Thoughts | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Summer Magic

Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, home, Lampyridae, memories, Thoughts on July 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday I took a brief break to check on my butterfly weed (blooming happily!) and noticed an interesting beetle by the door.

“Ooh,” I asked myself, “could that be a firefly?”

It could. It was.

Last night, between brightly-colored expressions of Canadian joy (aka celebratory fireworks), we spotted brightly-colored expressions of firefly joy above the cedar hedge. The lone Lampyridae had a hard time competing, but he gave it his best shot.

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I have great memories of family nights outside in the garden when I was a kid, watching hundreds of fireflies looking for love. It was magic.

We don’t have hundreds now, but I’m working to make our yard as firefly-friendly as I can, particularly around mating season (aka now). Here’s how:

Save The Fireflies

Some of the things you can do:

turn off outdoor lights (who can get any action when that giant porch light is acting like the worst wingman ever?)
leave logs and leaves on the ground (I’ve totally got this covered)
add water (we have birdbaths, so check)
say no thanks to pesticides (no problemo, that stuff’s nasty)
let your lawn grow (skip mowing this weekend? yes please!)
add trees (I’ll see what I can do to keep the ones we have happy)

Time to recapture a bit of that summer magic.

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O Canada!

Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, holidays, Thoughts on July 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I originally hail from the United States but I’m also proud to be a citizen of Canada. Is it perfect? (Is either country?) No. But this is a multi-faceted country with a complex history and also a lot of good, and being part of something is the best way to both contribute to its present and better its future.

Happy Canada Day, Canada! Let’s all work together for brighter days.

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Once Upon a Sunday

Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Thoughts, travel, Turkey, writing on June 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Sunday
Istanbul-Cappadoccia
I’m in seat 34 and already seven minutes late. We’re on the night bus to Cappadocia and I’m settling in for a ten-hour ride into the heart of Turkey. The old woman ahead of me is getting feisty, pounding on the window and demanding to leave, loudly. This little drama is all in Turkish, of course, but it’s hard to misunderstand this kind of impatience. Most of the country seems to travel by bus and this is the largest terminal I’ve ever seen. The station is huge, complete with hotel and shopping complex, mosque, 200,000 lira WCs, and plenty of air guns to keep the kids occupied.
What’s this? We’re leaving right on time, only 14 minutes behind schedule.
Tops in Turkey: Topkapi Palace, cherry juice and jam, beer on a rooftop terrace with a view of the Haghia Sofia and Blue Mosque.

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Good to Know

Posted in Funny, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, Fiction, Thoughts on June 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Recent chat transcript with my father (note the time stamps):

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From Imagination to Reality

Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, innovation, Thoughts on June 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I love seeing ideas move from imagination to reality, even if I’m not the one doing it. Take this robot mani/pedi machine idea, for example:

Want Your Nails Done? Let a Robot Do It. – The New York Times

This ideas has been in the back of my mind for some time.

Now, I don’t polish my nails. I think I have a bottle of clear somewhere that I bought for a wedding once (my wedding? Quite possibly, but the fact that I don’t remember tells you something). I keep it around to use in the workshop and the garage.

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So why did I start thinking about an automated mani/pedi machine years ago, and why am I excited to see it now?

Because a lot of things are hard for the elderly, and doing your nails is one of them.

These particular machines aren’t there yet, but the fact that innovators are working on polishing suggests that shaping won’t be far behind. And that means anyone could keep their nails in good condition without having to rely on someone else or popping a hip joint, and stay healthier for it.

If the end result is effective and affordable, it’s good for people, and, as the population continues to age and boost demand for adaptive technologies, good for companies.

And I’m all about win-wins.

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That I Can Do

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, quotes, Thoughts, Tuesdays, work on June 22, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Hmm, Tuesday. What to write?

Do I have a draft of anything started?

(checks draft folder) No.

Do I have an idea for an interesting topic? Sure. Time to expand on it? Not so much.

New experiments in food and/or art?

Nothing ready to share.

Cute pictures of the cat?

No. Let’s face it, our cat is more fiend than fluff ball.

…

Inspirational quote about work plus adorable stock imagery?

That I can do.

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I’ve probably used this quote before. Still relevant!

“Try looking at your mind as a wayward puppy that you are trying to paper train. You don’t drop-kick a puppy into the neighbor’s yard every time it piddles on the floor. You just keep bringing it back to the newspaper.”
― Anne Lamott

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A Quick Trip to the Public Domain

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, history, public domain, Thoughts on June 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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In the early twentieth century, Dorothy Levitt, née Elizabeth Levi (1882-1922) was “the premier woman motorist and botorist [motorboat driver] of the world”… The Woman and the Car is a practical, how-to guide for those who wanted to take to the roads, but did not quite know how.
— On the Road: *The Woman and the Car* (1909) – The Public Domain Review

Have times changed since 1909? Obviously, but not everything. “Many of the extensive recommendations regarding mechanics, etiquette, and the temptations of car culture hold true today.” Also, who wouldn’t like to have this much fun going to the grocery store?

*On the Road: *The Woman and the Car* (1909) – The Public Domain Review*

I’m off to run an errand, but am I just picking up milk, or am I practicing a little petro-feminism?*

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* And I’m looking forward to the day when I can practice electro-feminism.

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My Favorite Father

Posted in Holidays, Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, holidays, Thoughts on June 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »

To my dad, who taught us to read without genres, cook without recipes, and love without limits.

Happy Father’s Day!

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Happy Juneteenth, America!

Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, holidays, Juneteenth, Thoughts on June 19, 2021| 2 Comments »

We’ve taken a lot of steps to be where we are now. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863 and announced, finally, on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, was a big one.

Is everything perfect? Of course not. But our path is clear and the goal is righteous. This is a good next step.

Happy Juneteenth, America!*

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Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to change the world.
— Harriet Tubman

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