Learn About Glacial Lake Missoula At Discovery Day
A Drivel Runs Through It
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Back to the school/work grind. There's a month and a half left in the semester, and I have some major projects to get done, so I'll be making myself scarce online.
Today's affirmation:
I am content in all circumstances.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
From About.com:The pagan roots of Easter can be located in the celebration of the Spring Equinox, a date that has been treated as an important holiday by many different religions and for many millennia. Occurring every year on March 20, 21, or 22, the Spring Equinox marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Biologically and well as culturally, this date represents for cultures in northern climates the end of a "dead" season and the rebirth of life, as well as the importance of fertility and reproduction.
From Wikipedia:
The Easter festival's name in the English and German languages, and much of the symbolism now commonly associated with Easter in English-speaking countries but not in all traditionally Christian countries, are alleged to derive from Eostre, a Germanic pagan goddess, if a remark by the 8th century English historian the Venerable Bede to that effect is to be believed. Her primary festival, according to Bede, fell in the spring during her month, Eostremonat. According to the Bede, the word "Easter" is derived from the Old Norse Ostara or Eostre, a festival of spring at the vernal equinox, March 21, when nature is in resurrection after winter, hence, the symbolism of rabbits, notable for their fecundity, and the eggs, colored like rays of the returning sun and the aurora borealis.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Here he is: my perfect man.* (You can create your own.)
Rated NR for Not Realistic.
*Warning: May induce nausea in pregnant women. Symptoms in men may include vomiting, hives, dry mouth and/or uncontrollable laughter.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
I had two requests to post photos from my Hot Springs trip, but rather than post them on the blog, I decided to add them to Flickr, along with a couple dozen other recent shots.
So, if you want to see them, click on any of the small photos at the top of my site, then click "patia's photostream."
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Despite my previous post, it appears that when given the choice between working and napping, I will choose napping. I spent the entire day napping and reading. It's possible I am fundamentally lazy.
OK, vacation is half over and my list of things to do remains long. Time to get serious.
Today's affirmation:
I accomplish anything I put my mind to.
Windy last night. My satellite dish groans and squeals in the wind. I must call the installer today and ask if it's OK to use WD-40.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
The mineral content in many hot springs causes silver jewelry to tarnish. Since I forgot to take off my earrings and ring before I took the plunge, I had to boil up my secret silver-cleaning recipe this morning. It's not really a secret; I found it in a newspaper years ago. Thought I'd share:
Line a bowl with aluminum foil.
Pour in roughly equal amounts of salt and baking soda. A few tablespoons of each.
Wash silver with soapy water, then add to bowl.
Pour boiling water into bowl.
(This creates a chemical reaction that causes the minerals to abandon the silver in favor of the aluminum.)
After 5 or 10 minutes, the silver will be clean. Rub with a soft cloth to dry and shine.
I'm back from a quick trip to Hot Springs, where I spent a night at the Symes Hotel. It's long been on my list of things to do in Montana, and I'm happy to have finally crossed it off. Hot Springs is roughly a two-hour drive from Missoula, if you're taking your time, and I was. I took pictures, but none are great enough to justify spending the time on editing and uploading them. Here are some mental snapshots:
-Hazy gray spring skies and fields of dun-colored grasses. Snow-dusted mountains. Clear roads, but scatterings of drizzle, freezing rain and spitting snow. "Wambies" and "baby moos" bucking and toddling after their mothers in muddy pastures.
-Stopping underneath the Perma bridge (don't know if that's the official name) over the Clark Fork River to stretch my legs, and finding fresh greenhouse flowers scattered about at the water's edge, then a wooden cross hand-painted with hearts, dolphins and angels, honoring an 18-year-old who died in 1997. Perhaps it was thrown off the bridge in some sort of letting-go ritual? Rest in peace, Joey.
-Camas Prairie, one of my favorite places in western Montana. A quiet valley ringed by low mountains and ceilinged with big sky. The valley floor marked by rolling waves of soil -- gigantic ripples left by the exodus of Glacial Lake Missoula flood waters some 15,000 years ago. It took a geologist, Joseph Pardee, looking at aerial photos in the 1920s, to recognize this as the same phenomenon that occurs on the floor of a streambed, only on a massive scale.
-Hot Springs, like so many Montana towns with a post office, a hardware store, two groceries, two bars and a dog walking slowly across Main Street. A boy on a bicycle rode past and asked me, "Do you have any money?" A handful of great little antique-slash-gift shops, most of them closed while I was there. One store, The Bluebird, open and selling hand-beaded jewelry, aprons sewn from vintage fabrics and nag champa incense. I got an early start on Christmas shopping.
-The Symes Hotel, hot sulfurous water exploding from mismatched faucets, wet excited children running and yelling down narrow hallways, my room bravely refurbished in not-quite-shabby-chic. Montana steak and perfectly cooked spring vegetables in the hotel restaurant, served by a dreadlocked waitress. The ahhhhh of steaming mineral water and a plastic cup of red wine in an oversized clawfoot tub.
-Biscuits and gravy at the Bison Cafe in Ravalli. Would've had huckleberry pie, too, but it was too recently baked to cut. Just my luck.
-Grandma's Front Porch, a charming little house and three outbuildings overflowing with country knicknacks between Arlee and Missoula. I'm not much into knicknacks, but bought another Christmas gift and a jar of amazing chocolate sauce.
And now it's back to reality -- laundry (since Tango puked on my bed while I was gone), errands, schoolwork, paperwork galore. Sigh.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
A book meme, courtesy of Neva.
You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
I'm not sure I understand the question. If I'm a book about to be burned? OK, how about that Sean Hannity book I saw at Costco yesterday. Out of curiosity, I picked it up and read the back cover. It said something about "the twin dangers of terrorism and liberalism." Huh -- wha? He's kidding, right?
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Oh, lots. I fall in love practically every time I read a book or watch a movie. Well, maybe not "in love," exactly. More like "in like."
The last book you bought was:
I bought three books at Costco yesterday:
Pottery Barn Storage & Display: Stylish Solutions for Organizing Your Home
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott
The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke, by Suze Orman
Hello, my name is Patia and I'm a book addict.
The last book you read was?
Well, I just finished three books that I was reading concurrently as class assignments:
Open Secrets: Stories, by Alice Munro
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester
Chasing the Sun: Dictionary-Makers and the Dictionaries They Made, by Jonathon Green
I would not recommend the latter two unless you are a dictionary geek. Munro's stories are wonderful if you like to read complex, disturbing stuff.
What are you currently reading?
I've just started Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Another class assignment. I've also begun plowing through each entry in the UM Style Guide -- I'm revising it as a work and school project. And the Pottery Barn book for pure escapist fantasy.
Five books you'd take to a deserted island?
Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver. Because I could live in this book.
Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins. Because reading Tom Robbins is like peeling an onion while high.
My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. Because it was my favorite childhood book and it will encourage ingenuity.
The Norton Shakespeare. Because it will keep me busy.
The online Oxford English Dictionary. What? No Internet access on the deserted island? Can I take the 20-volume set? No? OK, I'll follow Sam's lead and take the Compact OED, because the magnifying glass will help me start fires. (That Sam is so clever!)
Who will you pass this stick (3 persons) on to, and why?
Birdie
Sharon
Monkey
Because they're all fascinating folks and I think their answers will surprise me.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Slept in this morning, waking to snow, sunshine and insistent kitties. I meant to Friday Cat Blog yesterday about our adventures with the new Litter Sweep Ultra automatic litterbox. Because I know y'all want every detail. (!) I'm also anxious to answer email and work on my website.
Alas, real life beckons. The dishes and paperwork are piled up. I am long overdue for a home blessing and FACEing my finances. (These are FlyLady terms; FACE stands for Financial Awareness Continually Empowers.) I am also desperate to get outdoors for a walk, even if it is blowing and cold.
Today's affirmation:
I take my time and rest, relax, and rejuvenate.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Today's affirmation:
I appreciate all that I have and have accomplished.
I am feeling very pleased with myself at the moment, because I managed to get all of my homework and midterm projects done and turned in. They might not all be my best work, but they're done and that's the most important part. I feel like I've been learning stuff like crazy the last couple of weeks -- writing techniques, word etymologies, evolution of language, different ways of looking at poetry .... Pretty cool stuff.
I'm also excited, because after today I'm on vacation. Sort of. I'm taking Spring Break (next week) off from work. I won't be heading to Fort Lauderdale or anything like that, but I'm excited to stay at home and get some things done around the house. I also have plenty of schoolwork to keep me busy. But I hope to get outside on some hikes and do a little garden clean-up, get caught up on email and paperwork, maybe even do some work on this website.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Okay, that was a really dumb title. But I'm too busy to think of something better -- I have a couple of midterm assignments due in the next few days. Just wanted to say that I'm really touched by the women who have come out in support of my story. And especially by the handful of you who have taken the time to email me. I promise I will respond just as soon as I get caught up with my schoolwork. You all are amazing and beautiful, too!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
I'm not entirely surprised (or sorry) that my guest posting over at Birdie's stirred up some emotional responses. Beauty is a loaded subject. I'd like to thank those who shared their experiences and thoughts. I'd also like to thank Birdie for the opportunity and just for -- being Birdie. I got to speak with her on the phone tonight for the first time and her voice is as warm and real as her writing. And she has a delicious laugh.
One of the commenters, Shaunta of Losing It (a great blog about weight and food), led me to this hysterically funny site: Weight Watchers recipe cards, circa 1974. Watch the slideshow and read the commentary. I'm serious, I haven't laughed so hard in months.
At the invitation of the fabulous Birdie, I'm guest-blogging today over at Beauty Dish. The assignment was to write something about beauty (Birdie is a very unconventional Avon lady), so I explored some of my memories and feelings on what is for me, a very difficult subject. My piece is called "Peach-Colored Roses," after the bouquet that's on my dining table right now.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Seen on a car in the University District this morning:
HYPOCRITES AGAINST
BUMPERSTICKERS
BUMPERSTICKERS
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
I'm thinking about opening up a shop on Cafe Press to sell my photography in the form of greetings cards, postcards, prints and so forth. What do you think? Would anyone buy my stuff?
Today's affirmation:
The riches of the world come to me effortlessly.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
I'm getting caught up on schoolwork, thank goodness. (It's amazing how much I can get done when I'm not sick or in pain.) The reading load is heavy and never-ending, but I can think of worse things to do than sit around reading. Really. I forget sometimes how happy I am to be right here, doing what I'm doing. The degree is not the important part; what's important is the process, the learning. When I stop and think about it, I get a little sad to think that it'll be done and over with in a little more than a year. Enjoy the moment.
There's so much more I'd like to write about -- the pile of magazines from the 1960s and '70s at the recycling center yesterday, my trip to Seattle last weekend, the fresh fruit I brought back from the Pike Place Market -- but I need to get back to my schoolwork.
Today's affirmation:
I earn my living doing what I love.
I'm not ashamed to beg: Please, please spay and neuter your pets.
Yesterday I took a load of old towels and blankets to the county Animal Shelter. This is where Luna lived for nearly four months. I brought the shelter ladies pictures of Luna, so they could see how happy she looks, how she's gained a pound or two since she joined Tango and me in November, how she has a handsome big brother and a great big outdoors to play in. They remembered her (they knew her as Bev Doolittle) and delighted in the pictures.
And I wonder how she went four months without being snatched up by someone else -- to my mind, she is extraordinarily beautiful and sweet. A joy. (Especially now that we seem to have her litterbox issues under control!) I would like to think that maybe we were meant for each other, and that's why she was at the shelter and PetsMart for so long. But the reality is probably just that there are hundreds of beautiful, sweet cats and simply not enough homes for them all.
I wasn't going to, but I went into the shelter's cat room and said hello to all 20 or so kitties in their shiny steel cages. They were all special, all unique. They were big and little, long-haired and short-haired, outgoing and shy, talkative and quiet. They were black and white and gray and orange and tabby. They all deserve homes and people to love. They might or might not get them. Spring is here, and that means litters upon litters of unwanted kittens (and puppies) will soon be arriving at shelters in Missoula and everywhere. When they run out of cages to put them all in, difficult choices will have to be made.
Please, please, please -- spay and neuter your pets.
With the warming weather comes the scratch and scrabble of mice nesting in my insulation. The trap in the mudroom was sprung and akilter this morning, but empty. One got away. The little critters don't often enter my living quarters, not with two cats, and they won't last long if they do.
The woodpecker was back this morning, and yesterday afternoon, drilling on my stovepipe. These are northern flickers -- shrill-voiced, medium-sized, red-chested birds that drill on metal and wood to define their territory and call for mates. As spring progresses, they'll be up at the crack of dawn -- which may be 4:30 a.m. in June -- drilling away. It sounds like a machine gun going off in my cabin. I used to get angry -- leap out of bed, bang back with a wooden spoon on the stovepipe, rush outside in my robe with a handful of pebbles and swear words. It was all futile. Now I've given in, accepted it. I pull the covers over my head and grumble and smile. I'm unimportant in the woodpecker's scheme of things, and that makes me happy.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Woodpecker drilled on my stovepipe this morning. I guess it's spring. The trees are budding out and yesterday was gorgeously sunny. Never mind what the calendar says, or that our snowpack is half of normal and the mountains are probably going to go up like kindling this summer. Spring has sprung.
I feel better after getting a lot done yesterday. Talked with my teachers, and if I hit the books hard this weekend I'll be okay.
Today's affirmation:
I believe in myself now, always and in all ways.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
In Seattle I bought a deck of cards called "Gifts of the Goddess." Each card has an affirmation and a few words of wisdom. I'd been looking for some daily affirmations of some sort; something positive to try to align myself with every morning. I think I'll post them here, more for myself than anyone else, since I look at my website several times a day.
I have the power to transform my life.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Lately it's been one thing after another. Valentine's depression. (Someday maybe I'll tell you how I can't even BUY a date.) A nasty cold. Coughing fits in classes, meetings and conference sessions. Incessant lower-back pain, including what feels like a charley horse in my ass. A trip by car to Seattle for an annual conference over the weekend, which is when I usually get most of my homework done. Reading in the car makes me sick, so I've only finished one of the two books due today. Getting home last night, I smacked my face on the Suburban's door jamb, and now I have a black eye. Cat puke on my bed and carpet. The new backpack I ordered arrived in green instead of blue, for the second time. No time to write, exercise, pay bills, floss my teeth. So very tired. Missed classes and work today, again.
Tomorrow I will make a herculean effort to pull it together, get my act in gear. Wish me luck.
