Gentle, powerfully comforting, the chestnuts spoke of freshly baked rolls and hot potatoes, of the burnt edges of a Christmas cake, of sweet apple, and of the high old trees in Kent where they were harvested.”― Catherine Kurtz, Feast It all sounds good, but I prefer savory dishes. Yes, I’ll take a little dessert, but
Sugar, Salt, & Personal Preference Read More »
Camarin and I are both baffled by the pleasure humans find with bowling. The noise is maddening, the equipment unsanitary, and the repetition boring. ~ Elizabeth Langston, Wishing for You I admit I’m also baffled by the pleasure humans find in bowling. The reason for my perplexity is simple: I am no more skilled at this
The Formidable Challenge of Candlepin Bowling Read More »
When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. ~ Lois McMaster Bujold No real crime talk is scheduled for today, and not necessarily punishment. However, consequences can feel like punishment. Sometimes I look back at a less than entertaining episode in my history and consider the unfairness of the situation and
Crime & Punishment – The Gift of Consequences Read More »
We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third. ~ Leslie Knope For most of my career, I loved my work. Still, it shouldn’t come first, especially compared to waffles. While I do recognize that some people prefer pancakes, waffles have their place in
Waffle Irons: Ancient & Versatile Workhorses Read More »
The psychology of performance in athletic footwear and apparel is very real. Most athletes do not say, “Just give me what works the best – I don’t care what it looks like.” They’re very concerned with what it looks like and how it makes them feel. ~Mark Parker I’m not an athlete and I don’t
Apparel Choices & Their Cognitive Impact Read More »
If we had better hearing, and could discern the descants of sea birds, the rhythmic tympani of schools of mollusks, or even the distant harmonics of midges hanging over meadows in the sun, the combined sound might lift us off our feet. Lewis Thomas I might be misconstruing Mr. Thomas’ remarks, but my simplistic interpretation
Mollusks: An Amazingly Beneficial Crew Read More »
There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. ~ Linda Grayson I don’t think I’d go that far. Maybe salt-and-vinegar potato chips, but not chocolate. Nah, not even chips. Friends offer comfort that can’t be found in food. I recently had the opportunity to spend a long afternoon with an
Friends: The Best Health Habit Read More »
Fencing is chess at lightning speed. ~ Fencing Proverb Until researching this topic, I knew precious little about fencing. My knowledge of chess was slightly better, since I wrote on that topic in a prior post. This is making me sound like I know nothing without writing about it, and that may not be far
Fencing: History, Skill, and Lessons Read More »
To err is human, but to really foul things up, you need a computer. ~ Paul Ehrlich This is going to be short. And sad, in a first-world-problems kind of way. Per my usual routine, I worked on today’s post off and on for three or four days, and two days before it was scheduled to
Life Lessons from a Bad Tech Day Read More »
The only way I could figure they could improve upon Coca Cola, one of life’s most delightful elixirs, which studies prove will heal the sick and occasionally raise the dead, is to put bourbon in it. ~ Lewis Grizzard That’s a gross combination in my view – why pollute a perfectly tasty Coca-Cola? I am
Bourbon – A Distinctly American Whiskey Read More »
The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble ~ Proverbs 13:3, Christian Standard Bible Based on my observations–recent, distant, and in between–a lot of us are in trouble. It isn’t necessarily that we want to appear adversarial; it’s that we do appear adversarial. No, not always. But sometimes a topic
It’s Not What You Said; It’s How You Said It Read More »
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. ~Jim Rohn I’m not sure that’s the right number, but there’s a clear correlation. It is impossible to work, volunteer, or attend church with people repeatedly and manage to keep your original self intact. I’m not saying your–or my–original self is
Friends And Their Influence Read More »
The Rosetta Stone’s discovery and translation marked a turning point in our understanding… without it, we would never have been able to understand this fascinating civilization to the level that we do today. ~The Anthrotorian No, the image above is not “the” Rosetta Stone, but it does illustrate the hieroglyphs that puzzled explorers for eons.
Rosetta Stone – the First One Read More »
“He could smell the readiness of onion in every one of its stages of cooking and knew exactly what stage worked best for each dish. He could identify the exact rapidity with which milk had to boil before adding the lemon to make the cheese curd separate into paneer. He could sense exactly when to
Sensing Smells – A Relative Ability Read More »
If there are two or more ways of doing things and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it. Edward A. Murphy, Jr. Almost three decades ago, a 2′ X 3′ poster hung on my cubicle wall in Indianapolis. It displayed a list of sayings attributed to Murphy. That
Alligators and crocodiles are some of the most aggressive creatures on the planet – they’ll take down a boat if you come up to their nest. ~ Jack Hanna I have no reason to doubt Mr. Hanna, nor any reason to approach any of their nests. But let’s suspend reality for a few minutes and
See You Later, Alligator Read More »
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. ~Michael Altshuler He’s right, at least in part. There are a variety of factors that impact our perception of life’s experiences as they hurtle by. Or dawdle, as the case may be. Have you ever launched a self-survey to determine the root
Time Flies, But How Fast? Read More »
Under a spreading chestnut tree, The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hand;And the muscles of his brawny armsAre strong as iron bands.~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow We don’t know whether Longfellow was referencing the American Chestnut tree when he wrote “The Village Blacksmith” in 1839. However, that was
An Old Chestnut – the American Kind Read More »
There was nothing wrong with being a homebody. There was nothing wrong with not wanting – not needing – the constant jostle and noise of a party or bar or… whatever. ~ Charles de Lint, Jack of Kinrowan: Jack the Giant-Killer / Drink Down the Moon Whew! What a relief. I thought there was something
Becoming a Homebody Read More »
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else. ~ Alfred Adler Hard to argue with that, given the nonsensical proposition. However, I can verify that if you don’t know how to get where you’re going, your target will not materialize. Well, it won’t materialize absent divine intervention, and I should know. I
Some Who Wander *Are* Lost Read More »
Age is of no importance unless you’re a cheese. ~Billie Burke For those of you who are struggling to remember Billie Burke, what’s wrong with you? Glinda, the good witch on Wizard of Oz. Remember now? I don’t know why she displayed such disdain for the human aging process, but she had a point about
“In my defense, the Easter Bunny is the weakest link in magical lore. I mean, you have to admit that the whole thing is ridiculous. A giant rodent who sneaks into people’s homes at night to leave eggs filled with candy? How in the world is that symbolic of the Easter celebration? ~ Autumn Doughton, Chasing
About the Easter Bunny Read More »
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 ESV) How many times have I heard that verse, but gave no thought to the individual components of Palm
Palm Sunday – Components & Traditions Read More »
I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. ~ Hamlin Garland Nice sentiment. But when I think of cedars, I primarily recall my bad behavior from
Cedar Trees – Facts & Lore Read More »