Annual Highlight (Second Half)

FOURTH OF JULYThe picture below is of the set-up of the fireworks (to the left of the barn). This park is directly across the street from Tony and Stacey's house, so we saw the fireworks in a very impressive manner!Caleb is resting between the Fourth of July parade and the fireworks display.ANOTHER KIND OF FIREWORKS This is a picture David took while outside in the infamous storm.

TOTAL MAXIMIZATION OF COUSIN TIME The pictures above and below are from a play that the cousins put on - a tradition.

TIME WITH SECOND COUSINS TOO!!

They sure don't play dodgeball out here the way I learned it in California!!

BIRTHDAYS

A Happy Birthday muffin at Grandma's! Note the lantern on the counter - setting out due to the storm and ensuing power outtage.

A double celebration!

A multi-celebration!!

The Heart Asks

The heart asks pleasure first,
And then, excuse from pain;
And then, those little anodynes
That deaden suffering;

And then, to go to sleep;
And then, if it should be
The will of its Inquisitor,
The liberty to die.

- Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Teaser

Silly me.

 I thought working with iphoto on the mac would make getting lots of pictures up to my blog faster and easier than doing my normal thing on the PC. Three hours (that I really couldn't afford to lose) later I find this is not at all the case! I think I'm done with the mac.  Here are the results of my efforts. I hope to have a fuller "album" of the second half of our trip by tomorrow.

Good Both Ways

It's always nice to have a vacation where it's good to go and also good to come home, and that's what we've just experienced. Once I recuperate from "today's" travels I'll put up part two of the photos. It just seems to me a little crazy that although it only takes 10 hours to fly all the way from San Francisco to London it took us more than 18 hours to get home from Michigan! Eighteen hours is still amazing when compared to the covered wagon days, which I actually do think about with gratitude every time we fly cross country, but . . .

I can't sleep in a car, an airport, or on a plane, and with my sleep disorder it wasn't worth it to go to bed Monday night since we were getting up at 2:30am to leave. It is now Tuesday evening, and I haven't gotten any appreciable sleep since getting up Sunday morning, so some recovery is definitely in order!

The travels, though long, were uneventful. YEA!! I always feel so good to be home from a trip that involves flying. Although I'm a mathematician and know the stats (i.e. how much safer flying is than driving), I fear flying. Emotion trumps intellect!!

MUCH THANKS to family on both ends for making this possible - Michigan family for putting us up (and putting up with us!) and California family for providing transportation and taking care of things here.

Thanks also to Dale for recommending the book "The Shack." It was so gripping and thought provoking that I couldn't put it down until I finished it; I read the last page as we pulled into our driveway! I haven't really thought through the theology of it (too tired - but not so tired that I didn't find a number of such concepts disturbing), but in fictional form it powerfully addressed such things as how God can be both sovereign and loving even though that can be very hard to reconcile in the face of monstrous suffering and pain that people can experience. It made me think a lot about forgiveness, justice, mercy, judgment, love, vengeance, reconcilation, relationship, trust, God's nature and so much more. I need to read it again soon when I am not so tired! (I must say there were also a couple of characerizations that reminded me strongly enough of characters in other fictional works as to be distracting, but overall I found it a gripping and thought-provoking read.)

PS Tony and Stacey, we got a bit delayed and arrived home at about 6:30pm today. I'm curious as to whether you beat us to the West Coast?

Art from Mudd

-photographer: Anne White

This man is a phenomenon! His name is Arthur Benjamin, and he has combined his humor, magic and mathematics into what he calls "mathemagics." Whether you love math or are terrified by it you will be entertained by him. Click here to see him in action. He teaches at Harvey Mudd College (hence the title), but he also travels and performs. If you ever get a chance to see him, don't pass it up!

(I'm a little worried about putting this up immediately after my last post, which might have scared some people, but this is really VERY accessible and FUN! You might want to play along by getting out a calculator to trying to beat him to answers. The clip is 15 minutes long. If it pauses from time to time when you try to play it, let it load in the background first and then watch it.)

PS Thanks for the link, Delrae! :-)

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

Here in the United States we celebrated

years of independence today.

Electricity is Nice

Other titles considered for this blog were: The Ecstasy and the Agony and Michigan Adventure. Yesterday afternoon David was having the time of his life (see recent previous post). As the rain came down in sheets and then became mixed with hail, as the thunder and lightning edged closer and closer to simultaneity, as the children were heading for the basement for safety, and as sister-in-law Stacey was checking the computer (on battery, of course) to see if there was a tornado watch, David, glorying in the Michigan summer storm, was OUTSIDE trying to get pictures of lightning! (He got some too - although the one currently posted is not one of his.)

On the way back to Grand Rapids from Grandville we were traveling at about 30mph on the highway due to the deep puddles and the difficulty seeing because of the intensity of the rain. This wasn't helped by the fact that the streetlights on the highway went out as we were driving. We were grateful to make it back to Grandma's house safely but arrived only to find out her basement was flooded and the electricity was out.

The kids were calling this "The Michigan Adventure" (the name of a theme park out here), and it got more adventurous as time went on. About 100,000 homes and businesses in the Grand Rapids area were without power, and it is projected to stay out in some areas until Saturday.

Although it's kind of fun to "rough it," although candle-light provided interesting atmosphere for showering last night, although the liquid ice-cream we had for dessert today was almost palatable, although I feel like a wimp when I realize that for the vast majority of human history people lived without it (and still do in many parts of the world) . . .

I've decided I REALLY like electricity!

We had no idea when electricity would come back on at Mom's house - if we would be without for days. It was finally restored today at 3pm (15 hours after having gone off), and as it did, the stereo came on, and the song that was playing was The Theme to Masterpiece Theatre. I guess it was a "you had to be there" moment, but it was awesome to have that majestic fanfare play as the electricity came back on and we celebrated.

I guess talking about the weather is a boring cliche, but we were anything but bored, and it really was quite a storm, at least for us California folks. Gusts of up to 87 mph were reported in Grand Haven, and I learned a new word: "seiche." The winds were such that the water level in Lake Michigan dropped 4 feet on the opposite side of the lake.

I'm hoping there are no more such "adventures" in store!!

PS Happy Sweet 16 Anthony!

PPS Notice how popular the word "Grand" is in the names of cities in Michigan . . . hmm . . .

Annual Highlight (First Half)

The annual highlight is going to Michigan to be with extended family (seen here at Tunnel Beach in Holland).For our boys there is nothing better in life than "cousin time."Here are all the cousins again - oh, except . . . . . . Brant, who was still surfin' the waves

(such as they are in Lake Michigan :-)Not only do they play together, but they work together too - picking strawberries, cleaning them, and making jam: Various other activites are going on as well:

Bocce Ball

Soccer in Grandma's backyard
. . . and what vacation would be complete without a cherry pit spitting contest?

I'm Telling You It's Not Straight!

I found this while exploring mathpuzzle.com. It was created by Seb Przd. More of his work can be found at this flickr site. His work is quite Escheresque, and I like what I term the "small world" images as well. (They are actually called stereographic projections, and well worth checking out!)

Twins Joined at the Ear

PS Happy Birthday Uncle Dan!

Is This California?

My husband grew up in Michigan. We moved to back to my home state of California 19 years ago. We moved here in June, and every morning David would open the curtains and scream, "THERE ARE NO CLOUDS! THERE IS NOT A SINGLE CLOUD IN THE SKY!"

Well, no, of course not, it was a California summer, what did he expect? The benefit of this is that you can plan a picnic or outdoor wedding and be SURE it will not rain. You do not have to have a "plan B" for outdoor occasions. Over nearly 2 decades no amount of me touting the benefits of more than three months of nearly guaranteed cloudlessness has yet won him over.

The following pictures were taken in the central valley of California on the first day of summer. The day before had been cloudless with a high temp of 106F. On the day these pictures were taken we had a high of 103F. Not only did clouds move in, but we also got a sprinkling of rain. So, while this may not impress some readers, this is nearly unheard of in California, therefore I am posting these. Besides, I need to officially record this so that I can remind David that we have had a summer day with clouds!

Post Script -- Later in the news it was said that we set a record today: "trace amounts of rain." We had not had ANY rain here on a June 21 before (at least as far back as when they began keeping records)!

Personal Note: Nethe, did you send the clouds and rain? If so, THANK YOU!

Wild and Crazy Life!

Girolamo Cardano (1501-1576) was quite someone who lived quite a life! Here are a few tidbits from his biography: He was the result of an abortion attempt that failed. He is one of the greatest doctors who ever lived, often mentioned with Galen and Hippocrates, but he was not allowed to teach medicine in the university because his birth was illigetimate. His father was a mathematically gifted lawyer who advised Leonardo Da Vinci. Girolamo was also extremely gifted mathematically and wrote Ars Magna (The Great Art), one of the first important works on algebra. A situation related to that publication caused him to be involved in the most famous mathematical feud in history (with Tartaglia). He was an accomplished chess play and gambler (which he was forced into to remain sovlent). He is credited with having invented the combination lock and the gimbal (a device of 3 concentric rings that allow a gyroscope to rotate freely). He accomplished all this and more although he suffered from health problems all his life due to his mother having tried to abort him. He was also severely abused as a child and did not get along well with others later in life. He is credited with first having suggest a sort of touch reading for the blind and symbols for the deaf. Leibniz said of him, "Cardano was a great man with all his faults; without them, he would have been incomparable." That is high praise, coming from an arrogant polymath who was one of the inventors of the calculus!

I have become so intrigued by this man that I have just purchased his autobiography. I haven't really begun reading it yet, but I've scanned it, and it scans a bit like a blog. Here is a section I particularly like and which seems like a blog post I would write. In fact, I think I will post something similar:

THOSE THINGS IN WHICH I TAKE PLEASURE

Among the things which please me greatly are stili for writing . . . . Besides these, I take great pleasure in gems, in metal bowls, in vessels of copper or silver, in painted glass globes and in rare books.

I enjoy swimming a little and fishing very much . . .

In the Italian poets, Petrarch and Luigi Pulci, I find great delight.

I prefer solitude to companions, since there are so few men who are trustworthy, and almost none who are truly learned. I do not say this because I demand scholarship in all men -- although the sum total of men's learning is small enough; but I question whether we should allow anyone to waste our time. The wasting of time is an abomination.

Directorial Debut

Caleb often gets sudden inspirations, and he (almost) always finds a way to bring them about, and he does not stop until it happens! Not having used a video camera, tripod or imovie before did not hinder him, and here is his first animated short (with a little instruction by Dad on camera use, Mom on tripod use, and Jacob on computer graphics). He is hooked and has created 5 such videos in 3 days!

Clocks Cannot Tell

Clocks cannot tell our time of day
For what event to pray
Because we have no time, because
We have no time until
We know what time we fill,
Why time is other than time was.
Nor can our question satisfy
The answer in the statue's eye:
Only the living ask whose brow
May wear the Roman laurel now;
The dead say only how.

What happens to the living when we die?
Death is not understood by Death; nor You, nor I.

-- W. H. Auden (1907 - 1973)

A Very Good Day

Well, you know, it's hard to top Cancun, which is where we were last year at this time, but all in all this was a very good day! I got up this morning to find roses by my computer in the office and at my place at the table. We spent the afternoon playing Cities and Knights of Catan as a family. Then David surprised me by taking me to a movie, to dinner (at a new Italian place I'd been wanting to try) and then to another restaurant to pick up a pie (chocolate satin - YUMM!) to bring home to share as a family. We also received a hillarious card from Jeff and Vicki that gave us a good laugh! I just realized that we have now been married for as long as we had been single before, since we were married at age 21 and are celebrating our 21st anniversary!

The Boys of Summer :-)

Action boy Caleb IN ACTION! Big bro Anthony takin' it easy, soaking up some rays, and looking on:

Jacob, the recent graduate, chillin' with the Wii.

Perfection

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.

All tenderly his messenger he chose;

Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet --

One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;

"My fragile leaves," it said, "his heart enclose."

Love long has taken for his amulet

One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet

One perfect limousine do you suppose?

Ah no, it's always just my luck to get

One perfect rose.

-- Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

Our trip to UCSF Stroke Center took place today.

Information is posted at the DAVID link at right.

Results put briefly: it was AWESOME!

The Cow

The cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk.

--Ogden Nash (1931)

Multiple Choice Title

I'm not sure what to title this post:

Summer Resolution? After and Before? Possibilities?

Poor Timing? The Mid-Life Challenge? Entropy?

I'm also not so sure I want to put it up - partly because if I fail it will be obvious, whereas if I tell no one, no one will know if I fail - partly because I would rather put up only flattering pictures of myself - partly because this might sound a bit vain - and partly because I don't know if I want to be this vulnerable.

- but, I'm throwing caution to the wind, and here goes.

Here are pictures of me from 2001 when I last did any serious running - ran about 3 miles every day and competed in a 10K:

Here are pictures taken today after my first little jog/walk in recent memory:

From elementary school through my mid-thirties I was an athlete. I LOVED exercise of pretty much any kind and exercised pretty much every day for decades, sometimes running as far as 10 miles. For some reason unknown to me after age 35 I stopped exercising, and at this point no form of exercise whatsoever sounds at all appealing. Also, my eating habits, which were abysmal to begin with (just ask my high school track coach who used to confront me at lunch while I was eating my candy bars!!) have totally deteriorated to the point where if no one else is around, I might have a bowl of cereal in the morning and then eat ONLY chocolate for the rest of the day - LOTS of chocolate - REALLY - I am not making that up. Chocolate is truly THE BASE of my food pyramid (and in the best of all possible worlds it should be able to be!!). As you can imagine neither of these things has been of benefit either to my looks or my health.

As to looks, I've had people ask me if I'm pregnant. (WHY do people ask that question? If the answer is "yes," they've taken away the woman's privilege of announcing it on her time frame - or perhaps it was unplanned and painful to talk about. If the answer is "no," then they've told the woman she looks fat. No matter what the answer, the outcome is likely to be reasonably catastrophic. The question, "Are you pregnant?" is the fastest way I know of to ruin someone's day and to put one's entire foot in one's mouth in only 3 words --but I digress.)

As to health, I used to be able to run 10 miles quite comfortably; one of the pictures above was taken after a 10-kilometer race in 2001 that felt really good; now I'd be lucky to be able to run 10 feet. My doctor has just begun to express concern about my cholesterol levels. Also, I can't imagine having gained 60 pounds is a healthy thing (by all rights I should have gained a lot more - perhaps my former athleticism prevented this from being worse).

Today is June 1. That sounds like a good day to begin a resolution. I'm afraid I'm a little slow on the uptake as most people make dieting and exercise resolutions BEFORE swimsuit season (oh well . . .). So, here's the deal. I'm not going to do anything drastic - no special diets or fitness trainer or fasting or crazy exercise plan - and I'm certainly not thinking I'll make up for 7 years in 3 months. I'm just going to try for the next 3 months to make somewhat better choices in eating and to get at least a little bit of exercise every single day and see what can happen for a 42-year old woman who has totally let herself go for 7 years. Can she get it back? Results of the experiment will be posted on September 1, regardless of outcome.

Against me are:
a 7-year-long momentum in the wrong direction
my abiding and deep-seated passion for chocolate
my abhorrence of vegetables (& growing distaste for fruit)
(& the fact that I find meat mildly to strongly repulsive)
my age
an utter lack of desire to exercise

For me are:
my history as an athlete

( . . . um, what else is for me?)

2 family members training (for other reasons)
posting this makes the world my accountability group!!



Well, there's also the fact that all the things in my closet that I like but cannot now wear took a LONG time to accumulate (because I HATE shopping), and I don't want to buy new clothes that fit (because I HATE shopping). I'm also sick of rotating through the same 4 outfits that fit me. If I could take off even 25 pounds I'd have a totally renewed wardrobe - WITHOUT SHOPPING! That's a pretty good incentive ( . . . oh . . . but chocolate gives such immediate and tremendously satisfying pleasure . . . this is going to be hard!).

TBA

Later today I'll put up a post about DAVID's upcoming week. We'll be traveling to UCSF Stroke Center to talk with a neurovascular specialist.

Also, today, June 1, I have a post about myself I'm a bit tentative about putting up. That too will come later.

But right now, Caleb cannot wait to start watching the Indiana Jones triology (all of which were out of theaters before my children were born!) in order to have the background for the one now showing on the big screen. So, for now, off I go into the land of vicarious adventure!!