GEEKING OUT

For the past week I have been trying to work on my writing, just not here. The novel I am writing is slow going, mostly because I am researching my science facts. Science Fiction is a genre I love to read, except when the science is flawed or inaccurate. Recently, I read a series of books about people who were chosen to start a colony on another planet as Earth was succumbing to ecological meltdown. The author described

the new planet as being 100,000 miles from Earth with a sun not our own. Our moon is 238,900 miles from us, which places the new planet less than halfway to the Moon! Aggravating that this author couldn't even be bothered to do the simple research to have a more plausible distance. I could understand if this were written by a kid to whom 100,000 miles seems like a huge distance, however this was written by an adult.

Fact check people! If you are publishing on-line then you obviously have internet access, so Google the heck out of the thing!

I am researching solar flares and mass coronal ejections, specifically the affects and effects of resulting EMP's on technology and biological creatures. I found it fascinating that there is a proven link between high solar flare activity and an increase of suicide in women. It is also know that electromagnetic fields can cause mutation with long enough exposure at high enough concentrations. Oddly enough, I haven't been very successful in finding further research on how EMP activity can alter biologic systems. This aspect of my book will be pushing the envelope of current information. At least I will have a foundation in actual science.


.....Speaking of the Moon, did anyone have an unclouded view of Sunday's lunar eclipse? I only caught a few brief glimpses through the cloud cover. So disappointing since this particular confluence of circumstances won't be
seen again for 18 years. I hope I live that long and the next time the weather cooperates!!




Liquid water on Mars! Awesome! Someday, maybe my theory that the human race started on Mars will have a chance to be verified. Mars as Atlantis or even the Garden of Eden anyone? Maybe after I finish "Pulse" I will task myself with a Mars mystery.

Have a great day and keep reaching for the stars. Maybe you will be living on Mars some day!

My painting muscles are out of shape! I spent two days painting to decide on a project to teach to my Red Hat ladies and my shoulder aches! It was so much fun, so it was very worth the ache. Got my creative juices flowing. Crafting this weekend!! I've got to go in the shed and dig out all my crafting supplies. Doing that tomorrow afternoon.

Appointments in Fredericksburg tomorrow: dogs to the vet, blood tests for me, and an interview. I wish I didn't have to drop the dogs off as early as they want them!! If only they had build a PetSmart instead of PetCo in King George!!

I agree that immigrants should learn to speak American English, as much for them as for everyone else, however our country would be bland indeed if they are expected or enforced to leave their culture and heritage behind. I think that our diversity is one of our strengths! We are already too much a product of cookie cutter and chain businesses, regimented schooling and biased media. Immigrants bring us extra flavor!
How many of us call ourselves Irish Americans, or African Americans, or Mexican Americans?

How do you feel about the quote from Teddy Roosevelt?

A Day by the River
    by Mary E. Hennessy

Summer ending with the sounds of cicadas fading into the crickets' last call.
A cooling breeze slips quietly through my window,
soft as silk, as gently as a kiss for a child.


The sun steps further south to end Spring below the Equator and bring us Fall.
Time has come for Golden Rod and Queen Anne's Lace,
for sweaters and fireplaces to get to work.

Beaches quiet, as seagulls wonder where their buffet has gone.
Other birds flee the coming cold and nests empty, their babies
learned to fly and feed themselves.

Trees change their clothes from the colors of summer to rust and gold.
Dance to the change without the dripping heat to slow you.
Soon it will be time for cold and coats.

Last night I went to bed with a sore throat, headache and a slight fever. After medicating myself, the headache still kept me from sleeping until about 2:00 a.m. This morning the sore throat and fever are gone, but my head still feels like it's stuffed with potatoes. I think my Fall sinus problems have started. Blah! 

While drinking my coffee and snuggling my dogs through the thunderstorm this morning (oh! maybe that's why I have had a headache!) I read a very interesting book. "The Wilder Family History: The True Life Journey of Lee Ander Wilder and Elizabeth Fancher Ramsey" is an easy, short read of vignettes written by some of their children. It is a fascinating look at our American West following the Civil War. Lee and Elizabeth were married in 1888 and had 12 children, 3 of whom died in infancy. The stories of their children follow the family from Arkansas to Indian Territory to California. Lee died at age 50 following surgery for mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear) in a time when we did not have antibiotics for the disease. Elizabeth lived to be 1 month shy of 104. Most of the children have also been long-lived. The book was compiled in 2009 when daughter Jessie, the last surviving child of the Wilder's was 102. 

Jessie included a poem she learned in the first grade while living in what is now Oklahoma:

LEARNING TO WRITE

Learning to read is awful, but

nothing like learning to write.

I would be sorry to have you see it, 

for my copy book is a sight

The ink gets all over my fingers,

and the pen cuts all sorts of shines.

My fingers won't do as I bid them, 

and the letters won't stay on the lines.

They go up and down and all over,

as if they were dancing a jig, 

They are in all shapes and sizes,

medium, little and big.

But my teacher says little by little,

the mountain top we must climb,

It isn't all done in a minute, 

only a step at a time. 

Isn't that last sentence so true of all learning?

I found this gem of a memoir on Barnes and Noble as a free Nook book.

Today is my son's birthday! September 11, 1988 was the best day of my life and every day with him in it is a wonder!

Today is also the anniversary of hideous deeds by evil people. Celebrate life and share with those you love every day. Walk in the Light and reject the Dark. Spread joy not terror!

Yesterday was full of ups and downs. The inevitable issues with two strong and stubborn women living in the same home blew up. We love each other like sisters, but, as all sisters can attest, sometimes you really don't like each other. I am hoping we can get through the issues. We are almost through the metaphorical storm and are in the dazed state of looking at the mess we made. Now its time to do the clean up. Hopefully, we can be like New Orleans and get the Mardi Gras fun back. Maybe we will get a better understanding for each other and not butt heads so much. I have four very close friends. I don't want to lose one of them.

We had a wicked thunderstorm zip through yesterday afternoon. Thank goodness I had finished baking the cake I made for church before it hit. The cat disappeared to the basement and the three dogs all piled up around me on the living room couch. Little Delilah crawled up on my shoulder under my sweater trembling so hard I though she was going t have a heart attack. Next biggest, Shilow, was squashed between me and a large throw pillow with her head poking out so she could still watch television. Callie, the oldest and biggest, was on my left like she had been sewn to my side. She was shivering a little bit, but panting like she had just run a marathon. I have to say that the thunder was loud enough to shake the house. Taking care of them kept me from freaking out. I don't particularly like thunderstorms either.

As soon as I could after the storm passed, I headed out to church with my strawberry cake. St. Paul's had a lovely and well attended dinner to welcome our newly called Rector. It is so exciting that St. Paul's has called a man from South Africa. He is soft spoken and gentle with that somewhat British-African accent that flows like honey. I normally wouldn't mention skin color, however, I find it awesome that our search committee found a black man to lead our mostly white parish. I hope that this choice will bring more diversity and renewal to the parish. We still have a few months to wait for Lee and his family to get all the government paperwork settled so that they can move here. We are all eager for the changes coming. All will miss Fr. Brian, our interim priest. He has been a true Godsend to me. He brought me back to the Church, and then, when I lapsed again, gently but firmly and with great compassion, drew me back.

Last night was so full of love and welcome! I was so surprised by the number of people that welcomed me back and offered support and compassion for all I have gone through in the past year. Truly a church family. The past year has been so full of problems with health, career, and relationships. I was reminded that God is there for me and so is my church family. Of course, my birth family supports me as well. It's just that none of them are nearby. I really needed all the hugs last night.

Aren't hugs awesome?! I have read that humans need at least 12 hugs a day to be emotionally healthy. I don't know if that is true, but it sure can't hurt! I wonder if hugging my dogs counts?

Recipe of the day: Fresh Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake use the juice of about 1 1/2 cup of crushed fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 box of white pudding-in-the-mix cake, three eggs, 1/2 a cup of water and 1/2 a cup of vegetable oil.
For the sauce/icing the strawberries minus the juice used for the cake, 1 box or pound bag of confectioners sugar, 1 1/2 sticks of butter.
Combine all ingredients for the cake except for the water. If too thick add a little water, if too thin you can add a little bit of baking mix (like Bisquick) at a time until consistency thickens. (Too thin and cake will not be firm enough, too much and the cake will be dry.) Bake in a rectangular pan or large round pan according to the directions on the box. This cake is too moist to do in layers. Let cool.
While the cake is cooling mix 1/2 the sugar and butter together until smooth then add the crushed strawberries and blend. When cake is cool poke holes in the cake. I used a shish-ka-bob skewer to make the holes. Pour just enough of the mixture on the cake to seep into the holes and leave a thin glaze over the top. Add the rest of the sugar to the remains of the strawberry mixture. If still soupy you may need to add a little bit more sugar. It depends on how juicy your strawberries are. If it is too thick to spread on the cake add a little bit of milk until consistency is right. Frost the cake. Voila! A moist and flavorful treat!

I have also started a YouTube channel called: Three Dogs and a Cat. I will be posting videos of some of the things I find funny, interesting or make you say, "I can do that!" Got any ideas? Let me know with a comment. Please, no profanity or obscene material! We all need to respect ourselves and others more than that. 

Introducing my new Blog

My family and friends know I am a night owl and I don't like to get up early. I like to read at night when the quiet of the evening lets me immerse myself in the story. My favorite books for shutting out the aggravations of everyday life are the C.S. Lewis Narnia Series and anything by Anne McCaffrey (or her son, Todd). 

My father has a painting of an old sailing ship plowing through the waves that I used to imagine was the Dawn Treader. I wanted to be able to jump into the waves and be swept into the adventure with Prince Caspian and Reepicheep. I still, at 59 years old, enjoy the adventures books bring to me. 

This blog is about adventures in everything from everyday like to unique experiences. Explore with me from travel to books to cooking, crafts to fine arts, pets and people, health issues and friendships (names will be changed to protect both the guilty and innocent :-}).