MIDWEEK MUSINGS:GIFT GIVING

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week is about gift-giving. Some folks as I have previously discussed are great gift-givers.  They know exactly what someone would love. but if you are not one of those,  do you wait until you see/ hear about a desire/ is money the answer? It is pretty impersonal. But what they do with it, is up to the receiver.

Have you noticed how newlyweds-to-be sometimes do away with gift registry and just ask for cash/signing up for different parts of their honeymoon? i.e., dinner on the beach, an excursion - ziplining/ whatever. How do you feel about that? I think it's pretty gutsy, but it is what they want. The bottom line is the final decision is yours. as to what you give...

So what's prompting all this is that yesterday I received a call about an offer I had made to gift money for a specific item I saw a need.  It would/ could be custom-made. The board discussed it, and decided they were not interested. Not a problem. It's their job to decide. 

But what they did need, get ready for this- was a new lectern. I had to stifle my laugh. Oh Lordy, you know that's a very touchy subject here in Arkansas...

"The lectern for Governor Sanders, who served as press secretary for former President Donald Trump and has been widely viewed as a potential candidate to be his running mate, has drawn attention ranging from late night host Jimmy Kimmel to The New York Times.

The blue and wood-paneled lectern was bought last June with a state credit card for $19,029.25 from an events company in Virginia. The Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for the purchase on Sept. 14, and Sanders’ office has called the use of the state credit card an accounting error. Sanders’ office said it received the lectern in August."

Yeah, I think I'll pass on donating a lectern...

tUESDAY tUNES:: SILENCE

tUESDAY  tUNES comes in a different note today. The music of silence.  WOW. Listen to silence... a photo can sing a 1000 notes

Back story:Well, I woke up at about 2:45am and thought about photographing the Moon-Jupiter occultation but figured (a.) it was probably foggy and (b.) the moon was probably too low and behind our bluff.

After dreaming that got up and caught the end of the occultation, I got up and got the occultation. (At least the end of it.)

I first hiked across the yard to only realize that the moon was still behind the trees. Ufda! I then ran to the car, threw the camera, tripod and myself into said car and zoomed down the driveway and over to our neighbor's sod farm (Thank you for the clear view Bill and Mandi!).

I rapidly deployed the tripod and camera to just catch Jupiter re-emerging from the shadow-side of the moon. You can not only see Jupiter but it's four Galilean moons.

They are called the Galilean moons because Galileo was the first to spot the four major moons of Jupiter back in 1610. Today we know Jupiter has at least 115 moons!

Note: The image was taken with high dynamic range settings in-camera, then post-processed using advanced software. Is it "AI"? Sort of, but it was not manipulated to add Jupiter's moons, etc. It was used to reduce noise, sharpen the image and help bring up the dynamic range. Advanced hardware, software or AI? You can be the judge. 

Thank you Alan Stankevitz for providing the sound of silence.

MONDAY MUSINGS: RUBBING SHOULDERS

MONDAY MUSINGS reminds of one of Natureman's favorite phrases, one which we enjoyed immensely:'rubbing shoulders.' 

Community events do just that- they allow us to rub shoulders with folks we normally wouldn't. This past weekend I sat at 2 very different tables: one at the Turkish Fest and a couple hours later just blocks away at the Greek Fest. For the last couple of years, both festivals have shared the same weekend.

The grill and fryers were working overtime, and the emanating smells made one hungry. The desserts were all so tempting too. Fortunately, I could split choices so I could sample more. 

Our first table was with young families with gorgeous dark-eyed and curly-haired toddlers speaking their native tongues. Our second table at the Greek Fest was English-speaking, and I had hot Greek donuts to share. One gal was originally from California and her Bostonian rock band partner is performing in Pine Bluff. Their Asian-American friends had a toddler. 

This is what the United States is, not a melting pot but a salad with all different backgrounds rubbing shoulders at a community event. 

FOTO FRIDAY: SHELTER OF PEACE

 

FOTO FRIDAY:  When I discovered my most recent couchsurfer was Jewish, I decided a great place to add to our sightseeing stops was my Temple's sukkah.  What a lovely addition! I'm assuming the Sunday School students made it...

TBT: BELLE D LA MISSISSSIPPI. AKA JEWEL

 TBT 2018 was a tough choice today as it obviously is a good week in a lot of years. Below meet Jewel also known as Belle D' la Mississippi. "October has finally arrived.  5 months ago I completed the mannequin floor lamp which will be auctioned off at the Light Up a Life fundraiser for Downs Syndrome in Winona , Minnesota on the 18th of this month. All the mannequins to be auctioned off that evening will be on display in Winona, Mine will be at Home and Community Options on 3rd street  in the front windows until the 17th. Come support a good cause at Winona National Bank on the 18th. 

Many thanks to all who donated their "Jewels" to make Jewel the girl she is today. This pic is called Got Your Back!

A Winona resident bought her and Jewel thank goodness will be living in her Master Bath close to water!

tUESDAY tUNES: DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT A THING

If this tUESDAY tUNES by Stevie Wonder doesn't get you moving , I don't know what will...  because Max Chambers version of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing would make even Stevie Wonder proud...

You know the drill - if there's an ad, just press skip at the end of it... it'll be worth it. If you're not into this young man's performance after 60 seconds, let me know. This is from the Voice Knockouts.

Max hails from Shreveport, Louisiana and is 15. Can you imagine what his future will look like?

Listen up.

DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT A THING

MONDAY MUSINGS: DON'T LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER YOUR FEET

MONDAY MUSINGS reflect how full the month of September can be even in retirement. I am not one to generally let the grass grow under my feet, but it must have been on Miracle Gro this month... Where did September go?

Usually, there are stretches where activities are in short supply and one yearns for something to do. This past weekend was not one of those- First time back at the Greenhouse helping organize and sanitize plant containers, a mitzvah challah dropoff followed by taco lunch with a friend,  services both Friday night and Saturday eating meals in the Sukkah helping another friend celebrate her new 8th decade, catching the first half August Wilson's 2 1/2 hour play Gem of the Ocean with Alan, a junior high bud of mine playing Mr Selig, the peddler, a quick yummy dinner, an excellent high school production of Radium Girls (Kudos to all the aspiring young thespians), a Korean miniseries

topped off with an unexpected couchsurfer Bostonian Angelina, who had just finished a mountain climbing competition (placed 3rd-see pic) in Horseshoe Canyon, only to discover her plane back North was cancelled...

What a great weekend!

 

Thank goodness I got that grass mowed on Thursday!