“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
― Andy Warhol
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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Doing My Best
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, Writers, writing on March 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Our Time
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #coronavirus, Thoughts on March 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
COVID was declared a pandemic on 3-11-20. Photos and quotes capture the moment
(March 11, 2020) “WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock, and we are deeply concerned by alarming levels of severity and inaction. We have made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.”
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien
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Moses of Her People
Posted in Favorites, Holidays, Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, history, inspiration, Thoughts on March 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Today is Harriet Tubman Day. Who was she and why do we celebrate her?
Harriet Tubman: Facts, Underground Railroad & Legacy
Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War, all while carrying a bounty on her head. But she was also a nurse, a Union spy and a women’s suffrage supporter.
When I was young we lived across the street from a mansion. A massive Victorian from the 1870s, it had a wrap-around porch and beautifully kept grounds. Flowers bloomed behind wrought iron fences and mulberries spilled over onto the sidewalk. One Halloween, the woman who owned the house took at look at my ghost and my brother’s Batman and invited us inside. (Don’t worry, this isn’t a scary story.)
We were greeted by a wide foyer, elegant wooden paneling, high ceilings and chandeliers. Our neighbor gave us a brief tour and then, perhaps looking through our costumes to the skin underneath, said, “Once upon a time, this house was part of the Underground Railroad.”
Based on the age and location of the house I don’t think that’s likely to be true,* but I didn’t know that at the time. The story helped bring to life the books I’d read about runaways, slave catchers and the transformation of a young girl with a disability into a savior of her people.
How to Experience the Lasting Legacy of Harriet Tubman
Pressing my hands against the bricks of the home Harriet Tubman built, I closed my eyes and listened to the wind rustling between the leaves of the trees surrounding this place where she lived and worked as a free woman, awaiting a message from the Underground Railroad conductor and Union spy.
She continues to be an inspiration and so to her, to my ancestors and all those who braved so much during that frequently harsh and terrible time: thank you.
“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you… Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”
— Harriet Tubman
* The specifics of this particular house aside, there was an active spur of the Underground Railroad running through the region. The Bellefonte Art Museum down the road hosts a permanent exhibit showcasing its operations.
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Terrible and Glorious
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, inspiration, Thoughts on February 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »
It has been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainians have been stronger, more determined, courageous, resourceful and resilient than any external observers expected. The fact that they have to be these things is terrible. The fact that they continue to be these things is glorious.
Today, a collection of photo retrospectives and readings about the conflict and what’s at stake.
- A year of war in Ukraine as witnessed by Guardian photographers – photo essay
- Ukraine one year after Russian invasion, photographing life during conflict
- What We’re Reading About One Year of War in Ukraine
Time for me to donate to one of the many organizations working to help those affected by this war. World Central Kitchen remains one of my favorites.
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Lesson Learned
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, learning, Thoughts on February 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The leading edge of a weather system is overhead, and we’ve been told to expect snow, sleet, a wintry mix, and a heavy dose of freezing rain. Fun, right?
I’m optimistic that our heat and power will hold out, but on the off chance that it does not, I’m going to charge my devices, start the fireplace, and post today’s entry now.
Just in case.
“All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir
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S.T.T.L.T.E. (And That’s Ok)
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on February 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Some things take longer than expected. Today’s plan involved a project that was expected to take two hours, and instead took five. And that’s ok. Mr Man was productive, I was social, and a good time was had by all.
In keeping with the theme, we picked up the mail on the way home and found a postcard that had made its way here to Canada from Port Lockroy, in the British Antarctic Territory (how cool is that?). Dated Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022.
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Transference of Magic 101
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, inspiration, magic, Thoughts, Writers of the Future on January 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »
tl;dr Mr Man has mad shopping mojo.
Those who know me know that I am not a big shopper. Maybe I’m hard to fit or just hard to please, but shopping trips typically mean returning home empty-handed after hours of “maybe” and “nope, sorry” and ”almost, but.” Frustrating, made doubly so by the fact that I only shop when I really need something. Like an outfit for a fancy writers’ gala.
So when Mr Man and I headed out to search for black-tie-worthy wear last week, my expectations were low. Typically, we go shopping for me and I find exactly nothing, but Mr Man magically stumbles upon that thing he wasn’t even looking for in the perfect color and fit, no hassle necessary. I call it his shopping mojo.
This time, he offered to transfer his mojo to me.
It doesn’t work that way, I said. Magic isn’t something you can just hand off to someone else, like an ice cream sandwich or a toaster. I wish, but no.
Ok, he said, but let’s just go see what’s out there. I’m sure we’ll find something that will work.
I agreed, (not so) secretly braced for potential disappointment.
But then a miracle occurred! The dress I saw online was actually in stock at the store around the corner. It fit. And it was on sale, as was the matching necklace. Unpossible! For what was possibly the first time ever, I had an excellent shopping experience.
I remained unconvinced about the magic mojo, though. Pure coincidence, I said. Or at least, just scale-balancing after my previous bad shopping karma. It can’t last, surely.
And I still needed shoes to go with the dress.
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Today, we went out again, this time on the hunt for that most elusive of prizes, the cute yet (relatively) comfortable dress shoe.
Not a chance, I thought. I mean, I found some possibilities online and they looked good, but would they be in stock when we got to the store? Would they feel as good as they looked? Would the heel be manageable, the color match, my feet agree that three years in slippers was long enough?
I don’t know about that last bit but we got to the store and there they were: the perfect shoes, elegant and comfortable (relatively), with a low yet still stylish heel. (Chances of tripping on my way up to the stage? Minimal, and that’s really all I can ask for.) While they did not come in silver (as a sci-fi writer this did, I admit, cause some sadness) they were available in always versatile black.
Mr Man’s mojo had struck again. And as I was about to check out, Mr Magic had one more spell up his sleeve.
Look, honey, he said, here’s the same style in an even cooler pattern. There’s only one pair left but I think it’s your size?
It was. And because Mr Man’s mojo is top notch, that funky cool pattern was also on sale. Now I have an outfit I feel good in and I didn’t have to drain my Gringotts account to do it.
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And that is how I discovered that you don’t have to be born with magic. It can also be shared.
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A Teeny Tiny Thimble
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #becauseMonday, creativity, drp, inspiration, Writers, writing on January 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Today I give you a funny animal photo, because it’s Monday and my current levels of inspiration could fit into a thimble.
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A Minor Mystery
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, human problems, Thoughts on January 12, 2023| 1 Comment »
Today’s date caught my eye: 01.12.23, written American style. Sequential, repeating numbers.
There are repeating dates (12.12.12) and palindromes (which read the same forward or backward, like 21.02.2012), squares and primes and of course pi. I have yet to find a name for a date like today’s.
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Particularly Particular
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, computer woes, macs are usually better than this, posted for posterity but not really very interesting sorry!, problem solutions on January 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
tl;dr To fix Mac Mail’s link preview problems, go to Settings > Mail Privacy Protection. Disable “Protect Mail Activity” and enable “Block all remote content.”
This post is pretty particular, but I’m posting it here in case you, like me, run into this problem and have a hard time finding a solution. (And if this isn’t your thing, you can still have fun trying to draw perfect circles instead.)
I upgraded to Mac’s Ventura operating system over the holidays and hoped I’d have time to let it settle in before I needed to get back to work. It went… mostly fine, but the bits that were not fine were really, really annoying.
Today’s example: Link previews in Mail.
Problem:
Dragging a browser link over to a draft message used to copy over the hot-linked page title, like this: Draw a Perfect Circle. (This is good because I need both title and the link, and there are times when I need to make lists of many, many links.)
After updating the OS, dropping a link instead popped up an oversized preview image and description, like this:
The only obvious way to get rid of the image is to click the caret symbol by each link and Convert to Plain Link. That left me with a URL and no page title.
Ok, no. I need a list, I need page titles, and I need them for dozens of links at a time. Changing each one and copying over titles is both impractical and deeply annoying. And that stupid caret kept mocking me. Rude!
/insert search montage with sped-up clock in the foreground
In Mail, go to Settings > Mail Privacy Protection. Disable “Protect Mail Activity” and enable “Block all remote content.”
Intuitive? Not at all. Helpful? Yes.
Do I feel better now? Yes, yes I do.
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