Marsha
Mar 18th, 2015
Mar 18th, 2015
New stuff
I’ve been experimenting with new carving techniques and testing some new glazes lately. I really like how the blue glazes breaks over the carved divots on the second-from-the-left piece.
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Marsha
Mar 16th, 2015
Mar 16th, 2015
Current projects in yarn
Before it’s blocked, lace knitting often resembles the “yarn barf” you get when a center-pull skein doesn’t behave properly. It’s all lumpy and curly in weird ways.
Marsha
Mar 16th, 2015
Mar 16th, 2015
Pavlovian responses
Today I drove a friend to a doctor appointment. While she was meeting with her doctor, I hung out in the waiting area.
You know how the receptionists call out a patient’s name when they need him or her to go up to the front desk? One name I heard in that office today was “Marco.”
I almost shouted out “Polo!” before I realized what I was doing and stopped myself. Whew!
(The Marco in question was a teenager who must surely get this sort of thing from his peers all the time. So I was double glad I didn’t say anything!)
Marsha
Mar 14th, 2015
Mar 14th, 2015
Ultimate Pi Day!
We celebrated with an ultimate chocolate pie!
Marsha
Sep 9th, 2014
Sep 9th, 2014
Sickness and death
Have you heard of the site Caring Bridge? This free-to-use (supported by donations) site makes it easy for a sick person (or, usually, his or her family) to send out updates and news to a member list of family and friends (who can in turn post comments and messages of support). It’s a great site, and I’m really glad it exists. But it also makes me terribly sad.
Yesterday I got an e-mail inviting me to join the page for my grad school advisor, Nancy. She was diagnosed with cancer last winter and has been sending out occasional e-mail updates. But there are so many people in her circle, and writing those e-mails is difficult (taking up valuable time and energy). So, with her approval, her sister has started a Caring Bridge group.
When I logged into the website, I was greeted with a list of other groups I belong to: one for Doug, and one for Melinda. I read the Caring Bridge updates (in both cases, written by their spouses) as each of them went through cancer treatment, suffered pain and loss, and died. I think about both of them from time to time, and mostly I remember them as the vibrant, active people they were before they got sick. Seeing their names on this page, though, reminded me of the unhappy endings of many cancer journeys and made me wonder if Nancy will tread a similar path.
Marsha
Sep 2nd, 2014
Sep 2nd, 2014
Do you think memes have jumped the shark?
(Click on the image.)
Marsha
Jul 15th, 2014
Jul 15th, 2014
The answer
Here’s the answer to the mystery posed in my last two posts (1, 2):
Sylvia had a friend over, and the two of them decided to play “spies” with these big boxes. They cut eyeholes so they could see out, then positioned themselves on the sidewalk in front of my house. Whenever a car drove by, they’d “stalk” the car by jumping up and running after it.
I’m sure my neighbors now think we are nuts.
Marsha
Jul 3rd, 2014
Jul 3rd, 2014
Here’s another view
(Click on the image.)
Marsha
Jul 1st, 2014
Jul 1st, 2014
What do you think is happening here?
Marsha
Apr 29th, 2014
Apr 29th, 2014
Publishing humor
(I don’t know who originally wrote these, but they’ve been circulating for a while and never fail to make me chuckle.)
Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I can’t tell whether you mean “change a light bulb” or “have sex in a light bulb.” Can we reword it to remove the ambiguity?
Q: How many editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one. But first they have to rewire the entire building.
Q: How many managing editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: You were supposed to have changed that light bulb last week!
Q: How many art directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Does it HAVE to be a light bulb?
Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: The last time this question was asked, it involved art directors. Is the difference intentional? Should one or the other instance be changed? It seems inconsistent.
Q: How many marketing directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: It isn’t too late to make this neon instead, is it?
Q: How many proofreaders does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Proofreaders aren’t supposed to change light bulbs. They should just query them.
Q: How many writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: But why do we have to CHANGE it?
Q: How many publishers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Three. One to screw it in, and two to hold down the author.
Q: How many booksellers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one, and they’ll be glad to do it too, except no one shipped them any.