Earth Day Celebration

My thoughts as I was reminded by Glenn and Google this morning:

I should not need a reminder, considering our family’s history around Earth Day; that’s another story I will never forget.

We saved some trees over the years by not printing our thousands of photos, stored digitally for everyone to enjoy.

Naturally we have peaceful memories centered in a favorite frontier retreat nearby … the 4,400-acre Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve and boardwalk; (more at nature.org)

Actions that “celebrate” today:

Turned off the lights and the furnace; (it’s still cold outside at night.)

Opened the blinds to see nature, and  "let the sunshine in"; (recalled "Aquarius" by The 5th Dimension, and I felt it!)

Recycled Del Taco Tuesday paper sacks, and figured their “hand-grated fresh cheddar” process saved electricity; (we choose our fast food with care.)

Learned that “it takes just a few clicks to help protect our planet on the day that we celebrate it.”  – The Nature Conservancy

Quietly push-mowed the lawn by my own power without waking the neighbors, and minimally watered.

Checked out “our 10 things you can do to help save the Earth." 

– science.howstuffworks.com

Planned to shovel compost into a grow box, and take a twenty-minute power nap as a celebratory siesta.

Just the two of us lovebirds

Playing Favorites

As a parent and grandparent, I sometimes play favorites, like "The Little Engine That Could" story copied to a cassette tape many years ago as a backup of my favorite kids’ record.  Narrated by Paul Wing in the early 1950s (I believe, per loc.gov and the National Recording Preservation Board), it teaches children a valuable lesson.  I found and played the bedtime story for a very special granddaughter visiting us last week – put her and Grandma to sleep … so sweet!  Hearing the recording brought back memories of listening to it as a young boy, probably a hundred times on my little record player. The theme tune still runs through my mind, accompanied by “I think I can … I think I can!”

When I play favorites, it is not partisanship or prejudice, “giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.”  
– Google defined favoritism.  It’s fair because they are deserving, and there is no expense involved.

In the coming days, I shall think of more favorites I love to play, like “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy (French composer, 1862 - 1918.)

"Debussy's symphonic poem, first performed in 1894 … tells the tale of the mythical faun, playing his pipes alone in the woods. ... From the dreamy opening flute tune, the sleepy calm of an afternoon in the forest ..."  – classicfm.com

That piece definitely deserves preferential treatment!

Courtesy Google.com

Playing the favorite forest zip line ... a calm afternoon for parents.

Easter Joy

I saw it last Sunday in a combined meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  And I felt joy again this morning, watching the video "He Lives".  We "celebrate Easter because Jesus Christ lives."  

I know with all my heart and soul, that our Savior atoned for our sins, died for us all, and rose on the third day.  It is true – "No matter who you are ... the greatest miracle ...  He lives today."

www.mormon.org/easter

On Common Ground

Spring is the season for action, it seems.  Here in the desert, I expect to see a whole lot of gardening, planting, watering, mowing, raking, mulching, fertilizing, digging, pulling weeds, and weedwhacking with weed eaters.  Sweeping the sidewalks is an occasional senior activity; (remember push brooms?)  Using a motorized leaf blower is more common and energizing (noisy) in this young neighborhood.

Our community thrives on common ground.  Conforming to front-lawn rules and regulations is customary in this arid frontier.  My wife says keeping the weeds down is the reason – much easier to mow, water, and fertilize than to kill weeds.  I think it’s for curb appeal – a nice view while backing out of the garage in the early morning, and driving in at night.  Same with the tan vinyl fences, which I love as maintenance-free.

You may detect an attitude, but the point of this language lesson is to share some “verbal nouns, also called gerunds, which refer to actions.”  –  examples.yourdictionary.com/noun-examples

Here are more nouns derived from verbs:

I prefer boating, bowling, camping, computing, eating, hiking, playing, reading, relaxing, serving, sleeping, and watching movies with my wife.
“These are a few of my favorite things.”  – lyricsmania.com

A couple of those do not look like action words, but in my book they are. Admonishing (advising or urging) is not my thing, but one can have fun with storytelling and writing personal history.  Everyone has a unique story to share – is that not common ground?

Growing hollyhocks is one of Kay's specialties.

Graceful running is fun in the sun.

Discovering a wind spinner in the backyard is a curious thing.

Rooting out these bad boys is a common-ground challenge.

Elder Afterthoughts

It's happening more, the older I get – both good and bad.  In fact, I just recalled this title I noted six weeks ago:  afterthought, defined by Google as "an item or thing that is thought of or added later."  Afterward, it came to me: we elders, or persons in "a more advanced time of life" (M-W def.) are especially blessed ... or cursed ... with greater frequency of afterthought.

Another just occurred to me: an e-mail I sent yesterday to explain a fun "Tech Solutions" church activity I am planning for elders ("olders" or seniors), was missing a new add-on idea I had: displays of old low-tech compared with current high-tech.  Come to think of it, as a tech collector, 
I have plenty of them!  (P.S.: Old ones, that is.)

There is another thought coming to me ... to be added here later ... if I remember.  Is that good or bad?  Am I on the right track with this?  I got it ... like the next station – some get there faster than others.

Am I coming or going?  Quick!

Looks like I lost my train of thought – sorry, but I love 'em! (Grandkids and afterthoughts)

Two-and-a-half-minute Talks

Three minutes would have been too scary for me – more than a shy boy could handle at age six, I guess.  Whoever created the 2.5-minute talk for junior Sunday School must have been sensitive to that.  Two minutes was manageable; another half minute was a stretch to help us quiet kids grow.

I remember giving my first talk in jSS (a home next to the 20th Ward "amusement hall"), standing in front of a big room full of children.  I don't recall the topic – only how frightened I was.

It must have been a growing experience, as I have accepted a few more scary assignments to talk since then.  My wife Kay and I move around a lot to different wards as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; occasionally, we are asked to speak in sacrament meeting and introduce ourselves. Fortunately for me, Kay is always first and so well prepared, she is able to fill most of our allotted time, leaving me about two and a half minutes to read a scripture, testify of the truth, and say amen to her fine sermon.  Seriously, the gospel is true!

East Ensign Ward Sunday School class  13 December 1942

Live Together in Love / A History of The Ensign Third Ward, ©1981, Salt Lake City, p.59

(Click pic to enlarge, then press Esc to return to post.  Recognize anyone?)

Snipping Tool Simplified

Last January, I e-mailed my good friend these simplified instructions for using the Snipping Tool on PC with Windows 7:

1. Ready
2. Get
3. Set
4. Go

It works!  If you have a handle on using this power tool, you gotta love it!
Not so easy for me on Windows 8.1 – we struggled with it today at a client's office; (help!)  Always more secrets cleverly hidden by programmers to create a progressive, new look-and-feel; (a pet peeve of mine.)

P.S.: Some added detail may help those who haven't used the tool before; (maybe I should send this to my friend, in case the above didn't do it:)
1. Ready with image to capture on screen.  2. Get tool: click Start (lower left) or press Windows button; if S.Tool doesn't appear on frequent programs, type to Search: snip (or: snipping tool); find and click Snipping Tool to launch it.  3. Set by framing the image with mouse cross starting at top left (I prefer), and holding mouse button while moving to opposite corner to complete frame; release button; (if screen is not in faded mode by default (New), click New in little S.Tool box.)  4. Go with snipped image (automatically saved in temporary clipboard memory) to Paste in Word doc or e-mail, and/or Save As (name) PNG or JPEG<(best) file type for future use.  Simple as that!

Here are a few of my sample snips from 2014, for family history and fun:

I saved as (file name): Word2010-menuReview_Comments&TrackChngs

Saved for fine food & one typo; love his ads on KJUL-FM oldies radio (kjul1047.com)