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Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Writing It Down

Posted in Food and..., Writing, tagged , , , , , on October 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, I had the nice but somewhat complicated experience of having someone ask me for a recipe.

That’s right, my mushroom soup has fans both inside this house and out! And as this site frequently demonstrates, I’m happy to share my recipes. 

The problem is that in this case, I don’t actually have a recipe to share.

Like so many of the things I make, be it soup or a story, I tend to start with an idea, triangulate, course correct, confabulate and finally create a whole new version of whatever it is I’m making.

That’s fine for fiction, but more complicated when what I’m trying to share is not just the result of the creative process, but the process itself. 

This is a long way of saying that I don’t actually have a mushroom soup recipe, not exactly. 

But for this particular person, I’ll figure it out. And if it makes any kind of sense, I’ll share it with you too.

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Photo by Brando Makes Branding on Unsplash

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There’s Always A Right Person

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on October 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

“It’s the people, in the end, isn’t it?” says Viktor. “It’s always the people. You can move halfway around the world to find your perfect life, move to Australia if you like, but it always comes down to the people you meet.”

― Richard Osman, The Bullet That Missed

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Photo by sudarshan poojary on Unsplash

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How to Deal

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.

— Dame Helen Mirren

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Photo by Massimiliano Morosinotto on Unsplash

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Path for the People

Posted in Likes, tagged , , , , on October 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The weather today is beautiful and I wish I could go outside for a walk. Sadly, work, so instead I was happy to see this Google Doodle commemorating one of the world’s great hikes, the Appalachian Trail.

Here’s the Doodle.

For more on the Trail, here’s the National Park Service site to give you a sense of what it’s like… minus the bugs.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.

I haven’t hiked the Trail but a lot of my best childhood moments revolved around the woods in the Allegheny Mountains, part of the central section of the Appalachians. My father also recently sent out a collection of his backpacking memories, which were great to read. (Although how he wasn’t eaten by a bear or something is beyond me.)

The beauty of these mountains, however, is something special.

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Sharp Top, VA, from a side trail. Photo by Isaac Wendland on Unsplash

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If You Need Chill

Posted in Other, tagged , , on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Some days, you just need to chill. If today is that day for you, consider this three-hour timelapse and related article.

‘Why are 500,000 people watching paint dry?’ The man behind YouTube’s DIY sensation

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Photo by Victoria Tronina on Unsplash

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Everyday Impact

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , on September 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s nice to think that one can have an impact in the world, even at an everyday level. I had that feeling today, when I found an article at The Atlantic I wanted to share but the sharee wasn’t a subscriber. 

“That’s too bad,” I thought. “Such a shame that this publication isn’t taking The New York Times approach, allowing subscribers to share a certain number of articles per month with anyone. I mean, I wrote them that well-thought out pitch for such a program a couple of months ago, making the case that it adds value to current members while also expanding their potential subscriber base… Hang on a sec…”

/click, click click. o hello my beauty

They actually did it. I’m sure I can’t take full credit for inspiring this change, but it’s nice to think that my efforts may have helped make it happen. 

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Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

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J&PB

Posted in Food and..., tagged , , , on September 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I’m rushing through lunch with a quick PB&J. We use natural peanut butter that has an annoying tendency to separate and require a sloppy stirring session before said butter can be spread.

Or at least, that’s how my PB life used to be.

I ran across a comment the other day that recommended storing the peanut butter jar upside down. The author suggested it would change my sandwich life.

I did. And it has.

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Photo by Happy Jars on Unsplash

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Measure of Achievement

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on September 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile.

— Julia Child

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Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

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Turning to Fall

Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged , , , , , , on September 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s that time again. If you are in the northern hemisphere on planet Earth, today is the Fall Equinox.

Autumnal Equinox 2023: First Day of Fall | Facts, Folklore & More | The Old Farmer’s Almanac

After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again. 

The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.

Why just “roughly” equal in length?

Why day and night aren’t equal length on an equinox

Firstly, the sun has a size—it’s not just a point in the sky.… Secondly, the Earth’s atmosphere refracts (bends) sunlight.

What does the ebb and flow of axial luminescence look like from space?

NASA: Seeing Equinoxes and Solstices from Space

For more on the “why” of seasons, check out this explainer:

What Causes the Seasons? | NASA Space Place

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Photo by Alicia Petresc on Unsplash

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Irresponsible Speculations in Art History, or, Lady Giselle’s Night Watch

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Let me preface this musing with the statement that I know very little about art, art history, Rembrandt, Dutch social history of the 17th century, or most related issues.

I do, however, know that dead chickens and fashion don’t usually mix. 

Two of my parental units visited the Rijksmuseum this summer and saw The Night Watch, which inspired a recent discussion about the painting’s history, size and purpose. I pulled up the digital version on the museum’s website so that we could examine the details. The page was still up on my phone when I opened my browser today, and I decided to zoom in on the strangest element in the picture: a well-dressed woman in the midst of a group of heavily armed and armored men, her figure, clothing and purse, all glowing as if under a spotlight.

I take that back. She wasn’t the strangest thing about this picture. The strangest thing was that the aforementioned well-dressed woman was wearing… a chicken?

One thing I love about the move to digitize many museum holdings is that you can see details not usually visible, unless you are viewing the art in person. Using the Rijksmuseum’s Rijksstudio, I was able to zoom in on the subject in question and inspect her unusual accessory. Here it is:

Detail from The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642, via the Rijksmuseum’s Rijksstudio

That inspired this exchange with my father:

Again, I know very little about art history and am probably wrong about every single bit of this. I am having fun speculating on the importance of that well-dressed woman, her prominently featured silk purse, and of course, her chicken.

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Photo by Arib Neko on Unsplash

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