You can learn or notice all kinds of things by watching pets, especially new ones.
Early in the summer, we brought my brother's corgi to live with my parents. The corgi couldn't do the stairs at my brother's house anymore.
The corgi had always lived in areas with numerous lawns. We stopped in New Mexico for the night. Corgi got out of the car and looked up at me like, "Where's the grass?". I pointed to a weed and told him that was his option. After looking at the weed, he looked up at me like, "You have GOT to be kidding!" He has since adjusted to Arizona and using a weed no longer bothers him. It had never occurred to me how our lack of vegetation might seem unusual.
There are some great authors who write from the perspective of an animal. C.A. Goody is one of these. Charlie and the Rodent Queen is a prime example of the world from animals views. In this book, you get to see a hamster from a cat's view and a cat from a hamster's view. You even get to see what is happening from the dog's view. Unfortunately, she is busy doing her own thing and doesn't even realize this discovery is happening. She is like most of us. How often do we miss what is going on around us because we are busy doing our own thing?
If you are up to a challenge, put yourself in the place of an animal and at least think about something from the animal's perspective.
I have found that this exercise has provided me insight to my world. It has also calmed me down when I was furious at a cat for doing something he shouldn't. "But, Mommy, I was just trying to help. You said your plants needed watered."
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
9/11 - Emergency Preparedness Day
We are all likely to have some kind of an emergency in our life and we all need to be prepared for the small emergencies that are likely to hit us. I am talking about the kind that won't make the evening news. Identity theft, house fire or break-in, computer crash, auto accident, or a health emergency are just a few of the emergencies that happen every day.
Are you prepared for an emergency? Today is a good day to do some simple things to help protect you and your loved ones over the next year.
Home First Aid Kit: Replace any items you have used. Remove and replace expired or damaged items.
Auto First Aid Kit: Replace items you have used. Remove and replace expired or damaged items. Check for items that were damaged by the summer heat or the winter cold.
Pet First Aid Kit: Replace any used items. Remove and replace expired or damaged items.
Home Safety: Check flashlight and spare batteries. Check fire alarms, entry alarms, carbon dioxide alarms. Clean the keys on the key pad on your entry alarm. Is it time to change the locks (who has keys)? Are your escape routes and meeting points still good (do you remember them)?
Auto Safety Kit: Replace items that need it. Check that duct tape and those flash light batteries. They don't do well in our Arizona heat.
Credit Card Safety: Check your credit reports and make sure they are accurate. Check your aluminum foil in your wallet that surround both sides of your cards. (Aluminum foil keeps the cards from being scanned without your knowledge. Both sides of the card have to be protected. This is VITAL if you carry only one card like when you go to the gym.) Do you have contact information to cancel the cards if they get lost or stolen?
Computer Safety: Change internet passwords. Update your virus protection software and do a virus scan. Back up any data you don't want to loose. If possible, store that back-up away from home.
Personal Documents: Does anything need updated? Will? Insurances (life)? Power of Attorney? Driver's License (get that SS# removed)? Passport? Medical Records (that list that you are supposed to carry with you)? Does your family know where to find this information and anything else they may need if something happens to you? Do you know where this information is for your family members?
Telephone/Cell Phones: Are your cells ICEd? Do you have emergency numbers current? Poison control? Non-emergency police? Doctors?
Physically: Any doctors or tests you need to schedule?
This is really a basic list of things to do. These will help you be prepared or protect you from more common emergencies.
If you need information on any of the above items, there is all kinds of help on the web. Just do a search. If you are interested in being prepared for larger emergencies, there is all kinds of help for that as well.
I hope you don't use any of these preparations, but if you end up needing them, you will be glad you did!
Are you prepared for an emergency? Today is a good day to do some simple things to help protect you and your loved ones over the next year.
Home First Aid Kit: Replace any items you have used. Remove and replace expired or damaged items.
Auto First Aid Kit: Replace items you have used. Remove and replace expired or damaged items. Check for items that were damaged by the summer heat or the winter cold.
Pet First Aid Kit: Replace any used items. Remove and replace expired or damaged items.
Home Safety: Check flashlight and spare batteries. Check fire alarms, entry alarms, carbon dioxide alarms. Clean the keys on the key pad on your entry alarm. Is it time to change the locks (who has keys)? Are your escape routes and meeting points still good (do you remember them)?
Auto Safety Kit: Replace items that need it. Check that duct tape and those flash light batteries. They don't do well in our Arizona heat.
Credit Card Safety: Check your credit reports and make sure they are accurate. Check your aluminum foil in your wallet that surround both sides of your cards. (Aluminum foil keeps the cards from being scanned without your knowledge. Both sides of the card have to be protected. This is VITAL if you carry only one card like when you go to the gym.) Do you have contact information to cancel the cards if they get lost or stolen?
Computer Safety: Change internet passwords. Update your virus protection software and do a virus scan. Back up any data you don't want to loose. If possible, store that back-up away from home.
Personal Documents: Does anything need updated? Will? Insurances (life)? Power of Attorney? Driver's License (get that SS# removed)? Passport? Medical Records (that list that you are supposed to carry with you)? Does your family know where to find this information and anything else they may need if something happens to you? Do you know where this information is for your family members?
Telephone/Cell Phones: Are your cells ICEd? Do you have emergency numbers current? Poison control? Non-emergency police? Doctors?
Physically: Any doctors or tests you need to schedule?
This is really a basic list of things to do. These will help you be prepared or protect you from more common emergencies.
If you need information on any of the above items, there is all kinds of help on the web. Just do a search. If you are interested in being prepared for larger emergencies, there is all kinds of help for that as well.
I hope you don't use any of these preparations, but if you end up needing them, you will be glad you did!
Monday, September 10, 2012
People are Reading and It's HOT!!
To be honest, part of the reason I hadn't posted was because I didn't think anybody was reading this blog. I also haven't been very inspired recently. What can I say? It's hard to be inspired when it is so wickedly hot outside. I have received a couple of e-mails from concerned readers. To those who are reading, thank you.
I decided that laughing about this heat may be a good blog topic. For those of you who don't live in Central Arizona, these things really have happened! Please note: ALL temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit.
You know you are "enjoying" an Arizona summer when...
...you blister the bottoms of your feet - through your shoes.
...when crossing the street, the bottoms of your tennis shoes melt.
...when you go to bed, at 11:00 PM, the temperature is still over 100.
...when you get up, at 3:30 AM, the temperature is over 100.
...you comment about how humid it feels and the humidity is only at 7%.
...you aren't the least bit surprised that there is no rain with the thunder and lightening.
...when you go over a bridge, you are shocked that there is water in the wash.
...when the doctor asks you if you are having "excessive sweating" or "trouble sleeping", you look at him like he is an idiot. After all, it's 118 degrees outside and it hasn't dropped to below 90 in over a week!
...the type of dust storm that passed through occurs only in two other places in the world - the Middle East and the Sahara Desert.
...you can't charge your cell phone in the car because the over-heating circuit engages.
...the weatherman (correctly) exclaims that it is going to be chilly. The high is only going to be 103!
...you decided you "wanted some green out front" so you spray painted the rocks.
...even the weeds have a burnt look.
...you take a hot shower but only turn on the cold water side
...you haven't even had a cold shower since March.
...you have no clue how hot it is in the car because the LCD display on the thermometer fried and the other doesn't go that high.
...you know how hot it is in your car because you have an analog oven thermometer in your car. The digital oven thermometer had the LCD display fried.
...you have had money try to burn a hole through your pocket and your skin after picking up a lost coin in a parking lot.
...you do much of your cooking outside in a solar oven.
...the one day the clouds moved in and cooled everything off to 85 degrees, you wore a sweater.
...you left a CD laying on the seat of your car and it warped.
...when it starts to rain, you run outside to stand in it.
...you could hear rain hitting the roof and awning, but it evaporated before it got to your head.
I hope everyone's summer has been enjoyable.
...you take a hot shower but only turn on the cold water side
...you haven't even had a cold shower since March.
...you have no clue how hot it is in the car because the LCD display on the thermometer fried and the other doesn't go that high.
...you know how hot it is in your car because you have an analog oven thermometer in your car. The digital oven thermometer had the LCD display fried.
...you have had money try to burn a hole through your pocket and your skin after picking up a lost coin in a parking lot.
...you do much of your cooking outside in a solar oven.
...the one day the clouds moved in and cooled everything off to 85 degrees, you wore a sweater.
...you left a CD laying on the seat of your car and it warped.
...when it starts to rain, you run outside to stand in it.
...you could hear rain hitting the roof and awning, but it evaporated before it got to your head.
I hope everyone's summer has been enjoyable.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
A Belated Father's Day Thought
DAD, forwards and backwards is still DAD. Dads are special people and there is no one in our lives like a dad!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Farewell, Joel
One of the greatest experiences of my musical life was the opportunity to study string bass under Joel di Bartolo. I knew he was an awesome bass player, but I didn't realize how great until I just did a search to make sure I was spelling his name correctly. He was obviously not a boaster! M*A*S*H and Star Trek TNG are two DVD series that are often playing in our house. My Trekkie husband will be shocked to hear about this.
For those of you who do not recognize his name, please take a minute to read Joel's Obituary.
Just before Easter, I found out about his passing. It has taken me this long to accept it and grieve. I never got the opportunity to thank him for taking his time with me. I am not a world-class bassist. I am not even an outstanding bassist. I am a recreational bassist but I am a much better bassist because of Joel.
Before Joel came to NAU, I had taken private lessons under another instructor. That year of lessons was a nightmare. I hated it and I vowed I would not take any more private lessons. The next year, the orchestra director somehow convinced me to at least give Joel a try. This would be the first (and only) time I would really get to study under someone who actually played bass. At that point, I had been playing bass for 8 years. I spent my first lesson playing open-string whole notes. We went back to the very basics. I learned more in that one year than I had from all my other private lessons combined. I only was able to study under Joel for one year because I was graduating and moving.
He made a list of changes that my bass needed done so it would be the best bass for me. When he would be doing something special and not want to bring his bass, he would ask to use my bass.
Joel didn't try to mold me into his vision of "the perfect bassist". He helped me discover my particular style and how to overcome my shortcomings. He worked with me on bowing techniques and how to play so I wasn't causing more wrist pain. I remember him saying, "Playing bass should never be painful." Wow! Not buck up and deal with it, but, let's find a way so it doesn't hurt! He accepted that I played bass solely for fun and not because I wanted to make it a career. He also never treated me like I was wasting his time because I didn't want to be a professional. It was OK to play bass just because I wanted to. His attitude of taking each bassist as an individual gave me confidence I had never had as a bassist.
Would I have continued to play bass after NAU if it wasn't for the confidence Joel helped me build? Would I have played in groups where I was the only bassist if it hadn't been for Joel? Would I still even enjoy playing bass?
I mourn for all the bassists who will never get a chance to experience his wisdom, talent, and humor. I mourn for those bassists who will stop playing because they will not have instructors that help them find their styles and tell them it is OK to just play for fun. I mourn for our loss to experience a master make the bass fluently speak in so many musical languages.
Thank you, Joel, for helping me discover the tools so I could continue to enjoy playing bass. I mourn that I will never get to sit next to you again and receive those jewels of wisdom you would share. Thank you.
For those of you who do not recognize his name, please take a minute to read Joel's Obituary.
Just before Easter, I found out about his passing. It has taken me this long to accept it and grieve. I never got the opportunity to thank him for taking his time with me. I am not a world-class bassist. I am not even an outstanding bassist. I am a recreational bassist but I am a much better bassist because of Joel.
Before Joel came to NAU, I had taken private lessons under another instructor. That year of lessons was a nightmare. I hated it and I vowed I would not take any more private lessons. The next year, the orchestra director somehow convinced me to at least give Joel a try. This would be the first (and only) time I would really get to study under someone who actually played bass. At that point, I had been playing bass for 8 years. I spent my first lesson playing open-string whole notes. We went back to the very basics. I learned more in that one year than I had from all my other private lessons combined. I only was able to study under Joel for one year because I was graduating and moving.
He made a list of changes that my bass needed done so it would be the best bass for me. When he would be doing something special and not want to bring his bass, he would ask to use my bass.
Joel didn't try to mold me into his vision of "the perfect bassist". He helped me discover my particular style and how to overcome my shortcomings. He worked with me on bowing techniques and how to play so I wasn't causing more wrist pain. I remember him saying, "Playing bass should never be painful." Wow! Not buck up and deal with it, but, let's find a way so it doesn't hurt! He accepted that I played bass solely for fun and not because I wanted to make it a career. He also never treated me like I was wasting his time because I didn't want to be a professional. It was OK to play bass just because I wanted to. His attitude of taking each bassist as an individual gave me confidence I had never had as a bassist.
Would I have continued to play bass after NAU if it wasn't for the confidence Joel helped me build? Would I have played in groups where I was the only bassist if it hadn't been for Joel? Would I still even enjoy playing bass?
I mourn for all the bassists who will never get a chance to experience his wisdom, talent, and humor. I mourn for those bassists who will stop playing because they will not have instructors that help them find their styles and tell them it is OK to just play for fun. I mourn for our loss to experience a master make the bass fluently speak in so many musical languages.
Thank you, Joel, for helping me discover the tools so I could continue to enjoy playing bass. I mourn that I will never get to sit next to you again and receive those jewels of wisdom you would share. Thank you.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Living Juliette's Dream
When Juliette Low started Girl Scouts in 1912, her vision was an organization for ALL girls. At the time, the only people who "really counted" were affluent whites, especially in the South.
This weekend was the Annual Meeting for our local Girl Scout Council. Sitting at the table at lunch, I was talking to a Muslim (in full garb) and a Jew. One of them was in her mid-50s and the other her 20s. Then there was me - a Roman Catholic in my late-30s. Between the diverse religious differences and the age differences, we probably wouldn't have met under other circumstances. What made me realize the diversity of the three of us was the Muslim lady sharing about going to a Catholic school.
Girl Scouts is an organization that promotes "colorblindness". Although we celebrate our diversities, we also meld into one group. We are all human beings and even though we each have our own story, we are all Girl Scouts (or Girl Guides).
I have talked to a couple of ladies who were military brats while growing up. As the military would move the family all over the world, these girls-at-the-time, would have to change schools, and often countries. They have all said that no matter where they ended up, they had built-in friends in their new Girl Scout troops.
We have a long way to go before we can all look at each other and not see our differences first. When that happens, World peace will be a lot closer.
I wish Juliette Low could have seen the three of us visiting last Saturday. I think she would have been proud to see that her dream of diversity is coming true.
This weekend was the Annual Meeting for our local Girl Scout Council. Sitting at the table at lunch, I was talking to a Muslim (in full garb) and a Jew. One of them was in her mid-50s and the other her 20s. Then there was me - a Roman Catholic in my late-30s. Between the diverse religious differences and the age differences, we probably wouldn't have met under other circumstances. What made me realize the diversity of the three of us was the Muslim lady sharing about going to a Catholic school.
Girl Scouts is an organization that promotes "colorblindness". Although we celebrate our diversities, we also meld into one group. We are all human beings and even though we each have our own story, we are all Girl Scouts (or Girl Guides).
I have talked to a couple of ladies who were military brats while growing up. As the military would move the family all over the world, these girls-at-the-time, would have to change schools, and often countries. They have all said that no matter where they ended up, they had built-in friends in their new Girl Scout troops.
We have a long way to go before we can all look at each other and not see our differences first. When that happens, World peace will be a lot closer.
I wish Juliette Low could have seen the three of us visiting last Saturday. I think she would have been proud to see that her dream of diversity is coming true.
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