“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
― Carl Gustav Jung
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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Today: Doing
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, action, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, work on September 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Soothing Sunday
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, stupid Covid, Thoughts, weather maps on September 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Out of an abundance of caution we went in for a Covid test today (yes, another one). Drive-through this time, plus they had us hum through the probing. So that was new and interesting.
And… I think I’m pretty much done for the afternoon. Instead of a new recipe, or my thoughts on freezing herbs or the new Space Force uniforms or the pain of slogging through a book only to realize that it really does lack all redeeming qualities, here’s an excellent visualization of global wind patterns.
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I find watching these globe-spanning rivers of air quite soothing. It’s beautiful, and helps make any problems I might be having feel small.
And now it’s time for a frosty adult beverage!
Pretty Ok
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, cat, home, obligatory capitalizations on September 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The cat made it through her Vet Experience* and is now home, spending most of her time sleeping off the anesthesia.
Health-wise, it looks like she’s doing pretty ok (especially for a cat her age). In case you were wondering!
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* She informs me that this should be capitalized, because I have No Idea How Terrible It Was.
Monster Wrangling
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, cat herding, home, monster wrangling, puddytat, random update, Thoughts on September 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The cat is at the vet today. Is she happy about it? Let’s just say that we should have worn earplugs in the car, and that the vet had the knock-out box ready to go as soon as we got there.
With any luck this should be a pretty straightforward visit, although it’s been some time since Neko’s last checkup so anything’s possible. She’s not the easiest of patients (hence the full-on anesthesia). She’s also an older monster cat who is having trouble with arthritis and teeth and feet, so we’re hoping the vet can help us make her life a bit easier.
(Actually, we’re mostly hoping the cat doesn’t decide to eat us when she gets home. We had to pull her food last night to prep for the anesthesia and she woke us up three times to remind us of that fact. She was really hungry this morning, so tasty delicious human fingers crossed!)
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Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash
Welcome to Fall
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #WillMissTheColorGreen, astronomy, equinox, fall, inspiration, Thoughts, yay on September 22, 2021| 2 Comments »
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the Autumnal Equinox. I’ll miss the sun and sandals and the color green, but think of what we get in return: bright leaves, harvest time, crisp blue skies, walks in the woods, evenings with books and hot chocolate by the fire.
(And it’s not like we have a choice so we might as well make the most of it;)
Welcome to Fall!
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Follow-On Report Regarding The Status Of My Action Matrix
Posted in Funny, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #BizBuzz, #istheresuchathingasnegativeinspiration, ramen, silliness, Thoughts on September 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »
To Whom It May Concern,
Enclosed please find an updated version (below) of my recently-submitted action matrix. I am happy to report that it encapsulated a number of actionable tasks, and allowed me to pivot in order to capture value from low-hanging fruit, as well as formulate a plan to circle back for future forward-facing goal-setting opportunities while absorbing a number of critical learnings.
Translation: some stuff was done, some stuff was not done. I might get to it later, but yeah, that’s not happening now. Now it’s time for lunch!
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For My Aunt
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, J.R.R. Tolkien, quotes, remembrance, Thoughts on September 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have beenOf yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hairI sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever seeFor still there are so many things
That I have never seen
In every wood in every spring
There is a different greenI sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never knowBut all the while I sit and think
― J.R.R. Tolkien
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door
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Progress is Fun
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Affinity Photo, creativity, imagination, inspiration, photo compositing, Thoughts, tutorials, whales on September 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’m having fun crossing things off my list, like juicing my backyard grapes and mowing. I also spent some time with a compositing tutorial, and made this image as a reminder that the world is often deeper and more astonishing than meets the eye.
Plus, whales are cool.
It’s Good to Have Goals
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, lists, optimism, Thoughts, Writers on September 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »
This is my (non-day job related) To Do List Action Matrix (sounds very official, amirite?)
Not the complete list, you understand, but a selection of the items I am most likely to tackle in the next few days.
He he. Let’s see how far I get, shall we?
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Mother Nature’s Good Side
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, climate change, creativity, inspiration, lawns, pollinators, Thoughts on September 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
A storm rolled through last night.
I’ve always loved good thunder and lightning, but this was next level. As I listened to the rumbles like drums and watched bolts of energy streak through the sky, I thought a bit about Mother Nature, and how we often seem to be playing catch-up.
When it’s wet, find a nice cave for shelter. If it’s cold, master fire. If it floods, head for high ground until the water recedes.
I’m oversimplifying, of course, but our instincts, and now our infrastructure and our policies, often seem static or reactive. Particularly in times of great change.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get ahead of the curve?
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Take pollinators, for example. (You knew I’d get to that at some point, didn’t you?)
In the US and Canada, my home turf, communities are full of bylaws governing what you can and can’t do with property in the communal sphere. It’s your land, but you probably aren’t allowed to grow a towering oak directly under a power line or leave rusting car parts by the sidewalk as a tetanus reservoir for children and dogs.
That all seems reasonable, and on the side of the greater good. But what about redefining “good” to include not just aesthetically pleasing symbols of European aristocracy in a bygone era (a.k.a. close-cropped grass lawns), but also what we all need for a healthy and successful future?
Take this gentleman as an example:
Kansas City Man’s Plea For Native Flower Justice Unites Gardeners Around The World
He did what scientists and ecologists around the world are encouraging, and turned his yard into a pollinator paradise. My hat is off to him. But the city reacted by telling him to cut it down because it violated city code. I would argue that this is because they are operating on an outdated definition of what’s “good.”
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A recent survey asked teens how they felt about the job their elders are doing on climate, and the results were both predictable and cause for a bit of reflection. The kids are deeply disappointed, and they have reason. The good news is that many members of “Generation Greta” aren’t waiting around.
That’s not to say that nothing has changed. Solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines, the push for accountability down the supply chain, all good things. Even so, many of our current policies remain stuck in the past. We’re on the right path but we’re not going fast enough. And not everyone is moving in the same direction.
It’s time for the sort of thinking at which writers and creatives (and teenagers) excel: new ideas, new approaches, and a reimagining of what we can do now, even in the face of current challenges.
Even if it’s something as small as what grows in your front yard.
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As I sat there last night in my cave, rain and thunder all around, I realized that our definitions aren’t all that will matter in the end.
And that it’s always smart to stay on Mother Nature’s good side.
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