discussion about the Oscars, and to select your favorite authors of 2015!
First, there is our Movie Vote where you can pick who think you will win the big movie awards. One winner will be selected at random from among those who get all six categories correct to receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card.
Then, there is our Best Of 2015 Vote. What were your favorite romances and authors of 2015? We want to know. The results will be announced at the party. Advertising/membership prizes will be given to the winners.
I’ll be blogging throughout the day, chatting about my favorite movies and actors.
Wandering Around the Web – Two for Thursday
Join me at the Torquere Press LiveJournal for a Field Trip to the Field Museum!
It’s one of my favorite museums, and it’s open free during February to Illinois residents! Some writer buds and I went last weekend and I have the pictures to prove it! 🙂 Join me!
Join me on LinkedIn for a discussion about Triberr and some ways to use it.
Triberr is an effective tool to boost your reach and I chat about some of the ways I’ve been using it. Join me!
Work In Progress Wednesday
I looked at the ratty holder I’ve been using for my transit card the other day and got embarrassed. It’s falling apart! The leather’s all rubbed off on the corners and it was built to hold a cell phone that I haven’t had for two phones now.
I’m a knitter.
This should be a solvable problem, yes?
Ergo, I’m making a small knit pouch wallet for my transit card. I decided to try the woven stitch, but it curls a lot at the bottom. I may add an edge of seed stitch or do the whole thing in seed stitch, we’ll see. I’m still farting around with the swatch.
But I’m having fun designing again! That’s almost better news than the fact that I’m knitting.
What about you, Dear Reader? What’s your Work In Progress for Wednesday?
Walking In This World – Snow
The snow has started. They’re predicting gusts up to 50 mph and 4 to 10 inches of snow, but most of what will be to the south of us if the weather reports are to be trusted. It’s started to snow now, which you can’t really tell in the foreground but that hazy bit down the alley shows it better. The alley isn’t usually this strewn with trash, but the wind has been hellish the last few days and blows all sorts of crap everywhere. It’s got to drive property owners nuts, because no sooner do you clean it, than it’s littered again. Grr.
Weather is strange. It’s one of those things we can’t change, but we like to bitch about it just the same. “It’s snowing!” It’s February. In Chicago. “It’s cold today!” It’s Winter. In Chicago. I’d be more worried if those two things weren’t happening at this time of year in this town. No, this isn’t a rant about global warming, though that is a rant that needs to be had and a problem that faces all of us who live on planet Earth, but my point about the weather is that it is out of our control. If ever there was an answer to “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,” weather’s it.
So I take pictures of it. I like weather, by and large, because it reminds me I’m a physical body, not just keyboard operating fingers attached to a brain, and I have to wear clothes and make sure that I’m fed and have emergency supplies if we get snowed in. (And, while I’m on that subject, how come I never get snowed in? I want a snow day, damn it!)
What about you, Dear Reader? What are your favorite weather coping strategies?
Sunday Box Talk – Creating a Reading List
What do you want to study? Maybe you just want to read the Great Books, or the history of Ireland, or about the conflict going on in the Middle East. Other than asking the internet and getting some pithy sound bytes, but no real information, how do you go about learning about these subjects?
Creating a bibliography is a skill. Knowing what to include, and what not to include, takes practice. Doing so can teach you a lot about a subject even before you’ve read all the books available to you.
How to Create a Reading List
- Start with what’s available. Go to the internet and look up the syllabi for courses that cover the subject you’re studying. Use them as a starting point, because the professor includes the books that they think are the best ones for the subject.
- Ask your reference librarian to help you put together a good list. They’ll love you for it – it’s way more interesting than telling people how to get to the bathroom. Trust me.
- When you find a good book, see what they include in their list of references. Go check those out and see what you think.
- Write notes on what you’re reading. Talk to yourself. The best way to learn from books is to engage with them. Respect your own opinions.
- Talk to others who are interested in the same subject. See what books and resources they like.
What about you, Dear Reader? What subjects make you curious?
Sunday Box Talk – Be a Lifelong Student
So let’s say you’ve decided to become a student again. You want to learn new things, develop new skills, maybe have some fun. Now what?
Well, first thing is to learn to be a novice again. Let yourself be bad at something, in order to get better. Studying is a challenge, too. Spend time with the material. Take notes. Let yourself have the luxury of working at it.
Once you have all that down, what next? Where do you find classes for adults?
Some Ways To Be a (Good) Student
- VTC – Virtual Training Company (software training)
- Have you wanted to learn to develop websites? Make better photographs? Do video production? Check out their course offerings. They have affordable monthly payment options or you’d save by signing up for a full year. Those of you looking for a job in I.T., they have training for certification programs like A+.
- Craftsy
- Wanna knit? Weave? Sew? Cook? The list goes on. They have a number of free classes, so you can get an idea of how the platform works. Watch out; this maybe prove to be as addictive as Netflix.
- Meetup
- Prefer meeting with people in person? There are meetups for almost every interest, from writing to science, gaming to coffee, travel to local exploration. Attendance at many meetups are free.
- Museums
- Pro-tip: search Google for “museums” and see what pops up near you. Many museums offer free days for locals, or you can get a pass at your local library. Try asking your local librarian for suggestions. You never know what you might find.
- Community or City College
- In California, they’re called community college. Here in Chicago, it’s City Colleges of Chicago. Whatever you call them, these institutions bridge the gap from high school to a four year university. They also have courses that train students for disciplines like nursing or supply chain management. You can also learn stuff you didn’t learn in high school or university. Miss an opportunity to study calculus? Want to try literature? Learn a new language?
- Park Districts and Adult Centers
- Check out your local park center and adult community centers. You can learn all sorts of things from woodworking to jewelry. These classes tend to be very reasonably priced, too.