Recent Ramblings

Haven't been on here in ages. So many things to do and so little time.

My sister is going to Ecuador and is going to start a blog to communicate with those of us who are left behind.

In Memory of Max (Willard)

A Parable of Immortality
Henry Van Dyke -- circa 1911

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says "There! She's gone."Gone where? Gone from my sight -- that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There! She's gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "There she comes!"And that is Dying!

THINGS I LIKE: PAINTINGS AND MORE

A Painting that is a favourite of mine.

The Lady of Shallot 1888
Location: Tate Britain, London, UK
by John William Waterhouse, R.A.
British Painter
Born: Rome, 1849
Died: London 1917

A modern Pre-Raphaelite painter




See this page on Pre Raphaelite Art for more Waterhouse.


Books:

Recently read My Sister's Keeper, Child of the Jungle and Still Alice. All are very interesting books touching on some sensitive issues such as designer babies and ethics, ageing and memory, to name a few.

The end is near (1)

These assignments have been very interesting and at times challenging. I guess one thing that has been brought home once again is how much time most people now spend on the internet and also how much people share their thoughts and ideas online these days. The online world has made sharing much more common and also easier to do. It makes me wonder if people now have a tendency to keep things less private than they used to.
I already belonged to several online social groups before these assignments, but was made more aware of the variety and different types of online groups that are out there. It also made me more aware of library related online groups .
I enjoy using computers, so l did enjoy the assignments, some more than others, as some of you may have noticed with the summer songs assignment. That really took me on a trip down memory lane. I started listening to music at quite a young age and remember many songs from many different summers and so couldn't resist giving this post's title a song name and including a link to the song on YouTube.

As a "supposed" facilitator, I feel I didn't do enough and kind of wish that there had been a set of suggestions as to what we should do in terms of contacting team members, etc.
I do think that for our library the assignments created a camaraderie between us as we did the assignments. We shared ideas and comments and helped each other as we were learning new things.

(1) Song: The End is near : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt4v9Rflv68

Podcasts

Have done the podcasts assignment. Did the podcast in Google Reader and on my blog. Have lots of podcasts now. Like to put "stuff" on my blog rather than "talking" on my blog.

Making it Through

Staying the Course
by BJ Gallagher

Our journey of life is about progress,
not perfection.
It's not about doing one thing
100% better -
it's a matter of doing 100 things,
1% better each day.

Progress is evolutionary
not revolutionary,
and most days we measure our progress
in inches,
not miles.

What matters most
is showing up for your life
whether you feel like it
or not.

Ask yourself,
"What two or three little things
can I do today
that would move me forward?"

You'll be amazed
at how much distance
you can cover
by taking it in increments.

The little things add up;
the inches turn to miles;
and we string together our efforts
like so many pearls.
Before long,
look what you have -
a whole strand!

Ah... beautiful.

Tweet, tweet, twitter

Have been working on this week's assignment. There are so many sites that a person can join. It is really amazing. One could spend one's entire life on all these sites. Am now Twittering. Was already on Facebook and Classmates. Hope I don't lose track of all these sites.