CMC^3 2013

I had a good weekend of mixing business with pleasure - mathematics, family, friends, teaching, and natural beauty! The weekend after finals week was sure a great time to get away and get renewed vocationally and spiritually!

Charting Progress with Pachelbel

Planarity

A colleague shared this site with me today - pretty interesting to explore:

http://planarity.net/#

A Good Teaching Day

Well, I was just hitting the slump I usually do a few weeks in to the fall semester when I realize summer is truly over - and when the adrenaline of the first couple of weeks of the semester wears off - and when some class management issues start to pop up.  Yesterday I was not a happy camper, but today was a whole different story!

After teaching one of my favorite topics (which is not always a favorite for students, especially at this level), three students stayed after the 2-hour lecture and talked with me for another 45 minutes about the topic at hand - set theory - particularly the continuum hypothesis and different "sizes" of infinity.  They were very excited - had lots of questions - lots of thoughts.

THIS is what it's all about!  THIS is what I live for!
THIS is what makes teaching worthwhile and exciting!

If I Won the Lottery

I don't know where this place is, but if I won the lottery, this is what I would buy. It has a pipe organ, a library with a fireplace, and game room - all the elements of my dream home!

Craftsman of Destruction

“Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.” 

― Criss Jami

Summer Games

King of Tokyo (expansion)

Dominion

Cribbage

Magic

Card Pictionary

Flash Point: Fire Rescue

Tic

Cities and Knights of Catan

Catch Phrase

Chess

Agricola

Wits and Wagers

 Rook

Pandemic

Say Anything

Bang

Dr. Mario

Quirkle

Starfarers of Catan

Pinochle

Super Tic Tac Toe

YEA SUMMER!!

Those Great Goddesses of Peace

LORELEI It is no night to drown in: A full moon, river lapsing Black beneath bland mirror-sheen, The blue water-mists dropping Scrim after scrim like fishnets Though fishermen are sleeping, The massive castle turrets Doubling themselves in a glass All stillness. Yet these shapes float Up toward me, troubling the face Of quiet. From the nadir They rise, their limbs ponderous With richness, hair heavier Than sculptured marble. They sing Of a world more full and clear Than can be. Sisters, your song Bears a burden too weighty For the whorled ear's listening Here, in a well-steered country, Under a balanced ruler. Deranging by harmony Beyond the mundane order, Your voices lay siege. You lodge On the pitched reefs of nightmare, Promising sure harborage; By day, descant from borders Of hebetude, from the ledge Also of high windows. Worse Even than your maddening Song, your silence. At the source Of your ice-hearted calling- Drunkenness of the great depths. O river, I see drifting Deep in your flux of silver Those great goddesses of peace. Stone, stone, ferry me down there.

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)

The Fly

Little Fly
Thy summer's play,
My thoughtless hand
Has brush'd away.

Am not I
A fly like thee?
Or art not thou
A man like me?

For I dance
And drink & sing;
Till some blind hand
Shall brush my wing.

If thought is life
And strength & breath;
And the want
Of thought is death;

Then am I
A happy fly,
If I live,
Or if I die.

William Blake (1794)

A Goodly Heritage

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.  Psalm 16:6

Today, April 20, 2013, we celebrated Grandpa Nick Van Dyken's 100th birthday.  Though he went home to his eternal celebration 3 weeks ago, the party went on here too!  Extended family from around the country gathered, and we had a wonderful celebration and reunion.  I imagine it will be the last time the extended Van Dyken family gets together - all descendants of Peter and Margaret Van Dyken - but the singing and fellowship reminded me that we are part of an eternal family that will one day be reunited in an eternal setting, never again to be parted.


Cousin Philip inherited Grandpa's pipe and pocket watch, seeing them just makes Grandpa materialize before me!  It's really amazing how evocative a few items can be.

Speaking of memories, each table had a bowl of jelly beans.  Grandma and Grandpa always had these on hand.  When I was young, Grandpa would portion these out on the counter - one of each color for each grandchild.

Other memories of Grandpa included the hats he wore.  He did so many things in his life - was a photographer and butcher and fire chief and carpenter and electrician and inventor and harmonica player and father and grandfather and  .  .  .

Cousin Matt enlarged precious old family photos.  This photo is of the 45th anniversary of Peter and Margaret Van Dyken, my great grandparents - along with all ten of their kids.  Great-Grandpa lived to be 100, and most of the kids lived to be in their 90's.  Grandpa Nick missed his 100th birthday by less than a month.  He was the fifth child and the last surviving sibling  I'm hoping my longevity genes come from this side of the family!

Cousins from various generations checking out another photo.  I believe this one was also taken at the time of my great grandparent's 45th anniversary, but it includes all the spouses and grandchildren.

Reminiscing amid the photos - the one on the right was taken in 1927, when Grandpa was 14 years old.  He is standing second from the left.

The youngest generation having fun together :-)

Tenure!

Here I am with 8 colleagues - all of us being recognized today as having earned tenure.

 Chatting with Lorena before the ceremony -

Yea!  Tenure!!

 My turn up front with Brian Sanders, Dean of Science, Math and Engineering

 Pictures and snacks -

My family came to celebrate - Caleb, David, Mom and Dad

 Dinner out at Olive Garden later to celebrate -