I remember in middle school when my teacher instructed us to write in our writing journals everyday. Some days I had something to say. Some days I thought I didn’t. I would moan and groan and protest at the thought of writing for ten minutes when I had nothing to say. Most times, those days were the days that I filled my journal with my best writing. My stream of consciousness that I didn’t seem to have much control over. That is what I’m hoping for today.
If all goes well I will write something meaningful, if not it will be a repeat of what happened in 2nd grade. We had writing journals in 2nd grade too. Once we filled our journal completely we would get a new one. Filled with fresh crisp empty pages. I wanted a new journal. I don’t really know why, because I just would have had to fill that one too, and soon enough the crisp pages would be wrinkled and tattered, littered with eraser residue and gray smudges, but I had to have a new one. The problem was that most of my entries were short and to the point. For instance the prompt could have been, “What is your favorite color and why?” to which I would have responded with something like, “Pink, because I like it.”
Deep thoughts like that didn’t fill up the pages very quickly at all. One day I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my journal, then I noticed several of my classmates turning in their old journals for shiny new ones. My old journal was only halfway full of my deep thoughts, but I was determined for that day to be the day. So, I began to write I distinctly remember my journal entry which went as follows:
“I have a favorite song. I can’t remember the words, but the tune is like this mmmmmm mmmmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmm mmmmmm mmmm mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmm m MMMMM mmmm . . . ”
I then proceeded to write the letter m on every page of my writing journal. Once the last m was complete, I proudly presented my journal to my 2nd grade teacher and held my hands out with glee anticipating the new journal that would soon be in my possession. My wise teacher quickly glanced through the pages and realized what I had done. I spent the rest of the day erasing Ms.
Please come quick. Bring your tulips and daffodils and singing birds. Don’t forget sweet smelling Cherry blossoms, warmth from the sun to warm my face as I watch my children happily escape the indoors, and color to replace the drab gray of winter’s leftovers. Please lengthen my days and lessen my shivers. Spring, I miss you. Please, come quick.
Isn’t nature remarkable. Along with nature, I am including the human mind and the ability to renovate, recreate, and invent. I think the story behind the pearl as we know it perfectly combines the remarkability of both the human mind, and nature itself.
A pearl truly is a thing of beauty and splendor. Its subtle elegance remains unmatched by any other gemstone. Pearls use to only be available at the whims of nature. Fortunately though, a process has been developed which allows man to cultivate, or culture, these fine treasures, enabling us to enjoy pearls more often. The oyster is lifted out of the water, and a small irritant is inserted into the oyster. The oyster then starts to coat the intruder with a layer of nacre. It keeps doing so until a full pearl is formed. This process can take anywhere from 2 to 7 years depending on the size of the pearl desired. A common misconception of this process is that a grain of sand is used to “seed” the oyster. While sand can cause a pearl to be formed it is much more likely that a bead, piece of shell, or chunk of tissue was used. These provide more reliable pearls, and pearl shapes, great for pearl necklaces and pearl earrings.
The culturing of pearls has provided a unique opportunity for those who desire this jewel. They are able to have a real pearl made through the same process as natural pearls without having to wait as long. It also provides the chance to have longer strands of matching pearls. Whatever the case may be, the culturing of pearls has truly been a tremendous benefit to the wonderful world of jewels.
One thing about winter that I’m not too fond of is scraping the snow of my windshield before my daily outings. I’m also not too crazy about washing my car then leaving it out in the elements overnight for the rain to taint the beautiful clean exterior. I’ve considered a garage, but adding a whole new structure to my house would be extremely pricey, so, I started looking in to carports.
Surprisingly enough, in my research, I have found out some interesting facts. Carports got their start in Illinois in 1909. Architect, Walter Buckly Griffin, used them in his design for the Sloan House in Elmhurst, Illinois. They were soon seen throughout the Midwest.
The original name for them was autospaces, however Frank Lloyd Wright coined the term carport in 1939 when he used it in the design of one of his houses, and the name stuck.
These days carports are used in many different ways. Traditionally, they’re attached to permanent structures such as homes and are built with wood to match the structure. They typically come with built in storage, and are used mainly for the purpose of keeping cars out of the elements. However carports are now much more flexible. They come in a variety of materials including wood, metal, and PVC. They have multiple types of roofs: shingles, steel, aluminum, tarps, etc. Best of all, they’re not permanent anymore. Now they come in a wide variety of portable options. They have carports that are so easy to setup and take down that they only need one person to assemble them. Also because of their portability they can be setup anywhere they’re needed, not just right next to the house. They don’t even have to be anywhere near a house! Which means you can offer your vehicle the same protection on a camping trip as it would get parked safely at home.
Carports have definitely come a long way. So go out and get one today that fits your needs and lifestyle.
What is it about dogs that make them man’s best friend?
I found this great article on Suite 101 by: S. Elliot, and I just had to share.
Although no one knows exactly when dogs were domesticated, archaeologists do know that many cultures around the globe began treating dogs like members of the tribe around 14,000 years ago. This alliance with dogs was so profound that in many ancient cemeteries dogs have been discovered buried in the same graves as humans.
This link between man and beast is poignantly rendered in Jean M. Auel’s novel, The Valley of Horses, in which she gives us a fictional account of the possible beginnings of our relationship with the wolves that would later become our canine companions.
Why are Dogs So Much a Part of Human Society?
Dogs are team players. They take direction, naturally follow a social hierarchy, and easily accept humans as part of their pack. Dogs are smart, although Science Daily suggests that there is dispute among the experts about how to assess canine intelligence. One problem in evaluating animal intelligence is in establishing a basis for evaluation. If, for instance, a dog won’t run an obstacle course; is it because he’s not motivated (hungry) or not intelligent enough?
Regardless of how the scientific community decides to define intelligence in dogs, no one who has ever spent time watching a police dog or guide dog would doubt their reasoning ability
It is in the nature of dogs to be industrious and to try to please their pack-mates. This means that dogs can be taught to take direction and perform tasks that man is sometimes unwilling or unable to perform. These innate traits make dogs easily adaptable to human society.
With so many breeds, it’s hard to imagine what the forerunners of the modern day canine might have been like. Through the centuries they have changed and adapted to better perform the tasks assigned to them. Again and again, they have been called upon to risk their lives in the service of their human allies. Every year there are newspaper stories and eyewitness accounts of dogs rescuing babies and young children, warning humans of impending danger, and finding lost loved ones over long and hazardous distances.
After such a successful partnership with man, their fate is inextricably linked to that of humans.
Man and Dogs – The Ties That Bind us Together
Dogs have the ability to feel deep affection and project unfailing good will. They are often good natured, accepting partners of our domestic circumstances. Dogs seldom complain, never threaten to leave us, and always forgive our failings. Their constancy can be a comforting presence as we maneuver our way through the obstacle course of modern life.
Fido may be a mooch, he may even steal a cookie off the coffee table now and then, but if he does, consider it payment for long and valued service.
This man was found alive yesterday after being trapped for 6 days by rubble from the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th. Can you imagine what he must have gone through waiting there to be rescued, or waiting there to die. He says in the video that up until about 48 hours ago he heard tapping from two other people trapped under the same rubble. It is so hard to comprehend.
I hope everybody has a wonderful and safe New Year celebration. I can hardly believe that 2009 is over. It has certainly been a journey to say the least. I love the feeling of starting fresh that a new year brings. It seems to give me energy to start something new or finish something old. It is a time for re-dedication and new ambitions. So, here is to a new decade, may it be the best ever!
