I’ve told you that I’ve been doing some summer reading. Most of the books are rather lightweight, and all are works of fiction. What totally amazes me is that two consecutive books mention the General Unified Theory (GUT), or the Theory of Everything.
When I was in high school, I missed out on physics and chemistry, so I have relatively little knowledge of those subjects. What little I’ve picked up comes from DH giving me information from “Scientific American” or “Discover” magazine, or watching science programs on TV.
So, I chose a book from the stack, and read Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ “Nobody’s Baby But Mine,” and one of the main characters is a doctor of physics who is working on top quarks, in the hope that she can add to the General Unified Theory.
What astounded me was to find the GUT mentioned at the start of the very next book I chose to read! What are the chances that two “lightweight” books I chose for summer reading would cover such weighty issues? Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons” opens with Robert Langdon being flown to Geneva to visit the CERN facility. As the director of the facility leads him through the residential area, a jogger wearing a t-shirt that proclaims “NO GUT, NO GLORY!” runs by, and they are off on a conversation about the General Unified Theory.
So….will I find it mentioned in the NEXT book, too?
We’ve Got It Wrong…
Dear Husband and I were watching the Leherer Report on Chicago’s PBS station, WTTW, this evening. When our troops went to Iraq, WTTW began showing pictures of the men and women who have been killed in the line of duty. They show them in silence, giving you enough time to read their name, rank, service, home town, and age. It’s incredibly moving to see pictures of these young people, and think about the families they have left behind, and the lives that will never be lived. What an incredible loss.
We have it wrong….. We should be sending our old men to war, not our babies.
Ohhhhhhh, My Achin’ EVERYTHING!
I am here to tell you that you can’t skip exercise for six weeks and then return, assuming that you could pick up where you left off.
I thought that my gardening would have kept me in shape, but I was wrong. My exercise guru manages to work more muscles than I do gardening, and I can feel every little one of them.
I’ll just be over here…..applying Ben Gay.
Mother Nature’s gift
We feed the birds all year long. My mother enjoys watching the birds and animals that come to our feeders, and it’s a simple enough thing for us to do. Filling the feeders is part of my early morning list of chores, and I enjoy the quick visit out of doors before I start my day.
I’ve been watching the fruits of my efforts. We have a clutch of tiny goldfinches who like the chipped sunflower hearts that I put into a dark green silo feeder. The brilliant goldy/yellow of the bird’s feathers shows up elegantly against the green feeder. The little birds jostle for position as they wait their turn at the feeder, and when they have finished, they fly over and cling to the brick on the side of the house.
This morning, I watched a male downy woodpecker put himself into position to eat from the feeder. That’s no mean feat, because the perches are meant for small birds, but a woodpecker can go just about anywhere he wishes!
Black capped chickadees have made their appearance. Can fall be far away?
Fit for a King
Oh myyyyyyyyyyyy!!! We have just had a meal fit for a king, and it came out of our own kitchen!
If reading about incredible food makes you hungry, then do NOT read on! The rest of you….be prepared to drool! *G*
May I Have Your Attention, Please?
Pay close attention here. I’m only going to say this once:
The following two posts are prime examples of how I write when I have had about four hours of sleep and my head is practically falling onto the keyboard with the need for a nap.
Since I am still sleep deprived, it took me a few moments to determine just what was wrong.
Disregard the following posts, or if you can’t do that, don’t worry. I just need sleep!
Ed
I have a cat named “Ed.” Actually, he’s been called “Edwina Scissorhands,” and “Edward Scissorhands,” but now he’s just plain “Ed.”
He’s about 10-12 years old now. One winter he adopted us. It was bitterly cold outside, and he found his way into the garage. I saw him resting on the seat of the lawn mower. Of course, I asked DH to let him into the house, and his response was to bring a heater to the garage.
Well, the temperature dropped drastically outside, and the heater had to be moved to the attic to keep the pipes from freezing upstairs. Of course, without the heater, the garage was freezing, and that’s when Ed managed to get into the house.
The rest is history.
He’s needed a lot of loving lately. You have to give it to his specifications or he’ll swipe a paw at you in irritation. He’ll also swipe a paw at you if you quit before he’s done. Right now, he’s laying next to my elbow, with his head upside down. Give it a minute or two and I’ll be able to look into his mouth when his lips flap open.
As much as I came to love Defer, I’ll always be a cat person. I like their independence. There are two things that interest me about Ed. The first is that he is a creature of habit. He wants to be let out before sunrise, and he wants to be fed (for the first time) several hours later. We expect him to return to the house by two in the afternoon, and for the most part he obliges us. He comes to me for a snack at six in the evening, and a second snack at nine. Each time he expects to be stroked and loved up. Then, if I sit to read, and pull a quilt over my legs, he’ll join me for a bit.
The second thing that interests me is how he’s become more socialized over the years. Ed must have been someone’s pet. I’m sure that he was abandonded after he had become accustomed to being touched by people because he loves to be stroked and scritched. But, when he first came to us, he was well on his way to becoming ferel. Our son worked with him, patiently offering a hand, a pat, some loving…..a bit at a time, until Ed was comfortable around him. Now, he expects us to “love him up,” and that includes from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
Each year he has sought us out more. If we are gathered in the living room, he’s likely to check on us before finding a spot for a comfy nap. While he’s still independent, it’s as though he needs the reassurance that we are there. He’s in and out a dozen times a day, ostensibly for a nibble, but more to make sure that we are there to do his bidding.
Right now, he’s dead to the world. I can expect the snoring to start at any moment. He makes life look easy.
A quick stop
No, I havn’t been off introspecting all this time. I seem to need some organization in my life, and I’ve been working on it in bits here and there.
It started with some work in the gardens. During the growing season there is work needed in the gardens on a daily basis. When I’m away and miss a string of those days, I have a lot of catching up to do. I’ve made a good start, but there’s always more to do.
Summer Reading
I have a STACK of books waiting on me. More than I can read in August. I might have to save a few for this Fall, and I’m not complaining.
In the next entry, you’ll see a comment about the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. One of my on-line friends introducted me to these books, and I have gobbled them up! There are ten books at the moment. Each title has a number. The last was “Ten Big Ones.”
Steph is a crazy character. If I had stumbled onto the first book when it first came out, and had to wait for each succesive book to be written, it would have been a terrible trial. My mother has been reading the books, too. As I finish one, I hand it over, and the discussion in the house has been along the lines of….”I wish she’d make up her mind whether it’s going to be Ranger or Morelli!” (having to do with her obsession for two men) or “Don’t tell me….I’d rather read the book!”
Evanovich has created two of the funniest characters I’ve ever read, Grandma Mazur and Sally Sweet. Grandma is a very modern lady who believes that NO one should ever have a closed casket wake (and is willing to go to great lengths to see the dearly departed). She is also likely to be in the midst of a discussion at the beauty parlor about personal firepower. I learned a lot about guns in these books! *G* Sally Sweet is a male musician who also happens to wear dresses, and drive a school bus.
You’ve got to read these. Go to the library, or visit Amazon. Share the books with everyone you know who reads. That’s my summer tip for you.
Other books waiting for me:
“Kiss Me WHile I Sleep,” by Linda Howard
“Angels and Demons,” by Dan Brown
“Digital Fortress,” by Dan Brown
“Crime Schoo,l” by Carol O’Connell
“Heaven, Texas,” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
“Nobody’s Baby but Mine”, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
and “Sick Puppy,” by Carl Hiaasen.
There are actually a couple of others, but I can’t remember the titles, and I’ll probably read these first. It’s really too bad that I have to WEED! I could spend my days eating bon bons and reading. Now, go read the next post.
Introspection
I was reading over at Broad at Bat’s blog today. Her entry for August 4th is very introspective. I had to make myself read all the way to the bottom.
I know that sounds bad, and it has nothing to do with the quality of her writing, and all to do with my ability to play “ostrich” about my own situation.
Being introspective gives me the willies. If I took the time to look into my heart, or my mind, I might actually figure out what drives me, and it that’s GOT to be scary! On the other hand…..I’m getting to a point in life where it might not be a good idea to drag my feet on this.
The power of positive mental attitude. Who used to talk about that? Was it W. Clement Stone? I can’t remember, but it seems to me that our physical health has got to start with a healthy mental attitude about life, and our place in life.
Somewhere, my healthy attitude has gotten set aside, or lost along the way. I’m willing to admit that I HATE exercising for the sake of exercise. Give me something to do that disguises the exercise, and I don’t mind so much, but exercising because I know it’s good for me sucks pond water! And yet, I know that’s just what I have to get myself to do. So….WHY have I waited so long to embrace that issue? See, what I mean about introspection? Do I really want to know if I have a death wish, or if I’m just terminallly lazy?? Gives me the willies….
I’ve been reading a series of books by Janet Evanovich. The main character is Stephanie Plum, who has lost a job as a lingerie buyer and had to turn to her cousin for a job. Unfortunately, Cousin Vinnie is in bail bonds, and he hires Steph as bounty hunter. She’s totally unprepared for the job in every way. She’s bailed out by a cop and a fellow bounty hunter again and again. Between having her cars blown up, and loosing her man repeatedly, she shops for Tastykakes……in every flavor…..by the pound. As I read about her eating junk food, or going to her mother’s for dinner (read: comfort food), one part of me nods in agreement. I can understand exactly how she feels. Another part of me is going…..”DON’T EAT THAT!” I feel really schizophrenic, and Evanovich must have read my mind before she wrote several of the scenes.
Okay….you just saw a prime example of my ability to play ostrich. I neatly detoured off the subject of introspection, and put the focus on a fictional character, moving it away from myself. I’ve been doing that for too many years to count, and I think I’ve just hit the wall. Pardon me while I bang my head against it for a bit.
Do I want to be healthy? YES
Do I want to be healthy enough to eat appropriately? Well….yes….sorta.
WHY am I not running to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Okay….ya got me there.
I really don’t know why, and I need to find out.
It’s time to quit pretending that I’m Peter Pan, and accept that I am an adult. And….it’s time to make adult choices. The question is…..where do I start?