Show of Hands

I need a show of hands.  Sometimes it feels a bit lonely out there even in the realm of the "does not seem important, but maybe it is" category.  At the moment I am talking about mathematics.  Please keep in mind that I am not good at math -- even have to look up how to spell words like Trigonometry, Advanced Algebra and Calculus, for heaven's sake.  I don't even deal with the number nine -- ever, and since I was born in a year with two nines, I am never quite sure how old I am. A long time ago, I was 44 for two years in a row.  Seriously.  Having said all of that so that you know where I stand...

Just this past week, I heard of a fine young man who is beginning his search for an institution of higher learning. He was dismayed to find that one college he visited, although appealing in other areas, has the requirement of calculus for his intended major.  Now -- anyone who has ever dealt with an institution of higher learning -- knows about their rules and prerequisites.  It is an issue -- one that people have complained about -- probably for generations. It is like hitting a wall or screaming into the wind.  Anyway -- it makes me wonder about calculus.  I mean, seriously, what is it?  I know that people say that the study of calculus develops discipline and that no learning is wasted... I know that there are claims that it is used in predicting things like weather, stock options,  and in engineering, but honestly -- I have never met a person who can tell me what good it is to the common person -- like me -- who passed Trig by plugging in formulas in a trial and error method that I personally developed as a method of survival.  

Okay I admit it -- I am a language person.  I write in letters, not in numbers. Here is what I know -- there seem to be very few who know why calculus is useful and they don't share well with others - especially now that computers do a lot of that complex, formulaic sort of thing. I looked up the word calculus-- because that is who I am. The actual word is from the Latin word of the same spelling and literally means "small pebble used for counting".  Really?  It's not so terrifying when you know that. As the definition continues, it explains that calculus is a mathematical study of change -- a way to predict.  Is this why our meteorologists are so accurate in forecasting our weather?  Here all this time I thought they used slide rules or something. (Do slide rules even exist anymore?) 

I am not "gifted" with a math mind.  I struggled through and passed the mandatory college level math class for my major. At the end of the ordeal the professor of said class told me never to do anything in my life that had anything whatsoever to do with numbers...that I had no aptitude nor ability in mathematics.  You see -- college professors didn't have to be nice to their students back in the day. They were not overwhelmingly concerned with self-esteem, etc. He called me Nancy sub 1 -- a name I never understood -- math humor I guess.  I still remember his name.  Anyway -- I took his advice. In spite of that -- I find that I do possess some degree of ability in analytical thinking. I ace logic problems, and logic in combination with women's intuition, has brought me along nicely.  Also -- I can do my checkbook, calculate how much yarn or fabric I need for a project and can even figure out how much it will cost to carpet a room once I have measured it. (I use pencil and paper and then check my figures with the calculator on my phone.)  I follow recipes well if they are not in the metric system. I deal well with percentages, and ... as I remind my grandchildren -- I have eyes in the back of my head.

So -- show of hands please... How many of you use calculus in your everyday lives?  As for the fine young man who will probably have to take calculus -- good luck with that.  Sorry... can't help you there. Wish I could. I passed college Algebra by 1/10th of a point. I knew better than to try calculus. I didn't study chemistry either - not even in high school.  I try to communicate in words, not formulas and numbers with little signs (+ / -) and [brackets]. Words are handy...not always easy, but certainly more functional in everyday life than advanced mathematics...in my humble opinion. Yet -- I recognize it that takes all sorts of talents to make the world go around. I love The Big Bang Theory. We need to be kind to one another and those who can add and stuff need not make fun of those of us who are mathematically challenged. They also need to recognize that reading and writing are also important skills. Maybe they could study language a little harder, so that they could explain themselves a little more effectively. They could start with the value of learning calculus -- for the ordinary person like me.

Awash in color and plastic bags...

It's a temporary situation, but for now -- my home is awash in color and plastic bags.  You see -- my daughter is now a consultant for the relatively new clothing company called LuLaRoe, and my house is the receiving and shipping center at the moment. What fun! I want it to stay here.  I get to help unpack all the soft, wonderful goodies, watch them being sold, and then help package them for shipping. Anyone who know me knows that I love to package things -- I could have had a career as a gift wrapper -- and loved every single minute. Anyway --

It is an amazing experience.  Not only do I get first pick of all the wonderful softness and comfort of LuLaRoe clothing as one of my perks, but... I am learning about a whole new world.  There are online sales through Facebook and Periscope as well as Pop-Up Boutiques and vendor shows.  The learning curve is sometimes a challenge, but since my daughter has a handle on all of it, I just watch her run with it all. I hang on somehow and have fun tagging along when I want to.  Perfect....

What I really love is how the experience pulls in the entire family.  My grand-kids are willingly and totally involved.  My five-year old granddaughter, an excellent LuLaRoe model and budding star of Periscope, is the stylist -- accessorizing garments that are being photographed for online albums. My nine-year old grandson mans the camera at photo shoots of merchandise and then creates collages for marketing.  My son-in-law is even doing one online show a month -- as are several other of the husbands of consultants across the USA. These sessions are dubbed LuLaBro.  He will be manning the site and answering questions tomorrow evening,  August 12th at 8 PM. Here is the link for those of you who are members of the Friday Nights with the LuLaBros group. (If you are not a member, just click on the blue box to join. Someone will approve you in no time at all.)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FridayNightwiththeLuLaBros/  

The whole endeavor is an amazing process and makes me smile.  

Busy and exciting times... and it's so much fun to be learning something new. Never a dull moment in the LuLaRoe world. It's a lot more than just enjoying the buttery softness of fabric and of clothing designed for comfort... although... those things are beyond nice.    

See for yourself at LuLaRoe Bree Burlingame on Facebook.   

Mouse in the House

Nothing does a better job of startling me than a snake in the grass -- unless, of course, it is a mouse in the house.  I so dislike them and... their crunchy little droppings. Now -- I know that a mouse is a very small critter, hardly a worthy adversary,  but... a mouse has a way of darting about that catches a person off guard -- sort of heart stopping.   I have found, from personal experience, that a swooping bat has the same effect. Anyway -- I encountered a mouse in the early Spring while rummaging through my pantry. (I saw the tail first). That mouse no longer lives with me --- or anywhere for that matter, and... my sister recently found herself eye to eye with one as it was dashing about on her kitchen counter while she was making coffee in the wee hours of the morning. What a way to start the day! Eek! (Why is it that I find it funny to picture her dealing with her mouse and not funny at all when I think of my recent encounter with one? I don't know. It is something to ponder.)

 -- Back to the mouse.  When my sister met hers, she (my sister) beat a hasty retreat to the upper region of her home.  Now here is the thing -- I know, from personal experience that a mouse can climb stairs.  She probably knows that too, but when startled, a person may not think of that. Such an experience tends to dull logic (as well as impede breathing).  

It's all over now. She survived beautifully.  Her mouse is gone in a most similar manner to mine, and her kitchen has been scrubbed from top to bottom.  If I know her (and I do), she probably even cleaned the inside of the drains in the kitchen sink -- just in case. I have done that. I admit it freely.

The best part of the story though is the reaction of my funny, cool, calm and collected brother-in-law who, upon hearing of the invasion, quietly asked, "Does this mean that we have to move now?"  Perfect.  

"Rainy days and Mondays always ...."

Does the title of this week's blog have you singing that Carpenters' song of yore? Well, I don't know about Mondays, but rainy days, although sometimes welcome for the relief they offer from outside obligations (as in yard chores), sometimes do "get me down" a bit. So anyway -- last Monday when it rained off and on all day, I decided that it would be a "pick me up" to go through the stacks of catalogs piling up around my house.  It turned out to be a true morale booster for sure.  

As I dug through the pile, I began to focus on little plaques as well as T-shirts with fun "sayings". Those of you who follow my blog, may remember how much fun I have with the words on T-shirts.  Anyway -- I have come up with a list of my latest favorites in T-shirt and plaque sayings. I put my personal faves in bold type. Here we go  -- in no specific order:

• Lazy People Fact # 35463098210 : You were too lazy to read that number.
• A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.
• I thought growing old would take longer.
• No, you can't have the Wi-Fi password.  Talk to each other. Pretend it's 1995.
• You know all those things you've always wanted to do?  You should go do them.
• Always give 100% .. unless you're donating blood.
• If you are grouchy, irritable or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
• I'd grow my own food if I could only find bacon seeds.
• Sometimes when I open my mouth, my Mother comes out.
• Politicians and Diapers need to be changed often.. for the same reason.
• oops...did I roll my eyes out loud?
• You're never too old for nap time.
• Don't grow up!  It's a trap.
• Nope, No Monsters Here. Carry on. (Wish I had had this sign when my son was little and plagued by a creepy clown looking into his second floor window at night.

Okay -- just two more -- both of which are at the very top of my list.

Christopher Robin to Pooh: "pRomise mE you'll always REmEmber:

you'RE bRavEr than you bEliEve and stRongER than you sEEm and smaRtER than you thinK".

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. (Unknown)  (Oh how I wish I could meet Unknown -- or Anonymous, for that matter. Even more -- I wish I could think of smart and lasting words that people would find important/meaningful enough to want to put on plaques or T-shirts.)

And so it goes... Please feel free to vote for your personal fave or -- to add to the list. 

We made Time Magazine!

We made Time magazine -- the July 11th - July 18th edition.  Well, maybe not us personally, but our area of the country is featured -- substantially.  In my view - that counts.  It seems that Time decided to put out a "99% Politics Free" issue in response to readers begging desperately for a break from the political news front.  Nice to know that someone out there listens; isn't it?  So -- anyway -- the title of the issue is "240 Reasons to Celebrate America Right Now"  and guess what? Our section of this great country is featured in #191 and #192. #192 even has a photograph!

Just in case Time is sold out everywhere around here by the time this blog is posted... I offer a few details.  #191 focuses on the New York state side of Niagara Falls and their $70 million plan to replace part of a highway with hiking trails. And -- although the reporter/writer is, what I find to be unnecessarily snarky in describing Niagara Falls as a "shopworn honeymoon destination", he/she does end on a positive note. I have to wonder why no one is given credit for writing that copy....  Hmm....

#192, entitled "A place where learning is personal", by Nancy Gibbs, is about Chautauqua Institution (sort of). I say "sort of" because the author who penned this snippet writes about Chautauqua like someone who doesn't live in the area -- rather -- a summer visitor, passing through briefly, who researched the Chautauqua experience rather than felt it. I do give her credit for recognizing a good thing when she sees it. Further -- I have to say that although the writer's references to Teddy Roosevelt are a bit too researched -- and thus seem a bit of a filler, she does manage to capture some of what Chautauqua is... a teeny bit...maybe.

If you read the essay at the end of this issue, written by Joel Stein, you may find him to confirm what I said earlier about the snarky element of this edition, but then -- you know what?  We do have a lot to celebrate in this wonderful country of ours and if Joel Stein thinks a break from politics is not a good thing, and if Ben Goldberger, the editor of this issue, had a hard time coming up with 240 reasons to celebrate -- too bad for them.  

It seemed like a good idea at the time....

We have all had them.  Brainstorms. Brilliant ideas.  In retrospect, however... maybe not. It is at this point that an ability to laugh at oneself becomes important as you work to fix "it" or deal with "it" -- whatever "it" may be. 

As an example, consider the time I mailed all my income tax documents to an accountant and they were lost in the USPS for over a month.  I had to have all the necessary documents reissued and then -- both packets arrived at the accountant's office on the same day.  

Or ---  like the time I paid my federal taxes by credit card and didn't notice for over a year that my card was never billed.  I found out when the USPS notified me that my tax return had been found in a mail bag of lost mail somewhere on the east coast and that they had made everything right with the IRS. 

It isn't always the USPS though. Those examples just came to mind first. And --sometimes the situations are really less important than taxes. This week my dilemma involved rehanging a wall unit to charge my weed-whacker.  All I succeeded in doing was making an even bigger, nastier looking hole in the drywall of my garage.  Of course if I had done it right in the first place, all damage could have been avoided. Fortunately my dog-eared how to fix anything book (for dummies) gave good instructions on how to repair the damage.  What I am wondering is why I didn't look up how to do this "project" in the first place -- you know -- before I messed up that section of the wall?  

Why is it that if I can see a picture of how a finished project is supposed to look, I think that I don't need to read and follow the instructions?  Theories?  Is this an inherited trait -- or do I just need to blame myself?

Oh, by the way -- the weed-whacker is now charging on the floor of my garage. I plan to figure out how to hang the charger on the wall very soon now.  

Corry's Fridays

In a great many places around the world Fridays are special year-round as the harbinger of the weekend, but -- in Corry, Pennsylvania, summer Fridays are "especially special" -- for a couple of reasons.  The motivating phrase "Let's bring downtown Corry to life this summer!" is most definitely working.

First - the Corry Farmers Market runs on summer Fridays from early morning until early afternoon. Located on the South side of the city park on the Center Street, vendors offer real maple syrup, meats, cut flowers, eggs, baked goods, honey, and large variety of fresh produce and even hand crafted items -- some delightfully original and especially lovely and arty, others wonderfully useful and well made.  The market is a something for everyone sort of situation. It's a "happening" -- and -- a chance to catch up with people you hardly ever see, but who share an interest in supporting the local community. Sometimes there is even music.  Bonus! 

Second -- Corry's First Fridays.  The events of the first Fridays of the months of July, August and September are sponsored by the Business Committee of the Corry Chamber of Commerce.  Thank you!  Last Friday, the first Friday of July, was the first of the season and my inside source tells me that it was a huge success.  Actually I could see that with my own eyes.  It, too, was a "happening".  There  were artisans, music, good food, vendors, a car show and shop specials.  It all worked together to make the downtown area come alive for sure. It was fun.  I went with my local grand-kids, (I call them the little B's.), and we had a perfectly wonderful time.  We checked out everything and even did a little shopping in between visiting with friends along the way. We want to go again.  Luckily for us, there are two more opportunities for Corry's First Fridays this summer:

Friday, August 5th
Friday, September 2nd

Keep an eye out for Corry's First Fridays cool logo or check out their Facebook page for more detailed information.  

Fridays are good days in Corry;  the first Friday of the month in the summer is especially good.