Early on in this blog I wrote a rather cranky post about my reluctance to abandon paper books for the electronic versions. It was entitled "Support Your Local Library." After an article I read yesterday, I believe we need to support our bookstores, too.
The article, by Annie Murphy Paul and entitled "How Reading Can Be Like Falling In Love," was published on PBS's NextAvenue blog, and it discussed how reading primarily online material may dumb down our children.
It turns out that reading online doesn't train or use the brain in the same way that reading a hard copy does, and only "deep reading" (the kind you do with a real book) enables humans to engage in deep thinking. This makes sense to me. All the website-building classes I ever took urged us to present online material in the visual version of sound bites - that is, in short, instantly understandable chunks that fit easily on even a small screen. The readers of this deliberately abridged information aren't absorbing enough detail to think deeply about whatever subject is being presented, even if they aren't also being distracted by embedded hyperlinks and flashing ads for "weird old" remedies for their wrinkles or stomach fat.
E-readers are probably less likely to have this effect because they are more often used to read entire books and less apt to be cluttered with distracting sidebars, but as e-readers morph into multi-purpose tablets this advantage may diminish or disappear.
Support your local (or online) bookstore today. Buy a child a REAL book.
"Observing young people’s attachment to digital devices, some progressive
educators and permissive parents talk about needing to 'meet kids where
they are,' molding instruction around their onscreen habits. This is
mistaken. We need, rather, to show them someplace they've never been, a
place only deep reading can take them." ~ Annie Murphy Paul
Friday, June 14, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Shooting People for a Living
When I first retired from insurance, I briefly considered becoming a professional photographer, but after pricing the lighting gear and other equipment I would need in order to function as a competent stock photographer, I decided that web design would be a much cheaper and more convenient second career. My long-time blog followers, however, know that I still take my camera (or at least my camera-enabled cell phone) with me pretty much wherever I go, and when I recently saw a poster featuring an antique camera and the words "I Shoot People for a Living" at a craft show, I had to buy it, even though it wasn't strictly accurate.
Until now.
As you probably know, I've been working since last November for a realtor friend of mine, getting her organized and rebranding all her print and online marketing materials following her move from one real estate franchise to another. However, for the last few months I've had health issues that made working full time very difficult, and I've done everything my friend specifically needed ME for. At this point, she still needs someone to handle her ongoing clerical and marketing functions, but that person doesn't have to be me.
Which is why, when my church asked if I'd be interested in handling all their PR work instead of just their website, I said yes.
It's a part-time contract job that frees up my afternoons and Fridays. If I'm not feeling well, I can take an afternoon nap. If I am feeling well, I can go to the gym. The job pays almost as much as I was making before, for half the work week. It's a win/win, at least for me.
My realtor friend was reluctant to let me go, but we found someone I think will in time be even more compatible with her than I was.
And that shooting thing? Part of my new job is attending church functions with my camera at the ready, the better to show the world what a great place it is and how wonderful its people are. I guess I'll be shooting people for a living after all, for the foreseeable future anyway.
To see some of the work I've already done for them (including photos), visit:
Their website - http://firstpressuncity.org
Their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Sun-City/103412179850579
Their blog - http://firstpressuncity.blogspot.com
Until now.
As you probably know, I've been working since last November for a realtor friend of mine, getting her organized and rebranding all her print and online marketing materials following her move from one real estate franchise to another. However, for the last few months I've had health issues that made working full time very difficult, and I've done everything my friend specifically needed ME for. At this point, she still needs someone to handle her ongoing clerical and marketing functions, but that person doesn't have to be me.
Which is why, when my church asked if I'd be interested in handling all their PR work instead of just their website, I said yes.
It's a part-time contract job that frees up my afternoons and Fridays. If I'm not feeling well, I can take an afternoon nap. If I am feeling well, I can go to the gym. The job pays almost as much as I was making before, for half the work week. It's a win/win, at least for me.
My realtor friend was reluctant to let me go, but we found someone I think will in time be even more compatible with her than I was.
And that shooting thing? Part of my new job is attending church functions with my camera at the ready, the better to show the world what a great place it is and how wonderful its people are. I guess I'll be shooting people for a living after all, for the foreseeable future anyway.
To see some of the work I've already done for them (including photos), visit:
Their website - http://firstpressuncity.org
Their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Presbyterian-Church-of-Sun-City/103412179850579
Their blog - http://firstpressuncity.blogspot.com
“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
~
Eudora Welty
Monday, June 10, 2013
Shopping for Beefcake, Part II
OK, I said my next post would be a book review. I lied. Sue me.
After a couple of false starts, I cancelled my subscription to Our Time. My heart just wasn't in it. I didn't really believe that I was going to find anyone as compatible as my husband Tom had been, and after Barry, I was more sure than ever that I would rather be alone than with the wrong person.
At that point, several of my friends got into the act, separately deciding that I was the perfect match for someone else they knew. I received several "introduction" offers; one friend even wanted to fix me up with her brother. This was all very flattering, but somewhat unsettling. After all, if things went really wrong with any of the potential dates (particularly the brother!), it could mean the end of the original friendship, too.
I don't want to go into the details, but I more or less accidentally met one of the guys last weekend, and our mutual friend phoned him with my phone number. He called tonight and we have a dinner date scheduled for Friday.
If my matchmaking friend is right, this guy is almost too good to be true - kind, flexible, smart, and a year younger than I am. I know from meeting him that he's funny, modest, and has a terrific tenor singing voice.
And he IS beefcake!!
Of course, now I'm panicked. Have I gained too much weight over the last year? Am I too out of shape to interest a long-distance bike rider? Can I get by on my so-called wit and semi-obsessive personality? Will I manage to flip part of dinner into my lap (remind me to wear something in a dark color)??
My parents met due to the machinations of matchmaking friends. Who knows? Maybe history will repeat itself. Or maybe I'll have to move on to the next friend, and her single brother.
“To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” ~ Mark Twain
After a couple of false starts, I cancelled my subscription to Our Time. My heart just wasn't in it. I didn't really believe that I was going to find anyone as compatible as my husband Tom had been, and after Barry, I was more sure than ever that I would rather be alone than with the wrong person.
At that point, several of my friends got into the act, separately deciding that I was the perfect match for someone else they knew. I received several "introduction" offers; one friend even wanted to fix me up with her brother. This was all very flattering, but somewhat unsettling. After all, if things went really wrong with any of the potential dates (particularly the brother!), it could mean the end of the original friendship, too.
I don't want to go into the details, but I more or less accidentally met one of the guys last weekend, and our mutual friend phoned him with my phone number. He called tonight and we have a dinner date scheduled for Friday.
If my matchmaking friend is right, this guy is almost too good to be true - kind, flexible, smart, and a year younger than I am. I know from meeting him that he's funny, modest, and has a terrific tenor singing voice.
And he IS beefcake!!
Of course, now I'm panicked. Have I gained too much weight over the last year? Am I too out of shape to interest a long-distance bike rider? Can I get by on my so-called wit and semi-obsessive personality? Will I manage to flip part of dinner into my lap (remind me to wear something in a dark color)??
My parents met due to the machinations of matchmaking friends. Who knows? Maybe history will repeat itself. Or maybe I'll have to move on to the next friend, and her single brother.
“To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” ~ Mark Twain
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Wining and Dining at Postino's
I see that I have forgotten to report on the May meeting of our book club. The book, which I'll review in the next post, was Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris, the author of Chocolat, so staying with the theme we met at the Postino Winecafe on Central.
This Postino location is yet another converted dwelling with a very small parking lot and neighbors hostile to restaurant customers spilling over into their space, but they have done their best to cope by providing free valet parking. The interior of the restaurant is chic but welcoming and patio seating is available, although it was a little too warm for us the night we met. The hostess seated us inside on what looked like a u-shaped sectional sofa with a table in the middle and two hassock-like seats on the fourth side.
Of course, since it's a wine cafe, Postino has a great selection of wine, much of which is $5 per glass before 5pm. Postino's food menu is heavy on appetizers and salads, although they also offer several types of panini. The real reason to eat there, though, is the bruschetta. They have 11 regular varieties and a seasonal special; for $14 you get four different flavors (your choice) served on a wooden cutting board. The pieces are generous, the flavor combinations are ingenious, and the colors and textures are gorgeous.
I ordered the Roasted Peppers with Goat Cheese, the Smoked Salmon with Pesto, the Warm Artichoke Spread, and the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. They were all delicious, but I think my favorite was the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. The slightly salty prosciutto, slightly sweet fruit, creamy cheese and fresh bread contrasted wonderfully with each other and tasted just a little different with each bite. Everyone else raved about their choices as well; my sister was especially happy with the Brie & Apples with Fig Spread bruschetta.
Our waitress was very attentive although somewhat politically incorrect (I've never had a waitperson that young call me "Hon" before). The hostess also checked on us a couple of times during the evening.
The down side of Postino as a meeting place for the club was the noise level, which made the book discussion a little challenging. We were also surprised to see that the clientele appeared to be about 75% female, perhaps because (despite the size of the portions) the menu looks like it's "nibble food." Not, in short, the place to meet Mr. Right - he's probably somewhere else ordering a steak.
"...unique, approachable wines; simple, delicious food prepared with local ingredients; and a warm, edgy culture that brings everyone together." ~from Postino's website
This Postino location is yet another converted dwelling with a very small parking lot and neighbors hostile to restaurant customers spilling over into their space, but they have done their best to cope by providing free valet parking. The interior of the restaurant is chic but welcoming and patio seating is available, although it was a little too warm for us the night we met. The hostess seated us inside on what looked like a u-shaped sectional sofa with a table in the middle and two hassock-like seats on the fourth side.
Of course, since it's a wine cafe, Postino has a great selection of wine, much of which is $5 per glass before 5pm. Postino's food menu is heavy on appetizers and salads, although they also offer several types of panini. The real reason to eat there, though, is the bruschetta. They have 11 regular varieties and a seasonal special; for $14 you get four different flavors (your choice) served on a wooden cutting board. The pieces are generous, the flavor combinations are ingenious, and the colors and textures are gorgeous.
I ordered the Roasted Peppers with Goat Cheese, the Smoked Salmon with Pesto, the Warm Artichoke Spread, and the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. They were all delicious, but I think my favorite was the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. The slightly salty prosciutto, slightly sweet fruit, creamy cheese and fresh bread contrasted wonderfully with each other and tasted just a little different with each bite. Everyone else raved about their choices as well; my sister was especially happy with the Brie & Apples with Fig Spread bruschetta.
Our waitress was very attentive although somewhat politically incorrect (I've never had a waitperson that young call me "Hon" before). The hostess also checked on us a couple of times during the evening.
The down side of Postino as a meeting place for the club was the noise level, which made the book discussion a little challenging. We were also surprised to see that the clientele appeared to be about 75% female, perhaps because (despite the size of the portions) the menu looks like it's "nibble food." Not, in short, the place to meet Mr. Right - he's probably somewhere else ordering a steak.
"...unique, approachable wines; simple, delicious food prepared with local ingredients; and a warm, edgy culture that brings everyone together." ~from Postino's website
Friday, June 7, 2013
The End of the Line
And here's where I'm putting all the odds and ends that didn't fit elsewhere.
The ship we were on was Holland America's Noordam, the same ship Barry and I cruised on with our friends Rich and Pat when it was brand new. I was a little worried that it would have been run down after several years of hard use, but it still looked spotless. Everywhere we went, crew members were cleaning, painting, or revarnishing something.
Because we took so many shore excursions and didn't know when they would finish, we opted for open seating at dinner. That worked well; we met many more people than we would have otherwise, and weren't stuck for the entire trip with those we were glad to eat with only once.
This time we sprang for an indulgence I hadn't considered before - the spa package that gave us pretty much unlimited access to the no-kids-allowed indoor hydropool, the heated thermal beds, and the lime and eucalyptus steam rooms. (Fortunately for Sue, who doesn't own a swimsuit, I had packed two.) We spent a lot of time clambering over rough terrain on the shore excursions, and it was fabulous to come back to the spa. The thermal beds, in particular, felt great on our lower backs and knotted calf muscles, and when Sue developed a bad sinus infection near the end of the trip, the eucalyptus room probably kept her alive.
As always on a Holland America cruise, we had a wonderful cabin steward who left a new towel animal in our cabin every day. Holland America now sells a book on how to fold them yourself, but I didn't buy it - I prefer not to dispel the mystery. We also think that potential employees must have to pass a memory test in order to be hired; we stopped at one of the lower level lounges for a gin and tonic after one grueling shore excursion, and the next time we came back, over a week later, the bartender remembered our names and what we had been drinking (and no, it wasn't because we were memorably obnoxious the first time). Pretty amazing.
After we returned to Rome we spent the night at an airport hotel after having a wonderful seafood dinner with Rich and Pat's daughter Wendy, who was working in Rome for the World Food Organization at the time (she's since been reposted).
Sue had never been on a large cruise ship prior to last year - just a couple of very small river cruise boats - and wasn't thrilled with some of the aspects of large ship life, but I notice the vacation she's proposing for this year is aboard a Holland America ship, and also involves the spa package.
The ship we were on was Holland America's Noordam, the same ship Barry and I cruised on with our friends Rich and Pat when it was brand new. I was a little worried that it would have been run down after several years of hard use, but it still looked spotless. Everywhere we went, crew members were cleaning, painting, or revarnishing something.
Because we took so many shore excursions and didn't know when they would finish, we opted for open seating at dinner. That worked well; we met many more people than we would have otherwise, and weren't stuck for the entire trip with those we were glad to eat with only once.
This time we sprang for an indulgence I hadn't considered before - the spa package that gave us pretty much unlimited access to the no-kids-allowed indoor hydropool, the heated thermal beds, and the lime and eucalyptus steam rooms. (Fortunately for Sue, who doesn't own a swimsuit, I had packed two.) We spent a lot of time clambering over rough terrain on the shore excursions, and it was fabulous to come back to the spa. The thermal beds, in particular, felt great on our lower backs and knotted calf muscles, and when Sue developed a bad sinus infection near the end of the trip, the eucalyptus room probably kept her alive.
As always on a Holland America cruise, we had a wonderful cabin steward who left a new towel animal in our cabin every day. Holland America now sells a book on how to fold them yourself, but I didn't buy it - I prefer not to dispel the mystery. We also think that potential employees must have to pass a memory test in order to be hired; we stopped at one of the lower level lounges for a gin and tonic after one grueling shore excursion, and the next time we came back, over a week later, the bartender remembered our names and what we had been drinking (and no, it wasn't because we were memorably obnoxious the first time). Pretty amazing.
After we returned to Rome we spent the night at an airport hotel after having a wonderful seafood dinner with Rich and Pat's daughter Wendy, who was working in Rome for the World Food Organization at the time (she's since been reposted).
Sue had never been on a large cruise ship prior to last year - just a couple of very small river cruise boats - and wasn't thrilled with some of the aspects of large ship life, but I notice the vacation she's proposing for this year is aboard a Holland America ship, and also involves the spa package.
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