It made me do it

The human brain is incredible. It can take in data and process it at unbelievable speeds.  "In a study at the Children's Hospital in Boston,  "researchers were able to obtain data at extremely high temporal resolution – picking up signals as fast as 100 milliseconds after presentation of a visual stimulus -- and monitor activity in very discrete, specific locations". It's like a computer on steroids.  

But if it's so fast,  tell me how people can get into car accidents by listening to their GPS? Do  they blindly follow the instructions  without realizing what's in front of them or that something is wrong?  I guess so. GPS devices have caused an estimated 300,000 car accidents in the United Kingdom . (I was not able to find a number for the U.S.) People have driven onto train tracks, only to get stuck and have a train demolish their car. They've driven into rivers, bays swamps, made turns where no turn lane existed and driven down the wrong way on streets.  Why????  What happened to their logic, their common sense?  Their eyesight? Are they so ready to comply they hand over responsibility to someone else even if it's a sightless machine?   Then they blame the machine for their own lack of reason.

Jeepers. I read this stuff  and have to wonder what's happening to the human race?  Maybe one of you out there can shed some light on this 'cause, damn, I'm scratching my head over this.

Life's Little Surprises

Several weeks ago I purchased ten strawberry plants from my local home improvement store.   I diligently worked a bunch of compost into the dirt and lovingly planted each plant. Then gently watered them.  To be honest they didn't look great when they came out of the package but I had hope and visions of  huge, red, juice dripping strawberries nestled in rich, billowing whipped cream.

But reality hit when I came out to see how they were doing two days later, for it had rained during that time, and found that the local feral cats liked the nice soft soil to do their business in, unearthing my plants in the process.  So I cleaned out the mounds as best I could and replanted them.  Everything seemed fine for a couple of days, then it happened again.  Needless to say my strawberry plants never took. They were still  dried up, pathetic looking, blackened roots. Oh well.

I continued to have faith and checked on them a few days later to find something else had sprouted.  Pumpkins!  Yes, you read right, pumpkins. The seeds must have come from the pumpkin innards I threw in the compost pile back in October.  They were just waiting for the right combination to break free.

So I'll have to go to the farm stand or a U-pick for my luscious strawberries but now I can dream of carving home grown pumpkins for Halloween.

How's your green thumb?  Have you ever had something go wrong but something good came out of it?

What Does Your Sign Say?

                                      Chauncey in the partying spirit.  

You might remember my birthday was about a month ago.  No?  Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I enjoyed my day.  

As most of you probably have figured out, my birthday comes under the sign of Taurus.  The zodiac can be a fun and interesting read, seeing what fits and what doesn't.  Here are the  sun signs.  See what clicks with you. 

Aries - (fire element, March 21 - April 19)  - have a hard time relaxing if they are inactive. They need to do something, be involved in something.  Aries people also tend to be quite impulsive with actions, a strong believer in the principle that it's better to do something wrong than nothing at all. You are quite energetic.  creative, adaptive, and insightful. They can also be strong-willed and spontaneous.


Taurus - (earth element,  April 20 - May 20)  -  are stubborn by nature, and will stand his/her ground to the bitter end (sometimes even irrationally so).  It's a  loving, sympathetic, and appreciative sign.   They are usually relaxed, sort of laid-back even when involved in something.  It is natural for the Taurus to be slow, calm and conservative in the sense of being reluctant to change. When they agree to help someone, they go to any lengths to keep their word. They'll never let  others down and are extremely dependable.

Gemini  - ( air element, May 21 - June 20) - enjoys talking and exchanging thoughts with others, just about always. It's usually in a lighthearted manner, quicker to jokes than to arguments, more keen on agreeing than on being right and getting credit for it.
They have a great love of the written as well as the spoken word

Cancer - (water element, June 21- July 22) - is caring in a protective way and has a tendency to control, although with good intentions. They love home-life, family and domestic settings though they're apt to hide their moods from others.

Leo - ( fire element,  July 23 - Aug 22)  proud , with a strong sense of integrity and the importance of being true to themselves.  They are vocal about their opinions.  They are also brave, intuitive, and also head-strong and willful.

Virgo - (earth element, August 22 - September 22) - hard working, paying great attention to detail, scrutinizing just about everything. They are quite critical, the last one to be convinced or swept away. They're not much for improvisation, but need mostly to go to the bottom of things, and to be prepared.  They're known for their perfectionism and highly analytical minds.

Libra - (air element, September 23 - October 22) - a person of principles, striving for balance and order. They prefer agreements to orders, but do insist on what they are convinced is the right way. Sometimes it's hard to for them to make up their minds, and to decide between opposite alternatives.  Libras believe strongly in reason, and in solutions reached by discussions. They are all about balance, justice, equanimity and stability.

Scorpio - (water element, October 23 -November 21) - are  secretive , they enjoy strong emotions lived out through others - but are quite restrained, observing behind their withdrawn manner.   A key word for Scorpio is passion, but it must be understood that passion is so strong a feeling that it can hardly be expressed. They are capable of executing massive enterprises with cool control and confidence. 

Sagittarius - (fire element, November 22 - December 21) - independent and free nature,  it’s one of Sagittarius' biggest assets, could cause some difficulties.  A person with great integrity, going your own way, rarely following others - nor do you want others to follow you.   Personal growth and understanding is a key aspect of your personality. 

Capricorn - (earth element, December 22 - January 19) -have the drive and energy to reach results whatever they do.  They have the ambition and the perseverance to realize their goals.  Frugal, resourceful and hard working are traits associated with Capricorns. Commitment is natural to them.

Aquarius  - (air element, January 20 - February 19) - are a thoughtful and contemplative people, striving to understand things around them, no matter how difficult that might be.  They want to find their own way, do things the way they  think is the best.  They don’t want to be like others and take pride in the fact that  they're so unique. Pisces  - (water element, February 20 - March 20) - modest and self sacrificing,  searching tirelessly for what can make life truly meaningful and fulfilling.  They are compassionate and unconditionally loving and avoid making hard  decisions at times, especially if they feel this is going to undermine  someone else. Does your sign fit your personality? If so, in what way? If you want to see what famous people share your sign, you can go to http://www.thefamouspeople.com or http://www.psychicguild.com/psychic-articles/104 to find out. Sources:  www.astrology.com, http://www.completehoroscope.org, http://www.whats-your-sign.com

At the End of the Day

Memorial Day is almost over.  The barbecues are finished and night has descended.  In this quiet space, say a little prayer for those who gave all.  Honor them by keeping America strong and wise and by trying to be the best you can be.

In gratitude to these defenders we humbly say Thank You.

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Note:
If you have left a comment and it isn't up here, there seems to be a problem with Blogger.  I know my daughter tried twice and it never showed up to be approved.

So I'm not ignoring anyone. Please understand something wonky is going on right now. 

Thanks.

Birthday Time

                                                   
That's me at two and one third years old. Looks like I'm  having a real good time with the kitten. yeah right
Love my thighs. My grandmother used to tell people "That one's solid. Try and pick her up".  And people wondered why I was always self-conscious about my weight .  

Anywhoooo, today is my birthday and it's fifty seven years plus a few months since that photo was taken.  A lot of years have gone and there are a lot more to come. Knock on wood.   I know I've hurt some people along the way  but I've also made many happy.  I've done good things and a few bad.  I wish I had no regrets but that's not the case. In fact I wonder about those who say they have no regrets and question whether they have a conscience. That's another discussion.

But life has been good to me.  So today I'll celebrate my fifty-eight years.  I'll put on my dancin' shoes and turn  up the music.  Have my ice cream and eat it too.  I'll throw my hands in the air and shout "Whoo-hoo, it's my birthday!"

                         Happy Birthday to all you Taurus' out there!!

When is your birthday?  Do you go out for a big celebration or a quiet gathering?

Love Spring!

This. . .this is why I love Spring above all other seasons.  The gaiety of color truly gladdens my heart and the resurrection of life lifts my spirit.  I eagerly await for buds to transform barren bushes into lacy green veils and brown swatches of ground to part making way for these tiny miracles.

My crocuses have come and gone.  Their memory still makes me smile.  Soon the Lily of the Valley will  appear with their fragrant blooms.  These will be followed by azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and  flowering trees, dressing my property in a regal gown.  Nature is so beautiful and awe inspiring! 

Willkommen der Frühling

(Welcome Spring)

I hope I have that right, otherwise I think I might have ticked off a bunch of Germans.  Being of German decent, my great grandmother would be upset if I did.

On the Giving End

A little while ago a writer friend of mine asked if I'd critique her story. I was thrilled and honored that she wanted my opinion.  Of course I said yes. 

To make a long story short,  I sent her the first 25 pages a couple of days later, to which she replied what " wonderful, thoughtful, constructive feedback . . .".  It made me smile and gush inside, feeling I had helped her. It took me longer to get pages 26- 109 to her.  She wrote back stating she'd been revising the story for the past three days and was still working on it.  Several days later, I sent her the rest.  She didn't reply back in regards to the work.  Uh oh.  Did I tick her off?  I know I can be really picky, I told her that in the beginning.  I hope I didn't cross over the line.  I didn't mean to if I did.  Was she just being nice saying those things about the first section I did?  It might be, she really is a  sweet person.  Did she never want to show me her work again?  Would she still talk to me?  Ah jeepers, my mind was going down that path of paranoia again.

Okay so it wasn't a full outright trek down that road but my toes did make contact with that path several times during the next few days.  Then I received a request from her to look over her query letter.  Hallelujah, she wasn't mad at me!  Whew.  Thank goodness.  She went onto say she respected what I did, and even though she didn't agree with everything, it made her look at her work and justify why she kept some things.  Fantastic!  I had helped her in a couple of ways, one I didn't expect. 

I'm telling you this because critiquing someone's work can be a touchy situation. You have to make sure they want an honest assessment and not a bunch of praise.  You have to deliver your opinions/thoughts/feelings in a helpful way.  Just like unwarranted praise, brutal honesty doesn't cut it here.  How to Critique Fiction by Victory Crayne, is a very thorough site.   It seems to cover everything so I won't go into it.  It does state the list is merely a guideline and very few people  try to address each subject on that list.  I know I don't, but   after looking at it, I'll be looking for more things.  If it helps me become a better critique partner, why not.

 What kind of critique partner are you?  What strengths do you bring?


For those who follow the LIRW blog, sorry for the replication.  As some of you know I've been busy with family.  Thanks for understanding.