What do you get the person who has everything?

These days of instant gratification ensure that when shopping for your loved ones you will be certain to get them something that they went out and bought for themselves on Black Friday or Cyber Monday because the sales were just too good to pass up. Then there are the post Christmas long return lines to wait in if you can even find the receipt that you carefully stored somewhere you would be sure not to forget.

No longer! I can guarantee that they won't have this! The solution is right in your own home, sleeping on your pillow, sitting on a windowsill or possibly coughing up a hairball for you to find later, in the dark, in your bare feet.

Your cat!





Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya is no joke and they don’t use hairball hair. These crafts are made by first brushing your feline friend and storing the hair until you have enough to felt. Then you use the felt as you would any other felted animal hair such as sheep’s wool, alpaca, and etc. It’s very clever and very eco-friendly.

The projects are small gift type things because, well, cats are small so you don’t get as much fur. There are finger puppets and scarf embellishments, pins, and a little felted cat to cover that hole in your favorite sweater because you didn’t want it to smell like moth balls. (Really, who could blame you?)

In between projects are tidbits of information such as suggestions for grooming a reluctant cat, keeping cats happy and healthy, and the origin of the author’s using cat hair in the first place. If you are a true cat lover your favorite part will undoubtedly be the bios or all the “contributors.”

If you want more check out her blog, http://nekoke.com/ (The Cat Hair Craft Room) but remember that unless you can read Japanese you’ll simply have to enjoy the pictures but there are some really cute projects in those pictures.

Useless Knowledge: Christmas Edition

Love your articficial Christmas tree?

The first artificial trees were made in Germany in the late 1800s using goose or other feathers sometimes dyed green to resemble pine needles.

But the real innovation came in the early 1900s in America when the Addis Brush Company decided they had a better more permanent solution to making artificial trees. One crazy employee must have been looking at the brush he was making and said, "Hey, this would make a good tree!"

It makes more sense when you know that the Addis Brush Company manufactured toilet brushes.

See the resemblance?


They obtained the patent for the "Silver Pine" in 1950. I think someone in my family had one of these. It was designed to have the rotating light underneath changing the color of the tree.

Thus the modern day artificial Christmas tree was born. Only now-a-days we call them permanent life-like. I guess it sounds more positive. I say it's fake tree and doesn't shed needles on my carpet so I love it!

Best thing is now I know what to do if the toilet desperatly needs cleaned and I run out of those handy dandy wand thingies.

Useless Knowledge:

A Polar bear's skin is black.


Their fur is actually colorless and hollow. The limited heat from the sun is collected in the hollow hairs and transmitted down to the bear's skin which, due to it's dark color absorbs the heat keeping them nice and toasty even in frigid waters.



Also, compared to other bears their ears are small and close to the head so they won't freeze.






And they have bumps on their feet to keep them from slipping on the ice and snow.


I wonder if that where they got the idea to put little non-slip bumps on socks?



I love how God made them perfectly suited for their climate.

I have saved a lot of animals in my life. Let's see there was (were):

*a baby robin that had fallen out of it's nest

*turtles crossing the street and a huge one in a parking lot

*a baby flying squirrel (Sooo CUTE!!!)

*a big dog running around in a parking lot

*stray cats (my sweet Madeleine, and an orange tabby kitten from under a car now named Hans)

*many toads from being squished in the street

*even a spider or two that I made my Dad put outside so they at least had a fighting chance (it was winter...

...I was little)

But I had to laugh at myself the other day when I went into a school and noticed a pretty large slug on the sidewalk slimming in squggly circles and felt bad for it. See it was going to be a pretty hot day, the concrete was a very light color and the slug was going to dry out and die a horrible death. So I picked it up (eww I might add, they are not slimy but sticky) and placed it in the grass so it could wriggle down under the grass and stay cool.

You want empathy, I'm your gal.

The BMV and me

At the beginning of summer this year I was pulled over by the police while leaving the bank. Didn't rob the bank. Not going the speed limit yet so not speeding. What in the world?

I have been pulled over a total of three times in my many years of driving so it's safe to say I'm not usually doing anything to warrant a ticket. I even joked with the officer that I couldn't have been speeding because I had, as I mentioned, just pulled out of a parking lot. He said, "No, not speeding yet." Why exactly did he feel he needed to add the "yet" to that statement. I felt like he might follow me home just to be sure that I didn't start. Anyhow...

Turns out that my plates were expired and had been since the previous October. In the past I have always gotten a friendly reminder in the mail or more recently in e-mail telling me that renewal was coming up so I could stay on top of things but it seems these notifications are a courtesy of the BMV (Let me restate, I have ALWAYS gotten them) and they are under no obligation to remind me of anything. Fair enough. Not happy about it but okay.

I paid the $116.00 ticket. Yikes! Wrote the renewal date in this year's calendar, added a reminder to my phone and just for good measure stuck post-it notes in my car and on my computer screen.

About a month later I received mail informing me of the new renewal changes. Another month and I received an e-mail reminding me that my plates would expire in October. Then I received one telling me that my license would expire this year and that I could renew any time after July. A  whole year ahead of time. Just last week I received yet another e-mail reminding me about the plates.

Sheesh...

No warning. No bodies. Just gone.

How do you react when the people you love disappear without warning? How does the world react when millions have suddenly vanished into thin air? What do you do with the fact that you are still here?

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is not a book about the rapture. The disappearances may or may not have been the rapture it doesn't really matter. It is more a book about the ways in which people deal with grief and loss and the things turned to in order to fill the empty space. It's about trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.

I enjoyed this book although I felt there was very little positive about the ways Perrotta portrayed his characters and their grief processes. Some of his characters turn to religious fanaticism but not one of them turns to true faith. Even the evangelical preacher becomes a fanatic turning on his own in his efforts to justify his being left behind. Others fill the void with rebellious acts or wander aimlessly latching onto anything that can give their life meaning. It is a long wait for one bright ray of hope.

The characters are well flushed out and I did care what happened to them. I was saddened by the choices they made. The book is fast paced and easy to read but if you are looking for a spiritual journey then this may not be the book for you.

Wombat Poo # 2

I understand the picture wasn't available for you to look at yesterday. Sorry 'bout that.

Useless Knowledge:

Did you know that Wombats poop cubes?



Lest you think someone had to place this scat in this nice neat pile I will let you know that the Wombat did this itself. Wombat's mark their territory this way. Cubes come in handy when leaving droppings in peculiar places like the top of a log. Imagine how confusing the territories would get if the fences (in this case the poo) kept rolling around.

I also have to laugh at the beautiful way in which the photographer framed this particular subject. If not for the pile it would be quite picturesque.

This is how I calculate time right now:

24 hours taken
12 left to go
1 summer left
3 more semesters
11 months
335 days

Then I will rejoin the real world. I honestly don't remember what it's like...

Do you remember the episode of Star Trek where Mr. Spock has his brain stolen? I’ve just read a book where he gets his brain stolen and then…. eaten! Night of the Living Trekkies, by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall is the perfect book for Star Trek fans and readers of zombie fiction. In other words a super nerd book! (makes me a super nerd)

The book comes complete with a 50s inspired serial cover and is surprisingly well-written. I admit I wasn’t expecting much and was pleasantly proven wrong. True fans will find nods to the franchise throughout including an ending that could have been written by the shows creators.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot so I will just say that if you ever attend a Star Trek Convention you might want to pay careful attention to the Targ heart. It just might be real…

I finally caved this evening and turned my air conditioning on. It was 80 degrees in the house and since I am pretty miserable too much over 75 if it's muggy I decided it was time.

While I am looking forward to being able to sleep tonight I also can't help but hear cha-ching noises every time the air kicks on. Especially since our utility company was just given permission to raise our rates $10-12 per month.

I used to be able to fill up my car for $10; now it's nearly $40. The same groceries that cost $100 are now over $150. I could add to the list but I am sure you all know what I am talking about. Don't expect me to help stimulate the economy. I am one of the ones who really can't go out and spend us out of trouble. I can only buckle down and hold on.

It may sound like I am complaining and indeed I am, but I am grateful to have a job that hasn't been cut and a wage that hasn't gone up but also hasn't been reduced. I am grateful that somehow I can afford to put myself through grad school and most of the bills still get paid every month. I am grateful that the car keeps running and the house is holding up. My needs are met, everything else is as they say, gravy. And gravy can be eliminated so I still have wiggle room.

I have decided to focus on the bright side. Life's too short to be miserable.

If you know me and my world view this post will come as no surprise.

I am disheartened by the celebrations in the streets over the death of bin Laden. I didn't say that I am sad that he is no longer a threat just that we are celebrating it. There are a couple of reasons I feel this way.

First and foremost I am a Christian. I don't read anywhere in the Bible that God rejoices when a sinner dies without redemption. In fact, His heart grieves at His creation's willful disregard for His precepts. God asks us to pray for all His people:

"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:44-45

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is
good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved (italics mine) and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4

And,

"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn His wrath from him." Proverbs 24:17-18

Second, as I responded in a post on Facebook, "I am saddened by the fact that we (U.S.) do not distinguish ourselves as more moral and realize that we have spent years and been a part of the deaths of innocents as well as those who are culpable. It is a victory but what a price we have all paid."

I have reached a milestone.

I am now officially halfway through my grad courses at IUPUI!

First summer session I am taking a class on Intellectual Freedom. I'm looking forward to it especially since I recently had a conversation about banning a Berenstain Bear's book, the institutional racism if the ALA (American Library Association), and the bigotry of Melvil Dewey.

Part of the class involves blogging and if the prof will let me I would like to use this blog so I don't have to create another one. I'm not big on redundancy. Anyhow, you may see this turn into classwork soon but never fear my three readers I will be back to normal someday!

Sad news for today. This morning the female eagle at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens was killed when she was struck while fishing by a landing plane. No one on the plane was injured and the plane itself sustained minimal damage.

Three baby eaglets now must rely soley on the father who will more than likely continue to care for them until they fledge. The eaglets are about a week away from being able to fend for themselves.

The moderated feed today on the Norfolk eagle cam site stated that the pair had been together since 2003 after the females first mate was killed, also by a plane. The male has been perched by the nest all day but his instinct to take over care hasn't kicked in yet. He's relied on her for 19 years and 19 successful babies fledging so it may take awhile.

The staff at Norfolk and the Center for Conservation Biology will see if he feeds them tomorrow before making a decision about whether or not to remove the eaglets from the nest. If they are removed they are all healthy enough to be raised in a manner that will allow their release into the wild. And that IS good news.

I have discovered a new webcam!

Eaglecam!

http://www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/e-community/eagle-cam/who-is-watching-the-eagle-cam

This webcam came from another bird nerd friend of mine whose husband happens to work at our Nature Preserve with a specialty in predatory birds.

I watched these three eaglets hatch a couple of weeks ago and today I saw the mother bird feed them a seagull and some fish. Gross but very cool!

There are moderated comments on the side which can be pretty informative. For example: eagles mate for life. The male usually does the hunting when the female is on the nest. He then brings the food to her for preparation(typical).Sometimes you can tell the questions are coming from a child who is discovering these beautiful birds for the first time. Like Hayley who asked if eagles have tongues. They do by the way but they don't clean their babies with them. That sharp beak might just get in the way.

Right now those are some sleepy babies.

Anyhow, if you want to spend a few relaxing and awe-inspiring moments watching these amazing birds check it out. I can barely tear myself away.

Take the classic book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak turn it around; tell from a wild thing named Mog's position and you have the parody Where the Mild Things Are by Maurice Send-up. I don't know how I missed this particular gem when it as released in 2009 but somehow I did. I don't want o give away too much but I will tell you that although they are never named, Martha Stewart, Jay Leno, Bill Gates and Al Gore all play a part in this wild thing's trip to Dullsville in his 1974 AMC Gremlin.

Adults will appreciate the book more than children mainly because they understand parody and can instantly relate things in this text back to the original, see the not so subtle jibes at a few famous people, and enjoy the nuances in the illustrations such as the book Mog is reading entitles 1,001 Facts About Dirt. Children will like this simply because it is amusing, colorfully well-illustrated, and because the Mog gets to be bad in the end and his parents like it that way. Something most children wish was true at least some of the time.

It's a quick read so it won't take up much of your day but it may add a smile to your face and some amusing things to share with others who remember the original Where the Wild Things Are fondly.

The class I am currently taking is Resources and Services for Persons with Disabilities. We had a question posed to us last week that garnered quite a bit of discussion from the library world point of view and I really wanted to know what the patron point of view would be. So I pose the same scenario to you and would love to hear your honest thoughts.

A patron arrives when the library opens with what appears to be all of his earthly possessions, and he takes them with him when he leaves when the library closes. Although it appears that he uses the restroom to wash his face and rinse out some clothes, his aroma is bothersome. He reads the newspaper and uses other library resources for about half the day, and sleeps the rest of the time. What would you do?

It's been awhile. Did I lose the three readers I had?

Growing up I was a pretty picky eater. I liked the basics but if it wasn't something you see all the time I wasn't eating it. I remember one burger incident where the meat came with the grill lines on it. You know the ones that give it that great charred flavor. Well when I was little I wasn't having anything to do with it and I refused to eat.

Nowadays I am a much more varied eater and in fact have eaten some pretty strange things on my travels. I had cow's tongue in Ukraine, raw egg in Tunisia, and Ackee and saltfish in Jamaica. Not saying I loved them. But drawing a line I always say I will never eat anything that looks at me from the plate. Whole lobster, crawfish, etc.

Imagine my surprise when I ordered Tilapia at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, a dish I had eaten there before and it came with head and tail attached.



It didn't have eyeballs the last time I ate it! Taking a cue from my travels I refused to act like an ugly American and I dug in, literally, but not until I covered it's eyes with a napkin. They were staring at me!

Most apocalyptic literature is full of violence, disease and despair painting a bleak if not downright terrifying picture of possible futures. But in World Made By Hand James Howard Kunstler paints a future that looks downright rosy.

A war in the Holy Land and nuclear retaliations on American soil have destroyed the economy. Oil, electricity, and all the modern conveniences they bring are gone. Information is scarce. There is a rumor that a President still in office but not in Washington D.C. That city is gone. But remote areas have been relatively unaffected by survivor violence and have returned to a rural way of life; a slower pace that it is clear the author longs for. Kunstler spends a great deal of time describing the scenery, new ways of completing everyday tasks and the homegrown foods that are eaten. The descriptions add appreciation for the lack of distraction that allows people to take pleasure in simpler things and their length gives the reader a sense of the slower pace of this new world. Work is hard and constant but rewarding. Even so, Kunstler does not neglect the fact that things can be painful and even dangerous. Imagine a trip to the dentist who now uses a foot treadle drill, the lack of anesthetic, and antibiotics and having to negotiate for needs from the towns seedier residents who have opened a co-op filled with items pilfered from houses and stores that aren't always unoccupied.

While this new life is idealized there is still enough conflict and realism to give the story interest. I enjoyed the book and read it in an afternoon although I admit to skimming some of the longer descriptive passages.


The sequel, The Witch of Hebron continues the story begun in The World Made by Hand.