I love writing. It is my passion. It brings me joy. And I rarely do it. That, well, it's just bizarre. I can never quite figure that out about myself. I think I wait until I am in the "proper mood."
I have friends who ask, "when are you going to blog next?" Um... about that... And I keep thinking, but I don't have anything to say, really, that we could consider blog-worthy. Yet, I have a cousin who is taking a 30 day blogging challenge, and I thought, hey, that's a good idea!! But anyone who knows me knows that I have committment issues. I don't want to decide today what I'll write about in 30 days. So I compiled a list, only a few of which are my own ideas. I figure I'll pick one I'm in the mood to address. It's a long list, but for those of you who don't want to have to google for over a half hour, here are enough choices for over a year. I'm grouping them in sets of ten. There may be some semi-duplicates, though I did try my best to eradicate those. If you are looking for a motivation to blog, to write in your journal (as I do esteem some to be far more personal-journal-material than blogosphere-material), maybe these will give you a jumping off point? Yes?
If you have some ideas that you would like to see me address, or topics that you have enjoyed for yourself, or random ideas, by all means share away. I don't promise that they will make it into my 30 day challenge, but they may come up sometime when you least expect it.
Five ways to win your heart
Something about which you feel strongly
Bullet your whole day
Things you want to say to an ex
Your views on mainstream music
Five pet peeves
What you ate today
How important you think education is
Your family
Five guys whom you find attractive
Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it
What you wore today
Write a letter to someone you miss.
Something about which you think "what if?"
Something about which you are proud
A problem you have had
Five items you lust after
Your fears
How you hope your future will be like
Your academics
Five words/phrases that make you laugh
Something that currently worries you
Things you like and dislike about yourself
A quote you try to live by
Somewhere you'd like to live or visit
Five weird things you like/things nobody would suspect
One thing about which you are excited
A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
The meaning behind your Blogger name
A picture of you and your friends
A habit that you wish you didn't have, or something that you are looking forward to.
A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Favorite super hero and why
A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Short term goals for this month and why
Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
A person you would love to meet.
Your Blog Story.
A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
A letter to someone you have hurt recently
A picture of you and your family
Put your mp3 player on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Another picture of yourself (baby pic!)
Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Plans/dreams/goals you have
Nicknames you have; why do you have them
What does your future hold/where would you like to be?
A picture of something that makes you happy
What makes you different from everyone else
Something you crave for a lot
A letter to your parents
What I would find in your bag
What you think about your friends
Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
In this past month, what have you learned
Who are you?
Something you're looking forward to this year.
Something you regret not having done last year.
Something with which you struggle.
Something that is part of your routine that you enjoy.
Something in life that gives you balance.
Something that excites you and fills you with joy.
Something at which you've been a champion or the best.
Something about which people seem to compliment you.
Something you hope to change about yourself and why.
Discuss some of the things on your bucket list.
Someone who has made your life worth living.
A band/musical artist whose music impacted your life.
A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Someone with whom you shared a friendship/relationship that simply drifted out of your life.
Someone you met randomly that's made an impact on your life.
Something that shook your belief system to its core (a big disappointment in your life).
Discuss your favorite movie and why it's so special to you.
Write about your best friend (not significant other) and what makes them special.
Describe a dark/turbulent moment in your life.
Describe a truly spiritual moment in your life.
Discuss a spontaneous moment in your life that that turned out to be fantastic.
Discuss something you planned that ended up not being what you expected.
How do you handle/deal with both success and failure?
What is your vocation (why are you here on earth)?
What is your biggest dream in life (what one great thing do you want to accomplish)?
What WAS your biggest dream in life (you wanted to do as a kid but no longer can)?
Someone in your family that means so much to you.
Write a letter to yourself.
Your favourite pair of shoes.
A photograph of your mobile phone.
A photograph of yourself two years ago.
A day in the life, photographs taken throughout your day.
A photograph of a hairstyle you’d like to have.
A photo of yourself, not taken by you.
A photo of someone you fancy at the moment.
The contents of your fridge, MTV Cribs style.
Your dream wedding.
A photo of the item you last purchased.
Your favourite movie.
What you want more than anything right now.
Your current wishlist..
Something you regret.
The most beautiful picture of your best friend.
A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
A photo of your house/apartment.
A photo of your handwriting.
A band/artist not many people know of, but you think should.
A photograph of the part of you that you dislike the most.
A photograph of the part of you that you like the most
The next plan you have coming up that you’re really excited for.
A song to match your mood.
A photograph of the town you live in.
A celebrity you don’t like, and why.
A photo of your favourite item of clothing.
A cartoon character that you’d love to meet in real life.
The place you want to live.
A photograph of yourself taken today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days
Write an article worthy of eHow
If you called in Kidd Kraddick to play "Does that make me crazy?" what would be your crazy atribute?
Something you love to hate
Something about which you don't really feel that strongly, but you pretend like you do and why
Comfort clothes
Who do you stalk on social media/blogs?
A project you are working on
Rewrite children story
A recent inspring discourse/sermon
A scripture that stood out to you
Memories of a holiday as a child
What characteristic of video games would you like your life to have?
A super power you would like to have
Something that you thought you'd never do/have that is now irreplaceable
A current project
Things you are good at
I am looking forward to …
Week/Weekend Goals
Least favorite words
Favorite websites and blogs
Date night ideas
Weekly rituals
My 3 Wishes
DIYs I want to try
Things I love about _______
On my shopping list
Places to see in your town
Words that are hard to spell
Favorite Childhood Memory
Recipes I want to try
Celebrity crushes
Things to do Winter
Today I saw...
Guilty pleasures
I make lists for...
Things I’d rather be doing right now
Books I’d like to read this year
Vacations to take
Favorite foods
Today’s to-do list
Your favorite movie
Your favorite television program
Your favorite quote
Whatever tickles your fancy
A photo that makes you happy
A photo that makes you angry/sad
A photo you took
A photo of you taken over ten years ago
A photo of you taken recently
A non-fictional book
A fanfic
A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Write about any particular habits/mannerisms that you have.
Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Your Spouse
A song to match your mood
Favorite movies
Favorite tv shows
Something you’re afraid of
Something you don’t leave the house without
Dream house
Something you’re looking forward to
Favorite Place to Eat
Favorite Picture of yourself of all time and Why?
Something you’ve learned
Your Wedding
Something that stresses you out
If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want or why you don’t think they are right for you
Your favorite song
Your favorite quote
Say something to your 15 year old self
A hobby of yours
A recipe
A website
A YouTube video
Your day, in great detail
Your week, in great detail
This month, in great detail
This year, in great detail
Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Something you ate today
An animal you’d love to keep as a pet
The item you last purchased
Something you would like to do but are afraid to do it!
The last thing that made you cry
Talk about the last “random act of kindness” you encountered
Something you crave a lot
A photo of something that means a lot to you.
How have you changed since last year
Something you could never get tired of doing
Talk about a regret you have
Explain how you got one of your scars
How do you think others view you
A poem you wrote
Tell us about your best friend
A talent of yours.
Your deepest fear
5 good things that happened since you started the challenge
How many languages can you speak?
Top 5 favorite Board Games
Do you believe in soul mates?
What is the best piece of advice you've received?
Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
Summer or Winter?
Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?
What would you do if you only had 24 hours left to live?
What is the first thing you notice about people?
Top 5 favorite bloggers you like to read
What is your favorite food?
Top 5 favorite Sports players (male or female)
What was the last movie you've seen?
What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
What is your favorite pizza topping?
What is the worst thing that happened to you during the past week?
What's your favorite Broadway musical?
Write about your last birthday and how you plan to spend your upcoming birthday.
Who's your favorite Care Bear?
What do your parents do for a living?
Computer or television?
If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
Post one confession/secret
Mountain hideaway or beach house?
What is on your mouse pad?
Hugs or Kisses?
What was a changing moment in your life?
Has a painful experience ever had a positive impact in your life?
What are three of your biggest passions?
What is your dream career?
What in life is most beautiful to you?
Describe a specific moment where God obviously was working in your life.
What is your place of refuge?
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? What about now?
What song has moved you recently?
Who is your "best self"?
What is your favorite age?
If you knew you would die in two weeks, would you change anything about your life now?
Why do you keep a blog? What is your favorite part of keeping a blog? Least favorite?
When do you feel most alive?
Have you ever regretted something you DIDN'T do?
How do you spend time alone?
What kind of impact do you want to make on the world?
If you had a friend who talked to you like you talk to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
What is your favorite Bible verse and why?
Are you an optimist, a realist, or a pessimist? Which would you rather be?
What do you miss most about your childhood?
How are you inspired?
What is a quality about yourself that you like? That you're striving to change?
Who is someone who changed your life for the better?
How is God working in your life right now?
If you could write a letter to your thirteen-year-old self, what would you say?
What do you like best about each member of your family?
If you could do one thing to make the world a better place, what would you do?
At this time in your life, do you think you're fulfilling God's plans for you?
Share your testimony.
Something you hate about yourself.
Something you love about yourself.
Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Something you have to forgive someone for.
Something you hope you never have to do.
Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like trash.
Someone you didn't want to let go, but just drifted.
Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know.
Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Something you never get compliments on.
A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough days. (write a letter.)
A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Something or someone you couldn't live without, because you've tried living without it.
Someone or something you definitely could live without.
A book you've read that changed your views on something.
Your views on same-sex marriage.
What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Your views on drugs and alcohol.
(scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
The reason you believe you're still alive today.
Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
What's the best thing going for you right now?
What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Top 5 Websites you like to visit
Top 5 Desserts
Top 5 TV shows
Top 5 Fast Food outlets
Top 5 Things you’re looking forward to in April
Top 5 Clothing stores
Top 5 Female bloggers you like to read
Top 5 Home improvement projects you’d like to complete
Top 5 Countries You’d Like To Visit
Top 5 Female names that you like
Top 5 Actresses
Top 5 Gigs/Concerts You’ve seen or would like to see.
Top 5 Albums
Top 5 Video Games
Top 5 Animated Films
Top 5 Actors
Top 5 Cities (either visited or would like to visit)
Top 5 Favorite memories from high school.
Top 5 Meals/Recipes
Top 5 Male Bloggers you like to read.
Top 5 Gadgets you own.
Top 5 Chocolate/Sweets
Top 5 Drinks
Top 5 Celebrities (Web, TV, Film, Music, Other?)
Write about the best friends you’ve had over the years.
Look up your horoscope for today and tell us how accurate you think it is.
Write about a period of time in your life where things seemed to be constantly going good.
Write about a period of time in your life where things were not so good.
How do you feel today?
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?
What’s the meanest thing anyone has ever said to you?
A TV show, book, song and artist you’re currently addicted to.
Upload a picture of your room and talk about your room.
How has your life changed over the past year?
What made you smile the most today?
Describe what you spend most of your time on.
Write about something you once loved, but now despise.
Where do you think you’ll be in 5 years?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Numb3rs
"Are you going over to watch that show tonight?" This is the husband. He has discovered a newly established pattern.
Saturday he left to play soccer with the guys. He had survived an entire week of my business meetings and lousy schedules, so he went to have fun. I sat in a vegetative state for a while, also recuperating. And then I got a text. From my sister. "Whatcha doin?" My answer "nothing." It may baffle mathmaticians, physicists and philosophers: this is a case where nothing+nothing= something.
We got together and watched a really bizarre 80's movie. That may be redudant. 80's and bizarre are synonymous. We were still wide awake, and somewhat disappointed with the movie, so we were ready to launch into something else... but it was too late for another movie. We opted for a television program instead. This is when we happened upon Numb3rs. And we loved it. Analytical. Problem-solving. Fun.
Monday came. Tempation was there. I couldn't let her watch Numb3rs alone! So I went! Then Tuesday I had to take some things over for the girls to get ready for girl's camp. And while I was there... of course we had to watch again! So, I am sure you can all see how the pattern started.
Last night, to avoid total moocher land, I made dinner. It has no name yet. I'll take some pointers.
I shredded zucchini and sauteed it. While I was doing this, I soaked tvp chicken in hot water with frozen peas. Once the zucchini was sauteed, I added the meat and peas mixture. There were dried onions, garlic, vegetable boullion, cumin, salt and cilantro in the seasoning. I continued cooking that over low temperature. I added a can of cream of mushroom, and continued cooking over low. Then I dumped it all in an oven-safe glass dish, turned the oven on to 350. I crumbled cheese crackers over the top of it, popped it in the oven for a few minutes, pulled it out, and voila! It was pretty good.
So now I think my evenings involve food and Numb3rs! It's a fun way to hang out. =)
Saturday he left to play soccer with the guys. He had survived an entire week of my business meetings and lousy schedules, so he went to have fun. I sat in a vegetative state for a while, also recuperating. And then I got a text. From my sister. "Whatcha doin?" My answer "nothing." It may baffle mathmaticians, physicists and philosophers: this is a case where nothing+nothing= something.
We got together and watched a really bizarre 80's movie. That may be redudant. 80's and bizarre are synonymous. We were still wide awake, and somewhat disappointed with the movie, so we were ready to launch into something else... but it was too late for another movie. We opted for a television program instead. This is when we happened upon Numb3rs. And we loved it. Analytical. Problem-solving. Fun.
Monday came. Tempation was there. I couldn't let her watch Numb3rs alone! So I went! Then Tuesday I had to take some things over for the girls to get ready for girl's camp. And while I was there... of course we had to watch again! So, I am sure you can all see how the pattern started.
Last night, to avoid total moocher land, I made dinner. It has no name yet. I'll take some pointers.
I shredded zucchini and sauteed it. While I was doing this, I soaked tvp chicken in hot water with frozen peas. Once the zucchini was sauteed, I added the meat and peas mixture. There were dried onions, garlic, vegetable boullion, cumin, salt and cilantro in the seasoning. I continued cooking that over low temperature. I added a can of cream of mushroom, and continued cooking over low. Then I dumped it all in an oven-safe glass dish, turned the oven on to 350. I crumbled cheese crackers over the top of it, popped it in the oven for a few minutes, pulled it out, and voila! It was pretty good.
So now I think my evenings involve food and Numb3rs! It's a fun way to hang out. =)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Succotash
Dear Succotash,
If that is even your real name. I remember having a love affair with you as a child. It was summer then, as it is now, and the memories come back. My grandmother made you for dinner out of food from our garden. I recall a delightfully made casserole with zucchini and summer squash, and vaguely I recall cheese. If there was not cheese, I would not object to its inclusion. I seem to recall you were made because it was my mom's birthday. Maybe that's not entirely true, but it seems like it fits. Our Sunday dinner, then, differed from the roast and potatoes and carrots and salad that we usually had. It was a light summer Sunday, and I ate succotash, and I was happy.
I am distressed that I cannot find how to revive that old love affair. At home, right now, fresh from the garden I have zucchini and squash. They beckon to me. They call your name. But I cannot heed their call. I am saddened that I do not have my grandma's recipe for you. My kind friend googled you for me, to track you down, but it was not you. It was an imposter. Lima beans? LIMA BEANS?!? Oh, fair squashy food fit for the summer palate... wherefore art thou?
Your veggie loving childhood friend,
Ms. Vegetarian Craving Succotash
If that is even your real name. I remember having a love affair with you as a child. It was summer then, as it is now, and the memories come back. My grandmother made you for dinner out of food from our garden. I recall a delightfully made casserole with zucchini and summer squash, and vaguely I recall cheese. If there was not cheese, I would not object to its inclusion. I seem to recall you were made because it was my mom's birthday. Maybe that's not entirely true, but it seems like it fits. Our Sunday dinner, then, differed from the roast and potatoes and carrots and salad that we usually had. It was a light summer Sunday, and I ate succotash, and I was happy.
I am distressed that I cannot find how to revive that old love affair. At home, right now, fresh from the garden I have zucchini and squash. They beckon to me. They call your name. But I cannot heed their call. I am saddened that I do not have my grandma's recipe for you. My kind friend googled you for me, to track you down, but it was not you. It was an imposter. Lima beans? LIMA BEANS?!? Oh, fair squashy food fit for the summer palate... wherefore art thou?
Your veggie loving childhood friend,
Ms. Vegetarian Craving Succotash
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Summary of Recent Events
The following post includes a limerick, wherein I commemorate national limerick day (last week), the Civil War (which started 150 years ago this past weekend), and my new experience with a game like baseball that apparently was more common during the 1860s.
In the great North versus South war,
Heartache and loss came to every door.
Had it been solved with cricket,
the target, a wicket,
Our country would have been spared the gore.
The idea was okay, the execution of the idea was somewhat lacking. But there you have it.
In the great North versus South war,
Heartache and loss came to every door.
Had it been solved with cricket,
the target, a wicket,
Our country would have been spared the gore.
The idea was okay, the execution of the idea was somewhat lacking. But there you have it.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
PASSOVER OF THE RESURRECTION
In all the rush from one place to another, the joyful colors of spring and Easter may be seen everywhere. Sometimes in this avalanche of toys and candy and color, it is easy to forget the true meaning of Easter. It is my attempt, with the aid of other Christians celebrating the Resurrection of the Savior, to direct our minds and hearts to the Lord. Many of the traditions of the season pre-dated the Christian celebration of the Savior's Resurrection on that Spring morning hundreds of years ago. But maybe those symbols, just as our hearts, can be "converted" to strengthen us. Below there are symbols and their Christianized meanings, as well as scriptures for each one. I have thought that these would make excellent stuffers for plastic Easter eggs, with the scriptures used for discussion. Then, when we are greeted by these symbols at the stores and in the streets, we can smile as we think of Him who has redeemed us all.
Symbol | Scripture Passage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Angels | Matthew 28:5-6 | Proclaiming that He is risen |
 Blue | John 14:2-3 | Heaven, where we may dwell with the Savior |
 Bunny | John 10:10 | New and Abundant life; We need to share Gospel and multiply truth and be peaceful like our Savior |
 Butterfly | 1 Corinthians 15-3-4 | Our life, tomb and Resurrection brought to pass through the Savior's Atonement |
 Candle | John 8:12 | Jesus is the light of the world |
 Chicks | Matthew 23:37 | New life (leaving tomb); We are protected by the Savior as chicks are protected by their mother hen |
 Cross | John 19:17-19 | Death of Savior, the empty cross reflects that He is no longer there |
 Daffodil | Matthew 24:31 | New life, proclaiming good news |
 Easter basket | Mark 13:27 | Gathering of God's children into His fold |
 Easter clothes | 2 Corinthians 5:17 | New clothes = new life |
 Easter egg hunt | Jeremiah 16:16 | Responsibility of the believers to be hunters and fishers of men |
 Easter eggs | Matthew 27:59-60 | Tomb, awaiting new life |
 Easter Lily | 1 John 3:3 | Purity of Savior |
 Folded burial napkin | John 20:5-7 | He is not here! |
 Green | 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:10 | Hope in the Resurrection and Eternal Life |
 Hot Cross Buns | John 6:51 | Jesus is bread of life, and the cross represents is His death |
 Lamb | John 1:29 | Lamb of God, the everlasting sacrifice for our sins |
 Orange | Romans 5:11 | Joy we receive through the Savior's Atonement |
 Palm branches | John 12:12-13 | Triumphal entry into Jerusalem |
 Pink | John 3:16 | God's love to sacrifice His Son so that we can return to Him |
 Pretzel | 1 Corinthians 5:7 | Unleavened bread, arms folded in prayer |
 Purple | Mark 15:17 | Royalty, the King of Kings |
 Red | Matthew 26:28 | Blood of the Savior shed to redeem us |
 Resurrection | John 20:11-16 | He lives! We will live again |
 Rooster | Matthew 26:35 | Reminder to not deny Savior as Peter did |
 Sweet spices | Mark 16:1; John 19:40 | Sweet spices were used in preparation for the Savior's burial |
 Tomb | Luke 24:2-3 | He is risen! |
 Tulips | Romans 6:5; John 11:25 | New life, springing out of dead ground |
 White | Isaiah 1:18 | Purity |
 Yellow | Matthew 4:16 | Jesus is the light that leads us through darkness |
Monday, April 11, 2011
Intrigued
Sometimes it happens. Sometimes something (at work, generally) comes up that spurs my interest and I invest time to learn more about it or comprehend it.
For example, my company has a client that makes rubber floor mats, primarily for the dairy industry, out of used tires. I was lucky that the contact with whom I usually speak was patient because that inspired many questions. Where do they get the tires? What inspired this idea? How is it done? In addition to the questions I asked him, I investigated the subject. I am still curious on this topic. If I were in school, I would have written a research paper. I know, I am a nerd. I was thinking that if I were a reporter, I would probably be able to obtain more information. Particularly on what a certain major supermarket chain does with my tires that they make me pay to recycle. In the future, this topic alone may become a post because I think it is neat that this environmentally unfriendly eyesore:
(This picture is borrowed.)
It really speaks to my love the planet (and the cows!) soul.
This same interest, one that meant that throughout the day my thoughts were going back to the same question, happened just last week. A prospective customer called wanting to know some basic but random information. He wanted to know if we could measure the velocity of the water leaving out machine at a specific distance from the point of exit. Sounds simple enough, right? In reality, this question is typically unnecessary for 99.999% of the people who talk to us.
But then there's the random person every several years who asks. At first I thought maybe he was looking for something akin to a speedometer, but for water. I asked my tech service. This is not a product we offer. As it turns out, there are formulas that can help to derive this information (although an apparatus of some sort would be easier, if you ask me. Program IT to do the work, I say). Then... it sounds like physics. And physics, ladies and gentlemen, was not my forte in school. Not in high school. Not in college. But I was captivated. I looked up even more formulas to resolve unknowns. I found more unknowns. I asked the gentleman questions about his application (which was very different from any system we offer or any application we can do). He wanted to create a water curtain, essentially, to act as a sound barrier. I found the application just as intriguing as the math involved. Although my interest diminished after a couple of hard work days and the knowledge that I will probably never come to a suitable answer, just writing about it gets me all fired up again.
It is a thirst for knowledge. A desire to comprehend. It's the thing that makes me the red-blooded nerdy girl that I am. It's true that I am not a brilliant mad scientist, but that's probably a good thing. The truth remains that there come days when a good question comes to the surface... and somewhere in the ho-hum doldrums of same day, same stuff land, I have a spark that elevates me to look at things from a new perspective.
Am I the only one who really gets that interested in some random topic?
For example, my company has a client that makes rubber floor mats, primarily for the dairy industry, out of used tires. I was lucky that the contact with whom I usually speak was patient because that inspired many questions. Where do they get the tires? What inspired this idea? How is it done? In addition to the questions I asked him, I investigated the subject. I am still curious on this topic. If I were in school, I would have written a research paper. I know, I am a nerd. I was thinking that if I were a reporter, I would probably be able to obtain more information. Particularly on what a certain major supermarket chain does with my tires that they make me pay to recycle. In the future, this topic alone may become a post because I think it is neat that this environmentally unfriendly eyesore:
can become this ecologically savvy and humane product:
(This picture is borrowed.)This same interest, one that meant that throughout the day my thoughts were going back to the same question, happened just last week. A prospective customer called wanting to know some basic but random information. He wanted to know if we could measure the velocity of the water leaving out machine at a specific distance from the point of exit. Sounds simple enough, right? In reality, this question is typically unnecessary for 99.999% of the people who talk to us.
But then there's the random person every several years who asks. At first I thought maybe he was looking for something akin to a speedometer, but for water. I asked my tech service. This is not a product we offer. As it turns out, there are formulas that can help to derive this information (although an apparatus of some sort would be easier, if you ask me. Program IT to do the work, I say). Then... it sounds like physics. And physics, ladies and gentlemen, was not my forte in school. Not in high school. Not in college. But I was captivated. I looked up even more formulas to resolve unknowns. I found more unknowns. I asked the gentleman questions about his application (which was very different from any system we offer or any application we can do). He wanted to create a water curtain, essentially, to act as a sound barrier. I found the application just as intriguing as the math involved. Although my interest diminished after a couple of hard work days and the knowledge that I will probably never come to a suitable answer, just writing about it gets me all fired up again.
It is a thirst for knowledge. A desire to comprehend. It's the thing that makes me the red-blooded nerdy girl that I am. It's true that I am not a brilliant mad scientist, but that's probably a good thing. The truth remains that there come days when a good question comes to the surface... and somewhere in the ho-hum doldrums of same day, same stuff land, I have a spark that elevates me to look at things from a new perspective.
Am I the only one who really gets that interested in some random topic?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Spring up to Hope
The sun is shining for more hours again, and beautiful flowers which I did not plant have poked through the earth and blossomed. The tree in my front yard now has leaves. My daily drives now include more green.
And silently, my soul sighs. It stretches and expands and blooms. It is Spring.
I love Spring. Love love love it. I used to have an equal love of Spring and Autumn, in love with the colors and the cool temperatures... neither hot nor cold. I loved to see nature painted in such colorful, if different, arrays in both seasons. But, in my "old" age I have come to love Spring more because Autumn inevitably means that Winter is coming and Spring tells me that I have survived the cold, dark days and sunny ones are on the way.
I have an inexplicable connection between Spring and hope. I feel more hopeful in the Spring. Logically I know that things do not magically become better simply because more of the sun's rays reach the portion of the planet that I inhabit. My car will still need to be fixed. I will not get a raise. I will not suddenly fit into my cuter clothes now only peeping at me from the corner of my closet. None of those things.
But somehow, in the Spring, I really do think life is on the upswing and that the unhappier details of life will somehow be worked through and improved. Healthy habits can continue to form and become long-term. Past regrets can be laid to rest. Friendships can be repaired and strengthened. Okay, and maybe part of me still thinks that somehow my paycheck will stretch further. ;)
I doubt that the increased production of Vitamin D in my skin is really the genesis of the hope, although perhaps it could be the subject of an interesting study. Winter is already associated with doldrums, so the end of winter is the beginning of more happiness.
I think it is an inherent and incomprehensible connection in my mind. Spring equals hope.
The celebration of the Resurrection of the Savior... of life coming to those who were spiritually and physically dead... comes in Spring. Is it any wonder that new life, new beginnings and new dreams should be associated with Spring? When all the world is awakening from it's winter slumber, with so many warm sunrays reducing the darkness, with reminders of the Savior's sacrifice for me and for everyone... is it really so odd that Spring and hope are conjoined in my mind?