Quote of the Day - 2/9/2012

Every person is a dam between the past and future. - Yehuda Amichai in Open Closed Open: Poems

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As we get older, the reservoir behind our ‘dam’ may get larger and larger. Contemplate how you keep a healthy focus on the present by tending that dam --- drawing from your reservoir of experience to make the best choices and take the best actions to keep the gurgling stream of your future full of exciting potential.

Quote of the Day - 1-24-2012

The Plains

Indians never rode on wheels although they lived

in round tents set in circles, made mounds

(and danced around them) for those whose throats

had shut, in dust, mouths filled at last.

-- Pamela Alexander in Navigable Waterways (Yale Series of Younger Poets No 20)

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Today’s quote, like yesterdays, is snippet from a poem. This one was published in the 1980s. What is the first thing you think about as you read these lines? And the second thought?

My first was about the circle shape. It is the universal round for motion (wheels) and dwellings (tents, hogans, yurts). How different from our homes today full of rectangular shapes!

The second thought was about starvation…the very last phrase ‘mouths filled at last.’  Would this have been the time of year it would have most likely occurred on the plains? 

Note: This books is also available online here.

Gleanings for the Week Ending January 14, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

Where the tech workers are - Percentage of computer, engineering, science workers in the adult civilian workforce by state collected by the American Community Survey

Shifts in Employment - Jobs are reduced by information technology at a faster rate than new ones are being created.

Getting Things Done - the collection of David Allen’s free articles detailing tips for how to organize yourself better

The Sands of Time - The 2011 collection at The Poetry Porch edited by Joyce Wilson; in honor of Julia Budenz

Colorado Mountain Hail May Disappear in a Warmer Future - A new model predicts the hail will fall as rain instead

Insect Macro Photography - A collection of photos…also includes pointers to some how-to guides (insectography and DaveWilsonPhotography)

Big Bend National Park - This is a park I have not visited…but would like to. This is a good summary of what it has to offer.

Cape Code Soft Molasses Cookies - these sound yummy…something I’ll try for the next special occasion at our house

Flavor Pairings - pointers to multiple lists…a great resource for trying out some now-to-you food/spices pairings

Community Supported Agriculture - find a farm near you that sells produce through ‘shares’…something I am considering for the upcoming growing season. There is one very near where I live.