Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Courage

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”

― Aristotle

* * *

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

No Mow May has been a success at our house. Ratings so far:

  • Big bees, medium bees, teeny tiny bees say: 10/10+
  • Robins say: 10/10 (comment: “But water more please, it makes it easier to catch the worms”)
  • Grackles: 9/10 (relevant quote: “stupid insects have more places to hide, but there are more of them, so it’s ok I guess”)
  • Mourning Doves say: 8/10 (quotes: “The taller plants were nice but now that the sun’s out there are quieter places to nest” and “We like the backyard bird bath” and “Please put out more of that nyjer thistle seed, it was nice”)

I also spotted a new plant in the front yard, Blue-eyed Grass. Despite its name, it’s actually a member of the Iris family, and a pretty one at that. So that’s fun.

Blue-eyed grass in the meadow,

And the laden bee’s low hum,

Milkweeds all by the roadside,

To tell us summer is come.

— Mary Austin

* * *

Photo by Maxime Doré on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

If you’re in North America, you may be treated to a dramatic meteor shower tonight. 

Or, you know, maybe not.

Meteor storm of 1,000 shooting stars per hour possible this week | Space

The Tau Herculids meteor shower may light up the skies over North America on May 30 and 31. Or it may not. There’s a chance we might pass through the thickest part of the comet fragment that is creating the debris, in which case the night skies will be filled with shooting stars.

You can watch the possible tau Herculid meteor shower live online, courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project. The project’s astrophysicist Gianluca Masi will provide live all-sky cameras from Arizona and Brazil starting at 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) on Tuesday, May 31.

I kind of love that despite all of humanity’s scientific advances, such events can remain a delightful surprise.

* * *

Photo by Red Zeppelin on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Today in super excellent ideas I’m giving away for free: I’m pretty sure that turning used F1 tires into premium-branded garage flooring would be a no-brainer.

What Does F1 Do With Used Tires? – One Stop Racing

How much would a superfan pay to walk on Lewis Hamilton’s or Charles Leclerc’s or Max Verstappen’s tires? I’m going to go with A Lot.

* * *

Photo by Lorenzo Hamers on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

“There are no rules in fiction, only vague guidelines. Pick the approach that works best for you and write like the wind.”

— Ilona Andrews

* * *

Photo by Bianca Suri on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

We can do better. We must do better.

* * *

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Sososososososohappy right now!

/ahem

After 60+ hours without power we are back online. So happy about that, and feeling very appreciative of all the electricians and other workers who made it happen, and the first responders who kept us safe in the meantime.

We spent most of the storm sensibly safe indoors but if you’re interested in images of the derecho that affected almost half of this country’s population, check out these links:

The Weather Network – Schools close, local state of emergency declared after deadly weekend storm

The day after: Post-storm photos

#OnStorm – Twitter

* * *

I’m thankful for the friends and neighbors who offered to help, and for now knowing how to use a generator and rebuild a fence. 

Aside from items like a BBQ, water heater that runs without electricity, and fireplace, I’d say the most valuable storm supply awards go to:

  • rechargeable power packs, 
  • long heavy-duty extension cords, 
  • shelf-stable snack and other foods, 
  • ice packs, 
  • good neighbors,
  • backlit e-readers and 
  • a good data plan. 

We also have a bunch of nightlight/emergency lights, the kind you leave plugged in but can also work as a flashlight. Those were invaluable (not least because our only real flashlight runs on (currently dead) C batteries which we don’t have). Our lantern crapped out on us, but pro tip: a flashlight under an opaque white container or lampshade works surprisingly well. 

The experience certainly gives me added appreciation for what’s “normal,” and the fact that we’re able to get back to it after just a couple of days.

* * *

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

This is a placeholder post to keep my daily streak alive, in case the very dramatic storm currently overhead cuts the power. Crazy wind! Giant raindrops! Emergency notifications! Flickering lights!

* * *

Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

Read Full Post »

My Day So Far

Photo by Louis Dupressoir on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Funny how things stick with you. Like most people, I think, I tend to make mental notes about tasks to complete, ideas to develop, or things to add to the shopping list. Apparently that process knows no temporal bounds. 

While prepping a list for Costco today I scrolled past a Lite-Brite and immediately thought, “I want one of those.” I don’t actually need one, or you know, not really. But I do remember wanting one as a child. My neighbor had one and I loved all the brightly-colored bulbs and the sheer imaginative flexibility. Like an Etch-a-Sketch, creatively speaking, only with dots instead of lines.

Apparently some part of me never forgot.

* * *

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »