Birds.. South Lousiana has lots of em now
Standing at the sink doing dishes today I was treated to some winter birds I’d not seen before. The field guide indicates that I saw purple finches (pretty plain brown birds to my eye, but the description fits) something that looks like a blue gray Gnat catcher, but the description says smaller than a sparrow. What I saw is slightly bigger than the sparrows. But the ones that were most fun to watch were the Carolina chickadees. They have a distinctive flight pattern. They come to the feeder on an uptick, startling me as I’m doing dishes on the other side of the glass. They leave dropping down, motor up as the half cross the yard, and then perch on a branch or fence. No level flight paths for them.. they’re aerial acrobats. I sure do enjoy the feeder Pete left for me, and the field guide Mother had.
Tomorrow I’ll give my last lecture in math. The last lecture part is bitter sweet, but the “in math” part makes it a good leaving. Because, frankly, I’ve reached a point where I cannot be much bothered with caring whether anyone learns mathematics. If anyone wants to learn math, I can teach it, so I would consider tutoring if the right situation turned up. But this is the end of the road. Mother’s left me a little nest egg. If I can avoid spending it all before I have to be carted before the “death panel” (it’s a joke libs… I’m not worried about this) my long term goal is to have a little left for the girls after I’m gone.
With the markets shaky on Dubai news and nervous about the retail season, I’m glad I’ve got trailing stops under each and every one of my market positions. I may have a lot of cash later in this next week. Or we could float through and markets continue to hold value after a little bounce. Who knows. I’m using some of the lessons I’ve learned in the school of hard knocks through the skids of last Nov - March. In that season I wouldn’t leave money in a position overnight. I hope we don’t go there again! But some of the financial types are writing about “double dips.” So better safe than sorry.
Today I have done some bit of finishing on the RR from last year. I don’t know what the resistance is to just getting it done. But I keep piddling at it. I think by the end of this week I’ll have it done.
How are you using the long winterish nights of late autumn? Do you keep the tele going for background noise? I play bridge and am so glad to have my partners back online! Betsi was out for a couple of weeks cruising, and Sara went to Detroit for a family Thanksgiving. I positively got the shakes missing my habitual evening activity. I played with a couple strangers, but it takes a long time to get a partnership going. I’ve played this game to learn some about what it takes to be a partner, thinking I needed that skill if I was ever to have another partner in life. Now I’m slowly accepting that old ladies just get old alone, and need to find widow friends. It’s not the end game I want, but it’s the one that I have. Lemonade anyone?
Enough rambling. I want to learn to tell stories. I want to create a conflict and take it where it goes. I’m as afraid of conflicts as I was when my father would get testosterone poisoning and rage like a bull. Conflicts don’t suit me at all. But they’re necessary to make a story. Will I ever be able to face that fear, and write through it?
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After church one Sunday, I took the boys out to feed the alligators. I haven’t been allowed to take the boys to church lately, but I keep hoping we’ll get that habit going again.
Not far from the boardwalk there was this hawk just watching for his dinner. I heard on MPR the other day that these raptors are in trouble if they miss one day of catching a meal. After two days, they’re dead. They don’t usually let people get very close to them, but this guy was only maybe 20 ft away.
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So the next Proverb, 10: 17
The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,
but the one who rejects correction goes astray.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I know it would be great if we could express and resolve conflict in a literary way that would reflect in our lives. I remember a Swift with a gift of wit and satire. Surely somewhere between the sand dunes of Colorado, the enormity of a Tulsa high school where you knew no one, running from Idi Amin in the middle of the night, and try to adjust your lifestyle and accent to N’awlins so you wouldn’t be “tourist charged” for fresh fish, you must have some stories to tell that aren’t particularly conflicted or judgemental. Try writing some of the fun, think finally getting the first two out of diapers and in school and being pregnant again! The conflicts will come, but they don’t have to be personal. One of the best books ever written, in my opinion, is Of Mice and Men, with lots of conflict, or To Kill A Mockingbird, again with conflict, but none of it did I take as my personal conflict and they were great stories. So write already. I want something to read.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:11 am
writings doesnt have to be con
flicted,we live in a conflicted world already.
some fun,and romantic writing, along with a lot of drama makes a good reading.you could make a good story about some peculiar students. or maybe “my dady dearest” there is whole world of subjects to choose and write “maybe its time to start one”
About the market its a risky bussiness as long it keeps at float..you will be ok.You could invest $ in Art…then that’s very risky and high in value.Remember the “Tamayo” and “velasques”…they are worth over $100.Grants. Good luck.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:47 pm
“I want to create a conflict and take it where it goes.”
Who on earth would this benefit?? I find that those who “claim” such are the EXACT same who refuse to face and confront it head on.