Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Barbara the Brainless Wonder
This entry will be short because I don't think I have any brains left. Yep, that about covers it.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
A Little "Twitter" About Technology
I am not even going to attempt to delve deeply into today's technology, but I will share a few thoughts.
Back around 1991 I got my first computer. It cost the proverbial arm and leg, and I did not have Internet access, but I loved it. It revolutionized my paper writing for college. I played cute games on it (I remember in this one, I had to get a chicken across the road--only the road was a 6-lane freeway. Very silly and cute, and I loved it). Not having Internet (which I didn't understand anyway), I bought the most up-to-date map program, which also included tons of demographic information about the U.S. I was looking for a teaching job anywhere in the country, so I used it to research the areas where I was applying. I checked things like the population, crime rate, and most importantly (!), if there was a Taco Bell within driving distance.
I got a job in October 1996 (about 20 minutes from a Taco Bell!) and moved almost 3,000 miles away from my family (that part stinks!). I left my computer there for my daughter. Pretty much the only technology I came in contact with for the next two years was the phone (land-line only), as well as my TV, VCR, and CD player. Then in 1998 all the classrooms at my school got a computer with Internet access. We were told to play with them and get to know them. Most of the teachers were too scared they were going to mess something up, so they didn't do much with them. I took full advantage and spent hours (sometimes as late as 9:00 p.m.) after school exploring the Internet. I became the one other teachers came to for computer advice, which felt good!
In case you are wondering why I titled this entry the way I did, I'm finally coming to the point I originally set out to make (It just needed a little set up!). If you had told me, back in 1998, that within a decade I would own my own computer (2 now--desktop and laptop), and that I would find a husband, a car, and a house on the computer, I would have laughed in your face! Yes, I met my husband on the Internet--never thought I would do that! The house we are buying now was listed online. We bought a 1992 Geo Storm on eBay, and we did research on Chrysler 300s, which led to our buying the car we now own.
There are so many ways I could go with this line of thinking, but my intent really isn't to go into everything I can do on the computer. After all, if you are reading this, you already know this for yourself. The last few days, however, have amazed me all over again, as far as technology. It wasn't really anything new, but part of it was new to me. I was watching Good Morning America the other day. A woman (Tory Johnson) was on, talking about helping women find jobs. She was talking about how people can use their connections on things like Facebook and Twitter to find jobs. I already belonged to Facebook, but I had never checked Twitter out. I did, and I joined. I added Tory Johnson to my list of people I was "following" (sounds like I have become a stalker!). I read some of her advice on Twitter, and I also checked her website out. I found some valuable information there. Then I asked her directly about doing research from home. She responded within 5 minutes (the wonders of Twitter!) with a couple great websites. I have since joined both of them (www.oDesk.com and www.elance.com) and have begun applying for freelance jobs that can be done from home. I don't expect to become a millionaire this way any time soon, but I just think it is interesting that you can be watching someone you don't know on TV one day, ask her for advice a couple days later, and use her advice to make changes in your life, all within just a few days. I know that's not the most amazing thing in the world (especially to any of you who weren't around for very long before the Internet), but I do find the whole thing rather interesting.
I will close with this thought. Did you know that in 1899 (I believe that is the correct year) the head of the U.S. Patent Office wanted them to shut that office down? The reason? He believed that everything that could be invented had been invented. Did he really believe that, or was he just tired of his job?! Most of the things that have been invented have been invented since he said that. Or... Hmmmmm. Maybe he had some insight that others didn't have. Maybe he wanted to preserve simpler times, when people took time to stop and smell the roses, as they say, or to read stories to their kids in the evening before bed. Nah, I doubt that's it. I really think he was just limited in his scope of thinking and thought we really could not progress technologically any further.
Well, I'm off to Twitter!
Back around 1991 I got my first computer. It cost the proverbial arm and leg, and I did not have Internet access, but I loved it. It revolutionized my paper writing for college. I played cute games on it (I remember in this one, I had to get a chicken across the road--only the road was a 6-lane freeway. Very silly and cute, and I loved it). Not having Internet (which I didn't understand anyway), I bought the most up-to-date map program, which also included tons of demographic information about the U.S. I was looking for a teaching job anywhere in the country, so I used it to research the areas where I was applying. I checked things like the population, crime rate, and most importantly (!), if there was a Taco Bell within driving distance.
I got a job in October 1996 (about 20 minutes from a Taco Bell!) and moved almost 3,000 miles away from my family (that part stinks!). I left my computer there for my daughter. Pretty much the only technology I came in contact with for the next two years was the phone (land-line only), as well as my TV, VCR, and CD player. Then in 1998 all the classrooms at my school got a computer with Internet access. We were told to play with them and get to know them. Most of the teachers were too scared they were going to mess something up, so they didn't do much with them. I took full advantage and spent hours (sometimes as late as 9:00 p.m.) after school exploring the Internet. I became the one other teachers came to for computer advice, which felt good!
In case you are wondering why I titled this entry the way I did, I'm finally coming to the point I originally set out to make (It just needed a little set up!). If you had told me, back in 1998, that within a decade I would own my own computer (2 now--desktop and laptop), and that I would find a husband, a car, and a house on the computer, I would have laughed in your face! Yes, I met my husband on the Internet--never thought I would do that! The house we are buying now was listed online. We bought a 1992 Geo Storm on eBay, and we did research on Chrysler 300s, which led to our buying the car we now own.
There are so many ways I could go with this line of thinking, but my intent really isn't to go into everything I can do on the computer. After all, if you are reading this, you already know this for yourself. The last few days, however, have amazed me all over again, as far as technology. It wasn't really anything new, but part of it was new to me. I was watching Good Morning America the other day. A woman (Tory Johnson) was on, talking about helping women find jobs. She was talking about how people can use their connections on things like Facebook and Twitter to find jobs. I already belonged to Facebook, but I had never checked Twitter out. I did, and I joined. I added Tory Johnson to my list of people I was "following" (sounds like I have become a stalker!). I read some of her advice on Twitter, and I also checked her website out. I found some valuable information there. Then I asked her directly about doing research from home. She responded within 5 minutes (the wonders of Twitter!) with a couple great websites. I have since joined both of them (www.oDesk.com and www.elance.com) and have begun applying for freelance jobs that can be done from home. I don't expect to become a millionaire this way any time soon, but I just think it is interesting that you can be watching someone you don't know on TV one day, ask her for advice a couple days later, and use her advice to make changes in your life, all within just a few days. I know that's not the most amazing thing in the world (especially to any of you who weren't around for very long before the Internet), but I do find the whole thing rather interesting.
I will close with this thought. Did you know that in 1899 (I believe that is the correct year) the head of the U.S. Patent Office wanted them to shut that office down? The reason? He believed that everything that could be invented had been invented. Did he really believe that, or was he just tired of his job?! Most of the things that have been invented have been invented since he said that. Or... Hmmmmm. Maybe he had some insight that others didn't have. Maybe he wanted to preserve simpler times, when people took time to stop and smell the roses, as they say, or to read stories to their kids in the evening before bed. Nah, I doubt that's it. I really think he was just limited in his scope of thinking and thought we really could not progress technologically any further.
Well, I'm off to Twitter!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Last Night's Supper
What a thrill! You get to hear what we had for supper last night! Not the most exciting thing I could talk about, but that is what is on my mind right now.
While we have plenty of food to get us through for awhile, we are getting low on choices right now. We were in the mood for macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs last night. We didn't have the right cheese for home-made, but we have a few boxes of store brand macaroni and cheese. We have had macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs a few times lately, and I wanted to do something a little different. Plus, we were out of milk, and I didn't want to make powdered milk or open a can of milk, so I improvised. Instead of milk, I used sour cream. Rather than boil the hot dogs I sliced them into pieces about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. While the water was heating for the macaroni and cheese, I browned the hot dog slices, stirring now and then to brown evenly. When the macaroni and cheese was finished, I added the browned hot dog slices to it. Then I added frozen mixed vegetables to the large fry pan I had cooked the hot dogs in, along with just a bit of water, and cooked them. When they were done, I added a little butter (real butter, as I hate margarine, and it really isn't good for you anyway).
James and I were both very pleased with how it all turned out. The sour cream gave just a bit of a refreshing tang to the macaroni and cheese. The browned hot dog slices were a great addition. Finally, the hot dog taste that was left in the pan gave the vegetables a nice flavor.
So, that was our supper last night. Not exactly a gourmet meal, but sometimes plain and simple is better. Not that I would turn down a good prime rib smothered in mushrooms right now!
While we have plenty of food to get us through for awhile, we are getting low on choices right now. We were in the mood for macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs last night. We didn't have the right cheese for home-made, but we have a few boxes of store brand macaroni and cheese. We have had macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs a few times lately, and I wanted to do something a little different. Plus, we were out of milk, and I didn't want to make powdered milk or open a can of milk, so I improvised. Instead of milk, I used sour cream. Rather than boil the hot dogs I sliced them into pieces about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. While the water was heating for the macaroni and cheese, I browned the hot dog slices, stirring now and then to brown evenly. When the macaroni and cheese was finished, I added the browned hot dog slices to it. Then I added frozen mixed vegetables to the large fry pan I had cooked the hot dogs in, along with just a bit of water, and cooked them. When they were done, I added a little butter (real butter, as I hate margarine, and it really isn't good for you anyway).
James and I were both very pleased with how it all turned out. The sour cream gave just a bit of a refreshing tang to the macaroni and cheese. The browned hot dog slices were a great addition. Finally, the hot dog taste that was left in the pan gave the vegetables a nice flavor.
So, that was our supper last night. Not exactly a gourmet meal, but sometimes plain and simple is better. Not that I would turn down a good prime rib smothered in mushrooms right now!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Gray Days
You hear people talk all the time about beautiful sunny days. I love sunny days myself, if they aren't too hot. The weather often affects our moods. When the day is sunny, our outlook on life is sunny. When the day is gray, our outlook is often dark and gloomy. While I do not like too many gloomy days in a row, I believe that too many people do not see the beauty of gloomy days.
I wish I had pictures of the tree down the street from the house I used to live in. Some friends of ours had a fairly large (not large on an oak or redwood scale, but not small) tree in their front yard. On most days it might or might not be noticed. It was a nice enough looking tree, but it didn't really stand out. On gray, gloomy days however, that tree was gorgeous! It had thousands of small lavender colored flowers all over it. On sunny days, you hardly noticed it, but on gray days the lavender color just popped out at you!
I love how God gives us something beautiful to brighten up even the gloomy days! I have a lot of "sunny" days, but I do have occasional gloomy days as well. It is easy to see the good things in my life on the sunny days. It isn't always so easy on the gloomy days, but thankfully God has been helping me find the little lavender flowers of beauty in my gray days. :)
I wish I had pictures of the tree down the street from the house I used to live in. Some friends of ours had a fairly large (not large on an oak or redwood scale, but not small) tree in their front yard. On most days it might or might not be noticed. It was a nice enough looking tree, but it didn't really stand out. On gray, gloomy days however, that tree was gorgeous! It had thousands of small lavender colored flowers all over it. On sunny days, you hardly noticed it, but on gray days the lavender color just popped out at you!
I love how God gives us something beautiful to brighten up even the gloomy days! I have a lot of "sunny" days, but I do have occasional gloomy days as well. It is easy to see the good things in my life on the sunny days. It isn't always so easy on the gloomy days, but thankfully God has been helping me find the little lavender flowers of beauty in my gray days. :)
Our Grandkids
All (well most, but it should be all) grandparents believe their grandkids are the best in the world, and I am no exception. I couldn't have gotten better ones if I had been allowed to hand-pick them.
Andrew just turned 11 years old this month. He is very smart and is in the 5th grade. Andrew plays baseball (his team is doing great, last I heard) and he also plays violin. His choice of the two, if he could only do one, would be baseball, but he plays the violin so beautifully that I pray he keeps up with it. Andrew loves to do outdoor things, such as fishing, 4-wheeling in the desert, and riding his bike. He also loves to read. Andrew inherited his mom's and my sense of humor (usually a good thing! lol).
Hannah will be 8 years old in June. She is cute as a bug, smart, sassy, and fun-loving. Hannah is, in my opinion, a great artist. She is very creative. She enjoys doing crafts, doing little dramatic skits, etc. Like her brother, she is very smart, and she is in 2nd grade. She is learning how to play the piano. She also likes to read, and she loves fishing as much as Andrew. Hannah was very much a girly-girl, but I hear she has become quite a tomboy! Here she is at almost 7 years old, learning how to ride a bike (with my dad).
Andrew and Hannah love each other, and hate each other, and tease each other, and drive each other nuts! Over all though, they really do love each other.
Andrew and Hannah will be joined in June by a new baby brother, whose name is Thomas.
I am so looking forward to Thomas being born! I wish I could be there for his arrival, but even though I can't afford that, my heart will be there.
My heart is forever with Nancy, Steve, Andrew, Hannah, and Thomas.
Andrew just turned 11 years old this month. He is very smart and is in the 5th grade. Andrew plays baseball (his team is doing great, last I heard) and he also plays violin. His choice of the two, if he could only do one, would be baseball, but he plays the violin so beautifully that I pray he keeps up with it. Andrew loves to do outdoor things, such as fishing, 4-wheeling in the desert, and riding his bike. He also loves to read. Andrew inherited his mom's and my sense of humor (usually a good thing! lol).
Hannah will be 8 years old in June. She is cute as a bug, smart, sassy, and fun-loving. Hannah is, in my opinion, a great artist. She is very creative. She enjoys doing crafts, doing little dramatic skits, etc. Like her brother, she is very smart, and she is in 2nd grade. She is learning how to play the piano. She also likes to read, and she loves fishing as much as Andrew. Hannah was very much a girly-girl, but I hear she has become quite a tomboy! Here she is at almost 7 years old, learning how to ride a bike (with my dad).
Andrew and Hannah love each other, and hate each other, and tease each other, and drive each other nuts! Over all though, they really do love each other.
Andrew and Hannah will be joined in June by a new baby brother, whose name is Thomas.
I am so looking forward to Thomas being born! I wish I could be there for his arrival, but even though I can't afford that, my heart will be there.
My heart is forever with Nancy, Steve, Andrew, Hannah, and Thomas.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Here I Go Again!
This is not my first attempt at a blog, but I would really like to keep this one going. I think my last one was pretty good, but I would go months without writing. Hopefully this one will not end up in the tar pits with that one!
Why the name "Barbara's Brainy Blurbs & Blatherings" you might ask. Well, I'm no dummy, and sometimes I actually come across as fairly intelligent. Thus, the brainy part. On the other hand, sometimes I feel like the world's biggest idiot. That is where the blathering part comes in. The Barbara part? Well, that's my name. :)
What to expect here. Your guess is as good as mine at this point! Let me put it this way. If the brain were a room, and thoughts were bullets being fired from a gun, many people's bullets would travel straight to the target. Mine would be ricocheting all over the place. So, there is no telling what thoughts and words will come tumbling out of my head. Hopefully you will enjoy the ride and not get car-sick!
Off to make iced tea (Luzianne, of course, with Food Lion's brand of Splenda for me, and plain for my sweetie). More to come later.
Feel free to comment on anything I write, and feel free to ask me questions and to suggest topics or ideas. :)
Why the name "Barbara's Brainy Blurbs & Blatherings" you might ask. Well, I'm no dummy, and sometimes I actually come across as fairly intelligent. Thus, the brainy part. On the other hand, sometimes I feel like the world's biggest idiot. That is where the blathering part comes in. The Barbara part? Well, that's my name. :)
What to expect here. Your guess is as good as mine at this point! Let me put it this way. If the brain were a room, and thoughts were bullets being fired from a gun, many people's bullets would travel straight to the target. Mine would be ricocheting all over the place. So, there is no telling what thoughts and words will come tumbling out of my head. Hopefully you will enjoy the ride and not get car-sick!
Off to make iced tea (Luzianne, of course, with Food Lion's brand of Splenda for me, and plain for my sweetie). More to come later.
Feel free to comment on anything I write, and feel free to ask me questions and to suggest topics or ideas. :)
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