Found an article this morning on Preservation Nation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website, which gives hope for the future of skilled craftspeople and the building arts. In fact, I'm personally interested in the American College of the Building Arts, and if I hadn't already received a bachelor's degree and thought I had some (any) talent working with building materials, sketching and mathematics, I'd want to attend classes there.
Because the opposite is true, I'll just pass on the article for others to enjoy:
http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/september-october/hands-on-education.html
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Five Morning Must-Haves
1. coffee
2. keys
3. book
4. tissues
5. tide pen
Okay, so I thought this was going to be more interesting than it actually is. Anyway, here are the reasons for my pick-5 picks.
1. There have been times in my life when I have not needed coffee every morning. These past couple of seasons have definitely not qualified. Recently I bought a coffee maker so I can economize a little, and stop buying coffee as I do, even though I know it comes in styrofoam cups (what, that's not reason enough?). This morning, the coffee woke me up, my nose twitching at its delightful scent. Well, that's an exaggeration. But when I finally did wake up, I noticed the faint aroma of brewed coffee. Delicious.
2. Have you ever locked yourself out of your house/apartment? I haven't, not since I was young, agile and desperate enough (what child wants to face a frustrated father the upteenth time she forgot her keys in the morning?) to break into my bedroom window, shimmy up the outside of my bunk bed, climb down and open the door for my partner in crime (a.k.a. my twin brother), without forgetting to replace the screen. However. It does occasionally happen that I switch purses and not all of the day-to-day necessities make it into the chosen one. It is, thankfully, not impossible to get into my office without keys, but it takes more effort. I almost switched purses this morning, but stayed with the usual in the end. Otherwise, my office keys might still be sitting useless in my apartment, 15 miles away.
3. There is always the possibility that a book will come in handy. In fact, I'll amend that to "probability". This may not be true for everyone, but I'm one of those people... a reader. Besides, you never know when it won't be possible to read the Express over someone else's shoulder on the train. Today's choice: The Cloudspotter's Guide, by Gavin Pretor-Pinney.
4. This one needs little explaining for those who know me. I have allergies, therefore I always need tissues. Not to mention they make acceptable replacements for napkins.
5. For awhile now I've had a coffee maker in my office. Much cheaper than buying coffee everyday (in styrofoam cups), and easier on the environment because I have my own special work coffee mug in which I drink said coffee. It was given me as a "morale-boosting" gift last Christmas. It's useful. It didn't boost my morale. So, I'm on my second cup of coffee, and before I know it, it's happened. Yes, that's right. I spilled coffee. Again. On my very light, grey-blue linen dress. Which brings me to my final Must-Have of the morning: a Tide pen. Now, instead of an embarrassing brown splotch front and center, it's "What stain, sir?" Okay, the commercial exaggerates a little. It's not perfect. The stain is still visible from a foot away. But (I hope) nobody will be peering that closely at the front of my skirt. I've tried the Shout wipes, too, and they're just not as magical.
So there you have it. The most important five things I need just about every morning.
2. keys
3. book
4. tissues
5. tide pen
Okay, so I thought this was going to be more interesting than it actually is. Anyway, here are the reasons for my pick-5 picks.
1. There have been times in my life when I have not needed coffee every morning. These past couple of seasons have definitely not qualified. Recently I bought a coffee maker so I can economize a little, and stop buying coffee as I do, even though I know it comes in styrofoam cups (what, that's not reason enough?). This morning, the coffee woke me up, my nose twitching at its delightful scent. Well, that's an exaggeration. But when I finally did wake up, I noticed the faint aroma of brewed coffee. Delicious.
2. Have you ever locked yourself out of your house/apartment? I haven't, not since I was young, agile and desperate enough (what child wants to face a frustrated father the upteenth time she forgot her keys in the morning?) to break into my bedroom window, shimmy up the outside of my bunk bed, climb down and open the door for my partner in crime (a.k.a. my twin brother), without forgetting to replace the screen. However. It does occasionally happen that I switch purses and not all of the day-to-day necessities make it into the chosen one. It is, thankfully, not impossible to get into my office without keys, but it takes more effort. I almost switched purses this morning, but stayed with the usual in the end. Otherwise, my office keys might still be sitting useless in my apartment, 15 miles away.
3. There is always the possibility that a book will come in handy. In fact, I'll amend that to "probability". This may not be true for everyone, but I'm one of those people... a reader. Besides, you never know when it won't be possible to read the Express over someone else's shoulder on the train. Today's choice: The Cloudspotter's Guide, by Gavin Pretor-Pinney.
4. This one needs little explaining for those who know me. I have allergies, therefore I always need tissues. Not to mention they make acceptable replacements for napkins.
5. For awhile now I've had a coffee maker in my office. Much cheaper than buying coffee everyday (in styrofoam cups), and easier on the environment because I have my own special work coffee mug in which I drink said coffee. It was given me as a "morale-boosting" gift last Christmas. It's useful. It didn't boost my morale. So, I'm on my second cup of coffee, and before I know it, it's happened. Yes, that's right. I spilled coffee. Again. On my very light, grey-blue linen dress. Which brings me to my final Must-Have of the morning: a Tide pen. Now, instead of an embarrassing brown splotch front and center, it's "What stain, sir?" Okay, the commercial exaggerates a little. It's not perfect. The stain is still visible from a foot away. But (I hope) nobody will be peering that closely at the front of my skirt. I've tried the Shout wipes, too, and they're just not as magical.
So there you have it. The most important five things I need just about every morning.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A 7:45am Change of Heart
Disclaimer: I'm feeling optimistic and sentimental this morning, so if you're not interested in reading about warm fuzzy feelings and the like, Read No Further. Seriously. If you're okay with all that, by all means, continue.
This morning started out in the same way as usual (except that I now have an incredible, wonderful, dear programmable coffee-maker), with too little sleep the night before, getting up way too early - as in, before 6am, which is generally an unbreakable rule I have - and napping instead of eating breakfast.
And yet somehow, I feel different. It's not that last night was particularly good night, or that yesterday was a particularly good day. In fact, a recurring old problem of mine reared its ugly head again yesterday, putting me in a terrible frame of mind. I don't say mood because it was more than a mood.
Recently I came to realize that the past year has probably been the worst I've ever experienced, not counting the year I turned 17. Bored and frustrated at work, I found no solace in going (or being at) home. Quite the opposite, my life at home stressed me out more than anything else. Where do you go when you can't go home?
To get to the point, at some time on my walk to work this morning, my heart turned over. Or grew. I wonder if that's how the Grinch felt when he had his revelation. I can't describe it precisely, only I have my armour back, and nothing can pierce it. I feel the proverbial great weight has been lifted from my broad-but-slender shoulders. Now I have a metaphorical gorget with matching spaulders. I've been trying to convince myself for the past few months at least that life is too short to "sweat the little things" as it were. I sincerely don't want to spend my days fretting over the past year. Having a worrying personality complicates matters, but today just may have changed all that.
So starting today, I'm not going to let anything upset me that isn't entirely worthy of feeling unhappy. Not my knees, not long lines in a hot Dunkin' Donuts, and certainly not rude, obnoxious - make that Toxic - people.
I'm going to enjoy my morning coffee and the light breeze.
This morning started out in the same way as usual (except that I now have an incredible, wonderful, dear programmable coffee-maker), with too little sleep the night before, getting up way too early - as in, before 6am, which is generally an unbreakable rule I have - and napping instead of eating breakfast.
And yet somehow, I feel different. It's not that last night was particularly good night, or that yesterday was a particularly good day. In fact, a recurring old problem of mine reared its ugly head again yesterday, putting me in a terrible frame of mind. I don't say mood because it was more than a mood.
Recently I came to realize that the past year has probably been the worst I've ever experienced, not counting the year I turned 17. Bored and frustrated at work, I found no solace in going (or being at) home. Quite the opposite, my life at home stressed me out more than anything else. Where do you go when you can't go home?
To get to the point, at some time on my walk to work this morning, my heart turned over. Or grew. I wonder if that's how the Grinch felt when he had his revelation. I can't describe it precisely, only I have my armour back, and nothing can pierce it. I feel the proverbial great weight has been lifted from my broad-but-slender shoulders. Now I have a metaphorical gorget with matching spaulders. I've been trying to convince myself for the past few months at least that life is too short to "sweat the little things" as it were. I sincerely don't want to spend my days fretting over the past year. Having a worrying personality complicates matters, but today just may have changed all that.
So starting today, I'm not going to let anything upset me that isn't entirely worthy of feeling unhappy. Not my knees, not long lines in a hot Dunkin' Donuts, and certainly not rude, obnoxious - make that Toxic - people.
I'm going to enjoy my morning coffee and the light breeze.
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