It's All in the Presentation

October 5, 2016

On my morning walk I passed a house that had a charming Fall decoration on the porch: tucked in the corner was a two-tiered plant stand, with a mum on the top tier and a pumpkin on the bottom one. It was very simple, but it looked great, and I marveled at how some people just have a knack for that sort of thing.

Farther down I passed a house where, in the spirit of the season, the homeowner had plunked a pumpkin on the front porch.

I think I’ll keep an eye on the first house to see what else they come up with for the various seasons.

And, since we have the same style of decorating, I wonder if I should introduce myself to the homeowner of the second house and see if we have other things in common.

Credit Where Credit is Due

October 10, 2016

Ya gotta give The Donald credit:

Ever since he became the front-runner, we haven’t heard that tired old cliché about voting for a candidate who believes in Family Values.

So I guess we owe him one.

One Fewer Obstacle to Voting

October 3, 2016

There was an article in yesterday’s paper (the St. Louis paper, no less!) about mobile polling places in Ada County, Idaho. Chief Deputy Clerk Phil McGrane said that the voting trailers give voters the advantage of not having to figure out where their regular polling place is located.

This might sound silly to anybody who hadn’t had to deal with the strange system of polling places in Ada County; but to those of us who have suffered through it, he makes perfect sense. (See “Only in Idaho—I Hope”, May 2010).

If Only They had Used the Past Perfect Tense...

July 15, 2016

I keep seeing books—library books, published books, books which have presumably been somewhat edited or proofread—whose authors write, “If I would have known, I would have done it differently…” It drives me nuts.

For all you budding authors, please note: It’s

“If I had known, I would have…”

“If I had seen her, I would have avoided her.”

“If Mom had known my friend hated broccoli, she wouldn’t have served it.”

The first part of the sentence uses the Past Perfect tense, and the second part uses the Conditional Perfect.

I’m not going to lie to you: I didn’t remember they were called the Past Perfect Tense and the Conditional Perfect Tense until I looked it up; but I did know how to use them. (Thanks, Mom.)

And now you do, too.

Rice Paddy Artwork

September 25, 2016

Do yourself a favor and look at the Yahoo! article called “China’s Rice Terraces: The Most Beautiful in the World.”

The stained-glass quality of the rice fields is incredible.

Step Away from the Box...

September 18, 2016

I’m not good at craft projects. At all. Today I saw an article from Good Housekeeping that showcased dozens of “easy” projects that had gone so, so wrong.

It was comforting.

It was also a good reminder to stay away from the Clairol aisle.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

September 18, 2016

I’ve always wanted enough money to be able to hop on a plane and go somewhere at a moment’s notice; so if somebody calls and says, “The leaves in the Berkshires are at their peak,” or “The cherry blossoms in DC are wonderful,” I could go see them right then, instead of planning a trip that might get me there at the wrong time, because the leaves didn’t turn or the cherries didn’t bloom when they were supposed to.

Well, I’m told that Pere Marquette Park, which is about an hour from here, has lovely leaves in the Fall. And it’s way cheaper than flying to the Berkshires, and quicker than driving to Door County, Wisconsin.

Ask and ye shall receive…something, even if it’s not your own private jet.

Now I just have to find a nice cherry orchard close by…