6 More Weeks

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, indicating 6 more weeks of winter. For more abut Phil and this silly tradition visit Groundhog Day.

It's Time for Eagle Cam!

Last winter I got hooked on Eagle Cam: Decorah Eagles (in Iowa). Watching these magnificent birds hatch and raise their eaglets was amazing and addictive. I was so proud and sad to see them grow big enough to leave the nest.

At the same I discovered another cam: Eagles at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. This eagle family suffered a tragedy when the mom was killed by an airplane. The dad eagle couldn't feed three rapidly growing eaglets alone, so they were rescued, raised, and later released by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. I, along with thousands of other viewers, became very attached to "our babies" as we watched them grow at the Wildlife Center. Watching their release into the wild was stunningly beautiful and emotionally overwhelming.

And it's all starting again with the new nesting season! Mom and Dad Decorah have been seen mating and nesting. Dad Norfolk has a new lady. They, too, are mating and nesting. Soon, both sets of parents will be protecting their eggs as we watch in awe. I learned so much about eagles (and other wildlife) last year that I'm looking forward to this season. I wish both sets of eagle parents safe and long lives with many healthy eaglets.

Want to join the Eagle Nation? The web cams are free and both sites include links to lots of info about Eagles. The Wildlife Center of Virginia also has lots info on animals is it treating and their own wildlife cam.

Warning: Eagle watching can be addictive may lead to lack of housework and cooking, excessive Eagle Cam viewing to the exclusion of TV, DVDs, etc., and obessesive talk of "beaking," "nesting," and "branching."

Getting Ready

I started a Tai Chi class in the fall and I love it. I feel so relaxed and energized after each class session!

Since I won't be able to lift or drive for 6 weeks after surgery, that also means no Tai Chi. :(

I'm taking the class for stress reduction so now that I'm feeling really stressed what does the doc say? No Tai Chi. Oh, the irony.

I have a phobia about general anesthesia (based on bad experiences I had during multiple ear surgeries as a child) and I'm starting to get nervous about my abdominal surgery next week. Since I can't do Tai Chi, I'm working on my Tai Chi meditation with lots of positive and healing imagery. It's helping some (but so does anxiety medicine). At this point, I'll just be glad when the surgery is over.

I have a few work-related things to do Monday. After that I'm really going to focus on relaxing and de-stressing. It will be hard but I know it will help with anxiety and healing, or so my doc, nurses, and Tai Chi instructor all tell me. Wish me luck!

iPad

I'm expecting to lie around a lot during my recovery from abdominal surgery. Since I may not even be comfy with a laptop on my lap, I splurged and bought an iPad 2.

I have to admit, it IS cool. So thin, so light, so pretty! (Of course it's pretty, it was designed by Apple.)

My husband loves his iPad and recommended lots of work-related apps:

Course Smart (access your textbooks as e-books)
Blackboard (access your online classes)
The CIA Factbook (a favorite reference tool)
Pages (like Word for the iPad)

He also recommended AppStart which introduces you to many useful apps (described by category) and Netflix (watch movies and TV shows, including every episode of Star Trek every made).

Of course, everyone suggested I download the Angry Birds game. ($%^& addictive game!)

So far, I love my iPad. I can't access the instructor tools in Blackboard so I'll still use my laptop for grading, but the iPad will be great for travel and for when I'm recovering from surgery. So far my favorite app is Netflix. I'm watching the BBC's new, modern Sherlock Holmes.

Surgery (Again!)

In the fall I learned I have a painful condition called Adenomyosis. It's "a condition in which endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, is present within and grows into the muscular walls of the uterus."

I'm thankful I only have pain and not all the other symptoms listed on the Mayo Clinic web site! Strangely, I don't have any of the risk factors (childbirth or prior uterine surgery). Since I'm in my 40s, I thought the symptoms were the beginning of menopause. Nope.

Unfortunately, the Adenomyosis getting worse and the only cure is a complete hysterectomy. I'll be having surgery Jan. 18, so I had to scramble to re-do my lesson plans at the last minute and make arrangements to work at home. Fortunately, my on-campus class does not mind becoming an online class during the 6 weeks or so while I can not drive. Thanks, guys! You made my life a little easier.

I'm hoping that, like my elbow reconstruction surgery, I'll feel better immediately after the surgery. Not lifting or driving for 6 weeks will be hard, but at least I won't have cast! Yay!

The Titanic Books is Here at Last!

I spent my summer working on this book with 10 of my Titanic friends. It finally arrived Christmas Eve. I am proud to work with so many prominent "Titanicologists"!

The format is based on the report for the British Inquiry but we've included 100 years of research and forensic analysis. We know so much more than we did at the time of the disaster and the book reflects the most current research on every aspect of the disaster.

I worked with George Behe on the treatment of the Third Class Passengers and the question of gates. Were passengers really locked in and left to die? Most Titanic scholars have long believed this to be a myth since no gates are depicted on the blueprints, but George and I have some interesting passenger accounts to the contrary. You can read a summary in Ch. 8 and excruciating details in Appendix J.

Where can you purchase this magnificent book?
Amazon UK (available now) and Amazon US (available April 2012). In the meantime, you can also visit the official book site.

*****

I got out of the habit of blogging when my arm was in a cast after my elbow reconstruction. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to begin blogging again. Happy New Year!

99 Years Ago

99 years ago today, Titanic sailed from Southampton to Cherborg. Her next stops would be Queenstown and history. She had only four more days to live.

This is the last known photo of her.

God bless all the souls who died with her.

I Met Tony Shaloub Today!

Actor Tony Shaloub was guest lecturer today at Mott Community College (part of the Ballenger Eminent Persons Lecture Series). Actutally, it was more of an interview, with the stage set to look like the office of Dr. Bell, Mr. Monk's psychiatrist.

Shaloub was funny, gave lots of good advice for young actors, and talked about his career. At the end many of us walked up to the stage to get our programs autographed. Although the organizers did not take this into consideration and Shaloub had to move on to his next engagement, he signed programs and DVDs for as many people as he could. I didn't really get a chance to talk to him but I got a big smile when I handed him a wipe to take on the plane (they never clean those tray tables, you know). :) What a wonderful, funny man. I'm just sorry he had to rush off.

Congratulations on the Arab American of the Year Award you'll be receiving tomorrow night, Mr. Shaloub!

Worth the Wait: One was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

For Julia Spencer-Fleming fans it's been a long wait, but One Was a Soldier was worth waiting for!

Since Episcopal Priest Rev. Clare Fergusson re-upped in the military to serve as a helicopter pilot in Iraq at the end of the previous book, fans have been eagerly awaiting this new installment in the series. The plot focuses on Clare and other vets adapting to civilian life. When a young veteran appears to commit suicide, Clare disagrees with her lover, Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne, and investigates the case as a murder (with help from her fellow vets). I'm afraid to say much more about the plot for fear of giving anything away but, like her other books, the plot is compelling, the characters complex and unforgettable, and the end leaves the reader eagerly awaiting the next book. Let's just hope we don't have to wait three years. :)

For those who haven't read the series yet, the Kindle version of the first book, In the Bleak Midwinter, is currently on sale for $2.99. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download free Kindle software for your desktop, laptop, cell phone, or iPad.

Thank you, Julia, for this wonderful book and for the opportunity to review an advance reader's copy.

Wordle

Here's a word cloud based on this blog, created by Wordle. (You can click on the image for a larger view.)












Apparently all I write about are Ray Bradbury, The Lord of the Rings, writing, and my cats!

Tenth Life Fund-Raiser

The Cat Who Fetches

Misty, our 9.5 month old kitty, likes to fetch. She brings toys for me to throw, but she also likes to explore the basement and bring me whatever she finds. Here's what she's fetched so far:

* bubble wrap sheets (on several occasions)

* a strip of dried caulk (I have no idea where she found that!)

* a phone jack

* a tupperware lid (I have no idea where the matching freezer container is)

Isn't she clever? She certainly keeps me guessing! I just hope she doesn't start bringing me mice. (So far, so good.)

Hobbit Rumors

It's a new year so there are lots of new rumors about the long-awaited Hobbit movie, directed by Peter Jackson. The latest news is that Elijah Wood (pictured left) will be playing Frodo, who isn't in that book. This prompted me to look for cast info on TheOneRing.net and The Internet Movie Database.

I was surprised by two things:
1. The release date (Dec. 2012)
2. The inclusion of characters who are not in the book

The latter includes Frodo, Saruman, Radagast, Galadriel, and Legolas. It's rumored that Orlando Bloom will be paid $1 million for a two-minute cameo as Legolas. Since Legolas wasn't in that book, I had hoped they wanted Bloom to play Thranduil, King of the Mirkwood Elves (and father of Legolas). Now it rumored that David Tennant (who recently played Dr. Who and Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter IV), will play Thranduil.

Speaking of Elvish characters, what the heck is Galadriel doing here? Where is Elrond? I hope the writers don't send Bilbo and company to Lorien instead of Rivendell. (Let's all hope they stick to the book and take a good look at the map of Middle-earth before they make any radical changes).

Perhaps Jackson has other plans for these non-Hobbit characters. In the past he said the movies (yes, plural, there will be two of them) would be based on material written by Tolkien. Other than The Hobbit, I wonder if he's referring the "The Book of Years" in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings (LotR). Other than the events in LotR, there's not much mention of these characters in that Appendix, certainly not enough for a movie, so I can't help but wonder how inventive Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be. Goodness knows, they took quite a few liberties with LotR! At least we only have to wait 23 more months to find out...

A Reply from Ray Bradbury!

Ray Bradbury is one of my all time-favorite authors. Just look under Bradbury in the topics list if you don't believe me! The older I get, the more he inspires me. Not just his wonderful writing, but his optimistic and loving attitude toward writing, life, and doing what you love.

This week Sam Weller, Ray's biographer, posted a request on his blog about Ray: did you have a question for Ray? I did -- and I was thrilled when Ray sent me an answer on Sam's blog, Listen to the Echoes!

I pasting the relevant parts here, just in case Sam's blog ever disappears:

January 4, 2011

Ask Ray Bradbury!

By Sam Weller at 4:38pm ET

I am visiting with Ray Bradbury later this week. If you have a question for him, I’m happy to ask. Just post your inquiries in the comment field down below, and Ray and I will do our very best to answer. All questions must be submitted here before noon pacific standard time on Friday.

Best,
Sam Weller

Dear Ray,
You are my favorite author and I feel like I’ve come to know you through your stories. After reading Sam Weller’s biography, I almost feel like you are family, a dear uncle who lives far away but whose visits and stories I eagerly await.
I would love to receive a note from you. If I write to you and send a card for you to sign, will you send it back? I know you are very busy but I would treasure it forever. Also, is sending a letter to your publisher (HarperCollins) the best way to write to you?
Thank you very much,
Cathy Akers-Jordan
Davison, MI
Comment by Cathy Akers-Jordan — January 5, 2011 @ 5:48am

Dear Cathy,
Thank you for your note! If you send a message to me in care of HarperCollins publishers, they will forward the letter to me.
Love!
Ray
Comment by Sam Weller — January 7, 2011 @ 5:56pm

Mere words can't express how happy this simple answer made me! Ray answered my question! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important letter to write. :)

Some Favorite Christmas Songs

It isn't Christmas without Bing Croby, but here are some new Christmas songs that I love:

Michigan Christmas - Brian d'Arcy James. Click the link to listen via YouTube. Brian is from Saginaw and you can buy this album in iTunes.

A Michigan Christmas Card by the Meijer Choral Group. Click the link to go to a safe download site for the mp3 file. This brings back happy childhood memories. :)

They play both songs a lot on 96.1 WHNN. No matter where you live, you can listen to their live broadcast via their web site.

A snowstorm is predicted for tonight. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

9/11

Was is really 9 years ago? It seems like yesterday. Never Forget.

My Favorite E-Book Gadget

A while ago I wrote about how much I love my Book Buddy II, a pillow designed to hold hardback books. I was thrilled when Reading Comfort released a similar product, the E-Buddy, for use with e-book readers!

I chose a beautiful Lapis design for my Kindle. Now that I have tendonitis in both elbows even holding the 10.2 ounce Kindle (which is lighter than most paperback books) can be uncomfortable. (Knowing that makes me feel like a total wimp!) Now I read comfortably again. I recommend Reading Comfort's many products for book lovers (and e-reader lovers) of all ages.

UPDATE: I just discovered it's also the perfect size for paperbacks!

Why the Government Shouldn't Run the Post Office

Now that we've survived moving and are getting settled in our new house, we've noticed that we don't get much mail. My husband especially misses his daily Wall Street Journal.

Monday I filled out the change of address form at the Post Office, thinking that it would only take a couple of days for our forwarded mail to start arriving. After all, this is what happened the last time we moved (just a year and half ago).

Today I stopped by the Post Office to find out what happened to our mail. Silly me! I assumed the change of address would be handled by the local Post Office, but no!, it's being done at a major P.O., probably Detroit. Once our new address is entered in the system, we'll be notified and our mail delivery will resume. In the meantime, our mail is piling up in some other P.O., probably Detroit, and we can't even pick it up.

If that weren't frustrating enough, I asked how long it might take to get our new address in the system. Hold on to your socks: at least a week, maybe two. By the time the P.O. figures out where we live, we'll have a BOX of Wall Street Journals waiting for us, not to mention our regular mail, and all the junk we usually just throw away. SIGH.

What would Ben Franklin think of his Post Office? Maybe, like me, he'd think someone more efficient than the government should be running it.

Another Snow Day!

The University of Michigan-Flint will close at 12:00 p.m. today, Monday, February 22, 2010 due to the anticipated winter storm. All late afternoon and evening classes, events and activities that begin at 12:00 p.m. or later are canceled. Only essential personnel should report.

Woo hoo! Another snow day! The barometer change is making my sinuses hurt, so it's a good day to curl up by the fireplace (among the boxes) with a good book and a snuggly cat. This the third time U of M has closed this winter; since we hardly ever close, that must be some kind of record!

RIP Dick Francis

I didn't hear this sad news until Entertainment Weekly arrived today (click to enlarge):


























I love his wonderful stories which often have a horse-racing connection and always have interesting characters and excellent plots. I'm glad his son Felix will continue writing but I will always miss his unique writing style. I like to think Dick's in Heaven now with his beloved Mary, chatting with the Queen Mum about horses.


Links:
Dick Francis on Stop You're Killing Me!
Dick Francis author web site