arrange whatever pieces come your way

2010-12-31T23:54:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this on January something, 2011

but dating it December 31, 2010.

How did the year end?

Some comments and photos follow.

I think I've determined the reason this blog

gets so many hits on the September 20th post.

I named my bendable car companion "Bob",

but there is also a Sponge Bob which is bendable.

So, searches on "Bendable Bob" list that post.

I read a total of 53 books in 2010.

The book count isn't particularly important,

but since I've been logging my books since 1986,

it's easy to make a count at the end of the year.

This is a fairly typical count;

my highest is somewhere over 100,

my lowest is in the 20s.

I've given myself permission to

end my Blessing cards project.

Very freeing;

it was becoming a chore, not a pleasure.

Instead of 100, I have 75.

An acceptable number.

I didn't post to this blog every day of 2010 as planned.

I quit on December 19th.

Just quit.

And didn't miss it.

Also, I've almost totally quit taking photographs.

I think I will resume; I just need a break.

I got my ears pierced on December 30th

(my first and probably last piercings)

Anne and I got tattoos on December 27th,

her third, my second.

We have identical tattoos

and we can add accessories with marker as the mood strikes.

Happy faces, anyone?

( Jan ???? )

Most everything else that's happened this year

was posted as it happened.

Here is a final "You are here" . . .

and a close-up of the oil spot . . .

A reflected good-bye to 2010 . . .

The end.

Thanks for reading.

2010-12-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

Ian's snowman . . .

Theresa reading "The Polar Express" to Ian . . .

2010-12-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Walked to the mailbox this morning;

took some photos on the walk back down the drive.

When I copied them to the computer,

this one stood out (no edits) . . .

With CoffeeShop's Grainy B&W action . . .

With CoffeeShop's Lustrous Pop action . . .

With CoffeeShop's Orton action . . . my favorite . . .

2010-12-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Anya explores . . .

Leftover faces . . .

2010-12-16T17:38:00.001-05:00

CoffeeShop Blog posted a Grainy B&W action.

These photos are from Spring Mill this past October . . .

2010-12-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

Walking to work this morning,

there were little ice motes falling from the trees . . .

Looking directly into the sun . . .

2010-12-14T17:48:00.000-05:00

Sent to me (on my cell phone) from Emma.

In the drip tray of the coffee machine . . .

2010-12-13T18:53:00.000-05:00

The tree went up on Saturday afternoon.

Ornaments . . .

were hung with care . . .

The result . . .

2010-12-12T13:21:00.001-05:00

I went searching for a cup hook to add to

the seven cup hooks already on the mantle.

Then I remembered that the toolbox has needed straightening

for a l.o.n.g time.

The toolbox and the supply box . . .

The toolbox had become a jumble of tools, parts,

and items of questionable value.

After a bit of work and a consultation with Vince,

the toolbox now contains only tools.

All the plumber, electrician and carpenter supplies

will be added to an existing box of similar things in the cellar.

The supply box only has items

which might be used by me

such as picture hanging supplies and felt protective pads.

The trash will be taken out.

The result . . . toolbox, box going to cellar,

supply box and trash bag in the back . . .

Why was I looking for a cup hook?

Because yesterday evening, I finished this . . .

2010-12-11T19:36:00.002-05:00

Theresa and Ian made a village of gingerbread houses . . .

2010-12-10T13:49:00.002-05:00

The Christmas cards are here!

And they should be mailed tomorrow . . .

We used Vistaprint this year.
The ~5"x7" cards are printed on the glossy finish (which is standard)
and come with envelopes.
The paper itself is a heavy photo paper; it feels great.
So instead of using the envelopes,
we are going to mail these as postcards
and save on postage.

[Update: 5x7 is too big to qualify for postcard rate;
we had to buy First Class stamps.]

2010-12-09T19:12:00.000-05:00

Two faces sent to me . . .

from Lee this morning:

"Looked down and saw this. good morning mother"

from Theresa in a restroom . . .

2010-12-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

No edits on this;

I just leaned out the car window when I stopped at the end of the drive.

It was a gorgeous sight as I was leaving to have dinner with Anne and Lee . . .

2010-12-07T07:42:00.001-05:00

When she was 4 . . .

Today, she is 19.

Happy birthday, kiddo.

2010-12-06T08:27:00.002-05:00

Theresa made sugar cookies on Saturday evening . . .

Aren't they pretty?

2010-12-06T08:19:00.004-05:00

Goal for this month:

finish the five partially-read books on my book stack

and also read my book group's selection for this month,

"Traveling with Pomegranates".

January can start fresh without any in-progress books.

2010-12-05T09:04:00.001-05:00

Snowed yesterday,

but here are my last four autumn photos.

All have ShadowHouse Creations textures . . .

2010-12-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

Ian walked to the mailbox with me this morning . . .

2010-12-03T07:34:00.001-05:00

Food for thought from "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller:

If you don't love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve.

It is hard for us to admit we have a sin nature because we live in this system of checks and balances. If we get caught, we will be punished. But that doesn't make us good people; it only makes us subdued. ... The genius of the American system is not freedom; the genius of the American system is checks and balances. ... It is as if the founding fathers knew, intrinsically, that the soul of man, unwatched, is perverse.

I am the problem.
I think every conscious person, every person who is awake to the functioning principles within his reality, has a moment where he stops blaming the problems in the world on group think, on humanity and authority, and starts to face himself. I hate this more than anything. This is the hardest principle within Christian spirituality for me to deal with. The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest

I know now, from experience, that the path to joy winds through this dark valley. I think every well-adjusted human being has dealt squarely with his or her own depravity. I realize this sounds very Christian, very fundamentalist and browbeating, but I want to tell you this part of what the Christians are saying is true. I think Jesus feels strongly about communicating the idea of our brokenness, and I think it is worth reflection. Nothing is going to change in the Congo until you and I figure out what is wrong with the person in the mirror.

What was more frustrating than the loss of exhilaration was the return of my struggles with sin. I had become a Christian, so why did I still struggle with lust, greed, and envy?

I love to give charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace.

A few years ago I was listing prayer requests to a friend. As I listed my requests, I mentioned many of my friends and family but never spoke about my personal problems. My friend candidly asked me to reveal my own struggles, but I told him no, that my problems weren't that bad. My friend answered quickly, in the voice of a confident teacher, "Don, you are not above the charity of God." In that instant he revealed my motives were not noble, they were prideful. It wasn't that I cared about my friends more than myself, it was that I believed I was above the grace of God.

I lay there under the stars and thought of what a great responsibility it is to be human. I am a human because God made me. I experience suffering and temptation because mankind chose to follow Satan. God is reaching out to me to rescue me. I am learning to trust Him, learning to live by His precepts that I might be preserved.

Andrew is the one who taught me that what I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do.

Authenticity is an enormous value at [my church]. I love this because by being true I am allowing people to get to know the real me, and it feels better to have people love the real me than the me I invented.

Bill set down his coffee and looked me in the eye. "Don," he said, "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus."

My friend Julie from Seattle says the key to everything rests in the ability to receive love, and what she says is right because my personal experience tells me so. I used to not be able to receive love at all, and to this day I have some problems, but it isn't like it used to be. My eye would find things on television and in the media and somehow I would compare myself to them without really knowing I was doing it, and this really screwed me up because I never for a second felt I was worthy of anybody's compliments.

He was saying I would never talk to my neighbor the way I talked to myself, and that somehow I had come to believe it was wrong to kick other people around but it was okay to do it to myself. ... I would not let myself receive love from myself, from others, or from God. And I wouldn't receive love because it felt so wrong. It didn't feel humble and I knew I was supposed to be humble. But that was all crap, and it didn't make any sense. ...
And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it. I think apart from the idea that I am a sinner and God forgives me, this is the greatest lesson I have ever learned.

I think the most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.

2010-12-02T08:08:00.004-05:00

I'm taking Jessica Sprague's free class, Inspiration Everywhere.

First assignment: make a cover for your art journal.

I decided to retrofit my existing one . . .

------------------------------------------------------------

Happy birthday, Em!

2010-12-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

Two faces Anne found while home on Thanksgiving break . . .

p.s. It's snowing!#@!!#%! And staying on the ground.

Is it officially winter now?

2010-11-30T17:56:00.002-05:00

I had three of my photos printed 16" x 20"

at the local UPS store.

(Bonus - it's right next to the Starbucks)

They have a new large-format printer . . .

2010-11-29T07:59:00.000-05:00

This morning's sunrise . . .

(straight from camera, no edits)

In person . . . awesome.

The closer a cloud was to the sun, the more vibrant.

The closer we are to the Son, the more vibrant.

Last song sung in church yesterday:

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Link here

So true, so true.

2010-11-28T19:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my family's Thanksgiving at my house.

I loved seeing all of you.

Abigail received her Christmas stocking . . .

Anya fell asleep on Vince's leg . . .

2010-11-27T23:35:00.002-05:00

Ready for winter . . .

2010-11-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was at Jeanne and Barry's house.

Door greetings from Jackie, Marci, Holly and Justin . . .

Some of the desserts . . .

The main course fresh from the oven . . .

and carving by Barry . . .

The ever-lovely Miss Jen

moonlighting as Lady Liberty . . .

2010-11-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Anne and Ian in Anne's hammock

on Thanksgiving morning . . .

2010-11-25T08:37:00.001-05:00

Getting close to dark and I'm outside in the rain yesterday . . .

2010-11-24T17:57:00.000-05:00

Anne is home on Thanksgiving break.

We had lunch together and shared this . . .

2010-11-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

If you have built castles in the air,

you work need not be lost;

that is where they should be.

Now put foundations under them.

~ Henry David Thoreau

2010-11-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

Under the burning bush with CoffeeShop's Orton action . . .

2010-11-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

Today I spent some time on garden maintenance.

John did some weed-eating on the perennial beds

which saved me hours of hand cutting.

What did have to be cut by hand was easy

because I had an excellent helper

to fill the sled, haul, and dump the refuse . . .

Once back inside, Ian helped me remove most of the screens

from the windows and brush them clean.

He then handed them up to me as I stored them in the garage attic.

This evening, I plan to get back to the re-organization

of the library which was started yesterday.

Anya is MOBILE

and lots of shelves are now reachable by her.

2010-11-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

I've been using this pomade (define + shine)

for a couple of months.

It works well and my coarse gray hair feels soft.

But until this morning, I didn't see the face in the German "o" . . .

2010-11-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

Which way should she go? Which way should she go?

2010-11-18T17:59:00.001-05:00

An Instructional Story

I learned a lesson in 4th grade which I've never forgotten.
It was about following instructions.

Prior to 4th grade, I was not a lover of school.
My mom told me that she took me to the bus for 1st grade every day,
and every day I cried.
Every day.
By 2nd grade, we had moved and I went to a different, new school.
No more crying.
But I didn't start loving school until 4th grade. My teacher, Miss Hayley
and then Mrs. Harpe when she married, had a reputation as mean.
The fact that someone wanted to marry her was shocking to a 9-year-old.
She was old (maybe 40ish?) and mean (strict?).
However, she became my favorite teacher.

I think my mom conspired with Ms. Hayley/Harpe because
Ms. H/H seemed to pay special attention to me (and several others).
She encouraged all of us to challenge ourselves.
We had a timed quiz daily on the multiplication tables.
As soon as we could get 100% correct in 60 seconds or less,
we were exempted from taking that quiz again.

The lesson I learned on following instructions came from a quiz
she gave. It was non-graded although we didn't know that at the time.
It was a one-page list of questions, all of which had easy answers
such as What is your room number at school?

Ms. H/H reminded us to put our names at the top right,
to turn our papers over when we were done,
and then to sit quietly until everyone was finished.
She told us to carefully read the directions at the top of the paper
and then, the quiz began.

The instructions said to read each and every question before actually
going back to #1 and starting to write our answers.
Somewhere near the end of the questions was a question something like this:
"As soon as you read this, you are done. Turn over your paper."

So, did I follow the directions at the top of the quiz paper?
Nah. I skimmed the questions, went back to #1 and started answering.

To my amazement, a couple of classmates turned over their papers
while I was still answering the first questions.
Do I remember smug looks on their faces?
I kept scribbling furiously and then I read the "As soon as you ..." question.
I stopped.
I looked at Ms. H/H.
Our eyes met and she smiled that little "gotcha" smile.
(Okay, I'm making that up, but it could be true.)

I turned over my paper and watched as others kept hurrying to get their answers down.
And then watched their faces as they, too, learned this lesson.

To this day, I read, then re-read directions and
then re-check the directions again after I'm done.
This includes recipes, PhotoShop instructions, and tasks at work whether the
instructions are from a boss, a client, a vendor, or a government agency.

Lesson learned.
Thank you, Ms. H/H.

2010-11-17T17:07:00.000-05:00

Before the rain came . . .

2010-11-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

All from a cemetery . . .

2010-11-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Using Coffee Shop's Orton action . . .

2010-11-14T21:05:00.001-05:00

It's done, though I can't show it to you.

Here are the most of the others . . .

2010-11-13T23:12:00.002-05:00

Aunt Kay . . .

2010-11-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

Helping with Kids' Church - not for the faint of heart . . .

2010-11-11T17:38:00.000-05:00

I went crazy yesterday evening . . .

(should I stop there?)

. . . with textures again.

All use Shadowhouse Creations textures.

I'll list each one's name and how I used it.

Oil cloth 7 using Overlay

and the only one I named: Dawn lifting the curtain of night . . .

Bokeh 1 using Overlay . . .

Scratch Box 4 using Multiply . . .

Square 155 using Linear Light at 70% . . .

Uber Grunge 1 using Overlay at 60%. . .

Square 170 using Linear Light . . .

All photos were taken yesterday

as I walked around the yard after work.

2010-11-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

Stone face . . .

2010-11-09T17:56:00.001-05:00

I’m looking for a full-time job

With my eclectic work history and experience,

the job possibilities are diverse. This is good, and bad.

Since what I’m looking for doesn’t fit a specific category,

I’m looking and have an interest and experience in many areas:

book editing,

graphic design,

library science,

organizing,

as well as bookkeeping-related areas.

I take enormous pride in my work and I'm passionate about quality work. I am ‘low-maintenance’ and require little guidance. In addition to my logical mind, I am creative and can offer valuable suggestions to improve whatever job I am doing.

My degree is in Computer Technology and I worked as a Programmer/Analyst for 13 years, as a full-time college instructor (in Computer Technology) for 4 years, and a stay-at-home homeschooling mom for 18 years.

I worked seasonally part-time during 10 of those stay-at-home years.

Now, I’m working two part-time jobs, both related to bookkeeping.

I’ve also worked an occasional short-term job as an organizer.

For my hobbies, see the Artsy-Crafty and Reading Log posts (look under the Label “Musings”). And I’ve gotten fairly knowledgeable in PhotoShop Elements (see Label “Photography”).

If you know of a job opportunity,

or know someone who knows someone . . .

please let me know.

I’m on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com and

my resume is available on Google Docs http://tinyurl.com/2dmgkxc

2010-11-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

Centerpiece from "A Toast to Rotary" . . .

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

From my special order at McDonald's in Martinsville . . .

2010-11-06T11:29:00.001-04:00

I made a collage of Justin Garrett Aydt performing. . .

2010-11-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

From the rising of the sun . . .

to its going down . . .

the Lord's name is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

2010-11-04T17:16:00.000-04:00

The last three Spring Mill photos . . .

Looking into the creek . . .

Zinnia with PSE Dry Brush effect . . .

Door with corn decoration

using a couple of ShadowHouse Creations textures . . .

2010-11-04T16:36:00.000-04:00

From a Dove dark chocolate wrapper . . .

"Never stop learning."

from Carletta, Aliquippa, PA

2010-11-03T21:01:00.001-04:00

Theresa's group photo at Spring Mill . . .

Me and my sister, Pam . . .

2010-11-03T20:52:00.012-04:00

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us;

we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." -- C. S. Lewis

This is exactly what scares me when I pray for my kids.

Let's be truthful - I'm scared for myself, too, for what God may ask of me.

Scared that I'll fail.

Scared of the fallout.

Scared of what others will think.

Scared.

And yet, listening for God's leading.

(Thanks to Traci Michele of Ordinary Inspirations for putting a quote to my thoughts.)

2010-11-02T19:42:00.006-04:00

Collections

I started thinking about the things I collect

after finding the blog A Collection a Day.

I have collections. You probably do, too.

Sometimes we purposefully collect . . .

sometimes we purposefully "uncollect"

(see the Great Santa Giveaway on December 15th of 2009),
and sometimes we are taken by surprise

that we have been unconsciously collecting.

I collect sets of 5 dice.

Playing Yahtzee was fun and a way to make learning enjoyable.

Probability, patterns, quick decision making.

It was easier if all players had their own dice.

I have dozens of sets and it's gotten difficult to find something different.

I still look.

I also collect blank books,

although I didn't realize I was actually collecting

until Anne pointed out that I love blank books,

but rarely actually write in them.

She told me I was collecting them.

She was right.

The feel, the colors, lines or graph or nothing.

They pick me, I think.

Nail polish - I ruthlessly keep these down to just a dozen or so;

they do go bad after a while.

My hands-down favorite: Rimmel's Zeitgeist.

It looks bronzey-gold until you see it at an angle

and then it's a greenish-gold. Wonderful effect.

Birds seem to be calling to me (no pun intended).

I only have a few.

I really do resist.

I started collecting tea cups 40 years ago.

I've stopped collecting,

but still have my original 15 and a few others.

Colored pens and pencils and markers - there is a gene for this.

I have it.

My sisters both have it.

My daughter has it.

All the items in my collections have a very low dollar value,

but they provide me with pleasure.

They make me smile.

And speaking of smiling,

I guess I also collect faces. I have for years.

Family and friends send them to me (see sidebar Label "Faces").

What do you collect?

2010-11-01T17:54:00.000-04:00

Still playing with Spring Mill photos in PSE with texture overlays . . .

2010-10-31T09:31:00.000-04:00

Spring Mill scenes, all with PSE edits . . .

2010-10-30T16:15:00.000-04:00

The annual Spring Mill outing with my family . . .

Sarah, Thomas, Greg, and Sam . . .

Theresa and Anya . . .

Anya . . .

Pam and jan . . .

Anne . . .

At the Spring Mill Inn buffet . . .

Me . . .

Theresa has a group photo that I'll post later.

I have a bunch of non-people photos, also for later

(after some PSE play time).

Vince and Sarah saying "Bye" . . .

2010-10-29T18:40:00.002-04:00

Took this photo, not for the subject, not for the composition,

but just because the colors were appealing . . .

Going for broke

with Shadowhouse Creations Bokeh #4 using linear light . . .

You never quite know where you'll end up

when you let your imagination out to play.

2010-10-28T18:55:00.002-04:00

Reading Log

I started a reading log 24 years ago.

This was ten years or so into my adult reading life.

My log is just the title and author, mostly in the order finished.

I read more fiction than non-fiction.

I generally don't read short stories or poems, some but not many,

and the occasional biography.

I spent a decade in science fiction, a few years in romance,

another decade in mysteries.

I still love a good mystery.

Sometimes I'll find an author and read until I'm saturated

or read an entire series beginning to end.

Not often, I'll re-read a book or series . . .

like this year when I re-read the Mitford series by Jan Karon.

During my childhood, I was a voracious reader,

mostly Nancy Drew and The Bobbsey Twins.

Then I stopped reading.

But a year or two after graduation,

I clearly remember picking up a paperback;

it was "The Source" by James Michener.

I was hooked.

I've never quit since.

2010-10-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

My beautiful daughter, the photographer . . .

2010-10-26T18:43:00.000-04:00

I took a photo this afternoon (after the storm)

with wonderful full sunshine making strong shadows.

This is the photo SOOC (straight out of camera) . . .

This is with a PSE levels correction,

which looks more like what I was seeing with my eyes . . .

Then, I play.

PSE's Dry Brush effect . . .

Using Shadowhouse Creations texture Old Canvas #4 and vivid light . . .

Fun, fun, fun.

2010-10-25T19:23:00.001-04:00

Faces . . .

from jan . . .

from Emma . . .

2010-10-24T18:21:00.001-04:00

19th Annual Pumpkin Carving . . .

2010-10-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

Coming back home from a Ham & Bean Dinner . . .

2010-10-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

The muted effects of the approaching winter . . .

(all photos processed with CoffeeShop's Orton action)

Contrasted with the bright and vivid colors of autumn . . .

a highly-colored sassafras leaf, fresh fallen from the tree . . .

a tree covered in gorgeous berries at Jeanne and Barry's . . .

2010-10-21T09:21:00.000-04:00

Artsy-craftsy

Many years ago, I was told I was artsy-craftsy.

It was probably meant as a compliment, but at the time,

I was slightly insulted.
An artist? Well, no, I wasn't even close.
A craftsman? Well, no, I guess not that either,
although I have tried out many crafts.

Thirty-five years later, I realize that “artsy-craftsy” is an apt description.

If I had stayed with one medium maybe I could have “owned” the title of
artist or craftsman at some point in my life. But, I didn’t.

What have I dabbled in over the years of working and child-rearing and homeschooling?

Knitting, crochet, sewing, comforters, quilting, needlepoint, papercrafts,
embroidery, cross-stitch, counted cross-stitch, punched tin, leathercraft,
stenciling, photography, photo developing in the days of film, watercolor,
mixed media, chalk, pen and ink, colored pencil, stamping, card making,
paper scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking, blogging.
I’ve probably forgotten a few.

I have always felt the need, the pull, to make things,
to lose myself in the process of creating
whether I’m piecing a comforter or editing a photo.
Time passes and I’m somewhere else, inside what I’m doing,
not where I actually am physically.

I’m about to start book-making on a very limited scale,

another craft to be tried.

I should be spending my time on projects I’m committed to:

two Christmas stockings,
18 Christmas ornaments with a yet-to-be-determined design,
and a first-year scrapbook for my granddaughter.

Projects, of every variety and hue, satisfy my need to create.
So, I will “own” the description of artsy-craftsy.

2010-10-20T19:54:00.001-04:00

Isn't she cute . . .

Another recycling bin . . .

2010-10-19T19:39:00.000-04:00

Circles are finding me.

Left in the bottom of a wine glass . . .

Light in an upstairs window . . .

Looking up while at the Monroe County library . . .

------------------------------------------------------------------

Another bathroom . . .

2010-10-18T19:44:00.003-04:00

My nephew, Ben, opens his blog with:

"I hope you never have to enter a deeper pot of random and crazy in your life."

I love it! (which is said often by my sister, his mom)

2010-10-18T19:11:00.001-04:00

Other happenings this past weekend:

Theresa and Ian made and decorated cookies . . .

Vince made and finished some benches and a coffee table . . .

and played with the dogs . . .

Annette rode Deja Vu . . .

2010-10-17T18:51:00.001-04:00

So, he again wouldn't stop moving

and the light was fading quickly,

but here is Ian up a tree . . .

2010-10-17T13:05:00.004-04:00

Two more textures on the same photo.

Original . . .

Jessica Sprague #10 with Vivid Light . . .

Shadowhouse Bokeh1 with Color Burn . . .

2010-10-16T07:54:00.000-04:00

Three photos in their original forms . . .

I've started playing with textures in PSE 7.0.

All the following textures are from Shadowhouse Creations

Shadowhouse Creations - click here

Old Canvas 4 . . .

Rustic Charm 2 - with Linear Dodge Add . . .

Rustic Charm 2 - with Vivid Light . . .

Bokeh 4 - with Overlay . . .

2010-10-15T11:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening, Vince and I attended

Taste of Mooresville

as guests of the Wenz Corporation.

Thanks, Mary and Dave.

The best live auction item was

"a ride to school on a fire engine".

It was won for $210

by a woman for her 7 children.

Woo hoo for those kids!

2010-10-14T22:32:00.000-04:00

2010-10-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

Morning catnap . . .

2010-10-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

Welcoming committee when I returned from work:

Foxy, Diesel, Jewel . . .

2010-10-11T17:44:00.000-04:00

Start at the house,

and look up the driveway . . .

down the driveway . . .

and then, a close-up . . .

2010-10-10T14:30:00.004-04:00

Food for thought from “The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell:

Sub-title: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

from the frontpiece:

“A wonderful page-turner about a wonderfully offbeat study of that little-understood phenomenon, the social epidemic.” – Daily Telegraph
“An elegant exploration of how social epidemics work, whether they are fashion trends, diseases, or behavior patterns such as crime ...” – Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
“Genuinely fascinating and frequently startling ... It’s the kind of book from which you’ll be regaling your friends with intriguing snippets for weeks to come, in addition to being, potentially, a powerful, practical tool for anyone with an idea to peddle or a campaign to promote.” – Scotland on Sunday (UK)

The point of all this is to answer two simple questions that lie at the heart of what we would all like to accomplish as educators, parents, marketers, business people, and policymakers. Why is it that some ideas or behaviors or products start epidemics and others don’t? And what can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?

And when an epidemic tips, when it is jolted out of equilibrium, it tips because something has happened, some change has occurred in one (or two or three) of those areas. These three agents of change I call the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.

-------------------------

. . . 56 percent of those he talked to found their job through personal connection. Another 18.8 percent used formal means – advertisements, headhunters – and roughly 20 percent applied directly. This much is not surprising; the best way to get in the door is through a personal contact. But, curiously, Granovetter found that of those personal connections, the majority were “weak ties.” Of those who used a contact to find a job, only 16.7 percent saw that contact “often” and 55.6 percent saw their contact only “occasionally”. Twenty-eight percent saw the contact “rarely.” People weren’t getting their jobs through their friends. They were getting them through their acquaintances.

[kids watching television, specifically Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues] Kids don’t watch when they are stimulated and look away when they are bored. They watch when they understand and look away when they are confused. If you are in the business of educational television, this is a critical difference.

-------------------------

His point is simply that there are certain times and places and conditions when much of that can be swept away, that there are instances where you can take normal people from good schools and happy families and good neighborhoods and powerfully affect their behavior merely by changing the immediate details of their situation.

The mistake we make in thinking of character as something unified and all-encompassing is very similar to a kind of blind spot in the way we process information. Psychologists call this tendency the Fundamental Attribution Error, which is a fancy way of saying that when it comes to interpreting other people’s behavior, human beings invariably make the mistake of overestimating the importance of fundamental character traits and underestimating the importance of the situation and context.

Character, then, isn’t what we think it is or, rather, what we want it to be. It isn’t a stable, easily identifiable set of closely related traits, and it only seems that way because of a glitch in the way our brains are organized. Character is more like a bundle of habits and tendencies and interests, loosely bound together and dependent, at certain times, on circumstance and context. The reason that most of us seem to have a consistent character is that most of us are really good at controlling our environment.

-------------------------

There is a concept in cognitive psychology called the channel capacity, which refers to the amount of space in our brain for certain kinds of information.

As human beings, in other words, we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed. What I’m describing here is an intellectual capacity – our ability to process raw information. But if you think about it, we clearly have a channel capacity for feelings as well.

Perhaps the most interesting natural limit, however, is what might be called our social channel capacity.

Humans socialize in the largest groups of all primates because we are the only animals with brains large enough to handle the complexities of that social arrangement.

The figure of 150 seems to represent the maximum number of individuals with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship, the kind of relationship that goes with knowing who they are and how they relate to us. Putting it another way, it’s the number of people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited ... if you happened to bump into them ...

-------------------------

This is the first lesson of the Tipping Point. Starting epidemics requires concentrating resources on a few key areas.

The theory of Tipping Points requires, however, that we reframe the way we think about the world.

The world – much as we want it to – does not accord with our intuition. This is the second lesson.

What must underlie successful epidemics, in the end, is a bedrock belief that change is possible, that people can radically transform their behavior or beliefs in the face of the right kind of impetus. This, too, contradicts come of the most ingrained assumptions we hold about ourselves and each other. We like to think of ourselves as autonomous and inner-directed, that who we are and how we act is something permanently set by our genes and our temperament.

We are actually powerfully influenced by our surroundings, our immediate context, and the personalities of those around us.

-------------------------

2010-10-09T12:34:00.001-04:00

From last Thursday's fortune cookie . . .

You can only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

2010-10-09T12:27:00.000-04:00

The subtle fall color of jan's hydrangea . . .

and after applying the PSE "glowing edges" filter,

the fall colors of my imagination . . .

2010-10-08T13:31:00.000-04:00

While in Nashville, I bought a glass dish . . .

2010-10-08T13:28:00.001-04:00

More time on the computer,
so here is what Pam calls our Happy photo . . .

the guys taking our photo got us laughing . . .

2010-10-07T18:00:00.001-04:00

I split my work day so that I could have lunch

with my sisters, daughter-in-law, nieces, nephews, and grandkids.

Afterwards, we waylaid two people walking into

the restaurant so we could all be together in a photo.

Two cameras, 8 photos, and most every photo

has either Pam, jan, and/or me with our eyes closed or sleepy.

This is one of the best ones . . .

This is one of my solutions for all future "eyes closed" photos . . .

This is the other solution, discovered on this year's Antiquing Day . . .

everyone wears sunglasses . . .

2010-10-06T21:52:00.002-04:00

Nashville Day photos.

Nancy G and Jeanne . . .

Theresa, Mary, Diane, and Rosalynn . . .

(Found face), Sandy, Gina, Roberta, and me . . .

Theresa, Diane, Nancy Van, Jeanne, Laura . . .

No photos of Lana, Lori, Annette, or Melanie.

[ stamp cluster frame by Lindsey Jane ]

2010-10-05T19:34:00.000-04:00

Yep, today was the (26th - 29th) annual Nashville Day

in celebration of Jeanne's birthday.

And, I'm {gasp} too tired to get the photos on here.

I'll post tomorrow.

2010-10-04T20:08:00.000-04:00

Bubbles in the sink . . .

2010-10-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a birthday party for Donato and Luciano . . .

Thank you, Russ, for an amazing array of extraordinary food . . .

A couple of scenes taken of the surroundings

while Vince and I were at Larry and Nancy Van's Barn Party . . .

2010-10-02T17:23:00.000-04:00

Windchimes in the morning light . . .

Coming home . . .

Shadow of Vince's glasses . . .

2010-10-01T23:54:00.003-04:00

An expectation is a preconceived resentment.

~ Unknown

2010-09-30T17:01:00.002-04:00

Evening snacks . . .

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abigail was making a batch of eggs.

She called jan over and said, "Look, Mom."

Here is what she showed jan. Abigail's catching on :)

2010-09-29T17:22:00.001-04:00

Snapdragon . . .

Out my work window . . .

(reflection from Rose's car)

2010-09-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

The best afternoon snack . . .

17 cents at Wal-Mart.

2010-09-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

Food for thought from “Quaker Summer” by Lisa Samson:

"Oh, come now, Heather. Let’s be honest enough to admit the truth, all right? I won’t tell a soul. We’re all playacting 80 percent of the time, aren’t we?"

"What are we doing the other 20 percent?"

"We’re either with someone very safe, or we’re alone."

"Heather, when God speaks, it usually sounds like the light’s not on in the attic, usually counterintuitive from mankind’s boring ways of doing things."

No. Not this.

Not right now.

I don’t have enough time. Maybe I need to get away for a few days, listen to the Holy Spirit or something.

I draw a mental picture of the Spirit rolling His eyes, shaking His head, and drawing His cloak more tightly about His broad shoulders. I hear the Spirit’s words: If you need to take special time to listen to me, you’ve got too much to do, Heather.

"Can we do it, Jace? Can we really follow His teachings? I have a feeling I’ll be asking this question over and over for as long as I breathe."

"I believe we can, hon. We won’t do it perfectly like He did, but that’s where the grace comes in."

"God’s speaking to me, Anna. I just don’t know what it is He’s saying. But I hear Him, like I hear the wind in the trees or that running water beneath our feet."

"Most likely you know it deep down already. No matter. God has plenty of time. It’s one thing He’s never short of."

"But I feel so muddled."

"Through the ages people who listen to the promptings of God have always been thought more than a little goofy."

Liza strides through the kitchen and pours her drink down the sink. Sometimes I forget we’re not too old to be stupid.

I love. In a bigger, broader way than I ever have before. I realized Lark was right. God wants us to care for the poor and the lonely and the sick, not just for their sake, but for ours. Because in this, we become like Him, growing a bigger heart than we ever thought possible.

I wonder how many Jaces are out there. Men and women held behind in their calling because their spouses hold on to their ankles in one way or another, refusing to let them step out.

2010-09-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

So, in the spirit of staying organized and

on-top-of-things,

I decided to clear out the medicine shelf.

Just checking for things we no longer use,

things that are expired . . .

Embarrassing, but some of these things

have expiration dates in 2003.

Theresa put a positive spin on this,

saying, "Well, we just aren't sick very often,

so these things didn't get used."

2010-09-26T14:43:00.003-04:00

My three guys:

Vince and Lee heading out on a bike ride,

John heading to the Big Barn . . .

2010-09-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

A simple ritual, grilled cheese and tomato soup and a book,

after coming home from Angel Food distribution

or sometimes from Sunday morning church . . .

I miss you SO much sometimes, kiddo.

It's the little things.

2010-09-25T20:12:00.000-04:00

Vince and I went to The Farmhouse Cafe & Tea Room

at The Flower and Herb Barn today.

The Farmhouse Cafe & Tea Room

We had a wonderful lunch,

then on to Bloomington to visit with Anne for a bit.

PSE pencil on this one . . .

Gurgling fountain with LED lights in the center . . .

Back at home, Vince made pizza . . .

2010-09-24T18:57:00.000-04:00

I had a nice visit with my mom's sisters today.

Aunt Kay . . .

Aunt Clarabelle . . .

2010-09-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

I ((love)) Rimmel nail polish.

Rimmel Nail Polish

Today's colors are . . . Torrid on the toes . . .

and French Manicure Pink #130 on the fingers . . .

Both are topped with Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat.

(Thanks, Kanina, for the Sally Hansen tip many years ago.)

Rimmel's 60 Second polish makes polishing nails EASY.
And, it's one-coat coverage.

I've done alternating orange and green for Halloween.

I've done Easter pastels and Easter brights . . .

And the (almost) best thing?

Available at Wal-Mart and most chains for a reasonable cost.

Cheap fun!

2010-09-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

Uncle Barry . . .

Lee was cutting up a tree . . .

[from his cell phone]

Lee went to visit Anne . . .

[from Anne's cell phone]