Went sailing, thank goodness.

That's lovely isn't it, sentimental, but lovely. Pretty rough couple of days at work, and then horrific traffic coming home, I almost didn't make the sail, but they kindly waited to the last possible moment...



There wasn't much wind, but I still managed to be inappropriately intensely competitive, not something I usually have to contain, I can be pretty competative, no doubt, but this was a bit intense....



We all had a good time despite me, and it was sooooo lovely.

Chocolate and books. What more can a girl ask for?

The treat drawer for the office I share is unfortunately in my desk, the bottom drawer. I have spent the day eating wasabi peas and gooey incredibly rich chocolate truffles.

Groan.

That has got to be bad for you on some level, and it is certainly an unlikely combination...though yummy if enough time passes between the mouthfuls. One of the other women at work tried it and liked it too, but she is 7 months pregnant. I have no such excuse.

Strange but true.

This is busy blooming outside the door, and I thought it was gorgeous...

Books Beth with whom some of you may recall I went and met a week or so ago very generously gave the girls gift certificates for a bookstore....look what we got. Thanks Beth. Hope you haven't left yet and you see the post...



I also picked up a couple of books that fascinate me from a variety of angles...

How I love a bookstore.

The man got the girls some earrings...very grown up.....

And the other....


I am busy working away at "The Hand" which is taking me an inordinate amount of time to read, mostly because while the book is fascinating, and I am going to purchase a copy because so much of it is so relevant to what I do/teach and am interested in that I keep wanting to underline....this is how it reads(picked at random):

That explanation was compatible with both the statistics and the seemingly paradoxical occurrence of opposite handedness among identical twins.

Fascinating, but it requires a little more concentration than I can always muster.

The section I am currently reading about handedness is fascinating for two reasons at this moment. First, they have discovered exactly nothing about why some people are right handed and some are left. Secondly, the argument moves on to state that hand dominance in a superior - inferior mindset may well be meaningless. We culturally do this, in Italian for instance the left hand is the mano sinistra, as in sinister, and right is mano destra as in dexterous. This book's supposition, so far, is that it is more useful to look at the different roles that the two hands play when tasks are being done...the right wields the tool (if you are right handed) and the left manipulates the material. You may understand the vital but different role of each hand if you picture trying to cut paper with only one hand. The other difference between the two is that the so called dominant hand is used for micro-moviments and for fast or repetitive movements while the non-dominant hand is usually utilised for macro-movements. A neat way of looking at things.

A fascinating read.

This book will also warrant a re-read or two. One of those books I got also looks comparable, and also deeply fascinating. It is called the language instinct and the subtitle is How the Mind Creates Language. I can hardly wait...and this one I own!

Ummmmm

Short on inspiration today, I have a couple of postable thoughts, but they just don't seem appropriate somehow, or they are work related, or are a little private...I suppose this is one of the worthwhile disciplines of blogging, can I come up with something to say, even when I apparently have nothing to say.

Youngest fell asleep in the car on the way home this evening, we'd had dinner over at a friend's house and got home, not exactly late, but at bedtime....

She reluctantly groaned out of the car as we arrived back and staggered inside admitting that she was faking for the last bit.

I remember falling asleep, or nearly asleep in the car when I was a kid and lying there desperately faking because you are just too bone weary to get out and clamber through the bedtime routine, and the nights my Dad was merciful even though I was painfully huge and carried me in were simply heaven.

There are times it is great to be little, and a broad shoulder can just pick everything up and handle it all for you. Laying you gently and lovingly to sleep at the end of a late night.

I can so relate to her when she does this...there are days I still wish it worked that way.

Chuckster

I turned around from writing that last post and there was dogalicious flaked out on my briefcase, which he had opened to make it comfier I might add. He also didn't eat his breakfast till I got home. He's in wuv.

Silly dog.

Work and SAILING

Back to work today, that wasn't too bad, just the usual range of crises. Then this evening I got to go sailing!!!!

The man is here and can pick up the pieces on childcare so out I went and was it ever fun. Screwed up and forgot the camera, but what the heck it was rainy enough I may not have gotten it out anyway. We did well too in the light and fluky conditions we had, and ended up in second by a fingernail. Slightly beating youngest's third place that she posted in sailing camp today.

The coolest thing about sailing camp in some ways is the youngest is racing/sailing with the eldest daughter of my old sailing buddy with whom I competed in dingy racing at a relatively high level for years and years, and now our kids are sailing and racing together. Pretty darned cool. They're having a gratifyingly large amount of fun too. They both look so happy, and we're going to go over there for dinner tomorrow night to keep the fun going on.

When I will get all my work done while this is going on I haven't figured out yet.

Ah well.

It was sooooo wonderful...and that PhD again...

We had such a fantastic time...it was wonderful and relaxing and peaceful, I slept tons and feel mountains better, although I have to admit that as I pulled into TO I got a stiff neck and my sore throat returned....Why would that be I wonder?

We found this little fellow floating by the dock...an osprey had got him and lost him by the looks of his belly. We sent him back to rejoin the local ecosystem. The osprey watching was amazing...there were lots soaring and diving at the lake, although I never got a picture. We also saw a turkey vulture from the car on the way back out which was pretty cool too.



Nomad had gotten one of those portable fireplaces so we went an roasted marshmallows, I thought this was a lovely photo of the fire...



Nomad also is a woman of amazing talents on all sorts of fronts...she read my cards! You can see the cards I got in the photo below. I asked if I should pursue the PhD possibility. These were Russian Gypsy Cards and here's what I got...


And this is an overview of the reading...the first symbol was the ship. How fitting. It symbolises finances, adventure and exploration. Because of the position it is in, I am not likely to make my fortune as a result of the program, but it encouraged action, cautiously. Then I got the bear, which is about work, and effort and timing, again I should be cautious, but go ahead. Then an angel, which told me to look to a power greater than me for advice and assistance. The scales were next up, justice and balance, this one told me that if I go ahead I have to be aware of maintaining balance in my life, something I already struggle with. (Who doesn't?)

I got the hands as well, it shows that my relationships, particularly with my spouse are on solid ground. Kinda thought as much anyway, and it's position showed that I would have strong friendship and support for my life. Which was certainly nice to hear.

I also got the dog, which showed that I have a number of lasting supportive friendships with many people that I can rely on. Also nice to hear.

The boy came on the final card, which is apparently indicative of a fair amount, adventure and youthful energy are here, also travel in the near future. I could see that somehow.

My path in life is supposed to be smooth and joyful...again a pleasant card to get.
The sun appeared, saying that I influence those around me to happiness...and with it's position promises prosperity, happiness, constructive healthy and vital, it actually said that it would be a good time to take a new course or learn a skill...and to trust myself.

Weird huh?

Very nice though too. Nomad said that they don't all turn out that well, and some are sufficiently dark that it is mighty uncomfortable.

We also got talking about topics for the thesis, and I started thinking about an inter-disciplinary study around the ethics/realities of the design and implementation of educational systems for immigrant populations. This would obviously need to be refined a good deal, but I could study this in Spain or here, or indeed damn near anywhere, and I myself am an immigrant in Spain, as are my kids. It is a currently hot enough topic I should be able to get it by the various thesis committees, and it should open some doors to the possibility of work afterwards. It would be a combination of curriculum, philosophy of education and also international education studies. It could also be pretty cool. We'll see how it goes.

Chuck had one rough period this weekend, he got loose and ran through we are not sure how many patches of poison ivy, and since both Nomad and her Mom, who was up, get the most horrendous reactions to it, we washed the dog. Yup, threw the poor pooch off the dock and lathered him up. He was pretty miserable I must say. Nomad commented that we had firmly reestablished any doubts about pack order with the event. He's all fluffy now though, and softer.

He's HERE!!!!! We're away...

I'm picking him up at the airport and we're off to Nomad's cottage for the weekend, I'll bring the camera, and post again when we get back...

Have a great long weekend.

gifts....

Late late at night after I walked the dog I put up all THREE posts I wanted to do yesterday...what is up with that...a little fragmented over here clearly...

I also wanted to say though that lovely Beth...had gifts! Isn't she nice? I can't say I was so organised, but she gave me a copy of The Ladies Lending Library, which she reviewed here As I finish off book six, regretfully not in time to borrow book seven which is heading to a cottage for the month with a friend, this has filled a gap that gapes open before me waiting to be filled by book seven...the other book I am working up to reading is Hard Laughter by Ann Lamott.

Tomorrow my husband arrives...I am so so so so .....happy.

St*rbucks

I had a first today.

I visited Starbucks.

I had a three dollar coffee. My goodness.

There was a choice of six kinds of milk and a language, a jargon, an only-the-cool-can-understand lingo....

They are wildly successful. The place is comfy..they have worked very hard at making the store a place to hang out in, to be comfortable in....and it works....They apparently phrase it that they want to make it people's third place...the first two places you want to hang and I suppose being home and ????

The other thing I came away with though was how spoiled we are as a culture...I mean really, can we let this go...it is like a toddler who has to have their milk in a specific sippy cup, with a specific lid, and a specific straw while seated in a specific chair. I mean really, do we need this sort of choice? The guy there listed off six different types of milk and then added that they would be getting 2% soon, like I should be excited.

I actually asked him, somewhat scornfully, whether that was because there wasn't enough choice?

Be glad you have the money for a coffee and get out of town.

Books Beth.

I met up with Beth this evening...and it was lovely...we ate yummy food, see above, and she gave me the book you can see in the photo that she reviewed on her blog a while ago...very kind....

It was a treat, and odd in some ways, the conversation does not follow the usual track for someone you have just met, because of course we know about each other and yet we don't.

One of the benefits of blogging....what a delight.