I've posted a book review that may be of interest to some of you. The author looks at the ideas of four Western philosophers, one Islamic scholar and one Eastern philosopher, Confucius, and discusses fundamental beliefs upon which people from varied cultures can build trust and respect.
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: A Dialogue of Civilizations
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
May Photo Challenge: Family
Okay, I'm going to have cheat a bit here. If you've read my recent posts, you'll realize that my family has been spread out, literally around the world, for much of the past month. So, since I don't have any up-to-date Sears family photos to share, I'll have to share two families with whom I've been hanging around quite a bit this month. I don't think they've found the experience as enjoyable as I have, but that's life. They'll get over it.
On Mother's Day I posted a goose and her brood of young ones. I took this photo later that week. I think an appropriate title for this one is Nap Time. All parents can identify with the mother watching over her brood as they replenish their energy. I think the little guy with the big yawn is a hoot.
I took this one a few days ago. We see here part of the same family. The young ones are learning to swim and moving a bit more independently of their parents. They're also talking back now too. Have they hit adolescence already? This one is entitled Conversation.
Finally, there's a new family in the neighborhood. As best as I can figure, these little ducklings hatched about two weeks after their gosling neighbors did. The title of this one is, Everybody Stay Together.
There you have it: my entries for the May challenge. Now show me what you've got.
On Mother's Day I posted a goose and her brood of young ones. I took this photo later that week. I think an appropriate title for this one is Nap Time. All parents can identify with the mother watching over her brood as they replenish their energy. I think the little guy with the big yawn is a hoot.
I took this one a few days ago. We see here part of the same family. The young ones are learning to swim and moving a bit more independently of their parents. They're also talking back now too. Have they hit adolescence already? This one is entitled Conversation.
Finally, there's a new family in the neighborhood. As best as I can figure, these little ducklings hatched about two weeks after their gosling neighbors did. The title of this one is, Everybody Stay Together.
There you have it: my entries for the May challenge. Now show me what you've got.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Memorial Day
Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the USA. This is a time when we remember those who've been killed and injured while fighting for our country. The Canadian equivalent to this holiday is the Novemeber 11 Remembrance (or Armistice) Day. Americans commemorate Veteran's Day on November 11, but those ceremonies are typically more low-key than Memorial Day events. As I write, tens of thousands of American veterans are gathered in Washington, DC. They come back every year for their own unique Memorial Day rites.
The photo below was taken last summer as Dave and I visited (again) the battlefield at Gettysburg. This is a section of the cemetery that was reserved for the graves of unidentified soldiers. The poem is my attempt to articulate the thoughts that flooded my mind as I stood in that silent, desolate, yet strangely peaceful, place.
The photo below was taken last summer as Dave and I visited (again) the battlefield at Gettysburg. This is a section of the cemetery that was reserved for the graves of unidentified soldiers. The poem is my attempt to articulate the thoughts that flooded my mind as I stood in that silent, desolate, yet strangely peaceful, place.
Unknown
Unknown.
Here lie buried the earthly remnants of 425 men.
We know not who they were.
Perhaps, before they were soldiers,
They were artists, or poets,
Blacksmiths, or miners,
Farmers, or merchants.
We’ll never know,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who eternally remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
Did they leave behind grieving
Mothers and fathers,
Brothers and sisters,
Wives and sweethearts,
Sons and daughters?
Did they die quickly and mercifully,
Or slowly and excruciatingly?
Did they die with Bibles in their pockets, near their hearts,
Or clutched tightly in their hands?
Did they die with the names of loved ones on their lips?
Did they die cradled in the arms of companions?
Or did they die alone,
Shivering in anguish and terror?
We’ll never know,
For they’ve joined, forever, the ranks of those who remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
The demons Death and War
Were not satisfied with stealing their lives.
The demons gloated as they heaped insult upon injustice
And erased, forever, the identities of 425 men.
We’ll never know who they were,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who remain, eternally,
Unknown.
Unknown.
Simple stone slabs are all that remain
To commemorate the lives of men who died
Violently,
Prematurely,
Unnaturally.
Blocks of stone are all that remain
To mark the graves of men
Who sacrificed themselves for causes
Greater than their own desires and dreams.
We’ll never know who they were,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who will always remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
These men will always be remembered
As Champions,
Because the stuff that made up their spirits,
The beliefs, ideals and hopes that made them men,
Those things continue to live in the lives of others.
For even the full force and fury of the demons Death and War
Are too feeble to vanquish men’s souls.
And even though the flesh of these 425 men, heroes all,
Perished long ago, their spirits flourish eternally.
Now, it is only their names that remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
Here lie buried the earthly remnants of 425 men.
We know not who they were.
Perhaps, before they were soldiers,
They were artists, or poets,
Blacksmiths, or miners,
Farmers, or merchants.
We’ll never know,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who eternally remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
Did they leave behind grieving
Mothers and fathers,
Brothers and sisters,
Wives and sweethearts,
Sons and daughters?
Did they die quickly and mercifully,
Or slowly and excruciatingly?
Did they die with Bibles in their pockets, near their hearts,
Or clutched tightly in their hands?
Did they die with the names of loved ones on their lips?
Did they die cradled in the arms of companions?
Or did they die alone,
Shivering in anguish and terror?
We’ll never know,
For they’ve joined, forever, the ranks of those who remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
The demons Death and War
Were not satisfied with stealing their lives.
The demons gloated as they heaped insult upon injustice
And erased, forever, the identities of 425 men.
We’ll never know who they were,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who remain, eternally,
Unknown.
Unknown.
Simple stone slabs are all that remain
To commemorate the lives of men who died
Violently,
Prematurely,
Unnaturally.
Blocks of stone are all that remain
To mark the graves of men
Who sacrificed themselves for causes
Greater than their own desires and dreams.
We’ll never know who they were,
For they’ve joined the ranks of those who will always remain
Unknown.
Unknown.
These men will always be remembered
As Champions,
Because the stuff that made up their spirits,
The beliefs, ideals and hopes that made them men,
Those things continue to live in the lives of others.
For even the full force and fury of the demons Death and War
Are too feeble to vanquish men’s souls.
And even though the flesh of these 425 men, heroes all,
Perished long ago, their spirits flourish eternally.
Now, it is only their names that remain
Unknown.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Photo Challenge Reminder
A couple of weeks ago, Jenn suggested (in a comment on one of my posts) that the May photo challenge theme should be "Family." Since we've had Mother's Day and a wedding this month, that challenge shouldn't be too difficult to achieve. So, let's see if we can post some photos within the next week or so that deal with the "Family" theme. Also, if some of you want to link back to photos you've already posted this month (such as Stephen's photos of his visit with Nana), you can count those too. Barb and Cathy, you'll have to get those films developed and scanned soon.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Family Odds, Ends & Updates
Wow - it's Friday and I haven't posted anything in a week. Where did the past week go? I'll summarize a bit of what's going on with the Virginia branch of the Sears family.
Dave is finally home. He's been away more than he's been home for the past month or so. Many of you saw him at Jason's wedding last week. Within an hour of getting home, he had to show off his wedding and family photos. On the very next day he left for a three-day business trip. Now, he's home for at least a couple of weeks. We're making plans for our two-week vacation, which will take place in the last week of June and the first week of July. Oddly enough, we'll be spending quite a lot of that time traveling with Joshua and the Crossmen. Here's the scary part: we've been enlisted to help the food service crew for several days. Run, kids, run!
Jonathan is still in Europe with the National Capital Band - somewhere in France. We got an email from him yesterday. He enjoyed his time in Switzerland, but the hectic schedule is making him tired. We've got a copy of his itinerary at home. He's had some long days with early morning bus trips and late evening performances. I gave him my old camera (the Panasonic superzoom), and he took his Pentax point-and-shoot too, so I hope he brings home lots of good photos. We're all looking forward to seeing him. I wonder how long he'll be home before he lines up a welcome-home date with Maggie? Maybe he already has one scheduled! I'm always the last one to know these things!
Joshua is busy winding down the school year. He's been taking exams for a couple of weeks now and only has a couple more left to do. He flies to Texas next week. Dave seems more anxious about his departure than I am. Maybe the crisis that I experienced last summer when Joshua flew to Europe is settling on Dave this time around.
My strategy is to conceive of the summer as divided into sections, rather than thinking, "My baby will be gone ALL SUMMER!" Joshua will be gone for just over three weeks when we connect with him at the end of June. Then we'll see him several times over a two-week period that ends around July 8. Then he heads back south and west for another month. So, I'm thinking of it as two trips of approximately one month each, rather than one ten-week block. We've sent him to camp for four weeks at a time before, so, psychologically, that's a manageable stretch of time for me to handle.
Finally, what's happening in my life? Surprisingly, a couple of things. It looks like I'll be the vice-president of the Oakton High School band boosters next year. My nomination was approved by the band executive and the parents who attended last night's business meeting. The final step will be a vote at a general membership meeting just before next week's concert. What usually happens is that the current president announces the slate of nominees and the parents do a voice vote. They usually just approve the slate without any discussion. The general thinking is something like, "If those suckers want to do all that work, they're welcome to it!" Besides, they just want to get through the election as quickly as possible and listen to the concert. Since the boosters raise approximately $90,000 each year, that position will keep me busy.
Also, my job has been modified again and I'm finally doing some stuff that my boss initially proposed three years ago. I'm now wearing four different hats and doing jobs that used to be done by three people (in my day job - that doesn't include my piano and book review gigs). I just started with the new stuff this week, so I've been going through a transition as I figure out how to balance all of my tasks. Some of you may recall that I've toyed with the idea of leaving my present employment. I seriously considered taking a position with a local non-profit organization last December, but backed out because I decided that that particular position wasn't what I wanted. Now, since I'm going to be really busy with the band booster stuff, especially through the fall, I'll put the job search on hold for awhile and revisit that possibility at a later time.
I think that's all the news for now. Hopefully, I won't wait another week before posting again.
Dave is finally home. He's been away more than he's been home for the past month or so. Many of you saw him at Jason's wedding last week. Within an hour of getting home, he had to show off his wedding and family photos. On the very next day he left for a three-day business trip. Now, he's home for at least a couple of weeks. We're making plans for our two-week vacation, which will take place in the last week of June and the first week of July. Oddly enough, we'll be spending quite a lot of that time traveling with Joshua and the Crossmen. Here's the scary part: we've been enlisted to help the food service crew for several days. Run, kids, run!
Jonathan is still in Europe with the National Capital Band - somewhere in France. We got an email from him yesterday. He enjoyed his time in Switzerland, but the hectic schedule is making him tired. We've got a copy of his itinerary at home. He's had some long days with early morning bus trips and late evening performances. I gave him my old camera (the Panasonic superzoom), and he took his Pentax point-and-shoot too, so I hope he brings home lots of good photos. We're all looking forward to seeing him. I wonder how long he'll be home before he lines up a welcome-home date with Maggie? Maybe he already has one scheduled! I'm always the last one to know these things!
Joshua is busy winding down the school year. He's been taking exams for a couple of weeks now and only has a couple more left to do. He flies to Texas next week. Dave seems more anxious about his departure than I am. Maybe the crisis that I experienced last summer when Joshua flew to Europe is settling on Dave this time around.
My strategy is to conceive of the summer as divided into sections, rather than thinking, "My baby will be gone ALL SUMMER!" Joshua will be gone for just over three weeks when we connect with him at the end of June. Then we'll see him several times over a two-week period that ends around July 8. Then he heads back south and west for another month. So, I'm thinking of it as two trips of approximately one month each, rather than one ten-week block. We've sent him to camp for four weeks at a time before, so, psychologically, that's a manageable stretch of time for me to handle.
Finally, what's happening in my life? Surprisingly, a couple of things. It looks like I'll be the vice-president of the Oakton High School band boosters next year. My nomination was approved by the band executive and the parents who attended last night's business meeting. The final step will be a vote at a general membership meeting just before next week's concert. What usually happens is that the current president announces the slate of nominees and the parents do a voice vote. They usually just approve the slate without any discussion. The general thinking is something like, "If those suckers want to do all that work, they're welcome to it!" Besides, they just want to get through the election as quickly as possible and listen to the concert. Since the boosters raise approximately $90,000 each year, that position will keep me busy.
Also, my job has been modified again and I'm finally doing some stuff that my boss initially proposed three years ago. I'm now wearing four different hats and doing jobs that used to be done by three people (in my day job - that doesn't include my piano and book review gigs). I just started with the new stuff this week, so I've been going through a transition as I figure out how to balance all of my tasks. Some of you may recall that I've toyed with the idea of leaving my present employment. I seriously considered taking a position with a local non-profit organization last December, but backed out because I decided that that particular position wasn't what I wanted. Now, since I'm going to be really busy with the band booster stuff, especially through the fall, I'll put the job search on hold for awhile and revisit that possibility at a later time.
I think that's all the news for now. Hopefully, I won't wait another week before posting again.
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Wizard of Oz
Last night I watched The Wizard of Oz at Oakton High School. It was opening night, the first of four performances that are taking place this weekend. Cast #1 performed last night and will perform again tomorrow night. Cast #2 is performing as I write and will perform again tomorrow afternoon. Joshua assures me that both casts are quite different, so I will be going to see cast #2 tomorrow afternoon. Last night's performance was very well done. The sets are great and the flying witches, monkeys, etc., are good too. Every time someone flew the audience cheered.
One of the casts and the orchestra presented part of the show to the school at several assemblies. Joshua said that today's Toto was not as cooperative as last night's. I laughed and said, "Toto has an understudy?" He answered, "No, but they are using two different dogs. At one of today's performances they couldn't get the basket open and Toto started running away. So they had to chase Toto and catch him again. It was actually pretty funny." Last night I saw the Good Toto. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll see the Evil Toto tomorrow. Whatever happens, it will be fun.
Posted below is a slideshow of some of the better photos I took last night. Judy Garland kindly provided the soundtrack.
One of the casts and the orchestra presented part of the show to the school at several assemblies. Joshua said that today's Toto was not as cooperative as last night's. I laughed and said, "Toto has an understudy?" He answered, "No, but they are using two different dogs. At one of today's performances they couldn't get the basket open and Toto started running away. So they had to chase Toto and catch him again. It was actually pretty funny." Last night I saw the Good Toto. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll see the Evil Toto tomorrow. Whatever happens, it will be fun.
Posted below is a slideshow of some of the better photos I took last night. Judy Garland kindly provided the soundtrack.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Anti-Pantyhose Rant
As I was leaving a co-worker's office this morning, the following exchange took place:
Donna: Wow! Evie wore a skirt today! I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt before.
Evie: Well, if you did, it would have been last summer. I only wear skirts when I can wear sandals instead of heels and pantyhose. I don't mind skirts and dresses. What I can't stand is the footwear that one is expected to wear with them.
Donna: I hear you. I swore off pantyhose and heels years ago.
Perhaps you are wondering, Dear Reader, why I dislike nylons and formal footwear so intensely? Permit me to explicate my position.
I'll begin by discussing pumps and high heeled shoes. To put it succinctly: they are incredibly uncomfortable and downright unhealthy. Many years ago, after spending an entire evening doing door-to-door canvassing up and down the hills of a tiny town in British Columbia (it was Red Shield time, and the town may have been Esquimalt), my black pumps were filled with blood. My shoes had rubbed my heels raw. I won't sicken you with additional grisly details, as I'm sure you get the picture. I had a similar experience when I went on a job interview at a college in Minnesota. Part of the interview included a walking tour of the campus. My feet didn't get bloody that day, but they certainly got blistered. Final shoe story: part of my training as a Salvation Army cadet included a tour of the brand-new (at the time) Scarborough Grace Hospital. A podiatrist looked at all of the women and sternly chastised us for wearing such hideous, deformity-inducing shoes (you know, the ones that are required by TSA regulations). Do you know any man who would wear shoes that scrunch the toes at uncomfortable angles and force the leg muscles into uncomfortable positions (but, golly-gee, those calf muscles sure look sexy when they're stretched like that!) for hours on end, day after day, and pay mucho dinero for the privilege? I don't.
Now, I'll move on to pantyhose and nylons. First, I don't like the way they feel against my skin. That may not be an issue for other women, but it is for me. As far as I'm concerned, wearing nylons is akin to wearing sandpaper. It's an experience I don't need to repeat. Second, they are fragile and can only be worn a handful of times before they run, rip or gape and require replacement. The money women waste replacing their pantyhose could easily pay off the debt of a third-world nation. Third, they are obviously designed solely to appeal to men, with no thought at all for practicality. Do you know any man who would wear socks that are as flimsy as pantyhose, then replace them with more of the same, at the rate that women replace their hosiery? I don't. Nylons are one of the biggest rip-offs, aimed solely at women (and solely for men's pleasure), in the history of humankind. I refuse to be exploited by such obviously sexist, if not downright misogynist, fashions.
In closing, I recapitulate: women's fashion shoes are uncomfortable and unhealthy, and women's fashion hosiery are uncomfortable, flimsy and uneconomical. Those, Dear Reader, are the reasons I hate heels and hose.
Donna: Wow! Evie wore a skirt today! I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt before.
Evie: Well, if you did, it would have been last summer. I only wear skirts when I can wear sandals instead of heels and pantyhose. I don't mind skirts and dresses. What I can't stand is the footwear that one is expected to wear with them.
Donna: I hear you. I swore off pantyhose and heels years ago.
Perhaps you are wondering, Dear Reader, why I dislike nylons and formal footwear so intensely? Permit me to explicate my position.
I'll begin by discussing pumps and high heeled shoes. To put it succinctly: they are incredibly uncomfortable and downright unhealthy. Many years ago, after spending an entire evening doing door-to-door canvassing up and down the hills of a tiny town in British Columbia (it was Red Shield time, and the town may have been Esquimalt), my black pumps were filled with blood. My shoes had rubbed my heels raw. I won't sicken you with additional grisly details, as I'm sure you get the picture. I had a similar experience when I went on a job interview at a college in Minnesota. Part of the interview included a walking tour of the campus. My feet didn't get bloody that day, but they certainly got blistered. Final shoe story: part of my training as a Salvation Army cadet included a tour of the brand-new (at the time) Scarborough Grace Hospital. A podiatrist looked at all of the women and sternly chastised us for wearing such hideous, deformity-inducing shoes (you know, the ones that are required by TSA regulations). Do you know any man who would wear shoes that scrunch the toes at uncomfortable angles and force the leg muscles into uncomfortable positions (but, golly-gee, those calf muscles sure look sexy when they're stretched like that!) for hours on end, day after day, and pay mucho dinero for the privilege? I don't.
Now, I'll move on to pantyhose and nylons. First, I don't like the way they feel against my skin. That may not be an issue for other women, but it is for me. As far as I'm concerned, wearing nylons is akin to wearing sandpaper. It's an experience I don't need to repeat. Second, they are fragile and can only be worn a handful of times before they run, rip or gape and require replacement. The money women waste replacing their pantyhose could easily pay off the debt of a third-world nation. Third, they are obviously designed solely to appeal to men, with no thought at all for practicality. Do you know any man who would wear socks that are as flimsy as pantyhose, then replace them with more of the same, at the rate that women replace their hosiery? I don't. Nylons are one of the biggest rip-offs, aimed solely at women (and solely for men's pleasure), in the history of humankind. I refuse to be exploited by such obviously sexist, if not downright misogynist, fashions.
In closing, I recapitulate: women's fashion shoes are uncomfortable and unhealthy, and women's fashion hosiery are uncomfortable, flimsy and uneconomical. Those, Dear Reader, are the reasons I hate heels and hose.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day!
Just in case you missed the TV commercials, or the greeting cards and flowers lining the grocery store aisles, or the email solicitations to order flowers or send your mother an e-card, I'll give you the scoop: today is Mother's Day. In honor of Mother's Day, I'm posting a photo that I took this past Friday. It is not an artistic or photographic masterpiece, but I think this little family is adorable, so I'm posting it. Since this is my blog, I have complete editorial control of its contents. (I love exercising raw, unfettered power!)
I went to two church services this morning, one at the Adult Rehabilitation Center and the other at my corps (church). Interestingly, both guest preachers based their sermons on the same passage of scripture: Luke 1:26-38. This is the passage in which the angel announces to Mary that she will bear God's Son. The outline for the second service (at my corps) was built around favorite scripture verses and hymns of the mothers in the congregation. My favorite verse, which Joshua read just before we sang my favorite song (at the end of the service), is this one:
My favorite hymn is, It Is Well With My Soul. Unfortunately, my favorite verse of that song is not included in The Salvation Army songbook. It is included in the Methodist version, which I learned at Asbury College too many years ago to count. It is:
Okay, I've shared mine, it's time for you to share yours. What are your favorite scripture verse(s) and your favorite hymn(s)/spiritual song(s)? Let me know in your comments. And have a very happy Mother's Day.
I went to two church services this morning, one at the Adult Rehabilitation Center and the other at my corps (church). Interestingly, both guest preachers based their sermons on the same passage of scripture: Luke 1:26-38. This is the passage in which the angel announces to Mary that she will bear God's Son. The outline for the second service (at my corps) was built around favorite scripture verses and hymns of the mothers in the congregation. My favorite verse, which Joshua read just before we sang my favorite song (at the end of the service), is this one:
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.
(Deuteronomy 31:8)
My favorite hymn is, It Is Well With My Soul. Unfortunately, my favorite verse of that song is not included in The Salvation Army songbook. It is included in the Methodist version, which I learned at Asbury College too many years ago to count. It is:
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought:
My sin - not in part but the whole -
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Okay, I've shared mine, it's time for you to share yours. What are your favorite scripture verse(s) and your favorite hymn(s)/spiritual song(s)? Let me know in your comments. And have a very happy Mother's Day.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: When the Bluebonnets Come
I've posted another book review that may interest some of you. This is a fiction work, a lovely story about a young girl in rural Texas at a critical juncture in her life. If you enjoyed Dave Baldacci's book, Wish You Well (about a young girl in rural Virginia), you'll like this one. If you haven't read either one of them, do so.
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: When the Bluebonnets Come
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: When the Bluebonnets Come
Friday, May 11, 2007
The Joy of Photoblogging
As I was browsing through the photos at aminus3.com, I came across this post. Dave got a kick out of it and suggested that I link to it. WARNING: you may not (or maybe you will) deem it appropriate viewing matter for the young 'uns.
Now, as for the post title, I enjoy the photo community at aminus3. I love viewing photos from all around the world, especially when the photographers provide historical and cultural information. I love architecture photos, scenic photos and candid portraits of people going about their business. I also like the fact that, regardless of the relationships between their governments, ordinary people can connect around common interests. For example, several photographers from Iran post beautiful pictures of their country, mosques, friends and families. This definitely is not the Iran I see on the news or hear about from political leaders. This is the Iran that more people need to see. In the interests of world peace, I respectfully suggest that President Bush should join a photoblog community!
By the way, we haven't done a monthly photo challenge for a few months. Does anyone have any ideas?
Now, as for the post title, I enjoy the photo community at aminus3. I love viewing photos from all around the world, especially when the photographers provide historical and cultural information. I love architecture photos, scenic photos and candid portraits of people going about their business. I also like the fact that, regardless of the relationships between their governments, ordinary people can connect around common interests. For example, several photographers from Iran post beautiful pictures of their country, mosques, friends and families. This definitely is not the Iran I see on the news or hear about from political leaders. This is the Iran that more people need to see. In the interests of world peace, I respectfully suggest that President Bush should join a photoblog community!
By the way, we haven't done a monthly photo challenge for a few months. Does anyone have any ideas?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
My New Toy Is Here!
My new toy arrived yesterday: a Canon XTi digital SLR camera, a couple of Tamron lenses, a memory card and some other odds & ends. The photos are a huge 10.1 megapixels! It also has a self-cleaning sensor (really nice idea). I think I'm going to have lots of fun with this camera.
I took a couple of dozen photos with it today and got a couple of keepers. Here are two versions of one, which I think is a mockingbird. I took it in color, then played around with converting it to black and white. Which one do you prefer?
I took a couple of dozen photos with it today and got a couple of keepers. Here are two versions of one, which I think is a mockingbird. I took it in color, then played around with converting it to black and white. Which one do you prefer?
Monday, May 07, 2007
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: The Creation-Evolution Debate
I've just posted a review of a brief book about Creationism and Evolution. This introductory volume is a quick read. It's pretty good for people who are new to the issues involved in the debate and for those who want a quick review of the debate's history. Readers who are well-versed on this topic will not find much of interest in this book.
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: The Creation-Evolution Debate
Lady Book Notes: Book Review: The Creation-Evolution Debate
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Sunday Odds & Ends
It's a quiet Sunday afternoon here. Joshua will be flying home from Texas tonight, and Jonathan is getting ready for another date with Maggie. Dave is taking his Sunday nap, and I just woke up from mine. I have to go to the store in a few minutes to pick up a couple of steaks for our supper.
The first week of May was pretty quiet, but that's going to change in a hurry. Jonathan will be in Michigan with the National Capital Band next weekend. He'll return home for a few days, then he and the band will leave for a ten-day tour of France and Switzerland. He'll get home from that tour on Memorial Day weekend.
Joshua is busy rehearsing the music for The Wizard of Oz. The pit orchestra has after-school rehearsals every day for the next couple of weeks. He is also preparing to take his final examinations in the next three weeks before he leaves for the summer.
Dave has several business trips coming up in the next few weeks. April and May are always busy travel months for him. Things will quiet down for him in June and through most of the summer.
I don't have anything particularly interesting going on at this point. Last month's trip to Myrtle Beach was my spring highlight.
The photo below is our neighborhood as seen from Google Earth. See if you can find our townhouse. If you haven't tried Google Earth, check it out. A couple of weeks ago, Joshua and I spent an hour or so reliving his trip to Europe. It was interesting for me to look up the places he'd been and he had a nice time reliving his memories.
Last night I finished reading a biography of Queen Isabella, a 14th century English queen. Isabella was a French princess who married King Edward II in 1308. She was 12 and he was 24. It's no surprise that Edward wasn't too interested in his child bride until she turned 16 or 17. They probably had little in common to talk about. Besides, notwithstanding the fact that they had four children, Edward's homosexuality was not an asset to their marriage. As Isabella matured, she became a shrewd diplomat. Unfortunately, Edward did not share her skills. He was an awful ruler who let his lovers run amok. Corruption and greed were the rules of the day during Edward's reign. Isabella eventually traveled to France on a diplomatic mission and prolonged her stay, as she feared she would be killed by Edward's powerful, jealous cohorts if she returned to England.
In France, Isabella became politically and sexually involved with Roger Mortimer, a member of the English nobility who was also in exile. Isabella and Mortimer invaded England, overthrew Edward II and had Isabella's teen-aged son, Edward III, proclaimed king. Since Edward III was still a minor, Isabella and Mortimer ruled as regents in his stead. As things turned out, Mortimer grew as greedy and corrupt as Edward II's cohorts. He even seems to have plotted the murder of Edward II, who was being held prisoner in an English castle.
Tradition has held that Edward was gruesomely disemboweled, but there is evidence that he may have escaped his prison, fled to the Continent and spent his remaining few years in various monasteries. Just before Edward III reached the age of majority, he overthrew Mortimer, who was tried and executed for his crimes. Isabella, fortunate to have avoided the gallows herself, spent her remaining years in retirement in England. She was closely guarded for the first couple of years, but the restrictions were gradually lifted. By the end of her life, she enjoyed cordial relations with her children and grandchildren and occasionally served as an advisor to Edward III, who is regarded as one of England's best kings.
Historians (mostly men) generally have judged Isabella very harshly. Well, it's easy to see why: she was smarter than her husband, she refused to let the men in her life abuse her, she was sexually frustrated and did something about it, and she successfully planned and executed an invasion of England and the deposition of a king. She didn't stay barefoot in the kitchen, that's for sure. She was colorful and spunky, to say the least. If I could meet any historical figures, she'd be on my list, as would Eleanor of Aquitaine and Elizabeth I. I must say, Englad has had some interesting queens! If you're interested in reading the book, it's entitled Queen Isabella, by Alison Weir. I've read several of Weir's books and she's definitely one of my favorite authors. She's a great historian/biographer and a wonderful writer whose books read like novels. If you don't think a history book or biography can be a page-turner, you have to read Weir's work.
The first week of May was pretty quiet, but that's going to change in a hurry. Jonathan will be in Michigan with the National Capital Band next weekend. He'll return home for a few days, then he and the band will leave for a ten-day tour of France and Switzerland. He'll get home from that tour on Memorial Day weekend.
Joshua is busy rehearsing the music for The Wizard of Oz. The pit orchestra has after-school rehearsals every day for the next couple of weeks. He is also preparing to take his final examinations in the next three weeks before he leaves for the summer.
Dave has several business trips coming up in the next few weeks. April and May are always busy travel months for him. Things will quiet down for him in June and through most of the summer.
I don't have anything particularly interesting going on at this point. Last month's trip to Myrtle Beach was my spring highlight.
The photo below is our neighborhood as seen from Google Earth. See if you can find our townhouse. If you haven't tried Google Earth, check it out. A couple of weeks ago, Joshua and I spent an hour or so reliving his trip to Europe. It was interesting for me to look up the places he'd been and he had a nice time reliving his memories.
Last night I finished reading a biography of Queen Isabella, a 14th century English queen. Isabella was a French princess who married King Edward II in 1308. She was 12 and he was 24. It's no surprise that Edward wasn't too interested in his child bride until she turned 16 or 17. They probably had little in common to talk about. Besides, notwithstanding the fact that they had four children, Edward's homosexuality was not an asset to their marriage. As Isabella matured, she became a shrewd diplomat. Unfortunately, Edward did not share her skills. He was an awful ruler who let his lovers run amok. Corruption and greed were the rules of the day during Edward's reign. Isabella eventually traveled to France on a diplomatic mission and prolonged her stay, as she feared she would be killed by Edward's powerful, jealous cohorts if she returned to England.
In France, Isabella became politically and sexually involved with Roger Mortimer, a member of the English nobility who was also in exile. Isabella and Mortimer invaded England, overthrew Edward II and had Isabella's teen-aged son, Edward III, proclaimed king. Since Edward III was still a minor, Isabella and Mortimer ruled as regents in his stead. As things turned out, Mortimer grew as greedy and corrupt as Edward II's cohorts. He even seems to have plotted the murder of Edward II, who was being held prisoner in an English castle.
Tradition has held that Edward was gruesomely disemboweled, but there is evidence that he may have escaped his prison, fled to the Continent and spent his remaining few years in various monasteries. Just before Edward III reached the age of majority, he overthrew Mortimer, who was tried and executed for his crimes. Isabella, fortunate to have avoided the gallows herself, spent her remaining years in retirement in England. She was closely guarded for the first couple of years, but the restrictions were gradually lifted. By the end of her life, she enjoyed cordial relations with her children and grandchildren and occasionally served as an advisor to Edward III, who is regarded as one of England's best kings.
Historians (mostly men) generally have judged Isabella very harshly. Well, it's easy to see why: she was smarter than her husband, she refused to let the men in her life abuse her, she was sexually frustrated and did something about it, and she successfully planned and executed an invasion of England and the deposition of a king. She didn't stay barefoot in the kitchen, that's for sure. She was colorful and spunky, to say the least. If I could meet any historical figures, she'd be on my list, as would Eleanor of Aquitaine and Elizabeth I. I must say, Englad has had some interesting queens! If you're interested in reading the book, it's entitled Queen Isabella, by Alison Weir. I've read several of Weir's books and she's definitely one of my favorite authors. She's a great historian/biographer and a wonderful writer whose books read like novels. If you don't think a history book or biography can be a page-turner, you have to read Weir's work.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Water Project
A number of photographers at aminus3 are participating in a 3-day project on the theme of water. The project began yesterday and runs through tomorrow (May 1 - 3). The best way to check out the photos is to go here and follow the links. You'll find all sorts of creative ideas on display at these sites. Take some time to browse around. And if you want to start a photoblog, aminus3 is a really nice community to join.
Many thanks to Damon for organizing this project and to Sidonie for inviting me to participate.
Many thanks to Damon for organizing this project and to Sidonie for inviting me to participate.
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